Dead Sea Scrolls Are A Tree Falling In the Forest

Romans 14:23 ‘. . .for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.’

 

Irish philosopher George Berkeley is said to have created the theory of ‘subjective idealism.’  The term, ‘If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it fall?’ is attributed to him.  His writings were in the late 1800’s and even to this day, the veracity of exactly what he wrote and said, and how he wrote and said it are in question.  Was it ‘fall’ or was it ‘make a sound?’  Did he say it exactly this way or has he been paraphrased through the years?   In a little over 100 years, many questions still surround his writings.

 

In early 1947, a shepherd boy discovered ancient texts of the Hebrew Bible in a ruin in Qumran.  Mostly written in Hebrew and Aramaic, the hundreds of papyrus documents are now known to us as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

 

Jude 1:17-18 ‘But beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Messiyah Yahshua:  how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time. . .’

 

Subjective idealism poses the thought that ‘If something is no longer perceived, it ceases to exist.’

 

There are many in the world, even here on hub pages, that say they don’t believe in a Creator or Divine Being simply because they cannot perceive Him.  In their philosophy, they cannot perceive Him so thus, He does not exist.

 

The idea of asking about the tree in the forest is much like asking about us as Christians.

 

Psalms 25:14 ‘The secret of Yahweh is with them that reverence Him, and He shows them His covenant.’

 

Starting yesterday, the Dead Sea Scrolls arrived here in Milwaukee as part of the “Ancient Artifacts, Timeless Treasures” tour.  The articles I have been reading about the scrolls in both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Shepherd Express are enlightening.

 

The scrolls are usually preserved in Jerusalem’s Shrine of the Book, the world’s greatest repository of scrolls.  It is said that ‘light’ can do irrevocable damage.  They have to limit the scrolls amount of light and exposure.  Fragments can only be put on display for three months at a time and then rested for a few years.  Many of the pieces, people have never seen before.

 

John 3:20 ‘For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.’

 

There is a lot of money, energy and security employed in the upkeep of these worldly ‘treasures.’

 

Matthew 6:21 ‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

 

So let us ask ourselves why these documents are considered an important treasure not only to the worldly but the churches?

 

James Trever, the son of John Trever, a Milwaukee native who was one of the pioneers bringing the scrolls to international attention said ‘Dad helped reveal that the scrolls importance was the validation of the Bible.’  I think that is a very important quote because many in Christianity can’t help but agree.

 

Matthew 6:1 ‘Take heed that ye do not your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.’

 

As Christians it can be difficult to live in this world because ‘validation’ is so important to the worldly.  They want to know how authentic things are.  They want things to be proven, documented and certified.

 

John 7:14-15 ‘Now about the midst of the feast, Yahshua went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?’

 

This is the proverbial question about the tree falling in the forest.  No one was there to see Him learn and certify the knowledge He had – and yet – He had it.  The tree was once standing, not it is on the ground.

 

John 20:29 ‘Yahshua saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed:  blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed.’

 

Seeing and gaining proof is for the skeptics.  The Dead Sea Scrolls are validation for those who want validation. 

We are all well aware that many believe the Bible is worthless and the writings mean nothing.  I believe some of us like to hear that there is some ‘proof’ that the writings we believe in do have some attachments with antiquity, but we have realize that the connection made really means nothing.

 

Skeptics and mockers are people who don’t want to believe.  No matter how much evidence you put on the plate before them, the meal is impalpable.  Of course, this works in the reverse also.  No matter how much evidence they put on a plate before us that the Lord does not exist, we reject it.

 

So in the end the real question is not evidence or validation or certification.

 

In the end it is faith.  It is not about having faith in the things you can prove because as it says in Romans 8:24, we don’t have hope concerning things that are proven.  Life is really all about the things that cannot be proven.

 

Hebrews 11:1 ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’

 

Even the most educated scientist and religious professor in the world knows hardly anything.  The knowledge of man is so vastly limited, the idea that our brain is limitless, is foolishness. 

We cannot contain even a fraction of the whole truth of not only the universe, but that which is outside the universe.

 

Isaiah 55:8-9 ‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.’

 

Everyone takes things on faith, even the atheist.  There a million things the human mind believes without knowing why it believe it – it just does.  The truth is, He knew us before He put us here – and we knew Him.  We need no proof that He is because He simply is.

 

Exodus 3:14 ‘And our Creator said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM:  and He said, Thou shalt say unto the children of Yisrael, I AM hath sent me.’

 

If no one ‘perceived’ that the Lord was there, would He cease to exist?

If no one ‘perceived’ the good works you do in His name, would your efforts cease to exist?

 

Matthew 6:3-4 ‘But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  that thine alms may be in secret:  and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.’

 

Prosperity preaching as well as guru’s of positive self-esteem help people by teaching them to seek out validation.  In their circles, nothing you do should be done in secret, but rather by promotion and advertising, others can learn by your example and feed off your image of success.  The wiles of the devil are indeed tempting and deceptive.

 

If you truly believe that the Father in heaven is watching over you, and sees in the dark, and is a rewarder of those who do good in secret; then you don’t need any validation from the world, no pats on the back.  They are nice to have, but I’d rather have my reward in heaven.  Remember Matthew 6:1, those who do deeds to be seen, have their reward.

 

1 Peter 1:3-5 ‘Blessed be the Creator and Father of our Messiyah Yahshua which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of the Messiyah Yahshua from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of the Creator through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.’

 

Every time we do good works because of what we believe, it doesn’t matter who sees it.  If we work and no one is there to acknowledge it, it is okay – the Lord saw it.  We don’t need proof that He is there – because there never will be enough proof to prove it to those who don’t want to believe.

 

1 Corinthians 1:27 ‘But the Creator hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and the Creator hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. . .’

 

The Dead Sea Scrolls will be at the Milwaukee Public Museum from January 22, 2010 to June 6, 2010.  Ticket prices range from $22-26.

 

Amen