Day 5/20 – Skepticism and Faith

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
Skepticism and Faith
Day One Hundred Forty

“If any man’s will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” John 7:17

An agnostic holds that the existence of God and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable. He is skeptical of the existence of absolutes of any kind. Faith cannot exist in such an environment; it paralyzes a person in inaction. If you are skeptical regarding something happening, you are reluctant to commit in an act of faith.

As our culture embraces secularism, where nothing can be known for sure, with the exception that man ought to be autonomous, skepticism results. The scientific method was founded on the belief that transcending creation and ruling over it reigns a Sovereign God who established inviolable laws governing the universe. With the erosion of this belief in the God of Scripture, certainty that such laws exist begins to wane. Some university professors despair because they see in their students the fruit of secularism, a profound skepticism of anything absolute. They worry that it undermines the scientific method, for agnosticism questions the foundation upon which the scientific method exists.

By definition, faith is commitment without knowing, and you will not commit if you are a skeptic, any more than an astronaut will commit to space travel if he doesn’t have faith in the laws governing science. Faith can only thrive in an environment in which commitment is predicated on the veracity of laws under¬ girding faith. As a follower of Christ you assume that the Revelation of God in Scripture can be trusted, the same assumption the secular scientist must also make if he will take the risks inherent in the scientific method.

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1 Chronicles 10-12 John 6:45-71 (New King James Version)

1 Chronicles 10-12
Tragic End of Saul and His Sons
10 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2 Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, [a]Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons. 3 The battle became fierce against Saul. The archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armorbearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me.” But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. 5 And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons died, and all his house died together. 7 And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook their cities and fled; then the Philistines came and dwelt in them.
8 So it happened the next day, when the Philistines came to [b]strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 And they stripped him and took his head and his armor, and sent word throughout the land of the Philistines to proclaim the news in the temple of their idols and among the people. 10 Then they put his armor in the [c]temple of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.
11 And when all Jabesh Gilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all the valiant men arose and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons; and they brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.
13 So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had [d]committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. 14 But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.
David Made King over All Israel
11 Then all Israel came together to David at Hebron, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Also, in time past, even when Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over My people Israel.’ ” 3 Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the Lord [e]by Samuel.
The City of David
4 And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land. 5 But the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, “You shall not come in here!” Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (that is, the City of David). 6 Now David said, “Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be [f]chief and captain.” And Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief. 7 Then David dwelt in the stronghold; therefore they called it [g]the City of David. 8 And he built the city around it, from [h]the Millo to the surrounding area. Joab [i]repaired the rest of the city. 9 So David went on and became great, and the Lord of hosts was with him.
The Mighty Men of David
10 Now these were the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who strengthened themselves with him in his kingdom, with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.
11 And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam the son of a Hachmonite, chief of [j]the captains; he had lifted up his spear against three hundred, killed by him at one time.
12 After him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men. 13 He was with David at [k]Pasdammim. Now there the Philistines were gathered for battle, and there was a piece of ground full of barley. So the people fled from the Philistines. 14 But they [l]stationed themselves in the middle of that field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a great victory.
15 Now three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of [m]Rephaim. 16 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 17 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 18 So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. 19 And he said, “Far be it from me, O my God, that I should do this! Shall I drink the blood of these men who have put their lives in jeopardy? For at the risk of their lives they brought it.” Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
20 Abishai the brother of Joab was chief of another [n]three. He had lifted up his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 21 Of the three he was more honored than the other two men. Therefore he became their captain. However he did not attain to the first three.
22 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who [o]had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 23 And he killed an Egyptian, a man of great height, [p]five cubits tall. In the Egyptian’s hand there was a spear like a weaver’s beam; and he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 24 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 25 Indeed he was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.
26 Also the mighty warriors were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 27 [q]Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the [r]Pelonite, 28 Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite, 29 [s]Sibbechai the Hushathite, [t]Ilai the Ahohite, 30 Maharai the Netophathite, [u]Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite, 31 [v]Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, of the sons of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite, 32 [w]Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, [x]Abiel the Arbathite, 33 Azmaveth the [y]Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite, 34 the sons of [z]Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shageh the Hararite, 35 Ahiam the son of [aa]Sacar the Hararite, [ab]Eliphal the son of [ac]Ur, 36 Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite, 37 [ad]Hezro the Carmelite, [ae]Naarai the son of Ezbai, 38 Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri, 39 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the [af]Berothite (the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 40 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 41 Uriah the Hittite, [ag]Zabad the son of Ahlai, 42 Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite (a chief of the Reubenites) and thirty with him, 43 Hanan the son of Maachah, Joshaphat the Mithnite, 44 Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite, 45 Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite, 46 Eliel the Mahavite, Jeribai and Joshaviah the sons of Elnaam, Ithmah the Moabite, 47 Eliel, Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.
The Growth of David’s Army
12 Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, 2 armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.
3 The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of [ah]Shemaah the Gibeathite; Jeziel and Pelet the sons of Azmaveth; Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite; 4 Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite; 5 Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite; 6 Elkanah, Jisshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites; 7 and Joelah and Zebadiah the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8 Some Gadites [ai]joined David at the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for battle, who could handle shield and spear, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as gazelles on the mountains: 9 Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10 Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11 Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12 Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13 Jeremiah the tenth, and Machbanai the eleventh. 14 These were from the sons of Gad, captains of the army; the least was over a hundred, and the greatest was over a thousand. 15 These are the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all those in the valleys, to the east and to the west.
16 Then some of the sons of Benjamin and Judah came to David at the stronghold. 17 And David went out [aj]to meet them, and answered and said to them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if to betray me to my enemies, since there is no [ak]wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers look and bring judgment.” 18 Then the Spirit [al]came upon Amasai, chief of the captains, and he said:
“We are yours, O David;
We are on your side, O son of Jesse!
Peace, peace to you,
And peace to your helpers!
For your God helps you.”
So David received them, and made them captains of the troop.
19 And some from Manasseh defected to David when he was going with the Philistines to battle against Saul; but they did not help them, for the lords of the Philistines sent him away by agreement, saying, “He may defect to his master Saul and endanger our heads.” 20 When he went to Ziklag, those of Manasseh who defected to him were Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh. 21 And they helped David against the bands of raiders, for they were all mighty men of valor, and they were captains in the army. 22 For at that time they came to David day by day to help him, until it was a great army, like the army of God.
David’s Army at Hebron
23 Now these were the numbers of the [am]divisions that were equipped for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn over the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord: 24 of the sons of Judah bearing shield and spear, six thousand eight hundred [an]armed for war; 25 of the sons of Simeon, mighty men of valor fit for war, seven thousand one hundred; 26 of the sons of Levi four thousand six hundred; 27 Jehoiada, the leader of the Aaronites, and with him three thousand seven hundred; 28 Zadok, a young man, a valiant warrior, and from his father’s house twenty-two captains; 29 of the sons of Benjamin, relatives of Saul, three thousand (until then the greatest part of them had remained loyal to the house of Saul); 30 of the sons of Ephraim twenty thousand eight hundred, mighty men of valor, [ao]famous men throughout their father’s house; 31 of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were designated by name to come and make David king; 32 of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; 33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks; 34 of Naphtali one thousand captains, and with them thirty-seven thousand with shield and spear; 35 of the Danites who could keep battle formation, twenty-eight thousand six hundred; 36 of Asher, those who could go out to war, able to keep battle formation, forty thousand; 37 of the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, from the other side of the Jordan, one hundred and twenty thousand armed for battle with every kind of weapon of war.
38 All these men of war, who could keep ranks, came to Hebron with a loyal heart, to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest of Israel were of one mind to make David king. 39 And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them. 40 Moreover those who were near to them, from as far away as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, were bringing food on donkeys and camels, on mules and oxen—provisions of flour and cakes of figs and cakes of raisins, wine and oil and oxen and sheep abundantly, for there was joy in Israel.
Footnotes:
• 1 Chronicles 10:2 Jishui, 1 Sam. 14:49
• 1 Chronicles 10:8 plunder
• 1 Chronicles 10:10 Lit. house
• 1 Chronicles 10:13 Lit. transgressed
• 1 Chronicles 11:3 Lit. by the hand of Samuel
• 1 Chronicles 11:6 Lit. head
• 1 Chronicles 11:7 Zion, 2 Sam. 5:7
• 1 Chronicles 11:8 Lit. The Landfill
• 1 Chronicles 11:8 Lit. revived
• 1 Chronicles 11:11 So with Qr.; Kt., LXX, Vg. the thirty (cf. 2 Sam. 23:8)
• 1 Chronicles 11:13 Ephes Dammim, 1 Sam. 17:1
• 1 Chronicles 11:14 Lit. took their stand
• 1 Chronicles 11:15 Lit. Giants
• 1 Chronicles 11:20 So with MT, LXX, Vg.; Syr. thirty
• 1 Chronicles 11:22 was great in deeds
• 1 Chronicles 11:23 About 7 1⁄2 feet
• 1 Chronicles 11:27 Shammah the Harodite, 2 Sam. 23:25
• 1 Chronicles 11:27 Paltite, 2 Sam. 23:26
• 1 Chronicles 11:29 Mebunnai, 2 Sam. 23:27
• 1 Chronicles 11:29 Zalmon, 2 Sam. 23:28
• 1 Chronicles 11:30 Heleb, 2 Sam. 23:29, or Heldai, 1 Chr. 27:15
• 1 Chronicles 11:31 Ittai, 2 Sam. 23:29
• 1 Chronicles 11:32 Hiddai, 2 Sam. 23:30
• 1 Chronicles 11:32 Abi-Albon, 2 Sam. 23:31
• 1 Chronicles 11:33 Barhumite, 2 Sam. 23:31
• 1 Chronicles 11:34 Jashen, 2 Sam. 23:32
• 1 Chronicles 11:35 Sharar, 2 Sam. 23:33
• 1 Chronicles 11:35 Eliphelet, 2 Sam. 23:34
• 1 Chronicles 11:35 Ahasbai, 2 Sam. 23:34
• 1 Chronicles 11:37 Hezrai, 2 Sam. 23:38
• 1 Chronicles 11:37 Paarai the Arbite, 2 Sam. 23:35
• 1 Chronicles 11:39 Beerothite, 2 Sam. 23:37
• 1 Chronicles 11:41 The last sixteen are not added in 2 Sam. 23.
• 1 Chronicles 12:3 Or Hasmaah
• 1 Chronicles 12:8 Lit. separated themselves to
• 1 Chronicles 12:17 Lit. before them
• 1 Chronicles 12:17 Lit. violence
• 1 Chronicles 12:18 Lit. clothed
• 1 Chronicles 12:23 Lit. heads of those
• 1 Chronicles 12:24 equipped
• 1 Chronicles 12:30 Lit. men of names

John 6:45-71
45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who [a]has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. 47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes [b]in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.”
52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?”
53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is [c]food indeed, and My blood is [d]drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
59 These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.
Many Disciples Turn Away
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a [e]hard saying; who can understand it?”
61 When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples [f]complained about this, He said to them, “Does this [g]offend you? 62 What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? 63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, “Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”
66 From that time many of His disciples went [h]back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
68 But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the [i]Christ, the Son of the living God.”
70 Jesus answered them, “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” 71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
Footnotes:
• John 6:45 M hears and has learned
• John 6:47 NU omits in Me
• John 6:55 NU true food
• John 6:55 NU true drink
• John 6:60 difficult
• John 6:61 grumbled
• John 6:61 make you stumble
• John 6:66 Or away; lit. to the back
• John 6:69 NU Holy One of God.

Mark 11:24 ²⁴Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in Prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Colossians 4:2 ²Devote yourselves to Prayer, being watchful and thankful.

James 5:16 ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The Prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.