THE ONE GOD SERIES
By Lemuel Baker, PhD
7 Critical Historical Events That Changed The World!
One of the many effects of the fall of man recorded in the Book of Genesis was man's vulnerability to become confused. In every millennia since the Garden of Eden there have been notable events associated with man's confusion and more salient man's confusion about who the true God of Creation is and the true God of the Bible. After 'the fall of mankind' the planet and world we live in today would never be the same. After the fall of mankind, struggle, physically and mentally demanding work, toil and worry were instituted to include intense labor pains during child births.
The first notable event was man's confusion regarding God's inherent unique status as set apart from all that is common and profane with full differentiation, distinct, one of a kind, peerless and without rival. Yet because God is inherently Love He made Himself available to man to bring man back to Himself through Jesus Christ in this dispensation of grace. Adam and Eve entertained the notion that the serpent's ideas were equal to the law of God. Not so! Satan is an inferior created being and deceives man into thinking he is equal to God.
In each notable incident God had to make tough decisions and bring man to terms which we call judgment because man's behavior was extremely critical or chronic. The corresponding action for breaking God's only law given in the garden of Eden was to remove man from the Garden of Eden and close it off to man. When God acts it is always decisive, magnanimous and consistent with His status of being without rival. You cannot mistake an act of God.
The second notable event was Noah's flood whereby mankind again was extreme in their rejection of God thus in this critical juncture when the earth's population at that time approximately 4365 BC rejected their creator except for Noah and his family thus God again acted magnanimously and decisively and started over populating the earth with Noah and his family. The flood was so decisive and executed with such precision and massive force that mankind did not stand a chance. This again was no contest. If man can only see the balance between the magnanimity between God as Love and God as being without rival? Rain was not a part of creation before the flood. Before the flood the earth was watered by a dew or mist.
The third notable event was the Tower of Babel or in Hebrew Migdal Bavel built approximately 200 years after the flood. Postdiluvian after the flood man decided again to literally fight with God and thought himself equal with God. We learn from Babel that man can accomplish anything he sets his mind to even evil. Cognizant of this fact God had to come down to confuse mankind or indeed man would have become a society that was powerful claiming to be greater than the one true Creator. This was the main reason antediluvian before the deluge flood of Noah Adam and Eve had to be locked out of the Garden of Eden because they obtained detrimental knowledge in a fallen depraved state which made them potentially dangerous. The state of being confused was amplified in the human race as a result of this event. Mankind's ability to attain any goal he could imagine was infinite predeluvian until God placed a limit to our imagination as a result of this event. Before this event man never experienced not knowing what to do in any given situation, man never got stuck in his mind not knowing what to do needing help, hitting a glass ceiling obstacle to advancement, man always could meet any objective both good and nafarious objectives.
The Jewish Talmud in the tractate Sanhedrin in the Gemara section has numerous reasons by great Rabbis why men attempted to build the tower of Babel but it seems man with his knowledge of the flood which occurred approximately 1635 years after creation wanted to drain water from the heavens, to avoid another catastrophic flood and circumvent lightening to avoid future lightening that could destroy the earth by fire as God promised Noah. Man thought a catastrophic flood would reoccur every 1635 years. Today we see time after time individuals and groups who set their minds to accomplish evil and if not stopped destroy the fabric of society in one way or another.
The fourth notable event was bringing man to terms when the ancient plain cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone only after Yahweh could not find a minyan or a quorum of 10 righteous Jewish men in any of the plain cities. God always has a quorum of righteous ones (Tdzadikkim) on the earth who hold the earth together from destruction. By the way brimstone is the layman's term for pure sulfur balls 96-98% sulfur with traces of magnesium. These sulfur balls are still available in the excavations of the 5 plain cities Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Tzevoiim, and Zoar that comprise the Dead Sea area, recorded in Genesis 14:2, 8. This judgment was no contest, man did not stand a chance as the pure sulfur balls burned through virtually all matter it came in contact with. Scholars agree using cause and effect and the description of Genesis 19:23-27 this event was a massive upheaval extremely violent and forceful whereby the earth ripped apart and the ground in the middle sank deeply into the earth causing the Dead Sea region to be the lowest point below sea level on any continent at 1400 feet below the Mediterranean Sea and another 1050 feet at the deepest portion of the Dead Sea. This event caused the Dead Sea region to become the lowest spot on planet earth. In addition to sulfur balls from heaven Yahweh overthrew the cities. Yahweh uprooted everything. While Yahweh tore the earth apart in the Dead Sea area He sent sulfur balls simultaneously. If man would learn to love God and equally understand His magnanimity?
The Fifth notable event was God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt when God spoke through His prophet Moses to Pharaoh, "let my people go!" This corresponding action to Pharaoh's defiance was again no contest because Pharaoh and Egypt were confused regarding who the true God is. Egypt did not stand a human chance against the death angel and finally the tons of water from the Gulf of Aqaba commonly called the Red Sea or Yam Suf used by God to drown the Egyptians. As many today the ancient Egyptians were polytheistic and worshiped elements of nature along with inanimate objects. After the exodus there was no more confusion as to who the real God of scripture is. His name is holy comprised of four Hebrew consonants also known as the tetragrammaton which means a four letter word, from which we transliterated the names Yahweh and Jehovah. It is our one true God who redeemed us through Jesus Christ His Son.
The Exodus route started in Ramases/Goshen across the canals of the Nile river to organize as a unit at Succoth that was still under Egyptian rule Exodus 12: 37,41 then continuing slightly south east across the northern region of the Sinai Peninsula or "the wilderness of the red sea" Exodus 13:18 to Etham, traveling night and day to make a rapid escape, then turned due south to mountain ranges of the Red Sea, then left through the narrow winding canyons through a ridge of mountains "that terminated by the sea" according to Exodus 14:2 and the Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2,15-3 or that entered out at a beach on the red sea called Nuweiba al Muzayinnah meaning "waters of Moses opening." If we observe the mountain ranges of the Red Sea from a modern day satellite image we obtain an accurate picture of the labyrinth through-route a type of maze with twists and turns that denoted a complex and confusing series of winding canyons that would confuse anyone. On their own the Israelites would have gotten lost in route and disoriented but the angel of the Lord was inside the labyrinth confidently guiding them through.
During the day Israel was shaded and given moisture by the pillow of cloud the angel leading them with precise precision - a pillow of light and warmth at night. God knew the precise route and navigated Israel through the maze of the Sinai Peninsula. According to Exodus 14:11 the Israelites were trapped on a beach head with a narrow opening Exodus 14:1 "camp before Pi Hiroth" meaning mouth of hole or canyon behind them and the Egyptian fort of Migdol Exodus 14:2 to the north of the beach.
The cloud and angel moved behind the Israelites Exodus 14:19,20 to close off the narrow opening to the beach so that the Egyptians could not have access to the beach until the Israelites could cross over to Saudi Arabia or Midian before journeying on to Jabel el Lawz the actual Mount Sinai Exodus 14:3. Without this event the nation of Israel would never achieve their raizon d' etre which is to obtain God's law, disseminate God's law to all people groups and finally to bring forth Messiah. Israel was created to be a leadership nation for morality and to deliver witty scientific inventions. According to Isaiah 49:6 Israel was designed to be a light to all other nations of the world, L'Or Goyim.
Jabel el Lawz, Saudi Arabia the actual site for Mount Sinai allows no access by the Saudi government because the area is sealed off but can be seen through a wire fence. As you can see I placed Mount Sinai in Midian/Saudi Arabia instead of the southern Sinai Peninsula following the sequence in Exodus closely. There wasn't archeological debris left behind nor a smooth logical argument to support the claim of Mount Sinai being in the southern Sinai Peninsula. With the Eilat deep to the northern portion of the Red Sea and the Aragonese deep to the southern portion of the Red Sea, if God opened the Red Sea at any of these points Israel would have to climb down then back up one mile of jagged steep rock each way. This alternative would have been dangerous, vigorous for young and old and impossible logistically to manouevre cattle and belongings. God knew the route and the angel of the Lord led them with precision through a gradual descent to 2600 feet and then a gradual ascent back up at a precise spot on the beach head Nuweiba al Muzayinnah. Using the reports of Numbers 22:1 as well as Deuteronomy 1:1 eventually after wondering in the desert of present day Saudi Arabia the Hebrews journeyed northward to the current day Dead Sea area in now what is current day Jordon continuing north pass the northern portion of the Dead Sea then crossing the Jordon River east to west from the country of Jordan into Israel. The journey then continued on to Gilgal then to Jericho all part of the Promised Land of Israel.
Why didn't Israel just cross the Sinai Peninsula then go north into Israel through Eilat and upwards? The answer is they did not have God's law as yet and had to obtain God's law as their purpose for being a special people. The raizon d' etre for Israel is to obtain God's law, disseminate God's law to all people groups and finally to bring forth Messiah. Israel was created to be a light to all other nations of the world, L'Or Goyim.
The Sixth notable event was Elijah and the prophets of Baal recorded in 1 Kings 18:36-39 (NIV)
36 At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: "Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. 37 Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
39 When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, The Lord he is God! The Lord he is God!
This incident wasn't a showdown, it was actually no contest! The inferior deities represented by the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of asherah were no match for Elijah's God the true God of Israel and after all was said and done all were then convinced Jehovah was indeed the one true God. Again God delivered convincing evidence that was indisputable. Both groups of prophets were advisers to queen Jezebel and King Ahab all who believed Ba'al was the master deity and Aserah was the wife or female consort to Ba'al. The male diety-female consort concept is consistent with all ancient pagan religions especially canaanite religion. Tree trunks were carved as symbols to asherah thus the prophets of asherah were known as the prophets of the groves. Ba'al and Asherah were perceived to have sons and the entire concept was denounced by the prophets Elijah, Hosea, Jeremiah and the Israelite Judge Gideon. Jeremiah referred to Asherah as 'the queen of heaven' because Ba'al was seen as 'the lord of heaven.' See 1 Kings 18:19, Jeremiah 7:18-19, Hosea 4:13, Judges 6:25-32. Because worship to both the male deity Ba'al and the female deity were performed on the highest elevations of the land as well as under trees in groves, see Jeremiah 17:2, Elijah's confrontation took place on the highest point on Mount Carmel and Gideon was ordered to cut down carved tree trunks with the branches removed dedicated to Asherah and many times referred to as asherahs. Without this event the 'monotheistic truth claim that Yahweh alone is God' and there are no other Gods would not be set firm in the minds of Jews and Christians. Polytheism would still challenge monotheism as a leading belief system.
The Seventh notable event was the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This was the final showdown, again no contest between God the Son and the created cherub called satan. When Jesus defeated satan after a genuine death and took from satan the authority satan stole from Adam in the Garden of Eden so that the Old Testament Saints as well as you and I could go free this was also no contest but a painful process for Jesus Christ the Son of Man who suffered and died for us. The resurrection was the ultimate piece of evidence delivered to us decisively so that there will be no doubt as to who the true God is for all generations to come. This corresponding action to satan's cruel crucifixion of Christ was done openly and decisively with recorded eye-witnesses to the account so there would be no doubt as to who the real true God is.
Without this event Christianity would not have its central truth claim and foundation to stand on. Christianity would be just another belief system among all other belief systems.
Chinese Version
一神系列 作者：雷米爾‧貝克博士 7 改變世界的重大歷史事件！ 《創世記》中記載的人類墮落的眾多影響之一就是人類容易變得混亂。自伊甸園以來的每一千年裡，都會發生一些與人類的困惑有關的值得注意的事件，更突出的是，人們對誰是真正的創造之神和聖經中的真神感到困惑。在「人類墮落」之後，我們今天所處的星球和世界將不再一樣。人類墮落後，人們開始進行鬥爭、體力和腦力要求很高的工作、辛勞和憂慮，其中包括分娩時的劇烈陣痛。 第一個值得注意的事件是人類對上帝固有的獨特地位的困惑，上帝與一切普遍和世俗的事物分開，具有完全的區別，獨特，獨一無二，無與倫比且無可匹敵。然而，因為神本質上就是愛，所以祂在恩典時代讓人類可以利用自己，透過耶穌基督將人帶回自己身邊。亞當和夏娃認為蛇的思想等同於上帝的律法。不是這樣的！撒但是低等的受造之物，它迷惑人，認為他與神平等。 在每一個值得注意的事件中，神必須做出艱難的決定，並使人接受我們所說的審判，因為人的行為是極其挑剔或長期的。違反上帝在伊甸園中頒布的唯一律法的相應行動就是將人類從伊甸園中移除並將其關閉。神行事總是果斷、寬宏，符合神無可匹敵的地位。你不能誤以為上帝的作為。 第二個值得注意的事件是諾亞洪水，人類再次極端地拒絕上帝，因此在這個緊要關頭，大約公元前4365年，當時的地球人口拒絕了他們的創造者，除了諾亞和他的家人，因此上帝再次慷慨而果斷地採取了行動諾亞和他的家人居住在地球上。洪水來得如此果斷，執行得如此精確和巨大，人類沒有任何機會。這又不是一場競賽。如果人類只能看見愛神與無可匹敵的神之間的寬容之間的平衡呢？洪水之前，雨並不是造物的一部分。洪水之前，大地被露水或霧氣澆灌。 第三個值得注意的事件是洪水後約 200 年建造的巴別塔（希伯來語 Migdal Bavel）。洪水過後，人類決定再次與上帝戰鬥，並認為自己與上帝平等。我們從巴別塔得知，人可以完成任何他想做的事，甚至是邪惡的事。認識到這一事實，上帝必須下來迷惑人類，否則人類就會成為一個強大的社會，聲稱比唯一的真正的創造者更偉大。這是諾亞亞當和夏娃大洪水之前的上古人類必須被鎖在伊甸園之外的主要原因，因為他們在墮落墮落的狀態下獲得了有害的知識，這使他們具有潛在的危險。由於這一事件，人類的困惑狀態被放大了。人類實現他所能想像的任何目標的能力是無限的，直到上帝因這一事件而限制了我們的想像。在這次事件之前，人類從未經歷過在任何特定情況下不知道該做什麼，人類從未陷入困境，不知道該做什麼，需要幫助，遇到前進的玻璃天花板障礙，人類總是可以實現任何客觀的善意和邪惡的目標。 猶太塔木德中的猶太塔木德在格馬拉部分的公會論文中，偉大的拉比提出了許多人類為何試圖建造巴別塔的理由，但根據對創世後約1635 年發生的洪水的了解，人類似乎想要排乾天上的水，避免另一場災難性洪水，並避開閃電，避免未來閃電可能會用火毀滅地球，正如上帝向諾亞所承諾的那樣。人類認為每1635年就會發生一場災難性的洪水。今天，我們一次又一次地看到一些個人和團體一心要做惡，如果不停止，就會以這種或那種方式破壞社會結構。 第四個值得注意的事件是，當耶和華在任何平原城市中都找不到一個民亞人或10 名正義的猶太人時，古代平原城市所多瑪和蛾摩拉就被火和硫磺摧毀，這才使人類屈服。上帝在地球上總是有一群正義的人（Tdzadikkim），他們使地球免於毀滅。順便說一下，硫磺是外行人對含有 96-98% 硫和微量鎂的純硫球的俗稱。這些硫磺球仍然可以在構成死海地區的5 個平原城市所多瑪、蛾摩拉、阿德瑪、茨沃伊姆和瑣珥的發掘中找到，記錄在創世記14:2, 8 中。這個判決沒有爭議，人類沒有站立。
這是一個機會，因為純硫球幾乎燒毀了它所接觸到的所有物質。學者們一致認為，使用因果關係和創世記19:23-27 的描述，這一事件是一次極其猛烈和有力的巨大劇變，地球撕裂，中間的地面深深地沉入地球，導致死海地區成為任何大陸海平面以下的最低點為地中海以下 1400 英尺，死海最深處還有 1050 英尺。這事件導致死海地區成為地球上最低的地方。除了從天上降下的硫磺球之外，耶和華還摧毀了城市。耶和華連根拔起一切。當耶和華在死海地區撕裂大地時，他同時發射了硫磺球。人是否能學會愛神並同樣理解祂的寬宏大量呢？ 第五個值得注意的事件是神將以色列人從埃及拯救出來，當時神透過他的先知摩西對法老說：“讓我的人民走吧！”與法老的蔑視相對應的行動再次沒有爭議，因為法老和埃及對誰是真神感到困惑。埃及沒有抵抗死亡天使的機會，最終上帝用來自亞喀巴灣（通常稱為紅海或Yam Suf）的數噸水淹沒了埃及人。和今天的許多人一樣，古埃及人也是多神論者，崇拜自然元素和無生命的物體。出埃及後，聖經中真正的神是誰就不再存在混亂了。他的名字是神聖的，由四個希伯來語輔音組成，也稱為tetragrammaton，意思是四個字母的單詞，我們音譯為耶和華和耶和華這兩個名字。是我們獨一的真神透過祂的兒子耶穌基督救贖了我們。 出埃及記路線從拉馬西斯/歌珊開始，穿過尼羅河的運河，在仍處於埃及統治之下的疏割組織為一個單位（出埃及記12: 37,41），然後繼續稍微向東南穿過西奈半島的北部地區或「紅海的曠野」（出埃及記13:18）到伊坦，日夜兼程，迅速逃離，然後轉向正南，進入紅海的山脈，然後離開，穿過狹窄蜿蜒的峽谷，穿過山脊「結束了根據《出埃及記》14:2 和《猶太人古物》第2,15-3 卷，或者從紅海的一個海灘進入，稱為Nuweiba al Muzayinnah，意思是「摩西之水的開口」。如果我們從現代衛星圖像中觀察紅海的山脈，我們就會獲得迷宮直通路線的準確圖片，迷宮是一種曲折的迷宮，表示一系列複雜而令人困惑的蜿蜒峽谷，會讓任何人感到困惑。以色列人若靠自己，可能會迷失方向，迷失方向，但主的天使在迷宮裡，自信地引導他們通過。 白天，以色列人被天使以精確的方式引導著的雲枕遮蔭並給予滋潤——而在夜間，雲枕則成為光和溫暖的枕頭。上帝知道準確的路線，並引導以色列人穿越西奈半島的迷宮。根據出埃及記14:11，以色列人被困在海灘上，那裡有一個狹窄的開口。格多堡壘（出14:2）沙灘。 雲彩和天使移到以色列人身後（出埃及記14:19,20），堵住通往海灘的狹窄開口，這樣埃及人就無法進入海灘，直到以色列人在前往雅別之前可以越過沙特阿拉伯或米甸。如果沒有這事件，以色列民族永遠無法實現他們的目標，即獲得上帝的律法，將上帝的律法傳播給所有民族，並最終產生彌賽亞。以色列被創建為一個道德領先國家並提供機智的科學發明。根據以賽亞書 49:6，以色列被設計為世界上所有其他國家的光，L'Or Goyim。 Jabel el Lawz，沙烏地阿拉伯 西奈山的實際所在地不允許沙烏地阿拉伯政府進入，因為該地區已被封鎖，但可以透過鐵絲網看到。正如你所看到的，我嚴格按照《出埃及記》中的順序將西奈山放在米甸/沙烏地阿拉伯，而不是西奈半島南部。沒有留下任何考古遺跡，也沒有任何流暢的邏輯論點來支持西奈山位於西奈半島南部的說法。埃拉特河深入紅海北部，阿拉貢河深入紅海南部，如果上帝在這些地點打開紅海，以色列將不得不爬下然後再爬上一英里的鋸齒狀陡坡各方面搖滾。這種替代方案對於年輕人和老年人來說都是危險的、充滿活力的，而且不可能在後勤上操縱牛群和財物。上帝知道路線，主的天使帶領 他們精確地逐漸下降到 2600 英尺，然後逐漸上升到 Nuweiba al Muzayinnah 海灘頭的一個精確位置。根據民數記22:1 和申命記1:1 的記載，希伯來人在今天沙烏地阿拉伯的沙漠中徘徊之後，最終向北行進，到達現在的死海地區，在現在的約旦，繼續向北穿過北部地區穿過死海，然後從東向西穿過約旦河，從約旦國進入以色列。然後旅程繼續前往吉甲，然後到達以色列應許之地的耶利哥。 為什麼以色列不直接穿越西奈半島，然後向北通過埃拉特向上進入以色列？答案是他們還沒有神的律法，必須得到神的律法作為他們成為特殊子民的目的。以色列的目的是要獲得神的律法，將神的律法傳給萬民，最終產生彌賽亞。以色列的創建是為了成為世界上所有其他國家的光明，L'Or Goyim。 第六個值得注意的事件是以利亞和巴力的先知記錄在列王記上 18:36-39 (NIV) 36 獻祭的時候，先知以利亞上前禱告說：「主啊，亞伯拉罕、以撒和以色列的神啊，求你今日叫人知道你是以色列的神，我是你的僕人，做了這一切事。 38 於是，耶和華降下火來，燒盡了祭物、木柴、石頭、泥土，也燒乾了溝裡的水。 39 眾民看見這事，就俯伏呼叫說，耶和華是神！主他是神！ 這件事不是對決，而是根本不是較量！以巴力的450 位先知和亞舍拉的400 位先知為代表的低等神祗根本無法與以利亞的上帝（以色列的真神）相匹敵，話又說回來，所有人都相信耶和華確實是獨一的真神。上帝再次提供了無可爭議的令人信服的證據。兩組先知都是耶洗別王后和亞哈王的顧問，他們都相信巴力是主神，亞西拉是巴力的妻子或女配。男女配偶的概念與所有古代異教尤其是迦南宗教是一致的。樹幹被雕刻成亞舍拉的象徵，因此亞舍拉的先知被稱為樹林先知。巴力和亞舍拉被認為有兒子，整個概念遭到先知以利亞、何西阿、耶利米和以色列士師基甸的譴責。耶利米稱亞舍拉為“天后”，因為巴力被視為“天上的主”。參閱列王記上 18:19、耶利米書 7:18-19、何西阿書 4:13、士師記 6:25-32。因為對男神巴力和女神的崇拜都是在陸地的最高處以及樹林裡的樹下進行的，參見耶利米書17:2，以利亞的對抗發生在迦密山和基甸的最高點被命令砍倒雕刻的樹幹，並砍掉樹枝，獻給亞舍拉，多次被稱為亞舍拉。如果沒有這事件，「一神論真理聲稱只有耶和華是上帝」並且沒有其他神，就不會在猶太人和基督徒的心中紮根。多神教仍會挑戰一神教作為主要信仰體系的地位。 第七個值得注意的事件是耶穌基督的復活。這是最後的對決，聖子上帝和被創造的被稱為撒旦的基路伯之間再次沒有競爭。當耶穌在真正的死亡後擊敗了撒旦，並從撒旦手中奪走了撒旦在伊甸園中從亞當那裡偷走的權柄，以便舊約聖徒以及你我都可以獲得自由時，這對耶穌基督來說也不是競爭，而是一個痛苦的過程為我們受苦而死的人子。復活是決定性地交付給我們的最終證據，以便世世代代毫無疑問誰是真神。與撒旦殘酷釘死基督相對應的行動是公開而果斷地進行的，並有目擊者記錄下來，因此毫無疑問誰是真正的真神。 如果沒有這事件，基督教就沒有其核心真理主張和立足基礎。基督教只是所有其他信仰體系中的另一個信仰體系。
"The One God Series" taped while living on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel
