The Old Testament
(English)
العهد القديم
( إنجليزي )
Laurence B. Brown, MD
لورنسب براون إم دي
“[The Bible] has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; andsome blood-drenched history; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of athousand lies.”
—Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth, Vol. II
Let’s begin by putting “two of every sort (of animal) into theark,” and then … Oh, wait. Was that “two of every sort,” asper Genesis 6:19, or seven of clean and two of unclean animals, as per Genesis7:2-3?
<img width="280" height="231" alt="http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/images/The_Old_Testament_001.jpg">Hmm. Well,we’ve got up to 120 years to think about it, because that’s the limit of thehuman lifespan, as per God’s promise in Genesis 6:3. So, just like Shem …
Oops. Bad example. Genesis 11:11 states, “Shem lived five hundredyears…”
Oookay,forget Shem. So, just like Noah … Double Oops. Genesis 9:29 teaches, “So all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fiftyyears; and he died.” So let’s see, Genesis6:3 promised a lifespan limited to a hundred and twenty years, but a fewverses later both Shem and Noah broke the rule?
Whoa,time out.
Let’slook at Old Testament dates from a different angle. Here’s Genesis 16:16:“Abraham was eighty-six years old when Hagar boreIshmael to Abraham.” Genesis 21:5 tells us, “Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaacwas born to him.” So let’s see, one hundred minus eighty-six,subtract the six from the first ten, nine minus eight … I get fourteen. So Ishmael was fourteen when Isaac was born.
Abit later, in Genesis 21:8, we read, “So the child(Isaac) grew and was weaned.” Now, weaning in the Middle Easttakes two years, according to ethnic custom. So tack two onto fourteen,and Ishmael was sixteen before Sarah ordered Abraham to cast him out (Genesis 21:10).
Fine.
Sofar.
Acouple more verses, and Genesis 21:14-19 portrays the outcast Ishmael as ahelpless infant rather than an able-bodied, sixteen-year-old youth, as follows:
So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skinof water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy toHagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in theWilderness of Beersheba. And the water in the skin was used up, and she placedthe boy under one of the shrubs. Then she went and sat down acrossfrom him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let menot see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and liftedher voice and wept.
And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angelof God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where heis. Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, forI will make him a great nation.”
Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. Andshe went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink.”
Asixteen-year-old youth described as a “boy” or a “lad?” In a time andplace when sixteen year-olds were commonly married and awaiting their second orthird child while supporting a growing family? In addition to beinghunters, soldiers and, albeit rarely, even kings on occasion? Sixteenyears equated to manhood in Ishmael’s day. So how exactly did his fathergive the sixteen year-old “boy,” Ishmael, to Hagar? And how did she leavehim crying (i.e., “the voice of the lad”) like a helpless baby under a shrub? And how, precisely, did his mother lift him up and hold him with herhand? Lastly, are we truly expected to believe that Ishmael was so frailthat his mother had to give him a drink, because he was unable to get ithimself?
Uh,yes, that’s the gist of it. That’s what we’re supposed to believe.
Butwait, there’s more.
2Chronicles 22:2 teaches that “Ahaziah was forty-twoyears old when he became king….”Hunh. Forty-two years old. Hardly seems worthy of mention. Unless, thatis, we note that 2 Kings 8:26 records, “Ahaziah wastwenty-two years old when he became king …”So which was it? Forty-two or twenty-two?
Let’stake a hint from the Bible. 2 Chronicles 21:20teaches that Ahaziah’s father, King Jehoram,died at the age of forty.
Ahem.
KingJehoram died at the age of forty and was succeeded by his son, who wasforty-two? In other words, King Jehoram fathered a child two years olderthan himself? Arithmetic, according to Mickey Mouse, is “Being able to count up to twenty without taking off yourshoes.” But between the reader’s toes and all appendages of thefamily cat, there’s no way to make sense of these figures. And while thelogical conclusion approaches ramming speed, 2Chronicles 22:1 points out that Ahaziah was King Jehoram’s youngestson, for raiders had killed all Jehoram’s older sons.
Soif Ahaziah was two years older than dear departed Dad, how many years did hisolder brothers have on their father?
Obviously, 2 Chronicles 22:2 can’t be trusted and 2 Kings 8:26,which teaches that Ahaziah was twenty-two when he became king, must be thecorrect version.
So King Jehoram died at forty (2 Chronicles 21:20) and wassucceeded by Ahaziah, who was twenty-two (2 Kings 8:26). Which means KingJehoram was eighteen when Ahaziah was born, and roughly seventeen when he wasconceived. Not only that, but Jehoram had older sons (2 Chronicles 22:1),so he must have started his family at the age of fifteen or less. So muchfor Ishmael having been a helpless lad at the age of sixteen. It was atime when teenagers were men.
But what about 2 Chronicles 22:2, which states that Ahaziah was forty-twowhen he assumed the throne?
Acopying error, no doubt.
Butthat’s not the point.
Isaiah40:8 claims that “the word of our God standsforever.” This assertion doesn’t excuse copying errors, or anyother error, regardless how slight. In fact, according to Isaiah 40:8, any “word” which has not “stoodforever” is disqualified as having been from God.
Whichshould make us question the authorship.
If“the word of our God stands forever,” andthe “word” of Ahaziah’s age doesn’t stand the test of time, whose word is it? God’s or Satan’s?
Don’tlook now, but even the Old Testament seems uncertain on this point.
2Samuel 24:1 reads, “Again the anger of the LORDwas aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, numberIsrael and Judah.’”
However,
1 Chronicles 21:1 states, “Now Satanstood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel.”
Uhhh,which was it? The Lord, or Satan? There’s a slight (like, total)difference.
Talkabout identity theft.
Butseriously, the mistake is understandable. After all, it’s pretty hard toknow who you’re talking to, when you can’t put a face to revelation. And,as God said in Exodus 33:20, “You cannot see Myface; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
Sothere we have it.
Noman can see God’s face, and live.
Well,except for Jacob, of course. As Genesis 32:30 states, “So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: ‘For Ihave seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’”
Andwe mustn’t forget Moses, as per Exodus 33:11: “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaksto his friend.”
Sono man can see God’s face, and live.
Exceptfor Jacob and Moses.
ButGod didn’t mention that exception, did He?
Somaybe He changed His mind.
Andthen again, maybe not.
Copyright© 2007 Laurence B. Brown; used by permission.
The above excerpt is taken from Dr. Brown's forthcoming book, MisGod'ed,which is expected to be published along with its sequel, God'ed. Both books can be viewed on Dr. Brown’s website, Dr. Brown canbe contacted at
via منتديات ماجدة http://majdah.maktoob.com/vb/majdah323804/?amp;goto=newpost
ليست هناك تعليقات:
إرسال تعليق