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| Vol. 14 No. 4 April 2012 | Page 6 |
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| Vol. 14 No. 4 April 2012 | Page 6 |
Donald R. Fox
Most of us who have been around awhile have witnessed a hatchet job. For those who may not understand this term, let us define what a hatchet job is. One definition I found said it is, “A false accusation of an offense or a malicious misrepresentation of someone’s words or actions.” A further definition is, “A piece of criticism that destroys someone’s reputation is a hatchet job.” It has been my observation that the one or the group that spreads the hatchet job will slyly leave off any truthful part, thus adding more color to the malicious falsehood. The hatchet man or group is by nature great at being con artists. Some bosses or supervisors have been known to use a hatchet man to do the dirty work. As an example, the hatchet man will get rid of a good worker in order to make room for one who is in the clique. Honesty and integrity are not part of the moral makeup of such a type of people or organization. It is better for all of us if we practice the “Golden Rule.” “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12 KJV).
A component of a hatchet job is propaganda. The party line and half-truths have been used for a long time in order to bury truth and righteousness. For Christians, the Word of God, the Bible, is the stability we need to get through this old life. The safe and solid path in our life is “to continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32 KJV). Ugly dealing people have always stood in the way of truth and rightness. History abounds with horrid scoundrels. They think they have chosen the winning way, and they have their day while they live. Time for all runs out, and we must give an account. “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 KJV).
To boil it down, the hatchet man is a mean, deceitful liar, and the hatchet job is the overall result of the malicious misrepresentation. “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:22-25 KJV). “A liar begins with making a falsehood appear like truth, and ends with making truth itself appear like falsehood” (William Shenstone).
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Mathew 7:21-23 KJV).
As I conclude this brief essay, I wonder how many who are reading this will remember with sadness a hatchet job performed on them. I am afraid that the hatchet job is far more common than we may realize. How many good folks have had their reputation ruined or blemished?
Can I Trust My Bible Geographically?
D. Gene West
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!