Bible Studies, Inspired by Faith and Science

When did Isaiah make the famous prophecy about a virgin being with child? What place did Isaiah use to represent Hell? Who did Isaiah heal with figs? When did the sun go backwards ten degrees? Whose army disappeared overnight? Which king was in charge when Hilkiah found the book of law? Which king restored temple worship to its original form? Why do Kings and Chronicles tell the same stories? Why might chapters in Isaiah not be in the right order?   When did worship become centered on the Temple? Isaiah’s writings start under King Ahaz and would have been collected after his death to form the “book” we know. They include a mix of prophecies, essays and historical accounts, not necessarily in chronological order, and combined with Kings and Chronicles, they tell a story consistent with other historical sources. Isaiah’s most famous Christian prophecy comes in the time of Ahaz when God promises an enemy will fail dur...

How did the golden shields in Solomon's temple turn into bronze? How is the mother of Abijam related to his father? Where did the Ethiopians do during Asa’s reign? What illness did King Asa have? What did Asa do with the remaining temple gold? How did it affect Jehoshaphat? Who were Micaiah and Zedekaiah? What happened to the relationship with Edom under Jehoram, Jehoshophat’s son? Who caused the deaths of a king of Israel and a king of Judah, both at the same time? What was Jehu famous for?  Rehoboam retains only the southern part of Israel, called Judah for the predominant tribe, after the country splits. Although he’s said to have lost ten tribes, in fact the land belongs to Judah, Simeon and Benjamin, and there are still Levites living there. It also contains Jerusalem and Solomon’s Temple, and the Temple treasures, but Shishak of Egypt attacks and steals the gold, so Rehoboam makes fake treasures from bronze. Rehoboam’s son Ab...

History of Israel – Prophets, Priests and Kings Moses: The Bible says Moses was “grown-up” when he fled from Egypt and 80 when he returned, but it’s possible that the number 40 means a generation, making him around 25 (and hotheaded) and 50 (ready to obey) ( Exodus 2:11, 7:7 ). Historians argue about the timing of the Exodus, but it’s possibly to make the Biblical and historical numbers agree, as long as we assume that all three lists of high priests between Aaron and Solomon’s temple are supposed to agree with each other ( Ezra 7:1-5, 1 Chronicles 6:50-53, 3-13 ). Everyone knows (and frequently argues) about the Red Sea crossing ( Exodus 14:21 ), but the Jordan also ran dry ( Joshua 3:16 ), and both crossings can be scientifically explained, if we accept that God has control over nature. Judges: Once the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they split into separate tribes, ruled by judges. Throughout this period the worship of local gods gets mixed in with the worship of God, and pro...

Fourth Week in Advent: The Birth Luke 2:1, Census: What if… the names are almost right? It’s rare for us to find complete records of any period of history, and likewise rare to find completely accurate records. The Bible’s account of the census sounds likely and plausible; the names sound right even if we can’t verify them completely yet. One day we may. Luke 2:4, Bethlehem: What if… it wasn’t a stable? Bethlehem was originally the home town of the Benjaminites, but the tribe of Benjamin shrinks during the Old Testament. Bethlehem of Judah, where David was born, could be the original Bethlehem absorbed into the larger lands of Judah, or a nearby town in Judah with the same name. (Jesus is born of David’s line, from the tribe of Judah.) Traditionally, it would be very offensive for relatives not to provide accommodation to visitors. It’s likely that houses had stables on the lower level for animals, so perhaps Jesus was born in the stable area of a crowded house. It could still have...