Archeological & Historical Evidence of the Exodus

Sunday we surveyed the story of Exodus in our study of the doctrine of redemption. The prototype of what the Bible means by "redemption" is the Exodus story. Thus redemption includes freedom from bondage and a leading to the promise land. In light of that I was reminded of our study of Exodus a number of months ago and some of the resources I posted in light of it. Below is one of those posts in addition to other resources available on the book of Exodus you might find beneficial.


I must admit that the archeological and historical challenges surrounding the Exodus and Israel in Egypt have been a difficult part for me. I have been told for years that there was no evidence that Israel had ever been in Egypt, that they were redeemed by a former, adopted prince of Egypt, and that they wondered in the desert for 40 years. Though I have since learned that there is some evidence supporting the contrary, I have not heard much scholarship supporting the biblical record. Below is a video suggesting that there is in fact evidence of Israel in Egypt and the Exodus and it comes from a respectable scholar. Though I have not seen all of this lecture yet, but this is a great presentation showing evidence of Israel in Egypt and the Exodus.



Lecture with Dr. James Hoffmeier from Lanier Theological Library on Vimeo


HT: Justin Taylor


I would also point you to this History Channel special that I saw parts of a few years ago that seeks to show that there is some evidence of the Exodus and Israel in Egypt. The host tries to make a natural explanation for the supernatural events, but I post it only because there are some interesting points made. The host has been known to make some wild, inaccurate claims before perhaps most famously is his assertion that the lost tomb of Jesus had been found.





Also consider this exciting movie called the Search For the Real Mount Sinai.





Originally published February 25, 2012


For more:
The Mountain of Fire: A Documentary on Mount Sinai
The Prince of Egypt: Moses and the Burning Bush Scene
The Prince of Egypt: The 10 Plagues
Prince Of Egypt - The Parting & Crossing the Red Sea

Jonah: Salvation is From the Lord Sermon Series

We have finished yet another sermon series this time on the wonderful book of Jonah. Below are the links to all of the sermon/sermon notes as well as all of the articles and other resources.


Sermons

April 7, 2013 | Jonah 1:1-3 - You Can Run But Not Hide: Why That is Really Good News
April 14, 2013 | Jonah 1:4-17 - Grace Goes Both Ways You Know: Why that is Really Really Good News
April 21, 2013 | Jonah 2:1-10 - Salvation is From the Lord: Why I Stand Amazed  & Not Condemned
May 5, 2013 | Jonah 3:1-10 - Some Things Never Change: Divine Stubbornness & Why Grace is Unconditional
May 19, 2013 | Jonah 4:1-11 - Should I Not Have Compassion?


Articles

How Are We to Understand Jonah: As Historical?
How Are We to Understand Jonah: As Midrash?
How Are We to Understand Jonah: As Allegorical?
Holman Dictionary on Jonah
Bibledex on Jonah
VeggieTales and Jonah
Man Swallowed By Hippo & Lived to Tell About It


Other Series

Faith in the Midst of God-Ordained Storms Sermon Series 
God: Proper Theology Proper Sermon Series  
The Sermon on the Mount Series
Matthew Thus Far:  Matthew 1-5
Matthew 8-12 - The King Has Come: The Gospel According to Matthew Series
The Last Week of Jesus: From Triumphal Entry to Triumphal Grave Series
Fruitie-Tales: Living By the Fruit of the Spirit
Basic Christianity Series
Revelation Study

March 31, 2013 | Zechariah 3:1-10 - Say Yes to the Dress: The Gospel, the Empty Tomb, And What Not to Wear | Easter 2013

For Resurrection Sunday this year we turned to a unique passage in an often ignored book of the Bible Zechariah. I believe this is a wonderful picture of the gospel that we ought to turn to often.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. ² The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” ³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. ⁴ He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” ⁵ Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by.
 
⁶ And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, ⁷ “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here.

⁸ Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. ⁹ For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. ¹⁰ ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’”




Audio
Notes


Previous Easter Sermons:
April 24, 2011 | Romasn 6:1-14 - Three Wooden Powerlines: Why the Cross & Resurrection Transacts and Transforms (Easter 2011)
April 4, 2010 - Mark 15:1-15: I Am Barabbas and So Are You (Easter 2010) 
Easter 2009 Message - John 20:19-31 - From Doubting Thomas to Eternal Life - audio
Easter 2009 Message - John 20:19-31 - From Doubting Thomas to Eternal Life - notes


For more:
Its Friday, But Sunday's Coming
God's Wonderful Surprise: The Glorious Resurrection
 "In Christ Alone" by Keith & Kristyn Getty
The Miracle of the New Creation: CS Lewis on the Resurrection

July 29, 2012 | Ezekiel 37:1-14 - Can These Bones Live? - Glen Dean Day 2012

Last Sunday was the annual Glen Dean Day where people from around the country gathered in our community for fellowship, worship, and of course, food! As always, we had a great time and I enjoyed seeing everyone again. Our text was Ezekiel 37:1-14, the infamous Valley of the Dry Bones.

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones. ² He caused me to pass among them round about, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley; and lo, they were very dry. ³ He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, You know.” ⁴ Again He said to me, “ Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’ ⁵ Thus says the Lord God to these bones, ‘Behold, I will cause breath to enter you that you may come to life. ⁶ I will put sinews on you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin and put breath in you that you may come alive; and you will know that I am the Lord.’”
 
⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸ And I looked, and behold, sinews were on them, and flesh grew and skin covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹ Then He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they come to life.”’” ¹⁰ So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

¹¹ Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off.’ ¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. ¹⁴ I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’”





Audio
Notes


For more:
Sermon - July 31, 2011 | Ephesians 2:11-22 - Brown & Black Don't Make Gray: Art, The Gospel, and Church Unity
Sermon - Glen Dean Day 2010 | July 25, 2010 - Revelation 2:1-7 - All You Lack is Love: The Danger of a Cold Faith
Sermon - Glen Dean Day 2009 | Psalm 23:1:  The Peace of Contentment    

November 27, 2011 | Psalm 22: The Lord is My Deliverer

Last Sunday we looked at another Psalm of David.  This one is both a Psalm of Lament and a Messianic Psalm.  Next to Isaiah 53, no other text in the Old Testament offer us such vivid and accurate descriptions of the cross than this.  Yet in all of it, we not only see Christ hanging on the cross for our sins, but we hear the cries of a desperate man pleading for help trusting his God will deliver him.





Audio
Notes


For more:

Bibledex on Micah

Here is the video from the folks at Bibledex for the book of Micah which we will discuss tonight.  It should be a fascinating discussion.  Again I don't agree with everything that is said here, but I fit a helpful review nonetheless.  One of the things I disagree with is the suggestion that Micah has two authors.  Many suggest that Micah actually wrote (or at least prophesied) the first three chapters while chapters 4-7 were added at a later period.  I reject this wholeheartedly.





For more:
Bibledex on Nahum  
Bibledex on Habbakuk 
Bibledex on Zephaniah
Bibledex on Zechariah
Bibledex on Malachi  
Bibledex on Matthew 
Bibledex on Mark  
Bibledex on Luke 
Bibledex on John 
Bibledex on Romans
Bibledex on 2 Corinthians
Bibledex on Ephesians 
Bibledex on Philippians
Bibledex on Colossians 
Bibledex on 2 Thessalonians 

Bibledex on Zephaniah

Here is the video from the folks at Bibldex on the Book of Zephaniah.  Again, I don't always agree with some of their arguments and theories, but I do find the videos fascinating.





For more:
Bibledex on Zechariah
Bibledex on Malachi  
Bibledex on Matthew 
Bibledex on Mark  
Bibledex on Luke 
Bibledex on John 
Bibledex on Romans
Bibledex on 2 Corinthians
Bibledex on Ephesians 
Bibledex on Philippians
Bibledex on Colossians 
Bibledex on 2 Thessalonians

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: That's My Astronomy - An Important Illustration About Religion

As I was studying the book of Malachi for tonight's Bible study I came across the following humorous illustration.  I originally heard it from Dr. Mark Dever in his sermon on the book of Malachi.  What I like about it is the point it makes and its connection with Malachi.  Malachi is a book about true worship of God apart from fake religion.  Today there are many who simply go through the motions of religion and evangelicalism and think that God accepts such empty faith.  Others have the opposite reaction and simply suggest that knowing God in any deep reality isn't important.

The following illustration responds to the latter:

George Buttrick was for many years the popular Senior Minister of Madison Avenue Presbyterian
Church in New York and a highly south-after preacher.

One Saturday morning he was flying back to Manhattan after spending the week as the main speaker at
a preachers’ conference. During the flight he pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil, and began
sketching some notes for Sunday’s sermon.

After noticing what he was doing, the man sitting next to him said, “I hope I’m not being too forward here – you’re obviously preparing something important. Could you tell me what in the world you’re working on?”
 
“Oh, I’m a Presbyterian minister,” Dr. Buttrick replied. “I’m working on my sermon for Sunday.”
 
“Oh, religion,” said the man. “I don’t like to get all caught up in the in’s and out’s and complexities of religion. I like to keep it simple. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ The Golden Rule – that’s all the religion you need!”
 
“Well that is important, but for me it’s much deeper than that,” Dr. Buttrick replied.
 
“May I ask what it is that you do?”
 
“I’m an astronomer. I teach at the university,” the man replied.
 
“Oh yes,” said Dr. Buttrick. “Astronomy – I don’t like to get all caught up in the in’s and out’s and
complexities of astronomy. ‘Twinkle, twinkle little star,’ – that’s my astronomy.”

(Quoted by Tom Long in “Ten Great Preachers” p. 87)

HT:  Rev. Don Parsons 

Bibledex on Malachi

Tonight we began looking at the Old Testament.  And since we're going backwards, we begin with the end of our Old Testament:  the book of the Prophet Malachi.  The twelve minor prophets are among the most neglected books of the Bible and so the next 12 weeks will be important.  Here is the video published by the folks at Bibledex discussing the book.  As always, I don't agree with everything said, but the videos are helpful nonetheless.




For more:
Bibledex on Matthew 
Bibledex on Mark  
Bibledex on Luke 
Bibledex on John 
Bibledex on Romans
Bibledex on 2 Corinthians
Bibledex on Ephesians 
Bibledex on Philippians
Bibledex on Colossians 
Bibledex on 2 Thessalonians

June 21, 2009: The Faithful Father

You can download the notes by clicking here. Otherwise, the audio can be downloaded by clicking on the title.

Romans 2: To the Jew First

April 5, 2009 - Leviticus 16:15-22: The Day of (Christ's) Atonement

Click on the title to listen/download audio. You can download the notes by clicking here.

Basic Chrsitianity: Humility Part 1 Sermon Notes

To download my sermon notes, click here.

Basic Christianity: Daniel 4:29-37 - Humility Before God

To download my sermon notes, click here.