Do Not Waste Time on Profitless Things

[iris89]

Do Not Waste Time on Profitless Things

Statement of belief-all writings and concepts should be judged with respect reliability strictly by whether they are in accordance with God's written word or contrary to it. True Christians should not waste time on profitless things, " This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." (Titus 3:8 AV). So let's keep focused on Biblical truths and not trivial of man which profits nothing.

One of the best examples of wrongly considering the reliability of stated fact based on source occurred on February 19, 1616, Catholic theologians were presented with two propositions: (1) "the sun is the center of the universe" and (2) "the earth is not the center of the universe." On February 24 they ruled these ideas foolish and heretical. Galileo was ordered not to hold to or teach such theories. The Catholic theologians were considered the reliable source and Galileo the unreliable source by men. However, the Bible clearly backed Galileo. To prove their point the Catholic theologians twisted scripture and pointed to " And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day." (Joshua 10:13 AV), yet the despised Waldensians had maintained this scripture did not apply this way, but simply showed that God had held the earth still in its revolution around the sun. Now who was right.

This same learned group, the Catholic theologians of the 10 century had fearlessly maintained that the earth was flat and even put to death some Anabaptists for stating otherwise. Here again, worldly wisdom was used as the judge of reliability when the Bible was very clear the contrary was the case. The Bible states, " It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:" (Isaiah 40:22 AV). Let's look at this fact in detail for a moment with respect the ancient Hebrew word "hhug" that is used for either circle [2 d] or sphere [3d].

[1] Scientists call this division between light and darkness the terminator.

Genesis 1 shows earth was originally covered with water, and it is still mostly covered witb water.

For the division between light and darkness on the surface (face) of the waters to be a circle, earth has to be a sphere.

Confirming this shape Isaiah was inspired to write:

Isaiah 40:22, "It is he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in;" (American Standard Version; ASV)/

Here, Isaiah uses the Hebrew word hhug for circle, and this word means circle in plane geometry (2-d) and sphere in solid geometry (3-d). [REFERENCE - Newton]

[2] A scientist, or an individual interested in science, may be quite surprised to learn that, some 2,200 years before men in general accepted the fact that the earth is round, the Hebrew prophet Isaiah wrote: "There is One [God] who is dwelling above the circle of the earth." (Isa. 40:22) The Hebrew word here rendered "circle" is hhug, which may also be rendered "sphere," according to Davidson's Concordance. Moreover, a scientifically inclined person will probably agree with the Bible if he is shown Job 26:7, which says that God is "hanging the earth upon nothing." After all, scientists know that the earth has no visible means of support.[REFERENCE - Davidson's Concordance]

[3] In the eighth century B.C.E., Isaiah wrote of Jehovah "dwelling above the circle of the earth." The Hebrew "hhug," translated "circle" can also mean "sphere," as Davidson's "Concordance" and Wilson's "Old Testament Word Studies" show. Hence, Moffatt's translation of Isaiah 40:22 reads: "He sits over the round earth."[REFERENCES - Davidson's Concordance, Wilson's "Old Testament Word Studies," AND Moffatt's Bible Translation].

[4] <<" If you look the bible has all truths of knowledge and revelations....This was wrote way before any great minds came along to say "Yes, the Earth is Round."...DUH THE BIBLE TOLD YOU THIS MANY YEARS AGO... ALSO..READ THE BOOK OF JOB..HE TELLS US THAT THE EARTH ISN'T SUPPORTED MY ANYTHING..IT IS HUNG UPON NOTHING...AND ANCIENT MAN THOUGHT IT WAS A GIANT TURTLE THAT SUPPORTED A FLAT EARTH...AND WHO SAYS THE BIBLE ISN'T CORRECT...LOL...CRD" [SOURCE - www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm46796.html]>>.

[5] <<"Round Earth
Before the time of Columbus, many scientists taught that the earth was flat. However, the Bible contained the truth more than 2,100 years before Columbus. Isaiah the prophet wrote the word of God:
It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, . . . Isaiah 40:22. (KJV) (See also Proverbs 8:27.)
Did you notice the expression "circle of the earth?" The original Hebrew word is (chug)or (hhug), which means circle and sphere.5 This Hebrew word contains the scientific truth that the earth is round and is a sphere. Obviously, Isaiah did not [SOURCE - www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Lockwood/Germaine/Charles/1930/Cosmos/ch09.html]

[6] <<" Sitteth - Far above this round earth, even in the highest heavens; from whence he looketh down upon the earth, where men appear to him like grasshoppers. As here we have the circle of the earth, so elsewhere we read of the circle of heaven, Job 22:14, and of the circle of the deep, or sea, Proverbs 8:27, because the form of the heaven, and earth and sea is circular. Spreadeth - For the benefit of the earth and of mankind, that all parts might partake of its comfortable influences." [ source - Wesley, John. "Commentary on Isaiah 40". "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible". 1754]>>.

Clearly reliability and/or lack of reliability depends only on conformity to God's word and nothing else, " For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:" (Romans 1:20 AV). So do not use false innuendoes or try and involve me in profitless post, " And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain." (1 Samuel 12:21 AV).

Last, but not least, <<" One question that is often asked of the Bible is, "How do we know it's actually inspired by God"? There are several ways to know it's inspired by God, and not just merely the personal opinions of the 40+ authors who wrote it over about at 1,500 year period. One way is the scientific foreknowledge that appears all throughout the Bible. In this case, what we mean by "scientific foreknowledge" is scientific information that was revealed in the Bible long before mankind discovered or verified it through extra-Biblical means. The verses cover a broad range of scientific disciplines. We are gathering this information from several sources, and will add to this list as we have time to." [source - Scientific Foreknowledge in the Bible, www.creationists.org/foreknowledge.html]>>.

Your Friend in Christ Iris89

[iris89]

APPENDIX TO DO NOT WASTE TIME ON PROFITLESS THINGS:

1. Astronomy and Cosmology

Fact
Bible verses
Date of verse
Discovered by science

The stars are too great in number to count
Genesis 15:5
Jeremiah 33:22 Hebrews 11:12
1450-1410 BC
627-585 BC
64-68 AD
19th Century AD with the advent of powerful telescopes. Prior to this, most thought there were no more than 6,000 stars (what could be seen with the naked eye from all points on the earth). See this CNN report titled Star survey reaches 70 sextillion.[SOURCE - CNN report titled Star survey]

2. The Earth is shaped like a sphere (round) and rotates
Isaiah 40:22
Luke 17:34-36
746-680 BC
60 AD
See this link for an interesting historical account of where the idea of a flat earth originated from. Also, Luke 17:34-36 depicts Christ's Second Coming as happening while some are asleep at night and others are working at day-time activities in the field, an indication of a rotating earth with day and night at the same time. [SOURCE - CNN report titled Star survey]

3. The sun is is moving through space in a huge orbit.
Note: There is another interpretation of this verse that suggests its talking about how the Sun appears to rise in the East and sets in the West (from Earth's perspective). It is quite possible that this verse is not referring to the Sun's orbital path at all.
Psalms 19:4-6

About 1000 BC
It was only recently discovered that the Sun is moving through space at about 600,000 miles per hour, in an orbit that would take an estimated 230,000,000 years to complete. [SOURCE - CNN report titled Star survey]

[4] Light travels in a path,
darkness does not
Job 38:19
950 BC or
earlier
[SOURCE - excerpt from Bert Thompson, Ph.D in his book Christian Evidences].

[5] Earth floats freely
in space
Job 26-7
950 BC or
earlier
We're still trying to track down when scientists discovered this.
[SOURCE - Scientific Foreknowledge in the Bible, www.creationists.org/foreknowledge.html]

[6] The Bible includes a number of references regarding the geophysical structure of the earth which revealed an understanding which was far ahead of common awareness. To truly appreciate the relevance of these statements, one must understand the state of existing knowledge about the earth at the time these words were written.
Although data concerning historical scientific knowledge is rare, it suggests that almost nothing was known about the earth's oceans, atmosphere, or the structure of the earth's shape and composition. The nations surrounding Israel believed that the earth was flat, resting on the back of elephants or turtles. There was no knowledge of lighter-than-air gases. Rain was said to be sent from the gods, lightning and thunder represented the anger of the gods. Even volcanic activity was not connected to any physical property of the earth.
In sharp contrast, the biblical accounts refer to geophysical facts in clear and precise detail thousands of years before their confirmation by science. While God is sometimes seen to manifest His anger through physical means such as earthquakes--with a specific purpose in mind, the Bible makes it clear that earthquakes are not in themselves a symbol of His anger. This is a significant difference from every other religious belief of those times.
The course of trade winds
"The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course."
(Ecclesiastes 1:6)
This was a remarkable statement given the earth's primitive knowledge of atmospheric conditions. In Solomon's time (Ecclesiastes was written around 935BC) there were no scientific revelations about the trade winds that move in a regular, predictable pattern around the earth. Sailors finally began mapping these winds during the age of exploration about 2000 years after this was written.
Ocean currents revealed
"...and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas."
(Psalm 8:8)
The Bible infers a knowledge of ocean currents at a time when almost nothing was known about the ocean. It was not until 1845 that Matthew Fontaine Maury, inspired by this verse, began discovering and mapping the existence of ocean currents. Even today oceanography is hailed as the "last great frontier" of scientific study because so little is known about our oceans.
Some people will dismiss this passage as an accidental reference, merely transposing a land-based concept (paths) to the surface of the water. Perhaps. But a closer look suggests that this verse distinctly refers to paths (currents) within the depths of the ocean, not upon its surface, as most fish do not swim on the surface.
The existence of hydrothermal springs
"Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea or walked in the recesses of the deep?"
(Job 38:16)
God revealed the existence of freshwater springs under the ocean floor about 4000 years ago. Only in the last 20 years have scientists discovered that huge springs of heated water pour out of the ocean floor in numerous places. In 1965 scientists first theorized that such vents could exist. In the late 1970's, oceanographers with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute finally saw and photographed one from the deep water submersible Alvin. Until then it was impossible to travel to these depths because of the intense pressures encountered. Since then many more vents have been found. These are usually referred to as "hydrothermal vents" which are composed of steam and minerals flowing at high pressure into the sea as a result of cracks in the earth's crust. To anyone without oceanographic knowledge they look exactly like "springs of the sea." How did Job know about these phenomena located at such crushing depths?
Polar ice caps revealed
"From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens when the waters become hard as stone, when the surface of the deep is frozen?"
(Job 38:29-30)
The phrase "surface of the deep is frozen" is a very clear reference to polar ice caps found only in the farthest reaches of the north. How could someone like Job or his contemporaries, living in the area of Saudi Arabia in ancient times, have known about polar ice caps? Not even the harshest winter could have produced a frozen ocean surface in that region of the world.
Some early explorers were known to have traveled north, but with no navigational aids (the compass was not invented until the seventh century AD and didn't appear west of China until 1100AD) their efforts were futile. A Greek explorer was reported to have traveled as far north as the island of Great Britain around 1300BC. However, nothing indicates that he discovered ice floes and this is highly unlikely because he would not have made such a trip in winter.
The hydrological cycle
"He draws up the drops of water, which distill as rain to the streams; the clouds pour down their moisture and abundant showers fall on mankind. Who can understand how he spreads out the clouds, how he thunders from his pavilion?"
(Job 36:27-29)
"who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land--the LORD is his name"
(Amos 5:8b)
This reference to evaporation is startling in its clarity and detail, and centuries ahead of its time. God revealed the existence of a hydrological cycle--water evaporating from the sea into the form of clouds and being dropped onto land as rain--about 3500 years before these concepts became known to scientific man. In fact, even after people understood the hydrological cycle, they believed that rain, being fresh water, came from rivers and lakes. The discovery that rain comes mostly from seawater as described in the Bible is fairly recent. In the 1600's it was finally realized that water could evaporate as a gaseous substance. In 1676, Pierre Perrault and Edme Marriotte made a scientific breakthrough by describing the hydrologic cycle in detail. Yet the Bible described the process thousands of years earlier.
next: the flood: myth or reality?
[REFERENCE - www.pytlik.com/observe/deliverus/signature-02.html]

[7] The universe is expanded from its original size
17 verses spanning seven books of the Bible reference this.
The first reference occurs in about 1000 BC; the last in about 518 BC (a span of almost 500 years).
Edwin Hubble found evidence the universe has expanded in 1927.[REFERENCE - Works of Edwin Hubble]

[8] Grasshopper [N]
belongs to the class of neuropterous insects called Gryllidae. This insect is not unknown in Palestine.
In Judges 6:5; 7:12; Job 39:30; Jeremiah 46:23, where the Authorized Version has "grasshopper," the Revised Version more correctly renders the Hebrew word ('arbeh) by "locust." This is the case also in Amos 7:1; Nahum 3:17, where the Hebrew word gob is used; and in Leviticus 11:22; Numbers 13:33; Eccl 12:5; Isaiah 40:22, where hagab is used. In all these instances the proper rendering is probably "locust" (q.v.). [SOURCE - M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897.]

[9a] Stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain" (Isaiah 40:22), is an expression used with reference to the veil or awning which Orientals spread for a screen over their courts in summer. According to the prophet, the heavens are spread over our heads as such an awning. Similar expressions are found in Ps 104:2l; Compare Isaiah 44:24; Job 9:8. [SOURCE - M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897]

[9b] Some need to look at context and comprehend, Isaiah 40:21-25, "Have ye not known? have yet not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 [It is] he that sitteth above the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in; 23 that bringeth princes to nothing; that maketh the judges of the earth as vanity. 24 Yea, they have not been planted; yea, they have not been sown; yea, their stock hath not taken root in the earth: moreover he bloweth upon them, and they wither, and the whirlwind taketh them away as stubble. 25 To whom then will ye liken me, that I should be equal [to him]? saith the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, and see who hath created these, that bringeth out their host by number; he calleth them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and for that he is strong in power, not one is lacking." (American Standard Version; ASV).

Your Friend in Christ Iris89