When men have attacked the veracity of the Bible, they have done so on every level. They have claimed that it is replete with misinformation historically, scientifically, geographically, geologically and every other way known to us. Yet, when its histories are investigated, it is found to be historically correct; when its scientific utterances, though it is not a textbook on science, are investigated, again it is found to be scientifically correct. There is no true scientific discovery known to man, upon which the Bible speaks, that has been found to be false so far as the Bible is concerned. Someone will ask, “Well, what about evolution?” Friends, evolution is not science. It is guesswork based on some peculiarities in nature. It is more voodoo than science, but that is not the point under discussion today.
The Bible has been attacked geographically also. It has been claimed that the Bible is not geographically correct when it makes statements dealing with geography. Again, it must be pointed out that the Bible is not a textbook on geography, but when it speaks regarding geography, especially of the middle-eastern world, it speaks correctly. There are those who mock the Bible because it speaks, for example, of going down from Jerusalem to such cities as Caesarea, Tyre or some other city to the north of Jerusalem (Matthew 20:18; Acts 8:1, 5; 9:26, 30; 12:19; 14:26 with 15:1-2; 21:4, 8, 10, 12; 25:9). They say, “We do not go down to the north, we go up!” Consequently, according to this so-called reasoning, the Bible must be incorrect in its geographical expressions. However, let us investigate that for a moment. Years ago while living in Fairmont, West Virginia, we noticed that the natives there spoke of going down to Pittsburgh. Obviously Pittsburgh is several miles north of Fairmont, so why would they speak of going down to Pittsburgh? Because Fairmont is the headwaters of the Monongahela River which flows downward to Pittsburgh, though that city is north of Fairmont.
The city of Jerusalem was built on mountains that rise some 2,500 feet above sea level; hence, regardless of what direction in which one might travel from Jerusalem, he went down to the place, or from that place up to Jerusalem. The Word of God uses the best and true geographical descriptions. The Bible is right! Men are wrong!
Still another blunder, both historically and geographically, some of the critics of the Bible advanced (for which, incidentally, they have never apologized) was the teaching that the nation of the Hittites never existed. For hundreds of years the only record of these people was found in the Bible (48 times in 47 Old Testament verses), but the experts said the name was made up because they had no other record of it. Well, some people decided to begin searching where the Bible says these people were located, and low and behold, they found abundant archeological evidence for the existence of the nation where the Bible says these people were located, and that their civilization existed when the Bible says it did. Critics may come by the millions and no doubt they will, but the Bible will stand true because it is a product of the mind of God!
