Lesson 2 - Reliability of the Old Testament

RELIABILITY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

PART I

Lecture Objectives:

This presentation is designed to show that the Bible is reliable historical documentation for the origin and history of New Testament Christianity.

References:

John 10.35; Matt. 5.18; Gen 4.22; Gen 10;
Leon Jaroff, "Iceman",Time (New York, Time, Inc., 26th, 1992), pp. 62-69.
Wm. Hallo, The Ancient Near East: A History, op. cit., p. 39 in confirmation of Genesis 11.1
P.W. Gaebelein Jr., "Mari", The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, full Revised, Editor: Geoffrey Bromiley (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1986), III. 245-248.
Ronald Wyatt, Discovered: Sodom and Gomorrah (Nashville,Tennessee: Wyatt Publishing, 1993).

Questions For Focus:

1. Is it necessary and honorable that we confirm our nation's history with hard facts?

2. Did Jesus believe in the reliability of the Old Testament? How do we know?

3. How do we account for the flood stories among ancient civilizations?

4. Identify the King's List of Kish, dated 2200 B.C.

5. How do we account for such a complete list of nations in Genesis 10 if the Old Testament is not reliable? Is this list of nations in harmony with other ancient lists?

6. What is carbon-14 dating? Explain.

INTRODUCTION
1. How many of you believe,
  1. Ivan III (the Great) expanded the Russian Empire from 1462-1505?
  2. That Ivan IV (the Terrible) almost ruined the Empire from 1533-1584?
  3. What reliable historical sources led you to believe that these two men were indeed true historical personalities?
THE OLD TESTAMENT: THE HISTORICAL TEXT USED BY JESUS.
1. Jesus' belief of Old Testament truth. John 10.35.
2. Jesus' belief of Old Testament preservation. Matt. 5.18.
3. Evidence of Dead Sea Scrolls confirms Jesus' belief.
  1. See pictures of Qumran and Dead Sea Scrolls
PRE-FLOOD HISTORY OF GENESIS 1 (5.4000 - 3000 B.C.)
1. Bible Picture of Highly Civilized Man in Genesis 4.22.
2. Discovery of the "Ice Man" (3300 B.C.) in Australian Alps.
  1. His copper axe and expertly designed bow and flint-pointed arrows prove that the historians were wrong and that the Bible picture of early man is true. Leon Jaroff, "Ice Man", Time (New York,Time, Inc., October 26th, 1992), pp. 62-69. See pictures of Ice Man.
THE FLOOD STORY OF GENESIS 6-8 (3000 - 2400 B.C.)
1. God sent a flood to destroy wicked man - Picture.
2. Noah's ship - 158 meters long: Picture.
3. Ancient Flood stories among all nations
4. Kish's King List dated to 2200 B.C.
5. Opinion of William Hallo of Yale University
6. Geological evidences
7. The remains of Noah's Ark: Picture and Video
TOWER OF BABEL AND TABLE OF NATIONS (2400 - 1950 B.C.)
1. Man's sin in building a city and a tower: they stayed in one place instead of filling the earth as God had commanded. Gen 9.1.
  1. After the flood God commanded men to multiply and fill the earth. Gen 9.1.
  2. Instead of scattering most men moved to Babylon (Iraq) and built a large city and tower. At this time all men spoke the same language. Gen 11.1
  3. Confusing their language, God scattered them over the earth, by origination different languages and nations. Genesis 11.
  4. The King's List of Kish, dated 2200 B.C., corroborates this Bible story by telling of a golden age when all spoke but one language. William Hallo, The Ancient Near East: A History, op. cit., p. 39, confirming Genesis 11.1.
  5. An ancient ziggarat found in Iraq may be the remains of the Tower of Babel. Show pictures.
  6. Genesis 10 contains the most complete list of nations ever written.
    1. These nations are traced back to Noah's three sons.
    2. The Russian people are traced back to "Magog" and Meshech" from whom the city of Moscow may have been named.
    3. In proof of the accuracy of the Bible list, most of these nations are found in the ancient inscriptions of Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Ur and Kish.
HISTORY OF ABRAHAM IN GENESIS 12-20 (1950 - 1780 B.C.)
1. God made a promise to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, including Israel.
  1. God also promised him the Israel would possess the land of Canaan, produce Jesus Christ, who would bless all nations. Gen. 12.1-3; 15.13-21; Gal 3.6-8, 16-17.
  2. The discovery of the Mari Letters of Syria, dated the 18th century B.C., corroborates the description of Abraham's culture to be accurate. P.W. Gaebelein Jr., "Mari", The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Full revised, Editor, Geoffrey Bromiley (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1986), III. 245-248. Show Picture.
  3. In Abraham's time Sodom and Gomorrah became so wicked that God destroyed these cities with burning sulfur. Genesis 18-19.
    1. Many believe the Bible account to be a myth.
    2. However, a recent exploration near Massada, west of the Dead Sea, uncovered ashened remains of ancient cities burned with sulphur balls that had fallen from the sky. Ronald Wyatt, Discovered: Sodom and Gomorrah (Nashville, Tennessee: Wyatt Publishing, 1993). Pictures
JACOB, JOSEPH AND ISRAEL GO TO EGYPT (1780 - 1530 B.C.)
1. Abraham's son Isaac had a son named Jacob. His name was later changed to Israel. Jacob's 12 sons became the 12 tribes of Israel. Genesis 21.5; 25.21-26; 35.9-12; Exodus 1.1-6.
2. Joseph, a son of Jacob, we sold into Egyptian slavery.
  1. He later became prime minister in about 1666 B.C. Genesis 37, 39-41.
  2. Joseph, in his great wisdom, saved Israel from a seven year famine by moving his brothers to Egypt. Genesis 42-47.
  3. Later, a new king enslaved Israel and murdered the nation's infants about 1530 B.C.
MOSES AND THE EXODUS (1527 - B.C.)
1. Baby Moses was born about 1527 B.C.
  1. Hidden in a basket boat in the Nile River, he escaped death, was found by Pharaoh's daughter, educated in the king's palace. Exodus 1-2.
  2. Due to threat he escaped to Median (Saudi Arabia), only to be sent back to force Egypt's king to free Israel from slavery. Exodus 3-6.
  3. God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt to force Pharaoh to free His people. Exodus 7-13.
  4. First, he let them go, changed his mind, pursued them to the Red Sea, and trapped them.
  5. Keeping His promise God used an East wind to open the waters making possible Israel's escape.
  6. The Egyptian forces were pursuing Israel through the waters when the sea closed destroying the army.
2. Most historians believe this account to be fictitious stating that Egyptian history contradicts the Bible account. But is it? Consider the following:
  1. Recent carbon-14 dating shows Egyptian history to be wrongly dated by several centuries. T. Save-Soderbergh and I.U. Olsson, "C-14 Dating and Egyptian Chronology" (New York: Wiley Pub., 1971), pp. 48-54.
    1. A scholar, by using this process, discovered in Egyptian documents the entire Biblical history form Joseph to Moses.
    2. This evidence included: the famine, Israel's enslavement, the ten plagues, the destruction of Pharaoh army. Ted Stewart, The Discovery of Joseph, Moses and the Exodus In Egyptian History, manuscript to be published in late 1993.
    3. Too, and amateur explorer recently identified the Red Sea crossing site by discovering ancient chariot parts at the bottom of the sea. Ron Wyatt, Discovered: Noah's Ark, op. cit., pp.
  2. After crossing the Red Sea, Israel traveled on the Mt. Sinai where God gave Moses Israel's governing laws. Exodus 19-23.
    1. Moses wrote the Bible's first five books.
    2. Israel sins and God causes her to wander through the wilderness 40 years.
    3. Moses dies.
    4. Joshua is chosen to lead Israel to Canaan. Book of Joshua.
    5. Jericho is Canaan's first fortified city to be taken under God's direction. The walls fall and Israel's advancing army burned the city. Joshua 6.
    6. Note that excavation shows Jericho's walls fell by earthquake and that the city was burned as the Bible describes.
    7. Carbon-14 tests (B.C.1410) show the walls to be burned and corroborates the Bible's dating for the city, 14-7 B.C. Bryant Wood, "Did The Israelites Conquer Jericho?" Biblical Archaeological Review, Editor H. Shanks, Washington D.C., March/April, 1990.
    8. Excavation shows that many cities in Palestine were conquered when Jericho was destroyed. Kathleen Kenyon, Archaeology In The Holy Land, 5th Ed. (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Pub., 1985), 117-118.
THE PERIOD OF THE JUDGES (1400-1050 B.C.)
1. For about 400 years Israel lived in Canaan divided into 12 tribes.
  1. They were led by Judges instead of a king. Book of Judges.
  2. Due to national sin, the Canaanites repossessed many principal cities formerly conquered under Joshua's leadership.
  3. Israel experienced periods of peace and oppression from the surrounding nations. Book of Judges.