How Will We Know? (Deut. 18:9-22)

Wayne Galloway
12/02/14 - N/A

Series: Additional Studies

Introduction:

1.  Jesus describes the devil as a “liar and the father of lies. ”  He said, “He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him” (Jn. 8:44). 2.  His deceptions are designed to result in our death.  In the beginning he lied to Eve.  God had said, “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.”  The serpent said, “You surely will not die!”  See Gen. 3:3-4. 3.  But die she did and her believing a lie has affected all of us. 4.  God’s word is not only truth, but it is the word of life!  But how can we know the word of the Lord?  The devil has put out so many lies that finding the truth is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack (Col 2:8).  Some have concluded that there is no truth!  Others that if there is it is so allusive that it is impossible to find.  Still others have redefined truth to be whatever each individual decides it to be. 5.  In a world filled with straw, truth does seem to be allusive and hard to find.

a.  For those of us that have already found it it may seem irrelevant to discuss how to find it.

b.  But for those who haven’t found it and those we are trying to teach it is.

6.  Of all the messages out there how can we know the word that the Lord has spoken?

Discussion:

I.  Our problem is not new.

A.  As we have already observed Eve had the problem.

B.  The nation of Israel had the problem (Deut. 18:9-22).

1.  There were many messengers.

2.  But God would raise up a prophet.

a.  He would put His words in the mouth of the prophet.

b.  But there would be prophets that spoke presumptuously things that God did not command.

3.  How can we know what the Lord has not spoken?

a.  Fulfilled prophecy identifies what the Lord has spoken.

b.  Failed prophecy marks a failed prophet.  He has spoken presumptuously, i.e., without God’s authority.

C.  We have the problem.  There are many messengers and many messages.

1.  For good Jews the O.T. is the word of God.

2.  For Christians the O.T. and the N.T. is the word of God.

3.  For Catholics it is the O.T. and the N.T. and the Apocrypha.   The Pope is their chief prophet.

4.  For Jehovah’s Witnesses it is the O.T. and the N.T. and the Watchtower and Tract Society.  Charles Taze Russell was their original prophet.

5.  For Mormons it is the O.T. and the N.T. and Doctrine and Covenants.  Joseph Smith is considered the chief prophet.

6.  For Muslims it is the Qur’an.  Muhammad is the chief prophet.

7.  And we could go on identifying various prophets and even more documents considered to be information sent from God.

8.  It is enough to make one throw up their arms in frustration and conclude that it is impossible to determine what is the revelation of God.  If indeed any of it is the revelation of God.

D.  How can one know what is and what is not the revelation of God?

II.  It is certainly not the purpose of this lesson to examine the credibility of all these prophets and their documents.  Most of us believe that the Bible, as contained in the Old and New Testaments constitutes the word of God.  Like a man looking for oil, we have drilled there and found something convincing.  What have we found?   And what should we do if indeed we conclude that the Bible is the word of God?

A.  52 passages where the Bible claims to be the word of God:  Ex. 20:18-22; Deut. 18:9-22; Josh. 1:13, 17, 18; 3:9; Judges 1:2.  1 Sam. 8:10; 2 Sam. 23:2-3; Ezra 1:1; Psa. 119; Isa. 1:2; Jer. 1:1-10; Ezek. 1:1; Dan. 2:28; Hos 1:1 (All 12 minor prophets claim authority from God); Joel 1:1; 2:28; Amos 1:1-2; Amos 3:7; 7:14-16; Obad. 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Micah 1:1; Micah 3:8; Nahum 1:1; Hab. 1:1; Zeph. 1:1; Hag. 1:1; Zech. 1:1; Mal. 1:1; Matt. 1:22; 2:15; 10:20; Lk. 1:67, 70; Jn. 7:16-17; Jn. 8:28; 12:48-50; 14:23-26; 16:13-14; 17:8, 14; Acts 2:4; 1 Cor. 2:6-13; Gal. 1:11-12; Eph. 3:1-5; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 1:1-2a; 2:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; 5:12; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 3:16-17; 1 Jn. 1:1-4; Rev. 1:1-3.

B.  But the acid test of the Bible’s legitimacy is fulfilled prophecy (Deut. 18:22).

1.  Human beings are limited.  They do not know what the future holds.  Only God has the ability to predict the future.

2.  Does the Bible predict future events?  Certainly we cannot in one lesson identify all of its predictions.  We can point out a few specifics.

a.  The Bible is a library of 66 books.  It is written over a period of 1500 years, by multiple authors, speaking three different languages.  Yet, it focuses on one theme.

1)  The promise made to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3).

2)  The history of the nation of Israel takes Abraham’s descendants from Ur, to Canaan, to Egypt and back to the promised land.

i.  Exodus describes how they became a great nation in Egypt.

ii.  Joshua describes the conquering of the land of Canaan.

3)  God promised them an everlasting kingdom (2 Sam. 7:12-13).

4)   And although they went into Assyrian and Babylonian captivity God sent his King in Jesus Christ (Acts 2:29ff).  And although he was crucified he was raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of God.

5)  All of this predicted by the Scriptures.

b.  If these things are true we must conclude that God is speaking in the Bible.

c.  Such is the view of the biblical writers themselves.

1)  Note Acts 2:30-35.

2)  Note 1 Pet. 1:10-12.

d.  Such is the view of Jesus (Lk. 4:27; cf. Isa. 61:1ff).

e.  Such is the view of Paul (Gal. 3:8ff).

3.  Whether we believe the Bible predicts future events or not we must confess that that is what the biblical writers believed (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

4.  The frequent quotations from the O.T. in the N.T. bear testimony to the belief that the N.T. writers believed that God had predicted events that were taking place in their day.  It is a life-time venture to observe and study the quotations from the O.T. in the N.T.  Every one becomes a testimony to their belief God fulfilled His promises.

III.  The question is do you believe it?  And if you do, what are you going to do with it?

A.  There have always been those who have chosen to believe what is false.  Some of the Jews of the first century refused to hear (Jn. 8:43-45).

B.  2 Thess. 2:10-12 refers to those who did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.  Instead they believed a lie because they took pleasure in wickedness.

C.   What will you do with the truth?

Conclusion:

1.  God is not willing that any should perish. 2.  He has given us good information with convincing evidence. 3.  But we must give in to it if we are to experience its benefits. 4.  Will you?