Here’s a guest post from LoveRealm. It covers a question I’m passionate about answering. See my series of videos on this topic here. Read their thoughts below.
“In a hundred years from now the Bible would have passed into the mists of history as people became more liberated and enlightened.” Voltaire, French philosopher
Ever heard of the quote above before? It’s in my opinion the worst statement ever made by a human being. Voltaire, the 18th century French philosopher, was a stiff-necked man who frequently questioned Christianity and the bible. As an infidel, he maintained his heretic stance on the infallible word of God. Voltaire, along with the many he deceived and still deceive today, will however bear with me that in the era of shepherds, scribes and dust, the bible was relevant. Indeed, he was a great thinker, and I project from his knowledge that he wondered how relevant the bible would be to modern men with advanced technology in the near future. Though I disagree with the manner in which he approached this, his question remains a valid inquiry today. Consequently, the major answer sought by many now is: how relevant are stories like the swallowing of Jonah by a big fish or the eating of a ‘forbidden’ fruit by Adam relevant to the 21st Century Christian full of lightning fast internet and computers? Can we relate to such strange and mystifying events today? My answer however is yes. Interpretation of the bible with the carnal mind makes it seem foolish at times, however with inspiration from the Holy Ghost, every piece is as relevant today as it was yesterday. Let me explain with an example below:
I was browsing the Christian section of Yahoo answers yesterday when I stumbled upon a question by one user. She wanted to know the bible’s view on anal sex amongst couples. At the end, she actually had some pretty good answers. I was however baffled by one answer someone gave. According to the person,
“The Bible has views on a lot of things! For example, Deuteronomy, chapter 22, reveals a number of commands that are strange to the modern mind. For example…The Hebrew farmer was not to yoke together an ox and a donkey for plowing… If a person was to never do any of the things the Bible forbids they would have to live in a cage somewhere I think!”
Her arguments sounded a bit convincing, however not until I received inspiration from the Holy Spirit to interpret these things. After this encounter, my conclusion became sealed; the bible is an excellent book finely pieced together. Every aspect of it is completely relevant for everyday usage. With that said, what did God mean when he said: “Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together”? Deuteronomy 22:10
A yoke is basically a wooden crosspiece fastened over the neck of two animals. It is attached to the plough both animals are to pull so as to enable the two-paired animals to syndicate forces in order to pull a load that otherwise an individual effort couldn’t achieve. God however knew what he meant when he gave this command, because basically two beasts of different species cannot associate comfortably together without confusion. So this sounds obsolete right? Not until I explain. A simple example of an application of this commandment to our daily modern lives would be about the fact that it is not advisable for a Christian to marry an unbeliever, since there might be conflict of interest in the home.
Does that make sense? What an excellent book the bible is! God has given us an outstanding book, a book that contains the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE). It is a brilliant treasure full of wisdom. It is a timeless piece that has stood the test of time and it will benefit those who read it provided they do so with inspiration from the Holy Spirit, with an open heart and mind. How then shall I conclude? Is the bible relevant today? Certainly! The Bible is as relevant today just as it was centuries ago and Voltaire’s statement is the most heretic statement ever made by any man. By the way, Voltaire is now no more and the Geneva Bible Society later used the house in which he lived as a distribution center for Bibles, what a shame.
For most of my early life I did not know that the bible was relevant for today. I did not know because I only received bits and pieces of it. Once I read the bible from cover to cover it enabled be to know the entire story from the beginning to the end that is to come. I came to know that all of the characters in the bible were everyday people like me. I came to know that there is nothing new under the sun. Even though we have modern technology we are not as smart as those that came before us as we ponder how they were able to do and know the things that still baffle many scientist today.
The story of Jonah, the story of Adam and Eve are told and retold to let us know the severity of disobedience to God. It is not about Adam eating fruit, it is about him disobeying God. It is not about the big fish, it is about Jonah trying to escape from doing what said for him to do. And to this very day we do exactly what God told us not to do. We even change our laws to make it appear to be ok to do what God said ought not to be done. We constantly turn away from speaking Gods truth when He has given us what to say.
Gods word is the Truth and the Truth stands on its own.
aj
God bless you AJ. The bible is the unadulterated word of God and shall never pass away.
Trevor
Well said. Few people understand those seemingly “archaic” stories are what we have to show us two things – God’s infallible love and that he never breaks a promise, and, that just as Jonah, David, Elijah, etc, he is always there for us and to bring us through the trials of this earth.
Amen Alan.
God richly bless you!
God bless you trevor for allowing us to post this article!
You’re so welcome. Thanks for the post.