Pre-Babel Confusion? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=881

Pre-Babel Confusion?

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

I am amazed (and troubled) at how far some will go to appease the vast ages of time associated with evolutionary geology. It seems that the decisive factor for many “Bible believers” in interpreting God’s Word is no longer, “What does the Bible say?,” but rather “What do evolutionary dating methods indicate?” Sadly, for many people the deceptive evolutionary geologic timetable has become the father of modern biblical exegesis. Instead of the Universe and everything in it being created in six days (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11), we are told it actually took billions of years, which can be “found” in “gaps” between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2 or between each of the creation days. And even though the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 match up remarkably with the genealogy recorded in Luke 3, and although Jude confirms through inspiration that Enoch was indeed the seventh from Adam (Jude 14—just as Genesis 5 tells us), we are informed that many thousands (or millions!) of years could be inserted (and should be, according to many religious evolutionary sympathizers) between Adam and Abraham.
As if we had not “heard it all,” some now are teaching that there was a great gap of time between Genesis chapters 10 and 11. Supposedly, since Moses recorded that the descendents of Shem, Ham, and Japheth spoke different languages in Genesis 10 (vss. 5,20,31), and since Genesis 11:1 states that “the whole earth had one language and one speech,” there must have been a gap between Genesis 10:32 and 11:1! It is alleged that enough time must have passed in order for the descendents of Shem, Ham, and Japheth to the begin speaking one language.
If you have ever read Genesis 6-11, you likely have questioned why the order of events seemed to indicate that the Earth’s population went from speaking one language (by the eight persons on the ark), to speaking a variety of languages and dialects (10:5,20,31), to then speaking one language again (11:1). It may be that you have asked the same question that I heard asked recently: “How can there not be a gap between Genesis 10 and 11?”
The reason that no gap of time exists between Genesis 10 and 11 is because the events recorded in these two chapters were not written chronologically. As Victor Hamilton stated in his commentary on Genesis: “We have here the unusual order of effect (ch. 10) before cause (ch. 11), or result preceding explanation” (1990, p. 347).
The simple fact is, Bible writers did not always record information in a strictly chronological sequence. Genesis 2:5-25 does not pick up where chapter one left off, rather it provides more detailed information about some of the events mentioned in chapter one. Several of the events in Genesis 38 involving Judah and Tamar occurred while the things recorded in chapter 39 and following took place. Making the assumption that the entire Bible was written chronologically hinders the trustworthiness of the text. How will one explain the differences in the arrangement of the temptations of Jesus recorded by Matthew (4:1-11) and Luke (4:1-13) if we always must conclude that things are written in sequential order? If Jesus only cleansed the temple once, how does a person explain why John mentioned this event as having occurred early in Jesus’ ministry while the other gospel writers placed it later in His ministry (John 2:12-17; cf. Matthew 21:12-17)? Obviously, the gospel accounts were not arranged to be a strict chronology of Jesus’ life. Similarly, Moses jumps ahead of himself at times, inserting parenthetical material like that found in Genesis 10.
Aside from the languages mentioned in Genesis 10, there is another “clue” in the text that reveals the events recorded in chapter 11 occurred before the descendents of Noah began speaking different languages and spreading throughout the Earth. In 10:25, it mentions a man named Peleg (meaning “division”) who received such a name because “in his days the earth was divided.” This is a clear reference to the confusion of languages at the tower of Babel described in chapter 11. The “earth” (i.e., people; cf. 11:1) divided when God confused the languages (11:7-8). Thus, the division in Peleg’s day is linked contextually to the linguistic segregation at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9).
When Genesis 10 and 11 are read with the understanding that not all events are recorded chronologically, one clearly sees how the events revealed in these chapters are entwined tightly with one another—so tighly in fact that those who seek to place a gap of time between them are doomed to fail. Linguistically speaking there was no pre-Babel confusion!

REFERENCES

Hamilton, Victor P. (1990), The Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

From Jim McGuiggan.... Toy castles and Naked prophets

Toy castles and Naked prophets

 The Hebrew writer's insight

Bearing in mind what the Hebrew writer said, that God spoke in various ways through the prophets (1:1) it makes no sense to homogenise their methods. I don't hear it said anymore though I'm sure someone somewhere is still saying it: "Prophecy is simply pre-written history." This was never true.

What we should expect

We should expect there to be some constants in the teaching of the prophets. Constants such as: whatever changes we should hear that God doesn't change and that he remains faithful to his commitments. Or: whatever he changes he will not withdraw his call for holiness and righteousness. Or: when God is done all wrongs will be righted because his overarching purposes cannot be thwarted. These kinds of truths we should expect (and get) in the prophets but in the course of working with such truths they will receive and proclaim their message is varied ways.

Some of the various ways

Ezekiel will build model forts and attack them from behind an iron baking-griddle or dig a hole in the wall of his house and go in and out blindfolded. Isaiah will walk about virtually naked (or completely so) for an extended period of time and Jeremiah will perform "skits" with wooden ox-yokes. God's prophet sometimes acts the part of someone under God's judgement; as Isaiah did in Isaiah 20 when he represented the captive people of Egypt, led away by Assyria. Zechariah will represent the collection of wicked shepherds who are to feel God's chastisement (Zechariah 11:15-17).

We need to notice that prophets don't always speak of judgement or blessing and vindication in simple prose; their speech as well as their behaviour is sometimes startling. They will speak of the earth staggering like a drunken man trying to find his way home or they'll speak of an entire country becoming a lake of fire that never stops burning or they'll say that that same land at the same time will be a wilderness where wild animals live, raising their families.

How many ways can a prophet say that the enemies of God and his people are to be overcome? I'm not sure, but I know at least two. One is to speak of God crushing them and the other is by saying that they become worshipers of the true God. That is less fantastic but just as startling; nevertheless Isaiah 19:24-25; 66:18-23 and Zechariah 9:6-7; 14:16-21 speak that way.

Literal or figurative, that's the question

How can we tell when some of what the prophets said is to be literally fulfilled and some of it is not? Well, it isn't always easy but some of it can't be literally fulfilled or human existence would cease altogether and some of it we know was literally fulfilled because we're told it was (Isaiah 7:14, for example). That's the easy part. It's the mass of other material that isn't interpreted for us that requires patient and prayerful work on our part. Certainly, one of the things we must do is to work with texts in light of God's overarching purpose for humanity and his creation. This won't provide all the answers we seek but it will offer us some solid parameters within which to work with prophecy. But this means we would have to have a clear understanding of "God's overarching purpose for humanity and his creation" which we will use as a guide in our interpreting the prophets. These two areas of reflection will shape each other. Our view of God's ultimate purpose and how he has developed salvation history will affect how we understand the prophets and how we understand the prophets will help to shape our view of God's ultimate purpose and his development of salvation history.

Interpreting in light of the big picture

If we believe that the book of Hebrews teaches that the Sinai covenant is gone—permanently—swallowed up in the person and work of Jesus, how will that affect our understanding of Ezekiel's rebuilding of the temple, the restoration of animals sacrifices for atonement, circumcision as essential to fellowship, a Levitical priesthood and all that is involved in such a restoration? Click We could say, and I think we should say, that Ezekiel is describing Israel's glorious future in terms that were current and meaningful to Israel. I would say that the measurements given in Ezekiel could not be literally followed and in addition to that, a literal restoration of Ezekiel 34—48 would conflict with the NT teaching. Whether that's true or false it would lead me to decide for or against a literal understanding of Ezekiel 34—48.

If we believe—as I do—that God's purpose in Jesus is to redeem the creation itself, along with humans, then we'd understand the texts that speak of the removal of the curse from the earth as foretelling something that is actually going to happen. Click I'm making the point that our understanding of prophecy is and should be affected by our grasp of the big picture but I don't mean to suggest that we'll always get the details right.

When there are no clear historical clues

It's common knowledge that knowing the historical circumstances surrounding a remark helps us to understand the remark. The reverse is also true. Harry goes to his friend's door, he hears a child sobbing and he hears his friend shouting, "If you do that again I'll split your skull with this hatchet!" The door finally opens, Harry's distraught friend shows him the sobbing child and the bad bite mark on his hand where the dog (now cowering in the corner) bit him. He'd been shouting at the dog and not the child.

Often there are no clear historical guidelines. That is, the speaker and his listeners know what's going on but we don't. We search around and try to find a setting which throws some light on what the writer had in mind. This is how we should proceed because it helps us to understand what the writer/speaker meant to say. What we think the writer's purpose is makes all the difference to how we go about interpreting him and applying the truth he tells.

If we think Moses meant to describe literally how God created the world we read Genesis 1 in one way. If we think he wanted to expose the idolatrous faith of Egypt from which Israel just came and the idolatrous faith of Canaanites to where they were now going then we read it in a different way (see Leviticus 18:1-3). Near Eastern religions saw the elements as gods that the supreme deity (say, Marduk, as in the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation story) had to overcome. Moses' record in Genesis 1—whatever else it has in view certainly insists that there was one true God and these elements were his creation and not his enemies, they were not gods to be feared or worshiped. [I wish only to make the point that what we take to be a writer's purpose will affect how we understand him and it will affect how we use what he writes.]

Zechariah 1—8 has clear historical settings and because this is so we have guidelines within which to understand the visions there. Zechariah 9—14 is not like that (though the difference between the two blocks of text can certainly be overstated) so it's more difficult to know why the prophet said what he said. [I wish only to make the point that without contextual guidelines our grasp of what the writers is getting at is more difficult and that in turns means we should not be over-anxious to settle for a given understanding of what he has said.]

When a prophet gives us historical notice that he's dealing with a particular nation or time then we're well armed to do a good search (Isaiah 34 or Nahum would illustrate). But often they speak in such general terms that we're left without good reason to think he's speaking of a particular occasion or time. Where that's the case it might be best for us to settle for the prophet's "general truth".

I think we see that in texts like Zech 14 and Isaiah 66. In such cases, the word a prophet gives from God is a word of assurance that judgement/blessing is certain. Those judged are the enemies (whoever they turn out to be) and those blessed are God's servants (whoever they turn out to be). Readers are then left free to see and apply that truth as it relates to their time and place. The reader must, of course, allow the biblical text to shape his use of the text.

Even when there are clear historical clues

Isaiah 29:13 has Isaiah's peers in mind at a critical moment in their history but Jesus in Matthew 15:7-9 says Isaiah speaks of his (Jesus') peers. In doing this Jesus teaches us that there is a continuity in God's dealings with us; his condemnation of the leaders in Isaiah's day is equally true of the leaders in Jesus' day and so the Isaiah text as truly relates to Jesus day as it did in the 8^th century BC.

This helps explain some of those texts where a NT writer claims a text is fulfilled in his day or that occurrence when it seems to have a specific historical point in the OT. Let me repeat: the spirit and drift of the OT text must be (and in the NT it is) treated with integrity. It simply isn't good enough to lift a text out of the OT and give it a meaning that is completely out of character.

[All this needs development.]

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

From Gary... Bible Reading October 23

Bible Reading  

October 23

The World English Bible

Oct. 23

Ecclesiastes 11, 12

Ecc 11:1 Cast your bread on the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

Ecc 11:2 Give a portion to seven, yes, even to eight; for you don't know what evil will be on the earth.

Ecc 11:3 If the clouds are full of rain, they empty themselves on the earth; and if a tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there shall it be.

Ecc 11:4 He who observes the wind won't sow; and he who regards the clouds won't reap.

Ecc 11:5 As you don't know what is the way of the wind, nor how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child; even so you don't know the work of God who does all.

Ecc 11:6 In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening don't withhold your hand; for you don't know which will prosper, whether this or that, or whether they both will be equally good.

Ecc 11:7 Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to see the sun.

Ecc 11:8 Yes, if a man lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that comes is vanity.

Ecc 11:9 Rejoice, young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth, and walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Ecc 11:10 Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh; for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.

Ecc 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near, when you will say, "I have no pleasure in them;"

Ecc 12:2 Before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain;

Ecc 12:3 in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look out of the windows are darkened,

Ecc 12:4 and the doors shall be shut in the street; when the sound of the grinding is low, and one shall rise up at the voice of a bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low;

Ecc 12:5 yes, they shall be afraid of heights, and terrors will be in the way; and the almond tree shall blossom, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail; because man goes to his everlasting home, and the mourners go about the streets:

Ecc 12:6 before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is broken at the spring, or the wheel broken at the cistern,

Ecc 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher. All is vanity!

Ecc 12:9 Further, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yes, he pondered, sought out, and set in order many proverbs.

Ecc 12:10 The Preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written blamelessly, words of truth.

Ecc 12:11 The words of the wise are like goads; and like nails well fastened are words from the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.

Ecc 12:12 Furthermore, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Ecc 12:13 This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.

Ecc 12:14 For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

Oct. 24

1 Thessalonians 1

1Th 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the assembly of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1Th 1:2 We always give thanks to God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers,

1Th 1:3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, before our God and Father.

1Th 1:4 We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen,

1Th 1:5 and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

1Th 1:6 You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

1Th 1:7 so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.

1Th 1:8 For from you the word of the Lord has been declared, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone out; so that we need not to say anything.

1Th 1:9 For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

1Th 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

From Gary.... As plain as black and white

With a last name like Rose, of course I am interested in flowers.  And this picture aroused my interest this afternoon.  Why? Well, the sheer absence of colors other than black and white, of course.  It somehow defines the picture in a way that one having many variations of colors could never do.  And life can be like this flower; that is, having sharp delineations of truth to it.  When this is the case, then doubt is removed and exactly how to live one's life becomes clear. Consider the following...

Philippians, Chapter 4

 8  Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.

1 Timothy, Chapter 2

1 I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men:  2 for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.  3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;  4 who desires all people to be saved and come to full knowledge of the truth.  5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,  6 who gave himself as a ransom for all; the testimony in its own times;

If truth is to be found, it lies with God in absolute perfection.  Our thoughts are subject to change and therefore in doubt... but God is a different matter. His purity, His knowledge and in fact everything that characterizes HIM as GOD is perfect!!!  So, Paul puts in plainly- think about God's word, ruminate, consider, dwell, and understand everything that you possibly can.  And you will come to a "full knowledge of the truth". As plain as black and white; God's truth- and that is magnificent!!!!

From Gary..... To know and be known

We are not alone; God is with us continually.  This cute little sign reminds us of that fact. God has been with us from the beginning- even before we uttered our first word.  In fact, it is HE who has made us, and made a design for our lives.  Its up to us to fulfill HIS plans.  Listed below is one of my favorite passages from the Bible; why? Because it seems to combine the loftiest of thoughts with some of the most beautiful of prose.  Read on...

Psalm 139 (WEB)

  1  Yahweh, you have searched me,
and you know me.  2 You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
  3 You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
  4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
but, behold, Yahweh, you know it altogether.
  5 You hem me in behind and before.
You laid your hand on me.
  6 This knowledge is beyond me.
It’s lofty.
I can’t attain it.
  7 Where could I go from your Spirit?
Or where could I flee from your presence?
  8 If I ascend up into heaven, you are there.
If I make my bed in Sheol,^*n1 behold, you are there!
  9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
and settle in the uttermost parts of the sea;
  10 Even there your hand will lead me,
and your right hand will hold me.
  11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me;
the light around me will be night”;
  12 even the darkness doesn’t hide from you,
but the night shines as the day.
The darkness is like light to you.
  13 For you formed my inmost being.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
  14 I will give thanks to you,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Your works are wonderful.
My soul knows that very well.
  15 My frame wasn’t hidden from you,
when I was made in secret,
woven together in the depths of the earth.
  16 Your eyes saw my body.
In your book they were all written,
the days that were ordained for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
  17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is their sum!

To know and be known by God is truly awesome!!!  To be part of the ONE who created and organized EVERYTHING means that we in turn share in the ONENESS of EVERYTHING; for God is all in all!!!! So, don't live your life like GOD doesn't exist- if you do, you will miss out on what it really means to live!!!