The Bible is one of the most historical books that we have access to. While it’s certainly a book that is grounded in the spiritual truths that we need for today, there is also a lot of history. When people doubt the validity of Scripture, they often fail to recognize the historical events that science has proven to be true.
As Christians, we understand that these historical events also have major spiritual ramifications, which is why God wanted us to know about them.
The historical validity of the Bible has long been one of the most debated topics surrounding Scripture. However, if you look at unbiased historical and scientific sources, many of those historical events have been verified.
Do you think it’s a coincidence that God included the stories of some of these historical events in Scripture?
When He, through the Holy Spirit, inspired the men and women who wrote Scripture to write what they wrote, He did so because it was information that we would need thousands of years later.
Today we’re going to look at some of those key historical events and what they mean for us. The Bible, while grounded in the spirit realm, includes a great deal of information about human history. It’s been said that the best indicator of future behavior is the past.
When we understand what these historical events mean for us today, we can take another step in understanding Scripture and the things that God wants His people to know about how the events in the Bible relate to our lives in 2022.
Creation
Genesis 1:1-2
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters.
If we’re going to discuss keystone historical events in Scripture, we must start with creation. In Genesis 1 and 2, we read about each day of creation and how God spoke everything into existence until He made the decision to form humanity with His own hands.
There is plenty of debate about whether the six days of creation were literal 24-hour periods, a topic that we don’t have the time or space to discuss here. No matter where you fall on that debate, the fact remains that God was (and is) capable of forming the world and everything that we see in it with only a word.
What can we lean from the creation account? Plenty of things! It’s easy to become so familiar with the story that we just gloss over it, but there are some key principles, beginning with the unending ability of God to create the world and everything in it with only a Word. It’s also important to note the special care that He put into creating humanity.
He didn’t say, “Let there be humans.” Instead, He formed the first human out of the dust of the earth. This level of care is the same level of care that God spoke to Jeremiah when He said, ”Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5)
Finally, we learn that the Holy Spirit has always been at work in creation. Even before there was anything created. The Spirit was “hovering” over the face of the waters. What was He doing? We don’t know. But we do know that the Holy Spirit has always been present and working in this world.
The Flood
Genesis 7:6-7 (ESV)
Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth. And Noah and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives went into the ark to escape the waters of the flood.
The flood is also one of the most hotly debated topics in the Bible. However, there have been significant scientific discoveries in the last several decades that validate the fact that the entire earth was submerged in water thousands of years ago.
In this familiar story, God spoke to Noah and told him to build a boat, gather a certain number of every animal, and his family. The wickedness of society had reached a point where God decided to end everything and start over.
While the story of the flood is often painted as a story of judgement and vengeance, it’s also a story of grace and redemption. If you don’t believe that, simply look at the fact that God chose a righteous family to carry on creation.
God loved humanity so much that even though He was going to wipe most of it out, He wanted to start over. Noah had lived a life of righteousness, and because of that, God opted to keep him and his family safe. That’s grace!
Additionally, when the flood was over (Genesis 8:1) the Bible says that “God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.” This was symbolic of the fact that God wanted to redeem His creation. While our sin leaves us far from God, His grace still keeps us safe. Additionally, He gives us the same kind of fresh start that He presented to Noah and his family after the waters went down.
The Birth of Christ
Luke 2:6-7 (TPT)
When they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary went into labor, and there she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the newborn baby in strips of cloth, and Mary and Joseph laid him in a feeding trough since there was no available space in any upper room in the village.
The birth of Christ is the most significant event that the Bible records. Before you say, “What about the crucifixion and the resurrection,” think about this: neither of those events would have been possible without this one.
Yes, we were offered salvation by the death of Christ on the cross and we were given eternal life through his triumphant resurrection. But, before He could die and raise again, He had to be born as a human.
Even scoffers acknowledge that Jesus was born. While they may squabble about the details of the virgin birth, we know that it was necessary for Him to be fully God and fully human. Those same scoffers acknowledge His birth every time they use dates labeled as “BC” (before Christ).
The birth of Christ was the greatest turning point in human history. In fact, it was so significant that we still use it as the determination of time between what happened before Him and what has happened since.
If Christ had never been born, we would have lived in an eternal separation from God. Because of this singular event, people like us have the chance to have a relationship with Him.
The Birth of the Church
Acts 2:3-4 (TPT)
Then all at once a pillar of fire appeared before their eyes. It separated into tongues of fire that engulfed each one of them. They were all filled and equipped with the Holy Spirit and were inspired to speak in tongues-empowered by the Spirit to speak in languages they had never learned!
Finally, the birth of the church is one of the most important historical moments in the Bible. No, this passage that we just read is not about the gift of tongues. Instead, it’s about the phrase that you find before that part: “They were all filled and equipped.”
On the day of Pentecost, the New Testament Church, the Church that you are a part of today, was born. God sent the Holy Spirit, not to make the disciples shout and speak in tongues, but to equip them for Kingdom service.
We can fulfill the Great Commission and can complete our individual God-given purposes because of the events of Acts 2.
A Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for recording these key events in history in Scripture. I know that while they took place thousands of years ago, they are applicable to my life today. Help me to take the lessons that I can learn from history to fulfill the purpose that You have given me. In Christ’s name I ask all things, Amen.