A Covenant God

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[i]  (Genesis 1:1, NLT)  This phrase starts the Bible, and it forms the foundation for all of our understanding of the world. 

In the first chapter of Genesis we learn that God created a man and a woman to whom he gave the earth He had created.  In chapter 2, we learn more specifics about the man and the woman and their circumstances. 

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made . . .” (Genesis 3:1, NLT) This phrase starts the third chapter.  In chapter 3 we are introduced to our enemy, Satan, and to sin, the curse and to grace.

These are all beginnings.

Genesis is a book of beginnings.

Until chapter 4 of Genesis there are only two people, Adam and Eve. These two people are all that exists of the human race.  There are no ethnic groups.  There are no borders, divisions, schisms or factions. This changes very quickly as Adam and Eve’s first born son kills their second born.

Chapters 4 and 5 list genealogies and give names and ages for people.  We see how mankind is instantly divided as Cain’s family is marked by violence and division. 

We also see the ages of people and are given the names of the line of Seth.  If we stick just to the dates, names and individuals given, we can calculate the flood started in year 1656 after creation.

This next thing is speculation, but it helps us to understand the setting at the time of Noah.  If we calculate the generations and the child bearing ages and 3 to 5 children per family; as well as the longevity indicated, we can calculate the population at the time of the flood was anywhere from 1 to 40 billion people.[ii]  We do not know actual mortality rates, birth rates and such so fixing a number on the population is wildly speculative. However, my point is that extremely large numbers are possible mathematically.

Genesis 6 starts with the statement that men began to multiply on the face of the earth. We know from chapters 4 and 5 that cities were established.  With cities established and population multiplying, I tend to think of a significant worldwide population.

From chapter 4 verse 22 we know that iron and bronze were being forged.  We are given little information about the world prior to the flood. We do not know what kind of technology they developed, and how they lived their daily lives. However, we are told that the sons of God saw the beautiful women and took any they wanted as their wives.  These unions produced children who became giants, heroes and famous warriors. In this pre-flood world, there were cities.  There were iron tools.  There were wars and fighting.

In chapter 6 verse 3 God says, “My Spirit will not put up with humans for such a long time, for they are only mortal flesh. In the future, their normal lifespan will be no more than 120 years.” (NLT)

In this pre-flood world, it was possible to have a direct relationship with God. We are told in chapter 5 verse 24 that Enoch walked with God.  The Law of Moses was not yet given.  God’s relationship with man was still based on the Garden of Eden standard where God walked with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. They also had the advantage of extremely long lives in which to learn and perhaps find God.

In Acts 17:26-27, the Apostle Paul gives an interesting perspective.  He says:

From one man he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries. His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. (NLT)

After less than two thousand years of men living long lives without law but with direct access to God, the conclusion was:

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. (Genesis 6:5-6, NLT)

I would like to believe that at least some people were good.  But, the truth of the matter is: “Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God.” (Genesis 6:9, NLT)

Did you catch that: “The only blameless person living on the earth at the time?”

This is the beginning of the story of God’s dealings with humanity.  The age from creation to the flood represents his first administration.  It involved no rules and an open invitation to walk with God. 

From the flood to Abraham was the second administration.  The rules were no meat with blood still in it and no murder.  And, God promised never again to flood the entire earth. The open invitation to walk with God was still there.

From Abraham to Moses was the next administration.

We see a pattern in the Bible of which the story of the flood is just the beginning. 

For example, God sent Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.  When they left Egypt they numbered anywhere from 1 to 2 million people.  How many of them were able to enter the land of promise? Two people were allowed to enter, Caleb and Joshua.  Everyone else died in the wilderness because of their wickedness. 2 out of a million are at least better numbers than the 1 out of a billion of Noah’s day.

Each administration shows that no matter how God deals with humanity: “everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil.” It broke God’s heart at the time of the flood.  It breaks God’s heart today. 

At the time of the flood, there was only one godly man.  We are not to that point in this, the Church age. There are many who love the Lord Jesus and who walk in close fellowship with God. However, the days are evil.  In many places in the world, Christ followers are persecuted for their faith, and compared to the total population of the world true followers of Christ are not in the majority.

The story of Noah gives us a picture of how God dealt with the world when it was at its worst.

First, given that in such a short time after creation there was only one godly person, why would God spare anybody or even start over?  However, God is not willing to destroy the godly along with the ungodly.  

Genesis says, “Noah found favor with the Lord.” (Genesis 6:8, NLT)

This is remarkable to me. The word translated “favor” here in Genesis 6:8 is used in other places to describe ladies who are outstanding because of their beauty and grace.  It carries the idea of being pleasing to the eye.  We know that God looks on the heart.  David was pleasing to God because of his heart. We know that neither David nor Noah was sinless.  But because of their heart toward God, they found favor in the eyes of the Lord.  They were attractive to God. 

This is something that begins here in Genesis and is consistent throughout human history.  In a word, “. . . he offers his friendship to the godly.” (Proverbs 3:32, NLT)

The world was at its worst, but God would not destroy this one godly man.

Second, God tells his plans to Noah, and tells him how to escape the coming judgment. 

This also is a consistent part of God’s character.  Psalm 25:14 says, “The LORD confides in those who fear him.”[iii] (NIV) 

What is more, we know from 2 Peter 2:5 that Noah was a preacher.  Over the 100 years he spent building the ark, Noah was telling the people of his day of the coming judgment. 

In the days of Jonah, God warned Nineveh of his intention to judge them.  They repented and were spared. I believe if the people of Noah’s day would have repented, they too would have been spared. 

It is the same today.  Romans 10:13 tells us, “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” (NLT)  God makes His appeal through us.  We plead with men on behalf of God to be reconciled to God.  We tell of His love.  We tell how Jesus died to pay for our sins.  We tell of God’s willingness to forgive all of our sins and even to adopt us as His own children.  And yet, those who would spread this message are often persecuted and even killed for sharing such good news.

There are those who believe and are saved.  In the days of Noah, it was not so.  For one hundred years he preached without a single convert, not even one.

Third, God confirmed His covenant with Noah. 

This shows once again a consistent part of God’s character. 

Genesis 6:17 & 18 say:

Look! I am about to cover the earth with a flood that will destroy every living thing that breathes. Everything on earth will die. But I will confirm my covenant with you. (NLT)

God is a covenant God.  He makes promises that He never breaks.  His promises are so sure that even if the mountains move and the stars disappear from the sky, His promises will never fail.

One morning this week I was driving west after having dropped Jonathan off at school.  The rising sun was behind me, and a grey sky of clouds and rain was in front of me.  As the sun shone against the clouds before me, a beautiful rainbow arched its way across the whole sky.  It was stunning, and I was reminded of the promise that God made to Noah so many years ago.

God made a covenant with Abraham, and there is still a nation called Israel these thousands of years later.

God made a covenant with David, and Jesus Christ is the eternal descendant of David with the right to sit on David’s throne.

Do you know that God offers His covenant promises to you? 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” (NIV)

There is a promise of rest for the people of God.  There is a promise of freedom.  There is a promise of forgiveness. There is a promise of eternal life.  There is a promise of a home in heaven, a place in paradise. All these promises are there for the person who will but call on the name of the Lord.  We do not earn these. We receive them by asking for them.

God has promised to judge the world again.  We know it is coming.  We know it will come suddenly.  Just like in the days of Noah, Noah went into the boat he had built and the floods came.  People were living in cities, forging bronze and iron, marrying and having children until the day the flood came.  It will be the same when Jesus returns with one difference.  There will be a seven year pause, known as the tribulation, in which mankind will have one more chance to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved.

Why wait?

Call on Him today.

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[i] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] http://www.ldolphin.org/pickett.html

[iii] Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Can we be free from the past?

I have a good friend who fought in the Vietnam War. I love this man.  It warms my heart to think of him.

 

He is a story teller. I could sit and listen to his stories for hours and never get bored.  The war is not something he talks about much, but some of the stories he has shared are nothing short of amazing. 

This friend struggles with depression.  He told me of a few times when another person took his place on a patrol or guard duty and died.  He said, “It should have been me.” This is his struggle.  Someone died in his place.  This kind of regret goes far beyond my experience.  I am out of my depth and am humbled by the pain this friend carries.

Do you have pain that you hide? Some of us have things we would like to go back and undo.  We would like a chance to undo some decisions or at least do some things differently.

Today, I was looking at Zechariah 3, not a frequently visited part of the Bible, but it in I saw how God deals with the past.

 

Zechariah wrote at a time in Israel’s history when they were not an independent nation.  Under King David and King Solomon the nation had seen its glory days.  It was a great and powerful nation.  But, over the course of a few hundred years the people had ignored God’s messengers.  They had ignored justice.  They had knowingly practiced many things that violated every moral standard.  They had given themselves over to practice evil to the point that God finally had had enough.  

For many years, the prophets warned the people that God’s patience would wear out.  They preached that God would judge the nation and send them into captivity for 70 years.  That is exactly what happened.

Zechariah was a prophet and priest that lived at the end of those promised 70 years. He preached to the people who returned from the exile.

 

The 70 years of captivity started with millions being led away from the land of Israel. The people who returned from exile numbered less than 50,000.  They were still subjects of a pagan king and under the rule of Darius, King of Persia.

Their past haunted them.  The warnings of the prior prophets were still there to be read. We have accounts in both Ezra and Nehemiah of those who returned from exile doing the very things that had led to the exile in the first place. They were still imprisoned by their past.

There was a huge problem in the hearts and minds of this small and struggling people.  Their fathers had failed.  They had failed. They were tasked with rebuilding the temple, and the work was stalled.  Years went by with no progress.  Zechariah was sent with a message to get them back on task, and the first thing to be dealt with was the past.

Zechariah chapter 3 starts out: “Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord.”[i] (Zechariah 3:1, NLT) 

Zechariah would have been especially sensitive to this image.  He was a priest, and the vision was of the High Priest. 

Hebrews 5:1 tells us, “Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God.” (NLT)  Seeing the high priest standing before God, Zechariah knew Jeshua was representing his people before God.  Since Jeshua is standing, we know that judgment is taking place.  Who is standing on the right hand side with Jeshua?  “The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Jeshua.  (Zechariah 3:1, NLT)

This is so typical.  Whenever God has called us to do something, Satan is there to remind us how unworthy we are.  He calls up the past. He calls up our failures.  He calls up anything he can to keep us tied to the past.

God called this small group of people to build him a temple, and Satan was there to stop it from happening if he could.

Look at how God responds.  “And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”” (Zechariah 3:2, NLT)

God does not accept accusations against His chosen ones.  The rest of the chapter will show how He is able to remain holy, just and true and yet forgive the past.

God said, “This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.” (Zechariah 3:2, NLT)  Those who came back from exile were few and they were saved as if from the brink of extinction.  The ten tribes of the northern kingdom are still lost to this day.  Fire burns and consumes everything.  These people were all but consumed and God snatched them from the very brink of destruction.

This is what God does.  If someone thinks he is a good person and does not need to be snatched from the fire, he is in danger.  His self-righteousness could destroy him.  If someone thinks he is so bad that none could ever save him, he is close.  No one can ever save himself.  Only God can save us. Only God can deal with the past.

The rest of Zechariah 3 is about how He does that.

We see in verse 3 that Jeshua was dressed in filthy clothes.  This is a picture of all of us.  The priests were the most holy, the best of the best. And here Jeshua is unfit to stand before God. 

When God gives Jeshua clean clothes he says, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” (Zechariah 3:4, NLT)  This is what happens. When a person accepts Christ, God places his sin on Jesus.  Jesus paid for those sins on the cross. Next, God puts Jesus’ perfect righteousness on the forgiven sinner like a fine set of priestly garments.   

The next detail given in Zechariah 3 is astounding.  It says, “Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.” (Zechariah 3:5, NLT)  This priestly turban was very significant.  There was a gold plate attached to the front of it that said, “Holy to the Lord.” (Exodus 39:30)  Holy means set apart, or special. 

This is what God does for those who accept Christ.  1 Peter 2:9 puts it this way: “you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” (NLT)

When one accepts Christ, not only does God cloth him in the righteousness of Christ and take his sins away, but He puts a special crown on his head that says, “This is my son, this is my daughter, she is special and precious to me.”

God says this to Jeshua:

“Listen to me, O Jeshua the high priest, and all you other priests. You are symbols of things to come. Soon I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. Now look at the jewel I have set before Jeshua, a single stone with seven facets. I will engrave an inscription on it, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and I will remove the sins of this land in a single day.” (Zechariah 3:8-9, NLT)

They were symbols of things to come.  The Branch is Jesus.  The single day was the day on Calvary.  We can stop worrying about the past.  We can leave the shame and guilt behind like the dirty clothes taken from Jeshua.  If we accept Jesus, He will tell us, “I have taken your sins away, and you are precious to me.”

Jesus is calling each of us to follow Him.  Is there anything holding us back?

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[i] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

The Tragedy of Sin and the Greatness of Grace

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”[i]  (Genesis 3:1, NLT)

The man and woman, our parents Adam and Eve, were living in the Garden God made for them. Genesis 2 verses 9 and 10 give these details about the Garden:

The LORD God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed from the land of Eden, watering the garden and then dividing into four branches. (NLT)

. . . “Trees that were beautiful and produced delicious fruit.” I picture trees of varying shades of green with peaches, pears, apples, mangoes and oranges hanging low so Adam and Eve could reach out and take whatever they wanted. It was an ideal setting.

God told Adam and Eve, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (Genesis 2:16-17, NLT)

The serpent comes into this ideal setting. 

We know him already. 

Genesis 3 is the first mention of him in Scripture, but at the mention of his role here in the story of Eden we know him.  He has whispered to us in our doubts, accused us in our guilt and tormented us in our fears.  We are not on friendly terms with him. We see his work in the wars, diseases and brokenness of our world.

Dread comes over me as I anticipate the rest of the story.  Why, oh why, did Adam and Eve make the choice they did?

The serpent lies to the woman. 

Directly contradicting God he says, “You won’t die!” (Genesis 3:4, NLT)

What did the woman know of death?  She had never seen it.  Why did she believe the serpent over God?

Verse 6 tells us: “The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.” (Genesis 3:6, NLT)

Let’s consider some of the things that were lost at that moment.

First, they immediately knew they were naked.  They felt shame.  Innocence was lost and with it the pure unclouded enjoyment of life’s greatest pleasures.

Second, their relationship with God was broken.  They hid from God.

Third, their relationship with each other was broken. 

Fourth, they suffered the curse: 1) pain in childbirth, 2) discord in marriage, and 3) hardship in living.

“You won’t die,” said the serpent.

Almost, every person born of woman since that day has died, including Adam and Eve. 

The serpent lied.

He lied to gain control of the world.  He lied to destroy God’s creation. He lied in order to kill Adam and Eve.

He is still doing the same today.  He lies to control the world.  He lies to destroy God’s creation.  He lies to kill you and me.

This is the tragedy of sin. 

The woman was deceived so her guilt was not as great. She still suffered the consequences.  The man made a deliberate choice. His guilt was greater, so he bore the weight of guilt.

Whether we are deceived or make a deliberate choice, the consequences of sin in our lives are horrible.

What is God’s role in all of this? Where was God?  Let’s take a look at these questions.

First, God was there. He warned them.  He told them the truth.

Second, God came looking for them.  They hid from God so God called out to them.  God reached out to them.  It was not Adam and Eve who sought out God.

Third, God promised a Savior. 

In verse 15 God says, “And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15, NLT) The offspring spoken of here is Jesus.  Colossians 2:15 says of Jesus, “he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” (NLT)

Fifth, God provided clothing for them. 

Verse 21 says, “And the LORD God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” Adam and Eve had tried to cover themselves in their shame, and apparently had made a poor job of it.  God, in His kindness, made them their first set of clothes.

Sixth, God kept them from the tree of life.

In verse 22 this is recorded: Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!”

What would be so tragic about living forever?  Let me tell you what I believe.  Have you ever wondered why the angels who sinned cannot be saved?  They cannot die.  Romans 6 verse 7 gives this interesting information, “For one who has died has been set free from sin.”[ii] (ESV)

If Adam and Eve had been allowed to eat from the tree of life, they would have lived in their sinful state forever just like the devil and his angels.  It was the kindness of God that banished Adam and Eve from the garden and protected them by not letting them eat from the tree of life.

Jesus paid for our sins by dying, and was raised to newness of life, never to die again.  Romans 6:3-7 explains:

. . . when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. (NLT)

This is the incredible greatness of God’s grace. 

Where sin brought tragedy and death, grace brought life, victory and hope.  This is the hope we enjoy as believers.

God  warns us.  He tells us the truth.
God seeks us out.
God provided a Savior, who clothes us with His righteousness and has opened the way to the tree of life.

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[i] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In the Beginning

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.[i] (Genesis 1:1, NLT)

This statement opens the book that God gave to us.

This is the foundation.

If a child asks, “Why should I obey my parents?” We might answer, “Because I told you so.” Or, we might answer, “Because your parents are bigger.” Or, we might  say, “Because your parents know best.”

There has to be a better answer.

If we ask, “Why am I here?” We might answer, “Because a big bang happened, some chemicals happened, some reactions happened, and you came about.” Or, we might say, “I have no idea.”

If we ask, “Why should I share?” We might answer, “Because.” Or, we might say, “If you do not share, your life will be miserable.”

Why should I get up today?

Why should I go to work?

Why should I love my neighbor?

Why should I brush my teeth?

This statement, “In the beginning God,” can have a great effect on how we view all of these questions.

These are all questions of purpose.

What is the reason for our existence?  Is there an explanation?

The basic assumption that the Bible starts out with is, “in the beginning God.” 

This is a hotly debated topic.  It always has been. 

Recently the movie, “God’s Not Dead,” came out.  In the movie, a freshman philosophy student refuses to sign a statement required by his Philosophy professor to the effect that God is dead.  When he refuses to sign the statement, he is required to defend the antithesis.  God is put on trial in the class room with the students as the jury.  In the movie, the best arguments for and against the existence of God are presented.  In the end the whole class votes that God is not dead.

I have listened to arguments on both sides of the question.  The presentation made in this movie is as good as any I have seen from either side of the question. 

As the story line unfolds, the student challenges the professor with the question, “Why do you hate God?”  In the movie, this is the issue.  The professor hates God.  The question then becomes, “Why do you hate someone who does not exist?”

While we as men argue about the existence of God, God himself has an interesting comment.  Through the Apostle Paul He says:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools.[ii] (Romans 1:18-22, ESV)

“What can be known about God is plain to them.” God’s argument or answer to the argument is “His invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.”

On this question hang all the issues of life.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible is a collection of wisdom.  This book is about how to live life.  In it, the wisest man who ever lived shares his secrets.  He starts out with the thesis of his book.  He says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.” (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)

To put it in my own words, he is saying, acknowledging God is where we start.

The greatest king Israel ever had, possibly the greatest king ever, David, said it this way, “1 The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1, ESV)

Every decision we make is influenced by our attitude toward this fact, “In the beginning God.”

Do we live for ourselves or do we live for God?

This issue is so important that God made it the first and greatest commandment.  “5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV) This commandment is there for our sake not God’s.

The book of Genesis contains the history of the beginning of the world, the beginning of mankind, the beginning of the nations and the beginning of the people of Israel. While going through these beginnings, the book of Genesis is laying the foundation for our understanding of God’s plan of salvation.  His plan for restoring what has been broken by sin and evil.

This foundation is essential to our understanding of the world and of life in general.

We get the statement, “In the beginning God,” from the Bible.  Because of this, I want to address the question, “How do we know the Bible is true?”

First, let me restate a fact that I have already pointed out:

“What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” (Romans 1:19-20, ESV)

The creation and all that God has made is evidence enough to establish His existence.

The question about the Bible then is, “Has God spoken?” And, “Has He spoken in the Bible?”

The book “From God to Us,” starts out with this statement:

The Bible is a unique book.  It is one of the oldest books in the world, and still it is the world’s best-seller.  It is a product of the ancient Eastern world, but it has molded the modern Western world.  Tyrants have burned the Bible, and believers revere it.  It is the most quoted, the most published, the most translated, and the most influential book in the history of humankind.[iii]

Although there are many books that claim to be from God, the Bible stands out as unique in many facets.  The Bible is one story, but it was written over a period of more than 1,400 years by more than 40 different authors.  These authors were from different times in history and different cultures, but they all agree.  This by itself is a remarkable fact.  As far as it can be verified, the Bible is historically accurate.  No other book has been attacked, studied and scrutinized so carefully.

The story of how we got our Bible, and how we know it is the Word of God, is a field of science. Given this fact, I do not intend to give an exhaustive explanation, but only a brief outline of how we know the Bible is God’s word. The word for the study of the authority and inspiration of the Bible is “Canonicity.” This word at its root simply means ruler or measuring stick.  It is used to indicate that books are measured to see if they meet up to a certain standard.

Canonicity does not start with a pile of books and we then eliminate those that are false.  If a book is inspired by God, it is canonical.  The Bible says of itself, “16 All Scripture is breathed out by God.” (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV) 

Because of the constant threat of false books, it has been necessary from the earliest days, even since the days of Moses, for the people of God to be ever vigilant in reviewing what qualifies a book as being sacred or canonical.  

I like what the authors of From God to Us say:

Operating in the whole process are discernible some five basic criteria:  (1) Is the book authoritative-does it claim to be of God? (2) Is it prophetic-was it written by a servant of God? (3) Is it authentic-does it tell the truth about God, man, etc.? (4) Is the book dynamic- does it possess the life-transforming power of God? (5) Is this book received or accepted by the people of God for whom it was originally written-is it recognized as being from God?[iv]

For thousands of years as the Bible was being recorded and has been preserved, each succeeding generation has addressed these questions. The answer has always been the same.  It is reliable and we can trust it as the Word of God.

Read it for yourself.  

Check out what it says.  Even compare it to other books that claim to be from God. 

You will find it is true.

Some find it offensive.

I find it offensive.

Too often, God tells me I cannot have my own way.

 

But, I run up against this one fact, “In the beginning God.”

If I could deny it, if I could disprove it, if I could explain it away, I would not need to worry about what God says.  I would not need to worry about not coveting my neighbor’s wife.  I would not need to worry about the little lies I tell.  I would not need to worry about my anger and malice toward those around me.  All those things that make me uncomfortable with God would go away, because God would go away.

How do we explain this world?

How do we understand this world?

As is pointed out in the movie “God is Not Dead,” science has not disproved creation, nor has it proved evolution.  Faith in God is an impetus toward scientific exploration and advancement. The question is not science or God.  The question is, “What is the truth?”

Are we willing to humble ourselves enough to accept the truth?

The foundation is “In the beginning God.” 

Everything God has made points to the truth of this statement.

If this is not enough, God offers the ultimate proof.

Jesus rose from the dead.

 A person who was dead came back to life, and gives proof that what I am telling you is true.

If Jesus did not rise from the grave, then none of this makes any sense.  But, he did rise from the dead.  This fits perfectly with the foundation laid in Genesis.  The Garden of Eden, the Fall of Man, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, the call of Abraham and the offering of Isaac all make sense because of Jesus.  It all fits. 

Genesis, written more than 1,400 years before Jesus was born, laid the foundation for us to understand why Jesus did what He did.

If you have never come to Jesus for life, don’t you think it is about time you did? 

Are you really going to try to ignore, “In the beginning God?”

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[i] Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the  Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.  All rights reserved.

[ii] Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[iii] Geisler, Norman L., and William E. Nix. From God to Us: How We Got Our Bible. Chicago: Moody, 1974. Pg. 7. Print.

[iv] Ibid. pg. 67