ANSWERS TO SOME ALLEGED CONTRADICTIONS FOUND IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
WHEN A PERSON FALLS IN LOVE WITH THE LIVING GOD, THAT PERSON DISCOVERS THAT HE IS TRUE, AND HIS WORD IS TRUE. CONFUSION AWAITS THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW HIM. THE WISDOM OF THIS WORLD IS FOOLISHNESS WITH GOD.
THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE IS HID FROM THOSE WHO ARE NOT CHILDREN OF GOD. WHERE THEY THINK THEY FIND CONTRADICTIONS, THERE IS NOTHING BUT WONDERFUL TRUTH.
RECENTLY I RECIEVED AN E-MAIL WHICH WAS OBVIOUSLY IN RESPONSE TO A CHALLENGE MADE ON MY WEB PAGE…I HAD MENTIONED THAT I HAVE YET TO FIND A SUPPOSED CONTRADICTION IN THE BIBLE THAT CANNOT BE RATIONALLY EXPLAINED. WHAT I RECIEVED WAS JUST A BUNCH OF SCRIPTURE REFERENCES. NO LETTER OR EXPLANATION OF WHAT THE INTENT OF THE PERSON SENDING IT WAS, UNTIL I LOOKED AT A FEW OF THE REFERENCES. AND THEN I UNDERSTOOD THAT HE WAS TRYING TO POINT OUT SOME CONTRADICTIONS IN THE BIBLE.
UNLESS THE ONE WHO SENT THIS IS MERELY ARGUMENTIVE AND UNTEACHABLE, HE OR SHE WILL SOON SEE THE TRUTH IN GOD'S WORD.
FOR THE RECORD, I BELIEVE IT WAS A MUSLIM WHO WROTE THIS. THE OTHER NIGHT I HAD A DREAM OF WITNESSING TO A MUSLIM. AFTER I HAD ANSWERED THE FIRST SEVEN PASSAGES QUOTED BY THIS PERSON, I SENT THEM TO THE E-MAIL ADDRESS THIS PERSON HAD USED. IT CAME BACK TO ME AS UNDELIVERABLE, BECAUSE THIS PERSON WAS NO LONGER USING THAT ACCOUNT.
OBVIOUSLY THIS PERSON HAD SENT OUT THIS LIST, FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS MIND THAT THESE ALLEGED CONTRADICTIONS WERE VIABLE PROOFS OF THE BIBLE'S INACCURACY. JUST FOR THE SAKE OF FUTURE MUSLIMS AND OTHER SKEPTICS WHO MAY STUMBLE ACROSS MY PAGE, I WILL INCLUDE THIS "STUDY" IN MY WEB SITE, BOTH TO INFORM THE UNLEARNED MUSLIM AND OTHER UNBELIEVERS AS TO THEIR ERROR, AND TO EQUIP THOSE CHRISTIANS WHO MAY RUN INTO THE SAME CHARGES AGAINST THE WORD OF GOD.
PROVERBS
1) Proverbs 6:19 ("A false witness...is he that soweth discord among brethren") versus Gen. 11:7 in which God says, "...let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
The person who sent this message made three mistakes.
1) He failed to quote the entire verse in Proverbs
6:19.
2) Not only did he fail to quote the entire
verse, he misquoted the verse. He said the verse says "A false witness is
he that soweth discord among brethren", when in actuality it says:
Prov 6:19 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (KJV)
Nowhere does this
verse say that a false witness is one who soweth discord among the brethren.
In intentionally misquoting this verse, this person is making himself the
false witness which Proverbs speaks of, and a false witness against the Living
God, at that.
3) The key to understanding Scripture is in reading verses in their context.
An attempt to attack the scriptures as this person did through misquoting
and deliberately twisting the Word of God is not an attack on the credibility
of the Word of God, it is proof that the person is operating in a spirit of
anti-Christ, which is a hall mark of the Muslim religion.
Actually, in context, the verse quoted is speaking of those things that the Lord hates. Second in the list is a lying tongue. Fourth is an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, and the fifth are feet that are swift in running to mischief, and sixth is a false witness that speaketh lies. The writer of this e-mail is guilty of all these things just in misquoting this verse. Here is the passage in it's context:
Prov
6:16-19 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination
unto him:
17
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running
to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
(KJV)
Through misquoting
this verse, this person seems to be pointing a finger at God and implying
that God is a false witness who sows discord among brethren because He confounded
the language of the people in Gen. 11:7.
Proverbs 6:19 ("A false witness...is he that soweth discord among brethren")
versus Gen. 11:7 in which God says, "...let us go down and confound their
language, that they may not understand one another's speech."
The Hebrew word which was translated as "discord"
here in Proverbs 6:19 is actually "Medan", which means strife, or contention.
4090 medan- strife, contention
God did not cause them to have strife or contention at the tower of Babel,
He merely confounded their language, where they could not understand one another.
2) 26:4 ("Answer not a fool according to his folly....") versus 26:5 ("Answer a fool according to his folly....")
Proverbs 26 has much to say about how to deal with a fool. Verses 4 and 5 are actually saying that no matter how you deal with a fool, there is no easy way to cause him to see reason. If you answer him according to his folly, verse four says you will be like him.
This is like Jesus' words that instruct us not to render evil for evil or railing for railing. In the Hebrew this Passage could be better read "answer not a fool's foolishness…" in verse 4.
But in verse five it says to answer a fool's foolishness, because if we don't he will go on thinking he is something when he is nothing. This falls in line with the Word that says that we need to be able to give an answer to everyone that asks of us a reason for the hope that is in us:
1
Pet 3:15-16 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is
in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers,
they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
(KJV)
Proverbs is saying that while we are not to answer
a fool's foolishness with the same attitude he has, we are nonetheless to
instruct him of his error so he doesn't get carried away by thinking he is
smarter than what he really is. This falls right in line with Paul's exhortation
to Timothy:
2 Tim 2:24-26 24 And the
servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure
will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they
may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive
by him at his will. (KJV)
The Word of God says much about fools in Proverbs 26:
Prov 26:6-12 6 He that
sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh
damage.
7 The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8 As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a
fool.
9 As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the
mouth of fools.
10 The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth
transgressors.
11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool
than of him. (KJV)
In verses 7 and 9, the word translated parable is also translated "Proverb"…Those who have not the Spirit of God dwelling in them cannot understand the Scriptures, because they are spiritually discerned…just as this person has stumbled over understanding this proverb.
3) 30:30 ("A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any") versus Gen. 9:2 ("And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth....")
In Proverbs 30:30, the bravery of the lion is used as an example of something that is regal or proud in the way in which he walks:
Prov
30:29-31 29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising
up. (KJV)
The phrase "which
go well" in verse 29, is actually translated from the Hebrew thus:
"Go" = 6806 tsa` ad- a step, a pace, a stride
a) a step, a pace b) a step, steps (used of the course of a life) (figurative)
"Well"= 3190 yatab- to be good, to be pleasing, to be well, to be glad a)
(Qal) 1) to be glad, to be joyful 2) to be well placed 3) to be well for,
to be well with, to go well with 4) to be pleasing, to be pleasing to
b) (Hiphil) 1) to make glad, to rejoice 2) to do good to, to deal well with
3) to do well, to do thoroughly 4) to make a thing good or right or beautiful
5) to do well, to do right
As I said earlier, the context of the passage is that there are three things, yea four, which are pleasing to see as they walk. Included in the list is a lion, who shows no fear in his stride. Any one who ever viewed a lion would have to agree to this. The writer of Proverbs had seen the Lion in his majesty, and was writing of it's splendor. A greyhound is majestic in his speed, and a goat in his sure footedness, and a king in his court. Though a lion's bravery would cause it not to turn away from danger, doesn't mean it doesn't know the fear of man.
4) Ecclesiastes 3:2-3 ("a time to be born , and a time to die...a time to kill, and a time to heal...") versus Ex. 20:13 ("Thou shalt not kill")
In Exodus 20:13, the word translated "kill" is the
Hebrew word "ratsach".
In Ecclesiastes 3:3, the word translated "kill"
is the Hebrew word "Harag".
In referencing Vine's expository dictionary of Old Testament words, we can
see the difference between these two words, hence, there is no contradiction:
"KILL harag ^2026^, "to
kill, slay, destroy." This term is commonly used in modern Hebrew in its verb
and noun forms to express the idea of "killing, slaughter." The fact that
it is found in the Old Testament some 170 times reflects how commonly this
verb was used to indicate the taking of life, whether animal or human. Harag
is found for the first time in the Old Testament in the Cain and Abel story;
also
rashach ^7523^, "to kill, murder,
slay." This verb occurs more than 40 times in the Old Testament, and its concentration
is in the Pentateuch. Rashach is rare in rabbinic Hebrew, and its usage has
been increased in modern Hebrew with the exclusive meaning of "to murder."
Apart from Hebrew, the verb appears in Arabic with the meaning of "to bruise,
to crush." Rashach occurs primarily in the legal material of the Old Testament.
This is not a surprise, as God's law included regulations on life and provisions
for dealing with the murderer. The Decalogue gives the general principle in
a simple statement, which contains the first occurrence of the verb: "Thou
shalt not kill [murder]"
So we can see that in Ecclesiastes, the sense is that there is a time to go to war, or to offer sacrifice, but never to murder, as in Exodus 20:13.
ISAIAH
5) Isaiah 2:4 ("...and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more") versus Joel 3:10 ("Beat your plowshares into swords, your pruning hooks into spears: let the weak say I am strong")
In the account in Isaiah 2:4, we see a prophetic word concerning the time of the last day, the day of the Lord. When the Lord comes, there will be no more war:
Isa 2:1-4 1 The word that
Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.|
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's
house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted
above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain
of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his
ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and
they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war
any more. (KJV)
In Joel, another prophetic word, the word of the Lord is to the heathens who will assemble themselves against the Lord in the battle of Armageddon. This happens before the event mentioned in Isaiah:
Joel 3:9-14 9 Proclaim
ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the
men of war draw near; let them come up:
10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let
the weak say, I am strong.
11 Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together
round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12 Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for
there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13 Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for
the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD
is near in the valley of decision.
Again, there is no contradiction here... just prophetic words concerning two different times in history.
6) Is 6:1 ("I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up....") and 6:5 ("for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts") versus John 1:18 ("No man hath seen God at any time")
Isaiah opens with the fact that he saw a vision. Isaiah had a vision of the Lord in Isaiah 6:1.
Isa 1:1 1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. (KJV)
The Lord told His people how He would appear to His prophets:
Num 12:6-8 6 And he said,
Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself
known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches;
and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not
afraid to speak against my servant Moses? (KJV)
So we see that the Lord appeared to Isaiah in a vision. There is no contradiction between these two verses.
7)IS 39:1 ("At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon....") versus 2 Kings 20:12 ("At that time Berodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon...")
Here we have a slight scribal error, but certainly no contradiction. One letter does not make the account any less credible. Any reasonable person can see that this is just nit picking over one letter…there is nothing that contradicts the account…If one would take an interlinear and compare the two words with one another, he would see that they look very similar to one another. It is easy to see how a smudge or a blot of ink would seem to change the letter from "M" to "B" (or vice verse). Actually, this minor discrepancy gives more credibility to the Bible, rather than diminishes it…Isaiah and the author of the book of Kings both agree well with each other's account:
Isa 39:1-8 CHAPTER 39
1 At that time Merodach-baladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent
letters and a present to Hezekiah: for he had heard that he had been sick,
and was recovered.
2 And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious
things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment,
and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures:
there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed
them not.
3 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What
said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They
are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon.
4 Then said he, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered,
All that is in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures
that I have not shewed them.
5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:
6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy
fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon:
nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall
they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast
spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days. (KJV)
II Ki 20:12-21 12 At that
time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and
a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his
precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious
ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures:
there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed
them not.
14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What
said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They
are come from a far country, even from Babylon.
15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered,
All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among
my treasures that I have not shewed them.
16 And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD.
17 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which
thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon:
nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.
18 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall
they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
19 Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou
hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?
20 And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made
a pool, and a conduit, and brought water into the city, are they not written
in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
21 And Hezekiah slept with his fathers: and Manasseh his son reigned in his
stead. (KJV)
8)
IS 54:7 ("For a small moment have I
In all thre passages quoted above, the words which are translated as "forsake" or "forsaken" are three different words. Considering the meaning of each of these Hebrew words, lets look at each passage in its' context:
Isaiah 54:7:
forsaken= 5800 `azab- 1) to leave, to loose, to forsake a)
(Qal) to leave 1) to depart from, to leave behind, to leave, to let alone
2) to leave, to abandon, to forsake, to neglect, to apostatize 3) to let loose,
to set free, to let go, to free b) (Niphal) 1) to be left to 2) to be forsaken
c) (Pual) to be deserted 2) to restore, to repair (Qal) to repair
In Isaiah 54:7, the context of the verse is this:
Isa 54:1-10 1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee. (KJV)
Here, the Lord God Almighty says that for a small moment He had turned His Back on Israel, and this was because of her propensity to play the harlot. He had indeed forsaken her, but not totally. His mercy was always toward her, and the act of "hiding His face from her" was designed to bring her back to Him. But having said that, keep in mind the true meaning of the other passages which were quoted:
Deut. 4:31
forsake = 7503 raphah- to sink, to relax, to sink down, to let drop, to be
disheartened a) (Qal) 1) to sink down 2) to sink, to drop 3) to sink, to relax,
to abate 4) to relax, to withdraw b) (Niphal) idle (participle) c) (Piel)
to let drop d) (Hiphil) 1) to let drop, to abandon, to relax, to refrain,
to forsake 2) to let go 3) to refrain, to let alone 4) to be quiet e) (Hithpael)
to show oneself slack
Deut 4:23-31
23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your
God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness
of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the LORD
thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. 25 When thou shalt beget
children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the
land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness
of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke
him to anger: 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day,
that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan
to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be
destroyed. 27 And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall
be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.
28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone,
which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But if from thence thou
shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all
thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 When thou art in tribulation, and all
these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to
the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; 31 (For the LORD thy
God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee,
neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware
unto them. (KJV)
Here we see a conditional promise being made by the Lord to His people Israel. In context, He says that as long as they are mindful to turn to Him in repentance for their sins, He would not abandon or to let Israel sink any deeper. This calls to remembrance our Lord Jesus' words:
John 10:28-30 28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and my Father are one. (KJV)
In 1 Samuel 12:22, Samuel was speaking to the people
about how the Lord would not utterly cast off or leave His people alone, despite
their wickedness toward Him.
forsake: 5203 natash- to leave, to permit, to forsake, to cast off or away,
to reject, to suffer, to join, to spread out or abroad, to be loosed, to cease,
to abandon, to quit, to hang loose, to cast down, to make a raid, to lie fallow,
to let fall, to forgo, to draw a) (Qal) 1) to leave, to let alone, to lie
fallow, to entrust to 2) to forsake, to abandon 3) to permit b) (Niphal) 1)
to be forsaken 2) to be loosened, to be loose 3) to be let go, to spread abroad
c) (Pual) to be abandoned, to be deserted
1
Sam 12:19-25 19 And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants
unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins
this evil, to ask us a king. 20 And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not:
ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD,
but serve the LORD with all your heart; 21 And turn ye not aside: for then
should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they
are vain. 22 For the LORD will not forsake his
people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make
you his people. 23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against
the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the
right way: 24 Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart:
for consider how great things he hath done for you. 25 But if ye shall still
do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king. (KJV)
Again we can see in 1 Samuel, that the promise of the Lord to His people here was conditional. Though He does leave them to their own sins at times, the promise of God in His Mercy is always that if they repent, He will turn back to them. He is always close enough to a person to hear their voice when they repent. Still, we have not found any contradictions to the Word of God. The problem that most people have when they think there are contradictions, is that they read verses out of context, distort the scriptures, or fail to understand the meaning of the words being used.
JEREMIAH
9)
Jeremiah 3:12 ("...for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep
anger forever") and Micah 7:18 ("...he retaineth not anger forever") versus
17:4 ("...for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn forever")
Jer
3:11-17 11 And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified
herself more than treacherous Judah. 12 Go and proclaim these words toward
the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I
will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD,
and I will not keep anger for ever. 13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that
thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways
to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice,
saith the LORD. 14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am
married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family,
and I will bring you to Zion: 15 And I will give you pastors according to
mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. 16 And
it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in
those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant
of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it;
neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more. 17 At that
time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations
shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither
shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. (KJV)
Micah 7:18-20 18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. 19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. (KJV)
Again, the consistent theme of the Bible is the Mercy of God. In the 17th chapter of Jeremiah, the Lord is speaking of a controversy which He has with the people of Judah. In verse 2, He says that the children of the people of Judah go whoring after false gods just as their fathers had. In verse three He says that the penalty for their sin is that He will give their substance and their treasures to the spoil. He would turn them over to their sin. Verse 4 tells them that they will lose their heritage (the land, and they will seve their enemies in a strange land, because they had kindled a fire in His anger, which shall burn forever. Does that mean He will keep His anger forever?
No. It does not
say that in this passage. The fire which had been kindled shall burn forever,
not His anger. This is speaking of a judgement on those who turn away from
the True and Living God. All who do turn away from the True God, face the
fires of Hell, which do burn forever. The Lord in the following verses shows
that He deals with people individually (verse 10). That person who puts his
trust in man instead of God, will end up in that fire of His anger… He will
live under a curse, i.e. in a parched place, desolate, and uninhabited.(verse
5-6)
On the other hand, the man who trusts in the Lord will prosper and be blessed(verse
7&8):
Jer 17:1-27 1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond: it is graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; 2 Whilst their children remember their altars and their groves by the green trees upon the high hills. 3 O my mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin, throughout all thy borders. 4 And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever. 5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. 6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. 7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. 8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 11 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. 12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary. 13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters. 14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise. 15 Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now. 16 As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee: neither have I desired the woeful day; thou knowest: that which came out of my lips was right before thee. 17 Be not a terror unto me: thou art my hope in the day of evil. 18 Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded: let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed: bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction. 19 Thus said the LORD unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem; 20 And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates: 21 Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; 22 Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers. 23 But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction. 24 And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein; 25 Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. 26 And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the LORD. 27 But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched. (KJV)
The fire is symbolic of the judgement which will be pronounced against those who sin against God. Truly, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, especially if you have mocked His Word, and distorted it to mean that which it does not mean. Consider the fire of God's wrath as spoken of by Jesus, the Righteous Judge:
Matt 25:41 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: (KJV)
10) 4:2 ("And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness") versus Matt. 5:34 ("But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven....")
IN context, Jesus is telling those who are listening to be people of their word…to let their yes be yes, and their no be no. If you say you are going to do something, do it. Just speak the truth in all you do. This is speaking primarily in the context of making promises to God.
Matt 5:33-37 33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (KJV)
What is the point, Jesus asks, in swearing by heaven…You can't give heaven to God, if you renig on your promise. Can you give him your property? It's not yours to give…It is God's footstool. Can you give him Jerusalem? Of course not. And even if you swear your life to Him, He has the power of Life and of death in His hands. If you do more than just letting your yea be yea and your nay, nay; you are opening your life up for trouble.
In Isaiah, the gist of the passage is that the people shall declare that it is the Lord that lives, because they have returned to Him, and have seen His Grace and His mercy in their Lives. So it is with every person who comes to Christ. Our Lives reflect His Truth, and His Grace, and when people look at us, and hear our testimony, it is as if we are swearing that He lives. It is Truth, and Truth cannot be hid.
Jer 4:1-6 1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. 2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. 3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. 6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. (KJV)
11) 4:14 ("O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved") versus 2:22 ("Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me")
I would have thought anyone would understand these two passages. It seems almost a waste of time to answer this, but for the sake of a soul, I will.
In Jeremiah 2:22, God is telling people that there is no way they can remove the stain of their guilt from their lives through external means.
Jer 2:19-24 19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. 20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. 21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? 22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD. 23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways; 24 A wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure; in her occasion who can turn her away? all they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her. (KJV)
In Jeremiah 4:14, the phrase is speaking figuratively of repentance. Surely one would realize that a person cannot take their heart out and wash it! I would question the person's ability to comprehend anything, if he cannot comprehend the meaning here.
Jer 4:14-18 14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee? 15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim. 16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah. 17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD. 18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. (KJV)
Certainly there is no contradiction between these two passages…Clearly we can see that the person who sent this is either straining at a gnat, as Jesus said the Pharisees and Hypocrites were known to do, or he is completely blinded to the Truth.
2 Cor. 4:4 speaks of people like this:
2 Cor 4:3-4 3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (KJV)
12) 13:14 ("And I will dash them one against another, even the father and the son together, said the Lord: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them") versus James 5:11 ("...the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy") and 1 Chron. 16:34 ("...the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever")
In Jeremiah 13:14, we see that while the Lord does say that He will have no mercy on those whom He has pronounced judgement upon, He still pleads with them to hear Him, and not to be proud. You can see proof of His merciful nature in that He sends Jeremiah to plead with His people and to warn them from their destruction. Throughout the Bible, God is not only identified as merciful and pitiful…He is also seen as the One who will Judge the world in Righteousness. His Righteousness and His Holiness would dictate that He would be a righteous Judge.
In the light of His Holiness, all mankind is corrupt and worthy of condemnation. There is none righteous. And the Word of God says that the wages of sin is death. But His Mercy and His Love also comes into play, in that He is ever ready to forgive those who come to Him in true repentance. At the final day, however, those who had not made their peace with Him through repentance, and acceptance of Jesus Christ, will know His wrath. In that Day, those who cry out for mercy will receive no mercy, because it will be time for the Day of Judgement.
If one reads the Biblical History of Israel and Judah, he would see that God had poured out His mercy to them repeatedly…They would go chasing after other gods, and He would turn them over to their own devices, and to their enemies…soon, they would cry out to Him for Help and He would hear them and help them.
In Jeremiah 13:9-17, we see the Lord's judgement on their sin. But in verse 16, His mercy shines through, in that He warns them one last time:
Jer 13:9-17 9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. 11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear. 12 Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say unto thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine? 13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness. 14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them. 15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken. 16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. 17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive. (KJV)
In 2 Peter we are told of the longsuffering of God, and of the day when His judgement comes.
2 Pet 3:9-12 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (KJV)
The person who sent me this e-mail would do well to make his peace with God, and to prepare his heart for that last day. In Jesus Christ and in Him alone will you find refuge. He is truly what He says He is, Merciful and full of compassion. And He is True to His Word. The choice is left up to us…We can follow Him, and spend eternity with Him, or we can follow the god of this world in his many disguises, and spend eternity in the Lake of fire.
13) 31:34 ("...saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more") versus Eccle. 12:14 ("For God shall bring every work into judgment...whether it be good or bad")
Consistently, we can see that the person who points out these alleged contradictions is failing to read the Word in context. Jeremiah 31:34 is talking about a new covenant which God would make with mankind:
Jer 31:31-34 31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (KJV)
This new Covenant was made through Jesus' shed blood
for us. All who come to accept Jesus as their Saviour enter into that covenant.
Whereas Jeremiah is a prophetic book, Ecclesiates was written by Solomon,
and it was not prophetic, but it was a book of instruction. Solomon summarizes
all he had done to experience Life, and at the end of each summation, he concludes
that it was all vanity, and vexation of spirit, and a chasing after wind.
He then, at the end of the book, sums up the whole deal, "the end of the matter"-
Eccl 12:13-14 13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God,
and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good,
or whether it be evil.
What Solomon is saying is that pursuit after the things of the world will result in nothing but judgement. But the pursuit of the things of God will result in the fulfillment of the duty of man. Jesus asked a question which echoes Solomon's sentiments:
Mark 8:36-37 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (KJV)
Solomon didn't know of the New Covenant that God would make with man. He knew only that covenant which he was under. But having said all that, it is true that God will bring every work into judgement…we must all appear before the Judgement seat of Christ.
Romans 3 speaks of the New Covenant which Jeremiah had foretold. This covenant was for the remission of sins which are past….When we come to Jesus, He forgives us of all our sins which we had committed. That is the grace and the mercy of God at work.
Rom 3:23-26 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 45 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (KJV)
Right in line with what Jeremiah prophesied, it was true when God said that there was a day coming when He would make a new covenant with mankind. In Romans 3, we see that new covenant is in effect today, and that when you come to Jesus, He will forgive your sins that are past. So, we have no contradiction between Jeremiah and Ecclesiastes. Simply by understanding that one book was prophetic and one was not, we can see there is no contradiction.
The reader needs to understand that the Bible was not all written at the same time, and that the Holy Spirit inspired various writers to cover a myriad of subjects. Some of the books are historical, some are doctrinal, some are prophetical, some are poetical some are practical, and some are instructional, But all were inspired of the Holy Spirit. That is why we have found no contradictions to this point! To rightly divide the Word of God, a person must first understand th intent of the book which he is reading.
14) 32:4 ("And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes") versus Jer. 52:11 ("Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon....").
Zedekiah's eyes were put out but he later saw the king of Babylon. I don't mean to sound rude, but this whole thing is almost becoming laughable. It seems too apparent that the person who sent these "contradictions" has to know what he is doing…He must assume that a person would not look into the charges he makes and just throw up his hands, and say, "Why, golly gee, Mr. Muslim man, yep, I guess you're right. How do I convert to your dead works religion!" Jesus spoke of the Pharisees being blind leaders of the blind, and if that is the case, this is a perfect illustration of what Jesus was saying. People really should research the things they accept as true. I have researched the Bible, and found it to be true. So far we are batting 100% in debunking the charges of contradictions in the Word of God.
Now to deal with these passages that allegedly contradict each other concerning Zedekiah. In Jeremiah 32, Jeremiah gives Zedekiah a word from the Lord, and tells him that he will be taken captive, and that he would be delivered into the King of Babylon's hands. He tells him that he will see him eye to eye, and speak with him mouth to mouth.
Jer 32:1-5 1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 2 For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house. 3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it; 4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; 5 And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper. (KJV)
In Jeremiah 52, we are told that Zedekiah is taken captive by the King of Babylon, just as Jeremiah had foretold. Verse 9 says that they took Zedekiah and carried him up to the king of Babylon, where he gave judgement upon him. There is no doubt in my mind that Zedekiah spoke with the king of Babylon there, and that his eyes beheld the king's eyes. It was only after the sentence was pronounced upon Zedekiah by the king of Babylon that his eyes were put out.
Jer 52:8-11 8 But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him. 9 Then they took the king, and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath; where he gave judgment upon him. 10 And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes: he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah. 11 Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in chains, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death. (KJV)
There is no way that the charges made by this man are true…that Zedekiah's eyes were put out, and later he saw the king of Babylon. This is a blatant manufacturing of a lie against the Word of God. Remember the Word of God which we had first studied:
Prov 6:16-19 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. (KJV)
This person is in danger of being guilty of all seven of the things which are an abomination to God. But God's mercy is such that He is ready to forgive him for his sins of manufacturing lies against His Holy Word.
15) 42:17 ("So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them") versus 44:28 ("Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah....")
Jeremiah speaks the Word of the Lord, and warns the people that if they disobey the counsel of the Lord, they would run into great disaster. The problem that the person has with these passages is that he reads the Word as saying that all the men who went to Egypt would die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that God would bring upon them. The key to understanding this verse is to understand that the "all" referred to won't die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; rather, what it is saying is all those who go to Egypt will not be untouched by the evil that the Lord will bring upon them. There some would die by famine, others would die by the sword, and others would die by pestilence…all would experience the evil that the Lord brings upon them.
God had always promised He would leave a remnant…He would never completely forsake Israel and Judah. In Leviticus, God makes a promise concerning Israel after He warns them of certain destruction if they turn away from Him:
Lev 26:44-46 44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. 45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. 46 These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the LORD made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses. (KJV)
It is this passage which helps us to understand
the gist of what the Lord is actually saying in the verses cited in Jeremiah,
which would seem to be a contradiction, to a person who is unlearned in the
Scriptures. We are exhorted to heed the whole council of the Word of God,
and not just bits and pieces of it. In Jeremiah 44:28, He says that a small
number would return out of Egypt into the land of Judah.
Jer 44:7-14 7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the
God of Israel; Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your souls, to
cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave
you none to remain; 8 In that ye provoke me unto wrath with the works of your
hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye be
gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off, and that ye might be a curse
and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? 9 Have ye forgotten the
wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and
the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness
of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the
streets of Jerusalem? 10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither
have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before
you and before your fathers. 11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the
God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut
off all Judah. 12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their
faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be
consumed, and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the
sword and by the famine: they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest,
by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment,
and a curse, and a reproach. 13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land
of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by
the pestilence: 14 So that none of the remnant of Judah, which are gone into
the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should
return into the land of Judah, to the which they have a desire to return to
dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape. (KJV)
Jeremiah 44, which is basically a repeat of Jeremiah 42 interprets itself…the use of the word "all" is a figurative use…as pointed out before, God had always promised there would be a remnant. All of the people would certainly be touched by the calamity which was to come, but not all would die. There is another place where the word "all" is used where it is clear that the word does not mean every person…
Gen 6:12-14 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (KJV)
God said that the end of all flesh is before Him, yet it is obvious that there would be a remnant; that of Noah and his family.
Jer 42:15-22 15 And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; 16 Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. 17 So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them. 18 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. 19 The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day. 20 For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it. 21 And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you. 22 Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn. (KJV)
Jeremiah 42:17 warns the people that none of those who fled to Egypt for safety would avoid the tribulation that would befall them. It would touch them all. The warning to them is that none would remain OR escape from the evil that would befall them. There is no contradiction in the Word of God here, it is simply a matter of rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
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