Isaiah 28:9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.
13 But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Before we get into the study for today, we have to let you know that God has cautioned the peoples of earth, that the time is coming, and it is almost here, when it will become increasingly difficult for people to find and understand the unadulterated word of God.
And now, folks are just on the brink of a cataclysmic transformation of scripture, which threatens to hit the world like a freight train. This is because, as we have stated time and time again, satan’s work is not startling at the outset, for he is a systematic worker who introduces evil to the masses of people, with apparently the best of intentions.
Satan does not necessarily seek to eliminate the word of God, because he cannot; instead, he prefers to mint so many versions and interpretations of the Bible that the sincere seeker for truth would have to sift through a maze of modified and altered versions which keep coming onstream fast and furiously.
First, the efforts began seemingly harmlessly, to try to make the word of God more user friendly, and easier for persons to read. That’s all well and good. But then, newer versions were minted with gender friendly texts and commentary. Then Bibles which portrayed, and favored certain cultural or political biases started coming to the surface.
Now, today, we have over 1000 different versions of the King James version and a Queen James version is now in circulation, for persons who favor certain aspects of pop culture.
Now, PETA, the acronym for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, one of the more prominent animal rights groups across the land have released their own animal friendly version of Genesis.
Since the letter E in the acronym stands for “Ethical” it will be appropriate for us at this time to observe what the word Ethics means: A set of moral issues or aspects of rightness; the discipline dealing with what is good or bad, right or wrong.
Now, it is true that PETA has done great work in our society, by highlighting the cruelties done to animals on commercial farms, and assisting in various ways, to bring the offenders to justice. Changes have been made for the better in many ways that are without a doubt, beneficial to animals that, would otherwise have been neglected and abused.
But we must drill down deeper, for if they now find it necessary to mint a revised version of the Genesis story to make it more humane and animal friendly, it begs of investigation, as to why such a rendition is warranted on ethical grounds.
Now if ethical issues are brought into question, that would undoubtedly call God’s character to account, since very much of all the animal activity in Genesis has to do with God directly, from their creation to the sacrifices that were ordained by God Himself.
Using Chat-GPT to write their version, they’ve now made a makeover of the Genesis account, filled with animal rights and vegan teachings. In their version, animals are referred to as “beings”, not as creatures or beasts, and plant fibers, like hemp, and bamboo, are used in place of animal skins for clothing, hinting that it was cruel of God to make clothing of skins.
In their version of Genesis, Abraham befriends a lamb instead of sacrificing a lamb, and both Abraham and Sarah adopt a dog named Herbie, for PETA believes God wouldn’t ever permit animal cruelty, and thus, these creative liberties have been taken.
According to Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, “The Bible has long been used to justify all forms of oppression, so we’ve used ChatGPT to make it clear that a loving God would never endorse exploitation of, or cruelty to animals.”
Now, some may say that they would never read any such version of Genesis, but could it be that some folks may already be thinking along PETA’s lines of reasoning. For instance, which of the two offerings brought by Cain and Abel would be deemed more humane?
We dare to suggest that most persons might vouch for Cain’s brand of worship, if given a choice, for his offering apparently spared the life of an innocent lamb, and thus, because the shedding of blood is something that most persons recoil from, it is not a stretch to think that Cain’s worship will most likely, be more pleasing to the majority of people.
By the way, Cain spares the lamb, but strangles his brother in the same breath. Thus, we should never be deceived by the undergirding modes of thought which may be driving the overt actions, for as we have stated before, the mark of the beast has much more top do with a mindset, than with the mark in the hand or the forehead.
If the book of Genesis, and other books of the Bible have to be edited, or modified, and reinterpreted by Chat-GPT and artificial intelligence to fall in line with our cultural biases, or, the popular version of ethics, then, following that same mode of thought would inevitably lead some to believe that The God of the Bible is cruel.
This sentiment has actually been harbored by many, and as a result, some folks view the God of the Old Testament as being entirely different from the God of the New Testament.
Hence the reason why God caused the following to be written, warning us that the truth would become more difficult to find, especially if persons tend to be swayed by political or cultural biases. Let’s read:
Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
Thus, when reading the Bible, the sincere seeker for truth must be prepared to lay aside his or her biases and political persuasions. Cultural norms, and things which might be socially acceptable should never be made to interfere with or taint that which is written, for this is strictly forbidden by God.
Again, the Bible is its own interpreter, and therefore must be allowed at all times to speak authoritatively for itself. Additions or subtractions made to suit the fancy are forbidden and every private interpretation is to be held at bay. We must come to the scriptures as learners, not to dictate to God what we may feel His word should or shouldn’t say.
Prayer before a study of the word of God is a must, for, without a humble submission to be taught by God we would be liable to wrest the Scripture from its true meaning, and this almost always leads folks to beat about upon the rocks of infidelity.
The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible writers, and thus, we will need the presence and power of The Spirit in order to read and interpret correctly. The apostle Paul speaks of persons who study and study, and yet are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
That’s because the Scriptures cannot be approached using the same methods or strategies like science or mathematics. A humble attitude would be of more value than lots of intelligence, when studying God’s word, and the intention to obey that which is read is the determining factor in whether one understands the Bible. Let’s read:
John 7: 16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
[Counsels for the Church pp 88] There is much reading of the Bible that is without profit, and in many cases, is a positive injury. When the word of God is opened without reverence, and without prayer; when the thoughts and affections are not fixed upon God or in harmony with his will the mind is clouded with doubt.
And in the very study of the Bible, skepticism strengthens. The enemy takes control of the thoughts, and he suggests interpretations that are not correct.
The habit of taking one isolated scripture, and then building a doctrine or theory on it, is not the way we are to draw our conclusions. Line must be upon line and precept must be upon precept. In other words, several passages of scripture would have to stacked, and studied together, so that a correct exegesis can be arrived at.
One of the pitfalls to avoid when studying the Bible is that of literal interpretation in every instance. The tendency to take God literally every time He speaks could lead persons to do some very strange things. Take for instance, the following passage, which says to cut your hand if it offends you. Let’s read:
Matthew 5:29 And if thy right eye offends you pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offends thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Believe it or not, these two verses are implemented in the most literal sense in certain parts of the world because in some countries, the hand, or foot are cut off either caused offence by stealing certain things.
When the philistines finally captured Samson, they literally plucked out his two eyes, for as far as they were concerned, he had caused much offence. But spiritual things are spiritually discerned, and anyone who studies the Bible, as it stipulates it ought to be studied, could never ever come to such a gruesome conclusion. Let’s read:
Luke 9:53 And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.
54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?
55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
56 For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
Literalist interpretation has also led to the doctrine of Transubstantiation, by which certain religions do teach that the bread and wine of the communion, becomes the literal flesh and blood of Christ, when it is ingested. This is lifted from a passage that was never intended to be taken literally. Let’s read:
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.
27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
28 For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
If Christ meant this literally, He would be advocating cannibalism, something that is strictly forbidden in other parts of the Bible. But, if the Bible is studied as it says it must be studied, any hint of cannibalism is immediately refuted and proscribed to never land forever. Let’s read:
Leviticus 7:26 Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood, whether it be of fowl or of beast, in any of your dwellings.
27 Whatsoever soul it be that eats any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.
Literalist interpretation has also led to the doctrine of the natural immortality of the soul. The parable of Abraham and Lazarus, the real life account of Saul and the witch of Endor, together with several other passages that were erroneously taken literally, have also led to the false doctrine that the human soul is immortal. Let’s take some examples:
Genesis 35:16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
1st Kings 17:17 And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
18 And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
19 And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
20 And he cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
21 And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord, and said, O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
22 And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
Ecclesiastes 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
In all three of the examples given, the Hebrew word NEPHESH is used, and it occurs several times in the Old Testament, but never does the word suggest, or even refer to some disembodied intelligent entity of a person, floating around somewhere on this planet, let alone in heaven.
It is correctly interpreted as life, or breath, but not as a separate living entity, outside of the body. Thus, to arrive at correct conclusions when studying these and any other similar passages, the clear, scriptural doctrine on the matter should form the basis of the interpretation regardless of how one or more Bible writers may render an event.
Hence the reason why sound doctrine is important, for it forms the foundation of the belief system, and when doctrine is Bible based it becomes immovable and unapologetic, meaning that whatever folks may read pertaining to a specific event, the foundational doctrine never changes. Let’s read:
2nd Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Thus, the following Biblical passages form the basis and foundation of the correct belief system, as it pertains to the state of man in death. However, and whatever one or more Bible writers might seem to say to the contrary, must never be made to do any violence to the core, Biblical tenet on the matter. Let’s read:
Genesis 2: 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof thou shalt surely die.
Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it was thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Ecclesiastes 9:4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
6 Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.
Job 7: 9 As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away, so he that goes down to the grave shall come up no more.
10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore.
Thus, when persons read the following narrative, it would be well if their minds had been previously garrisoned with the core, foundational doctrine of the state of man in death and therefore, whatsoever the writer in question might say, or leave out in the narrative, the Biblical doctrine stands as solid as a rock. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 28:11 Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.
12 And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spoke to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.
13 And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what did you see? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.
14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.
15 And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answers me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore, I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.
16 Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?
17 And the Lord hath done to him, as he spoke by me: for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbor, even to David:
18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day.
19 Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.
That could never be Samuel. Never!
It does not even matter whether the writer, in this instance says so, for if the Bible is studied as it says it must be no one in their right mind should come to the conclusion that God permitted a witch to call His faithful servant from the grave.
To put it bluntly, the “Old man with the mantle” is none other but satan. All angels have the ability to appear in the form of men, and this has occurred on several different occasions and continues to this day in the here and now.
Christ and two holy angels met Abraham one day, in the form of men, and Abraham was none the wiser until only after the fact. They washed their feet, and sat down to eat and drink, and it was only afterward when they called Sarah by name, that Abraham was alerted to what was really taking place. Let’s read:
Genesis 18:1 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
[The Great Controversy pp 551] Here is a channel regarded as sacred, through which Satan works for the accomplishment of his purposes. The fallen angels who do his bidding appear as messengers from the spirit world. While professing to bring the living into communication with the dead, the prince of evil exercises his bewitching influence upon their minds.
He has power to bring before men the appearance of their departed friends. The counterfeit is perfect; the familiar look, the words, the tone, are reproduced with marvelous distinctness.
One of the more critically important requirements when studying the Scriptures is that of harboring, and cultivating the perspective that God is love, and that everything God does is from a foundation of loving-kindness. Let’s read:
1st John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Even His judgements are to be interpreted from this very perspective, or else persons will draw wrong conclusions as to His intents and purposes. When God shed the blood of the first lamb, to clothe our first parents, it was an act of love.
When God sent His Son to die on Calvary, it was an act of love. We just cannot say it enough, for what ever God does, be it acts of mercy, healing, reproof or judgements, it has always been, and will always be from the perspective of love, for the principle of love defines who God is.
The flood of the antediluvian world, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all the blessings, and curses found in the book of Deuteronomy are all to be seen in the context of God’s love. God doesn’t do anything that will not be in the best interest of the beings He has created.
Therefore, even if some might stumble, or balk at some of His actions in the Old Testament, we would never be moved, or even shaken in our faith, if our core understanding of God is that He is love.
Persons who have not come to this understanding as yet, have a long way to go, for without it, there’s a very real possibility that when studying the Bible, one may read into it, what the Bible writers never intended, and as such, a person may become angry or upset with God for doing such and such in some instances. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Take for example, in the following passages, we read of a God who might seem to be fuming mad at His people on account of their idolatry at Mt. Sinai, and it might seem as if He is so fed up with the Hebrews to the point where He is just about to disown them. Let’s read:
Exodus 32: 9 And the Lord said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff-necked people:
10 Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
Question: How would you understand this passage? Would you go away with the impression that God has had it up to here with them? Or would you see it as God calling Moses to intercessory prayer, for the good of His people?
Depending on how one views God, the passage will be interpreted in one of two ways, either that God is finished with His people, or that He is yearning to save them from themselves. Which one is it? At this juncture we’ll have to let you know that many folks may read and study the Bible, and yet do not know who God is! Let’s read:
Exodus 32:11 And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
14 And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
[Patriarchs & Prophets pp 318] Moses discerned ground for hope where there appeared only discouragement and wrath. The words of God, “Let Me alone,” he understood not to forbid but to encourage intercession, implying that nothing but the prayers of Moses could save Israel, but that if thus entreated, God would spare His people.
Moses understood that core principle of love we spoke of earlier, as being an intrinsic element in the character of God, and even if it now seems as if God is frustrated with His people, Moses would remain unshaken in his belief and understanding that God is love.
Thus, it will be with everyone who understands that God is love, and with every story that is read in the Bible, such a person will be able to clearly read and interpret God’s actions in most cases, even when it has to do with judgements. It will always be seen or interpreted in the context of God’s love. Let’s read:
Genesis 6: 5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
These passages depict not only justice, but mercy and love to the human family, with the very best of interest for all in mind. In fact, if God did not destroy the antediluvian world when He did, no one would be alive today, and the human race would have long ago become entirely extinct. Several specifics about the antediluvian make this crystal clear. Let’s read:
[Patriarchs And Prophets pp 91>99] Polygamy had been early introduced, contrary to the divine arrangement at the beginning. The Lord gave to Adam one wife, showing His order in that respect. But after the Fall, men chose to follow their own sinful desires; and as the result, crime and wretchedness rapidly increased.
Neither the marriage relation nor the rights of property were respected. Whosoever coveted the wives or the possessions of his neighbor, took them by force, and men exulted in their deeds of violence.
They delighted in destroying the life of animals; and the use of flesh for food rendered them still more cruel and bloodthirsty, until they came to regard human life with astonishing indifference. As sin became general, it appeared less and less sinful, and they finally declared that the divine law was no longer in force.
The altars on which human sacrifices had been offered were torn down, and the worshipers were made to tremble at the power of the living God, and to know that it was their corruption and idolatry which had called down their destruction.
Persons who choose to study the Bible in our day are to bear in mind that the object of such a study is to understand, and appreciate the character of God, with the intention of following in Christ’s footsteps as they are empowered by His Holy Spirit to do so.
Merely studying for argument’s sake, or to bring up controversial points and questions, will cause folks to miss the boat entirely, for the ones who are given light and knowledge are not to hold the principles of righteousness both in theory and in practice for the sealing work of God in the forehead, settles persons into the truth both intellectually and spiritually. Let’s read:
[G.C pp 593] Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in his Word; they can honor him only as they have a right conception of his character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to study the Bible for ourselves, and when this is done on a consistent basis, the benefits thereof will accrue, to the glory of God and to the benefit of those with whom we come in contact. Let’s read:
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
God Bless!