Apologetics Blueprint: Session Four – Fine Tuning Evidence for God’s Existence; and 1 Samuel chapter 9-12

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This week’s apologetic topic will focus on the fine tuning of the Universe, which is one of the most impressive pieces of evidence among many, in the argument for God’s creation versus the atheistic view of random evolutionary chance over time for what exists in and around us today. We will also continue our Bible study with the book of 1 Samuel, chapters 9-12. Defending our faith and developing a Biblical worldview based on our understanding of God’s Word takes time and practice, and must be part of a lifetime commitment we make to the LORD. It should form our purpose and identity in everyday life as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, modeling Him to our family, friends and neighbors.

As Christians, it is more important than ever to know what we believe, and why we believe it, and then apply that to who we are on a consistent basis, and this can only be done if we know Jesus and what His Word teaches.

All class sessions include a time for prayer and reflection, a presentation, and a Bible study section. You will find the presentation overview and Bible study questions below. Basic answers to the Bible study will be also be posted below for your review and, or as a leader’s guide.

Watch the class presentation on these topics:


Watch this short presentation of the Fine Tuning Argument for God’s Creation:

Presentation (Additional notes to go with video)

APOLOGETICS BLUEPRINT

Session Four – The Fine Tuning of the Universe, and 1 Samuel Chapters 9-12

REVIEW AND DISCUSS

At your table groups, do the following:

Prayer cards: Take a minute and write your name on the index card and add any special prayer request you might have. Exchange cards at the end of the class this evening.

Discuss:

  1. What are some important take-aways from last week’s presentation on Cultural Christianity?
  2. Recite the memory verse from Genesis 3:15. Why it is an important foundational verse?

Genesis 3:15 Promise
(begins the Scarlet Thread)

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”  Genesis 3:15 (NIV)

From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible is all about Jesus!

FINE TUNING OF THE UNIVERSE

A quote from the University of Oregon

“Anthropic Principle: The success of science in understanding the macroscopic, microscopic and cosmological worlds has led to the strong belief that it is possible to form a fully scientific explanation of any feature of the Universe. However, in the past 20 years our understanding of physics and biology has noted a peculiar specialness to our Universe, a specialness with regard to the existence of intelligent life.”

“Anthropic means relating to human being or their existence.” Principle means “law.” The Anthropic Principle is the Law of Human Existence. It is well known that our existence in this universe depends on numerous cosmological constants and parameters whose numerical values must fall within a very narrow range of values. If even a single variable were off, even slightly, we would not exist. The extreme improbability that so many variables would align so auspiciously in our favor merely by chance has led some scientists and philosophers to propose instead that it was God who providentially engineered the universe to suit our specific needs. This is the Anthropic Principle: that the universe appears to have been fine-tuned for our existence.”

The Anthropic Principal – The Fine Tuning of the Universe

  • All the seemingly arbitrary and unrelated constants in physics have one strange thing in common – these are precisely the values you need if you want a universe capable of producing life.
  • There are over 100 constants that we find in nature. If any one of these constants was off by a percent of a billionth there could be no biologically based life on earth or anywhere in the universe.
  • These constants must be maintained on a balance thinner than a razor’s edge:

Examples of Anthropic Constants

  1. Oxygen level:

21% of the atmosphere is oxygen, if it was at 25% – fires would erupt spontaneously, if it was at 15% – human beings would suffocate.

  1. Moon-Earth gravitational interaction:

If the gravitational pull were a few degrees greater then tidal effect on the oceans would be too severe, if less, orbital changes would cause climatic instabilities, in either event life would be impossible.

  1. Carbon dioxide level:

If sustained at a higher level a runaway greenhouse effect would develop and we would all burn up, if lower, plants would not be able to maintain efficient photosynthesis and we would all suffocate.

  1. Strong and weak nuclear force:

If at a greater or weaker force then elements could never form and the atom could not hold together.

  1. Gravitational force:

If altered by 0.37 of 1 percent our sun would not exist and neither would we.

  1. Centrifugal force:

If the force of planetary movements did not precisely balance the gravitational forces, nothing could be held in orbit around the sun.

  1. Expansion rate of the universe:

If at a rate one-millionth slower expansion would have stopped and the universe would have collapsed on itself before any stars had formed, if faster then no galaxies would have ever formed.

  1. Atmospheric water vapor levels:

If greater a runaway greenhouse effect would cause temperatures to rise too high for human life, if less an insufficient greenhouse effect would make the earth too cold to support human life.

  1. Jupiter’s orbit related to its protection for Earth:

If Jupiter were not in its current orbit the Earth would be bombarded with space material—Jupiter’s gravitational field acts as a cosmic vacuum cleaner, attracting asteroids and comets that might otherwise strike the Earth.

  1. The thickness of the Earth’s crust:

If thicker too much oxygen would be transferred to the crust therefore not enough left to support life, if thinner volcanic and tectonic activity would make life impossible.

  1. Earth’s rotational speed:

If the rotation of the Earth took longer than 24 hours temperature differences would be too great between night and day, if shorter than 24 hours atmospheric wind velocities would be too great to sustain life.

  1. Earth’s axial tilt:

The 23-degree tilt is just right, if altered slightly the surface temperatures would become too extreme to support life.

“If we nudge one of these constants just a few percent in one direction, stars burn out within a million years of their formation. If we nudge it a few percent in the other direction, then no elements heavier than helium form. No carbon, no life. Not even any chemistry. No complexity at all.”

Dr. David D. Deutsch,

Institute of Mathematics at Oxford University

“The unexpected, counterintuitive, and stunningly precise setting of the cosmological constant is widely regarded as the single greatest problem facing physics and cosmology today. There is no way we can really comprehend it. This fine-tuning has conservatively been estimated to be at least one part in a hundred million billion, billion, billion, billion, billion—that would be a ten followed by 53 zeroes. That’s inconceivable precise.”

Dr. Robin Collins, Mathematics,

Philosophy and Physics professor

Collins put it in another way to illustrate this extreme mathematical improbability:

“It would be like successfully hitting a bull’s eye that’s one trillionth of a trillionth of an inch in diameter. That’s less than the size of one solitary atom.” 

Bible Study

Each week, we are encouraging you to take some dedicated time and spend it in God’s Word. Always remember to pray before you study and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and lead you into the truth found in God’s Word – pray for protection from the evil one who will try to discourage, distract and deceive us when we commit to growing closer to the LORD.

REFLECT AND PRACTICE

1.  Review and discuss this evening’s presentation. Do you have any questions or comments?

Bible Study Practice:

2.  Read and discuss chapters 9-12 in the book of 1 Samuel.

Going Deeper Questions

CONTEXT: What does it say?

Chapter 9:

  1. Who was Saul, where was he from, and what tribe did he belong to?
  2. What happened that caused Saul to meet up with Samuel; how did Samuel treat Saul; and how do we see God’s sovereignty in this narrative?
  3. Going deeper: Why would Saul say he was from the least of the tribes of Israel? (Clue: What happened in Judges chapters 19-21?) What tribe should God’s “King” come from, and why?

Chapter 10:

  1. At the end of chapter 9 Samuel pulls Saul aside to talk to him privately. In this chapter, what does Samuel do to Saul and why?
  2. Samuel gives Saul some specific directions to follow. What does he have Saul do, and why?
  3. How do we see the Holy Spirit working at this time, and why?
  4. When and how is Saul proclaimed King? What are some things we observe in Saul’s character that indicate he was destined for trouble?

Chapter 11:

  1. Review: Research – Who were the Ammonites (what is their history, who did they come from)?
  2. What happened to the people of Jabesh-gilead; how did the Holy Spirit work through Saul to help them (and what military tactic did Saul use)?
  3. How and why was Saul officially confirmed as King, and what happened to the men who did not want Saul to be King?

Chapter 12:

  1. Samuel’s farewell address is reminiscent of both Moses and Joshua. What are some things that he said to the people about himself; their history; their obligation to the LORD; and their future?

Note: Some of this comes from the conditional part of God’s Covenant in the Mosaic Law: Obedience = protection; disobedience = loss of that protection.

INTERPRETATION: What does it mean? (Chapters 9-12)

  1. What is God showing the reader about who He is (His character)?
  2. What is God trying to teach the audience from this narrative?
  3. Do we see anything in this narrative that points towards Jesus (a picture, foreshadow, model, prophecy etc.).

APPLICATION: How can we use what we learned?

  1. Are there things we can apply to our lives that we learn from people in this narrative (good or bad)?

Discuss any “shelf” questions you might have about chapters 9-12.

BASIC ANSWERS FOR REVIEW AND LEADER’S GUIDE FOR 1 SAMUEL CHAPTERS 9-12

1 Samuel Chapters 9-12

Context: What does it say?

Chapter 9:

Saul Chosen to be King

In this chapter we begin to read about Saul’s life. He was the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin, and lived in Gibeah; and it says that he was very tall and handsome among the people. Saul and his servant went out to search for his family’s lost donkeys, but when they could not find them, the servant told him to inquire of the man of God (Samuel), a prophet or seer. The LORD had revealed to Samuel that Saul would be coming and that he was to anoint him King. Samuel had Saul stay and eat with him and honored him, which Saul did not understand at the time.

  1. Who was Saul, where was he from, and what tribe did he belong to?

See summary notes above…

  1. What happened that caused Saul to meet up with Samuel; how did Samuel treat Saul; and how do we see God’s sovereignty in this narrative?

See summary notes above. In addition, we see God’s sovereignty in the story starting with the lost donkeys that took Saul and his servant out first to look for the donkeys, then to look for the seer/prophet that could help find them, and ultimately meeting Samuel. On Samuel’s end, God foretells Samuel that Saul would be coming (a man from Benjamin) and that he would be the one to anoint King of Israel.

  1. Going deeper: Why would Saul say he was from the least of the tribes of Israel? (Clue: What happened in Judges chapters 19-21?) What tribe should God’s “King” come from, and why?

There are a few tells in this description: 1) In Judges we read about the fall of the tribe of Benjamin due to the wickedness and horrific murder of the Levi’s concubine, and subsequent lack of repentance and willingness to judge the perpetrators by Benjamin, thus there were very few left in this tribe after that event; 2) God’s promise is to Judah’s line for the Kingship (see Genesis chapter 49:8-12), and we will see God continue that promise later on in a covenant with David who is from the tribe of Judah. Saul will be the people’s choice; David will be God’s choice.

From gotquestions.org

The most prominent Gibeah was a central city in the territory assigned to the tribe of Benjamin (Joshua 18:28) located about five miles north of Jerusalem. Gibeah of Benjamin was the hometown of Saul (1 Samuel 10:26) and sometimes referred to in the Bible as “Gibeah of Saul” (1 Samuel 11:4; 15:34; Isaiah 10:29). Its inhabitants were called the Gibeathites (1 Chronicles 12:3). After Saul was anointed king over Israel, he returned to live in Gibeah and made it the royal capital during his reign (1 Samuel 10:26; 22:6; 23:19).

In the book of Judges, chapters 19—21, Gibeah of Saul was the scene of a horrific rape and murder that resulted in an intertribal war against the tribe of Benjamin. A Levite and his concubine were traveling from Bethlehem to Ephraim and stopped for lodging in Gibeah. Since Israelites lived in Gibeah, they expected to be warmly received. But no one offered them hospitality except an old man originally from Ephraim.

Chapter 10:

Saul Anointed King

We now read about Samuel’s conversation with Saul after he pulled him aside at the end of chapter 9. Samuel took a flask of oil and anointed Saul to reign over Israel. Samuel told Saul he would get validation that day by two men he would meet on his way who would tell him the donkeys were found, and then three men later who give him three loaves of bread and wine, and then he would meet a group of prophets and that the Spirit of the LORD would come upon him, and it did, changing Saul at that point, and he prophesied as well. But, Saul did not tell his family (uncle who is probably Abner whom we read about later as a leader in his army) what he had been told.

Saul Proclaimed King

In the second part of the chapter, we read about Samuel setting up a public proclamation of the anointing of Saul as King in Mizpah. He first told the people, speaking for God, that they had now rejected God over them, even after all that God had saved them from (Samuel recounts some of their history here). Lots were then taken and the tribe of Benjamin was selected and narrowed down until it came to Saul, but he was hiding when it was announced, and they had to go and find him and bring him in front of the people where he stood taller than anyone. Samuel finished by reading all the rights and duties of the kingship.

  1. At the end of chapter 9 Samuel pulls Saul aside to talk to him privately. In this chapter, what does Samuel do to Saul and why?

See summary notes above…

  1. Samuel gives Saul some specific directions to follow. What does he have Saul do, and why?

See summary notes above…

Note: Samuel most likely wanted Saul to understand that the anointing came directly from God, and to have Saul do all these things would confirm that to him.

6.  How do we see the Holy Spirit working at this time, and why?

In the Old Testament, there are times that the Holy Spirit comes upon an individual for a period of time (for example: In Judges 14-15 with Sampson) and for a specific reason. In Saul’s case there are time now and later that the Holy Spirit will work in Saul for God’s sovereign purposes.

  1. When and how is Saul proclaimed King? What are some things we observe in Saul’s character that indicate he was destined for trouble?
  • Samuel makes a public declaration of Saul’s anointing at Mizpah (the central place of meeting) and he gives specific Words from God, and rules and guidelines for the kingship.
  • In the meantime, Saul is hiding. Saul, even though tall of stature and great appearance, he is physically impressive, but seems emotionally and spiritually weak in character as will play out later in his life and kingship.

Chapter 11:

Saul Defeats the Ammonites

In the first part of this chapter the Ammonites, led by Nahash, went up and besieged Jabesh-gilead, and the people asked for 7 days before surrendering to them. But when Saul heard about what happened the Spirit of the LORD came upon him (reminiscent of Sampson), and he was strengthened to do battle with the Ammonites. He was mentally strengthened as well because he designed a strategy and split the Israelite army into three groups and was able to strike down and defeat the Ammonites in one day’s battle.

The Kingdom is Renewed

In the second part of the chapter, we read about the people now supporting Saul completely (as some had earlier opposed him), because of this victory, and Samuel took him and the people to Gilgal and renewed the kingdom, now to be completely under Saul. Note: Saul at this time would not let the people kill those who had opposed his Kingship.

  1. Review: Research – Who were the Ammonites (what is their history, who did they come from)?

From gotquestions.org

The Ammonites were a Semitic people, closely related to the Israelites. Despite that relationship, they were more often counted enemies than friends. Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was the progenitor of the Ammonites. After Abraham and Lot separated (Genesis 13), Lot settled in the city of Sodom. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness, Lot and his daughters fled to the hill country on the southern end of the Dead Sea. Probably thinking they were the only people left on the earth, Lot’s daughters got him drunk and had incestuous relations with him to produce children (Genesis 19:37-38). The older daughter had a son named Moab (“from father”), and the younger gave birth to Ben-Ammi (“son of my people”). The Ammonites, descendants of Ben-Ammi, were a nomadic people who lived in the territory of modern-day Jordan, and the name of the capital city, Amman, reflects the name of those ancient inhabitants.
In the time of Moses, the fertile plains of the Jordan River valley were occupied by the Amorites, Ammonites and Moabites. When Israel left Egypt, the Ammonites refused to assist them in any way, and God punished them for their lack of support (Deuteronomy 23:3-4). Later, however, as the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God instructed them, “When you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them, for I will not give you any of the land of the people of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot for a possession” (Deuteronomy 2:19). The Israelite tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh claimed the Amorite territory bordering that of the Ammonites.
The Ammonites were a pagan people who worshiped the gods Milcom and Molech. God commanded the Israelites not to marry these pagans, because intermarriage would lead the Israelites to worship false gods. Solomon disobeyed and married Naamah the Ammonite (1 Kings 14:21), and, as God had warned, he was drawn into idolatry (1 Kings 11:1-8). Molech was a fire-god with the face of a calf; his images had arms outstretched to receive the babies who were sacrificed to him. Like their god, the Ammonites were cruel. When Nahash the Ammonite was asked for terms of a treaty (1 Samuel 11:2), he proposed gouging out the right eye of each Israelite man. Amos 1:13 says that the Ammonites would rip open pregnant women in the territories they conquered.
Under King Saul’s leadership, Israel defeated the Ammonites and made them vassals. David continued that sovereignty over Ammon and later besieged the capital city to solidify his control. After the split of Israel and Judah, the Ammonites began to ally themselves with the enemies of Israel. Ammon regained some sovereignty in the seventh century B.C., until Nebuchadnezzar conquered them about a hundred years later. Tobiah the Ammonite (Nehemiah 2:19) was possibly a governor of the region under Persian rule, but the inhabitants were a mix of Ammonites, Arabs, and others. By New Testament times, Jews had settled in the area, and it was known as Perea. The last mention of Ammonites as a separate people was in the second century by Justin Martyr, who said they were very numerous. Sometime during the Roman period, the Ammonites seem to have been absorbed into Arab society.

  1. What happened to the people of Jabesh-gilead; how did the Holy Spirit work through Saul to help them (and what military tactic did Saul use)?

See summary notes above…

Note: Saul could only do what he did with the help of the Holy Spirit as no human would have been capable of all this. In addition, this shows us the sovereignty of God and His ultimate plan that would play out in the near future with David.

Also note: The people asked for a week and this most likely would have been in play anyway because siege walls from enemies often took weeks to build and enact.

  1. How and why was Saul officially confirmed as King, and what happened to the men who did not want Saul to be King?

See summary notes above…

Note: This ceremony was different than that of chapter 10 as this was more of a religious coronation ceremony rather than a political one that had already been established.

Chapter 12:

Samuel’s Farewell Address

In this chapter we get a farewell address from Samuel as he steps back from his duties as judge. He gives some history of his service and points out that he is blameless in all his ways (most likely in contrast to Eli and in future contrast to Saul). Samuel also gives a basic history of the Nation of Israel. This is common in and important in oral addresses such as this, because the people needed to remember so as not to repeat their mistakes (but they will repeat them anyway). He also gives them a warning as a people as well as the King, and a choice that if they should follow all the commands of the LORD (as given in the Law) it would go well with them; if not then the hand of the LORD would be against them. This is the protection clause found all throughout the Torah and in the Law. As evidence that Samuel was speaking for the LORD he called for rain and thunder and it happened and the people feared the LORD and Samuel. The people plead for Samuel to pray for them and he does. He also encourages them and tells them that the LORD will not forsake them because they are His chosen people, but that they must not do wickedly, otherwise the LORD will sweep them away (and this will happen later in their history).

  1. Samuel’s farewell address is reminiscent of both Moses and Joshua. What are some things that he said to the people about himself; their history; their obligation to the LORD; and their future?

Note: Some of this comes from the conditional part of God’s Covenant in the Mosaic Law: Obedience = protection; disobedience = loss of that protection.

  • Samuel: Blameless; truthful; never stolen from the people; never taken a bribe; will always pray for them
  • Their history: He recounts everything from Jacob – Moses and Aaron in Egypt; out of Egypt and the miracles; the time of Joshua and the Judges to the time they now had a King.
  • The conditional part of the Mosaic Covenant is reviewed: Obedience to the LORD = protection vs. disobedience = loss of that protection and thus conquering by other Nations.
  • This warning would come to pass in the future as they would fall to Assyria in the north and later to Babylon in the south.

Interpretation: What does it mean? (Chapters 9-12)

  1. What is God showing the reader about who He is (His character)?
  • God demonstrates His sovereignty over all things in the story of Saul and his rise to kingship
  • God demonstrates His foreknowledge in the predictions given by Samuel concerning the Nation’s future in their obedience vs. disobedience to the Covenant
  • We see God’s characteristic in His Triune nature (the Trinity) in these chapters when the Holy Spirit comes upon Saul at two different times
  • We see God’s hesed, His unconditional love as expressed by Samuel to the people at the end of chapter 12; He also demonstrates this in allowing the people what they are asking for, but His righteous justice will play out in the consequences of their choices
  1. What is God trying to teach the audience from this narrative?
  • God wants His people to put Him first, follow His leading and commands that are in His Covenant, and in doing so they will receive His protection and guidance
  • God also warns, through Samuel, what will happen when His people fail to follow Him
  • We also get a history lesson because it is important not to forget what happens when God’s people do not listen to Him, act wickedly and follow other (pagan) nations and their practices
  1. Do we see anything in this narrative that points towards Jesus (a picture, foreshadow, model, prophecy etc.)
  • Samuel is consistently a model or picture of who Jesus would be by interceding for the people, judging them wisely and righteously, and by trusting in God the Father to do what is right.

Application: How can we use what we learned?

  1. Are there things we can apply to our lives that we learn from people in this narrative (good or bad)?

Answers here will vary but could include some of the same lessons seen in the interpretation…

Discuss any “shelf” questions you might have about chapters 9-12.

Answers will vary…

Homework

  • Read 1 Samuel Chapters 13-16 and write out titles and sub-titles for each section
  • Write a short summary (3-5 sentences or bullet points) for each chapter or chapter section to help in our weekly table discussion

Going Deeper:

Share your summary and/or answer these questions for each chapter:

CONTEXT: What does it say?

Chapter 13:

  1. What happened between the Israelites and the Philistines at the two-year mark of Saul’s reign? Who was Jonathan?
  2. What did Saul do that enraged Samuel, and what judgment from God did Samuel speak over Saul for doing this?
  3. Going deeper: What do we know about the monopoly the Philistines had on iron, and how it affected the people of Israel now and later on?

Chapter 14:

  1. What did Jonathan do (without his father knowing) concerning the Philistines, and how did he show that he trusted God in his endeavor? What are some clues that help us know God’s hand was with Jonathan and his armorbearer?
  2. What did Saul and the people of Israel do when he realized that the Philistines were in a panic, and what was the result?
  3. What rash vow did Saul make and why? What was the consequence of this vow, and how did the people respond to Saul’s attempted enforcement?
  4. Going Deeper: What is the history of the Urim and Thummim, and why did Saul use them?

Chapter 15:

  1. Who were the Amalekites, and why did God reject Saul yet again this second time?
  2. What did Samuel say to Saul on behalf of the LORD, and how does this show Saul’s willing incompetence as a leader of the people and follower of God?
  3. What were the last words between Saul and Samuel; and what did Samuel do that Saul should have done as commanded by the LORD?

Chapter 16:

  1. Who was David, what was Samuel’s interaction with him, and how did he end up in Saul’s service?

INTERPRETATION: What does it mean? (Chapters 13-16)

  1. What is God showing the reader about who He is (His character)?
  2. What is God trying to teach the audience from this narrative?
  3. Do we see anything in this narrative that points towards Jesus (a picture, foreshadow, model, prophecy etc.).

APPLICATION: How can we use what we learned? (Chapters 13-16)

  1. Are there things we can apply to our lives that we learn from people in this narrative (good or bad)?
  • Jot down and discuss any “shelf” questions you might have about chapters 13-16.

Join us next week as we continue our Apologetics Blueprint Class and a study in the book of 1 Samuel!

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You will not find this material in the public school curriculum even though it is based on solid evidence and grounded in research. It is ironic that following the evidence to where it leads stops at the door of our public schools as they will not let a “Divine footprint” in!  Join us as we examine evidence for Christianity and learn how to become a thoughtful defender and ambassador of your faith.

Click into the resource page of this website to view many of the top Christian thinkers and apologists along with some of their work; connecting to these types of resources is essential in your Christian growth.

Please let me know what you think: Give feedback, ask questions or send concerns in the comment section of the blog.

Teri Dugan

TeriDugan@truthfaithandreason.com

1 Peter 3:15

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