The Bible is From God (series)

TITLE: The Bible is From God – Archeology (3 of 4)

TEXT: Isaiah 20:1

  1. Archeology is the study of human culture through recovery and analysis of artifacts and documents.

  2. Can the things discovered in the earth prove the Bible is from God? YES!

Why are they still there?

  1. In the earth – things don't deteriorate like they do on the surface

  2. You can dig down in a landfill and find 40 year old newspapers – like new

  3. Much of middle east area is very dry - .5 inch of rainfall per year

  4. Sand and wind – quickly covers abandoned things

What do archaeologists find?

  1. Documents – scrolls, parchments, writings on clay, stone, etc.

  2. Cities – buried, destroyed, abandoned

  3. Artifacts – dishes, pottery, coins, household items, tools

Dead Sea – Qumran

  1. Occupied about 250 BC to 150 BC

  2. Jews – dedicated to making copies of OT scriptures

  3. Isaiah scroll most important find – more than 1,000 years older than any previously known manuscript of Isaiah

  4. Dated by coins – Current Emperor's picture on coins

  5. Also dated by the type of inks used

Moabite Stone

  1. A German missionary discovered the stone in 1868.

  2. It recorded an event from 850 BC

    1. King Mosha, king of Moab – was in subjection to Israel

    2. It names Omri as king of Israel

    3. The account is recorded in 1 Kings 16:16

Belshazzar

  1. The Bible teaches that Belshazzar was king of Babylon – Daniel 5:22; 7:1; 8:1)

  2. Critics said the Bible was not accurate here. The known records showed that Nabonidus was the last king of Babylon.

  3. Is the Bible wrong here?

  4. In 1876, Sir Henry Rawlinson discovered more than 2,000 tablets relating that Nabonidus, decided to travel and appointed his son, Belshazzar to be king.

  5. They were co-regents for several years.

  6. There are tablets known as the Nabonidus Chronicles recording these events.

Sargon II

  1. Isaiah 20:1 – mentions Sargon, the king of Assyria

  2. For centuries there was no record of Sargon or his empire

  3. One day an archaeologist stubbed his toe on a rock.

    1. The rock was cleared away – a cut stone

    2. The rock was the top of a stairway

    3. The stairway – lead to a room, another room, more rooms

    4. Now fully excavated – A 72 room palace

    5. Around the palace – a wall – around the wall – a moat

    6. There were draw bridges across the moat

    7. Sargon's name, exploits, battles – are written all over the walls

    8. There is a description of how Sargon captured Samaria (the capital of Israel in the divided kingdom)

    9. SARGON REALLY DID EXIST

Conclusion

  1. There are many, many more examples that could be given

  2. These examples will help you to have assurance that the Bible is from God

  3. It could not be a product of man – because many of these points would have been missed

  4. The Bible is accurate in detail – names and places

  5. The information in the Bible is without error

  6. THE BIBLE IS FROM GOD.

 

The Bible is From God (series)