Flood Legends from around the World

From the September 04, 2012 eNews issue
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Genesis 7:11-12
"In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."

In Genesis 6-8, the Bible describes a flood of global proportions. The fountains of the great deep exploded out of the ground. Something happened to that great firmament that God created to divide the waters above from the waters below, and water came crashing down on the earth after hundreds of years of dew watering the earth without the help of rain. During the Flood, it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, and the waters rose high enough to cover the tops of the mountains (however tall they were at that time). It was a devastating, catastrophic event that destroyed all the land-dwelling creatures on the planet, except for those protected on the ark that Noah built.

The Bible is not alone. Around the world, legends can be found of a global flood. Many of the details are different, but the essential elements tend to be there; a massive flood wiped out everybody but a particular righteous man. Often boats and animals are involved. The use of animals and birds to check the receding of the waters, and the violence of the flood are common themes.


GILGAMESH

The most famous flood story outside of the Bible is found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, discovered in the ruins of Asurbanipal's library in Nineveh.

Gilgamesh may have actually been a real person; he is listed in the Sumerian King List in the first dynasty of Uruk (and apparently reigned for 126 years).

In Tablet 11, after a variety of adventures, Gilgamesh meets a man named Utnapishtim who survived the Great Flood. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh his story, which parallels the Biblical account in many ways. There are differences, of course. In Gilgamesh, multiple gods are involved, the flood lasted just a week, and the boat landed on Mount Nisir rather than in the mountains of Ararat.

However, there are a significant number of details that are the same between the two accounts. In the Gilgamesh epic, Utnapishtim describes how he was ordered to build a large boat, which he coated with pitch and into which he brought "the seed of life of everything." The flood wiped out everybody but righteous Utnapishtim and his family, and while they waited for the waters to drain away, he sent out a dove, a swallow, and then a raven to check for land. Later, Utnapishtim made a sacrifice.


THE BIAMI

Missionaries made their way to the Biami people of Papua New Guinea in the late 20th century and discovered that this cannibalistic people had Creation and Flood myths already in their culture. While their Creation myth was fairly vague, their Flood myth had many similarities to the Biblical account:

The Biami tell about a great flood that came and killed everybody on the earth except for their ancestors. There is no boat in the story, but the Biami ancestors climbed into a Gobia Tree, and they took with them all their animals and the things they needed for planting crops. Once the waters receded, they came down and repopulated the land. Until the missionaries came, the Biami did not know that other people existed on the earth aside from themselves and the tribes around them.


ANDAMAN ISLANDS

After the British arrived on the Andaman Islands, a place isolated throughout much of known history, they found people who spoke strains of very old Asian languages. In the local mythology, a flood came upon the earth as a result of the wickedness of humanity. According to the myth, the Creator Puluga found that humankind grew disobedient, and he sent a flood that covered the whole land. Only two men and two women in a canoe were saved from the flood. When the waters sank, they landed. Then Puluga recreated the birds and animals, and created a fire in the damp world.


NORTH AMERICA

The Chippewa have a story in which a hero, Nanabozho, followed the Great Serpent to the deep lake where it had dragged and killed Nanabozho's cousin. There the Great Serpent lived with all his evil spirits. In order to kill the Serpent, Nanabozho told the sun to shine on the lake and make it boil so that the Serpent would come out. After the Serpent emerged, Nanabozho shot him and fatally wounded him. Before he died, however, the Serpent caused the waters of the lake to boil out and flood the land.


"Madly the flood rolled over the land, over the tracks of Nanabozho, carrying with it rocks and trees."

Nanabozho and other men, women and animals climbed to the tallest mountain, where Nanabozho built a raft from timber. The people and animals on the raft watched even the tallest mountains disappear. Then they floated there until slowly the mountains and hills began to appear again as the waters receded.

The Ottawa tell of the prophet Kwi-wi-sens Nenaw-bo-zhoo, whose name means, "the greatest clown-boy in the world." The prophet sought revenge on the sea-god for killing his beautiful wolf-dog. He waited until the god came on land, and then shot him through the heart. In revenge, water monsters sent mountains of water after him "which swept down the forests like grass before the whirlwind." According to the account:

He continued to flee before the raging flood, but could find no dry land. In sore despair he then called upon the God of Heaven to save him, when there appeared before him a great canoe, in which were pairs of all kinds of land-beasts and birds, being rowed by a most beautiful maiden, who let down a rope and drew him up into the boat. The flood raged on; but, though mountains of water were continually being hurled after the prophet, he was safe.

After a time, the prophet sent a beaver to swim down and check and see how deep the waters were. The beaver nearly drowned. Then he sent a muskrat, and it nearly drowned, but it brought back a handful of dirt. The prophet tied that ball of earth to the raven and sent it to fly over the waters to make them recede. When the world dried, the prophet and the beautiful woman repopulated the earth.

One Choctaw version of the Flood story tells about Oklatabashih (People's mourner), who lived in the distant past. The Great Spirit grieved because the people of earth had become so wicked. He told Oklatabashih to build a large boat and take on it his family and one male and one female animal of all the animals on earth. Oklatabashih collected all the animals, except for some particularly quick birds, and then went on the boat. It rained for a long time and thousands of animals and people died, but there were still groups found here and there. Then a raging wall of waters crashed down on those that were left and killed everybody except for Oklatabashih and those in the boat. The boat floated safely for many moons. Oklatabashih sent out a dove, which returned with grass in its beak. Finally, the waters receded and those on the boat went out to repopulate the earth.


BRAZIL

The Indians of Brazil had various versions of a Flood legend when they were discovered by Europeans. In the story, only two brothers and their wives survived a global flood that destroyed everybody else on earth. In some accounts the brothers survive by climbing the tallest tree on the top of the tallest mountain. In others, they rode on a canoe.

The Frenchman André Thevet related a story by the Indians about Cape Frio in the 16th Century. The Indians told about a great medicineman named Sommay who had two sons called Tamendonare and Ariconte. Tamendonare was the righteous brother who took care of his wife and children and worked the ground. Ariconte just wanted to subdue the people around him, including his brother. One day, during an argument over Ariconte's violence and pride, the village they lived in was transported to the sky. The brothers remained on the earth. Then Tamendonare stamped the earth and a great fountain of water sprang out and shot higher than the hills. The water continued to spout until it covered the whole earth. The two brothers climbed the trees on the tallest mountains and pulled their wives up with them, and were therefore the only ones to survive the great flood.


THE FLOOD MEMORY

After the Tower of Babel incident, humanity spread across the face of the earth and took the memory of their ancestor Noah's great escape with them. There are certainly stories about local floods among tribes – floods that took place long after The Deluge.

However, the theme of a massive flood that destroyed all living things can be found among tribes and peoples all over the world.

The Bible's version of the story, however, goes into the greatest detail. It describes the dimensions of the ark, names the survivors' descendants for many generations, and gives a constant notation of the events' dates. These are facts that cannot be easily dismissed.

Genesis 8:3-5
"And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen."


Related Links:
• Flood Legends From Around The World - NWCreation.net
• The Epic Of Gilgamesh - Livius
• The Biami Legends of Creation and Noah's Flood - Creation.com

• The Flood of Noah and the Flood of Gilgamesh - ICR
• Great Serpent and the Great Flood - Native-Languages.org
• Ottawa Flood Myth - ThunderRolls.com
• One Choctaw Version of the Great Flood... - MikeBouchWeb
• Stories of a Great Flood in South America - Bullfinch's Mythology

Archaeological discoveries confirmed the veracity of Scriptures

Weekly update written by Hal Linsey

Several recent archaeological discoveries in Israel have confirmed the veracity of the Scriptures.

This summer, "International Geology Review" reported on an investigation of earthquake activity around the Dead Sea, just a few miles east of Jerusalem. Geophysicists studied three core samples taken from the shores of the Dead Sea that offered evidence of at least two sizable earthquakes. Their investigation narrowed the dates of those earthquakes to 31 B.C. and sometime between 26 and 36 A.D., during the time when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea. Scientists from California-based Super Sonic Geophysical believe the second quake probably occurred around 33 A.D. 

When considered with other data, both historical and astronomical, the best estimate is that it occurred sometime in April of 33 A.D. This would concur with the Jewish month of Nisan, which indicates it may confirm the earthquake described in Matthew 27:51. That scripture describes the quake that happened when Jesus, from the cross, cried out in a loud voice and gave up His Spirit.

Last year, archaeologists from Tel Aviv University announced the discovery of a limestone ossuary. An ossuary is a box used for the burial of human bones. This burial box bore an unusual and detailed inscription. In short, it was positively identified as the ossuary of Miriam, the granddaughter of Caiaphas, the High Priest who presided over the trial of Jesus.

And in June, a professor from Hebrew University uncovered evidence confirming the existence of an Israelite kingdom centered in Jerusalem around the time of Kings David and Solomon. The same archaeologist also reported discovering the oldest Hebrew inscription ever found. On a shard of pottery, the inscription confirms the existence of a centralized, literate Hebrew kingdom more than 3,000 years ago. The professor announced that these discoveries prove that David was not a mythological figure or just the leader of a small tribe.

I think it's always exciting when archaeological and scientific discoveries confirm the historical record contained in the Bible. You see, Christianity is different from other world religions. Most of them can survive their sacred texts being found to contain conflicting details. What's most important to them are the broad generalities they teach, not the particulars of their founders' lives. But Christianity holds itself to such a high standard -- 100% accuracy (a standard established by God Himself) -- that the details of the life and death of Jesus Christ are critical to the validity of Christianity's entire message. In fact, if a single historical fact regarding the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not true, the entire structure of Christianity collapses. But the sheer fact that the people who were eyewitnesses to the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ were happily willing to sacrifice their lives rather than deny even the tiniest detail, speaks volumes. And it still serves to encourage those of us who follow Him 2,000 years later. But we don't have to depend on the miracles of modern scientific discovery to affirm our faith in Jesus Christ. Perhaps the most powerful confirmation of all comes from the Scriptures themselves. It is absolutely amazing to me how many ways the Bible confirms its own veracity. From the New Testament writers' indirect confirmations of each other, to the accuracy of the multiple, parallel accounts of events, to the eyewitness testimony, to the deathbed testimony, to the miraculous, exact fulfillment of centuries-old prophecies concerning Christ's crucifixion, to the lack of denials from leaders of the day, to the willingness of the witnesses to die for their testimony, the Bible is its own best witness. No body of literature in all history has been as thoroughly studied, vetted, picked apart, and argued and debated over as the Bible. Religions have sprung up to disprove it. Entire doctrines depend on there being a Bible to reject. Most atheists, rationalists, and humanists can find at least some common ground with most of the other world religions, but it's the Bible alone that raises their hackles and fires up their evangelistic fervor. Given the weight of all the evidence pointing to both the historical accuracy and Divine inspiration of the Scriptures, it seems to me that it would be much more amazing if it WEREN'T all true. The Bible has been under constant attack by the smartest guys in every generation since it was compiled. If a single thing in the Scripture were conclusively disproved -- a named person who didn't live, a place that never existed, an event that didn't take place -- then the Word of God is broken. Of all the thinkers and philosophers who have lived during the last two thousand years, not one has been able to claim the title of the man who proved the Bible wrong. Because it isn't.

Just a reminder to keep your eye on my website. You can find the top stories of the week so you can stay informed about what's happening in the world. Also, each week I post brief video commentaries about interesting questions, hot topics, or current events. So check out "Hal on the Hot Seat" at www.hallindsey.com. And, of course, you can always find the current edition of "The Hal Lindsey Report," as well as archived editions, on demand.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration Network, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Please check your local listings.

God Bless,
Hal Lindsey

1 Timothy 1

Bible study with Terry Gray

The pastoral letters were personal. They were written later in Paul's life.That is, these are letters of a seasoned apostle!


PAUL LEFT TIMOTHY IN CHARGE OF EPHESUS

1 Timothy 1:1-2
Paul wrote this to Timothy to discuss the church of Ephesus, one of the churches Paul planted there. Timothy was left there to continue the work while Paul was called away.


PAUL TOLD TIMOTHY TO STAND STRONG AGAINST FALSE TEACHINGS

1 Timothy 1:3-7
Some leaders in the church of Ephesus started teaching a different doctrine than God's Word. Paul told Timothy to stand and teach sound doctrine. He is to stop the teaching of false doctrines and kick out those who refuse to stop teaching false doctrines.

This may sound harsh and not welcoming. However, this is what shepherds do: They guide the sheep. They protect the sheep. They keep the wolves away from the sheep.

It is not in God's heart to see anyone perish (2 Peter 3:9). His arms are open to any who is willing to receive Him. However, to those whose sole purpose is to deceive and manipulate, those whose heart holds the same desires as Satan, they will share the same fate as Satan: Thrown into the Lake of Fire.

Back to kicking false doctrines out, why is that important? How can it not be? What do we tell little kids? Never talk to strangers. Scream if someone tries to take you away. It's the same idea here. False doctrines pull God's children toward Satan. How can God's shepherds not do anything about it? How would God's shepherds be doing their jobs if they just allowed the wolves to roam free, picking and choosing which sheep they want to attack next?

The text here is talking about protecting the sheep against the wolves. Wolves aren't Christians who are misled or misunderstood some things. Wolves are people who come with a deceptive heart wanting nothing to do with God but everything to do with manipulating people for their own purposes. Paul is telling Timothy to protect the flock against such cunning wolves.

Why did Timothy need such encouragement from Paul? From the text, we get the vibe that Timothy was a timid person. He didn't like confrontation. It even sounded like he was ready to bail and shrug his responsibilities as a pastor there when Paul left for Macedonia (1 Timothy 1:3). Hence, Paul wrote this letter to encourage Timothy to stand firm. Protect the flock. Fight the wolves. Defend God's Word and correct all false teachings. 


4 TYPES OF FALSE DOCTRINES

1. Fables/Myths/Legends/Mystics
Aka, stories. Fanciful stories. Such as, exaggerated out of body experiences, visions, visits from angels, etc.

First, let me be clear. I am NOT saying truly inspired experience from God is a false doctrine. Here is what I believe about these experiences: THEY ARE PERSONAL. This is something between you and God. Others may be inspired and motivated through your experiences, but only YOU know the deep end of the experience. That is the special bond between you and God.

I am also NOT saying I know what are TRUE versus what are FALSE God-inspired experiences. The only experiences I can know for certain are the ones I experience personally with God. Hence, there is no way I would ever look at another person sharing her experience and doubt.

So, what am I saying?

As always, it's about the heart. It is between you and God. That's it. We will all have to stand in front of God and give an account. So, who am I to judge? I am responsible for me. You are responsible for you. And that is that.

Alright. Having settled that, what is Paul talking about here? Again, like the wolves, there are people who make up stories to fulfill their own selfish needs. They manipulate people. They use people. They are not in it for God. They are in it for themselves. (Again, I don't know who these people are. God knows. I'm not judging. I am just saying there are wolves are there. That is just a fact.)

So here, we are not talking about genuine visions and experiences from God. We are talking about those made up by man to deceive others -- and we need to DISCERN.

Go to the Bible.

Everything from God, it is not stated just once. Every Scripture can be backed up by at least one other Scripture. If someone claims to have a vision about something, measure it up against the Scripture. Where else does it say the same thing? If you are wondering, well, what about those who claim they have visions about the future? John was given the vision of the end of days and documented what he saw in the Book of Revelation in the 1st century. These visions are supported by visions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, etc. and have not yet been fulfilled. If there are people claiming they have visions of the future, then those visions should be supported by the visions of these prophets.

What about those who come claiming they have visions of the past? Again, these visions need to be supported by God's Word. Book of Mormon? Read it. It contradicts the Bible. What does this tell you? One of those books is wrong. I will stick with the Bible, thank you very much.

God's prophets have been receiving visions since the beginning. It would not surprise me if someone told me they received a vision. However, I'm not just going to believe him. I'm going to go to my trusty Word of God and test what is true (Acts 17:11). We should be open to genuine visions and experiences from God. But we should not just believe. We need to discern.

2. Endless Genealogies
Gnostics and Jewish religious teachers back in Biblical days were very much into genealogies. Today, the best example is the Mormons. Mormons believe they can baptize the dead (which is not Biblical) and are thus very into tracing ancestry. There are also other cults that are superstitious and believe that curses carry through generations. For example, we may have cancer or some serious disease because of what our great-great-great-grandfather did hundreds of years ago. Buddhism and many Asian cultural practices venerate ancestors. There is nothing wrong with remembering our roots and respecting our ancestors. However, to pray to them, to bow to them, to ask them for blessings? That's idol worship.

3. Idle Talk. Meaningless Babel. Nonsensical Speech.
There were those who wanted to sensationalize their teachings and went as far out as making up mystical nonsensical teachings. Again, they are not doing this for God. They are doing this to fulfill their own selfish vanity, to influence and manipulate people to follow them. Their teachings don't make any sense, and they certainly do not match up with anything in the Bible. When asked for an elaboration, they can never give you a straight answer. You leave more confused than enlightened and wonder if they may be just as confused as you are. "Be mystified," is their general response.

Well, God doesn't talk like that. God means what He says and says what He means. If we do not understand a certain passage, we can usually gain understanding by referring to another passage in the Bible. God explains Himself. This is the reason why the more we study the Bible, the more we are able to comprehend the completeness of the Word of God.

Idle talk also includes wild and vain speculations about the Scripture. This discussion can often get a bit muddy, so I won't go deep into it here. However, the gist of the idea is, when the plain sense of the Bible makes sense, then plain sense it is. There is no need to reach for allegorical interpretations or throw everything God says to symbolism. If we go down that road, then when does God say what He means and when is He symbolizing? Don't assume. Don't second guess. Just read the text. If it makes sense, then that is the sense. When God is symbolizing, it is pretty clear. When God is using metaphors, He is very clear. No one would think I actually want to eat a horse when I make the comment, "I'm so hungry I can eat a horse." Why would anyone think God does then? Obviously, this is an exaggerated example, but I hope it gets the point across.

4. Distortion of the Law
Early Jewish Christians were confused about Gentiles. Some thought that in order for Gentiles to be saved, they have to first become a Jew. They have to follow the Law before they can be saved. And so, they would force the Gentiles to be circumcised and follow through with numerous Jewish traditions before they would welcome them in their church. 

Today, there are churches that make similar requests. They have rules about what we can eat or what we can wear or how much we must tithe or when must we be baptized. The list goes on and on.

Bottom line: legalism is not Biblical. Peter address this issue eloquently in Acts 9: Through Jesus, we are all no longer under the Law.

1 Timothy 1:8-11
The Law is not all bad. Paul says that the Law is good as long as we use it lawfully. In order to do that, we must first understand the purpose of the Law.

The Law was presented to convict us, the sinners, that beyond a shadow of the doubt, WE ARE SINNER. Period. That is the ONLY thing the Law is good for: To prove to us that we are sinner. That is it. The Law does not save! So, why would we be foolish enough to think we can work our way into salvation? Why would we think if we eat certain foods or dress a certain way or do a certain whatever that we would somehow be saved? What does it really matter? Circumcision of the HEART (Romans 2:17-29)!

The Law brings us to Christ so that we may be justified by faith (Galatians 3)!

This is how salvation works: Look at the Law and see that we are sinners. Look at the Law and understand how imperfect we are, how impossible it is for us to live up to God's standards. Look at the Law and realize we need a savior.

Using the Law lawfully then is to use it to show people that we are all sinners (Romans 3:23) who need a savior.

Teaching that the Law saves or forcing people to live under the Law is a false doctrine because neither uses the Law lawfully. Further, such legalism takes away the seriousness of sin (as if we can work ourselves into salvation) and denies the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.


GOD'S DOCTRINE UNITES
FALSE DOCTRINES DIVIDE
All false doctrines cause disputed rather than edification! They promotes disunity, bickering, evilness of the spirit. God's doctrine builds people up. God's doctrine builds love!

Leaders in the church are to understand and teach sound doctrine so that the body of Christ is edified and unified in Christ, so that they will not be like little children easily swayed by any doctrine (true or false) and who fall prey to trickery of men (Ephesians 4:14).



PAUL'S TESTIMONY (1 Timothy 4:12-17)

The Gospel is the one true sound doctrine that saves. It saved Paul and changed him from a grave sinner to a formidable warrior for Christ.

Paul was saved, even though he heavily persecuted early Jewish Christians (1 Timothy 4:13)
Paul did a lot of horrible things to Christians before he was saved. The only thing that he had going for him was his ignorance.

Paul's zeal for God was sincere and real. He was brought up as a Pharisee and taught by the best Jewish teachers. When early Christians proclaimed a Messiah different than what he was taught, he persecuted them not because of a hardened heart. He honestly thought they were a threat to God! He was sincere in his love for God, though he was sincerely wrong.

Paul never forgot his Sin (1 Timothy 1:15)
Even 30 years after Paul had been a model Christian, he still considered himself as the chief of sinners, saying, "I am" instead of "I was." Paul never forgot his Sin! Paul never got over it!

When we compare ourselves to Jesus, we will never be perfect. We may do better if we compare against other Christians, but that's not the point. A healthy dose of remembering is good. (Stress on "healthy!" We must learn to let go of our past sins, if we have sincerely gone before God and reconcile it all with Him. However, if we learn nothing from it and continue to sin, then how sincere was our reconciliation?)

God transformed Paul to an amazing man of God (1 Timothy 1:16)
Look at the amazing transformation of Paul! Unsaved Paul became saved Paul who then became the apostle Paul! 

Before Paul was saved, he was an arrogant man. And now, look what God has done to Paul. God turned Paul from the ultimate sinner (Acts 9) to an incredible saint, the greatest enemy to the greatest disciple. Paul lived giving credit to God. Since given his new life, Paul's life became all about God. "Paul" means "little," and when God showed his the Way, Paul saw himself as little. Paul gave his life over to God and allowed God to use him FULLY.

Paul knew his life was going to be an example for many. He would be a pattern of things to come. He was a prototype. If God can save and use Paul, He can save and use anyone. Paul is an extreme example of what God can do. What changed Paul? The Gospel. If you think you don't deserve being saved, Look at Paul. If you don't think you can serve God. Look at Paul.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."


PAUL ENCOURAGES TIMOTHY (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
Paul reminds Timothy to remember the prophecies fulfilled, To stand for the Word.

Paul handed Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan. This sounds very harsh. However, Paul simply excommunicated them from the church. When someone is excommunicated, he is left in the land of Satan.

Why did Paul excommunicate them? One, they were wolves clothed in sheep skin, and Paul needed to protect his sheep. Two, they needed to learn the seriousness of blaspheme. Some can learn through peaceful teaching, but these two couldn't. They caused so much havoc in the church (which is why they were wolves) that they had to learn the hard way: Be without God and learn the ways of Satan aren't nearly as glorious as they seem.

We should strive to be a Paul and be inspired by Paul's command to Timothy.

As Pastor Terry Gray said, "We should all have a Paul and a Timothy in our lives": Paul, because he is a great mentor, and Timothy, as someone we continue to encourage to grow in Christ.

Genesis 1:26-2:25

Notes compiled from my BSF group

GOD CREATED ADAM AND EVE
- God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27).
- God told them to be fruitful and increase in number (Genesis 1:28).
- God gave them reign over all living things (Genesis 1:28-30; Psalm 8:6-8; Hebrews 2:6-9).
- God formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him (Genesis 2:7).
- God made a woman for Adam from one of Adam’s ribs (Genesis 2:22).


GOD GAVE ADAM REIGN OVER ALL LIVING THINGS
Genesis 1:28-30
Man continues to reign over all living things. However, we abuse that position. We pollute, we destroy, we trash the Earth. We take care of nothing that has been given to us. We take advantage of everything we have.



JESUS IS THE GREATER ADAM
Psalm 8:6-8
Hebrews 2:6-9

Jesus is given reign over all.

In Hebrews, the author elaborates on why Jesus became man (which is why He was made “a little lower than the angels”).

Adam was given reign over all, but he was deceived by Satan and brought sin into world.

Jesus is God, so clearly He rules over all. However, He does not rule just as God. He also rules as the Son of Man and assumes His kingship through the line of David.

Jesus will one day reign as the King of kings because He redeemed mankind. He lived in perfect righteousness, and therefore only His blood could wash away all sin. 


GARDEN OF EDEN
- Adam was essentially a gardener of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15).
- The region between the two main rivers of Eden today is Mesopotamia (Genesis 2:10-14).
- All kinds of tress grew out of the ground of the Garden of Eden. These trees were pleasing to the eye and good for food. The Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil were in the center of the Garden. The Garden was surrounded by rivers, which is mostly likely why the Garden was so lush (Genesis 2:8-9).
- When God made Earth, there was a period of time where He did not send rain to Earth. To water Earth, streams came up from Earth (like mist) (Genesis 2:5-6).


THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL
- God told Adam and Eve to not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:17).
- Adam and Eve were allowed to eat anything from the Garden except for the Tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil. However, when they chose to disobey God and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were forbidden to eat from the Tree of Life.

BSF asked two questions: 1) What the Tree of Life represents; and 2) if there is a spiritual sense of a "tree of life" given or promised to us today. These questions honestly confuse me, and I am not sure where it is coming from. The questions almost suggest allegorization of the Tree of Life. 

Let me be clear about where I stand: The Tree of Life is REAL. It EXISTS. There is no allegorizing it away. It is not a symbol for something. When God says the Tree of Life is in the center of the Garden of Eve, THERE IS A FREAKING TREE IN THE GARDEN OF EVE CALLED THE TREE OF LIFE.

Now, I can sense that the direction BSF is going with this question is to suggest that the Tree of Life may be Jesus and the Holy Spirit that are tossed in the mix, because through them we receive eternal life. I could be wrong if this is the direction they want to take. I will stand corrected if this is the case.

Point here is, let us not grasp for answers not supported by the Bible. The Bible speaks about the Tree of Life as a tree in the Garden of Eden. No where else does it try to link that to represent ANYTHING. No other passage links that to represent Jesus. No other passage links that to represent the Holy Spirit. I do not think God could be any clearer: The Tree of Life is the Tree of Life. That's it. Before the Fall, it appears that Adam and Even ate from the tree to sustain eternal life. (There is a deeper teaching for this, but I'll leave it alone for now.) After the Fall, the Tree of Life is removed.

Yes, through Jesus, we are saved and receive eternal life. But this does NOT make the Tree of Life a symbolism of Jesus.



THROUGH SATAN'S DECEPTION, SIN AND DARKNESS ENTERED THE WORLD

God created everything and declared it all good (Genesis 1). There was nothing wrong with being naked, and therefore Adam and Eve felt no shame (Genesis 2:25).

The key point here is not just about physical nakedness. This applies to spiritual nakedness as well. Adam and Eve were innocent and pure. They had no evil thoughts. They did not hid from God, because they had nothing to hide.

However, when Satan deceived Adam and Eve and caused them to doubt the heart of God, darkness entered into their heart, and they chose to sin, instead of trusting God.

Satan introduced sin into this world, bringing in darkness along with him.



THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH (Romans 6:23)

Genesis 2:17
John 8:24
Before we can fully comprehend the significance and the full impact of the Fall, we must first understand the seriousness of Sin.


All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). ALL. Not some. Not many. Not most. ALL.

I believe the reason why God forbade Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge and Evil is because they were innocent and pure. They were young and could not appropriate use the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is total speculation, not substantiated by other passages of the Bible, so please take that view with a huge grain of salt.

Looking at past human history and looking at where we are headed, I would conclude that we do not have control over our Knowledge of Good and Evil. That knowledge controls us.

We are selfish. Even the nicest person in the world has selfish moments. We love our family more than others. There is nothing wrong with that, but that does cause us to be selfish toward others. We wish our enemies deserve punishment in the form of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. This is why we are ALL sinners. Because no matter how good of a person we try to be, when we wish something better for ourselves at the price of other people's lives, we do not love with the heart of God. We do not measure up to the heart of God. We do not measure up to the righteousness of God. And thus, we have sinned.

This competition, this survival of the fittest, this was not the heart of God. Jesus came and showed us, taught us the heart of God. We are to LOVE ALL.

Look at what Isaiah has prophesied about our future: "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah 11:6-9).

What are some of the key points here?

1. "Survival of the fittest" is the RESULT of Sin
Notice that in Isaiah's prophecy, there is no survival of the fittest. ALL living creatures will live at peace with one another in God's kingdom.

This may sound preposterous in our world today. Go out on an African safari, and immediately we see survival of the fittest at work. Heck, just go to work come Monday morning, and we see survival of the fittest at work.

However, we cannot fathom a world that Isaiah describes, because our world is the only world that we have come to know, a world that has been CORRUPTED by Sin.

There is no peace because we are selfish, because we are contentious. We do not live in peace, because we envy. We compete. We want to be the best, and when we are not, we get bitter and jealous against those who are better than us. We are selfish and prideful.

Yet, one day, God’s peace will be restored, and ALL living creatures will live in peace.

2. Earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
In due time, God would have his knowledge be revealed.

This is why I think God prevented Adam and Eve from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was because the time had not yet come. I believe that when Adam and Eve were ready, God would have taught them all of His knowledge.

As I mentioned above, this is my own speculation. However, speculations aside, the fact is, God told them to not eat from that tree. Satan told them, really? Come on. "Surely, you will not die" (Genesis 3:4). And what did they do with that information? They chose to turn their backs on God and take Satan's counsel. Bad, bad move.

Yes, eventually, God will restore EVERYTHING, including our Sin problem. And yes, eventually, God will share His knowledge. But look at what pride has gotten us. If Adam and Eve had just trusted God, we would not have to deal with this Sin problem today. But since they chose to trust Satan instead and plunged the human race into Satan's world, we, too, are faced with Satan's cunning deceptions on a daily basis.

Because of Isaiah's prophecy, I am confident that Satan's comments in Genesis 3:4-5 are lies. God's knowledge would be revealed in due time. God was not withholding because He feared we would have knowledge. Frankly, God wouldn't be such an amazing God if He feared the things we could do. He breathed life into us. I'm pretty sure we'll never be as powerful as He, no matter how much we know.

Bottom line, our future with God is glorious. Living in peace with the knowledge of God, that has always been the heart of God.

What we have in this world today? This is the result of SIN.


SIN IS SO SERIOUS, JESUS HAD TO DIE

How serious is this Sin thing that Christians keep talking about? So serious that Jesus had to die for us. GOD HAD TO DIE TO FIX THIS SIN PROBLEM FOR US!

Sin is not just that we have bad thoughts or make mistakes. Sin is much bigger than that. To fully comprehend the seriousness of Sin, we need to first grasp how perfect God is. To do this, God gave us the Law. Look at the Ten Commandments. Can we honestly keep them PERFECTLY? Have we never coveted? Have we never disrespected our parents? Have we never lied? Any one mistake, and we are declared unrighteous.

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10).

The Law points out how impossible it is to live up to the perfect righteousness of God.

Sin is not just about us making mistakes. Sin is about dying. We die because we are away from God. If we take nothing away from Genesis 1-2, we should really come to grip with this: We are not meant to die. We are made to be eternal. Yet, when we ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, death entered into our lives.

Looking at the Law, we must come to a shocking realization that it is IMPOSSIBLE to live up to the perfect righteousness of God. Looking at the Law, we must realize that we need a savior. Every one of us needs a savior. And God, knowing we would never measure up to His righteousness, sent His only Son, Jesus, as our savior. Jesus was the only perfect man to have ever lived. He was the only man to live perfectly according to the righteousness of God. And because he was perfect, his blood was able to cleanse us forever.

So, just how serious is sin? JESUS HAD TO DIE IN ORDER TO WASH IT AWAY.

To minimize the seriousness of Sin minimizes the sacrifice of God. If Sin was "not that bad," then what the heck did Jesus die for? Why bear all that torture? Why tolerate all that ridicule? For fun?! When we realize how serious Sin is, we can then fully appreciate the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And then, perhaps we can fully understand why we all need Jesus and repent of our Sin. Humble ourselves and kneel at the feet of God.



SIN CANNOT BE IN THE PRESENCE GOD, BUT WHEN CLOTHED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS, WE CAN ONCE AGAIN RETURN TO GOD 
When we disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we sinned, and death entered into our lives. That Sin keeps us separated from the presence of God. However, God didn't just leave us to die. He so loved us, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to redeem us (John 3:16). Jesus came to take away that Sin so that we can return to the presence of God, where we are meant to be.

Without Jesus, there is no forgiveness of sin. Without Jesus, there is only death, no life.

Adam and Eve caved in to Satan's deception. What will you do? God or Satan? It is up to each one of us to make that choice.

Daniel 5

Bible study with Dr. Chuck Missler

A HAND CRASHES BELSHAZZAR'S PARTY

By Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar had died. Belshazzar, his grandson, is now in charge. Belshazzar is not the king. His father (Nabonidus), the king, didn't want to rule and so effectively gave Belshazzar the permission to rule in his place.

Daniel 5:1
While Belshazzar partied away, the Persian army was on the move. They had already taken over many of the small lowland villages near Babylon.

Babylon should have defended themselves, but they didn't as an expression of pride: Their city was well-known to be impregnable. They were situated on high grounds surrounded by water. They were geologically superior.

And so, instead of defending themselves, they threw a huge party consisting of a thousand lords because who can possibly overthrown such a superior city?

Daniel 5:2
The translated text calls Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar's "father." This does not mean Belshazzar's father was Nebuchadnezzar, because it's not. There is no term for "grandfather" in Aramaic. Hence, the word for "father" used here in Aramaic means "forebearer" and should be translated that way.

Belshazzar took the sacred vessels that Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple during his first siege to use for their party. Bad move.

Daniel 5:4-5
Not only did these lords took the sacred vessels, they desecrated them as well. These scriptures describe pagan revelry desecrating sacred vessels.

Daniel 5:5-6
As they continued to party, Belshazzar saw just a hand writing on the wall and freaked out.

KJV does a great job describing Belshazzar's reaction. "His loins were loosed" (Daniel 5:6), which is an amazing fulfillment of prophecy written in a letter to Cyrus 150 years earlier (Isaiah 45:1)! (Cyrus was the Persian who took over Babylon from Belshazzar.)

On a side, this is one of the many examples of how Biblical texts come together. There is no way one can read this and not see the hand of God throughout history!

Daniel 5:7
Belshazzar offered whoever could translate the writing on the wall the 3rd highest ruler of the kingdom. Why third? The 1st ruler was the king, Nabonidus. The 2nd ruler was Belshazzar. And thus, the 3rd ruler would be whoever could translate the writing.

Daniel 5:10
The Queen intervened and offered her suggestion: Seek Daniel. The Queen here is most likely the Queen Mother, Nebuchadnezzar's wife, who continued her presence in the palace in a place of honor. From the text, we can see that she was not a part of this party. Good for her.

Daniel 5:11-12
Queen recounted Daniel's glory during Nebuchadnezzar's reign. She also called Daniel by his Hebrew name! (This is one of the many clues that suggest both she and Nebuchadnezzar were saved, and that we shouldn't be too surprised to see them in Heaven!)

It is simply amazing to see the amount of confidence she had in Daniel! Before Daniel even did anything, she had already promised that Daniel would be able to interpret the writing! Could she have the spirit of God within her as well? What else would account for her confidence?


FALL OF BABYLON 

Daniel 5:15-16
Belshazzar explained to Daniel his predicament, that if Daniel could interpret the writing, he was willing to name Daniel as the 3rd highest ruler in the kingdom. 

Daniel 5:17
"Up yours, old king," was Misslers interpretation of Daniel's response to Belshazzar's offer. Daniel wasn't interested in the awards. He was just doing God's work.

Daniel 5:18-23
Before Daniel translated the writing, he gave a speech, starting off with Nebuchadnezzar's early days. This speech was basically a summary of Daniel 4.

Daniel then went on to admonish Belshazzar. He did not learn from Nebuchadnezzar's experiences even though he knew of the events documented in Daniel 4. Worse, he desecrated sacred vessels of God and worshiped false idols that could not see or understand. For his pride, God therefore sent him a message: "Your days are numbered. You have been weighed and found wanting. Your kingdom has been given over to the Medes and the Persians."




DANIEL DECIIPHERED THE WRITING ON THE WALL WITH ATBASH

Atbash: a type of Jewish encryption

The Handwriting on the wall is: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Peres
Mene: God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. Aka, Your number is up.
Tekel: You are weighed in the balances and are found wanting.
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians. (Paras is the Hebrew word for Persians – Remember that Hebrews does not have vowels; they are inferred based on the context of the sentence -- so, PRS could either be Peres or Paras)




CYRUS' SUCCESS WAS PROPHESIED HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE HIS BIRTH


While Belshazzar partied away, the Persians, led by Cyrus, were outside the gates and had diverted the Euphrates River, allowing the water level to drop in Babylon, giving them the chance to slip in under the gates. They took over Babylon without a battle! There were residents who didn't even know that they were under siege until three days later!

Cyrus was half-Mede, half-Persian. We see again, how history fulfills God's prophecies to the tittle!


Cyrus is seen by history (Persians, Romans, Greeks) as the epitome of a great leader: brave and daring, tolerant and magnanimous. 

Cyrus established the Medo-Persian empire. His father was a Persian; his mother was a Mede.

God's Letter to Cyrus (Isaiah 45)
God called Cyrus His "annointed" (Isaiah 45:1). This is a rare honor for a Gentile. God specifically said He would loose the loins of kings, because He knew Cyrus would know about Belshazzar's loosening of loins.

When Cyrus marched into Babylon, Daniel presented the scroll of Isaiah to Cyrus, showing him Isaiah 45. Cyrus saw the signs and understood the prophecies that have been fulfilled and thus freed the Jewish captives and returned the sacred vessels to the Jews. He also financed them to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.


MYSTERY OF BABYLON 

A statue of Cyrus in London's British Museum quotes Cyrus bragging about how he took over Babylon without a fight and allowed the Jews to rebuild the Temple. The decree of Cyrus allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem is documented in Ezra 1.

Key point: Babylon was never destroyed. The empire fell, but it was never destroyed as prophesied in the following chapters:
Isaiah 13-14
Jeremiah 50-51
Revelation 17-18

The fall of Babylon is not the same as the destruction or doom of Babylon.

The Bible speaks of the destruction of Babylon, and many scholars assume that this was fulfilled when Cyrus took over Babylon. But, as we have stressed above, Cyrus did not take over Babylon by force. He never destroyed the city.

The three sets of chapters above should be read in one sitting. They all speak about the doom of Babylon, its ultimate destruction. Read those scriptures. It will become very evident that the prophecy of Babylon's doom, Babylon's destruction has not been fulfilled yet.

Today, Babylon is still inhabited. Come its doom, it will be wiped off the face of Earth, never to be inhabited again (Isaiah 13:20); it will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 13:19). Clearly, this has not happened today. But, it will.

The Persians (Cyrus) assumed control of Babylon after the Babylonians. Cyrus took it over without a fight. The city continued to thrive to this day.

In 460 BC, Babylon was found still intact. Alexander the Great even made Babylon his empire's capital. He even died there. 

I know I keep repeating this, but because there is so much confusion about this, I will stress it again: The Persians did not destroy Babylon.

After Alexander the Great passed away, the Greek empire was divided among his 4 generals. Ptolemy and Seleucid became the greater of the four.

During their reign, the Seleucids created another city (Seleucia) that became more popular than Babylon, and Babylon atrophied (again, not destroyed).

In 199 AD, Babylon was found deserted, but it was still there. Not destroyed.

In the 19th century, people still lived in Babylon.

Alright. I think we've beat that horse to death: Babylon was never destroyed.

Jerusalem vs. Babylon: Compare Genesis and Revelation, and we see a tale of two cities

Jerusalem: city of God
Babylon: city of man

Babylon
- Capital of the world's first dictator (Nimrod)
- Capital of the world's last dictator (Antichrist)

Isaiah 13-14
- Key phrase: the day of the Lord. When will Babylon be destroyed? In the day of the Lord.
- None of the events documented in Isaiah 13:10-16 happened when the Persians took over Babylon in 539 BC.
- In the day of the Lord, Babylon will be completely destroyed and never be built again. Babylon will be removed from the earth.
- Isaiah 13:17 mentions that the Medes will take over Babylon. Some scholars think this must be referring to the Persians taking over Babylon in 539 BC. However, there are plenty of clues that suggest this is not the case. Who are the Medes in this passage? The Curds, who has great hostility toward Iraq. Saddam Hussein gassed them, giving them plenty of reasons to be hostile against Babylon (modern day Iraq).
- Those who march against Babylon that day will not be motivated by money (Isaiah 13:17).
- After the day of the Lord, Babylon shall never be inhabited again.

Jeremiah 50-51
- Israel is in the land when this occurs (Jeremiah 50:4).
- "Their arrows will be like skilled warriors who do not return empty-handed" (Jeremiah 50:9). This verse suggests the use of intelligent missiles. "None shall return in vein," stressed Jeremiah. These arrows will not miss! As a side note, Israel has developed missiles called "the Arrow."

In order for these Scriptures to be fulfilled, Babylon needs to come to power again. 

Revelation 17-18
- All false worship on Earth has its origin in Babel (cf. Isaiah 47). Babylon is the mother of all harlots, "drunken with the blood of saints." This is the system that murdered Christians, God's people.
- Mystery Babylon is the false religious system that has been identified with the Roman Empire to today.
- In Revelation 18 (cf. Matthew 13), the birds symbolize the demons. (Note that the parables in the Gospels share consistent use of symbolism. Birds from one parable to the next all represent the same thing: demons.)
- Babylon says she's no widow (Revelation 18:7). Why? To contrast against Israel, which has been idiomatically described as widowed and divorced (cf. Hosea).

Israel vs. Mystery Babylon: A tale of two women

Israel
- In Heaven
- Mother of man-child Jesus
- Clothed with the sun
- Identified with sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 37:38)
- Enemy is the dragon
- Hated by the world
- Sustained by the wings of heaven
- Head dress with a crown of 12 stars
- Called a widow and divorced
- Final location is Jerusalem

Mystery Babylon (Woman riding the Beast)
- Upon many waters
- Mother of harlots
- Clothed in purple scarlet
- Enemy is the 10 kings
- Caressed by the world
- Sustained by Satan
- Head dress of Mystery Babylon
- Brags "I am no widow"
- Final location is habitation of demons

Babylon is both literal and metaphorical

Zechariah 5
This is a difficult passage to understand. I do not know what to make of it. However, we see that Babylon is used in a metaphorical sense. We already know that Babylon is literal. It is 50 miles south of Baghdad.

Isaiah 40

Bible study with Pastor Terry Gray

Isaiah 40 is one of the most comforting chapters of Isaiah. The chapter breathes deeply and speaks to the heart.

Key point: How do we stay comforted? Keep our eyes on God.

Isiah 40:3-5
This speaks of John the Baptist, who came preaching about the greater one who will come after him, one who would baptize with not just water but with the Holy Spirit!

Like John the Baptist, we should bring comfort to others not just by telling them what they want to hear but by guiding them to God.

I wholeheartedly agree with the above message. I have run into many situations where I am so frustrated that I cannot make things better, because there is simply nothing else I can do. For example, if a person is feeling a lot of grief, there is nothing real I can do for them other than comforting words that do very little to solve the actual problem. At times like this, my thoughts turn to God. Only God can change hearts, and only God can provide comfort and warmth that emanates from the inside out. Guiding people to Jesus is THE solution to EVERY problem. Because once we can see things from God's perspective, we receive peace. 

Isaiah 40:6-8
Life is short; we are here only for a little while. God is eternal. God looks at things from the perspective of eternity. When we can begin to understand that view, we can begin to understand the meaning of our life here. We are not here to make trillions or the amass power. We are here because we are sons/daughters of Adam, the man who was deceived by Satan and allowed sin to corrupt mankind. We do not belong here. We were not made to be in this state. We are God's children, made in God's image, meant to rule as kings and priests with Jesus in Heaven.

This is why John taught us that we are not of this world (John 15:19).

How do we return to the world that we do belong to? Receive Jesus as our savior. He has done it all on the cross. Adam, the first Son of God lost the title deed of Earth to Satan. Christ, both Son of Man and Son of God, reclaimed that title deed and redeemed us with His blood.

Our time here on Earth, it is but a passing. See this from God's eternal perspective! What is a millennium when we look at it from eternity? What is wealth when we see what God creates with just a breath?

Realize how ephemeral this world is. Understand the view from God's eyes. We are not made for this corrupted world. We are here because Satan corrupted us (Genesis 3). We are here because we chose to be corrupted (Genesis 3). Jesus came to cleanse us. Jesus came to restore our righteousness. Jesus came to take us back to Heaven, where we belong! So, why be infatuated with anything that this world has to offer? Look to God! Look to His eternal being! Look to our future with God!

Isaiah 40:10-11
God is our shepherd. He guides us to safety. He takes care of us. He protects us from wolves.

Isaiah 40:12
God is amazing! God is the Creator. Who else but Him can measure all the waters of Earth in the palm of His hands?

Isaiah 40:13-24
This passage gives us a breathtaking view of just how magnificent God is. He is so big, we cannot fully comprehend or understand.

I have been doing science for a solid decade now, and never do I cease to be amazed by God's work. We can spend years trying to tease out one tiny aspect of how a cell survives an infection, and yet, God made all of this with one breath. Science is really a wonderful method to discover the intricacies of God's creation!

I can understand why Isaiah would say, "Who has understood the mind of the LORD" (Isaiah 40:13). Think about it. Do we really understand? We can try to see things from His perspective, but even then, that's only because we study His Word. Through His Word, we can some understanding. But, do we understand it all? I am certain we do not.

The simplest example I can think of is the brain. We have done some amazing things trying to understand how the brain works. We have some idea how information is processed and how memories are formed. But, at the end of the day, it is still a huge mystery. And frankly, I don't know if we will ever be able to solve it. We need to have at least several more technological breakthroughs before we might even have a chance! And this is just to understand the human brain! Think of all the other amazing things that happen around us that we have yet been able to explain or understand! And this is just God's creation! 

I hope my exclamations above showcase the breadth of God's knowledge and power -- and this is just the things we can see and feel! How many layers of thoughts does God have? This is just the beginning of the number of questions that I can think of to ask God. And the exciting thing is, one day, I will have that chance. In the mean time, I'm extremely happy I can use science to make tiny discoveries while I wait for the return of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:22
In 750 BC, God had already told Isaiah that Earth was round (circle)!

If we study the Bible, we will find that every detail is there by design. Every word, down to the tittle, are there for a reason. This is why as go through the Bible, we gain new insight with each go -- because we are more likely to pick up a new gem here and there.

Note that serious word studies should be done by referring back to the original texts: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Given our technology today, we do not need to be linguistic scholars to understand those ancient texts.

We must remember that no matter which edition we use, as long as they are in English, they are all TRANSLATIONS. They all have pros and cons, and that is why they sometimes lead to a lot of confusion -- because they do not perfectly reflect the original text. Thus, I always stress, when in doubt, refer back to the original text. God means what He says and says what He means. A careful study of His Word leads to awesome discoveries that take scientists billions of dollars and decades of work to figure out.

Isaiah 40:26
God made all the stars and named every single one of them.  Again, another example of how great God is.

Isaiah 40:27-28
God knows what's going on in our lives. He knows us. We cannot hide from him.

When we are troubled and wonder if He hears us, be encouraged by this phrase: God hears us. He knows us.

When we think no one is looking and think we can get away with cutting corners, be warned by this phrase: There is no hiding from God.

Isaiah 40:29-31
We all ought to actively seek the Lord and depend upon Him, serving Him. And this is how we stay comforted -- by keeping our eyes on God!