Fundamentals – The Inspiration of the Bible – Lesson 4

1. Matthew Fontaine Maury and Psalm 8:8

1) He read Psalm 8:8 while sick and decided to find the paths of the sea.

2) He found these paths and even wrote a book regarding them. Gulf stream, etc.

3) How did the Psalmist know these things?

2. Circumcision

1) Genesis 17:12

2) Why eight days?

3) Vitamin K is at 100% on the eighth day. This vitamin aids in blood clotting.

4) Today circumcisions are done before the 8th day, but NOT without a shot of vitamin K.

3. Levitical Sexual Code — Given that they may have “life” (Leviticus 18:5).

1) Profligate sexual activity carries disease and death.

2) Procreation with close kin produces sick and diseased offspring.

3) Exodus 15:26 “none of these diseases.”

4) Indeed, if one were to respect the dietary, moral, and medical information within the Mosaic law, one would live a long life.

5) Book, “None of these diseases.”

4. These are just a few examples. There are many more.

1. Psalm 22 is one such example.

1) The Old Testament was written hundreds of years before Jesus came. In fact, there was a complete translation of it into Greek 250 years before Christ.

2) There is information here that could only have applied to the Messiah.

a. Pierced my hands and my feet. Matthew 27:35

b. Part the garments among them. Matthew 27:35

c. Upon my vesture do they cast lots. Matthew 27:35

3) This information is not subject to “self fulfillment” as His enemies performed it.

4) There are over 300 prophecies relating to the Messiah alone–all fulfilled.

2. Cyrus

1) Isaiah prophesied from 825 B.C. to about 750 B.C. a period of 75 years.

2) He wrote in Isaiah 44:28-45:5 regarding the reign of Cyrus, king of Persia.

a. Note: Isaiah was approximately 200 years removed from the restoration of Jerusalem.

b. Isaiah was culturally removed from the Persians.

c. Isaiah was topographically removed from the Persians by thousands of miles.

d. Yet he named the King that was going to conquer Babylon and restore Jerusalem.

3) The prophesy was fulfilled in Ezra 1 and 2 Chronicles 36.

4) How could a prophet be so accurate with information about a foreign leader in a foreign country?

3. 2 Thess. 2:3 and the falling away.

1) Before Jesus Christ comes again, there was going to be a falling away.

2) This falling away was going to consist of one who set himself up as God in the temple of God (the church).

3) We see this happening early in the 2nd century.

a. In the letter of Ignatius to Ephesus he draws a distinction between the presbytery and the bishop.

b. Eventually, there would come to be a bishop not only over each church, but each city.

c. Finally, a pope would be appointed over all of Christendom.

4. Paul mentions some of the doctrines of this apostasy in 1 Timothy 4:1-3

1) Forbid to marry.

2) Command to abstain from meat.

1. God is love.

1) This is not the picture that we get from humanly devised gods.

2) They torture man and put him through grueling tests and trials.

3) But we read in the Bible that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).

2. God is infinite in knowledge.

1) Often you read of the gods in Homer and Hesiod not knowing what is going to happen.

2) Things that mortals do often surprise them.

3) But nothing surprises the God of the Bible.

a. Luke 12:7 says even the very hairs of our head are numbered;

b. Heb. 4:13 “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do”.

3. God is infinite in justice.

1) The gods created by man excepted themselves from their rules for man.

a. They lived in avarice.

b. They were fickle.

2) God, however, required that His Son be obedient to Him in all things (Heb. 5:9 “Though he were a son, yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered. And being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.).

1. Love of enemies. Matthew 5:43-48

2. The law of the extra mile. Matthew 5:38-42

3. Marriage law. Matthew 19:1-9

4. Forgiveness. Matthew 18:21ff

1. The need for mercy–when someone does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

1) We all have things that we are not capable of doing unless someone helps us.

2) But no man can alleviate the problem of sin.

3) Only God can offer mercy in this respect.

a. Hosea 2:23.

b. Titus 3:3-6.

2. The need for hope.

1) All men hope for something.

2) Yet, this material universe offers no lasting hope.

3) The Bible offers hope for eternal life. Job 19:26-27.

3. The need for justice.

1) All men demand justice.

2) Yet, this material universe offers no lasting justice.

3) The Bible speaks of eternal justice for the wicked (1 Thess. 1:6-9).