Does one readily recall that in secular history the Medes defeated the hated Assyrians along with the help of the Babylonians? It did not happen the other way around. The ceremonial and religious heart of the Assyrian Empire, Assur, was captured by the Medes, not the Babylonians. The Assyrians were a brutal people.  They conquered the northern Tribes of Israel, then removed them from their homelands. They were stripped of protective clothing, walked, or marched barefoot, had to forage for themselves, and took no household goods with them. This happened in three distinct stages. 

When the Assyrians were finally defeated by the combined forces of subject states, the Medo-Babylonians, the Middle East made a huge sigh of relief. This is the time that Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar’s father, took power in Babylon. Nabopolassar was the actual King of Babylon, but Nebuchadnezzar, his son, sat on its throne. Read the Book of Daniel to get the Bible connections. Here is a significant secular historical event about Daniel’s time. Nebuchadnezzar also is famous for building the famous Hanging Gardens in Babylon.  

There are too many parallels with scripture in the above example to list them in this blog. However, let us look at a few other historical events and characters that had exchanges about or during their lifetimes that parallel scripture. 

Think of what some would consider as reprehensible to God, during the reign of King Hezekiah, the brass serpent that Moses while in the Wilderness was instructed by God to make to heal those bitten by the venomous snakes in an Israeli camp. Some today would consider when King Hezekiah ordered its destruction that GOD would avenge the destruction of something he had ordered built. In 2 Kings 18, that is exactly what King Hezekiah did and God was not displeased. Why? The Jews had been making incense offerings to it. 

2 Kings 18… He [Hezekiah] did what was right in the sight of the LORD, in accordance with everything that his father David had done. 4He removed the high places, smashed the memorial stones to pieces, and cut down the Asherah. He also crushed to pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel had been burning incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan. 

People were worshiping the bronze serpent instead of their God. Even though God had ordered Moses to build it, he did NOT punish Hezekiah for ordering its destruction. We can learn from this fact that ANYTHING interfering with our giving worship to God is dispensable by man. We at ahabiblemoments feel that is what has happened to the church. It is no longer a gathering of believers but an object or habit, tradition, and routine. 

NOAH: The Bible tells us in Genesis 5:32 when he was born. In tracking Bible year chronologies, there is something of note. We find that the time between when Noah was born, and the great flood is a huge gap. 600 years will pass. We know that Noah used this time (at least the 100 years before the flood) to preach God to the people and to build the Ark. People had fallen away so far from God that he told Noah he was going to destroy the world. This in and of itself gives us an answer to something many researchers and archeologist have endeavored to discover for an exceptionally long time. Where is the Garden of Eden? It is quite simple…the great Noah-tic flood eliminated it. The Bible tells us of its pre-flood location in Genesis 2:10–14: “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it [the river] was parted and became four heads.”   

We know of the Tigris and Euphrates, but it is legitimate to question if their flows were altered by the Great Flood. Note to archeologists. It is impossible to find a place that no longer exists. 

To put a wrap on this week’s ahabiblemoments blog, here are a few additional connections between the secular and biblical histories that we do not study in church or the secular classroom in school. 

• Joshua (1451 BC) and King Tut (1333 BC) 
• Daniel (604 BC) and Aesop (c. 600 BC) Aesop’s Fables 
• Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego (Mid-sixth century BC) and Buddha (563 BC) and of course Daniel 
• Belshazzar (539 BC) and Confucius (547 BC) 
• Ezra (467 BC) and Socrates (c. 469 BC) 
• Malachi (c. 400 BC) and Plato (c. 427 BC) 
• Herod the Great (37 BC) and Cleopatra (37 BC) 

Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2024 

Colossians 2:16 “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, (2:17) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” 

We mentioned this verse in the closing of our previous article. It has rocked a few readers’ minds by looking at the replies we have received. Bear in mind that we did not write this verse. It is a direct quote from the Bible. This is one of the concerns of the Apostle Paul in writing to the Church of Colossae. Food did not have to be Kosher as the Christian Jews wanted to be part of the Christian platform of standards. The same is true of “drink” or beverage standards. Feasts and festivals were another major issue.  

Sabbaths…This is one of the BIG issues. Judaism has many celebratory holidays as do/did some Gentiles. Jewish converts to Christianity did not want to abandon them and Gentile converts did not wish to recognize or practice Jewish holidays. Even today this is a major no-no to consider any day but Sunday as the official day of worship. Paul is saying that a believer’s day of worship is 24/7. That in and of itself is misunderstood. Today’s church has almost restricted it to Sunday and, a mid-week service or two we lovingly call a Bible study. 

Hebrews 10:25 includes more than a statement for believers to gather. It does not even mention a Sabbath being a Jewish Friday evening through Saturday at sunset, or Sunday for protestants. This verse simply commands that believers gather to encourage one another.  

Colossians 2:17-19 is well summarized in verse 20 of chapter 2… “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—…”  

A new believer having died with Christ means one, as is symbolized in baptism, is dead of his or her old sin nature and risen as a new creature in Christ…no longer in or of this world. Read the entirety of verse 20. Why verse 20 is not preached or studied more often is a mystery to this website. We find ourselves believing in human-caused routines, habits of old, and traditions not even mentioned as part of our worship and never in scripture. 

Colossians 2:21-23. Found in the concluding verse in Colossians chapter 2 mention a few of those things we feel obliged to adhere to while the Apostle Paul is putting them to question. What Paul is pointing out is far too often in today’s church we adhere to man’s regulations and denominational doctrine as much and perhaps even more than what Paul is telling us in Colossians.  

In short, Paul has laid out Christianity not only to the Church of Colossae but to us today. 

Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2024 

Verse 6 is often the challenge of living a solid life in Christ 24/7. Verses 6 and 7 of Chapter 2 set the conditions. There is not a verse to be found in the Bible that does not follow the “If you, then I” condition of one’s relationship with God. It means God is available, but one must SEEK him. We have all heard, or perhaps prayed ourselves, the prayer request of God to “be with” so-in-so. The question is, does one believe James 4:8? It reads: 

“Draw (one’s self) near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts…” Asking God to be with so-in-so or asking that so-in-so draw close to him are stark different.

Which action comes first? If one first draws near to God, THEN God will draw nearer to him or her. Who must make the initial move? Our prayers for others such as missionaries, Christian associates, those in sick beds, or family members should be for God to turn their hearts to him 24/7 so he can draw them nearer to him or her. This is precisely what the Bible means by God upon creation gave us free-will.

Here is an even more pointed condition found in 2 Chronicles 15:2: 

“Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you WHEN you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” Here we once again see the “If you then I” condition of our relationship with GOD. The last line in this verse is very clear: If one forsakes Him (God) He will forsake him or her. 

SADLY, THIS CONDITION IS EASILY MISSED OR REJECTED OUT OF HAND. Why? We have been fed a false promise from pulpits and others for far too many years. What our modern-day center of preaching is “God is Love.”Paul warns several times in his letter to the Church of Colossae not to be deceived. This is clearly stated in verse 8 of chapter 2: 

(NKJV) “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” 

One should read this verse several times and discuss it with other believers. This takes us back up to 2 Chronicles 15:2…” If you forsake Him, He will forsake you.” Recall that there is a reason Epaphus came to Paul in the first place. He was concerned about the differing and conflicting positions so-called men with self-proclaiming religious credentials were trying to bring into his church in Colossae.  

Jews who came out of Judaism wanted to bring Jewish practices of things like circumcision, dietary restrictions, day of worship, and religious holidays as conditions of salvation and wrongly fundamental to the Christian church. See Colossians 2:16. 

Rev. Dr. Jstark – 2024