A House of Cards

In the beginning, God. The original is the word Elohim, which is a beautiful, powerful name of God. This name will appear many times in the Old Testament, and the word Elohim, or the name Elohim, means God of Power. And rightly it is used here, because this act of miraculously creating the world is an act of great power. And so when the writer seeks to express who this individual is, or when God would express himself through the writer, he chooses the name Elohim.

And it is this name that always pulls a response from us of one of trust. Welcome to Wisdom for the Heart, beginning today and for the next nine broadcasts, we're bringing you a series from Genesis called Origins. We've gone back to our archives to this series that Stephen first taught over 30 years ago. The Gospel didn't start at the empty tomb, or the cross, or even the manger. The Gospel started all the way back in the Garden of Eden. The opening lines of the Bible – in the beginning, God – set the tone for everything that follows.

As Stephen said a moment ago, if you can believe that God created you, you can believe everything else he has said and promised. Stay with us for this lesson called The Book of Beginnings. We are going to begin a study that will take us through the Bible, book by book. And I would warn you that I do not know how long it will take, but I did read the pastor that I admire, who's been pastoring for 25 years, and he did this same thing, and he spent 17 years.

We are going to begin by providing for you a foundation as to why we are about to embark on this kind of journey. The first reason why we are going to study the entire Bible is because the Bible is entirely true. There is no doubt that in our American society, in the last 10 to 20 years, there has been a battle raging on whether or not the Bible is entirely true.

And I think that you would assume that I would believe that, and you would assume correctly. But because we do believe that all of the Bible is the Word of God, all of it is true, all of it is without error, then we would begin such a study. And there are several reasons why I would believe that the Bible is entirely true.

Let me give them to you for the sake of your notes. The first one is fulfilled prophecy. What does the Bible say about itself?

If I were asked today what the primary reason is that I would perhaps consider the Bible to be true, I would suggest immediately the fulfilled prophecies of Scripture. We already know from study that there are at least 300 prophecies doing nothing more or less than prophesying about the coming of Jesus Christ, the birth, his life, his death, his resurrection, and his ascension. 300 prophecies have already come true. And they were written, of course, before the time of the event, so we consider them prophetic.

More than one-quarter of the Bible, when it was written, was prophetic. Now we all pick on the weathermen. Sometimes they prophesy that it's going to rain and it's sunny. We're happy then. Sometimes they say that it will be sunny and it rains.

We're not happy then. But you know the Old Testament criterion for a prophet was that he was always correct, one hundred percent of the time. In fact, the Old Testament records for us that if a prophet was ever wrong, he was assumed to be a false prophet, taken out of the city and stoned. Now I'm not suggesting we do that to the local weathermen, but you need to understand that the people would not place any credibility upon the prophet unless he was always correct. And there was a certain thing that the prophets had to do. The first, if they declared themselves to be a prophet of God, was they had to declare something prophetic in the near future and something that surrounded their city or their people.

And then if that would come true, then the people would trust him for a prophetic event that would take place in the years to come. For instance, Micaiah, the prophet in 1 Kings 22, told Ahab that if Ahab went to battle he would not only lose, but he would lose his life. And Ahab's false prophets told another story. They said, Ahab, if you go to battle, you'll win. And of course Ahab, being the humble man that he was, decided to believe in the false prophets. And not only them, but he took Micaiah and threw him in jail and told his guardians to give him only bread and water. And he said to Micaiah, when I return victorious from battle, I'll take care of you. And Micaiah's words were, if you return from battle, you will know that the Lord has not spoken through me. And we know from the Old Testament recording that Ahab indeed lost the battle. The scripture says that he not only lost the battle, but as the battle was nearing an end, the scriptures say that a soldier on the enemy forces at adventure took from his quiver an arrow and shot it into the air. It had Ahab's name on it. What that means is the battle was coming to a close, and this soldier on adventure that is, oh, I've got one arrow left.

Well, why not? And he just plugs it into his bow and he shoots it just at a random. It finds Ahab and it kills him. We know then that that prophet was a prophet of God. And today, the question comes, in fact, I've been asked this question more than perhaps any other. Are there prophets living today? Are there people receiving revelation today?

Would you turn for just a moment, and we'll have to get off of this passage into another, but would you turn to Hebrews chapter 1? It is as clear as the nose on your face that there is no such thing as a prophet living today receiving revelations from God, whether it is one who claims to know Christ or one from another religious belief system. Because Hebrews writes, God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers, through the prophets in many or diverse ways, has in these last days, did you notice that? In these last days, the prophets are past tense, but present tense. In the last days, he has spoken unto us how?

By his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world. So if someone suggests that there are prophets today, they would oppose the clear writing of scripture, that the prophets are past tense, that present tense, it is the living word and it is the written word of Jesus Christ that is the revelation from God to us. And ladies and gentlemen, might I suggest to you that if God would break the sound barrier and speak today, he would repeat something that he has already said. One of the reasons that I believe the Bible is entirely true is because of fulfilled prophecy, but secondly, because of its preservation.

And this is an objective proof, but yet it is marvelous. Jeremiah tells us that on one occasion, the king was handed a copy of the Old Testament writings and he took out his knife and he cut it to pieces. And that attitude has come down through the centuries and even today when men outlaw the Bibles from our schools, they would outlaw and attack the Bible from our courts.

They would outlaw or attack the name of God from every institution of our land. They are still attacking this book and yet God miraculously continues to preserve his word. I have in my library a copy of two ancient manuscripts that go back to the time of John the Apostle.

There is no one that would even question the writings of Homer and yet you have to go more than a thousand years past the time of Homer before you find a manuscript of his writings. And our word goes all the way back to the time of the apostles. And from that time till this, God has miraculously preserved it. Although they have burned thousands of copies, although they have outlawed it, although they have tried to stamp it out, he has preserved his word. But before we get off this point, may I suggest to you that Satan has another strategy for America.

It is not stamping it out, it is flooding the markets with something that is legal so that you and I will take it for granted and read it as little as someone who does not own a copy. But the word has been preserved. I love the story of Voltaire the Atheist who once bragged, you have seen what a little fellow by the name of Paul has done for Christianity.

Now I will show you what one Frenchman will do in destroying Christianity. And yet to this very day the Geneva Bible Printing Society has at its headquarters Voltaire's own home. And they print Bibles in his living room. God preserves his word. The third thing that I would suggest to you that proves to me that the Bible is entirely true is that of transformed lives. The Bible is the only book that can turn a sinner into a saint.

I remember reading, just this past week someone brought a book to the office and I began paging through it. It was stories of men and poems that they wrote. This story was about John Newton who was born in London in 1725. His father was a sea captain, his mother was a devout believer. And she had an illness that she knew would take her life soon.

And so she invested every spare moment teaching her young son John the word. And when he was seven she in fact died. And he became a cabin boy on a sailing vessel. And he began a life of terrible sin that would one day see him captain of a slave ship.

He was a drunken sinner. In fact his crew considered him nothing more or less than an animal. That was exemplified on one occasion when John Newton fell overboard. And his crew didn't even let down a boat to rescue him. Instead they took a whaling harpoon and threw it at him. And it caught him in the hip. And they pulled him back on board as they would a large fish.

And John Newton limped the rest of the days of his life. But the grace of God gripped his heart. And he one day came to Christ remembering the words of his mother. For by grace are you saved through faith. And as an act of appreciation and gratitude to his Lord he would write the words that we sing so often. Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost but now I'm found was blind but now I see. A verse that is no longer in our hymn books but yet was in the original poem written by John Newton says this and I like it because it has a direct relation to the transforming power of God's word. It says this, the Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures. Now yeah the Bible can turn a sinner into a saint but the greatest illustration of that is not John Newton.

It's you. Is the word part of your life? What is another reason that we study the word in its entirety?

Let me give you a second reason. Not only because it is entirely true but because it is entirely profitable. Would you turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3 and let's look at several passages that declare this to every believer. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and let's look first at verse 14 to the end of the chapter.

You'll notice there are four things that the word does in its profitable sense to the believer. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 14 Paul writes to his son in the faith you however continue in the things you have learned and have become convinced of knowing from whom you have learned them that is myself and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings that is from his mother and grandmother which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus and now Paul declares to him a truth about the word. All scripture is inspired by God. The word inspiration means the breath of God which means literally that God breathed through the author or the human instrument. It was the wind or the breath of God.

In fact we find the same original word used in Acts where it talks about the wind blowing into the sails of a vessel. It is that same breath or that same thought the wind the breath of God blowing through the author the human instrument directing him to write exactly what we find here. All scripture then is breathed by God and it is profitable for four things for teaching or doctrine as your translation may read doctrine is what you believe doctrine tells you how to think. You know I have heard on many occasions in fact I believed it until a couple of years ago when someone would say that we know enough about the Bible we just don't have enough of it applied.

I now reject that statement because I believe there is a famine in the land as to what the Bible teaches. We do not know enough about this book and the Bible is profitable for that kind of doctrinal foundation that kind of truth but he goes on to say it is also profitable not only for teaching or doctrine but for reproof or rebuke this tells you where you are wrong doctrine tells you what to think or how to believe reproof tells you where you are wrong and he goes on to say not only for reproof but for correction this tells you what is right and then for training in righteousness this tells you how to do what is right. I think the main thought from this passage of scripture is that the Bible is the primary source for equipping the believer. Without it you stand naked against the attack of the evil one in the world.

It is this that will equip you. It is profitable. Turn over to 2 Timothy 2.15. 2 Timothy 2.15. Here it gives us another thought about the profitability of the word of God. Let's read that verse. 2 Timothy 2.15. Be diligent to present yourselves approved unto God a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately or rightly dividing the word of truth. You know I have heard one man say that this is the bottom line of Christianity. This verse right here.

The bottom line is found in two questions. The two questions are am I pleasing to Jesus Christ? Be a workman. Pushing to God. And then secondly, is my life measuring up to the standard of scripture? Studying in such a way that I am not ashamed. In fact the literal translation of verse 15 could be a workman whose work is never a disgrace.

That's the idea. And I think the main idea of this passage would be then that the word is the primary assurance of credibility in your testimony. Without the study of scripture your walk will never match up as they say to your talk. I read a poem that reads the gospel is written a chapter a day by deeds that you do in words that you say.

Men read what you say whether faithless or true. Say what is the gospel according to you? The only way that gospel will have credibility is if we are in this book.

One other passage. Hebrews chapter 5. If you'll move toward revelation you'll run into Hebrews chapter 5 verses 11 to 14. And I think here he is giving us the fact that the Bible is the primary guarantee to spiritual maturity.

Notice what he says in Hebrews 5 11 and following. Concerning him we have much to say but it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. You see there was a problem with this church. They had a hearing problem. It was a spiritual hearing problem.

They had to have things repeated over and over and over again. And as a result he compares them to a child. For though by this time verse 12 you ought to be teaching you have need again that someone teach you the elementary principles or the basic truths of the oracles of God. And you have come to need milk and not solid food for everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness for he is a baby. But solid food is for the mature. Now he will define what maturity is in this very next phrase. Note it carefully.

Solid food is for the mature. Who are the mature? Those who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. He is saying that spiritual maturity is not learning simply about this book.

It is practicing this book. Spiritual maturity is an individual who begins to live what he has learned. And I think the only way that we can have the guarantee that we will in fact live what we learn which is nothing more than or less than spiritual maturity it will come from this book. Let me add one other passage that kind of continues this same thought.

And that is 1 Peter. Continue to the right toward Revelation to the book of 1 Peter chapter 2. And I think he is giving us here the main idea that the Bible is the primary method for spiritual growth.

Let's start with verse 1. Therefore putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander like newborn babies long desire the sincere or the pure milk of the word that by it you might grow in respect to your salvation. Why does God want you and I to study the Bible so that we can become smarter?

Absolutely not. So that we can become transformed. So that we can grow up. He is implying that it is possible to grow old in the Lord without growing up in the Lord.

I fear that we have many believers who are 5, 10, 15, and 20 years old in the Lord but are still in the nursery. You see my friends it is without this book that we stay in the crib. Without understanding the words of scripture we become or remain an infant and someone always has to come along and burp us. Change our diapers.

Why? Because we have long refused to allow this book a part in our lives to transform and renew our minds. So the Bible is the primary method for spiritual growth and my friends I would suggest to you that you don't pray anymore that God will help you grow.

Pray that God will give you diligence to study the word because when you do that you will grow. Why do we study the Bible? Because the Bible is entirely true and because the Bible is entirely profitable. Now that forms somewhat of a foundation for the reason that I think we should begin in the beginning. Would you turn to Genesis chapter 1 and we're going to take just a few moments to introduce the first verse. But verse 1 of Genesis chapter 1 sort of stands by itself and it ought to. This is a foundational verse. It reads, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Now let's just dissect for the sake of study these words and look at them individually and then put them together into one unit. The first is in the beginning and I think this could be translated literally in the beginning of thing. In other words before there was anything other than God this is when he began. In the beginning.

And now I have got to admit to you ladies and gentlemen that in my study I so often scratched my head. It would have seemed so much better if God had written a hundred words instead of ten which is what there is in your translation. There are only seven words in the original Hebrew and I think Lord it would have been so much easier if he had just written a book on verse 1 and told us all of the details but he didn't do that. Perhaps that's what the writer of Hebrews meant when he said in chapter 11 verses 3 and 4 that by faith you believe that God formed the world by the word of his mouth because whether it's ten words or a thousand words it is still a matter of faith and the questions will never be completely understood until we get to heaven and then it will take all of eternity to fully comprehend in the beginning. In the beginning God the original is the word Elohim which is a beautiful powerful name of God.

This name will appear many times in the Old Testament and the word Elohim or the name Elohim means God of power and rightly it is used here because this act of miraculously creating the world is an act of great power and so when the writer seeks to express who this individual is or when God would express himself through the writer he chooses the name Elohim the God of power and it is this name that always pulls a response from us of one of trust and awe. In the beginning God but you know as I read this verse and read it and read it and read it again it became clear to me that again things are left out. There is no proof for the existence of God in Genesis 1-1. There is no argument. In fact the Bible is silent when it comes to arguing the proof of his existence.

Why? Well I think it's because the only verse that even far-fetched mentions it is the fool has said in his heart there's no God so in other words I'm not going to discuss it. It's the fool that doesn't believe there's no God. What you find in verse 1 is a simple statement. It is not a deduction. It is not an explanation. It is a declaration. It is revelation. He is simply saying in the beginning I created God.

Take it or leave it. Believe it or don't believe it. This is the fundamental statement that needs no proof and I think as we study Romans and we begin that study tonight you will find that every man that has ever lived and every woman is without excuse according to Romans 1.

Why? Because written on the heart of every human being is the fact that there is a God. In fact if you were to go to the remotest part of Africa you were to go to the jungle and find some tribe that has never been discovered guess what you'll find them doing? Worshiping something. A missionary does not go to the field to tell people there is a God.

He goes to the field to tell them how to get to the true God. So he merely states in the beginning God. Now notice the next word created. You ought to jot into your notes that the word is bara. B-A-R-A.

I may have put that in there. But that means created out of nothing. There are Hebrew words that mean to form or to fashion but the Hebrew word used here is the word bara which means to create out of nothing. He didn't form something that already existed.

He didn't pattern something after something that had already been in existence. He created out of nothing planet earth and the heavens. It says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Heavens could be translated space and the earth a literal reference to this planet or matter. That is in the first verse ladies and gentlemen of Genesis chapter 1 you find that God created space, matter and time. Space mass time.

In the beginning time God created the heaven space and he created the earth mass. What would you think of the man who says I am no geographical dogmatist. I believe that Texas is next door to North Carolina. See that's foolish. Some of you would say I'm glad it's not true. You see the truth of scripture is as well my friends very narrow. In the days of Noah there was salvation and it was only one way. You were either in the ark or you were out of the ark. In the days of Moses deliverance came only one way. Either you had the blood on the doorpost or you didn't have the blood on the doorpost and today the scripture tells us that if you believe on the name of the son of God you will have eternal life.

If you don't the wrath of God abideth on you. It is that narrow. It is that simple.

It is that plain. Might I suggest to you that this verse, Genesis 1 provides the foundation upon which every other verse in the Bible rests. If you can believe ladies and gentlemen the first ten words of scripture. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. You will have no problem believing. Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.

If you can believe in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth you can then believe for God so loved this world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him would not perish but have everlasting life. If you by faith can believe these first ten words you can believe all of scripture. This is Wisdom for the Heart with Stephen Davey. We've gone back 30 years and brought out this vintage wisdom series from Genesis 1-11 called Origins. If you're not familiar with our resources I want to make sure you know that we have a collection of Bible study guides and this series is one of them. It contains the text of Stephen's message along with some discussion and study questions to help you go even deeper into the truth of God's word.

You'll find the study guide called Origins in our online store at wisdomonline.org. That's wisdomonline.org. We can also help you over the phone if you call us today at 866-48-BIBLE. The staff and volunteers are in the office to help you and we'd be happy to take your call.

That number again is 866-48-BIBLE or 866-482-4253. If you're one of our wisdom partners or if you've been getting some of the sample issues of our magazine the July issue should have arrived. It has a series of really helpful articles by Stephen and I hope that you'll take the time to read all of it. If you don't receive Heart to Heart magazine call us today and we'll send you the next three issues. We might even have some of the current issues left in our office that we could send to you right away. Again, this is our gift that we send to wisdom partners but we'd be happy to send you some trial issues. That number is 866-48-BIBLE. Thanks for joining us today. We'll continue through this vintage wisdom series called Origins on tomorrow's broadcast. So join us here on WISDOM FOR THE HEART.