Biblical Myths

Biblical Myths?

Throughout the Old Testament, God often reminded His children to remember His mighty acts on their behalf. Sometimes visible memorials were set up to facilitate their recall, such as the pile of stones taken from the middle of the Jordan River when God held back the waters to allow them to enter the Promised Land (Joshua:4:6That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
See All...). This extraordinary event really happened, and God desired them to remember it forever. He based important commands on true events, not myths.

But there were greater events in history that God most often used as an impetus to praise, faith, and trust. These He expressly wanted us to remember.

Commemoration of the Exodus was primarily intended for Israel, His chosen people. They had fallen into cruel slavery in Egypt, yet had been delivered and molded into a great nation. Often they were told: "Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm" (Deuteronomy:5:15And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
See All...).

Unfortunately, many scholars today -- even Israelis and evangelicals -- deny this event actually took place. The seeming disharmony of biblical history with secular Egyptian chronology as established by archaeology causes most scholars to fully discount Scripture.

At a recent archaeological convention, Jewish lecturers taught that the nation of Israel has no recorded history. Attendees rightly asked, "If the Exodus isn't history, then who are we? What right do we have to exist?" God had told them to remember, but many have forgotten.

Here's the dilemma. If the Exodus and Israeli history are mythological, how can they be remembered? Only true events can be remembered. If God has based His commands on myth--which are not to be taken as literal truth--then evidently they are not to be obeyed either.

http://www.icr.org/article/3464/