Plant and Animal Awareness

Why this post

In one WhatsApp group where I am a member, there were some messages if plants can feel, have consciousness etc. That got me thinking about how different my views were on that subject compared to some others in the group. I am writing this post to share with the readers of this post, my views on the issues raised there.

Do plants feel pain

The questions arose based on the HowStuffWorks article "Do plants feel pain?" This is what Wikipedia says about pain in plants in the section on Non-humans. As for plants, their ability to feel physical pain is at present a question beyond scientific reach, since no mechanism is known by which they could have such a feeling. There are no known nociceptors in groups such as plants. Nociceptor is a sensory receptor for painful stimuli. The following image "Mechanism of nociceptive pain" taken from Wikipedia illustrates this.

When Plants Say "Ouch"

The HowStuffWorks article pointed to a Deutsche Welle article "When Plants Say 'Ouch'" to imply that plants feel pain. This article arbitrarily uses emotional terms like whimper, squeal, feeling, and "cries out" etc without any direct mapping of such feelings to the actions carried out on the plants. Release of different proportion of ethylene gas from the plant in no way can be associated with an emotional stress such as pain. One of the conclusions of the article was "Scientists using the acoustic-ethylene method have not succeeded in proving that plants have feelings - which may come as a disappointment to plant-lovers - the chemical voices of flora allows them to distinguish between healthy and sick plants".

Do Plants have consciousness

One member of the group supplemented the plants have feelings idea, with the idea that consciousness is present outside nervous systems and wanted to research to be done on consciousness citing his personal experience with acupuncture.

The dictionary definition of consciousness is:

1. The state of being aware and responsive to one's surroundings.

2. A person's awareness or perception of something.

Today we are learning about self contained devices like Internet of Things (IOT). According to definition 1, IOTs and other similar Artificial Intelligence objects have consciousness because they too respond to surroundings that they can comprehend. However, what we are more concerned about is a living being's awareness. Is the plant a living being or a thing? Can a plant be aware or perceive something?

Plants and animal bodies consist of cells. I would call a cell as a designed self contained building block like IOT used to build living bodies. The cell of a plant is different from the cell of an animal. Check "Plant Cell vs Animal Cell" for a brief comparison.

What is the purpose of plants? The purpose of plants, it seems, is to convert the abundant solar energy to other forms of life energy through the process of photosynthesis. All forms of energy available on the Earth, has in some form or the other, originated from the energy received from the Sun. Plants have the capability to convert solar energy to stored energy forms like fruit etc. that others consume to get energy for their bodies.  Do the plant cells have conscious awareness? It is my thinking no. Like an IOT they function autonomously according to the purpose they are designed for.

In case of animals one can see something different from plants. The animal body houses some sort of conscious life, which is called as soul. When this soul life leaves the body at death, the body is designed to decay and self destruct. You can take plants and graft them into other plants, but you cannot take part of an animal body and graft it to another animal. For awareness to be there, a soul must be present in the body because the seat of awareness is in the soul and not in the body. So, I assert that plants do not have this type of soul consciousness which is limited to animals alone.

Food Hierarchy

Next questions arose, if plants have feelings and consciousness, how can we consume them without violating their rights etc.

Lot of discussions were also around the intention of nature for plants, animals etc. I find it rather amusing that people would give lot of personal qualities to impersonal nature and are not willing to accept the possibility of an Intelligent Creator with personality. I have discussed about this in a five year old post "Mother Nature and Father God".

The mission of the Creator for the fish of the sea and birds of the air was "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. (Genesis: 1:22)"

The mission for land animals and mankind was "Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subjugate it [putting it under your power]; and rule over (dominate) the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth. (Genesis: 1:28)"

All living beings are designed to consume food to sustain life and grow and spread over the earth. The food hierarchy given to mankind specified "I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; and to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that moves on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food (Genesis 1:29-30)"

We have a very large universe with billions of galaxies and life as we know is present only on this tiny speck of planet Earth. All fiction books and movies only imagine possibility of things and nothing has been proved about any physical life elsewhere.

Conclusion

The earth is stocked with all resources that the life forms living on it need. The self sustaining mechanisms in it are wonderfully designed to sustain one another for ages.

It is my affirmation that the theory of evolution as the name suggests is just a theory and it has not been proved. The only reality is the intelligent design of the universe. If there is a personal God who created you then He has authority over you as a creator similar to the way parents have authority over their children. Mankind just does not want to accept such an authority and hence comes out with all types of alternate thinking like evolution with all types of fake artifacts. Had there been no intelligent design nothing on earth would function in predictable way to which we are accustomed to.

Life of Samuel

Hannah’s Vow and Fulfillment

Year after year, Hannah, whose womb the Lord had closed, went to the house of the Lord at Shiloh with her husband Elkanah to worship and sacrifice to the Lord. Hannah was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head” (1 Samuel 1:11) Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Eli the priest thought that she was drunk. Hannah answered “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine not intoxicating drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord.” (1:15). Eli blessed her saying, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him” (1:17). Hannah went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

In the process of time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying “Because I have asked for him from the Lord” (1:20). When Hannah had weaned Samuel, she took him with her and brought him to Eli. Hannah said to Eli “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. Therefore, I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord” (1:27-28). Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. Hannah used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came with Elkanah to offer the yearly sacrifice. Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with Lord and men.

Lord calls Samuel

The boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation. One day early morning the Lord called Samuel with an audible voice inside the tabernacle of the Lord where the ark of God was, and Samuel mistook it for the voice of Eli. But Eli perceived that the Lord had called Samuel and instructed Samuel on how to respond to the call. The Lord revealed to Samuel that he will judge the house of Eli because of their iniquities. Samuel told Eli what the Lord had told him. So, Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. All Israel knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord. And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.

Samuel Judges Israel

After the death of Eli and his sons, Samuel became a Judge over all Israel. Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines. So, the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths and served the Lord only." (7:3-4) Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel was restored to Israel, and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of Philistines. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

Israel Demands a King

When Samuel was old he made his sons judges over Israel. But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. The elders of Israel told Samuel “Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations” (8:5) Samuel prayed to the Lord, and the Lord said to Samuel “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them” (8:7) Samuel tried to forewarn them about the way kings reign, but the people did not want to heed them. So, the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king”.

Saul is chosen as King

The Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My People from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon my people, because their cry has come to Me.” (9:16) So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My People.” (9:17) There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward, he was taller that any of the people. (9:2) Samuel explained to the people the behavior of royalty and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the Lord.

Saul is rejected as King

The word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commands.” (15:11) And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the Lord all night. So, Samuel said to Saul: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.” (15:22-23) And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted that He made Saul king over Israel.

David anointed as King

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons." (16:1) The Lord said to Samuel “You shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.” (16:3) The Lord rejected all the other seven sons of Jesse and chose the youngest one David. The Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. (16:13)

Death of Samuel

Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him and buried him at his home in Ramah.

Lessons that can be learnt

• Samuel’s mother dedicated him to serve the Lord even before he was born. Samuel did not reject this at any time of his life and continued to be in service of the Lord as a Judge, Prophet and Priest all his life
• When the Lord rejected Saul as King, Samuel continued to mourn for Saul even though Samuel did not choose Saul to be the King
• When choosing David as the King, Samuel kept looking for someone as handsome as Saul and did not look at the heart of David as God had looked at

About this Post

This post is adapted from the Term Paper that I submitted to World Video Bible School as a part of my study of Old Testament History 2 Course.

You can read about the Gideon from the Book of Judges from the earlier course of Old Testament History 1.

You can read about The God I believe in here .

If you like my blogs please visit https://www.facebook.com/fjpandiaraj and like that page to be notified of my future posts in Facebook. You can also find links to my older posts there.

Gideon from the Book of Judges

Book of Judges

The Book of Judges covers a period of about 300 years from the death of Joshua to the rise of Samuel. This Book of Judges was written either at the end of the rule of Judges or very early in the rule of King Saul. Samuel appears to be the author of this Book.

Gideon the Judge

Gideon was one of the thirteen Judges whose life is given in the Book of Judges. He was the fifth Judge about whom the Book of Judges provides details about. The life of Gideon is described in Judges 6:1 to 8:35. The Lord chose Gideon to deliver Israel, when she was being oppressed by Midianites, Amalekites and the people of the East for seven years and the people of Israel cried out to the Lord.

Midianite Oppression

The Midianites are the descendants of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:2). The oppressors did not oppress Israel either by way of war or by killing. Instead, they would enter the land in great numbers to destroy it (6:5). They would also take for themselves all that Israel had sown and destroy the remaining harvest and leave none for Israel (6:3-4). Because of this Israel was greatly impoverished and forced to live in caves in the mountains to hide anything they had and to keep it for themselves.

Appearance of the Angel of the Lord

The Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon while he was threshing wheat in a wine press to hide it from the Midianites. The Angel of the Lord said to Gideon, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” (6:12) “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (6:14) “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man” (6:16) Gideon sought a sign from the Angel of the Lord by bringing an offering of prepared meat of a young goat, unleavened bread and broth and offered it to the Angel of the Lord. The Angel of the Lord confirmed the sign by consuming them through the fire that rose out of the rock and departing out of his sight.

Gideon tears down his father’s Altar of Baal

That same night the LORD said to Gideon “Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that you father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down.” (6:25-26) Gideon did what the Lord said to him that night with the help of his ten servants.

Gathering for confrontation

The Midianites and Amalekites and the people of the East crossed over and gathered together at the Valley of Jezreel and encamped against Israel. Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. Gideon blew the trumpet and gathered the Abiezrites with him. Then he sent messengers throughout Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Naphtali and gathered them behind him.

Sign of the Fleece

Gideon said to God, “If You will save Israel by my hand as You have said - look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand, as You have said.” (6:36-37). Next morning the ground was dry, but when Gideon squeezed the fleece he could gather a bowlful of water. Once again Gideon said to God “Do not be angry with me but let me speak just once more: Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece; let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew.” (6:39) God did so that night. In the morning there was dew on all of the ground, but the fleece was dry.

God chooses only 300

The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many … Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once ...” (7:2-3). Then 22,000 people returned, and 10,000 people were still left. The Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water, and I will test them for you there.” (7:4) By this test the Lord chose only 300 men and sent all the rest of the Israel to their tents. The same night the Lord said to Gideon, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.” (7:9)

Confrontation

Gideon divided the 300 men into 3 companies and gave to every man a trumpet and empty pitchers with torches inside the pitchers. By mid-night Gideon’s three companies surrounded the Midianite camp on all sides. In a coordinated manner based on Gideon’s signal all of them simultaneously blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers in their hands. They held the torches in their left hands and blew the trumpet with their right hand and shouted, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!” and stood in the same place around the camp. Panic spread throughout the whole camp and the army cried out, ran and fled. In the panic the Lord set every man’s sword against his companion throughout the whole camp and they fled. The men of Israel gathered together and pursued the Midianites. Gideon sent messengers throughout Israel asking them to “Come down against the Midianites and seize from the watering places.” And they did so and subdued the Midianites.

Gideon’s Ephod

Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, … for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” (8:22) Gideon collected all the golden earrings from the plunder and made it into an ephod and kept it in his city, Ophrah. And all Israel played the harlot with it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and to his house.

Death of Gideon

Through Gideon, Mideon was subdued before Israel, and they did not lift their heads any more. There was peace in the land for 40 years in the days of Gideon. Gideon died at a good old age and was buried in a tomb in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Lessons that can be learnt

• The first act of Gideon was to destroy the Baal worship at his father’s house. We too must begin the process of salvation with those closer to our homes.
• Because of what Gideon experienced he repeatedly kept on asking God for signs again and again. First, he brings an offering and the Lord consumes it. Then he wants two different type of fleece tests. He even goes into the Midianite camp as the Lord suggested to see the extent of fear in the camp. He wants to be sure that it is the Lord that is directing him and that he is not carried away by anything else. We too need to be sure that what we are doing for God is in fact coming from God.
• Gideon made an Ephod as symbol of his worship to God. Instead of worshiping God they started worshiping an object that represented God. We too should directly worship God and not get distracted by anything else that represents God.

About this Post

This post is adapted from the Term Paper that I submitted to World Video Bible School as a part of my study of Old Testament History 1 Course.

You can read about the Christian Evidences from the earlier course of Christian Evidences.

You can read about The God I believe in here .

If you like my blogs please visit https://www.facebook.com/fjpandiaraj and like that page to be notified of my future posts in Facebook. You can also find links to my older posts there.

Christian Evidences

Introduction

After completing the earlier course of Matthew in September 2016, I started in earnest this course, Christian Evidences from World Video Bible School. For two months I worked on it and even took the first test at the end of October 2016. For the second test I had to prepare personal notes from the book The Truth about Human Origins. This is a 530 page book from Apologetics Press. However much I tried, I simply did not have the motivation to go through with the preparation of the notes, even though I kept reading the book. Eventually I abandoned the effort and forgot all about the course.

On 12th July of this year I received a mail from World Video Bible School that I had not logged in into my free account for 12 months and gave me the option to delete my account. It was then I thought that I will work through the course irrespective of how tedious some of the course work may be and resumed with the course.

Description and Purpose: This course is a survey of the logical reasons for believing in God's existence and in the inspiration of the Bible. The purpose of this course is to examine the many evidences upon which Christianity rests, to provide a rich, in-depth study of God's word, and to provide convincing proof, both from internal and external sources, of the Bibles' claim as the word of God.

Course Contents

The course is delivered through the following Videos

1. Why Study Christian Evidences (Part 1)
2. Why Study Christian Evidences (Part 2)
3. Cosmological Argument
4. Teleological Argument
5. Anthropological Argument
6. Ontological Argument
7. Argument For Revelation
8. The Biblical Claim Of Inspiration
9. Harmony Between Science And Scripture
10. Introduction To Archaeology
11. Archaeology And Logic Prove Bible Inspiration
12. Prophetic Events In the Life Of Christ
13. The Uniqueness Of The Bible
14. Fulfilled Prophecy
15. The Resurrection Of Jesus Proves Inspiration
16. Miracles - Did They Happen?
17. Evolution Is Presented Dishonestly
18. Faith In Evolution
19. Evolution Has Failed
20. Dating Problems And Techniques
21. Radio-Metric Dating Methods
22. Fossils
23. The World-Wide Flood
24. The Ark Of Noah
25. Recent Creation
26. Theistic Evolution
27. Dinosaurs
28. Why Does God Allow Pain And Suffering?

I had to read the following books as part of this course.

1. Creation Compromises, Bert Thompson, Apologetics Press, Montgomery, AL
2. The Truth About Human Origins, Brad Harrub and Bert Thompson, Apologetics Press, Montgomery, AL

I also read the following recommended book

1. Why We Believe The Bible, George W DeHoff, DeHoff Publications, Murfreesboro, TN

In the following sections I will try to briefly high light some of the important thoughts on the topics covered by the course. This study is really very deep thought provoking one and it will depend on how one view and believes on the concerned matter. I will not be exactly summarizing as to what was excellently presented in the course, but will try to say what I have personally come to think and believe about each of the topics after going through the course. Each of the topics are very large to discuss, so I will try to make it as brief as possible to highlight only the important points as much as possible as it was presented in the class.

Even before I write about the course contents I am aware that I will never be able to convey even very little of what the course contains. If any of the brief descriptions given below creates any interest in you I suggest that you can create your free account and watch videos of these topics which would take about 18-19 hours just to view them. You can register for the Christian Evidences course here. You only need your user id and email to register. I would encourage you to register and explore deeper on this subject.

Why Study Christian Evidences

The Christian Bible, when truly studied, will reveal to the student that the Bible truths are independent of time and that they have been written with divine inspiration. No human mind, without divine inspiration, could have conceived many of the truths that are revealed in the Bible. There are numerous Christian evidences that can be explored to establish the divine authority of the Bible.

The Bible commands to the reader in 1 Peter 3:15 "... if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." It instructs in Colossians 4:6 "..." that you may know how you ought to answer each one." Christian evidences by themselves do not change a person; only the Word can change.

Cosmological Argument

This argument that says that there had to be something adequate enough to bring about the entire universe is called the Cosmological Argument. This argument says that universe is here and had to come from somewhere. It could not have created itself. According to First Law of Thermodynamics, nothing comes from nothing in nature. This is also called Causal Argument. Atheists have objected "that if everything had to have a beginning, God did, too." But this objection assumes that God is an "effect," not a "Prime Mover."

Teleological Argument

The argument for the existence of God from the evidence of order, and hence design, is called the Teleological Argument. The Teleological argument is also known as the Argument for Design or Intelligent Design Argument is an argument for the existence of God or, more generally, for an intelligent creator based on perceived evidence of deliberate design of the natural world. It is more logical to conclude that the cause that created the world must have been "mind".  Dr R. J. White, a neurosurgeon, stated that from his medical knowledge, logic led him to believe in a Superior Mind that made out minds.

Anthropological Argument

This argument that says all men have a conscience (i.e. concept of right and wrong and, therefore, they must have been made by one who had the same ability since no known physical laws could account for the rise of "moral" in non-moral materials) called the Anthropological Argument. Emmanuel Kant stated the anthropological argument persuaded him to believe in the existence of God even though other arguments had failed.

Ontological Argument

The universality of the concept of God is called Ontological Argument. God is the greatest being possible and it is not possible to there to be a being greater than God. The ontological argument is an argument based not on observation of the world (like the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments) but rather on reason alone.

Argument for Revelation

Man has 5 senses which are the only avenues through which intelligence concerning material things can reach us. The intellectual power of man consists of perception, memory and consciousness. Man cannot invent or originate the idea of spiritual things; therefore the idea and the words used to express them are derivable only from and direct revelation from God. There must be a cause great enough to bring about this whole universe, and it is not a part of the physical universe. It obviously works intelligently and purposefully and is, therefore, mind. It is able to rationally decide between good and evil; therefore, He is personality and must have revealed to man that He exists, since man is unable to conceive of any absolutely new idea by himself.

The Biblical Claim of Inspiration

The New Testament teaches the Scriptures are "God-breathed". 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work". The New Testament passage 2 Peter 1:20-21 clearly points out that the Holy Spirit moved (carried along) the writers of prophecy. "Knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." According to the class, the Old Testament claims to be from God approximately 3,808 times. New Testament inspiration is so exact; Paul claims the Holy Spirit gave the words he used in teaching (writing or speaking) God's word.

Harmony between Science and Scripture

The Bible does not state scientific truths in scientific language. The errors and fallacies of science common to the age of Bible's production are not found in it. "From the time Bible first stated the earth was round (a sphere) until it was proven by Ferdinand Magellan by his voyage around the world in 1519 it was about 2,500 years. Matthew Fontaine Maury was able to discover ocean currents because he noticed the teaching found in Psalm 8:8 which say "The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas." Because of the scientific foreknowledge found in the Bible we can conclude that Bible writers must have received their material from a source higher than their own learning. The two major cautions given about accepting certain passages from the Bible as proof of scientific foreknowledge were (1) proper interpretation of poetic passages, and (2) make sure not to give only a modern theory as solid proof which may tomorrow be proven scientifically wrong.

Introduction to Archaeology

Early archaeologists were not careful to preserve the artefacts they discovered believing the importance of their finds would be of great historical value. They dug out the artefacts for their material value. Two advantages of modern Biblical Archaeology are the confirmation it gives to the Bible and the supplemental information it gives concerning background and geological customs. Nelson Glueck stated that "Archaeological discoveries have never controverted (contradicted) a biblical Reference. If all manuscripts of the New Testament we destroyed, we could reproduce the entire book from quotations of early church writes except for a few (about 11) verses.

Archaeology and Logic Prove Bible Inspiration

The Bible specifically claims to be the inspired word of God. The archaeological discovery of Nuzi Tablets proved that the actions of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were typical of those living in that approximate time period. The Ebla Tablets were found in about 1975 contain tablets written about 2500 BC. The Ebla Tablets contain letters, economic texts, law codes, mythological texts and other similar items. They also provide valuable dictionary and pronunciation guide in Sumerian and provide vowel sounds. Two significant discoveries in the Ebla Tablets for Bible students were the vowels in the ancient Semitic language, and the personal name of God. These Tablets indicate the name Yah (or Yahweh) was in use long before Moses' time. The medical book Moses would have been taught from during his days of education in Egypt is now called papyrus Ebers. The John Ryland's Fragment of John (papyrus-52) archaeological discovery showed the gospel story to be written around the years 125-175 AD. So many 'problems' of the Bible have been solved by archaeological discoveries that we may now be assured by inductive reasoning, that even though the Bible is now being challenged, when the final answer comes, the Bible will be proven right.

Prophetic Events in the Life of Christ

Even though they are just as true as any other prophesy, those about Christ which are written in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament are not as strong as others which are provable by archaeology and history when they are used for evidence to non-Bible believers. It was specifically prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. The exact town of the birth of Messiah, the general time of the coming of Messiah and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem were all prophesied. It was specifically prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would be resurrected.

The Uniqueness of the Bible

 The Bible is unique in its restraint in recording amazing things and it consistency in recording events in history. The Bible was written over a period of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 years and by about 40 different authors. In the work done by Wilson in comparing 41 kings' name found both in the original discoveries and in the Old Testament, there is strong proof not only of historical accuracy of the Bible, but also that it has come down to our time correctly copied. If the original writers and all copyists were so accurate in recording the names of foreign kings (which we can check out), they would have been more likely to record events, prophecies, revelations and laws (which we cannot check out at this time). The Bible is the only ancient book which begins at the beginning and ends at the end. According to the class the real overall theme of the Bible is redemption.

Fulfilled Prophesy

One criterion of true prophecy is it must be beyond the power of man to predict. Another criterion of true prophecy was that it must be unambiguous.

The Resurrection of Jesus Proves Inspiration

The Bible specifically claims to be the inspired word of God. One of the proofs of inspiration given in class dealt with results in history wherever Bible has gone. One of the proofs of inspiration given in class dealt with the authority is assumes when it tells people to give up evil and practice things they would not normally do or be punished if they do not. If it can be shown that the resurrection of Jesus is true, we would then also know that the whole Bible is true. If it can be shown that the resurrection of Jesus is true, then we can also show that Christianity is one true religion. If the resurrection of Jesus did NOT happen, then Paul says all preaching is vain and no one is going to be resurrected. If the resurrection did occur, Jesus is the Son of God, Christianity is the only true religion, and miracles did occur, of which the resurrection is chief. According to class the New Testament mentions resurrection 104 times.

Miracles - Did They Happen

Just relating the miracles of the Bible to sceptics is not as strong an argument as also showing the actual historical effects of those miracles. Concerning "Miracles," there are many categories under which they fall, such as nature, bodily healing and raising the dead. One of the evidences FOR Bible miracles is the fact that Jesus and miracles are "inseparable." One way to determine if a miracle is real or not is to determine if the event is unique (not reproducible by specific techniques employed by or at the direction of human practitioners). One way to determine if a miracle is real or not is to determine if the testimony associated with the miracle honours God and Jesus, and supports clear teachings of the Bible.

Evolution Is Presented Dishonestly

There is much evidence to show that evolution should not be listed even as a theory of science. Evolution has failed to explain the existence of a material universe's coming from nothing. Evolution has failed to explain the existence in all forms of animate beings some form of instinct and in man his conscience, rational power and spiritual inclination. If the Bible chronologies are of any value at all, the age of man cannot be millions or billions of years old. A hat and a ham in New Zealand show that fossils do not always take long to make. Evolution is inconsistent with God's omnipotence, personality, omniscience and purposiveness.

Dating Problems and Techniques

The way any radioactive dating process works is that the parent product breaks down to the daughter products. Radioactive dating technique is uncertain because of the difference in isotope concentrations. Also radioactive dating technique is uncertain because the increase decay rates would affect samples. The radioactive dating technique is uncertain because the instability of the nucleus of radioactive atom is not clearly understood. During collapse of a nearby star or galaxy, earth would have been subjected to sudden increase of radioactivity causing nuclear instability; a drastic change in the magnetic field of the earth. Such events would cause radioactive clocks to speed up and show "apparent aging." Radioactive dating procedures are not fool-proof. The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics is true, everything is running down and entropy occurs. In a close system when an item turns into another it loses ability, it can never go back. The eternity of matter is impossible.

Radio-Metric Dating Methods

Geologic-related dating methods are open to question because: It must be known that no parent or daughter material has been added or removed. Earth could have been created with the appearance of maturity. Uranium 238 turns into Lead 206 with a half-life of 4.5 billion years. Uranium 235 turns in Lead 207 with half-life of 0.7 billion years. Potassium 40 turns into Argon 40 (gas) with a half-lie of 1.3 billion years. How could anyone calibrate such events involving billions of years accurately? The half-life of Carbon 14 is 5730 years. The date back to which Carbon 14 is accurate is 1,500 BC. Assumption would be the amount of radio-carbon in the atmosphere has remained fairly constant in past ages.

Fossils

The name of the science that has to do will fossils is Palaeontology. Evolutionists say that Simple Fossils are normally in the lower strata. They also say that Complex fossils are normally in the upper strata. Bones can be trapped in sediment and become fossilized. Even footprints and body casts can become fossils. Evolutionists say sedimentation happened again and again over millions of years. Evolutionists explain that Over-thrust was the reason how fossils got "out of order". They said the Trilobite was for too "advanced" for the "old" geological dated strata it is in. Circular reasoning is the major fallacy with geologic procedure in dating fossils. Uniformitarianism theory presents that geological rates are about the same as they have always been in the past. The Mythen was moved from Africa to fit the geological theory.

The World-Wide Flood

The origin of civilization always goes back to the area near Ararat-Babylon region in post-flood time. Knowing how the population of the world has been growing one can work back to how long back the world would have had 8 people from whom all others had descended. Mathematical calculations show that it cannot be more than 13,000 years. There is lot of geological evidences of worldwide occurrence of water-laid sediments and sedimentary rocks. Also all major mountain ranges are less that about 10,000 years.

The Ark of Noah

The ark was built of gopher wood. If Noah had used some other sort of wood, the material would have perished before he finished the boat. The size of the ark was 450 feet by 75 feet by 45 feet. The cargo space of Noah's ark was equal to at least 527 box cars. It seems logical that God may have caused baby animals to be the ones who came to the ark instead of mature ones. The would (1) take up much less room, (2) eat far less, (3) not be as dangerous to other animals and people, and (4) not need to reproduce until leaving the ark a year later. If this hypothesis is correct, much less room than that suggested above would be required for all the necessary species. It must be noted that Noah and his sons had up to 120 years to complete the task. Further, when compared to feats of other ancient build, e.g. pyramids, the barge does not seem impossible to build. Finally, since Noah was a patriarch (chief), it seems reasonable to assume that hired help could have aided in its construction. When one has an objection to the Bible as God's Word in the grounds of a certain argument, if it can be shown that there is a logical explanation, he should abandon his position. If, however, he continues to hold his opposition, he has a heart problem, not an intellectual one. These should cause the honest man to stop his opposition to God's Word.

Recent Creation

During Darwin's time, the earth was said to be 20 million years old. Over 5 miles of science texts in a museum in France can't be checked out, not because of value, but because they are wrong! Honest investigation should be welcomed by scientists and non-scientists alike. As more and accurate science is understood the age of the universe is "reduced." 1979 -- Miscalculation of Hubble's' "constant" results in 6-9 billion years reduction. 1987 -- Measuring a radioactive nuclide in the sun ... "the data suggests a date too young to be measured by means of this calculation." 1994 -- "Billions and billions of years shaved off the age of the universe." Stars which are given as billions of light years may not be so far away. There are many different ways to measure the life of the earth. Each of the method gives a different value. Science seems to be biased to take a largest of the value than more probable small values.

Theistic Evolution

Theistic Evolution is the idea that God started or directed evolutionary processes. They try to believe both in evolution and in God. Theistic Evolution uses many of the Creationists argument against "chance" and claim that it had to be God that caused it to occur. Theistic Evolution is not accepted by evolutionists. You cannot understand evolution and believe in God. Theistic Evolution does not fit what the Bible says. Like, space, matter and time are eternal in the evolutionary scenario, whereas according to Biblical record there was a period with no time, space or matter. The course discusses another 34 such contrasting differences between evolution and creation. Theistic Evolution causes people to turn more toward the materialistic world-view ("Mother Nature") and less toward the spiritual.

Dinosaurs

Painting of "dragons" and a trilobite in a sandal print is evidence that men and dinosaurs lived at the same time. Blue whale is an animal much larger than dinosaurs.

Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering

One reason there is so much suffering is because people will not heed the warnings of nature. Pain is the body's way of saying "I need attention." One value of pain is that it gives man a reason to realize life will end. God has already experienced suffering; so He is not to be charged unfairly because He allows us to suffer. It would not be best for all people if God stamped out all the evil in the world, because then there will be none in the world.

About this Post

This post is inspired by the course of Christian Evidences provided by World Video Bible School as a part of my study.

You can read about Life of Peter in the Gospel of Matthew from the earlier course of Matthew.

You can read about The God I believe in here.

If you like my blogs please visit https://www.facebook.com/fjpandiaraj and like that page to be notified of my future posts in Facebook. You can also find links to my older posts there.

Life of Peter in The Gospel of Matthew

Introduction

Jesus had twelve disciples and Peter was the disciple who was the most prominent one of all the disciples. In Matthew’s Gospel, Peter is listed as the first disciple who was called by Jesus. In all references to Jesus’s disciples, Peter is always given the first position.

Jesus's call of Peter

After John had been put in prison, Jesus continues with the message “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”. And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him. (Matthew 4:18-20). This tells us that as soon as Peter was called he immediately followed Jesus, together with his brother Andrew. This shows us that Peter was a man of immediate action and never a procrastinator. Peter was a professional fishermen and Jesus called him into something totally new to him and without any hesitation he readily followed Jesus.

Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law

The next event where Peter is specifically named in the Book of Matthew is when Jesus healed Peter’s Mother-in-Law. Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. (Matthew 8:14-15). This tells us that Peter was married and that he had a family there. His mother-in-law seems to have been a part of Peter’s household. As soon as Jesus touched her hand the fever left her and immediately she took on the role of the hostess of the house and served Jesus and all others that were in Peter’s house. It is also possible that Jesus might have stayed in Peter’s house from time to time during his ministry through that region.

First of Twelve Apostles

Again when the 12 Apostles are listed in the Book of Matthew we see that Peter is listed as the first Apostle. And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him (Matthew 10:1-4). Jesus had two Simons among his 12 disciples and we are told here that the first disciple was Simon, who is also called Peter.

Peter attempts to walk on Water

Peter was always quick to act and when he saw Jesus was walking on water he too wanted to follow his master and walk on water. Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. (Matthew 14:25-32). When all the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water all of them were afraid thinking it was a ghost. Then Jesus assured them that he was Jesus and not a ghost. Seeing Jesus walking on the water faith developed within Peter that like Jesus he too could also walk on water. When Jesus gave Peter the command to come to Jesus on the water Peter got out of the boat and started to go towards Jesus on the water. He was not able to completely walk towards Jesus, because he saw the boisterous wind and became afraid and began to sink and Jesus had to stretch out his hand and save Peter.

Peter recognizes that Jesus is the Christ

Peter was the first disciple to recognize that Jesus is the Christ. When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. (Matthew 16:13-20). When Jesus asked the disciples about who he was, Peter who had been with Jesus for so many months now knew that Jesus was not an ordinary person and there was something extraordinary about him. He, by the discernment of the Holy Spirit perceived that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus rebukes Peter

The disciples thought that the Messiah would come to rule with Power and Authority. Hence Peter was expecting Jesus to rule with Power and Authority. From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23) Since Peter was expecting Jesus to rule, when Jesus said that that he had to go to Jerusalem to suffer many things it appeared to Peter Jesus was not carrying out the ministry which he thought that the messiah would do. Hence he was trying to correct Jesus. Then Jesus had to rebuke Peter that he was not thinking the way that Jesus was thinking and that he had to change his thinking to think the way Jesus was thinking.

Peter witnessed Jesus Transfiguration

After Peter had recognized that Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus now takes Peter, James and John to show them his divine nature. Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (Matthew 17:1-8) When Peter witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus and the true nature of Jesus he was overwhelmed and he really did not know what to say. He recognized that Moses and Elijah were with Jesus and he wanted them to be permanently with hence suggested that they build tabernacles for them.

Peter pays Temple Tax of Jesus

When Temple Tax collectors approached Peter about the Temple Tax of Jesus, Jesus showed how Peter should pay the Temple Tax for both of them. When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?” He said, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” Peter said to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.” (Matthew 17:24-27) The conversation that Jesus had with Peter tells us Jesus was of the household and only strangers had to pay tax. After having clarified that in God’s eye he did not have to pay the Temple Tax nevertheless paid it so as not to offend the Temple Authorities. He shows Peter how to obtain the coin needed to pay for the Temple Tax of both Jesus and Peter.

Jesus’s prediction of Peter’s denial

Jesus predicted that all disciples will leave him the night of his arrest and that Peter will deny him three times. Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter answered and said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” Peter said to Him, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And so said all the disciples. (Matthew 26:31-35) Peter thought that he was not weak as Jesus had told him and thought that he will be firmly with Jesus, even if some other disciples left Jesus.

Peter’s denial of Jesus

After Jesus was arrested Peter followed him from a distance to see what would happen to Jesus. Now Peter sat outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, “You also were with Jesus of Galilee.”But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.”And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” Then he began to curse and swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So he went out and wept bitterly. (Matthew 26:69-75) Only when Peter had denied Jesus three times he realized what Jesus has had earlier predicted. Now he knew his weakness and that broke him to know that he did not stand with his master at this time.

Lessons that can be learnt

• Peter was always quick to react and sometimes it was not the best response.
• Peter was very quick to say that he would not deny Jesus, but he could not fulfil that promise. So it is better not to make statements impulsively and later realize that we will not be able to do it.
• Similarly, Peter was quick to jump into the water with Jesus to walk with Jesus. But in the water he lost the focus of Jesus and started to see the water and waves around him. We too should not look at the circumstances surrounding us and continue to look at Jesus so that we will be able to overcome the circumstance.

About this Post

This post is adapted from the Term Paper that I submitted to World Video Bible School as a part of my study of Matthew Course.

You can read about the Sin of Murmuring in Numbers from the earlier course of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy

You can read about The God I believe in here .

If you like my blogs please visit https://www.facebook.com/fjpandiaraj and like that page to be notified of my future posts in Facebook. You can also find links to my older posts there.

Sin of Murmuring in Numbers

Introduction

The children of Israel were not happy with Moses and Aaron leading them to the Promised Land from Egypt. They constantly kept murmuring and complaining that they preferred the old life of slavery, compared to their experience in the wilderness, which would lead them to a life of freedom in the Promised Land of Israel.

What happened

The children of Israel were slaves in Egypt and were made to work hard for long hours for about 400 years. Hence they knew nothing about any other form of living and kept looking back to that familiar form of living and complained and murmured when things were different. Not having known freedom, they did know about why it was good, hence did not look forward to it.

Here are some of the instances recorded in the Book of Numbers where the children of Israel committed the sin of murmuring and complaining.

• Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: “Who will give us meat to eat? We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:4-6)
• Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent; and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused; Moses also was displeased. (Numbers 11:10)
• But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (Numbers 13:31-14:3)
• Now the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation complain against him by bringing a bad report of the land, those very men who brought the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord (Numbers 14:36-37)
• Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” (Numbers 21:4-5)

Why Murmuring

The above image is taken from here.

In Numbers 11:5 the children of Israel say that they “ate freely in Egypt”. It is possible that the Egyptians took care of providing the slaves prepared food so that the slaves did not have to worry about preparing food and would work long hours as the Egyptians wanted them to work. So except for food they did not know about any other pleasant things of life that God had freely provided.

In the Wilderness God had miraculously provided Manna every day and they could not see the miraculous provision of God and only craved for the food that they had been familiar with in Egypt. So instead of looking forward to a life of freedom in the Promised Land of Israel flowing with Milk and Honey they were looking back to a life of slavery in Egypt. They called the miracle daily provision of Manna by God as “worthless bread”.

They were slaves in Egypt and did not know what true freedom is like. So they were not prepared to take the land provided to them by God and thought of themselves as grasshoppers and the inhabitants of the land as giants and hence gave the children of Israel a bad report. The report of 10 spies discouraged more than 600,000 able bodied males above the age of 20 from going forward and owning the land that God had given them.

Application to our day

To us Egypt represents the World. So we should not focus on following and doing the things of the World. Just as the children of Israel were called to the Promised Land of freedom we should seek to do things that are in accordance with God’s way for our life and be liberated from being bound to the things of the World.

Lessons we can learn

Some of the lessons we can learn from the murmuring of children of Israel

• We should not constantly complain because God is displeased with complaining.
• We should not yield to intense craving.
• We should not look back into the past but look forward to the ways that God leads us into.

About this Post

This post is adapted from the Term Paper that I submitted to World Video Bible School as a part of my study of Leviticus-Numbers-Deuteronomy Course.

You can read about the Life of Moses in Exodus from the earlier course of Exodus.

You can read about The God I believe in here.

If you like my blogs please visit https://www.facebook.com/fjpandiaraj and like that page to be notified of my future posts in Facebook. You can also find links to my older posts there.

Life of Moses in Exodus

Introduction

The book of Exodus is the second book in the Bible. Moses is the central figure in the accounts described in this book. This book was written by Moses around 1400 BC and he was also an eyewitness to almost all the accounts described in this book.

Birth and Life in Egypt

Moses was born in the tribe of Levi when the children of Israel were in captivity at Egypt. Amram and Jochebed were his parents. Miriam and Aaron were his siblings. Moses was born at a time when there was a command from the king of Egypt to his people regarding the children of Israel saying “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.” (Exodus 1:22). By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command (Hebrews 11:23)

When Jochebed could no longer hide the child, she made an ark of bulrushes and water-proofed it by coating it with asphalt and pitch and placed the child in it and laid the ark in the reeds by the river bank. She left his sister to watch what would happen to the child. When Pharaoh’s daughter came to take bath in the river, she saw the ark and asked her maidens to fetch it. When she opened the ark, she saw the weeping Hebrew baby and had compassion on it. The child’s sister came forward and asked Pharaoh’s daughter if she should fetch a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for her. When Pharaoh’s daughter asked her to go, she went and got the child’s mother Jochebed. Pharaoh’s daughter gave the child to her and asked her to nurse the child for her and promised wages for it. When the child grew Jochebed brought him back to the Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:10). Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. (Acts 7:21-22). The daughters of Pharaoh were independent and ruled their own houses and had their own rules for their houses. Because of which Moses, even though a Hebrew son, required by the then Egyptian law to be cast into the river, could grow safely in the protected house of Pharaoh’s daughter.

Flight from Egypt

Even though Moses grew up as Pharaoh’s daughter’s son, he knew from the time that Jochebed nursed him, that he was not an Egyptian prince but that he was a Hebrew child. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26)

God placed the right desires in Moses’ heart. Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. (Acts 7:23). And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Exodus 2:11-12). The anger within Moses arose against an Egyptian beating a Hebrew because he perceived it as an unrighteous act and made Moses to take the law into his own hands and act on it. He carefully looked around and saw that there was no one was around and in a premeditated manner murdered the Egyptian. Moses mistakenly thought that this was the way by which he would take the leadership to deliver the children of Israel from the Egyptians. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand (Acts 7:25). The Hebrews did not see this act of Moses as that of a deliverer and exposed the murderous act of Moses to Egyptian authorities. When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian (Exodus 2:15). By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27). All the preparation of last 40 years of Moses life now seemed to have come to nothing as he went into hiding.

Life in Midian

Fleeing from Egypt Moses went and dwelt far away in Midian. Midianites were possibly the descendants of Midian, the son that Keturah bore to Abraham (Genesis 25:1-2). Jethro was the priest of Midian and had some knowledge of the God of Abraham. This is the reason that God led Moses to Jethro. Moses was content to live with Jethro and to shepherd his flocks. Later Moses married Zipporah, one of the seven daughters of Jethro. Zipporah bore Moses two sons and Moses named his sons Gershom and Eliezer.

God’s call to Moses

And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. (Acts 7:30). God said to Moses “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.” (Acts 7:34). But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11). In the 40 years that Moses was in Midian, Moses had gone from prominence to obscurity and had mellowed down. Hence he was not enthusiastic in being the deliverer of the children of Israel and wanted God to send someone else. Earlier Moses had only heard about the God of his father and the God of Abraham, God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now for the first time he had a personal experience with the God of the children of Israel.

Moses in Egypt

After God’s call Moses returned to Egypt to deliver the children of Israel from Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart hence he would not let the children of Israel, who were a great slave force, used in building Egypt cities should be released so easily. So God dealt with Pharaoh and Egypt with a heavy hand that eventually Pharaoh let the children of Israel leave Egypt. God brought the following 10 plagues upon Egypt because of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart through Moses and Aaron.

• Waters become blood
• Frogs
• Lice
• Flies
• Livestock Diseased
• Boils
• Hail
• Locusts
• Darkness
• Death of the firstborn

By means of these plagues the God of Israel passed judgement on the gods of Egypt by bringing judgement on the people who worshipped the gods of Egypt. This Moses whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. (Acts 7:35-36).

From Egypt to Sinai

Before the Hebrews left Egypt, God gave them the Passover regulations which was to be observed by the children of Israel when they would reach the promised land. When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt. (Exodus 13:17-18). The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people. (Exodus 13:21-22). By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. (Hebrews 11:29). In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. (Exodus 19:1).

Moses with God in Mount Sinai

At mount Sinai, where God had met Moses first time, God gave the law to the children of Israel. The 10 commandments that Moses received first from God at Mount Sinai are:

• I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me
• You shall not make for yourself any carved image bow down to them nor serve them
• You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
• Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
• Honor your father and mother
• You shall not murder
• You shall not commit adultery
• You shall not steal
• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
• You shall not covet

In addition to these 10 commandments God also gave Moses secondary laws. This secondary laws of God were concerning:

• The Law of the Altar
• The Law Concerning Servants
• The Law Concerning Violence
• Animal Control Laws
• Responsibility for Property
• Moral and Ceremonial Principles
• Justice for All
• The Law of Sabbaths
• Three Annual Feasts

In Mount Sinai God also showed Moses the plans for the Tabernacle. God gave detailed instructions of the various items of the Tabernacle and the procedures to be followed concerning the following:

• Offerings for the Sanctuary
• The Ark of the Testimony
• The Table for the Showbread
• The Gold Lampstand
• The Tabernacle
• The Altar of Burnt Offering
• The Court of The Tabernacle
• The Care of The Lampstand
• Garments for the Priesthood
• The Ephod
• The Breastplate
• Other Priestly Garments
• Consecration of Aaron and his Sons
• Daily Offerings
• Altar of Incense
• Ransom Money
• Bronze Laver
• Holy Anointing Oil
• Incense
• Sabbath Law

The children of Israel donated all the material needed for the Tabernacle. God had anointed artisans with special talents to make all the articles needed for the Tabernacle. According to God’s plan Moses oversaw all the work of making the Tabernacle and getting it to function.

Lessons learnt from the Life of Moses

• Moses was chosen by God to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. Moses however did not wait for God’s time and hastened things by murdering an Egyptian who beat a Hebrew and God had to keep Moses in Midian for 40 years before he was ready to do God’s plan. We should wait on God’s time for our call and not enter into it at wrong time.
• When God dealt with Pharaoh in Egypt Moses did all that God instructed him to do repeatedly. Every time God told Moses to do something, with patience he went about doing it. Once Moses knew God’s purpose he obeyed God in everything he did. We too should obey God in doing all that he has revealed for us to do.
• Many times Moses pleaded with God for the mercy of the people of Israel. He always sought God to lead the children of Israel on their movement from Egypt. We too should seek God’s leading in all our plans.

About this post

This post is adapted from the Term Paper that I submitted to World Video Bible School as a part of my study of Exodus Course. You can read about the Life of Abraham from the earlier course of Genesis.