Progressive Revelation

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Thursday May 8, 2008

2 Samuel 24:1 (NIV)
Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah."

1 Chronicles 21:1 (NIV)
Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel.

These two accounts from the Bible seem to contradict one another, and are sometimes used by naysayers as "proof" that the Bible is not divinely inspired. The first account, written by Samuel, tells us that it was God who incited David against the Israelites. The second account is from 1st Chronicles; one of the last 2 books of the Old Testament to be written and compiled by Ezra around 456 BC.

Samuel lived way back in the days of Saul and David; and from his perspective, God caused everything to happen. Ezra lived hundreds of years later, and had some revelation that Samuel didn't have: namely, that it has always been satan, and not God, who has tried to destroy Israel.

When reading historical accounts from the Old Testament, we need to remember that the events they told of DID happen, but the writer was writing from his own perspective, and was often wrong about the source of why something happened.

A perfect example is Job. In the book of Job, God is blamed for the destruction that comes upon Job:

Job 1:16,21 (NIV)
16. While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"
21. and (Job) said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away..."

Yet we can clearly see from the earlier verses that it was NOT God who did it, it was SATAN:

Job 1:12 (NIV)
The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

We receive greater revelation in the New Testament than they had in Old Testament times. The New Testament tells us that it is SATAN who comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and it is JESUS who came to give us LIFE TO THE FULL!

John 10:10 (NIV)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The Bible is progressive revelation, and you have to use the New Testament to get the true picture of what happened in the Old Testament!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for Your awesome Word. Help me to persevere at understanding Your Word, and at receiving the revelation contained in it.
In Jesus' Name, Amen

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