“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Recently, I was talking with a friend about the story of Jonah. We recounted the story play-by-play. It reminded me how the story of Jonah has undoubtedly become one of the most challenging Bible stories to believe. In 1794 (230 years ago), Thomas Paine, author of “The Age of Reason,” said the book of Jonah was “…A fit story for ridicule if it was written to be believed — or of laughter if it was intended to try what credulity could swallow, for if it could swallow Jonah and the whale it could swallow anything.”
Don’t Believe Satan’s Lies
These incredibly miraculous stories: Noah’s Ark, David and Goliath, Jonah and the Great Fish, and the Resurrection of Christ — are often thought of as kid’s stories. Even some adults in the Christian Church can find them hard to believe. This is because satan has certainly done such an excellent job of making these miracles seem like fairy tales. We need to recognize his tricks and lies for precisely what they are. Equally important, we must be very careful not to fall into his snares of unbelief, especially regarding the validity of God’s Word.
The story of Noah’s Ark is an incredibly sad story. Every person Noah and his family ever knew died. It says in Luke 17:26, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Without a doubt, that’s so sad!
Then, there is the story of David and Goliath. It’s not very often you hear about how that story ended. We never see children coloring pages in Sunday School of when “David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath, and killed him, and cut off his head with it.” (1 Samuel 17:51 ESV)
They’re Here For A Reason
We must remember something important. These stories aren’t just in our Bibles so kids have something to color while we learn about the “real meat” in the grown-up room. They are in our Bibles to display the goodness and majesty of God. Along with that, they’re to show that only He has supernatural authority over the universe. Also, they’re in our Bibles to teach, reprove, correct, and train us in righteousness so that we may be complete and equipped for every good work. We need to always believe the Bible and look at it as a historically accurate book. Indeed, it’s a library of events that really happened!
The aforementioned author, Thomas Paine, eventually acknowledged his error. Realizing he had fallen for satan’s lies, he repented and put his faith in Christ. His last words were, ”I would give worlds, if I had them, if “The Age of Reason” had never been published. O Lord, help me! Christ, help me!”
As long as we have breath in our lungs, God (in His incredible mercy and grace) has given us the ability to acknowledge the errors of our ways and turn from them. With this in mind, don’t take that for granted. Believe.
Lord, help us with our unbelief,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor