Why Bother Reading the Lists in the Bible?

Today is Vesak Day. Let us take the opportunity to look at a booklet written by A.L. De Silva, "Beyond Belief: a Buddhist Critique of Christianity", Chapter 6: A Critique of the Bible, which I had quoted in an earlier post A Woman Named Damaris.

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If the Bible really is God's word it indicates that he is a very strange being indeed One would expect that the creator of the universe would only speak to man when he had something of great importance to say and that what he said would be of universal significance. Not so. The book of Chronicles for example consists of little more than lists of names of people we know little or nothing about and who died thousands of years ago. No commandments, no ethical principles, no hints on how to live properly or to worship God - just page after page of useless names. Why would God waste his and our time revealing such things?
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The author questioned the "page after page of useless names" in the Bible. And I happened to find the answer today in Why Bother Reading the Lists in the Bible? - ONE FOR ISRAEL Ministry.

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Lists and genealogies are evidence that the Bible is no fairy tale
Consider the profound difference between "Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, lived a king…" and the Biblical way of introducing a story:
"The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month." (Jeremiah 1:1-3)
Instead of the vague introductions of myths and legends, the Biblical insistence on telling you not just one but often several generations of relatives, on clarifying the tribe and clan, specifying the exact year and month (and sometimes day), giving the timing in reference to other events (the reign of a certain king, the captivity of Jerusalem, and so on) is an indication that the author expects their readers to accept what they are saying as historical fact. They provide abundant and verifiable data because they are giving an account of what actually happened, and want you to be sure of that. Lists of people, numbers and places are a sign of authenticity. Through examination of verifiable names and places in the New Testament, scholars can show that the gospels are eyewitness accounts, and not fabrications. Similarly, thanks to the information given to us in such great detail, study of the Bible is made a lot easier when trying to build timelines and understand family trees. Archaeologists and historians use the Bible as a source for these reasons.
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Compare and contrast the lists found and in Bible and an example of list in the Buddhist sutra, The Larger Sūtra of Immeasurable Life.

QUOTE
佛告阿難。乃往過去久遠無量不可思議無央數劫。錠光如來興出於世。教化度脫無量衆生。皆令得道乃取滅度。次有如來名曰光遠。次名月光。次名栴檀香。次名善山王。次名須彌天冠。次名須彌等曜。次名月色。次名正念。次名離垢。次名無著。次名龍天。次名夜光。次名安明頂。次名不動地。次名琉璃妙華。次名琉璃金色。次名金藏。次名炎光。次名炎根。次名地種。次名月像。次名日音。次名解脫華。次名莊嚴光明。次名海覺神通。次名水光。次名大香。次名離塵垢。次名捨厭意。次名寶炎。次名妙頂。次名勇立。次名功德持慧。次名蔽日月光。次名日月琉璃光。次名無上琉璃光。次名最上首。次名菩提華。次名月明。次名日光。次名華色王。次名水月光。次名除癡冥。次名度蓋行。次名淨信。次名善宿。次名威神。次名法慧。次名鸞音。次名師子音。次名龍音。次名處世。如此諸佛皆悉已過
The Buddha said to Ānanda, "In the distant past - innumerable, incalculable and inconceivable kalpas ago - a Tathāgata named Dīpaṃkara appeared in the world. Having taught and freed innumerable beings and led them all along the path of Enlightenment, he passed into Nirvāṇa. Next appeared a Tathāgata named Far-reaching Light. After him came Moonlight, and then Sandalwood-Incense, King of Beautiful Mountains, Crown of Mount Sumeru, Brilliant like Mount Sumeru, Color of the Moon, Right Recollection, Free of Defilement, Non-attachment, Dragon-deva, Nocturnal Light, Peaceful and Brilliant Peak, Immovable Ground, Exquisite Beryl Flower, Golden Beryl Luster, Gold-treasury, Flaming Light, Fiery Origin, Earth-shaking, Image of the Moon, Sound of the Sun, Flower of Freedom, Glorious Light, Miraculous Power of the Ocean of Enlightenment, Water Light, Great Fragrance, Free of Dust and Defilement, Abandoning Enmity, Flame of Jewels, Beautiful Peak, Heroic Stance, Merit-possessing Wisdom, Outshining the Sun and the Moon, Beryl Light of the Sun and the Moon, Supreme Beryl Light, Highest Peak, Flower of Enlightenment, Brightness of the Moon, Sunlight, King of the Colors of Flowers, Moonlight on the Water, Dispelling the Darkness of Ignorance, Practice of Removing Hindrances, Pure Faith, Storage of Good, Majestic Glory, Wisdom of the Dharma, Call of the Phoenix, Roar of the Lion, Voice of the Dragon and Dwelling-in-the-world. All these Buddhas have already passed into Nirvāṇa."
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Messengers - Bible vs Koran

Allah claimed to have sent messengers to every nation and "there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them (35:24)". But every time "there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him (23:44)". It was not stated whether these messengers wrote books, but even if they did, the messages were lost.

God sent His messengers to only one nation - the nation of Israel (Matthew 15:24). The written message (Hebrews 1:1-4, Luke 24:27) began with Moses and ended with John the Apostle. The messengers were rejected (Matthew 23:37) but the message prevailed (Matthew 5:18).

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! (Luke 13:34 ESV)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. (Matthew 24:35 ESV)

Allah Sent Messengers To Every Nation - Updated

Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]. (4:163 Sahih International)
And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech. (4:164 Sahih International)
And for every Ummah (a community or a nation), there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged (10:47 Muhsin Khan version).
Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him, so We made them follow one another [to destruction], and We made them narrations. So away with a people who do not believe. (23:44 Sahih International)
Verily! We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner. And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them (35:24 Muhsin Khan version).

Allah claimed to have sent messengers to every nation and "there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them (35:24)". But "Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him (23:44)".

Love Your Enemies

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17 NIV)

Then I said, "See, I have come; in the scroll it is written about me. (Psalm 40:7 CSB)

A lot of people thought that Jesus came to teach something new and they wanted to follow His teachings. But everything that Jesus taught is found in the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament). For example, everyone thought that loving your enemies is something new taught by Jesus. It is not. It is found in the Law given to Moses by God and also in Proverbs.

"If you come upon your enemy's ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help. (Exodus 23:4-5 NLT)
Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:17-18 NLT)
Don't rejoice when your enemies fall; don't be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them. (Proverbs 24:17-18 NLT)
If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you. (Proverbs 25:21-22 NLT)

Jesus came not to bring new teachings, but to be the Lamb of God to die for the sins of the world.

"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. (John 12:27 ESV)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29 ESV)

The Sign Of Jonah

But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Matthew 12:39 ESV)

The Pharisees in Jesus days loved money. They expect a spectacular sign from Jesus to prove that He is the messiah before they were willing to give up their love of money. But Jesus refused to provide any sign except that of His resurrection.

Today, we have many Christians, who are lovers of money and they expect many signs from their pastors. Those pastors who cannot produce signs but preach the resurrection of Christ are despised.

The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. (Luke 16:14 ESV)

The Bride's Response

The Bible often described the relationship between God and Israel and Jesus and His church as a marriage (Isaiah 54:5, 2 Corinthians 11:2). So what must the bride do?

Make God number one.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:37 ESV)

Keep His commandments and He will reveal Himself to you.
The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him." (John 14:21 CSB)

Intimacy - you are mine and I am yours.
I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. (Exodus 6:7 NIV)

The Founding Of The Church

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs - we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" (Acts 2:1-12 NIV)

Unlike many religions, Christianity is not started by one man's ideas. Christianity is started by a group of people who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ and were convinced by His resurrection that He is the Lamb of God, offered as the Saviour of the world.

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 NIV)

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16 NIV)

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV)

And they went out to spread this good news to the all the nations, as commanded by Jesus.

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV)

Salvation Is The Work Of God Alone

Only God can save. No one else is qualified to do it.
I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. (Isaiah 43:11 ESV)
Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. (Psalm 3:8 KJV)
And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:10 NIV)
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 ESV)

The work (or response) of man is to see and believe.
"What exactly does God want us to do?" the people asked. Jesus answered, "God wants you to have faith in the one he sent." (John 6:28-29 CEV)
And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. (Exodus 14:13 ESV)
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover." (Numbers 21:8 CSB)
Let all the world look to me for salvation! For I am God; there is no other. (Isaiah 45:22 NLT)
"Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (John 8:24 NASB)

Our Work Is To Believe

Jesus replied, "This is the deed God requires - to believe in the one whom he sent." (John 6:29 NET)

Geneva Study Bible
{5} Jesus answered and said unto them, {g} This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
(5) Men torment themselves in vain when they try to please God without faith.
(g) That is, this is the work that God requires, that you believe in me, and therefore he calls them back to faith.

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

Answered Prayers - Paul's Journey To Rome - 3

One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. (Romans 1:10 NLT)

Paul prayed for the opportunity to visit the Roman Christians. His prayer was answered, but in an unexpected way. He came to Rome as a prisoner. The Roman Christians were able to visit him.

When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier. (Acts 28:16 NLT)

God act in unexpected ways for many things.

God also delivered Israel through Jeroboam, son of Jehoash (2 Kings 14:27).

God used the Babylonians to punish Judah (Habakkuk 1:6). The Jews found it difficult to accept.

God sent the Gospel to China through faithful preachers who came under the wings of the British imperialists, whose chief interest is to sell opium to China. In doing so, many Chinese associated Christianity with Western imperialism.

Ascension Day

After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9 CSB)

Today is Ascension Day, a public holiday in Indonesia.

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. (Acts 1:3 NIV)

Christianity is not like other religions, following the teachings of one man. All the teachings of Christianity were already taught by Moses and the prophets in the Old Testament. The main message of Christianity is an event, a fulfilment of the prophecies in the Old Testament, the coming of the Messiah to suffer and die. After three days He was resurrected. He then spent forty days with His disciples to prove to them and to convince them that He was resurrected.

Christianity is based on a historical event, related by eye-witnesses.

They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." (Acts 1:10-11 NIV)

For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16 NIV)

The Sabbath Years

"For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield, but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat. You shall do likewise with your vineyard, and with your olive orchard. (Exodus 23:10-11 ESV)

For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. (Leviticus 25:3-4 ESV)

Palestinians Fight Against Allah

Allah said in the Koran 17:104 to the children of Israel to dwell in the land. The Palestinians are Muslims and yet they go against Allah. That is why they suffer and suffer and suffer.

Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back. He will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. (Deuteronomy 30:4-5 NIV)

The Coming Prince By Sir Robert Anderson

Here is an account of how Jews might return to Palestine, written by a man who died 100 years ago. It was written in the days when the British Empire was the most powerful country on earth and all major powers were European. Imperialism was at its peak. Noticed that America was not mentioned. Although large in land area, America was a second-rate nation in those days.

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On the other hand, the analogy of the past would lead us to expect a merging of the one dispensation in the other, rather than an abrupt transition; and the question is one of peculiar interest on general grounds, whether passing events are not tending towards this very consummation, the restoration of the Jews to Palestine.

The decline of the Moslem power is one of the most patent of public facts; and if the dismemberment of the Turkish Empire be still delayed, it is due entirely to the jealousies of European nations, whose rival interests seem to render an amicable distribution of its territories impossible. But the crisis cannot be deferred indefinitely; and when it arrives, the question of greatest moment, next to the fate of Constantinople, will be, What is to become of Palestine? Its annexation by any one European state is in the highest degree improbable. The interests of several of the first-rate Powers forbid it. The way will thus be kept open to the Jews, whenever their inclinations or their destinies lead them back to the land of their fathers.

Not only would no hostile influence hinder their return, but the probabilities of the case (and it is with probabilities that we are here concerned) are in favor of the colonization of Palestine by that people to whom historically it belongs. There is some reason to believe that a movement of this kind has already begun; and if, whether by the Levant becoming a highway to India, or from some other cause, any measure of prosperity should return to those shores that were once the commercial center of the world, the Jews would migrate thither in thousands from every land.

True it is that to colonize a country is one thing, while to create a nation is another. But the testimony of Scripture is explicit that Judah's national independence is not to be regained by diplomacy or the sword. Jerusalem is to remain under Gentile supremacy until the day when Daniel's visions shall be realized. In the language of Scripture, "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." [13] But long ere then the Cross must supplant the Crescent in Judea, else it is incredible that the Mosque of Omar should give place to the Jewish Temple on the Hill of Zion.

If the operation of causes such as those above indicated, conjointly with the decay of the Moslem power, should lead to the formation of a protected Jewish state in Palestine, possibly with a military occupation of Jerusalem by or on behalf of some European Power or Powers, nothing more need be supposed than a religious revival among the Jews, to prepare the way for the fulfillment of the prophecies. [14]

"God has not cast away His people;" and when the present dispensation closes, and the great purpose has been satisfied for which it was ordained, the dropped threads of prophecy and promise will again be taken up, and the dispensation historically broken off in the Acts of the Apostles, when Jerusalem was the appointed center for God's people on earth, [15] will be resumed. Judah shall again become a nation, Jerusalem shall be restored, and that temple shall be built in which the "abomination of desolation" is to stand. [16]
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The Coming Prince Chapter 13 by Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918)

Israel's Exile Was First Prophesied By Moses

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21 NASB)

Israel's exile was first prophesied by Moses, then by Jeremiah before it came to pass. The history of Israel was pre-written by Moses because Moses is a true prophet.

I myself will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled. I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it. (Leviticus 26:32-35 NIV)

This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. (Jeremiah 25:11 ESV)

So the message of the LORD spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said. (2 Chronicles 36:21 NLT)

North And South

In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the coastlands of the sea. He will raise a signal for the nations and will assemble the banished of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. (Isaiah 11:11-13 ESV)

In those days the house of Judah shall join the house of Israel, and together they shall come from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers for a heritage. (Jeremiah 3:18 ESV)

And when your people say to you, 'Will you not tell us what you mean by these?' say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. (Ezekiel 37:18-19 ESV)

And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1:11 ESV)

The northern kingdom will also be restored.

"Not My People" Become "My People"

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." (Hosea 1:10 ESV)

"And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil, and they shall answer Jezreel, and I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, 'You are my people'; and he shall say, 'You are my God.'" (Hosea 2:21-23 ESV)

As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" (Romans 9:25 ESV)

Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:10 ESV)

Ephraim was changed from "not my people" to "my people".
Gentiles who became Christians were changed from "not my people" to "my people".

So the following could be true:

1. Gentiles who became Christians will join the tribe of Ephraim during the millennial kingdom.
2. Some Christians could be the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel and will rejoin their respective tribes during the millennial kingdom.