How do you know you can trust the Bible?

As Christians, we often get asked by atheists and agnostics a very contemplative question: How do we know that the Bible is truly the word of God--and not just something that man made up?

I think the prudent Christian should be equipped to answer this question succinctly. But how?

I personally believe that all of the answers to mankind's dilemmas can be found in scripture. But how can the Bible prove, from its own pages, that it is God's Word?

Here are some things worth considering...

Isaiah 40:22 says It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Note that phrase "circle of the earth." Could a man have known when the book of Isaiah was written that the earth appeared as a circle?

Job 26:7 says He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

Job is reported by many Bible scholars to be the oldest book in the Bible, written perhaps as long as 5000 years ago. Who would have known in that time that the earth was hung on "nothing?"

Here is a point worth pondering... In Luke chapter 17, talking about His return to us, Christ says:

34I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

35Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

36Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

37And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Does anyone else find it curious that Christ is describing His worldwide simultaneous return (here He is speaking of the rapture, I believe, but that's another subject) as an event that will be occurring when some of us are asleep at night, and others are in the field working? Is He not demonstrating a knowledge of a spherical, turning earth, knowing that it will be daylight for some of us, but night for others? In the days that this scripture was written, people thought the world was flat.

Then there are the curious instructions for hygiene throughout the Old Testament that God gives to the Israelites.

In Leviticus chapter 15 we find instructions from God as to how a man who has infected wounds should be treated. Turn to your Bible and read chapter 15 of Leviticus, or if your Bible isn't handy just click this link:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%2015&version=50

What you see in Leviticus 15 is an amazing demonstration of knowledge of micro-biology, and the instructions as to how to clean an infected person and his or her bedding and garments (note the call for running water, for instance) are indicative of an intelligence far above that of mankind at the time Leviticus was written, which was around 1425 BC. Waiting for a period of time before being declared clean is also a common command in the Old Testament. This would allow time for germs on the surfaces of the skin and hair to potentially die of exposure or else be purged from the body via flaking skin, or perspiration. Note too, that the wooden vessels that the contaminated person touched were only to be washed, but the clay vessels were to be destroyed. Can you think of a reason why wood would only need to be washed, but clay could not be washed clean of germs?

Now lets look at another book of the Old Testament, written about 1450 BC--the Book of Numbers, particularly, chapter 31. God's instructions to those who had gone in and slain the Midianites were as follows:

19And do ye abide without the camp seven days: whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day.

20And purify all your raiment, and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood.

21And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war which went to the battle, This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses;

22Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

23Every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean: nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation: and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

24And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp.

We see again in this passage an amazing knowledge of micro-biology. God is telling them to put whatever can abide the fire into the fire, so that it will be clean. And we know that fire kills germs! But what about that which cannot abide the fire?

God says to put whatever cannot abide the fire (clothing, animal skins, leather, etc.) through the "water of separation." What's this stuff? (other translations call this the "water of cleansing," or "water of purification")... could this stuff kill germs?

God gave an answer to my friend Ousman and me as we studied this issue one afternoon. No search of the internet's vast resources gave us a cogent explanation as to what the water of separation was. But the Holy Spirit did. :)

Turn to Numbers chapter 19 where there are instructions regarding the sacrifice of the Red Heiffer. It is through the Red Heiffer sacrifice that we get the "water of separation."

5And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:

6And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

7Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.

8And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.

9And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

If you read all of Numbers chapter 19, you'll notice that there is a very ceremonial tone to the proceeding of the Red Heiffer sacrifice. God is making sure that His instructions have noteable form, and that they are followed. But there appears to be a practical aspect to this sacrifice as well.

The ashes of the Red Heiffer are to be used in the water of separation, and the water of separation has the ability to clean up unclean things. We have some interesting ingredients in the heap of ashes of the cedar wood, laying on top of the dead bovine. Realize that God's instructions were to place the wood on top of the animal, not underneath it. This would likely ensure that some of the animal's fat would survive the fire. Are you getting it yet? :)

We make from animal fat and ashes... soap. Realize, too, that the cedar wood would contain evergreen oil, which has disinfecting qualities as well. The scarlet wool bits may have been to cause the substance to clump better, or else as a scrubbing agent to aid in cleaning. The Hyssop called for may have some similar effect, or else it may simply be for fragrance.

In any event, it seems clear that the water of separation was a soapy water, which indeed would have the effect of cleaning up things which can't pass through the fire.

Again, there are a lot of ceremonial things which are being performed during the practical intent of the act, so it might be easy to miss what is actually going on here if you focus too much on the ceremony.

So when someone asks you how you know that you can trust the Bible, remember that there is ample evidence within the pages of the Bible itself to prove that man could never have written these things, uninspired of God.

Dan Newberry