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Why I Know God Exists

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Why I Know God Exists WHY I KNOW GOD EXISTS JoLynn Gower 493-6151 [email protected] 1 VERSE FOR THE JOURNEY • Colossians 1:16-17 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. • Hebrews 1:1-3 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. I seem to have been only a boy playing on the seashore and diverting myself in now and then finding smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me. Isaac Newton 2 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS • Archaeologists study the record of culture and life-style of people within a particular historical period • Archaeology “proves” the Bible usually only means that archaeological finds support rather than disprove what the Bible says • In addition, archaeological finds give interesting background information to biblical accounts • The oldest OT manuscripts date to between 200 and 100 BC and come from Qumram; however archaeology has been a tool to verify that information concerning much earlier events recorded in those manuscripts actually occurred Ein Gedi carbonized scroll (Brent Seals U of Ken) 3 EXAMPLE #1: JERICHO THE NUZI (NUZU) TABLETS • Unearthed between 1925 and 1941 in Nuzi, southeast of Nineveh near Kirkuk in Iraq • Date from 1600 – 1350 BC; 6500 cuneiform texts and fragments • A childless wife could give her servant to her husband as a substitute for purposes of producing an heir. The child was considered part of the family and an heir • Genesis 16:1-2 Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid; perhaps I will obtain children through her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. 5 OTHER INTERESTING INFO • Whoever had the household gods (teraphim) had the position of leadership and inheritance rights • Genesis 31:19-21 When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father's. And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. • Genesis 31:29-30 "It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.' Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal my gods?" • Genesis 31:32 "The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. 6 THE MARI TABLETS • These tablets were found in 1933 in the archives of a palace on the middle Euphrates (Syria) • The tablets date between 1728 and 1626 BC • The same excavation discovered a temple of Ishtar • Mari was a large city at the time of Abraham (Ivri) and Ivri is mentioned in the tablets • The tablets mention correspondence between the king of Mari and Hammurabi • The code of Hammurabi is important historically • The city of Nahor is mentioned • Genesis 24:10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and set out with a variety of good things of his master's in his hand; and he arose and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. 7 SHEDDING OF BLOOD • The Mari tablets mention covenants made by the shedding of blood, “killing a donkey” • The people of Shechem were called Bene Hamor • Genesis 34:13 But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. • Abraham stopped there and sacrificed to God (between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim); Later Joshua asked the people to choose at the same place • The Mari tablets also mention the “walk of death” by which a covenant until death was made by the one walking between pieces of sacrificed animals Genesis 15:17 • A grave at Shechem reverenced for years as the tomb of Joseph was found to contain an Egyptian mummified body and an Egyptian sword Joshua 24:32 8 AMARNA LETTERS • Found in 1887 in Amarna, Egypt dating to 1402-1334 BC • One of the letters, from Abdu-Heba, requests help from the Pharaoh in defending against the Habirus (Hebrews) who are sacking the country • Another letter from a Canaan city state also requests help in defending against the Habirus • Other writing of the period mentions their magic golden box • These letters clearly reflect Joshua’s conquest of the promised land • There had been debate about the dates for the exodus from Egypt – was it around 1200 BC or 1400 BC • Because of the events described in the Amarna letters and the pharaohs to whom they were written, a good argument can be formulated for the earlier date 9 EVIDENCE FOR CITY OF DAVID • Excavations in 1997-98 in Jerusalem revealed a Canaanite water tunnel and protective building around the Gihon spring • It was evidence for Jerusalem’s existence dating to around 1800 BC, much earlier than David • 2 Samuel 5:6-8 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, and they said to David, "You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame will turn you away"; thinking, "David cannot enter here.” Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David. David said on that day, "Whoever would strike the Jebusites, let him reach the lame and the blind, who are hated by David's soul, through the water tunnel." Therefore they say, "The blind or the lame shall not come into the house." 10 TEMPLE MOUNT & CITY OF DAVID The city of David was about 60 acres bordered on the East by the Kidron valley and on the west by the Tyropean or central valley The Gihon Spring is at the South end 11 ABRAHAM’S CONQUEST • Genesis 14:8-9 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in the valley of Siddim, against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar— four kings against five. • Genesis 14:14 When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. • The Ebla tablets, 1800 clay tablets and 4700 fragments, dating to around 2300 BC, were found in northern Syria, near Aleppo, and proved that these cities did exist and that the name “Canaan” was in use at the time of Abraham 12 .
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