Genesis 38: What happened in Timnah didn’t stay in Timnah!

Genesis 38:24-26, And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose these are, am I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and bracelets, and staff. And Judah acknowledged them, and said, She hath been more righteous than I; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more. 

I know it’s been a while, but does anyone remember the commercials that said,  “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” It's a simple concept, really. The idea they're selling is that you can come to a wild town where you don't know anyone, indulge yourself in whatever you desire, and then return home like nothing happened. No one will know what you've done. At least, that's what they want you to think.

I imagine that's exactly how Judah felt in Genesis 38 when he visited Timnah. He was going there to have his sheep sheared (literally, that's not a euphemism). He might have been thinking the same things the Las Vegas commercials are promoting. He's alone in a strange town and probably thinks he can indulge himself with anonymity.

On the road leading to Timnah, Judah encounters a veiled woman. The Bible doesn't say why, but for some reason Judah believes she's a prostitute. The Bible does says she was veiled. Perhaps that was a practice among prostitutes so that they can engage in their trade while remaining anonymous. If so, isn't it curious that Judah would be aware of such a practice? I wonder if he's done this before. Anyway, Judah propositions the woman and agrees to give her a kid (a baby goat) in exchange for sex. The woman agrees but Judah wasn't traveling with a goat. Instead, he leaves some personal items with her as a sort of deposit until he can send the kid later.

Here's where it gets interesting. What Judah did not realize is that the veiled woman was his own daughter-in-law, Tamar, the widow of his late son, Er. Tamar had been waiting on the road leading to Timnah so that she could confront Judah about marrying his youngest son, Shelah. The Bible doesn't say why she agreed to Judah's advances; perhaps it was so that she could later blackmail him into letting her marry his youngest son but Tamar became pregnant as a result of her time with Judah.

Judah went on his merry way believing the elicit encounter was over and done. After all, what happens in Timnar, stays in Timnar, right? Well, some time after returning home, he found out that Tamar was pregnant. He became furious because he knew she was betrothed to his son and demanded that she be punished. Realization set it, though, when she produced the personal items that he had given her as a pledge. In modern vernacular, we might say he was “busted.” Tamar went on to deliver twins – Pharez and Zarah.

It's not hard to imagine the horror Judah felt when he learned that his supposedly discreet fling would have such public and lasting consequences. But I think not even Judah was fully aware just how enduring his shame would be. Not only are we reading about his exploits centuries later, but he and the product of his affair are immortalized in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:3, “And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;”  How sad it must be to be mentioned in the Bible not because of your devout faith, but for your complete lack of morals. What might have been a badge of honor is diminished to a source of eternal embarrassment.  

I wonder sometimes if we might act differently if we knew our dirty secrets would all be revealed. Perhaps we’d be a little more circumspect.  The idea that whenever you're in a strange place anything you do will be kept secret is a lie. Perhaps our misdeeds will not be published in the Bible but we should never suppose that they will never be known. We are warned in Numbers 32:23, “and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Saul: the asked for king

Is it blasphemous to believe that God has a sense of humor? Sometimes I think God, in His sovereignty, has a funny way of reminding us how wrong we can be.

When God delivered His people out of Egypt, He established an unusual form of government. They did not have an earthly king; instead, God was their ruler. He gave them the Law through Moses and appointed judges whose job it was to interpret the Law. This lasted from the time of Moses until Samuel.

Now when Samuel was old, his sons had turned away from God (1 Samuel 8:3). Since there were no other judges, the people came to Samuel and asked him to give them a king like other nations (1 Samuel 8:5). It grieved God that they rejected Him as their ruler and He gave some stern warnings about what it would be like having an earthly king:

 (1 Samuel 8:11-18)  “… This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants.” [God ended with this most dire of warnings:] “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

The people persisted and God appointed Saul as their king. Sure enough, everything God had warned them about came true.

So where is the humor? The name Saul (שָׁאוּל , Shaul: Saul, Strong’s Word 7586) is a Hebrew word meaning, “asked for” or “asked of Yah.”  In the Bible, names are important.  Consider the name Samuel, for example.  When his mother, Hannah, was barren, her deepest desire was for a child. Her fervent prayers ascended to God, and in His mercy, she conceived a son. Her choice of name for this miraculous child was not arbitrary but a testament to her experience: Samuel. The Hebrew "Shama El" translates to "God listens." Every time she called his name, Hannah was reminded, and indeed reminded others, that the divine ear had bent towards her plea. 

Now we see something similar with Saul.  Every time we read about the failings of Saul, every time his name is mentioned in the Bible, every time those rebellious souls complained to God about what Saul was doing, God was reminding them that he was the king they had asked for! “And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.”

A lot of people call Jesus, "Lord" but won't let Him be Lord of their lives (Luke 6:46). We sometimes think we know what’s best for us so we live our lives however we want – not how God wants. When things don’t turn out like we planned, people sometimes try to blame God. I think God, in His own loving but stern way, reminds them, “Don’t blame me - this is what you asked for.” 

Hebrews 11: Faith or Wishful Thinking?

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

A lot of people confuse “faith” with “blind faith” or “wishful thinking.” Archie Bunker once said, “Faith is something that you believe that nobody in his right mind would believe.” Archie never failed to get a laugh but, in this case, I can't say that I endorse his theology.

Hebrews 11 gives us a very different impression of faith than Archie Bunker's. The opening passage – taken from the KJV – describes faith as the “substance” of things hoped for and the “evidence” of things not seen. Other translations use equally concrete terms: words like, “assurance,” “conviction,” and “confidence.” Faith is not a tentative concept where the believer simply “hopes” or “wishes” something to be true. Faith means certainty.

Hebrews 11 makes two statements about faith.

1) It is the substance of things hoped for.

2) It is the evidence of things not seen.

This might sound a little cryptic at first but the epistle writer spends the rest of the chapter explaining what is meant by each of these. In this post, we'll dissect some of the examples.

Verse 3 begins a discussion about how the world was formed – by “the word of God” (ῥῆμα, rhéma Strong’s Word 4487, “the spoken word”). The creation was an event that no one witnessed. How can we know what happened if we didn't see it? Many scientists today observe processes that are occurring in the present and use these to extrapolate what happened in the past. They are, quite literally, using the things we see to try to understand the things we didn't see.

Hebrews 11:3 tells us that exactly the opposite is true. The universe was not made by the things that we can see. God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing). John 1:3 attests, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” The things that God created includes not only time, matter, and space, but also the natural laws that operate within them. Natural laws are a part of the creation; they are not the cause of the creation.

So even though we weren't there in the beginning, we can know with confidence how the universe was created. It is not blind faith. It is not wishful thinking. It is a certainty; an assurance. We know it is true because it has been revealed to us by the One who was there. By faith, we have evidence about an event we did not see.

Likewise, by faith, we can also have certainty in things that have not yet happened, that is, “things hoped for.” The word translated in the KJV as “substance” is the Greek word, ὑπόστασις (hypostasis). In the Bible, it only occurs here but it was a common word used in business documents. It's literally a contract or guarantee. It's an absolute promise that what has been stated will happen.

Hebrews 11:7 says that God warned Noah about the coming judgment. Even though the Flood had not yet happened, Noah built the Ark in faith, knowing with certainty that it would come. Since God said it would happen, it was a certainty that the world would flood. Noah was as sure about the coming Flood as he was about anything. Because of his faith in God's word, Noah and his family were delivered through the Flood.

The chapter mentions several other notable characters of the Old Testament. This chapter has been called “the Faith Hall of Fame.” In each case, these men and women of old were obedient to God, knowing by faith that the promises He made to them would come to pass. Hebrews 11:39 says these people “gained approval” by their faith (NASB). Yet, in their lifetimes, none of them received the promise in which they hoped. It was not simply “faith” that saved these people but rather it was their faith in the promise of what was to come.  What they believed in the most, would come centuries after they lived.

People of the Old Testament were saved the same way we are – by faith in Jesus. The characters mentioned in Hebrews 11 could not know Jesus the same way we know Him. Nevertheless, they believed in the Messiah God had promised all the way back in Genesis 3:15, the seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent.

We need to ask ourselves, do we have faith or do we just hope?  The account of the Centurion is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. The Centurion had asked Jesus to heal his servant. When Jesus offered to come to the Centurion’s house, the Centurion forbade Him and said he wasn’t worthy to have Jesus come into his home. But he knew if Jesus just spoke a word, his servant would be healed. Jesus marveled at the faith of the Centurion and said, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel…. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee” (Matthew 8:10,13) [bold added for emphasis].

When you pray, how would you feel if Jesus answered, “As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee”? If I sincerely believed, I would be very happy. But if I were plagued with doubt, I guess I would be disappointed.

Nothing is impossible for God (Jeremiah 32:27, Mark 10:27, et al). Yet, we often become so caught up in our worries that we cannot imagine that God can deliver us. We pray to God, but sometimes we pray “hoping” God can help us – not necessarily "believing" that He can. Or worse yet, perhaps we feel so hopeless that we do not even ask – “ye have not because ye ask not” (James 4:2).

Jesus said that if we just have faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). When you accepted Christ as your Savior, did you not sincerely believe God was able to save you? Didn’t God remove a mountain of sin when he saved each one of us?

God is waiting to bless each person who asks Him. Consider Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Wow! God promises us more blessings than we have room to receive! In Malachi He is literally saying, “Just try Me.” All we need to do is ask, believing. 

Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” If you are certain the sun will rise tomorrow, you can be even more certain that God's word is sure. The word of God is not equivocal. If He said it, He meant it. Because of His revelation, I have incontrovertible evidence about things I did not see: things like the creation, the Fall, and the Flood. I also have absolute assurance about things that have not yet happened: like the return of Christ and His promise of eternal life to all who believe.

I don't think; I know!

The name of God

Names. They are the first gifts we receive, sounds that identify us, often chosen for their aesthetic appeal or perhaps to honor a beloved family member. In the modern Western world, the sound of a name, its flow, and its potential popularity often dictate our choices. We pick what resonates with us, what rolls off the tongue, what we simply like. But journey back in time, particularly to the ancient biblical landscape, and the practice of naming unveils a profound tapestry of meaning, a window into circumstance, hope, and even divine revelation. Here, a name wasn't just a label; it was a prophecy, a memory, or a declaration.

Consider the poignant story of Hannah (1 Samuel 1), a woman burdened by barrenness, her deepest desire for a child. Her fervent prayers ascended to God, and in His mercy, she conceived a son. Her choice of name for this miraculous child was not arbitrary but a testament to her experience: Samuel. The Hebrew "Shama El" translates to "God listens." Every time she called his name, Hannah was reminded, and indeed reminded others, that the divine ear had bent towards her plea. Samuel was a living, breathing echo of God's attentiveness, a hope fulfilled, and a promise embodied. His name was his story.

This concept of names carrying inherent meaning deepens exponentially when we turn our gaze to the divine. In the scorching desert, amidst a burning bush that was not consumed, God revealed Himself to Moses. It was a pivotal moment, not just for a shepherd turned reluctant leader, but for all of humanity. When Moses, bewildered and overwhelmed, dared to ask for a name—a declaration of identity to present to the skeptical Israelites—the answer he received was unlike any other. "I am who I am," God declared, a statement of eternal self-existence, limitless and unbound by human comprehension. Then came the command: "Say that I AM has sent me" (Exodus 3:13-15). This majestic, self-referential name is known as the Tetragrammaton, Greek for "four letters," represented by YHWH (יְהוָֹה, Strong's Word 3068). Whether pronounced Yahweh or Jehovah, this name, steeped in mystery and power, became the sacred identifier of the God of Israel.

The profound reverence for this divine name led to a fascinating linguistic and spiritual practice. The commandment "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7) was taken with such gravity that uttering YHWH aloud became taboo. To avoid any potential transgression, when scribes encountered YHWH in the sacred texts, they would substitute it with "Adonai," (אֲדֹנָי, Strong's Word 136) meaning "Lord." This practice extended into translation, which is why in many English Bibles, particularly in the Old Testament, you often find "LORD" rendered in all capital letters. It's a subtle yet powerful signal, indicating that where you see "LORD" in caps, the original Hebrew text held the awe-inspiring Tetragrammaton, YHWH.

This substitution, far from diminishing the name's power, actually reinforces its exclusivity and profound meaning. Take, for example, the comforting words of Psalm 23, penned by King David: "The LORD is my shepherd..." The presence of "LORD" in all caps immediately tells us that David proclaimed, "Yahweh is my shepherd." But understanding that Yahweh literally means "I AM" transforms the verse into something far more intimate and definitive: "I AM the shepherd." This isn't merely a shepherd; it asserts an absolute, singular identity. There is no other. It proclaims God's sole, unparalleled role as protector, guide, and provider. This "I AM" statement, embedded in His very name, speaks to a unique, exclusive relationship.

This theme of "I AM" as an exclusive declaration of divine attributes isn't limited to the Tetragrammaton itself. It echoes through various compound names for God found throughout scripture, each one a facet of His character, prefaced by the unspoken "I AM."

We encounter:

• Jehovah Jireh (Genesis 22:14): "I AM the provider." A name born from Abraham's obedient sacrifice and God's miraculous provision, declaring Him as the ultimate source of all needs.

• Jehovah Rapha (Exodus 15:26): "I AM the healer." Revealed to the Israelites after their deliverance from Egypt, promising restoration and wholeness.

• Jehovah Shalom (Judges 6:24): "I AM peace." Spoken over Gideon in a time of fear and uncertainty, affirming His presence as the bringer of true peace.

Each of these names, (and many others,) when understood through the lens of "I AM," isn't just descriptive; it’s a living testament to God's active presence and singular capacity in these roles. He doesn't just provide or heal or give peace; He is the very essence of these things, uniquely and completely.  There is no provision, no healing, and no peace apart from Him!

This profound concept of "I AM" finds its startling fulfillment in the person of Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly employs this powerful phrase, aligning Himself directly with the divine declaration made to Moses. When He proclaimed, "I AM the way, the truth, and the life," (John 14:6) He wasn't offering one path among many, but declaring Himself as the singular, ultimate reality. When He said, "I AM the bread of life," (John 6:35) He wasn't suggesting an option for spiritual nourishment, but establishing Himself as the sole sustainer of eternal existence. These were not casual statements; they were direct, audacious claims of divinity, understood by His listeners to be nothing less than an assertion of being YHWH Incarnate.

Perhaps one of the most resonant "I AM" statements of Jesus directly links Him to David's Psalm: "I AM the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11). In this, He wasn't merely adopting a pastoral metaphor; He was explicitly identifying Himself as the "LORD" of Psalm 23. He was declaring, in no uncertain terms, "I AM Yahweh, the one and only Shepherd." This statement directly challenges any notion of other gods or other saviors, presenting Himself as the unique fulfiller of divine promises, the sole keeper of the flock.

Even His very human name, Jesus, carries this weighty divine declaration. In Matthew 1:21, Mary is told by an angel that her child will be named Jesus, "for he shall save his people from their sins." The Hebrew origin of Jesus, "Yeshua," means "Jehovah saves." But again, peeling back the layers, if Jehovah means "I AM," then Jesus's name literally and functionally translates to "I AM the Savior." This isn't just a title of capability; it's a declaration of identity and exclusivity. Salvation, according to this profound etymology, is not found through Jesus as an agent, but in Jesus as the divine "I AM" who embodies salvation itself. There is salvation in Him, and in no other.

From Hannah’s heartfelt prayer to the burning bush, from David’s poetic declaration to Jesus’s bold claims, the biblical narrative weaves a consistent thread: names carry power, meaning, and revelation. And at the heart of it all is the Name above all names, YHWH, the "I AM," a timeless declaration of God's unique, exclusive, and ever-present reality. It transforms names from simple identifiers into profound theological statements, echoing through history and shaping our understanding of the divine.

The Passion Week: Resurrection Sunday!!

This Easter season, I’ve made a series of posts addressing skeptics’ criticism surrounding the Resurrection.  As we close in on Easter, I wanted to do a day-by-day detail discussing the events happening during the Passion Week. 

Today is the day!  He is risen - He is risen indeed!!

Resurrection Sunday

Luke 24:1-6, Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen:

When the women found the tomb empty, Luke tells us they were “perplexed.”  Their first thought wasn’t that He rose from the dead but that maybe someone had moved the body.  It wasn’t until the angel reminded them of Jesus’ words that they remembered His promise that He would rise from the dead.

When they went to tell the disciples, verses 10-11 tell us that neither did the disciples believe.  It says, “their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.” Even after going to the tomb, finding it empty, and seeing the grave clothes cast aside, verse 12 says that Peter left, still wondering what had happened.

Later that same day, the disciples were gathered together - still in hiding and still unsure of what had happened - when Jesus appeared to them (John 20:19)!  John 20:20 says, “And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.”  

Thomas was not with the other disciples when Jesus appeared to them.  When they told Thomas that they had seen the Lord, Thomas refused to believe.  He insisted, “Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).  He sounded pretty firm in his unbelief.

Are you starting to see a pattern here?  Everyone knew that Jesus was dead because they watched Him die.  None of them would believe unless they saw Him alive again.  It’s as though they could believe only the things they witnessed themselves.  So the words that He had spoken to them and the promises that He made meant nothing compared to what they could judge with their own eyes!  How sad.  

This same attitude exists even today. Skeptics sometimes ask, “If God is real, why doesn’t He just show Himself?”  When answering this question, we must first remember that God is under no obligation to appear to us. He has already given us His revelation in the form of the Bible. There is nothing else we need in order to know how to be saved. The Bible itself attests that the Scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). If someone wishes to ignore the written word of God and insist that God appear to him personally, then that is his loss.

However, even though God has no obligation to appear to us, He already has! John 1:14 says, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.  While on earth, Jesus gave us many signs and miracles as evidence of who He was, He told us He was the only way to the Father, He promised eternal life to everyone who believed in Him, and we have the written record of His words, miracles, and His Resurrection. There is nothing more we need!

It is not possible to overstate the importance of the Resurrection. It is the lynchpin of Christianity. Without the Resurrection, there is no Christian faith. The Apostle Paul said, And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14).  The Resurrection secures our hope for eternal life. Christ promised that those who believe in Him will never perish (John 3:16). Yet what good is His promise if Jesus Himself is dead in the ground? If Jesus died and did not rise, then His promise for our eternal life died with Him.  But the real significance of the Resurrection goes far beyond our hope in the afterlife. Everything that Jesus said and did is validated by His Resurrection: Every promise He made, every commandment He gave, and every doctrine that He taught us were all proven true on that first Easter Sunday.

Read again of Thomas’s encounter with the Risen Savior:

John 20:26-29, And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

I’m sometimes jealous of the disciples who saw Jesus face to face.  It’s hard to imagine the wonder and amazement that Thomas felt, seeing Jesus alive again.  In his joy, he declared Jesus to be his Lord and God!  Yet I rejoice even more in Jesus’ response: Thomas believed because he saw Jesus alive again; yet we are even more blessed than Thomas because we believe without having seen!

Jesus said to Thomas, “Be not faithless, but believing.”  The words of Jesus to Thomas are my prayer now.  Consider the Risen Savior. Do not wait, hoping somehow you’ll see for yourself; you have heard the good news already.  Know that everything He said was proven true by His Resurrection and be not faithless, but believing!

The Passion Week: Saturday, the Sabbath

 This Easter season, I’ve made a series of posts addressing skeptics’ criticism surrounding the Resurrection.  As we close in on Easter, I want to do a day-by-day detail discussing the events happening during the Passion Week. 

Please keep checking back!

Saturday

Being the Jewish Sabbath, not much would have been done on this day.  The disciples, shocked and demoralized, were probably hiding for fear that they too would find themselves facing religious and political persecution.  The only record in the gospels of what happened on this day is found in Matthew 27:

Matthew 27:62-66, Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, [s]aying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

For His entire public ministry, Jesus found Himself at odds with religious leaders.  His sincere and correct way of teaching the Law upset the hyper-literal and fruitless interpretation taught by the Pharisees.  Because He spoke as someone with authority, they wanted to see a sign from God, a miracle, to prove He had the authority to speak for God.  Jesus promised them one:

Matthew 12:38-40, Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

The Pharisees seemed to understand His words because, in their conversation with Pilate, they said, “[W]e remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.”  I think it’s interesting that they understood His words even better than the disciples did!  

Anyway, even when Jesus hung on the cross, they mocked Him, saying, “He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him” (Matthew 27:42).  That’s curious.  Still today, I have heard unbelievers say that if God came down and appeared to them, then they would believe.  I know comments like this are never sincere but I’m not sure of the point of them.  Do people say things like this in order to be condescending?  Or are they trying to convince other people that they are being open minded, saying they would believe if they had enough evidence?  I don’t know.

What they said to Pilate next strikes at the heart of the issue: “Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.”

The Pharisees understood the power of the Resurrection.  They remembered that Jesus had promised the sign of Jonah to prove His authority.  If Jesus rose from the dead, then everything He said, did, and taught would be validated!  The Pharisees didn’t want that.  If Jesus remained dead in the tomb, then all of His promises would be there too, dead with Him.

Today, we have the full revelation of Scripture.  We have the written testimony of people who were eyewitnesses to His preaching, His miracles, and His Resurrection.  They are people who saw Him alive, saw Him die, and saw Him alive again!  If you believe in your heart He rose from the dead and accept Him as your Lord, you will be saved (Romans 10:9-10)!

But if people do not believe the Bible, if they do not believe the words written by the prophets and apostles as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, then no amount of “evidence” will convince them.  I’m reminded of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus.  In the parable, Jesus tells us of a conversation between Abraham and the rich man.  From Hell, the rich man pleaded with Abraham:

Luke 16:27-31, Then [the rich man] said, I pray thee therefore, father [Abraham], that thou wouldest send [Lazarus] to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

The Pharisees claimed to believe in Moses but they didn’t.  They claimed to be the sons of Abraham but they weren’t.  Had they believed in Moses and Abraham, then they would have believed in Jesus, but they didn’t - even though He rose from the dead!!