God's Word Protected

An American made the discovery of a lifetime while digging through documents at London’s National Archives.

The antiquarian book seller stumbled across an original, poster-sized copy of the Declaration of Independence, while doing unrelated research. The document valued at over $8 million had been sitting on the shelves undetected for years. It had been hidden within a pile of 18th century documents written by American colonists.

"It is likely that only around 200 of these were ever printed,"

said a colonial expert "So uncovering a new one

nearly 250 years later is extremely rare, especially one in such good condition."

The copies printed by john Dunlap 233 years ago were distributed

throughout the American colonies to be read aloud to the public. Today, only 26 copies remain, including this latest discovery.

While it’s not clear exactly how the British got their hands on America’s birth certificate, experts say it may have been captured by the Royal Navy during the Revolutionary War.

The Princess Cruise Line has one of these copis and is letting it’s passegers to view it in Juneau Alaska for 2 hours.

- We treat these copies as very precious

-How do we treat and reveler the Word of God?

2 Kings 22:8 - Josiah given word on the finding of the word

- Hilkiah the High Priest had discovered the Word

- Shaphan the scribe read it to the King

- Josiah broken by the words

- Judgment spared because of repentance

- Codex Sinaiticus found in the Monastery of St. Catherine in the Sinai, discovered in 1844

- Oldest Christian Bible 1600 yr.

- Goes back to the 4th centurey

- Codex, “book” formed of bound leaves of parchment,”

- A codex is easier to handle than a scroll

- You can write on both sides of a parchment

- But on only one side of a papyrus scroll

- Parchment first began in Pergamos on animal skins

Codex Sinaiticus

- 800 pages and fragments

- A hand written copy of the Greek Bible

- Each line has 12-14 letters

- Arranged in 4 columns

- Written in the middle of the fourth century

- NT written from 60-95ca

- Codex Sinaiticus copy written around the time of Constantine the Great, who made Christianity the state religion (313ca) rather than cause for persecution.

- It was he who organized the Council of Nicaea

- Contains the earliest complete copy of the New Testament.

- Old Testament in the version, known as the Septuagint, that was adopted by early Greek-speaking Christians.

- The Codex contains many corrections that show the evolution of the modern Bible’s text

The books rest in a bulletproof glass case in the library’s dimly lit Treasures Gallery, in their own air conditioning and humidity-controlled environment.

- Mar 2005 British Library started making high-resolution images

- Digitized version has now been made available on Monday July 6/09 giving opportunity for anyone to study this early text from anywhere in the world

- The website allows visitors to view the manuscript under intense magnification, with different types of light that show its textures and in various translations from the original Greek.

- You can see digitized graphic under any magnification

- Compare the transcription with the digital graphic

- Then read the translation

John 1:1

1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him might not perish, but have life eternal

Eph 2:8-9

For by grace are you saved through faith; and this not of you, the gift of God;

9 not of works, lest any one should boast;

- Job the earliest of writings

- Job’s cry for a written word

- An indictment of himself

Job 19:23-25KJV

23 Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! 24 That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

Jer. 25

- Jehoiakim - King - Son of Josiah

- Warning given in 4th yr.

- Nebuchadnezzar has just come on the scene

Jer. 36

- Jeremiah receives a message from the Lord

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- Jehoiakim’s response to the Word

Baruch - Jeremiah’s servant

Jehudi - Jehiakim’s servant

v. 24

Elnathan - Military Commander

Delaiah - Court official

Gemariah - Nobleman Son of a scribe

The differences between Josiah & Jehoiakim was what they choose to do with the Word of God

Joshua 24:15KJV

15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

- I MUST exercise MY will.