Did God Really Write the Bible?

Yes ... yes he did.

Did God Really Write the Bible?Did God really write the Bible?

Yes … yes he did.

Sort of.

Here is what happened. “When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.” Deuteronomy 9:10

So God wrote the first set of commands.

But when Moses came off the mountain and saw the people partying and worshiping a golden calf, he became angry, threw down the tablets and broke them. Which meant he had to start over. [This was waaaay before control-S and files saved in the Cloud]. Back up the mountain he went.

The Lord said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. So Moses chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones and went up Mount Sinai early in the morning, as the Lord had commanded him; and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming … Exodus 34:1-5

There is a long section where God recites the commands to Moses and then …

The Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.”  Moses was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. [I hear writers can behave this way when they’re on a deadline.]  And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments. Exodus 34:27-28

Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the Lord had given him on Mount Sinai. Exodus 34:32

So God wrote the first set of ten commandments and it appears he dictated the second set to Moses, along with all the other commands.

Of course there is much more to the Bible than just his commands. But God wrote the first draft of the first section.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Did God Really Say I Will Be Judged Based on How I Judge Others?

Yes ... yes he did.

Did God Really Say I Will Be Judged Based on How I Judge Others?Did God really say I will be judged based on how I judge others?

Yes … yes he did.

Sort of.

Here is what Jesus said, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Matthew 7:2

The seeds of hypocrisy are planted in judgement. This is but one reason we should be slow to judge. The sin we see in others may (and often is) the sin others see in us.

Later Jesus said that when we pray we should say, “Father, forgive us our trespasses, as we also forgive those who trespass against us.”

The key word here is judge. Which is to conclude, decide, determine a matter. When we pass judgement we are saying, “This is the end of the matter. There will be no further consideration or appeal.” In other words, our verdict and sentencing is final.

But we are not the judge. God is.“We will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Romans 14:12.

Jesus said, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

In this instance bound in heaven is to agree with God that the individuals behavior is sinful. That’s all, nothing more. As jury, we have found the individual guilty of a sin. It is up to the Judge to render punishment.

This difference may seem slight but it is important. Juries declare guilt, but the judge is the one who has the final say in court. We can never say, “You are going to hell.” because we do not know where an individual will end up. That’s for God to decide.

Our job is to reach, teach, and guide, not judge. Leave that task to the one who wrote the laws.

Image by Augusto Ordonez from Pixabay

Did God Really Say I Should Write Off Bad Loans?

Yes ... yes he did.

Did God Really Say I Should Write Off Bad Loans?Did God really say I should write off bad loans?

Yes … yes he did.

Sort of.

What God said is this: “If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.” (Exodus 22:25;) He also said: “At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.” (Deuteronomy 15:1). Jesus says, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:42). And, “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35)

Obviously, if you lend all your money to those who hate you and get nothing in return you’ll go broke — unless God steps in and blesses you.

The overriding principle is this: if someone ask you for a loan and you feel God calling you to lend them the money, treat the loan as a gift. If they repay, great. If not God will reward you. Either way you come out ahead.

Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay

Did God Really Say He Would Make Me Rich If I Obeyed Him?

Yes ... yes he did.

Did God Really Say He Would Make Me Rich If I Obeyed Him?Did God really say He would make me rich if I obeyed him?

Yes … yes he did.

Sort of.

Here is what God said: “When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes[a] and have compassion on you. He will make you more prosperous. The Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 30: 1-10 (abbreviated)

Seems clear enough, right? Except we all know God-loving, church-going, on-their-knees-praying Christians who have lost homes, jobs, savings … everything. So what gives? Did God lie?

God cannot lie. (Numbers 23:19)

Which means His word is true.

But our understanding of what it means to  prosper is often much different than God’s. In His eyes success may mean that your faithfulness to him in tough times is a successful testimony that draws others to Him. Your prayers for financial relief may result in an abundance of His presence.

I know, I know. To some this sounds like a cop-out. But consider this: our greatest character growth does not come during times of prosperity but poverty. When drought comes, roots reach down deep. When hunger strikes, every crumb is treasured. When we are severely tested, our hearts reveal what we truly believe.

Which would you rather have? Wealth and ease? Or peace of mind knowing those you love are living with the Lord in good times and bad? Consider what you truly treasure. If your heart’s desire aligns with God’s, then you can expect him to prosper you in those areas.

Consider this: John Bunyan’s allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress was written during Bunyan’s twelve-year imprisonment for refusing to denounce Christ. Do you think Bunyan felt prosperous in prison?  The Pilgrim’s Progress remains the book for which Bunyan is best remembered.

So there’s that.

Image by Lisa Larsen from Pixabay

Did God Really Say We Should Not Make Fun of Bald Headed Men?

Yes ... yes he did.

Did God Really Say We Should Not Make Fun of Bald Headed Men?Did God really say we should not make fun of bald headed men?

Yes … yes he did.

Sort of.

Here is what happened. “As Elisha was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. ‘Get out of here, baldy!’ they said. ‘Get out of here, baldy! Elisha turned around, looked at them and called down a curse on them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.” 2 Kings 2:23-24

So let that be a lesson to all of us: God frowns on bullying. If you do not have anything nice to say about someone, keep quiet. Bear in mind, God is watching. He is always watching.

Image by skeeze from Pixabay

Did God Really Say He Is Jesus?

Yes ... yes he did

Did God Really Say He and Jesus Christ Are the Same?Did God really say he is Jesus?

Yes … yes he did.

Sort of.

What Jesus said was: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” John 14:9 and “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30

Then the Romans killed Jesus.

Who was God.

So is God dead?

Great question. Check back later to find out how and why the dead do not stay dead.

 

Image is a U.S. work in public domain in the U.S. for unspecified reason but presumably because it was published in the U.S. before 1924.