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Here it is! Part two of our series on the inerrancy of the Bible and the Old Testament!If you haven’t read part one yet, you can here.

Last time, I left you with the question: how do we reconcile the Old Testament verses that are factually incorrect with the fact that God inspired scripture?

I’ll try to answer that in a moment, but first, let me clear something up really fast.

People have asked me a few questions regarding what I am saying. So, let me tell you what I am not saying. I’m not saying that the Old Testament is bad or that it isn’t just as inspired as the New Testament. I am not throwing out the Old Testament. And, I’m also not saying that every single time that the Bible says that God killed someone or caused some disaster that He didn’t do it. There are many instances where it is obvious that He did (the flood, etc), however, what I am saying is that it is only through Jesus that we understand those difficult passages. What I am saying is that the Old Testament definitely doesn’t give the full picture as to why He did those things, and that it sometimes views what God did in the Old Testament through a fallen mindset. It is only through Jesus that we understand God’s heart behind those passages.

Nevertheless, there definitely are some key places where it does attribute things to God that were actually the work of Satan (we discussed this in “The Myth of an Angry God.“)

God did inspire scripture, and everything that is contained in the Bible is what God wants it to contain. So, how then do we reconcile those Old Testament verses that are factually incorrect, and those verses that are correct but viewed through a fallen mindset with the belief that God inspired all of it, and wants all of it in His book?

My theory (and it is just a theory) is that God wants these false perspectives of Him in the book for two main reasons:

1. To show us that He is more than willing to use imperfect people, and their imperfect ways for His purposes.
2. To show us the extent of the blindness that sin caused us to have.

The Old Testament is mostly not even a revelation of God. Sure, it does contain some progressive revelation of God, and His character, but its main purpose is not to spell out God’s character in detail. Now that we know Jesus, we can go back and see God’s goodness in the types and shadows, but the ultimate purpose of the Old Testament is not to show us God. Jesus shows us God. The ultimate purpose of the Old Testament is to reveal sin, the fallenness of man, and man’s need for a savior. The Old Testament’s primary message is not the goodness of God, but rather the utter lostness of humanity. Before Jesus came, humanity as a whole was blinded to God’s goodness. That is why Jesus said that no man had seen the Father; we were too blinded by our independence and sin to see Him!

Isaiah 59 describes humanity before Christ as being “blind men” who “grope along the walls.” It speaks of our sin as blinding us from seeing the Father’s face.

Isaiah 42:19 goes so far as to even say that God’s servants, and people were the most blind of all humanity, saying:”Who is as blind as my own people, my servant? Who is as deaf as my messenger? Who is as blind as my chosen people, the servant of the LORD?”

Before Jesus came and showed us the Father, we were all as blind as bats to His goodness, and His grace!

My theory is that God allowed mankind’s false ideas, attitudes, and perspectives towards God into the Bible so that after Jesus arrived we could see the extent of our blindness, and see exactly what Jesus came to save us from!

The result then is not that the Old Testament is always factually correct in it’s representation of God, but rather the Old Testament combined with the New Testament gives us a “before and after shot” of humanity, it’s perspective of God, and it’s relationship with God.

The Old Testament then becomes to us a lesson in what an independent life from God looks like so that we will appreciate what God has done through Christ in saving us from that mess, and so that we will learn to be ever dependant on Him. That is why Paul the Apostle said that the Old Testament was written to “teach us” (Rom. 15:4). Through the Old Testament we learn how bad we were, and how good God was to save us from the disaster of ourselves, and our sin. The Old Testament is not a full description of God; it is a description of the fallen humanity that God is saving. Jesus is the full description of God.

Is God’s character shown at all in the Old Testament? Of course! Through God’s dealings with the Israelites we see how patient God can be, and how much He desires relationship. The whole Old Testament is the continued story of Adam wearing fig leaves, hiding in the bushes, and God searching for Him. It is an amazing story of how much God will do to get to our hearts! Not only that, but we also learn many stories of people who stood out from the crowd, and actually trusted God even though their perspective of Him might have been off a little. Through their stories we learn to trust God even when we don’t have all the answers. Also, now that we know Jesus and God’s grace, we can go back to those difficult passages and find them to be some of the most grace filled passages in the entire Old Testament. Even the story of the flood can be one of the most loving and grace filled stories you can read if you view it through a lens of grace!

The Old Testament also contains many “types and shadows” of Christ, and His work on the cross! God’s goodness can be seen within it if you look close enough, and dig deep enough; most of the time God’s goodness is hidden within a story. Almost every single story told in it points to Jesus in some hidden way, and contains some deeper hidden prophecy of Christ, and His saving work. One of the most amazing ways to read the Old Testament is to go through it searching for Christ within the stories. For example: when Abraham offers up his son Isaac on the mountain, it is a perfect description of God offering up His son for the world! The Old Testament is full of types, and shadows of Christ. Our task with the Old Testament is not to see it as the Word of God, but rather to find the hidden Word of God within it; to find Christ hidden within its prophecies, and stories.

As C.S. Lewis once stated:
“The value of the Old Testament may be dependant on what seems its imperfection. It may repel one use in order that we may be forced to use it in another way—to find the Word in it…to re-live, while we read, the whole Jewish experience of God’s gradual and graded self-revelation, to feel the very contentions between the Word and the human material through which it works.”

And again, speaking of the Old Testament, Lewis says:
“The human qualities of the raw materials show through. Naivety, error, contradiction, even (as in the cursing Psalms) wickedness are not removed. The total result is not “the Word of God” in the sense that every passage in itself, gives impeccable science or history. It carries the Word of God.”

I hope you can see from what I’m writing that I’m not trying to tear down the Bible. or the Old Testament, but rather I am desiring to give it a better perspective and to give more understanding to it’s use. The Bible is not the end, but rather a means to an end. The end is Jesus. The Bible is just meant to point us to Him. I love the inspired scripture that we call the Bible. I have dozens of Bibles and read them daily. However, the Bible is not God. Jesus is. Jesus is “The Word,” not the Bible. Jesus is the “inerrant” one, not the Bible. He is the ultimate text we read. He shows us what God is really like. The Bible simply leads us to Jesus.

As George MacDonald once wrote:
“But herein is the Bible itself greatly wronged. It nowhere lays claim to be regarded as The Word, The Way, The Truth. The Bible leads us to Jesus, the inexhaustible, the ever unfolding Revelation of God. It is Christ ‘in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,’ not the Bible, save as leading to Him.”

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I heard this from the Lord for 2012 Monday, December 12, 2011 and more today: The transition has seemed so very long getting to the year 2012. There have been many changes, challenges, struggle, and battles, fights of the Spirit that did not start with you. As you are nearing the end of these transitions of 2011, and you reflect back, you actually see the advancement in your lives, ministries, hopes and dreams that seemed to go backward. Remember My Kingdom does not work like your world. The advancements that seem like they are not advancements, are going to, and for some have already taken you to places you never saw yourself. This was for the preparation of what is to be. For in 2012 there will be a great outburst of the manifestation of My Spirit and My presence that has yet to be seen in your lives, your ministry, your hopes and dreams. This outburst will be like the biggest helium balloon you could ever ride on. It will come from above and inside you and out of you. You will pour and I will pour. We will pour out together for we are ONE. All across the United States of America there will be unprecedented sightings of My angels, your angels, My Spirit, Your Spirit, and many many more miracles will begin to take place from within the body of My Son to awaken the ones who are in Me but fell asleep, bored stiff in religious circles who have bless me clubs and none for you incorporated. We are one and we must walk as one. You are in the light because My Son Jesus IS the Light of the world. Alot of those lights have gone out! Some ministry lights are very dim, and some have lost faith and hope for themselves so they won't share it with others. THAT is WHY your LIGHT is dim! Begin to share again! Get up and go out and share your light that is My Son Jesus, the hope of glory! As you roll into 2012 in My presence you will gain greater understanding of what occurred for you and your family, our family. Together we will change America and My grace and love for America has already begun seed and spring up. Don't look at the green stem of life as just a small thing. Remember, even a mustard seed grows huge trees! And the taste is delicious. To be in My presence is tasting Me. To be in My presence is never ending! I am your delight! You are My delight! We embrace one another in this presence that never ends! Taste, taste, taste Me! Sit back, relax, all things are under control when you stay in My presence, even when they look the bleakest! My delight is IN you beloved.... All around the world I have been sending nations to America to stir and arouse and awaken. I have seen the changes. Do not be dismayed. I know hearts are crying out in My people for America, the land so many love, but do not be dismayed. I am never early nor late, always just on time. I have heard and I shall answer. There shall be many who will finally get ahold of the realization of My healing power in them. Great shall be the healings that will take place in the nations. I shall be seen in the jungle, in the battles, in the wars, in the hostages that I shall loosen. My angels will be heard singing and battling for those in the dirge, the pubs, the bars, the gangs, the homeless, the needy, the poor. They will be released from the strands of poverty and into the arms of wisdom and blessings, even some will be handed riches and will return to Me from their wrong thinking and training. I will show up in cults around the world and many will fall on their faces and repent and receive Me as truth before committing suicide even. Mass suicide shall be stopped. A revelation of Jesus will quickly turn people around and they will be some of the most poured out people in My Kingdom for they saw Truth. In the United Kingdom there will be a gathering that will take place and renewal, hope, and revelation will take place that will effect many people groups and even the government to return to God. Asia will continue to move forward in the glory of the Lord and those in hiding will finally be able to be seen, heard, and blessed for being in that hidden place for so long. Alaska, your pipe line is moving forward. Its not a pipe dream or a pope dream, its My dream! Even in the Eskimo huts and villages a fire will be seen and it will be My fire of love! Down under is coming to the top and a new revelation of Jesus Christ and your importancey will begiin a new look at how important you are Australia. The Son shines in all the dark places for I sometimes hide in the dark places. Shout and I will arise in that dark place. I will be seen and will be the glory and the lifter of those in those dark places into My marvelous light! Drink, drink, drink in My presence and be blessed! Have a RIGHT thinking brain, and enjoy life. I am in it with you for the long ride. So come on and take a free ride. Be blessed beloved, oh, and, yes, I love you! MERRY CHRISTMAS! Your Ancient of Days!
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