Mystery of the Mummies

Mark Finley: God today is revealing through science what the Bible teaches that human beings are an integrated package including mind, body, and soul. Whatever affects one of these affects all three. Obedience to the laws of health will help us on our quest to holiness.
Guest (Male): This is Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message, Mysteries of the Mummies. Enjoy. And remember, you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with Hope Lives 365 and Pastor Mark by going to hopelives365.com and stay with us for a free Bible study offer later in this program. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.
Mark Finley: People have always been fascinated by mummies. Somehow they seem to connect us to the past in a way that nothing else can. When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt, he brought with him a team of scholars, artisans, and scientists. Almost accidentally in 1799, a French soldier discovered a black basalt slab with ancient writing near the town of Rosetta, not far from Alexandria. The stone was written in three languages, Egyptian hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek. The scholars could read the Greek and discovered that the find contained the same text in three different languages. The text was inscribed by Egyptian priests honoring the king of Egypt, Ptolemy the Fifth in the second century BC. This amazing discovery led the archaeologists, linguists, and scholars to unlock the mystery of the hieroglyphics, which was dead. It was really a dead language, hieroglyphics, for 2,000 years. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone along with the discovery of multiple burial sites, ancient cities, artifacts, and mummies have made the ancient Egyptian culture come to life. Speaking specifically of mummies, science is rapidly advancing in areas such as DNA mapping and axial computed tomography, studies that have opened new frontiers and added layers of complexity to the subject. Dr. Rosalie David of Manchester University, England, has done autopsies on hundreds of mummies, and curators at the British Museum consulted with scientists and medical experts in a research project that used ultra modern CT scans to determine the health and disease of the ancient Egyptians. Some of their surprising finds included very serious dental decay and the evidence of cardiovascular disease. These two indicators were likely due to a diet high in sugar and fatty cholesterol, especially among the Egyptian elite. Unexpectedly, these investigations have served to advance and clarify the truth of God's word. Three examples of their findings show us how this is true. Ramses the Second was one of the most powerful kings of Egypt. After examining his mummy, the researchers have concluded that he died of a massive heart attack. In a remarkable CT image, the medical researchers examined the actual veins and arteries, the blood vessels of the king's heart. Any cardiologist today will tell you these findings are familiar, familiar and deadly. His arteries and veins were choked with plaque, leaving hardly any space for the blood to flow through. Another interesting mummy is that of Hatshepsut. The queen, many believe, may have been the Egyptian stepmother of Moses. Examination of her mummy has revealed that Hatshepsut was seriously overweight, suffering from diabetes and bone cancer when she died in her 50s. A third mummy is that of a young man who was neither rich or famous, but is interesting because he died with an advanced case of trichinosis. Trichina are parasites that burrow into the muscles and they are the result of eating pork that's not thoroughly cooked. And in fact, the Bible says to us not to eat of anything that does not chew the cud and split the hoof. And then we'll study that a little later, but pork is certainly in that category. As these examples illustrate, the Egyptians suffered from many of the same diseases that are common today. Many of them were obese. They suffered from high blood pressure, heart disease, and recently evidence of some cancer has been discovered. They were afflicted with arthritis and parasites, and no wonder. It's not hard to find an explanation when you look at the Egyptian lifestyle. Historical records confirm that the Egyptians, especially in the later dynasties, had a diet that was high in fat and cholesterol, consisting largely of mutton and pork. They consumed large quantities of sugar and also alcohol. Egyptian feasts often started at 4:00 in the afternoon and lasted for days. When God took his people out of Egypt, it was his intention to separate them from the Egyptian lifestyle. To that end, he made them a promise. If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what's right in his sight, give ear to his commandments, keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I've put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you. Exodus 15 verse 26. If you follow my laws, he's saying, the laws that are written in every nerve and tissue of your body, including my health laws, you'll not get the diseases of the Egyptians. At first, when God rescued his people from slavery, they were thrilled. Generations had lived and died in slavery, but now, as the song says, they were free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, free at last. Can you imagine the joy of their experience as they witnessed the outstretched arm and mighty acts of judgment when God saved them, set their feet on the path of freedom for a while. It seemed like nothing could ever be wrong again. But as often happens, it was not long before a reaction set in. They had grown accustomed to the Egyptian lifestyle. In the new conditions, living under God's plan in the desert sent them into something like a culture shock. The Lord was giving them angels food to eat, and they called it manna, which means what is it? Because they couldn't identify it with anything that they had ever seen before. They sorely missed the food they used in Egypt, and they were loud and vocal in their complaints. You can read about those complaints in Exodus chapter 16 verse 3 and Numbers chapter 11. You know God is good at irony. He had already done it to the Egyptians when he turned the Nile River into blood. It was not just blood, but the blood of a dead person. The whole land of Egypt smelled like a decomposing body. He did this because the Egyptians worshiped the river, praising it continually as a life giver. So God turned it into a symbol of death. He did something similar when his people complained about having not having meat. He sent them meat in abundance. They fell on it. They ate ravenously and soon became deadly sick. Psalm 106 verse 15. He gave them their request, but he sent leanness into their soul. Humbled and submissive, they returned to God's plan and eventually learned to love the food God had provided for them. You know God's ways, my friend, are always best. And the results were clear in the lives of the Israelites as the 40 years drew to a close. The Bible says after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, Psalm 105 verse 37, there was none feeble among his tribes. One example of it was Caleb, who was with Joshua in the early days of the Exodus. He testified in Joshua 14 verse 10 and 11. Now behold, I am this day 85 years old. I am still as strong today as when I was in the day that Moses sent me. My strength now is my strength was then for the war and for going and coming. At the end of Moses' lifetime of leadership, scripture records in Deuteronomy 34:8 that his eyes were not dim nor his natural figure diminished. The reward for following God's way of life is abundant health. God's health laws are still good for people today. At the very beginning, the creator laid out essential elements of lifestyle that could make it possible for them to enjoy a goodly life in abundant health. The plan included loving relationships. God said it was not good for man to be alone. Genesis 1 verse 18. And he created Eve as a companion and a partner to Adam. Two of the Ten Commandments were designed to protect family relationships. He added other rules to further explain and safeguard them. For example, the Sabbath was given as a gift of love by God in the Garden of Eden to ensure that each one of us pause from our ceaseless labor to enjoy our relationship with him each week. The Sabbath is a family day, a day of rest, relaxation, and worship. God also gave us exercise. He placed our first garden, parents, in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2 verse 15. This was useful labor that offered them an opportunity for physical exercise and helped them develop an appreciation for the beauties of nature all around them in Eden's garden. It was an activity that required creativity and brought a sense of satisfaction and peace of mind. God has created us to be active, basic laws of life, and one of the great health principles God has given us in his word. And there's fresh air. The abundant supply of oxygen brought clarity to the brain, vigor, and vitality to the whole system. Sunshine. You know there's a lot to be said today about vitamin D and how vitamin D produces strong bones and it builds our immune system. And then of course, there's rest after the dazzling and energizing sunlight of the day. God gave our first parents a time of calm. He illustrated by the peaceful serenity of the moonlight. The sun was to rule the day. The moon was to rule the night. According to Genesis 1, it was God's intention to establish a balance between work and rest. This balance is confirmed in the Fourth Commandment. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the what Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work. Exodus 20 verse 8 to 11. In addition to the daily rest our bodies need, the weekly rest and spiritual renewal of the Sabbath brings health to our bodies. And then, of course, in the Garden of Eden, it was green and lush and there was abundant supply of pure water by the gentle mist that watered it daily and the crystal clear rivers that flowed through its meadows and forests. God had provided that heavenly beverage of water. Water is an essential for a life. Pure water is also designed for cleansing the skin and personal hygiene. But then there is nutrition. God's original diet plan was was clear. This is Genesis 1 verse 29. See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth and every tree that yields seed, so it shall be to you for food. Meat was not part of God's original diet for human beings. He has promised. In fact, God has promised when Jesus comes back, he'll make all things new. He'll bring us back to the original conditions of Eden. There'll be no stockyards in heaven, no fattening pens with their horrifying stench, and certainly no slaughterhouses in that peaceable kingdom. No animal will have to suffer in order to satisfy the desire of human beings to eat its flesh. We are far from Eden today and what we eat and how we live, and God is saying, why wait? You can begin to enjoy the Eden lifestyle today. God's people will not experience culture shock when they get to heaven because he's teaching them to live the life of heaven here and now.
Guest (Male): We'll be right back with Pastor Mark Finley. We thank you for listening and hope you're enjoying today's message. Our mission is to attractively present the Christ-centered biblical truths of scripture in a practical, relevant way to people around the world so that they may experience the abundant life that Christ offers. If you want to learn more about the Bible, check out our free Bible series at globalbibleschool.org. That's globalbibleschool.org. Discover answers to your deepest questions straight from God's word. And now, back to Pastor Mark Finley.
Mark Finley: For a number of years, the United States government has studied the effects of a vegetarian diet by comparing the health and longevity of Seventh-day Adventist vegetarians with that of other people in the same area and population group. The study has proved that Adventists enjoy better health, have less cancer of all kinds, much less diabetes, much less heart failure and strokes. And they're living on an average 6 to 8 years and some even 10 to 12 years longer than the general population. But then you ask, when was meat added to our diet if God gave the original diet back to Adam and Eve as a vegetarian diet, plant-based diet in the garden, when was meat added? After the flood, nothing green was growing. Consequently, God gave people permission to eat meat. Even after the earth was again covered with green, he did not entirely forbid meat consumption, but he laid out rules so that they could avoid the most dangerous and harmful types. They were to eat only the flesh of animals that have a divided hoof and that chew the cud. All pork products including bacon, ham, and sausage were excluded. God's word is clear. He says in Leviticus 7 of Leviticus 11 verse 7 and 8, and the swine, that's the pig, though it divides the hoof having cloven hoofs, yet does not chew the cud is unclean to you. Their flesh you shall not eat and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you. Pork is one of the highest sources of fatty cholesterol, which of course contributes to the world's number one killer, coronary artery disease. Bacon is most often cured with nitrates, which have been demonstrated to have a cancer link. There is also the problem of trichinosis from uncooked or poorly cooked pork. God longs for us to be in health, so he instructs us that if we're going to eat meat, it must divide the hoof and have cloven split hoofs. Leviticus 11 verse 3. Now all of the animals that divide the hoof and have cloven split hoofs um and chew the cud, all of these are vegetarian animals. They include cattle, sheep, goats, deer, antelope, and elk. Carnivores and scavengers were excluded. Among the seafood, we were we were only to eat creatures that have fins and scales. Certain birds were prohibited when he named them specifically. God warned us against eating unclean foods, not because he wants to restrict us from eating that which was good, but because he loves us too much to see us unhealthy by our own poor choices. Did Jesus make all foods clean? Sometimes people say, but those instructions are from the Old Testament. When Jesus died on the cross, he made all foods clean. I say, look, Jesus died to cleanse sinners, not animals. The death of Jesus did not suddenly remove the fat and cholesterol from pork. It will still clog your arteries just as much as before Jesus died. The death of Jesus did not in some magical way make snakes and vultures and lizards and rats and pigs delicacies for us to indulge our appetites. These scavengers were unhealthy before the cross and they're still unhealthy after the cross. The Bible uses the word unclean in two ways. First, the word unclean can mean unhealthful. Secondly, unclean can have to do with a ceremonial uncleanness. The Jews believed that anytime they came in contact with something impure, they had to go through a special purification ceremony. Leviticus 5 verse 2 and 3. If they touched a Gentile, ate on a plate that a non-Jew may have touched or meat sold in the marketplace that may have been offered to an idol, they too would be considered unclean. Unclean meats are no longer unclean in the ceremonial sense. Mark 7 verse 19, but the cross did not remove the trichina or trichina or other parasites from pork. It did not take away the saturated fat and cholesterol and all other things that make it unhealthful for us. Somebody says, but wait a minute. Haven't you ever read about Peter's vision? Didn't God show Peter a lot of unclean animals and tell him arise and eat? That vision is recorded in Acts chapter 9. We need to ask if the vision was really about food or was it about something else? Peter himself explained it when he said, God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Acts 10 verse 28. Peter did not think the Lord was telling him to eat lizards and scorpions and things like that and snakes, rats, but that it was all right for him to go to the house of Cornelius the Centurion. The Jews classified anyone who was not a Jew as unclean. In the same way, a pig is unclean. They would never enter the house of a non-Jew, never eat with them at the same table, and much less believe that any of them could be baptized and join the church. This vision was not about food. It was to help Peter and other Jewish Christians overcome this terrible prejudice that would have blocked the spread of the gospel. You remember Peter's up on his roof praying, and as he's praying, God gives him this vision. And Peter is confused. He doesn't know what to do. He says, Lord, I've never eaten anything that is common or unclean. Right at that time, a knock comes on the door. Knock, knock, knock. And somebody comes from Cornelius's house. If Peter hadn't had this vision, he would have been prejudiced, but God gave him the vision and of that he was calling people, rats and snakes and pigs. In other words, he was treating them as if they were unclean. God revealed to him according to the book of Acts that we read chapter 10 verse 28 that he should not call any man common or unclean. So he goes to Cornelius's house, shares the gospel with him, and Cornelius converted. Throughout the scriptures, God gives us this principle. First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31. Therefore, whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Jesus' last day message for the entire world is a call to worship the creator and give God glory. Revelation 14 verse 6 and 7. One of the ways we worship the creator is by respecting the things that he made. We cannot worship the creator fully if we destroy our bodies by unhealthy habits. Of all things that God has made, the human body is the most intricate, the most marvelous. We honor him by working with him to build up our bodies, not by tearing them down. We give him glory through our lifestyle, practices, our habits, and the things we eat and drink, our exercise, and abstaining from those things which destroy these bodies of ours. The message to honor God in our bodies is one of heaven's last day appeals to his last day people. It's a call to refrain from all health destroying habits. One of those health destroying habits is tobacco. Tobacco use is the most widespread of the preventable diseases. One of the most widespread among the preventable causes of disease and death in the world. Every year 443,000 people in the United States and at least 5 million around the world die from smoking and countless millions live with crippling diseases. Smokeless tobacco has deadly consequences including cancer of the lungs, throat, esophagus, and mouth. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also a cause of heart disease and lung cancer in nonsmoking adults and sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and severe severe asthma attacks in children. Millions today would like to quit, but some feel it's not easy. It's true that there are a fortunate few who find it relatively easy to stop, but most people find it a great great battle. It stimulates tobacco stimulates pleasure centers in the brain and causes real changes in both the brain and body. But you know if you want to quit smoking, ask God for help, claim his promises. In Philippians 4 verse 19 it says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Jesus will enable you to quit smoking, drink plenty of water, avoid coffee and alcohol, get exercise, and list the support of friends. But pray and seek God and ask him for deliverance. When dealing with tobacco, quitters are always winners, and by the grace of God you can win. You know, we also some people have a battle a battle with the bottle. We are learning today from science that there is no safe level of alcohol. Alcohol affects the forebrain, conscience, reason, judgment, where God speaks to us through his Holy Spirit. If we are drinking alcohol, we are inhibiting our ability to think clearly. We are navigating twisted and narrow pathways of life in these last days of our history. Evil has never been more bold and more enticing. Can we afford to have our brains clouded by alcohol as we fight the battle for holy living? Day our homes are under siege and family values are corroding before our eyes. Do we really want to bring alcohol into the equation? What a challenge it is to raise God-fearing children today. Do we want them to see our example of alcohol consumption? The wise man warned long ago, who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes? This what says in Proverbs, those who linger over the wine, who go to sample bowls of mixed wine. I don't want sorrow, woe, strife, complaints, and needless bruises. I don't need bloodshot eyes. It says, don't gaze at the wine when it's red, says Solomon. When it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. In the end, listen, it bites like a snake, poisons like a viper. Proverb like a viper. Proverbs 23 verse 29 to 30. I may not be as wise as Solomon, but I want to accept this inspired wisdom and avoid the dangers of alcohol by abstaining altogether. You may know someone whose life is being torn apart by alcohol. We need to pray fervently for these people, but at the same time, it's not a lack of fake faith to look for help. Family intervention may be useful in getting some to accept their responsibility to do something about their problem. Look, millions of people around the world are finding deliverance in Jesus Christ our Lord. God today is revealing through science what the Bible teaches that human beings are an integrated package including mind, body, and soul. Whatever affects one of these affects all three. Obedience to the laws of health will help us on our quest to holiness. And obedience to the laws of spirituality can help us to have better health. As we in our personal lives and health practices demonstrate God's way of life to the world, we will reveal the joy of God's way of life. There is more interest in health today than in any time in history. Organic and natural foods are widely available. Gyms and fitness centers abound and people are buying exercise equipment to the tune of billions of dollars every year. It would be hard to fault this trend. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be healthy, to look and feel better and to live longer, but a lot of people apparently haven't noticed the intimate connection between health and spirituality. Jesus is inviting us to recognize that we were bought with a price as the Apostle Paul reminds us. God gave the most precious thing in the universe for our salvation. Therefore, he continues First Corinthians 6 verse 20, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Here's how the same verse is paraphrased in the message version of the Bible. Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works, so let people see God in and through your body.
Guest (Male): You've been listening to Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you enjoyed today 's message and that it increased your faith in God and his word. If you'd like to learn more, Pastor Mark invites you to visit globalbibleschool.org for an inspiring interactive Bible study experience. That's globalbibleschool.org. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.
Mark Finley: I pray, my friend, that God's way of life will be manifesting in your life. God is calling you to give your whole life to him. Will you today say, Lord, I'm presenting my body to you. You redeemed me on the cross of Calvary. So right now, I surrender every habit to you and I only want to eat and drink and live to the glory of God. Will you do that right now, my friend?