Posted on 07/29/2006 7:36:51 PM PDT by Iam1ru1-2
'Psalm in a bog' linked to Israel's current war
By Joe Kovacs © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
The "miraculous" find of ancient psalms in an Irish bog has some wondering if there's any special modern relevance, since the discovery dealt with the enemies of Israel attempting to destroy the nation.
A construction worker in Ireland came across the ancient 20-page book dated to the years 800-1000 A.D. while driving his backhoe's shovel into the mud last week. Experts say it's impossible to say how the manuscript ended up there, but speculate it may have been lost in transit or dumped after a raid some 1,000 to 1,200 years ago.
The National Museum of Ireland issued a statement saying, "In discovery terms, this Irish equivalent to the Dead Sea Scrolls is being hailed by the museum's experts as the greatest find ever from a European bog."
"It is not so much the fragments themselves, but what they represent, that is of such staggering importance," said the museum's director, Pat Wallace. "In my wildest hopes, I could only have dreamed of a discovery as fragile and rare as this. It testifies to the incredible richness of the Early Christian civilization of this island and to the greatness of ancient Ireland."
Wallace called it a "miracle find," telling the Associated Press, "it's unlikely that something this fragile could survive buried in a bog at all, and then for it to be unearthed and spotted before it was destroyed is incalculably more amazing."
But it's the fact the book was discovered opened to Psalm 83 that is attracting attention across the globe.
The ancient psalm deals with a plea to God not to let the enemies of Israel eradicate God's chosen nation.
Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. (Psalm 83:1-4)
It then lists a number of Israel's ancient enemies bent on its destruction.
Stan Goodenough, a South African journalist living in Israel for the past 12 years calls the timing of the discovery "incredible."
For right now Israel's enemies are again united in their desire to "cut Israel off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." They purpose to take for themselves the "pastures of God for a possession." And that they are in league or in a confederacy is clear.
From Gaza, supported by most of the Arab states, the violence is being directed by the Palestinian Arab terrorist groups: the PLO, Hamas, the Palestine Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine and the popular resistance Committees.
In the north, the Lebanese group [Hezbollah], supplied and enabled by Syria and the non-Arab but also Islamic Iran, is raining rockets down on Israel.
This, given the current situation, makes Psalm 83 a fascinating and fitting read, the ancient find nothing short of a phenomenon.
Goodenough points out the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, just as the modern state of Israel was being formed.
The bog find was heralded by the museum on Tuesday, one day after a call for global prayer on behalf of Israel. Psalm 83 was one of three psalms recited at locations worldwide Tuesday at the request of the governing council of Israel's Chief Rabbinate.
In his book, "Israel in Crisis," author David Dolan dedicates an entire chapter to Psalm 83.
"I detail who the protagonists are in the psalm, and then go on to talk about when it might be fulfilled," he told WND.
The website A Christian Witness previously put Psalm 83 into a musical Flash presentation, demonstrating how timely the ancient song is with news images documenting the current threat facing Israel, linking the ancient peoples mentioned in the psalm to modern political states.
Messageboards are filled with comments of news watchers who feel there's a timely significance to the discovery, while others think it's mere coincidence.
"This is the eeriest discovery I've ever heard of, especially given current events. It actually sends chills up my spine."
"I have read Psalms many times, and never has it just about screamed its relevance to the Middle East. God is really speaking to us through His Word right nowif we'll listen."
"I think this is one of the best news stories that I have read in quite some time. Those who seek Him, find Him. To those of us who believe, this is very uplifting!"
"For this to have been an act of God, God would have to have been all-knowing, foreseen this very conflict roughly 1,000 years before it occurred, foreseen the bog market, foreseen the use of power tools, foreseen the individual working the equipment and ensured this particular one was working that part of that bog that day, have created the book of its various parts (leather, the paper within) in the first place, have placed it in that place for 1,000 years of earthquakes and various other acts of God, foreseen the person who purchased the land would happen to be of the save artifacts mindset (not common among money-hungry landowners) and foreseen the need to it open to that page on that day. I don't know, seems all haphazard to me."
??????
I rest my case!!
Then why your fascination with prognostication? With using God's holy Word for the unholy purpose of fortune telling, divination, rather than as His manual for living?
You have not been keeping up with tha latest find about "Irreducible Complexity" have you. It take a great deal more faith to believe what "scientists" are purporting to be "fact" when in their innermost being, all they're doing to find things which back up their "evilution THEORY"......even if they have to make things out of whole cloth, which all of what they say about evilution is. Archaeologists usually keep an open mind, but atheist archaeologists are completely closed mind about anything that might result in Divine Intervention or miracles.
You seem to be confused with "prophecy" and "prognostication". Prognostication is something people do WITHOUT God's revelation. Prophecy is GOD HIMSELF telling mankind what He's going to do through prophets who GOD HIMSELF have appointed to deliver these prophecies, thus the title "prophets".
Suffice to say, I don't think Jesus was the Messiah. I could give a why or two, but I don't feel like starting a flamewar.
Suffice to say that Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai's comment is part of a philosophy that God put us on Earth to do good on Earth. When God is ready to send the Messiah, He will send the Messiah. Until then, we continue to do what God put us here for.
Too many people have wasted too much of their lives, doing nothing but sitting on their elbows, waiting for the Messiah to come -- whether or not, it's the Messiah's first or second arrival. If you ask me, it's an unholy wastefulness of the life God gave people.
Some might venture to say it began with the "Burning Bush".
"Israel didn't even exist for over 1500 years until June of 1948,"
To be even more precise, about 1,878 years.
You're talking about Israel as we know it now. This relic which you are so ready to believe is, by your own standard, false because it refers to a state that didn't exist at the time of its writing.
But of course, the land of Israel, the land of the children referenced in the Bible re:Jacob, has existed for thousands of years.
Next time you're waving that Bible around and trying to look so damned smart, you might try opening it and actually reading it. You won't completely embarass yourself.
I studied evolution, fossil man, and human osteology quite a bit in grad school--six years worth.
"Irreducible Complexity" is on the order of "Bumblebees can't fly -- the math proves it!"
Math and philosophy are weak opponents to real-world observations. I wouldn't bet the rent money on it.
Anyone who includes "evilution" in their posts (twice!) gives away their premises rather quickly.
You are not doing archaeology or anything close; you are doing apologetics.
It's so much fun to watch fools prattling on about how smart they are, and then seeing them flop on their faces. :)
So becoming missionaries to foreign lands, giving up your own lifestyle to spread the "Good News" of Jesus The Messiah is just "sitting on their elbows, waiting for the Messiah to come"? You must know very little about Christians and their devotion to their God and Christ if you think that we just sit on our elbows, waiting for the Messiah to come. How pitiful.
Your knowledge of irreducible complexity seems to be very limited. Go to the web and read about the recent discovery about the flagellar motor of a bacteria that looks like it was produced in a maching shop, meaning intelligent design. Or are you one of those who says, "don't confuse me with facts, I've already made up my mind because I don't want to be accountable for my actions to a creator God even if He exists. It cramps my lifestyle.
Why don't you try reading the entire book of Psalms, written the most famous of Israel's Kings, and the book of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Amos, Obadiah, Malachai, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Micah, Hahum, Habakkuk, Haggai, and Zephaniah. Because it appears YOU ARE THE ONE who knows nothing of Biblical History.
However, people who think the Messiah is just around the corner and therefore they don't have to concern themselves with the everyday, Earthly lives of themselves and others are wasting their lives.
That's not something exclusive to Christians. Jews have done their share of it as well. Many of those who followed Sabbatai Zevi, to the exclusion of real lifes, for example.
And now, I really need to be planting trees.
I love how you sidestep your embarassing, total, and obvious error, and don't have the guts to admit you blew it because you were grandstanding. Instead you make a list that has nothing at all to do with my complete demolition of your silly flame, as if that somehow disproves my point.
You were wrong. A mature, intelliegent, graceful follower of the Bible's teachings could admit it. I'm not surprised you can't.
You mean it was written after 1948?
Sometimes these are just too damned easy.
Yes, go plant your trees, but remember it's hard to that while on the computor.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.