Some Jesus Things: The Dead Tree Scrolls

The Dead Tree Scrolls

Springtime in Colorado can be hard on trees. The sap rises as trees begin to leaf-out. The danger comes from the wet, heavy, springtime snow storms that add hundreds of pounds of weight to these moisture laden branches. Inevitably something has got to give; more often than not, it is the tree that yields to the weight of the snow.

This can spell disaster or opportunity, depending on the individual circumstances for the tree and also where they fall. This spring has spelled both for me.

I had one huge branch fall and damage my home. After the initial shock; and a considerable cooling off period, I began to look at all of the damage around me and saw opportunity.

Raw Lumber

I broke out the chain saw and did the initial cleanup, leaving choice parts and pieces for a project in my mind’s eye. With new eyes, the now raw building materials were scattered to dry.

Opportunity knocks a second time. A friend of mine requested my help to cut some young trees out and away from a fence line. These trees doomed for destruction, could be combined with the my trees of disaster. Together they had become the raw lumber for my beautiful rustic arbor.

Once again, I find myself feeding my addiction to create and build. Those of you who have been following along with me, find yourselves in familiar territory. You know the Lord has impressed upon me something to say.

For those unfamiliar with this pattern of me building and writing about its application to life; feel free to read about an antler lamp and a wooden bucket. These two articles will give you some insight and help you understand how intimate the Lord can be in your life.

Everything we do in life is unquestionably linked to our walk with the Lord. All you have to do is open your eyes to see God’s revelation revealed to you.

Arbor Day

With all of the materials necessary to build a rustic arbor, construction begins. Over the next three days I find myself enthralled in my own little world drowning in my addiction to create. These are the times where my mind is relaxed and the world’s stresses just slip on by. A wonderful opportunity to spend time with the Lord.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)
.

While building my new favorite spot on earth. My mind was quickened to what this new arbor had in common with false prophets, the dead sea scrolls, and Balaam’s donkey.

Illusions

Sometime what we see is not the true reality of truth. My new arbor really does nothing more than serve as eye candy. The sides pretend to be walls and the roof only acts like shelter. The truth is that sun and rain can easily pass right through. Sure I could plant some vines or roses that would climb up and over the arbor, but this would only add to the eye candy pleasure. It’s skeleton would still be, just an arbor.

False prophets are similar in the same regard. They really serve no purpose and are only mere eye candy to our spiritual walk. False prophets pretend to be more than they really are. Their words do not hold water and their doctrine is not built on a firm foundation. They only pretend to be more and hide behind pretty words that people want to hear.

Such people are really doing the work of Satan. They will misguide, misinform, and misuse the words of God. They are only driven by their lust for wealth and power.

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. (Matthew 7:15)
.

One such person was a man named Balaam (Numbers 22:1-35). This man was a prophet for hire. He was, in fact, a pagan diviner anyone could hire. Balaam made a living by soothsaying to any god or spirit as long as his palm was greased with coin.

The fact that God used this pagan wretch of a man is really more surprising than the fact that He spoke through his donkey (Numbers 22:28). In fact, God is showing His sovereignty over false prophets, heathens, pagans, and the likes.

God sends great embarrassment to these types of people by speaking through a donkey instead. Furthermore, it shows us that God can even control a diviner for hire to pronounce His blessings. (Numbers 23:1-30) (Numbers 24:1-25)

Satan’s Perversion

Just like Balaam in the bible, Satan has many false prophets for hire. These people are known as physics, mediums, palm readers, and religious heretics seeking wealth out of religion.

There are many people who are only out to pad their pockets and will say and do anything necessary to accomplish their goals. (Matthew 7:15)

Satan knows the world is ripe for harvest. The enemy knows how to use eye candy to lure humanity to Hell. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)

Dead Sea Scrolls

Nobody knows for certain who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. The scrolls were written between 150 B.C. and 70 A.D. They were discovered in a series of eleven caves around the site known as Wadi Qumran near the Dead Sea in the West Bank (of the Jordan River) between 1946 and 1956 by Bedouin shepherds and a team of archaeologists.

The truth of the scrolls, is they are in very poor condition. Not all have or can be identified. Less than half of them hold any Christian merit.

30% of the scroll texts are from the Second Temple Period (Ezra 1:1-4), (2 Chronicles 36:22-23). These are text that were not canonized, like Jubilees, Book of Enoch, Book of Tobit, and the Wisdom of Sirach, etc.

30% of scrolls are totally sectarian in nature pertaining to groups like the Community Rule, the War Scroll, The Rule of the Blessing, and the Pesher on Havbakkuk. These sectarian scrolls even contain documents such as deeds and letters.

Only 40% of the Scrolls actually contain copies of texts found in the Bible. The majority of Dead Sea Scrolls were written in Hebrew. Many are written in Aramaic and Greek, as well as some Arabic texts and a small number of Latin fragments. These then are open to interpretation as a majority rule would call correct.

I give this information about the Dead Sea Scrolls because mankind all too easily jumps to the conclusion that they serve as validation to their particular beliefs.

Inspired?

The Scrolls hold about as much water as the top on my Arbor. They are not the end all definitive answer they are made out to be.

One need only look to the Bible for God’s inspired Word. The bible itself does make reference to other writings and books. Here are some of these with scriptural references.

Book of Wars (Numbers 21:14)
Book of Jasher (Joshua 10:13)
Chronicles of King David (1 Chronicles 27:24)
Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah (2 Chronicles 27:7; 35:27; 36:8)
Book of the Kings of Israel (1 Chronicles 9:1, 2 Chronicles 20:34, 2 Chronicles 33:18)
Writing of David the King of Israel (2 Chronicles 35:4)
Writing of Solomon (2 Chronicles 35:4)
Samuel the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29)
Nathan the Prophet (1 Chronicles 29:29)
Gad the Seer (1 Chronicles 29:29)
Annals of the Prophet Iddo (2 Chronicles 13:22)
Shemaiah the Prophet (2 Chronicles 12:15)
Iddo the Seer (2 Chronicles 12:15)
Kings of Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles 32:32)
Book of Jehu (2 Chronicles 20:34)
Kings of Israel (2 Chronicles 20:34)
Book of Remembrance (Malachi 3:16)
Book of Life (Daniel 12:1; Philippians 4:3, Revelation 20:12, 22:19)
Books of Judgment (Daniel 7:10, Revelation 20:12)
Seven-sealed Scroll (Revelation 5:1)
Angel’s Little book (Revelation 10:2)

Just because the Bible references another book does not mean that book is inspired. The only exception to this rule is when the Bible references other inspired books within itself.

These books “are not and were never” lost books of the Bible because they were never considered inspired.
.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
.

By this, inspired means that they are a part of a collection of 66 books that share a common thread that include the creation, fall, and redemption through God. They share God’s love for all through salvation that is available to all who repent of their sins, believe in Jesus and commit to following God with all of their heart, and soul.

66 inspired books written by 40 different authors, over 1500 years, in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic), on 3 different continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe). Last but not least, these 66 books called the Bible contain no historical errors or contradictions.

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. (Matthew 5:18)
.

False prophets and cult groups will tread the waters of heresy attempting to justify the existence of newly inspired or lost books by citing reference to other books mentioned in the Bible.

This makes about as much sense as one day someone unearthing my writings about an arbor made out of dead trees, adorned with barbed wire scrolls.

Writings known as The Dead Tree Scrolls.