Four Proofs the Bible Is True

The Bible is an amazing book in terms of how it has impacted our lives. Each and every one of us sitting here today is here because this book and the words in this book have touched us in one way or another. The Bible claims to be the inspired word of the Creator God of the universe. It claims to be His instructions for us and how to live life and how to have a relationship with Him, His Son, and one another as His people. Belief in the Bible affects virtually every aspect of our daily lives. If we live according to this book, it impacts our relationships. Our relationships with God and each other, our family relationships, our work relationships, virtually every aspect, our relationship with our neighbors, even who is our neighbor is defined here in the Bible. This book affects our overall perspective on life as well. It makes a difference on the decisions we make. It impacts us in a very profound way. On matters of health and diet, we look to the Scriptures. On matters of marriage and family, and again, relationships with God and one another, we look to the Scriptures. In terms of career and entertainment and morality, defining the purpose of our existence, we look to the Bible. And again, it has a major impact. To use the words that it impacts our life is almost an understatement. We would say the Bible has ordered our life, or we order our life according to this word. Sometimes we can almost become accustomed to it, that we don't actually think about it, hopefully at second nature to us, and becoming first nature. But the fact is, every day, day in and day out, decisions we make, actions we take, are based and hopefully impacted in a positive way by the Word of God. The Bible is regarded as the most influential book of all time. It has been translated into virtually every language on the face of the earth, distributed across the globe. Over the centuries, the Bible has been both believed in and argued against. Some have given their lives to preserve the Bible, to defend the Bible. Others have devoted their life to seek after destroying the effectiveness of this word and the spread of this word. Some have given their lives to the translation of the Bible, so it can be made available in other languages, so people could receive these words, apply them in their life, and come to an understanding of the gospel message and indeed what God is doing. And again, others have made it their aim to stand against these words and to destroy it, if in fact possible. The Bible has taken a hit in recent decades in our country. Fewer and fewer people regard it as the inerrant Word of God. Fewer people would actually say that they base their daily decisions on this book. And for those of us who do, that number is shrinking in the opposition to, and frankly the persecution of those who would order their lives according to this book is increasing. It is what is at stake in this world today. So with so much emphasis being placed on the Bible and with so much at stake in our own lives, there's a question that oftentimes comes up that you and I must be able to answer clearly and never take for granted. And that question is, is the Bible true?

Is the Bible true? In other words, is it what it really claims to be? Is it the inspired Word of God?

And we might say, well, yes, I know that. And we believe that because we're living it, but we need to be able to actually give an answer, not just, I believe it. Believe it is what we must do ultimately, but what backs our faith? What is it that would allow us to give an answer for the fact that this Word is in fact true? There are definable proofs that we can find showing the Bible is true. And those proofs can work then to bolster our faith. Ultimately, it is by faith and trust in God, but it's not a blind faith. It is an informed faith. It's educated. And there are proofs of the Bible. And so today we're going to answer the question, is the Bible true, by looking at four proofs that show the Bible really is the true and inspired Word of God. Again, with so much at stake, if we are putting our life on the line to live this way, we must believe and honestly even be able to defend the reality that this book is true.

So I want to launch right into it, proof number one that the Bible is true. And what would you answer if somebody asked, prove it to me, that the Bible is true? Prove it to yourself. Proof number one that the Bible is true is the unity of the Scriptures. The unity of the Scriptures. And that might seem like, okay, you're trying to prove the Bible from the Bible, but let's understand there's extra biblical dates and time stamps and evidence that backs these things up as well. The unity of the Scriptures. There's a cohesive unity to the Bible that is unique and unique beyond any other book in print and especially unique because of the time that it spans in human history. The Bible is a series of 66 books that were written across the span of approximately 1,500 years. And if you pull the book of Job into it, and a number of people believe that Job was written actually before Moses, if you pull him into that time frame, you're looking at about a 2,000 year span from the writing of the first book to the conclusion of the last book of the Bible, Revelation, written by John. The writings of Moses are estimated around 1,400 B.C. with the last of the Old Testament writings, including around 400 B.C. And then you had a span of about 450 years where there were no new writings that were produced and added to the canonized Scripture. The New Testament writings are believed to have ranged from the late 40s A.D. to the late 90s, again with the book of Revelation and John being that late-lived apostle who wrote that final revelation of God. So you have a 50 year span across which the New Testament was written. So again, that's 1,500 years, or perhaps even 2,000 years from Moses to John's conclusion. And over that period of time, portions of the Scripture were pinned on three continents. Africa, Asia, Europe. These are things without dispute that have been confirmed by manuscripts which have been found and preserved and artifacts which have been dug up. There were 40 writers involved with the Scripture, and they came from many different backgrounds. And a good portion of the Bible was pinned by individuals that we would consider simple in terms of education. And that doesn't mean dumb. That means simple. You'll recall on the day of Pentecost, as the Holy Spirit came, people were speaking in tongues, and others looked around and said, Well, aren't all these who speak Galileans? And it was like, aren't they from that backwater fishing village? What do they know? And yet they were shocked of what was coming forth from them. It was by God working in them and through them. But among those who penned the Bible, there's some unique backgrounds. You had shepherds. King David was a shepherd. He was a shepherd that went on to be king. You had Amos, who was also a shepherd. You had fishermen. A number of the twelve apostles were fishermen. James and Peter and John and others, who that was their profession. Again, from Galilee, not somewhere that was the educational center of the region, by any means. Acts 4 and verse 13 says this about Peter and John. It says, Now when they, the council, saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus. So there was something special that God was able to do through these individuals by a relationship with him, a relationship with his son. On the flip side of the coin, you also had people like kings. Kings who penned books of the Bible, King David. Obviously, King Solomon, one who was given incredible wisdom from God, actually brought up in a king's house, would have been highly educated. You had scholars, scribes. Ezra was a scribe. You had a priest, Ezekiel. You had a slave-turned military general, Joshua.

You had a cupbearer to the king of Persia, Nehemiah. You had a tax collector, Matthew. You had the beloved physician, the doctor, Luke. So this book was written by generally considered uneducated men, at least not in an advanced form of education, as well as highly educated individuals. Many of these biblical authors did not live at the same time or the same place. Many did not know one another. Again, spanned across 1,000 years, 1,500 years. On top of that, sections of the original text were written in three different languages. You had Hebrew. You had Aramaic. You had Greek. Different literary forms were used throughout the writings of the Scriptures, ranging from poetry to parables to prophetic writings. And so when you consider all these factors, the Bible is pretty incredible. It's incredible because it's a unified book. It's a package from cover to cover that fits together in agreement. There's not contradiction. The Word of the Bible does not undermine itself. There's not one doctrine that states one thing, another doctrine that opposes it and states something else. When we understand the Word of God as it was given and the harmony that exists, it is a miracle. And consider all these things. So we might ask, what are the odds that these 40 men of diverse backgrounds and educational opportunities spread across 1,500 years, three continents, three languages, that they would all sit down, each in their own time and place, and pen a portion of this book that flows and joins perfectly together. And it agrees with the rest. What are the odds of that?

Humanly, what are the odds of that?

About zero?

Again, there's no other book in human history that compares. I don't have time to go into it, but you can do research, find books that have been penned by multiple authors across time. They are disjointed. And even the number of manuscripts that have been preserved and dug up and found that agree. There's writings that are considered to be very authentic today that only a small handful of manuscripts are found. The overwhelming evidence is that these books are true. But we have this unity, and we might ask why. Why is the Bible unified? Why is it a package as beautiful as this? 2 Timothy chapter 3 gives us the answer. You can follow me there. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 16, we have the answer to this unity. 2 Timothy 3, 16 says, So Paul says, all inspiration is given in this book through these words by God. It's of Him. And the term translated, inspiration of God, I've discussed it before, theonustos. Theos means God. Nustos means breathe thou. This is the God-breathed word that was given for us by the inspiration of God directly. And He inspired it to be recorded through human messengers. That's how we can have all these people across time that wrote it, recorded it in all different venues, from all different walks of life. But there is agreement because the inspiration of the word is the same. And indeed comes from God. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 and 2.

Again, the inspiration of God, but through human messengers. Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1 says, God, who at various times and in various ways in times past, spoke in times past to the fathers, how by the prophets. It says, He has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds. So God used human instruments to declare His words to the fathers, which came now ultimately to us. And this is where the unity of the Bible comes from. It is from that one mind. It is from God. It is God working across the generations through these different men to accomplish His purpose and to put forth the message that not men wanted but God. This message is for a purpose, and this unity is for a divine reason. Again, the Scriptures aren't just the brilliant devisings of mere men, but rather they're the God-breathed, inspired words of the Almighty, and they are for us. 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 20. 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 20. We see here again the source and how it is that God would convey these things. 2 Peter 1, verse 20.

Here Peter writing, he says, The word here for interpretation could be translated origin. It's not of a personal or a private origin that the Scripture came. It's not by the origin of men that brought it forth. Verse 21, But holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. And so what we find is that God did not dictate the words of Scripture word for word, and it was copied down word for word, but what we find is that by His Spirit inspiration was given, and this word was recorded in what we now call the Bible. And that is why there is unity throughout the Bible. That is why Jesus could state this proof directly in John chapter 10 and verse 35. Jesus said the Scripture cannot be broken. It agrees. And more than just agrees, it binds together like a fabric woven together in a harmony. You're not just going to take and tear that fabric down the middle. It is the strength of God's word. It is why the concept of line upon line and precept upon precept when used properly reveals a cohesive agreement and a doctrinal unity from Genesis to Revelation. That's why you can look at the Bible and you see themes that start in the book of Revelation or Genesis. Okay, they start there, but they go all the way through Revelation. Tree of life, relationship with God in the presence of God. If you master the book of Genesis, you'll know what to see in the book of Revelation in terms of the wonderful and divine fulfillment that God will bring to pass. A clear proof that the Bible is true and that is divine word of God is found in the clear unity and harmony that are contained within the Scriptures. Again, by and large, there really is no dispute to when these were written, where they were written, been dug out of the sand over the centuries. And yet the harmony of these words is incredible, and it is the unbroken and the unified word of God.

Proof number two that the Bible is true is fulfilled prophecy. This is another way the Bible is unique from all the other books. You could go pull off the bookshelf. Fulfilled prophecy. A unique aspect of the Bible is that it is one that declares prophecy. You can find many books that declare things, but it also records the fulfillment of these things. There can be no other dramatic proof greater than the truth that the Bible brings through fulfilled prophecy, and it's actually the test that the Bible itself offers of its own validity. The Bible essentially says, again, by God's inspiration, test these things and see if they do not come to pass. Because, you see, these are ordered by God. And only God, the true God, because you can go through scriptures where God actually throws down the gauntlet to any false God that would dare to pick up the challenge. You declare the end from the beginning. Let's see how it works from you, because this is only an aspect of the true God. So God says, I am, God alone, declaring the end from the beginning. I have the power. I have the will to bring it to pass, and it will be so. And the evidence in the scriptures, again, the time stamps, the centuries of separation, when it was proclaimed, when it was fulfilled, shows indeed the power and the inspiration of God. Isaiah chapter 46 and verse 8, a declaration of the massishty of God and His ability to bring these things to pass.

Isaiah chapter 46 and verse 8, God says, Remember this and show yourselves men. Recall to mind, O you transgressors, remember the former things of old, for I am God and there is no other. I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. Again, it's an attribute of the true God alone to declare the end from the beginning and then bring it to pass. That belongs to God. And the recording of it belongs to His inspired word. It is nowhere else to be found in human history. It's an identifying proof that His word is true. To see it recorded, men who wrote long before it came to pass, and then to see it fulfilled, and to see it historically through archaeology confirmed as well. A clear example of this type of prophecy is found here in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied well before the captivity of Judah. Babylonians, recall, came in, ripped him out of the land, destroyed Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, but Isaiah's time was in advance of that. And the time stamp for his writings is confirmed by chapter 1. Go to Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1.

Isaiah chapter 1, in verse 1, it says, the vision of Isaiah, the son of Amaz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah. Okay, these are kings being listed now. Uzziah drove them. Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Kings listed here are well established to have reigned from 767 BC to 686 BC. But when was Jerusalem destroyed? Well, 587 BC. So you have, again, the time stamp for the book of Isaiah in advance of that, in advance of the Babylonian captivity. And yet there's a prophecy contained within Isaiah's message regarding a specific future conqueror, one who would actually come in and conquer the Babylonians and allow the nation of Judah, at least a remnant, then to return to the land. Begin rebuilding the temple and restore some of what had been destroyed. We find that prophecy in Isaiah 44 and verse 28.

Isaiah 44 and verse 28. This is a prophecy specific, not to just events, but specifically surrounding a person as well. Isaiah 44 and verse 28. Who says of Cyrus? Okay, this is Cyrus the Great, King Cyrus of Persia, not even born at this point, yet to come, but a prophecy through Isaiah pertaining to him. Who says of Cyrus? He is my shepherd, and he shall perform all my pleasure, saying to Jerusalem, You shall be built, and to the temple Your foundation shall be laid.

Here we have God declaring by name the one who would permit Jerusalem to be rebuilt 150 years after this prophecy was given.

Called Cyrus by name before he was even in the womb. Again, Cyrus the Great, known in history, this man had not even been born before God declared this prophecy, and it came to pass in stunning accuracy. Isaiah 45 verse 13 speaks of Cyrus' future role again. Isaiah 45 verse 13. God says, I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways, and he shall build my city, and let my exiles go free, not for a price nor reward, says the Lord of Hosts. This is what God prophesied and had recorded in Scripture well in advance of Cyrus. And you can go and read the fulfillment. Go to Ezra. Start in Ezra chapter 1. You can read the fulfillment of what God did through Cyrus, allowing then the remnant to return to Jerusalem, lay the foundation of the temple, and begin to at least restore some of what had been lost. Prophecy given, time stamped by the book, but also time stamped by history, acknowledging the writing of the book. Problem, though, with prophecy is some would look at that, and then really the argument starts wrestling over, was this written in advance, or was this written as now you're looking back at Cyrus as a part of history? Because when you look at a number of the books of the Bible, the fulfillment was so accurate that certain people would have a hard time accepting that this is a prophecy in advance. No, this has to be history, some would say. But again, it's really beyond dispute when these things were written, and again, the inspiration by which they came. So this is not an isolated incident. The Bible records many prophecies and shows them being fulfilled hundreds, if not thousands, of years later. Prophecies pertaining to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It starts in Genesis. It starts in the beginning. Prophecies of Jesus Christ that came even before them, but prophecies of their lineage, of their life, of the nation of Israel that would come out of them, where their descendants would go in the blessing and the prosperity and what God would accomplish through them. It's being fulfilled yet even still to this day. The book of Daniel. Daniel prophesied about events that became fulfilled many centuries ago, about a number of them. Prophecies about kings, rulers, empires, nations, risings and fallings of those. Places and people that history has acknowledged to have existed and they acknowledge without dispute. But again, as it pertains to the book of Daniel, the dispute becomes, when was it written? And it's pretty clear, I'm not having time to go through all of that evidence today, but it's clear when Daniel was written. And yet the argument is, well, it certainly couldn't have been written when it seems to have been written. Because the remarkable accuracy of the prophecies given, how they were fulfilled. In the rise and falls of empires, this could only be written from the perspective of now looking back on history.

At least from man's understanding. But again, it is a proof of the Bible. And undoubtedly, the most important prophecies of the Bible refer to Jesus Christ. Prophecies that span multiple authors, thousands of years, Genesis through Revelation, they describe Jesus in His first coming in detail, they describe Jesus Christ, His second coming as well. And I want to just consider a few of the prophecies surrounding His first coming briefly. Again, we want to just see the pattern. Declared, fulfilled. Declared, fulfilled. Over and over again. So we won't have time to turn to all these, but I'll give you a few Scripture references.

But one prophecy that we see clearly declared and advanced and fulfilled is Jesus' genealogy. In Genesis 12, verse 3, God promised Abraham that in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. And as I mentioned last week, that's an ultimate reference to the Messiah. And the salvation that would come through His sacrifice. That promise was later repeated and taken from Abraham, passed down to Isaac, then to Jacob, and through Jacob's descendants. You go forward several hundred years in the Bible record, what do you find? You find now the Messiah promised to come through Jesse, Father David, through the line of King David as well.

David was of the tribe of Judah, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. So you're continuing down through that family line. It's consistent with the promise. You go from David, now some thirty generations later Jesus Christ is born, fulfilling the series of prophecies regarding His lineage. And now you come to Matthew, chapter 1. And you can read the genealogy of Jesus Christ all the way back to Adam, Son of God.

And it is consistent, it is fulfilled, and this isn't just the matter of somebody picking up what somebody else had wrote and come up with a clever ending to the story. This was God's work and His purpose being fulfilled. Prophecy declared in advance, and the God who has both the will and the power to bring these things to pass, bringing them to pass. And the record is there. Prophecy regarding the Messiah that He would be born in Jerusalem.

Micah, chapter 5, verse 2, says, But you, Bethlehem, ephrathath, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the one to be the ruler in Israel, whose going forth are from old, from everlasting. It's a reference in prophecy to Jesus Christ being born in Bethlehem. Matthew, chapter 2, verse 1, says, There are a number of prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during His day, actually we would say intentionally and purposefully, but He had something, or He did something, and the Bible says, Well, this He did that it might be fulfilled which was written.

Okay, so there were things that He had power and control over Himself by His hand to fulfill, but you know, there's things as well that could not have been fulfilled simply by His, you know, working some circumstance to bring it to pass. Where you're going to be born in the flesh is not something that comes about apart from the hand of God. It's a prophecy that is being fulfilled. Again, the point is the Bible is true because it declares these things in advance, and then it shows the fulfillment, and the fulfillment is in fact true.

Another prophecy, a virgin shall conceive. Isaiah, chapter 7, verse 14, says, Again, this is from the book of Isaiah. We looked at the time stamp for Isaiah in the Old Testament. Matthew, chapter 1, verse 20 through 23, Again, this isn't something you say, Oh, I see this is written about Me. I think I'll go do something about itATT Again, this isn't something you say, You say, oh, I see this is written about me. I think I'll go do something about it. This is the inspiration of God to prophesy and the power of God to fulfill. And the ability of God to have it recorded with accuracy for us. Regarding Jesus' crucifixion, none of his bones would be broken and his body would be pierced.

Psalm 34, verse 20 says, speaking of God, he guards all his bones, none of them is broken. Zechariah chapter 12, verse 10 says, And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, The Spirit of grace and supplication, then they will look on me whom they pierced. And the prophecy of the Lord, they will look on me whom they pierced.

Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only son and grieve for him as one grieves for a firstborn. John chapter 19, verse 32 through 37 then gives us the fulfillment. Again, none of his bones broken, he would be pierced. John 19, 32 says, And the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. Again, the point is, these aren't just people who heard a story and wrote something down or thought it would be a good, fitting conclusion. These were eyewitnesses to the events. The book of Luke, as it started out, he's looking to set an orderly account to Theophilus of eyewitness accounts pertaining to Jesus Christ and all these things which took place. So these aren't fables. These are eyewitness events.

And John just says, I've seen this and testified it is true, and he knows that he's telling the truth so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled. None of his bone shall be broken. And again, another Scripture that says they shall look on him whom they pierced. Divine prophecy, divine intervention to bring it to pass, divine inspiration to record it, divine inspiration to show us the fulfillment and to preserve it today as well.

The list of prophecies and fulfillment surrounding Jesus' first coming goes on and on. And there's more of that point to his second coming as well that are yet to be fulfilled. The New Testament writers cite messianic prophecies from the Old Testament more than 130 times. They cite them. They quote them. Here's what was written prior. By some estimates, the Old Testament contains 300 prophetic passages that describe who the Messiah is, what he would come to accomplish, and 60 of those are considered major prophecies.

Some may be seemingly small and obscure, but you find them all throughout the biblical record, and you find their fulfillment. It is God who has caused these prophecies to be written hundreds of years before they were fulfilled. And he is the one who has both the power and the will to bring these things to pass for his purpose, for his glory. And again, as John said, that we ourselves might believe.

So faith isn't based on something that is just sort of feel-good. You know, it's a nice idea. I feel good. I believe. You know, by God's Spirit, he grants us the blessing of faith. But the faith is also based on something that God is true, and his word is true as well. And we can find the fingerprints of this.

And there's always going to be those who will argue against it. Say, well, what about this and what about that? And you can't necessarily answer everything that is brought up. There is an element of faith to this. But for those of us who believe these things, it's true. You can find the evidence, and indeed it is clear. Acts 3, verse 18, Peter states, Those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Christ would suffer, he has thus fulfilled.

It is God's purpose to bring these to pass. And so what this does is it gives us confidence. Because if we can see the record of the prophecies from the Old Testament pertaining to Christ's first coming, and we can see the fulfillment, and we understand and believe and know they are true, they give us the confidence to look forward to the fulfillment of what yet lies ahead. What God has given as a prophecy of the end of the age, of the return of Jesus Christ, of the resurrection of the dead, of the establishment of the kingdom of God.

Our faith, our hope, is grounded in these things because we can see, indeed, they are true. And God is faithful to His Word. Proof number three that the Bible is true is archaeology. Archaeology. Let's go dig up some evidence. Archaeology is an absolute proof that the Bible is true. It's always been interesting to me when I hear comments like, Oh, there's no evidence that person ever existed outside the Bible record. Never seen anything pertaining to a Philistine or a nation of them or this king, this empire, other than the Bible record. Sorry. Just not supported. Then what happens six months a year, ten years later, digging through the sands of the Middle East?

Something comes out of the ground that proves, again, a clay pot, clay tablet, and a grave stone. Now here's a name. Here's a town. Here's a king. Here's someone that supposedly never existed. It's just the fable of the Bible. Now proven to be true. Archaeology is constantly confirming the Bible record in its findings. In fact, the more they dig, the more accurate the Bible becomes in the eyes of what you can prove through archaeology. The more they find, the more it proves the validity of these words.

In fact, King Cyrus, Cyrus of Persia, the example we brought out of the Book of Isaiah, that was said about him for centuries. Cyrus never lived. There's never such a man. Cyrus, king of Persia, never heard of him. Largely denied by scholars. In 1879, a clay cylinder was discovered in modern-day Iraq with the story of Cyrus' conquest of Babylon inscribed on the surface. You can go look it up online.

You can google the Cyrus cylinder or something to that effect. It'll pull it up. Cyrus cylinder. It's about this big. It's oblong. It's a round clay cylinder. There's writing all over the outside. It declares Cyrus his conquering of Babylon and indeed the restoration of the people.

Cyrus cylinder is on display at the British Museum today. It's been thoroughly studied. It's been verified by archaeologists as being authentic. And furthermore, it confirms the biblical account in the book of Ezra, again regarding what Cyrus, king of Persia, did in the history of Israel. Additionally, it supports the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies, 150 years before Cyrus came on the scene. I want to read you a quote from the World History Encyclopedia online. So this isn't a Bible source.

This isn't something that is a religious source. This is a scholarly source from outside of religion. It's the World History Encyclopedia online under an article titled, The Cyrus Cylinder. And it says, The Cyrus Cylinder is a document issued by Cyrus the Great consisting of a cylinder of clay inscribed in the Akkadian script. The cylinder was created in 539 BC, surely by order of Cyrus the Great. It says it was created, obviously, at the time when he took Babylon from Nabodius, ending the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This document is clearly propaganda praising the ruler Cyrus and treating Nabodius as an imputus and bad king.

Excuse me, an impious and bad king. So you have this declaration of, the king is the victor and they're gonna, it says, propaganda, we're gonna celebrate this story and we'll even build the king up a little bit and you can write your own history when you conquer people. But the point was the fact that this is a record of archaeology that backs up the Bible prophecy in a profound way.

And they've time dated it, they've agreed with its validity. Now the problem becomes, well, Isaiah must have been written long after he said he was because this is true. But we understand, I hope, and we believe that the Bible is true in what it says.

And the proofs have been made as well when these things were written.

If you're interested in doing homework on archaeology in the Bible, there's plenty of information to be found. Go out and Google it and take a look. I encourage you to study into it because archaeology is constantly proving the Bible. The validity of it, the truth of it, you just got to dig around a little. That's the beauty of the proof.

Proof number four, final one I want to touch on today, is the Bible is true, and we know that it is true because it works. It works! Some would say, well, that's not very scientific.

Well, go experience it for yourself. Give it a try. It works every time it is tried. The teachings of the Bible have a dramatic, positive effect on the lives of those who live according to these words. As I started out, I said, here's all the areas of our life that are impacted by this book. And I think we could all think about how it has affected our life, our family, our relationship with God when we do apply these things, and how it affects us when we don't. So this proof is very personal, is very front and center to us. The Bible has dramatic results when you live it. God invites us to put this principle to the test.

God says, do you want proof that the Bible is true? Live it. Try me. See if this is not the case. Malachi chapter 3.

Verse 8. We're familiar with this. It's within the context of tithing. The principle stands across the board. Malachi chapter 3 and verse 8 ask the question, will a man rob God? He says, yet you have robbed me. But you say, in what way have we robbed you? The answer in tithes and offerings. It says, you are cursed with a curse for you have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house, and try me now in this, says the Lord of hosts. God says, put this to the test. Prove me wrong, prove me right. Try me now in this. If I will not open up for you the windows of heaven and pour out on you such a blessing, there will not be room enough to receive it. God invites us to test whether what he says is true or not. He says, go ahead and see. Give it a try. Prove me wrong. See how this will impact your life if you do it. See how it will impact your life if you do not. But either way, the proof is there. God's way works. That's why we're doing it.

It's why the world around us is as the world around us is.

God's way works when you do it, and there are consequences for not. Psalm chapter 34 verse 8.

It's an invitation again. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Just go ahead. Give it a try. Taste what God has to offer you. Live this way and see that the Lord is good. Again, that Psalm 34 verse 8. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. See that his way works. See that his blessings do in fact follow. This is the truth. We have the opportunity to prove for ourselves day in and day out, don't we? Try me now in this. Taste and see that the Lord is good. You and I can interface personally and directly with reinforcing this truth in our own life day by day. Verse 8 goes on to say of Psalm 34, blessed is the man who trusts in him, and that's the result. Trust in God if we believe his word is true and we live it, the blessing comes and the peace comes. I think of, frankly, the challenges and the difficulties of losing our friend Lionel. And yet Lionel believed in these words. He trusted in these words. He died in the faith, as we would say, and there is hope. And God says, put your trust in me. Blessed is the man who trusts in me. This is an eternal perspective. This is not a limited time and place perspective. The day is coming, we will all see that God's word is true in a very profound and dramatic way. Hopefully we've seen it already. I don't think we would be here if we did not.

Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 10. I do want to turn here as we wrap up today.

Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 10. It's a blessing. All these words have come from God. And they've gone forth from Him for a divine purpose.

Isaiah chapter 55 and verse 10. God doesn't say anything or do anything for no reason. For as the rain comes down in the snow from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth and make it bring forth fruit and it buds that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void or empty or fruitless as the word can mean. Shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please and there shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. When God speaks, when His words are recorded by His inspiration and they've been preserved by His divine hand brought down to our day today, there's a purpose for these things. And what God gives will come to pass and they're there to accomplish His perfect will in us, because He is our Creator God. He is our Father. We are His children. And His purpose is to bring a family unto salvation. He just says, when I put these words out, they will not return to me void. They will indeed accomplish what I have given for them to do. They will bear fruit. But the question is, will we believe? Will we practice them? Will we live them and be a part of the fruit that is produced? Indeed, first fruits of this day and age. The bottom line proof that the Bible is true and that we should take it at face value is simply that it works. Again, some may say that's not very scientific, but for you and me, it's direct, it's personal, and it's real. Does God's way work for you?

If it's not, what are we doing that's causing it not to work? Because it works every time it's tried. A lie, a fable, a story of man's devisings do not lead to the blessings of God. But this word does. God says, try me now in this, prove me, put me to the test, and you'll see the results. Taste and see for yourself. Live it. It is what it claims to be. The true and inspired word of God. Is the Bible true? The proof is in the unity of the scriptures. The proof is in the fulfillment of prophecy. The proof is in archaeology, and we could even expand it out beyond that. In science, in discovery, in so many ways, the proof is there. And the proof is in the fact that God's way works every time it is tried. So for you and I, in light of these things, again, there is so much hanging on this word, so much about our life that we've structured around this word when we see these proofs, when we answer the question, yes indeed, God's word is true. What ought our response to be?

Well, very simply and directly, our response must be to live it.