Worthy Brief - 9/3/2024
Friend, share in boldness with confidence!
Isaiah 55:11-12 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
As we continue into the historical and prophetic significance of the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls, I take you back to 1948. Professor Eleazar Sukenik discovered that Mar Athanasius Yeshue Samuel, the Syrian Orthodox Archbishop of Jerusalem purchased several of the Dead Sea scrolls. So Professor Sukenik visited the archbishop and took several photos of the scrolls which were then sent to William Albright, a Biblical archaeologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
Albright’s reply arrived on May 15, 1948: “My heartiest congratulations on the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times! There is no doubt in my mind that the script is more archaic than that of the Nash papyrus…I should prefer a date around 100 B.C.!...What an absolutely incredible find!...”
Notice the date of Albright’s reply! On May 14, 1948, the British mandate ended at midnight. Earlier that day, David Ben-Gurion who would later become Israel’s first prime minister, announced Israel’s Declaration of Independence.
Professor Sukenik failed to purchase the scrolls from the archbishop at the time, as the cleric believed he would get a better price. Later, we discover that Sukenik wrote in his journal, “Thus the Jewish people have lost a precious heritage.” Sukenik passed away in 1953.
Later in 1949, archbishop Samuel traveled to the United States with the scrolls to find a buyer. They went on display at the Library of Congress, and then at other museums and art galleries in the West. However, interest in the scrolls waned and there were no interested buyers for the ancient documents.
Years passed until an ad was placed in the Wall Street Journal in 1954.
“The Four Dead Sea Scrolls, Biblical manuscripts dating back to at least 200 BCE are for sale. This would be an ideal gift to an educational or religious institution by an individual or group. Box F 206, The Wall Street Journal.” Eleazar Sukenik had already passed away, but his son, Yigael Yadin just happened to be in the United States on a lecture tour at the time. Through a series of events, Yadin was able to purchase the scrolls his father failed to obtain.
In an ironic twist, archbishop Samuel was selling the scrolls to raise money for his church. Because of the wording of the sale, the IRS taxed Samuel for the proceeds from the Dead Sea Scrolls … so, even the IRS received a substantial sum of money from the Dead Sea Scrolls!
The purchase included the entire book of Isaiah known as the Isaiah scroll. Until this time the oldest extant Isaiah text was the Aleppo Codex, one of the Masoretic texts, which was written in the 10th century A.D. The Qumran Isaiah scroll was 1000 years OLDER than the Aleppo Codex. The book of Isaiah was written in 700 B.C. and very well may have been used for 500 years, meaning that this copy from the Dead Sea may have been made directly from the original!
The discovery of the Isaiah scroll proved the authenticity of the present Biblical text, as it had remained nearly identical for a thousand years.
Friend, the veracity of the Word of God is primarily demonstrated by its authority, revelation, and power to change lives; yet God has also providentially reaffirmed its textual accuracy through these remarkable recent discoveries. Isaiah himself declares by the Holy Spirit: “My Word shall not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” This has proven true in our own lives. Read the beautiful and powerful prophecy of Isaiah. You will be blessed, changed, and equipped to communicate the Lord's truth with His confidence. And thank Him for His faithful and detailed preservation of the texts themselves.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George, Baht Rivka, Obadiah and Elianna (Missouri)
(Baltimore, MD)
Editor's Note: Feel free to share any of our content from Worthy, including Devotions, News articles, and more, on your social platforms. You have full permission to copy and repost anything we produce.
Editor's Note: During this war, we have been live blogging throughout the day -- sometimes minute by minute on our Telegram channel. Be sure to check it out!
Editor's Note: Dear friends — we are now booking in the following states. Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, West Virginia, Tennessee! If you know Rabbis, Pastors or Leaders who might be interested in powerful Israeli style Hebrew/English worship and a refreshing word from Worthy News about what’s going on in the land, please let us know how to connect with them and we will do our best to get you on our schedule! You can send an email to george [ @ ] worthyministries.com for more information.
Iraq: US and Iraqi Forces Kill 15 Islamic State Operatives, “ISIS Remains a Threat”
US forces and Iraqi security forces last week killed 15 Islamic State terrorists during an operation in western Iraq that also left seven US military personnel injured, Algemeiner reports.
126 Nations to Attend BRICS Summit to Discuss Leaving US Dollar
The annual BRICS Municipal Conference in Russia this October is expected to draw representatives from 126 nations with a view to possibly joining the bloc and leaving the US dollar for a new BRICS common currency.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
Netanyahu Calls for International Pressure on Hamas, Not Israel; Makes Rare Apology
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a rare apology to the families of six Israeli hostages recently executed by Hamas in a press conference on Monday. He stressed the necessity of international pressure on Hamas and emphasized that Israel would retain its military presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a critical buffer zone along the Gaza-Egypt border, underscoring the strategic importance of the area.
Hamas Admits Killing Hostages, Releases Video
Hamas has admitted to killing hostages it abducted in Israel on October 7.
Gaza: Pauses in Fighting for 640,000 Palestinian Children to Receive Polio Vaccine
Amid limited pauses in the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas, the United Nations and World Health Organization have launched a three-day campaign to inoculate 640,000 Palestinian children under the age of 10 in Gaza against polio, the Associated Press reports.
Inside the United States
Federal Appeals Court Rules that Illegal Immigrants Do Not Have the Right To Bear Arms
A federal appeals court in New Orleans has determined that illegal immigrants are not entitled to Second Amendment rights to bear arms. This ruling came after a Mexican man, convicted of illegally possessing a handgun, challenged the constitutionality of the ban.
26 States Have Blocked Title IX, Nearly 700 Schools Won’t Comply
In addition to the 26 states protecting blocking the Title IX revisions put in place under the Biden-Harris administration, hundreds of colleges across 48 states will do the same.
Christian News
Burkina Faso: Octogenarian Missionary Held Captive for 7 years by Al-Qaeda Terrorists Says God helped him
An elderly Christian missionary doctor who was abducted and held captive by Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists in Burkina Faso for seven years has said God alone helped him to survive the ordeal, Christian Today reports. An Australian national, 88-year-old Dr. Ken Elliott was abducted in 2016 and finally released last year.
China Denies Released Pastor Passport To Travel To Wife In US
Nearly half a year after his release from prison, Chinese Pastor John Cao has still not received identity documents and a passport that would enable him to live normally in China or visit his wife in the United States, Worthy News learned Monday.
Report: ‘16,000 Christians Killed In Nigeria’ In Four Years
Over 16,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in the last four years, more than any other religious group, according to new data obtained by Worthy News.