Can This World Depend On God's Word When Everything Has Failed?

“In the annals of human history, the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as if dependent on the will and prowess of man; the shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, above, behind, and through all the play and counterplay of human interest and power and passions, the agencies of the All-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will.” Ellen White, Prophets and Kings, page 499.

Is the Bible perfect? The messages of the Bible are perfect. The translations of the Bible are not perfect but that does not make the Bible in error.

The Bible contains many apparent mistakes and inconsistencies. However, the Bible reveals just the Savior every human heart needs. How can an uninspired book contain all the principles so perfectly adapted to the wants and desire of a fallen world?

The following are seven reasons why we believe the Bible is true and is the only source of truth:

Evidence of Internal Consistency. The Bible consists of different 66 books written by 37 different authors over a period of about 1,500 years on three different continents. Probably the most controversial and volatile subject in all human history is “Is there a God”? Let’s choose another subject not nearly as controversial, for example, food. Now select 37 different authors from the US to compile their thoughts and ideas about food. Do you think if we compiled all their writings together we would be in harmony? One author may say the best food is raw meat, the other green leafy vegetables, the other fruits. If there isn’t harmony between 37 contemporary authors who all come from the same background to agree on something as simple as food doesn’t it strike you as incredible that 37 different authors over a period spanning of 1,500 years on 3 continents from a myriad of cultures from various different social-economic backgrounds could write on the most controversial subject in history and they could be in harmony.
Evidence of History. All true and genuine history confirms and corroborates the Bible record.

Testimony of Archeology. US News stated that there has never been a single evidence of archeology in history that has contradicted what the Bible said.
Testimony of Science. All true science agrees with the Bible. In fact many of the great scientists of history have been Bible believing Christians (Newton, Einstein, Kepler, Copernicus, Galileo, Sir Francis Bacon, Gregor Mendel, William Thomson Kelvin, to name a few). There is no contradiction between true science and the Bible.
Testimony of Relevancy. The Bible began 1500 BC. When people pick up this book in search of the truth they find what they are looking for. All their needs are met. The Bible was relevant in the time of Moses, it was relevant in the time of Jesus [Yahushua] and it is just as relevant to today. It is incredible that a book could speak so eloquently to a modern generation.
The Testimony of a Changed Life. Any Christian that you meet that has surrendered their life to Jesus will tell you that their life has changed when they began to read the Bible. The drunkard man will become sober man, the thief becomes an honest man. The Bible has the power to change the life and heart of man.
The testimony of prophecy. Prophecy is the prediction of future events; a forecast. To forecast the future reliably you would have to know what will happen before it happens. One-third of the Bible contains specific prophecies that have been fulfilled. Who ever inspired this book knew not only the past and the present but knew the future as well.

5. For what reasons were the Scriptures written?

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4. “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11. For “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3: 16, 17.

Answer:

A. For our learning

B. For our admonition

C. For doctrine

D. For reproof

E. For correction

F. For instruction in righteousness

G. To be perfect

H. To be throughly furnished unto all good works

6. What does God design that His Word shall be to us in this world of darkness, sin, and death?

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119: 105. “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” Pr 6:23.

Answer: His Word shall be to us a lamp to our feet and light to our path.

7. What three general divisions did Jesus refer to in the writings of the Old Testament?

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were writ­ten in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me." Luke 24:44.

Answer:

A. The Law of Moses

B. The Prophets

C. The Psalms

"The law of Moses" was a common Jewish term for the first five books of the Old Testament. In "the prophets" they included Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the twelve minor prophets; also Joshua, Judges, I and 2 Samuel, and I and 2 Kings. "The psalms" included all the remaining books.

The writings of the apostles also were recognized as part of the Scriptures.

2 Peter 3:15-16 says: "Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction."

Peter here considers the Apostle Paul's writings as part of the Scriptures, and doubtless he felt the same about the writings of the other apostles.

8. Upon what proof did Jesus base His Messiah­ship?

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself." Verse 27.

Answer: Old Testament prophecies.

Much of the beauty and depth of divine truth is lost to those who read only the New Testament. Jesus referred particularly to the Old Testament prophecies as proof of His Messiahship. When Christ spoke of the Scriptures, He meant the Old Testament, for the New Testament had not yet been written. The references in the New Testament to the word, "Scriptures," refer to the Old Testament.

Consider the following scriptures for further studies about Jesus: Genesis 3:15; 22:18; 26:4; 49:10; Numbers 21:9; Deuteronomy 18:15; Psalms 16:9-10; 22:1-31; 132:11; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 40:10-11; 50:6; 53:1-12; Jeremiah 23:5; 33:14-15; Ezekiel 34:23; 37:25; Daniel 9:24; Micah 7:20; Malachi 3:1; 4:2; Luke 24:45; John 1:45.

There are more than 250 direct quotations from the Old Testament in the New Testament. One will find that there is complete harmony between the Old and New Testaments. They are a unit, standing or falling together. The Old is the foundation for the New.

9. What is God called in the Scriptures?

"He is... a God of truth." Deuteronomy 32:4. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie” Titus 1:2. “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie” Hebrews 6:18.

Answer: God of Truth.

10. What, therefore, must be the character of His word?

"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." John 17:17.

Answer: His word is truth.

11. To what extent has God magnified His word?

"Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name." Psalm 138:2.

Answer: Above His name.

A man's name stands for his character. It is the same with God. When God places His word above His name, His character becomes the founda­tion of His word and the pledge that His word will be fulfilled. (Hebrews 6: 13, 14.)

12. What proof do we have that Jesus expressed His conviction and belief in Scripture?

"But he answered and said It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone... It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God... it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Matthew 4:4, 7, 10.

Answer: It is His habit to quote the scripture as the final authority in all situations He finds Himself.

13. What has God included in the scripture to help us build confidence in its divine inspiration?

“Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.” Isaiah 42:9. "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.” Isaiah 46:9 “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.” John 13:19 “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe." John 14:29.

Answer: Bible prophecies. Notice the following examples of fulfilled Bible prophecies:

A. Tyre, a flourishing maritime port of the ancient Phoenicians. This large, rich city was wicked in the sight of God and He made a prediction of doom upon the city. In Ezekiel 26:7-14 God foretold six things that would happen to Tyre:

1. He would bring Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon against Tyre.

2. Many people in Tyre would be killed.

3. The ruins of the city would be thrown into the sea.

4. The city area would be scraped free of rubble, like the top of a rock.

5. Fishermen would use this site to spread fishing nets.

6. It would never be rebuilt.

The old city was scraped free of rubble like the top of a rock and Alexander marched his army to the island and conquered the new Tyre. Today it is common to see fishermen spread their nets where the old city once stood. Three attempts to rebuild the city have all failed. Ezekiel 26:14 states, “‘I will make you like the top of a rock; you shall be a place for spreading nets, and you shall never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken,’ says the Lord God.” This remarkable prediction was fulfilled in every detail.

B. EGYPT. Surely Egypt enjoys a glorious past. But what of today? God's word records a prediction.

Anciently, Egypt was famous for her supply of Papyrus, or paper to the world. The Papyrus reed grew bountifully along the river Nile, and other waterways. However, God foretold that the paper reeds by the brooks and rivers would wither and vanish away, and be no more in the land of Egypt. And even this minute detail has been fulfilled. “The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.” Isaiah 19:7.

C. BABYLON. The greatest city of the ancient world, is often spoken of as the golden city of a golden age. Jeremiah prophesied concerning Babylon:

“And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD.” Jer 51:26. “And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.” Jer 51:37

But the prophecy is still more definite in the book of Isaiah 13:20,21: “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.” Isa 13:20, 21. The mighty palaces and hanging gardens of Babylon are only a memory, but the Arab still lives in his tents.

14. Are revelations of science and the experiences of life in harmony with the testimony of Scripture?

Answer: Yes. Here are a few facts of the natural world that have been confirmed by science:

A. “He ... hangs the earth upon nothing.” Job 26:7.

The suspension of the earth in space was described by Copernicus in 1543.

B. “He looks to the ends of the earth: to make the weight for the winds.” Job 28:24, 25.

Galileo, (1564-1642) was the first to affirm that air had weight.

C. “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?” Isaiah 40:12.

Only in recent years has it been realized how important are the proportions and balance of the land masses and oceans on the earth’s surface.

D. “They [the heavens and the earth] shall perish; but Thou remains; and they all shall wax old as cloth a garment.” Hebrews 1:11.

Not until the twentieth century was the progressive aging and disintegration of matter by radioactivity discovered. Nature is going down. “The downward journey is easy, while the upward is either hard or impossible.”-Sir lames H. Jeans, The Universe Around Us, page 306.

E. “For the life of all flesh is the blood thereof.” Leviticus 17:14.

The circulation and function of the blood was discovered by William Harvey in 1615.

“Prophecy and miracle confirm the word; science and revelation are co-witnesses to the same God; astronomy hints His eternity, immensity, infinity, natural philosophy tells of His omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence; physiology suggests His wisdom and goodness the beginnings of life, of consciousness, of intelligence and of conscience, are miracles which cannot be accounted for without Almighty power, and ought to make both atheism and pantheist alike impossible. While the heart of man and the history of man unite to witness to a need and a craving never filled except by Christ Jesus.”-Arthur T. Pierson, Many Infallible Proofs, page 19.

15. Are there health principles in the Bible that can be followed today?

Answer: Yes. “That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations..” Psalms 67:2. "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 2.

A. Freedom from disease and sickness by OBEDIENCE: Exodus 15:26.

B. Eat neither fat nor blood: Leviticus 3:17; 7:23, 26; 17:10-14

C. a difference between the clean and the unclean: Lev. 11:2-11

D. A warning against excess sweets: Proverbs 25:16, 27

E. GLUTTONY or Overeating is harmful: Proverbs 23:2; Eccl. 10:17

F. HYGIENE- Washing the body and clothes to control germs: Leviticus 15:2-11

G. LABOUR- Importance of work: Exodus 20:9; 1 Timothy 5:8

H. REST- Our bodies need proper rest: Mark 6:31

I. MORALITY- Moral living prevents sexual diseases such as AIDS epidemic, abortion etc: 1 Corinthians 3:17; 6:19; 10:8.; Proverbs 5:1-12

J. Human body waste should be buried: Deuteronomy 23:12,13

K. QUARANTINE to control contagious disease: Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:1-4

L. Sterilization: Numbers 31:22,23

M. Happy heart- The health benefits of a positive attitude: Proverbs 17:22; 1 Timothy 6:6

N. To love and help others- Hatred and bitterness destroy health: Matthew 25:34-40; Exodus 23:4,5,9,25

O. Hatred and bitterness destroy health: Leviticus 19:17,18; Proverbs 15:17

16. Through what agency did God create the heavens?

"By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth .... For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast." Psalm 33:6-9.

Answer: By His Word.

17. What change is wrought in one who is in Christ?

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature [literally, "a new creation"]: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17.

Answer: He is a new creature and all things become new.

18. How do the heavens witness to the Bible’s revelation of God and of His power?

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Psalms 19:1.

Answer: Everything points with overwhelming force to a definite event, or series of events, of creation at some time or times, not infinitely remote. The universe cannot have originated by chance out of its present ingredients, and neither can it have been always the same as now.

19. What witness do all created things give to their Maker and to the truth of the Bible record?

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead.” Romans 1:20.

Answer: All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more strongly the truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures.

“Science is compelled to accept the idea of creative power.”-Lord Kelvin, quoted by Bernard Heywood, This Is Our Faith, page 36.

“In our study of natural objects we are approaching the thoughts of the Creator, reading His conceptions, interpreting a system that is His and not ours.”-1,ouls J. R. Agassiz, Methods of Study in Natural History, 19th ed., page 14.

20. To a world alienated from God through disobedience to His word, what assurance does the Bible bring?

“I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.” Romans 1:16.

Answer: Grace and Power to obey God.

“The Bible finds us where we are, and, if permitted, takes us where we ought to go.... What the Bible promises is fabulous but not fable.”-Raymond Irving Lindquist, “The Word of God,” Theology Today, vol. 3, No. 2, p. 158.

“The multitudes go to the Bible, not for knowledge, but for power; they go to renew their sense of spiritual realities, and to catch again the vision splendid. This book passes beyond a classic and becomes to men a word of God, because it voices those ultimate truths which give to life its meaning. These are the truths upon which our faith rests, which bring comfort to our hearts, and keep burning the fires of hope.

21. What transformation is made possible through the word?’

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.” 1 Peter 1:23.

Answer: To be born again

22. How does the word bless the transformed life?

A. It gives understanding. “The entrance of Thy words gives light; it gives understanding unto the simple.” Psalm 119:130.

B. It keeps from sin. “Thy word have 1 hid in mine heart that I might not sin against Thee.” Verse 11.

C. It guides in the way of life. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Verse 105.

D. It builds. “Now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” Acts 20:32.

E. It gives hope. “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Romans 15:4.

23. Numerous times in this lesson we have mentioned the word of God; who is the word?

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:1, 14

Answer: The Word of God is not just a book. The word of God is a being, namely Jesus Christ, and the written Word reveals His character.

24. Since it is dangerous to base our beliefs on one verse of Scripture, what should we do?

"Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little." Isaiah 28:9-10

"Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." 1 Corinthians 2:13

Answer: We should compare scripture with scripture before forming our belief.

25. How important is it to pray for the guidance of the the Father's holy Spirit before we study the Bible?

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 14:26

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." John 16:13. [1 Corinthians 2:10, 14; Romans 8:14]

Answer: “The office of the Holy Spirit is distinctly specified in the words of Christ: "When He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." John 16:8. It is the Holy Spirit that convicts of sin. If the sinner responds to the quickening influence of the Spirit, he will be brought to repentance and aroused to the importance of obeying the divine requirements.

To the repentant sinner, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, the Holy Spirit reveals the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. ""He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you," Christ said. "He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." John 16:14; 14:26." Acts of the Apostles, page 52.

26. Is it safe to accept someone else's conviction as to what constitutes truth?

"Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD." Jeremiah 17:5 (Also read, Acts 17:11; Isaiah 30:1).

Answer: "God has given us His word that we may become acquainted with its teachings and know for ourselves what He requires of us... It is not enough to have good intentions; it is not enough to do what a man thinks is right or what the minister tells him is right. His soul's salvation is at stake, and he should search the Scriptures for himself. However strong may be his convictions, however confident he may be that the minister knows what is true, this is not his foundation. He has a chart pointing out every waymark on the heavenward journey, and he ought not guess at anything. It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and comparing Scripture with Scripture. With divine help we are to form our opinions for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God." The Great Controversy, page 598.

Are you grateful to God that you can confidently rely on His word for my life?