Hinge Points of History. John Hunsuck
or the beginnings
•Exodus or the move from Egypt to Canaan
•Leviticus or the Law of the Tabernacle
•Numbers or the organization of Israel
•Deuteronomy or the Final Sermon of Moses
There is no more accurate recounting of the events of the period covered by this set of writings in existence. This may be perceived as a bold statement, but my research has shown that no other records of the era are as coherent, complete or accurate as these. If you know of more accurate records, please contact me. The Qumran scrolls support Ezra, the composer of the collection we call the Old Testament. Ezra did his work during the Babylonian captivity to establish the Jewish standard for use in the synagogues.
The Creation Story need not be repeated here. There are many copies of the Bible in many tongues and versions available for your detailed study. This was the first event, so we select this story to highlight a few things that are not as obvious as the beginning itself.
1.God first created a perfect environment before He created mankind to live in it. Science notes, sometimes to its consternation that this environment seems to both control itself and heal itself, regardless of man’s foolish mistakes.
2.Man was given both dominion over and responsibility for his life in Creation. (Ref 2)
3.Man has to work for his living. No man has ever earned the right to loaf or live off another’s efforts. (Ref 3)
4.God established the physical laws which are still being discovered by man. They all apply everywhere at all times, without exception. This last sentence is a simple definition of true law.
5.God established the psycho-social laws which are only dimly understood, and we give notice to them only when we find ourselves in violation of them. They also apply everywhere at all times without exception. Note that we have grouped psychological and sociological law into a single study, because they are inseparable.
6.God established the spiritual laws, and they also are fixed and apply everywhere at all times without exception.
Let’s review the story as simple history. The completed Creation saw Man, both male and female, somewhere in the area where Asia, Africa and Europe join. Note that the word “man” has no gender in its original definition and use from the Hebrew word, Adam, which simply means “human being.” After some lapse of time, a great flood occurred, wiping almost all of mankind from the Earth. Large accumulations of both animal and human bones were found as if they were deposited by a torrent which overcame them, similar to the Leakey digs in Africa. Population begins again in the area around what we call Turkey and Iraq today.
Back to the Bible: The six points stated above might be called a paraphrase of the Adamic Covenant. When the flood was over, a new statement was added to the existing Covenant and man was authorized to sacrifice animals and eat meat. Some scientists insist that the whole weather system was changed by the flood, and the system of changing seasons began as the flood disappeared. The rainbow was set in the sky to remind all mankind that a flood would never again be used to destroy all life and that until the end of time, set by God alone, the times and seasons would occur in order. This addition to the Covenant is called the Noahic Covenant. (Ref 4)
HINGE POINT
God told Adam and Eve that sin results in death. No method was given to remove guilt from the sinner. Before the flood, God noted that, with the exception of Noah, the thoughts of all men were on evil only. God decided to eliminate all but Noah and start over with a new plan. God gave Noah the right to sacrifice and eat meat. The life is in the blood and came from God. Therefore, man may sacrifice the blood (life) of an animal back to God to atone for his sin and remove guilt. This became the standard for man to remove guilt before his own death. God established His first law of life: the death penalty. (Ref 5)
A new thing called writing appears. Some people think that certain things happening to them and around them need to be recorded. The earliest writings were carved in stone or pressed into clay tablets and preserved by firing the clay. If any other writings were made, they have not survived. At least we have not discovered any, except for those puzzling “cave art” drawings.
The Sumerians began collecting writings and libraries were established. Some documents were listed and their authors named. Babylon continued this process and their nobles commissioned the recording of histories and palace records. These clay tablets were mostly lost due to deliberate attempts to destroy the Babylonian culture. From the artifacts we have discovered, we know that the Sumerians and Babylonians had codified the movements of stars, planets and the moon and had discovered simple mathematics we call the four functions: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
They also had established standards of measure of volume, length and weight. Some evidence indicates they also had a means of measuring angles, but trigonometry came later. Their counterparts in Egypt had discovered the “Golden Triangle” ... the 3:4:5 triangle, which always includes a “right angle” ... 90 degrees -- crucial to building square, plumb or “right” buildings.
The Egyptians, following the lead of the Babylonians, made most of their mathematical discoveries secret and even made them “sacred,” to keep the uninitiated (and enemies) in the dark. This practice continued into the Dark or Middle Ages. A lot of bogus activity and showmanship were used to “cover” their activities. There is even a record that some mathematicians in Greece built a temple that was locked on the inside. The doors opened when a fire was built on a certain metal altar. The doors would magically open and money and food was placed inside for the “god.” A secret piston and ropes mechanism was operated by steam formed when the water boiled in the altar. This is but a simple example of the many tricks used by early “scientists” who didn’t like to work for a living.
By the time a certain “Abram” of Ur came along, codes of laws, sacred writings and the exploits of kings were being routinely kept and cataloged in many nations. Complex tables of the movements of heavenly bodies and eclipses included a special list of convergences: when two bodies cross or pass very near each other. Of course, even this study became a religion, known as Astrology. The keepers of this data didn’t like to work, either. In fact, a great number of false religions had sprung up in the known world, usually to protect discovered “secrets” and make the discoverer rich.
Abram was different. He simply obeyed the command of an unseen God and left home for a new place ... somewhere. Thus began a quest that established the greatest religions on Earth ... each monotheistic, and each stating that a single Supreme Being created and LOVES what He created. Guess who called Abram out of Ur? This occurred without magic, without fanfare, and without blazing miracles. Just a simple, “Hey you. Yes you, Abram. Have I got a special deal for you, already!” (Those of you who are Yiddish, please forgive my attempt at a play on words.) Before arriving in a land called Canaan, God made a Covenant with Abram. The exact date is uncertain, but was probably about 2090 B.C. (Genesis 12:1-3.) After entering Canaan, God bequeathed all of Canaan to Abram and his seed, even though Abram had no child. This Covenant is crucial to history, so let us repeat it here.
HINGE POINT
“Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the Earth shall be blessed.’” Genesis 12:1-3 (NASV)
Note that the Covenant includes a clause “...be a blessing...” repeated “...be blessed.” God chose Abram to carry a message to all generations: God is and God cares! The fact that Israel existed in the past and exists again today continues the saga of Divine Revelation begun with Abram. Ignore this fact to your own destruction! Note also that the earlier Covenant is not abrogated. We must assume this also is an addition to those Covenants (Adamic and Noahic) already existing.