Reasons For Faith As Given By God

Reasons For Faith As Given By God Isaiah 41.21-24

Introduction: Believing the Bible to be the inspired word of God is fundamental to Christianity. If the Bible did not come from God, then it is a hoax and so is the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. How do we know the Bible is the inspired word of God? Or another way of asking the question is, what reason(s) do we have for believing it to be so? There are many different levels on which we can answer this question but this morning I want to look at the prophecies of the Bible and its historical accuracy.

I) Isaiah 41.21-24

A) A challenge to the gods of the nations around Israel

1. God tells us what He will do, chapter 40, now let the gods tell us what they will do.

2. Two areas mentioned; the things that will occur prophecy, and the former things

a. Prophecy

b. Historical Accuracy

II) Predictive Prophecy as Evidence of Inspiration

A) Prophecies concerning the nations:

1. Isaiah 42.5-9 in particular "And new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them"

2. Isaiah 44.6-8 "And who can proclaim it as I do?"

3. Isaiah 45.1ff prophecy concerning Cyrus

4. Isaiah 46.8-11 what God says will come to pass.

B) Examples abound through out the prophets (Messianic Prophecies)

1. I Peter 1.10-12 prophecies of the grace to come

2. Romans 1.1-4 prophecies of the coming of Christ through the lineage of David

3. Luke 24.25-27, 44- 47 prophets spoke of the suffering of Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection was spoken of long ago.

III) Historical Accuracy as Evidence of Inspiration

A) Facts concerning the written Bible record

1. Written over 1500 year time span (covering almost 4000 years of time)

2. Written over 40 generations (consider my great grandfather was born in 1863, 4 generations ago)

3. Over 40 authors from various backgrounds

4. Written in 3 languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek)

5. Penned in various places and circumstances

6. Abundant instances of historical accounts

B) If the product of man, inaccuracies expected

C) If from God, none allowed (Numbers 23.19)

D) The Challenge of Historical Accuracy

1. Difficult if not impossible to fake present time in which one is writing

2. How difficult would it be to write as if…

a. Your daily life was 1802, 1602, or 1402?

b. Recording political action of 1802, 1602, or 1402?

c. Correctly name leaders of 1802, 1602, or 1402?

d. Name nations correctly in 1802, 1602, or 1402?

e. Properly state territory of nations, cities existing and other details in 1802, 1602, or 1402?

IV) Consider:

A) These two principles (Prophecy and Historical Accuracy) prove the inspiration of the Bible from opposite directions

1. If one says Isaiah wrote in 700 BC then we can understand the historical accuracy; his prophecies of the cross become harder to explain.

2.If one says Isaiah live about 20 AD then the historical accuracy becomes harder to explain; the predictive prophecies easier to explain.

3. The same can be said for the life of Christ and the prophecies of the nations.

4. Example of Ezekiel – Tyre to be attached by Nebuchadnezzar (26.7); to be completely destroyed (27.3); never to be rebuilt (26.14)

5. Verified Historical Accuracy

a. Bible repeatedly speaks of the Hittite nation

i. Until late 1800’s skeptics denied the existence of such a nation

ii. One can now get a doctorate degree in Hittite civilization

b) Pontius Pilate named as ruler in Jesus’ time

i. Skeptics 150 years ago doubted his existence

ii. Inscription with his name found in Caesarea, 1961

c) Luke records a census at Jesus’ birth (Luke 2.1-3)

i. Egyptian and Syrian documents confirm the details

ii. There was an imperial census

iii. All had to return to their ancestral home

iv. Quirinius (Cyrenius) was governor

6. The "General Rule) the more easily explain historical accuracy leads to harder to explain predictive prophecy; and vice versa.

V) Those that question the Bible and its prophecies must make a trade off

A) If one argues it was written after the events then how could they be so accurate historically.

B) If one says they were written before they occurred then how could the prophets be so correct?

Conclusion: There is plenty of evidence to prove the Bible came from God. It is important to understand that fact. What is just as important is to do the will of God. (Lesson Adapted from Harry Osborne's Power Point on this sermon)

D.T. @ Westside Church of Christ 04.22.07

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