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If you have yet to be BORN AGAIN, pay close attention because something supernatural is afoot. That you are hearing or reading these words is not happenstance. The Spirit of God is drawing your lost and unwashed soul unto the river. This very day, all your circumstances can change in a very 180° way.
If you presently sit in darkness and are seeking the Light, know that you have arrived. GodSaidManSaid is a Holy Ghost portal unto eternal life. The Word of God’s ministry of reconciliation is presented here.
Scientists speculate of a multiverse, or the ultimate megaverse—a parallel universe that is invisible and separated from us by a thin membrane, and in the case of the megaverse, it dominates and dictates, in the minutest detail, all that happens in the universe in which we live. Of course, the Bible teaches that there is such a place: the invisible Kingdom of God. The portal one must pass through to enter this invisible, all-powerful kingdom, Jesus Christ calls BORN AGAIN. John 3:3-8:
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother''s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
This invisible and very literal Kingdom of God beckons to you. In just moments, I will offer you a simple prompt, and if you follow from your heart, you will pass through this Holy Ghost portal. Today, all your sins and shame will be washed away by Christ’s cleansing blood. You will begin life anew, this time of the Spirit and this time in the Kingdom of God. Today, all of Satan’s bondages in your life will be broken. You will become the head and not the tail. You must be BORN AGAIN. Here is the prompt I promised: Click onto Further with Jesus for childlike instructions and immediate entry into the Kingdom of God. NOW FOR TODAY’S SUBJECT.
GOD SAID, Genesis 13:18:
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
GOD SAID, Genesis 18:1-16:
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
GOD SAID, Galatians 3:13-16:
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man''s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
MAN SAID: According to well-known archaeologist Israel Finkelstein, “Archaeology’s finds have revolutionized the study of early Israel and have cast serious doubt on the historical basis of such famous Biblical stories as the wanderings of the patriarchs. Some of the most famous events in the Bible clearly never happened at all.”
Now THE RECORD: Welcome to GodSaidManSaid feature 1260 that will once again contend for the beautiful Book, God’s Holy Bible. All of these features are archived here in text and streaming audio for your edification and to be used as ammunition in the battle for the lost sons and daughters of Adam. Every Thursday eve, God willing, they grow by one.
Thank you for visiting. May the grace and peace of God be multiplied unto you.
You have arrived at the GodSaidManSaid “Genesis Series;” this is Part 40. Each of these features begins with the following information from the first feature:
According to a 2006 issue of Discover magazine concerning the deceased Carl Sagan: “Sagan approaches religion like any phenomenon. He isn’t on a quest for life’s meaning, for a comforting philosophy, or even a guide to how we should treat the neighbors. Sagan seeks truth of a demonstrable kind. As a puckish example, he wonders why the book of Genesis didn’t include God-inspired truths…” [End of quote]
I recently reviewed an advertisement from a magazine called Free Inquiry that also has a problem with the God of Creation and the first book of the Bible, called Genesis. Under the heading “Is God Big Enough for the Universe,” Free Inquiry writes:
The authors of Genesis proclaim that God made the heavens and earth in less than a week. This feat must have amazed these Bronze Age authors, even though they thought the heavens extended only so far as the sky above them. Of course, they did not know what stars, planets, or galaxies were. We now know that the universe is so much bigger and so much more complex. [End of quote]
The BORN AGAIN scratch their heads in bewilderment. Did these folks actually read the book of Genesis? I suppose they did, but God’s revelation is only revealed to the humbled hearts of the children of faith. This GodSaidManSaid series will be called “The Genesis Series.” It is our intention to travel through the entire book of Genesis and publish one major God-inspired truth after another. We will be pulling from previous GodSaidManSaid features and adding the latest information as we go.
It all starts with Abram, whose name is changed by God to Abraham. Three hundred and fifty years after the global flood, Noah dies, and according to Ussher, Abraham (Abram) is born two years later. Abraham is known as the father of faith, and the seed of faith in him was the faith of Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:13-16). Abraham is the father of the Hebrew people, by whom, the Bible prophesies, the Messiah would come. If the credibility of Abraham is destroyed, Old and New Testament believers alike are in a world of hurt. Unfortunately for the critics of the Bible, Abraham has left an indelible signature on history. Last week’s feature is the first feature in a five-part subseries of the GodSaidManSaid Genesis Series which will demonstrate the ubiquitous record of God’s man Abraham.
The place is called Mamre and it surely plays a foundational role in the Gospel message:
⦁ At Mamre, Abraham builds an altar unto God—and archaeology shouts YES, HE DID!
⦁ At Mamre, the Lord (along with two angels) speaks to Abraham and Sarah, telling them that, in their old age, they would have a son whose name would be Isaac. This child, Isaac, would be the child of promise and through him, the Christ would come into this world and redeem all those who would call upon His name.
⦁ At Mamre, Abraham negotiates with God regarding his nephew Lot, who lived with his family in Sodom, and the annihilation of the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain, which was imminent.
Was there a Mamre, this place where God sets it all in motion? Was there an Abraham, a Sarah, and an Isaac? The Gospel message begins in the book of Genesis, which is the setup for the rest of the story. If we cannot trust the foundation of the story, how can we trust the rest of it?
Joel Kramer is a Biblical archaeologist who lived in Jerusalem for 10 years. He has a popular YouTube channel, Expedition Bible, which typically pulls in over half a million views for each video posted. In his book Where God Came Down, Kramer describes the relationship between the Bible and archaeology like a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle with 99% of the pieces missing. What archaeologists dig up only tells 1% of the story. However, the box lid (which represents the Bible) is still intact and shows a picture of the whole puzzle. Skeptics and academics claim that the stories in the Bible are simply fictitious accounts and that many of the people in these stories never even existed.
One important location described in the book of Genesis is the place known as Mamre. It is first mentioned in Genesis 13:18:
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Since Abraham was living in Mamre, many of the important events in his life occurred there. One such important event was when Abraham was visited by the LORD and two angels, as described in Genesis 18:1-16:
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
Christians believe that the LORD coming down to talk with Abraham was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This makes Mamre a holy place. Strong support for this interpretation is found in a confrontation Jesus is having with Jewish skeptics, recorded in John 8:54-58:
54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:
55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
What should we expect to find if we go there and dig up ancient history? What would the evidence look like if the stories are fake, and what would the evidence look like if the stories are real?
Let’s look at Mamre and see what the evidence shows. Mamre has been described in previous passages as being at Hebron. Since Abraham is also described as owning a lot of cattle, it makes sense that the exact location of Mamre where Abraham was dwelling would be located outside the walls of the city of Hebron itself. There is such a place that fits this description and is close to ancient Hebron. It was first evacuated in 1926 by German archaeologist Evaristus Mader. When Mader first began his excavation, it was simply a large mound of dirt known by Arabic locals as “The Height of the Sanctuary of the Friend.”
Take note that the Arabs know this place as “The Height of the Sanctuary of the Friend.” In ancient times, a king often had a member of his ruling cabinet, an individual called “the king’s friend.” This “king’s friend” had no particular duty but to simply fellowship with the king. Abraham is known in the Bible as “the friend of God.” II Chronicles 20:7:
Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend for ever?
James 2:23:
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Mader and his team began digging and exposing one archaeological layer at a time. As they dug down, they discovered pottery and artifacts which gave clues as to the timeframe of these layers. Just as changes in hair and clothing styles can date a picture, so can the changes in the type of pottery and artifacts date archaeological layers.
The dating of the layers went as follows:
🞕 Top (youngest) layer: Scattered walls dating from the Islamic Period (beginning in 638 AD).
🞕 Layer 2: A building constructed during the Byzantine Period (324-638 AD).
🞕 Layer 3: Massive walls constructed during the Roman Period; pottery discovered suggests these walls were constructed during the first century. The later building built during the Byzantine Period (layer 2) was built within these massive walls. Other evidence indicates that these walls were renovated during the Late Roman Period (2nd Century AD).
🞕 Layer 4: Two square stone structures built next to each other at the southwest corner of the site; these structures were built during the Iron Age (1000-586 BC).
🞕 Lowest (oldest) Layer: Pure bedrock; the only kind of building that remained was the corner of a stone structure located in the center of the site. This lowest layer was dated to the Bronze Age with the oldest pottery dating to 2000 BC. There were also holes in certain sections of the lowest layer of bedrock.
When we look at this evidence in the light of the Biblical account, a picture begins to form: We see that people were, in fact, living in this area at the time of Abraham (2,000 BC). The large holes in the bedrock are, in fact, the remnants of trees that had once grown there. The account in Genesis 18 has the LORD and His two angels visiting Abraham and resting under the shade of a tree in verse 4:
Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
A natural spring was found at the site, and it still exists today, which Mader named “Abraham’s spring.” This would have been an important water source for people and animals, as well as for trees, allowing them to grow to a large height and providing enough shade for Abraham and his three guests.
At the center of the site was the stone structure, built, according to pottery found at the site, during the time of Abraham. Although only a portion of this structure remained, the fact that it was built at the center of the site gives important clues as to its original purpose. Genesis 13:18:
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
Why is it important that this structure, built during Abraham’s time, was in the center of the site, and how can we deduce that it was Abraham’s altar? Everything that came after was built up around this structure, with this structure as it’s focal point. The stone structures built during the Iron Age—which is to say, at the time of the kings of the Bible—are the remnants of a gate that once existed there. The archaeologist Mader, who excavated the site, concluded that the gate was part of a larger structure that is no longer standing. This larger structure would have been an enclosure surrounding the site.
Above the Roman layer (layer 3), archaeologists found the foundations of a building constructed during the Byzantine Period. We do not need to speculate about the purpose of this building as we have direct historical records from Emperor Constantine himself. The following excerpts are from the book, Where God Came Down, by Joel Kramer:
In AD 324, Constantine defeated his pagan rival Licinius, to become the sole ruler over a united Roman Empire. Now, for the first time, Mamre was under the control of a Roman emperor who proclaimed Christian faith. Not long after he consolidated power, Constantine’s mother-in-law, Eutropia, visited Mamre on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. She wrote to her son-in-law about the pagan worship practices she observed there.
In response, Constantine wrote a letter to the regional leaders which was preserved through the writings of church historian Eusebius. In his letter, Constantine wrote:
She [Eutropia] assures me, then, that the place which gains its name from the oak of Mambre [Mamre], where we find that Abraham dwelt is defiled by certain of the slaves of superstition in every possible way. She declares that idols which should be utterly destroyed have been erected on the site of that tree; that an altar is near the spot; and that impure sacrifices are continually performed.
These impure sacrifices, observed and reported by Eutropia, demonstrate that at some point after Herod the Great enclosed the commemorative altar, pagans began sacrificing on it. Mader’s team found several pieces of broken idols and a stone carving of Hermes. In Greek mythology, Hermes was the messenger of the gods. That Hermes would have been worshipped at Mamre between the reigns of Herod and Constantine makes sense, because from the perspective of a pagan mind, the messenger who appeared to Abraham at Mamre would have been understood to be the Greek god Hermes.
Constantine issued orders to put an end to the pagan worship by burning the idols and to cleanse the site by building a church:
That every idol which shall be found in the place above-mentioned shall be immediately consigned to the flames; that the altar be utterly demolished … the place itself we have directed to be adorned with an unpolluted structure … a church; in order that it might become a fitting place of assembly for holy men. [End of quote]
This report was confirmed as Mader excavated broken idols and stone carvings of Hermes dating to that period. The remnants of the structure from the Byzantine Period that Mader had found were, in fact, the church Constantine had built within Herod’s walls and Abraham’s altar. Additionally, we see that during the time of Constantine, the altar was still fully intact, as he clearly identifies it and commands it to be destroyed due to having been defiled.
The topmost layer, the “youngest” layer, dates to the Islamic Period as they conquered the area in 638 AD. They built further walls around the area, preserving the site and making its location known. As Joel Kramer remarks in his book, Where God Came Down:
Their recognition of Mamre as a sacred site explains why the Palestinian city of Hebron grew and expanded around Mamre rather than over the top of it.
In response to these archaeological findings and using the analogy of the jigsaw puzzle mentioned early, Kramer explains:
Imagine someone looking at the box cover of a puzzle and then declaring that, while the picture is nice, there never was an actual puzzle in the box. If, however, five puzzle pieces are dug up that match the picture on the box cover, it is no longer possible to say that the puzzle itself never existed. While artifacts alone can’t be properly understood without the context of an ancient text, they do fully establish the actual physical existence of what the text describes, demonstrating the text to be an accurate, historical record of real places, events, and people. [End of quote]
We see, then, that Abraham was not some fictitious character created long after he was said to have lived, but rather the events surrounding his life have been pinpointed to an exact place, and have been recognized and honored as such since ancient times. In other words, exactly what we would expect to find if the Biblical story was true. Where the evidence still stands, it corroborates the Biblical story in every detail.
A final few paragraphs from Where God Came Down:
So, from the top layer down to bedrock, the archaeology Mader unearthed couldn’t reveal answers to critical questions: What is this site? Why, in this particular place, is there one thing built on top of another over such a long period of time? What is the link from four thousand years ago that carries through to today? Historical context—details about this place from the distant past—was deeded for accurate understanding. What could provide those details? An ancient text. If an archaeologist doesn’t have an ancient source to use in identifying and understanding a site, his findings are speculation, with no solid verification.
Fortunately, Mader did have an ancient text to aid his understanding and interpretation—the Bible. As we will see in the following section, using the Bible, and particularly the book of Genesis, Mader was able to clearly identify the site he was excavating as Mamre, the ancient campsite of Abraham.
According to Justin and Eusebius, the preincarnate Jesus had appeared to Abraham and Sarah at Mamre. Jesus came to them, promising that in the future He would, through their offspring, bless all the nations of earth. Jesus gave the promise. Jesus was the promise.
The evidence that He fulfilled His promise is seen in Mamre’s archaeological record. Abraham built an altar (bottom layer) and worshipped the LORD for His promise of a son. The promised son was born and did indeed grow to be a people, eventually becoming the nation and Kingdom of Israel (layer 4). From the line of those kings, a child was born in the time of Herod the Great (layer 3). Herod tried to kill this child, while at the same time, he was unknowingly building walls around the very place where this child had been promised. This child—Jesus—did come as promised. He lived, died, and then rose again to rescue mankind from sin, establishing a new covenant between God and man.
Mamre has been, and still is, a place to remember and worship the One promising and the One promised—Jesus, son of Abraham, Son of God, blessing to all the world. [End of quotes]
Genesis, God’s first book of the Bible, and one God-inspired truth after another. God’s Word is true and righteous altogether, a place to build a life that will last forever. Be of good cheer, child of God! Your childlike faith will not be disappointed.
GOD SAID, Genesis 13:18:
Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.
GOD SAID, Genesis 18:1-16:
1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:
5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.
6 And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.
7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.
8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?
14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
15 Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.
16 And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.
GOD SAID, Galatians 3:13-16:
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man''s covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Now you have THE RECORD.
References:
Authorized King James Version
Blumner, R., Free Inquiry
Finklestein, I., and Silberman, N.A., The Bible Unearthed
Kramer, J., Where God Came Down, Expedition Bible, 2020
Mader, E., Mamre: Die Ergebnisse Der Ausgrabungen Im Heiligen Bezrik Ramet El-Halil In SudPalastina 1926-1928
The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine
