Happy New Year. Striving to find the right study in a New Year, I happened on a documentary by Tim Mahoney, Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.
The film reviews evidence for the historicity of the book of Exodus allowing for several viewpoints on the subject from scholars, archeologists, theologians, and finishes with a taped panel discussion.
Although he never says so, Mahoney comes out (and shows compelling evidence for) a view that suggests the traditional timeline for the Exodus is off by a few hundred years, and shows that when then compared to history, archeology, and internal Biblical evidence, a compelling case can be made for an earlier timeline.
Mahoney divides the event into 5 periods, the Jacob and his sons saved by Joseph as 2nd in the land, the period afterwards living in Egypt, the period of slavery and oppression, the10 plagues and the Red Sea miracles, and the conquest of Canaan after the wilderness period. Two excellent reviews covering more detail were written by Answers in Genesis, and Institute for Creation Research.
Why is this important to the Christian? As noted rabbi David Wolpe quipped on Michael Medved’s syndicated radio program (shown in the movie), his belief in the Exodus, as a Jew is not hinged on the authenticity of the Exodus account. Indeed, since the 1950’s some archeologists have tended to date Exodus at a time when evidence for the event is non-existent.
For this reason, many Christians call into question the historicity of the Exodus, allegorizing it, or worse, losing faith. Apologetics does not replace faith, nothing can replace faith. Apologetics instead harmonizes what God says (the Bible) and the physical, historical, textual record. Though science and theology clash, God and His Creation (nature) do not.
As was said, Mahoney presents compelling evidence for a timeline earlier than some (a majority, though not all) archeologists favor. But this belies an unspoken question: Why should we even have to deal with this doubt and unbelief in the first place?
Simply, we need to recognize that our major adversary, Satan, has been using this tactic since the Garden of Eden. “Did God really say if you ate of the fruit…?” It was effective then, all the more now, unless we girds ourselves with truth Eph 6:14. That illustration of a belt is apt: the belt is the foundation of the Armor of God. The more we can counter the whispers of skepticism with truth, the more confident we are.
In closing, don’t use apologetics (a defense of the faith) as a weapon. Yes, we can offer a reply and a reason for our faith, but no one has ever come to faith by reason. Only the Holy Spirit can do this by convicting the unbeliever of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 16:8) Our job is to spread the Good News, not sell it. Matthew 28:20-21, Luke 8:4-15.