Expert: Logan - 7/28/2004

Question
you have answered my questions before and i would like to ask some more. can you please enlighthen me on the following GEN 1. 24-27 AND GEN 2.7 GEN 2.18-19 ( i am referring to the order of creation, which was created first) then how about 2 samuel 24.9 and 1 chronicle 21.5 ( regarding the census of david) and lastly, how matthew 27.44 and mark 15.32 seems to contradict luke 23. 39-42 . again, i would like to thank you in advance.

Answer
 I posted some more into in the area concerning the census.

 By the way, I noticed that you use the Good News bible.  That is a very bad paraphrase.  You need to use the King James Version.  The Good News bible takes out very, very important words, that are supposed to be in there.  It totally leaves them out.  For instance it leaves out the word "begotten" in John 3:16.  The word begotten(talking about Jesus Christ), means that he is unique, and the Son of God.  It is wrong to remove words from Scripture.  In Revelation, warning is given of adding things to, or taking words away from it.

 

Hello.  I access the internet at a library, and so I will not be able to post the answer until Monday, or Tuesday, etc.  I was swamped with a lot of long questions, the other day, so I will research them, and answer next week.  Thanks, and sorry for the delay.

 OK!  Sorry for the really long delay.  I normally answer questions the same day they are posted, or the day after.  

 I recognized your first question, right away.  It is an old question people have had for years.  I know of a man(Dr. Kent Hovind), who was asked this same question when he was around 16 years old(this was in the 60's, or early 70's I think).

 In Genesis 1:20-28, we read of God creating the animals.  Then in Genesis 2:7, He makes man.  

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 But it is very important to read all the verses of chapter 2, because then we notice in verse 8 that God made a Garden for man.  

 Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

 Then in verses 18-25, we see that God created every animal again, so that Adam could name them.  This is not contradicting The Account of Creation.  This is where God made more of the same animals, so that Adam could name them.  Here are the verses:

  Gen 2:18 And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.  


Gen 2:19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought [them] unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that [was] the name thereof.  


Gen 2:20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.  


Gen 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;  


Gen 2:22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  


Gen 2:23 And Adam said, This [is] now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.  


Gen 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.  


Gen 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.  


 Concerning 2 Samuel 24:9:

 2Sa 24:9 And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew the sword; and the men of Judah [were] five hundred thousand men.  

 And 1 Chronicles 21:5:

 1Ch 21:5 And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all [they of] Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah [was] four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword.  
  
 I do not know the answer for sure.  I am not convinced that these are the same censuses.  Most seem to agree that they are.  I searched some websites that were supposed to answer questions like this one, but some of them believe it is a copyist's error.  I will not believe that.  I have been to many websites that held that view about a particular passage, and I had already known that it was not a copyist's error, but simply people reading the verses incorrectly.  These Bible "contradictions" have been answered long, long ago, but people will find them for themselves, the first time, and they don't know the answer and it bothers them.  But when they find the truth, then they are relieved.  There have been alot of verses where I did not know the answer, and it bothered me a bit.  But I waited, and trusted in God, and then, later, they were answered.  I do not know the answer to this for sure, but I will not worry either.  God has given me faith, to wait on Him!   2 Samuel gives the count of valiant men that drew the sword(of Israel), Chronicles doesn't mention the word valiant.  They could be referring to different counts of men.  Chronicles(concerning Judah) mentions men that drew sword, 2 Samuel doesn't mention the sword.  They, again could be counting from different points.  In 2 Samuel 24:13, David is offered the possibility of a 7 year famine.  In 1 Chronicles, he is offered a 3 year famine.  I have read that it is possible that David was first offered 7 years(2 Samuel), but because he repented, God lowered it to 3(1 Chronicles).  If you read the verses closely, this could be possible.  Also, in 1 Chronicles 21:6 it says,  "But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab."  This may be why the numbers are different.  It is not an error, just maybe the census is presented with Levi and Benjamin, and without; or that the difference is in the possibility that one counts the valiant men, and one does not, and one counts the men that drew sword, and one does not.  I do not know.


 Concerning Matthew, Mark, and Luke, it appears that both thieves reviled him, but then one was softened, and believed.  Read this from Matthew Henry's Commentary.

 "(2.) Here was the other of them that was softened at the last. It as said in Matthew and Mark that the thieves, even they that were crucified with him, reviled him, which some think is by a figure put for one of them, but others think that they both reviled him at first, till the heart of one of them was wonderfully changed, and with it his language on a sudden. This malefactor, when just ready to fall into the hands of Satan, was snatched as a brand out of the burning, and made a monument of divine mercy and grace, and Satan was left to roar as a lion disappointed of his prey. ... he was designed to be made a singular instance of the power of Christ's grace now at a time when he was crucified in weakness."   

 The thief never knew that regardless of his sin and weakness, God used him for the glory of Christ. Matthew Henry also says:   "This is the prayer of a dying sinner to a dying Saviour."   

 Thanks for the questions.  Could you make sure to ask one at a time, though, because if I get several different people all at once, it is much harder to answer.  Thanks, and feel free to ask again.

God's Gospel:

 
 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23   "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23   "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8   "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16   "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10