I have always been fascinated with Biblical archeology, though I don’t pay as much attention to it as I should.
The other day Bekkah sent me an article about a research group called The Doubting Thomas Research Foundation who claim they have found Mt. Sinai. I did not realize that the lack of evidence for a specific location of the ancient mountain was a cause for people’s lack of faith or criticism of people’s faith. But I suppose the lack of evidence for anything is always a cause for people’s doubt. Which is why I think the research group’s name is rather clever.
The article goes on to talk about how the top of the mountain appears to be burnt as if it had been engulfed by smoke. There is a nearby river that has an ancient chariot-like shape in it which they claim could be the Red Sea. There is a split rock which could be the site that God commanded Moses to spring water forth from. An altar which Moses may have built and a nearby graveyard which could be the site the Israelites died for having created the Golden Calf.
It is all very fascinating much like the archeological dig that thought it had found part of the remains of Noah’s Ark. There is also the dig that found what they believed to be the crest of King David. So many people working to provide evidence for the Bible.
As much as I love Biblical archeology I struggle with the topic because my faith in my savior will not change if Mt. Sinai is identified or not. I don’t need wood from the Ark to know that God chose never to flood the world again. I don’t need crumbling dirt to know that God gave us commandments to live in right relationship with God and with one another.
I struggle because I know that these findings really could help people come to believe, but I also am reminded of the words of Jesus from John 20:29 that says to that ‘Doubting Thomas’ “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe”. Or the words from the Hebrews letter in 11:1 that says faith is the things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. We don’t NEED evidence to have faith. But could evidence be helpful? Could it help that agnostic or even atheist to come to believe? Maybe. Just maybe.
What do you think? I don’t think it can hurt. Let’s live by faith and give people evidence by who we are and whose we are through the things we do and the way we engage with the world. Perhaps that might be evidence enough too. It’s worth a shot.
Blessings,
Pastor Brian