Responding to Serious Objections to the Bible (Part 2)

The following is a prerecorded program today to tackle more of your toughest questions about the Bible and most serious objections to the Bible or the line of fire with your host activist all the international speaker and theologians Dr. Michael Brown your voice of moral cultural and spiritual revolution Michael Brown is the director of the coalition of conscience have president of fire school of ministry get into the line of fire valves like always 866-34-TRUTH that's 866-34-TRUTH your Jim is Dr. Michael Brown, a friends Michael Brown here a few weeks back I solicited questions on social media through Facebook and through twitter say what are some of the most serious objections you hear when it comes to the Bible when it comes to the God of the Bible. Maybe the questions you have. Maybe there questions objections that you encounter and we got so many responses which of course is no surprise. This is the world in which we live. No surprise that the be many questions and objections, especially in this current generation where there is more animosity towards the God of the Bible more dismissing of the authority of Scripture. More questions about the inspiration of Scripture. So I answered a bunch of questions and I said gobbling in the weeks ahead will devote broadcast to answering more of your question so that's exactly what we doing today were putting some posts up from Facebook, twitter, you'll see that there from April 29 and dates like that. In other words, we solicited these some weeks back we did the first show. Now the second show here. So let's see him start with the question from medium Sean.

I take it is not a medium like having séances.

Somebody said that Jesus lied in Matthew 24, 34, the generation passed and all the things he said did not come to pass. So did Jesus say in Matthew 24, 34, that this generation will not pass away until all these things are fulfilled and he was wrong for the first question is why would the gospel authors preserve that in similar words and other Gospels. What were they preserve that in the generations after words, if it didn't happen. In other words, some of the Gospels may be written before the year 70 when the temple was destroyed, others after that time, but certainly all of them, edited, distributed after that time so why would you keep that in. It was ascended and confess just a logical question right. If you just eliminate it.

We don't need that part in because he got that wrong and it looks bad, will also didn't believe you got it wrong.

So there several answers to the question one. He was speaking about things. First and foremost that tied in with the destruction of Jerusalem with the destruction of the temple with the terrible things he said would happen even with the exiling of Jewish people and it happen with extraordinary accuracy with mind-boggling accuracy in ways that no one could have imagined back then in terms of the level of decimation and the flattening of the temple. The glorious time pocketed the flattening of much of Jerusalem and terrible suffering.

According to Josephus, a million Jews killed minutes of exaggeration, but was it terrible time of great suffering, unprecedented in the nation's history.

Jesus else can happen in detail. So did that's that's the first answer the second objection to the answer be okay will maybe so, but what about the coming of the Lord and all the things he smokable. Some would say that he came in that context is that the end of the age coming, but rather he came in judgment at that time.

That's how some would read it. Here's another way to read that he's talking ultimately about the end of the age that he wasn't talking just about the destruction of the Temple in the year 70 in the judgment, Jerusalem, there was talk about the end of the age anything the generation that is here to see signs ABC at the end of the age. They will see it all. They will also see XYZ so this generation. This final generation that sees ABC happen.

They will also see XYZ will be many things that will be parallel to what happened in the year 70 than unfolding within the age noticing as the disciples asked him three questions was talk about the destruction of the temple was as good happen was to be the sign of your coming of the end of the age, as if all three things were one where is the temple was destroyed in 70 and is coming the end of the age or still future, so he answers everything all together. We again is one you have it with many biblical prophecies that it says is automatic come to pass like layers. The first layer is now the second layer may be a thousand years later, but when the proverb sees them. It feels like there were close that the common description given a prophecy is like standing on the top of the mountain look at the top of another mountain seems really close. There is actually a miles long Valley in between them.

So that's how it is with prophetic ministry. The Bible tells us that that's how it is.

So it could be that he's answering all these questions together in his first say this can happen 70 in the generation that sees these things you never see the rest of this happens, destruction, and then is the end of the age generation sees this legacy. The rest come to pass in a case there are good simple explanations to this passage, and more importantly if the early believers were scandalized by they were thoughtful. We all understand that. But let's leave that out the fact that they put it in there was to say what Jesus says is accurate. But let's let's see another question here, and this is from Elijah natural disasters, natural disasters, Larry King said they didn't believe in God because how could God allow Katrina to happen.

I've always thought it's a good question.

So it's one thing when human beings commit atrocities against other human beings right.

It's one thing where the Nazis slaughter 6 million Jews and and many others. It's it's one thing when a person doesn't give you could say where was God with quite the question is, who said that God stops us from doing evil, to give us free will and and people do terrible things but that's different than Katrina. That's different than the tsunami years back that the killed several hundred thousand and in a matter of minutes or hours and in Southeast Asia. I explain those natural disasters and and what kind of God allow those to happen while the answer is that we are in a fallen world that the Sim of the human race had consequences on everything because of which were in a fallen world, a world that has the beauty of a sunset and the terrors of a tsunami, a world that that has the miracle of childbirth the agony of premature death world that itself has things you could say are good and things you can say or evil. That's why wanted to be new heavens and new earth.

And that's why before the fall we were in the garden in the garden of Eden usually take that metaphorically decided rather literally I take it literally.

But the fact is we were in paradise.

And that's God's heart and desire what I could to Larry King whose is now facing eternal reality hope that somehow he came to the Lord before he left this world, but I would say you don't like human suffering, God is like human suffering, God grieves over and and even though God says that he is the God of nature that he is that the the God who controls the world. There are also things that are in this role that a fallen and the results of human brokenness, or of previous spiritual rebellion. Some say that the world is marked by that because of false Satan. Previous spiritual rebellion, but ultimately say this is not God's final intent for us. That's were restarted in paradise that was God giving us a picture of the way things responsible way to segue second. The earth is been messed up for losses before the fall well 11 scholar address this in his answer was that just like when you build a new community you build hospitals and prisons. If you're building a developing Lord city, knowing that you have people are sick and people need to be incarcerated. Never police force and so on that when God made the world he made the world itself with these flaws in its yes he everything made was good but he made this world in itself with flaws in it and in the paradise for human beings and ultimately human beings within subdue the earth and have the full blessing of God in the whole world would be a paradise, but if not, you get expelled from the garden into the bad places.

In any case, we need to do is point out God's heart of compassion for the poor for the needy for the outcast God's even pouring out rain the book of Job, talks about this when God reveals himself to Job. He pours out rain on desolate areas. We don't have human beings. What will Heise was good because this is warming it is easy got a beauty and and and the wonders of nature that shows his beauty and goodness and then all of the calamities and judgments that shows what happens because human brokenness human sin and failure of and it's interesting with Katrina mentioned that one man response on 37 are not that I lost my house and job in Katrina was one of the most challenging, painful, inspiring events my life. I learned so much about myself in the goodness of others.

Their blessings even in the most difficult circumstances maybe needed to be humble this much we know God can bring good out of evil. God can bring good out of calamity and in that which is devastating and brings terrible loss of life.

God can bring something good out of that because he's the Redeemer. By the way, if you don't have my book has God failed you. Funny face when you true God is real. We address these very kind of issues that I think you'll be helped by that one more question, a Skyler fiction. God orders the execution of babies in first Samuel 15 but we talked about this a few weeks ago. The command to kill the Canaanites and there are some who speculate that those that were killed were of the nifty Lim that it was a mixed breed of human and fallen Angel predestined to destruction that was inherently evil. At the very least, those that were killed were guilty of themselves burning babies alive in the fire to their idols and committing all types of of sexual sins and atrocities Gaza because of their evil they had to be wiped out.

So what about those that are killed in first Samuel 15. It has to be that level of guilt because over and over, and in the word God is extols the God of justice. And God cares for the outcast and the little ones in need is as I said a moment to go on. Scripture says his compassion is over all his works and could well be that even DNA things passed on generationally that that you have people who become increasingly wicked by the very nature and in this there only two instances have like this in the whole Bible with Canaanites in as many nights and and then and then here for 715. This is never something that's command through Scripture effectors accosted emphasis on God bringing judgment because of people killing babies and burning babies in the fire. This is the same God who knew that this evil needed to be eradicated from this people at the same time, if we believe in eternity. If we object to the Bible take the bow the face value right that these little children still been interested they had developed into the evil they would have and therefore we can have eternal life and be with God's a cut down this road before they do evil, but with him forever. Got setting things right right you will be right back with many more probing questions right here in this book has God failed to go through. I think your finance, we will file the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown get into the line of fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH dear again is Dr. Michael Brown transferring joining us on the line of fire. Now here we are leader and mesas weeks ago the end of April. I solicited questions on Facebook and Twitter asking for your toughest objections you that you struggle with her that a been presented to you objections to the Bible, the God of the Bible so that I'll be answering them in the in the days and weeks ahead. So we did. Part one. Now were doing. Part two. So focusing on objections to the Bible will look at larger philosophical questions and questions about the existence of God. In general, and in some further broadcasts gobbling as we plan to do but let's go back over to twitter. Here's one from the JB GIF King on the slavery topic team meeting, we discussed with DJ Hammurabi's a digital Hammurabi and agreed it was troublesome. So the whole issue of slavery in the Old Testament. This was something sanctioned by God. This was something given by God, redressed it before, but I'll address it again.

In brief, at least that under no circumstances does the biblical narrative in the biblical laws under circumstances do they justify the African slave trade. Under no circumstances does this justify that you going to other countries that you kidnap people that you separate them from family you ship them across the ocean, with millions dying along the way and then subject them to brutal lifetime slavery know there's nothing in the biblical system that justifies or there is one verse in Leviticus 25 that talks about. You can buy slaves from neighboring countries.

Even then resume rules about the treatment of slaves in Israel and even then, on the Sabbath. Everyone would rest so so there were there were still issues in terms of how Israel was to treat others but two things I want to emphasize one.

This was under the Sinai covenant and some part of the newer and better covenant was under the Sinai covenant and it is not God's eternal best. The second thing is that it was a massive improvement on the conditions that Israel was used to when they were slaves in Egypt. The idea that there has to be compassion on an Israelite slave and and scholars have even debated major debates we translate the word avid as a slave or servant resident indentured servant, what should we say because if you say slave then we we think of African slave trade in the hearts of that is a servant you might just think of some of that no or somebody's home like a Butler and there it was in between those, but serve for six years and before the seventh unless she said no I love a master will stay here and you serve for life rent until the Jubilee year that their requirements is to have the master that you treat that the slave, as I mentioned everyone resting on the seventh day, the Sabbath, if if you got I'm with you slave not to tooth out to go free. Over that so their protections there were things that were much more humane than in the ancient near Eastern world and it was basically a financial necessity for people in debt and people impoverish that this was a way that they could they could work they could pay off debt. Things like that so it was a system that just like divorce. Jesus said because the hardness of human hearts Moses gave it as part of the law, but it wasn't God's ideal for humanity similar slavery. That's why it was through the Bible that slavery was supposed overthrown. It was Bible believing Christians like William Wilberforce that that were instrumental in Inman or Harriet Beecher Stowe in America that were instrumental in overthrowing the horrors of the slave trade because of Christian principles and because of the biblical emphasis on on the captives being set free in the Israel trimmer you were slaves in Egypt.

Now don't be slaves to the man only serve God and entreat the foreigner you mess with compassion and kindness. His reverie were enslaved and eat your foreigners never mistreated don't mistreat the foreigner within you sets the heart of God. We don't exaggerate this receipt wrongly.

The reasons for this. Again is not the eternal plan. Let's go down to Stephen some people criticize the time between the events of the Scriptures and the date when the biblical authors wrote them down, claiming there is time for the stories to change before being solidified in writing. Actually it in. Let's listen to the New Testament for moment the Gospels of there is conclusive evidence from every angle that you look at this that when the Gospels were being written if they were not themselves written by eyewitnesses and Richard Malcom in his book Jesus and the eyewitnesses really makes an excellent case for the testimony of the eyewitnesses, but if they were if they were not written by eyewitnesses.

They were written within a generation of the events that were taking place, or the oldest people were still alive to remember things. In other words, it's not. It's not like everybody forgot something. Say let's come up with this like Jesus and Jesus dies and rises with dead like his arm right does like hundred years later with this, will say this happen that Nona first in the ancient world passing things on orally was was normal as part of culture Betsy did most your learning.

Let limit money ask you a question on the skin ago on the sings out a BCD easy.

Why what what what what you said rock is you got that as a kid you memorize that right as a kid you see Saget and you know it know just ingrain ingrained because you heard it over and over were a culture that's used to seeing things, writing them reading them with the ancient world supports the worlds of the state things are passed on orally and in fact the oral culture so it's it's my tractor here because when you have a community of people all memorize the same thing you can you can perpetrate a lie on you know you could change text that a written shift things around, but we've all memorized it and passed it on and and that the grandparents remembered and the parents remember it now. The kids have just learned. You can perpetrate a myth so in others so much you can pass on this with things ultimately written down but in point of fact, you can make an excellent case that either eyewitnesses of the events wrote down critical events of the Gospels or there were living eyewitnesses that had seen then themselves as a let's say Jesus dies when you're 30. But see you got people there eyewitnesses who were 20 at that time so they were born 10 of this error. Let's say some of the Gospels were written as leaders is 80 or 90 a deal.

It got people that are 78 years old there eyewitnesses and then you have all you got it. A community that's heard these reports and repeated them it so we'll just foist something on them and this wall we never heard that we just accept that obviously then you have your one was Paul writing his letters as they were happening. He was as the letters he wrote them when they happen, etc. in the Psalms.

It says is pouring his heart out is is writing the things down you say about but like my mother. Creation accounts who was there or or Adam and Eve, who was there or the patriarchal narratives for your questions. So here's the deal you have these various accounts that were then passed on and and Childress are going to Egypt and all these claims and now they're brought out of Egypt by God's supernatural hand signs and wonders that the whole nation sees the whole nation. Here's my Mount Sinai. So now you have that would arts that's confirming the revelation we had before then any of the prophets adding to that speaking to that reinforcing mass on a revelation.

Now they begin to prophesy Jesus becoming one now the Messiah comes, dies, rises from the did you have a whole generation sees it's not verifies now with come before that they have the eyewitnesses and the many followers of Jesus writing on their accounts and in their bike by the power of God, so God's vindicated that verified that and that is that messages preached. He continues to do so. It's not just like out of the blue. Somewhere and again the ancient world. Historians would not write like a contemporary news broadcast breaking news note they would wait often generation or longer to get the larger flow of history and then rely on the accounts they been passed down orally and in another means. And now looking back now they could write the history as a seeing how things can develop. It's like debate over who was a good prisoner bad president.

It takes a generation or two, to be able to see the final results and then look back and see if those things out. So in that sense, the Bible is been preserved with amazing accuracy and the discrepancies are utterly minor and nothing that affects the overall narrative. I would encourage you along with Richard Malcom's books will be a you CK HAM Richard back in Jesus and the eyewitnesses's award-winning book, second edition expands on on things and written response to some reviews. Kenneth, a kitchen with the world's foremost Egyptologists is book on the reliability of the Old Testament. I often recommend these titles Kenneth, a kitchen on the reliability of the Old Testament by a top Egyptologists in the classic little book by FF Bruce since updated by NT Wright. The New Testament documents are they reliable.

I believe Walter Kaiser will see Kaiser has one on the Old Testament as well. The New Testament documents are they reliable, effective the the FF Bruce book 1 of the foremost New Testament scholars of the last generation of I believe that's available just as a free PDF that the can read online the course, you can buy this updated edition bite by NT Wright use it, you will be stunned, which read you be stunned at how the New Testament stands out from ancient histories and ancient accounts that we only have preserved in like three manuscripts in their 700 years later in his early manuscripts also copied recopy recopy that we have an embarrassment of riches of New Testament documents. At least one that many scholars day to within a century of the death and resurrection of Jesus, which is extraordinary have a manuscript that early and say in the sense of being passed on for that okay ministry are 20 questions over the Facebook and these were posted at the end of April. So now I can answer any of these is our throwing error on the line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice is more cultural and spiritual revolution of year again is Dr. Michael Brown was friends to the line of fire. Today's broadcast I get things just tackle some really serious objections and questions that you are often confronted with either in your own studies your own spiritual walk or from friends or loved ones are function track with them online so end of April. I solicited questions on Facebook and Twitter and sit on the show a few days later I was going to begin to respond to the questions that you posted serious objections to the Bible nature of God. He that you struggle with or that friends you know struggle with and we depart one First Financial but we get so so many questions I said okay we continue doing this so now if you weeks later. This is part two so I'm gonna start with the question on Facebook from Brooklyn asked her to Brown. I have a genuine friend was an intellectual and really struggles with more complex theological issues than most pastors can help with is very high IQ.

If you can only come to some answers, if you and he would be a brilliant apologist.

Recommendations on Old Testament scholars.

In discussing the concept of L. Young, and the beliefs behind there being multiple gods reference in the Old Testament, or anyone you could think to put them in touch with would be willing to listen to his questions – would be an answered prayer for me. Thank you.

My husband I love and appreciate your ministry so much will thank you for the good word. I appreciate that and appreciate your love for your friend, honestly, really pray for really really pray for him. Of this, the greatest thing you could do the gobbled work in his heart that God would make him aware of his own sin. His own need that he would somehow have a revelation of God's reality would be drawn to him in repentance even revelation of God's love through Jesus alone was praying from which is the most powerful thing you could do. I would do a few things. First, I would ask him hey has as he ever watched the debate like with a William Ln., Craig You Baby William Ln., Craig versus Christopher Hitchens or this is a brilliant philosopher likely Craig were brilliant mathematician like John Lennox and both of them a strong science background like Lennox debating Dawkins or Ness as he watched any of those really wants them together with you just so he sees there are people out to maybe watch my debate with Prof. Berman. Does the Bible provide an adequate answer to the problem of suffering so you know see if he do that and maybe Doug was ready, but others like this are some suggestions noticing as is Asmus is one read much is he willing to to dig in deeper and try to understand these things more.

May be if you read John Oswalt's book Bible among the myths. John Oswalt was W ALT that would open his eyes to the uniqueness of the God of Israel compared to that because of the ancient world book I just mentioned in an earlier segment.

Kenneth, a kitchen, foremost Egyptologists on the reliability of the Old Testament. That's the name of that.

Maybe maybe something like that with with help him. Maybe if he struggled with the nature of God, the God of the Old Testament books by Paul Kopan there was Scott, a moral monster seal PAN or David Lamb of ANB sounds God behaving badly. Maybe these types of books with help women or similar looks books by John Walton where he he looks at the Old Testament and issues related to the Old Testament from a different perspective of as a nation recent scholar as well. Maybe this would be of help and maybe could reach out to some of these people and and they be willing to interact with this thing is he could send some of his questions are way, although it's very difficult for me to interact with everyone directly. Maybe I take one of his questions and and and talk about it at length on the air and I do have an associate who's an Old Testament scholar and fluent in Hebrew, Russian and English Jewish believer so I sent you an Old Testament scholar. He answers usually questions that come to our ministry and copies made all his answers may be for friend right salmon's essay on Brooklyn's friend of Dr. Brown asked me where the saucy that maybe I can address things in that way. Okay, let's see. This is okay.

Rena Rena had a hard time answering how God could tell someone to kill his own son. Even though RAM was provided I couldn't answer how God could requested in the first place. If valid question right valid question if if someone heard a voice today. You know, when you see them walking down the street you know and hold the hand of their child with a knife in their hands agreed on God to sacrifice my child you you call my mom on the spot. You rescue that kid from abuse and potential death. I had an atheist asked me was God commanded you to kill me. So he asked me if God commanded me to kill him atheist, but I do it I still got when I command you to murder you, a symbol of document is what he would not commit a murder. You doesn't just command his people to go kill someone and an innocent blood that would be murder in Gaza murder is now.

If you are the nicest terrorist and you're about to slaughter a group of children and and I was a sniper with orders to take you out in the military I take you out say those children I would be a good thing. Just like the allies of fighting is Hitler and the Nazis did a good thing.

Talk about documenting Abraham testing in Genesis 22 right, God tests him doesn't kill his son okay so there's three answers to the question number one God never intended. God was not going to let it happen, not a hair on Isaac's head would be injured is the first thing symbol where the commanding comfort in the ancient world, people sacrifice their children to God's they did that. So this was not something that would be unheard of for the deity to to to make that demand, or for some to think that in worship of their deity that this was a good and right thing to do. The third thing though is that this is God's way of teaching Israel and all generations. I don't want human sacrifice.

I don't want you to do this is a powerful object lesson in that regard, and then finally it was a way of Abraham demonstrating his love for God that he was willing to even sacrifice is also the one through whom all the promises become the one for me waited for 25 years usually sacrifice and believing that God would raise him from the dead him if he did that guy would raise her from this he was 11 tells us is Ray Ramm's faith was, as he does say this.

Attendance will bring about amount and will come back with. We we will come back somehow in his mind he thought he meant a fight, killing double racing from the dead, this is anything but just demanded of God. Single encoder child. This is God for everything. I don't want that this is that we did with Jesus of Jesus's perfectly righteous one leg his life down on our behalf.

He took our place. Big big difference that that's how I would answer that let's see Stefan DeVine hidden this in this God's silence when you suffer distinctly example of Job if he had no friends to comfort them, and God would be silent is at least emotionally disturbed or dishonest or imprint, not knowing if the answer is no, or wait a bit longer. So here's here's the answer to that which is a very important question that the Bible actually says and I cover this in my book. Has God failed to read the beginning of the book again to this verse. If you don't have the book to find it super helpful. Scott failed to find phallic face me. Not even sure God is real, that that what happens is the prophet Isaiah says God you you are truly a God who hides himself God of Israel, our Savior, so he calls God the God of Israel, and he's the covenant God because of our Savior, but he says you're a God that often hides himself, and then it's in the Bible so the Bible is telling us that God does often or sometimes hide himself, but that he does it for reasons he does it to reveal what's in our hearts like he withdrew his presence from Hezekiah to find out what was in his heart revealed pride that was there. He does it to teach us lessons of faith comes to Job, the so-called comforters and his friends were terrible for him, made life much, much worse for him, and falsely accused of abuse and terrible center.

The got have a discipline and and destroys kids. Ultimately, Job has an encounter with God.

So I want to take comfort in the fact that the same God who said I'm with you always, to the ends of the earth also has it in the Bible that he's a God who hides himself. That will only drive us to seek him more diligently and if will do that will encounter more deeply they say to get if we seek him more diligently, we will encounter him more deeply. It was 1160 is a rewarder of those diligently seek read Proverbs 234 in particular other places in Proverbs all those chapters and look at how wisdom is pursued.

Look at the call to to search for wisdom more than for hidden treasure. Think of people traveling around the world know the gold rush them in America right there we go to the West Coast looking for gold people going to all lengths.

Minors risking their lives underground distant to dig up precious drools and jams and things of value causes if if you look for me like that. If you look for my wisdom like that you will find me, you, you will find wisdom and look at us because a man here. Maybe sir, there's some young lady that that you really like and your young man he think all man 25 she's 21. Ceased is beautiful is she Scott's great personality loves the Lord, I have really like her to pray God is or something in this process and get to know her banner and stuff and and and she's scared to touch a little bit this pushoff a little more and you got a laconic earner respect alone should go see who you really aren't check you out in and it's over. Of months that she really missed over heart to you and then you rose flower when love and can be married one day we just expect the first time you smile at her. She's gonna say let's sleep together.

That's true godly person is. That's not what you expect. That's not who you would want it rather than some okay you got it you learn this person's trust yet to show her that you're serious that you not superficial.

That is not just about good looks and that and then over time, and then rightly before God, she will give herself to, and not before the we would expect that if you weren't going for a job with the top top company at an end in a massive security issues again of virtue and stuff. Hey, those kind of jobs take that kind of venting and if they just they look at the entry to the resume and you filled out by hand and it's like three lines long as I get I think you're the you're the person and I can make $1 million a year and have high level security clearance with the CIA stuff doesn't happen like that. So the same relationship soon make an example of her line will Lord promised sure is God for cleansing by the Expo line of fire with your host Dr. Michael Brown of your voice and more cultural and spiritual revolution.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Boy I really enjoy answering your questions and thank you for trusting me with this. It's difficult questions, painful questions, hard questions, say hate judgment. I think you can help with these. I'm glad that you want to put them in our direction and will do her best to answer them with integrity before God limit this to this new there really cheap answer for me. You'll never get an answer just kind of distracting from the real issue because I will have an answer.

If a final so that's is a good question and that I wonder about that. Also, I get to dig deeper to find out more right so it's more questions that were posted for us. This is, this was the end of April. Thereabouts. The questions were posted to see this one is a mark and Amy was God protect and spare some people and not others was God allow children to be abused and killed the two questions I get the most slits deal with the second one first. Why does God allow children to be abused and killed as he gave us free will.

Yeah, all the consequences are utterly horrific. The realities are our the suffering of of little ones is mind-boggling.

Some years ago maybe about 10 years ago, I read some news about a girl that had been kidnapped was following the story distant dreadful news go been kidnapped across the street for Schmidt kidnapped was a a former child abuser sex offender that was out of jail, but they found no evidence to connect them to the crime turn that he was the one that in the middle of the life you crawled in through a window kidnapped that the girl six, eight, nine years old and sexually abused her and then killed her.

But when they when they unearthed wary he had buried her with her favorite doll they discovered that Sforza could tell she was buried alive. When I when I heard that I became so overwhelmed I thought God should destroy the whole human race if one is one of us could do something that evil just wipe out the hope and I was so overwhelmed with human guilt and saw the one person committing atrocities like that. What is God allowed gave us free will. It's that simple solution created us all what one will just commit suicide because we want to live wasn't just press a button so we don't leave okay how about we press a button you can never make a choice. The rest your life you will be happy would know I will be only choices of if we want to exist.

We want to be able make choices and be horrible things that happen it's reality wasn't go do some about what he did. First he works in the world all the time.

Secondly, he sent his son to die for our sins to give us eternal life, and insert it will bring final judgment on this world and forever and ever and ever will show the beauties of his redemption. But if we can exist in a free will then send evil this within the first question okay what is God protect spare some people than others. We don't know. Now some it's a promise. In other words, here's a godly person, God-fearing, God honoring living for him and God protects that person because there honoring him and the put your trust in him, and he delivers them from evil and others are defiant and rebellious and sinful and they get cut down prematurely labs all time even just if if you were health insurance company and your ensuring people. This group heavy smoker, heavy drinker, gluttonous and reckless. This group discipline, good physical shape don't drink don't smoke, safety, living who gets the better insurance rates and if you look at 10,000 people each group, on average, who lives longer who live shorter then you have this terribly wicked person and they lived to be 92 and have a godly young person and they died 18 why we don't know in this world we don't know all the answers, you can speculate different times. But we simply don't know and and that the word of God tells us that all of creation is groaning and we grown to redemption in the Holy Spirit within us is groaning because God grieves over these things. Especially Schlink godly German Christian woman who oppose the Nazis that she said that anyone that loves as intensely as God loves must feel tremendous pain paraphrase of her words to God grieves over these things to and yet he does not just intervene in ways that we think are right in his ways are above us something ultimately we have to ask yourselves, have we seen the kinds of God in our lives.

Does the Bible constantly speak of his goodness, consulate do we see it displayed in Jesus. Does the Bible also have books like Ecclesiastes is it doesn't seem to matter.

You know the we could live long.

The righteous could cut short. You work your whole life to accumulate things now. It's given over to some saw this just a fool, he loses it all for what, what's the purpose of it all is a whole block dealing with rapid and single. In the end, dear God keep his commandments.

That's only thing that makes sense.

You have a book like Job great Job challenges God and has God failed you have a whole chapters. What would Job say to someone suffering but what would his words be. We don't understand why certain things happen. If we hold onto God will see him bring good out of evil will see him bring redemption will see him bring hope light of hope. The situations resurrection of death and will know I don't know why this prayer was answered. I don't know why this person died, but I know that God is good and faithful and not indifferent to the question. Stephen obviously one of the sexy a few people responding with with the likes why we got the goblins people believe crazy conspiracy theories about vaccines lets us believe what want to believe what why would you stop that, when it doesn't stop people from being downright atheist while he stopped that when this stop a Hindu for believing that their $33 million was to stop that many doesn't stop heresies within the church. That's what we have all the warnings of the Bible once and false prophets. Most teachers, Diana, the accuracy and trustworthiness of the Bible.

So here's where it gets really interesting. But the more you study Scripture, and put it against its ancient near Eastern and Greco-Roman background, the more your stunned by accuracy by familiarity. It let me give you one open book. I referenced early in the broadcast Jesus and the eyewitnesses by Richard Malcolm. He starts off by dealing with names names in the Bible names in the Gospels say what's the big deal about names okay if if I'm writing a book today about America before the Civil War it if I want to get that right. There was some guy get the names right.

I got your summary earns money what they were earning at that time, like if if I'm using and let's say Kristin is a common name now or or or. Jonathan is a common names right they were totally rare names back then, or I've got geography wrong because things shift it. You know this was a major seeing then that is not now. Final fax) reading that if a trailer right history than the me see your way off here try to write a novel historical novel about the substance of your new way off. That's that's not the way it was. So if the Gospels were written by people who weren't there didn't have the background know the facts that the sites the sounds that kind of thing that would be immediately revealed because the historical records. We do have.

It is able. Why can they just go back and study the wrecks didn't have the records written that there is we have the data compiled installs can look at it but didn't have the data available so for example from from inscriptions from tombstones from contracts from things with names that we have a good idea about the time of Jesus as to what the most common men's names were and what the most common women's names were, and basically go through the Gospels and that's what's reflected there like while sitting right at that time, how would they have known that in 100 years later submit to begin a lot of it wrong because they be using the names that were common in their day and things that shifted or just a casual reference that you wouldn't rule seeing a movie, radio city music Hall Savoy with my with my family.

I think it was operation crossbow something like that out of the babymaking Nanaimo but in the movie there is some general James garden plaintiff have to scan south of our back. I goes 47 years back of ties in general and and at one during one scene cut his finger's paper cut. I'm really thinking. Why does he get payments is taught wind will get paper cut seemed insignificant while ladies kidnapped he's drugged is then put them in a whole different situation. They guys hair. They tell me all this time is gone by we could just come out of this medical condition and there try to brainwash them with the world distally change in I don't know any of the other details, but what's the thing that makes him realize that the whole thing because he sees heresies everything Stephanie's these different worlds different since the paper cut.

And that's when he realizes second that was days ago I got this paper cut. This many, many years later, the things long since been gone so along the way. Assume I can insignificant detail now.

Later comes to be relevant but you know me know that if there was just an observer's all other New Testament, the way it's written is like the casual observer, making comments that don't really tie in with anything else but prove that they were there they knew was going on more you study it. Listen back early in the broadcast agreement. References to books that help establish the credibility that the authority of Scripture. The trustworthiness and then just check out apologetic study, but I can't recommend one of the top my head, but the one to anthropology study bottles. Just check those out as those who go through the Bible and say we have Rick Scott more steadily over the decades, more confident I am the liability because was a website aspect around ASA around a sign-up another program powered by the Truth Network