Bible Contradiction? Will there be many Jews?

For today’s post we will tackle the question the Skeptic Annotated Bible asked: Will there be many Jews?

Here are the two answers which the skeptic believes shows a Bible contradiction:

Yes

“indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. 18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.””” (Genesis 22:17-18)

“I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;” (Genesis 26:4)

No

“The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you.” (Deuteronomy 4:27)

(All Scriptural quotation comes from the New American Standard Bible)

Here’s a closer look at whether or not there is a contradiction:

1. When dealing with skeptics’ claim of Bible contradictions it seems one can never be reminded enough of what exactly is a contradiction.  A contradiction occurs when two or more claims conflict with one another so that they cannot simultaneously be true in the same sense and at the same time.  To put it another way, a Bible contradiction exists when there are claims within the Bible that are mutually exclusive in the same sense and at the same time.
2. Contexts for the three verses used by the skeptic are important for the readers to know and to keep in mind.
   1. Both Genesis 22:17-18 and Genesis 26:4 record God speaking to the Jewish Patriarch Abraham.  These words from God came to Abraham before the nation Israel was formed and it was God’s promise to Abraham that He would make a nation out of Abraham’s descendants.
   2. Unlike the two verses in Genesis in Deuteronomy 4:27 the nation of Israel has already been formed and here Moses is addressing the second generation of Jews after they have fled from slavery in Egypt.  They were now about to enter the promise land.  Deuteronomy 4:27 is situated in a chapter that is Moses’ exhortation to his hearers to obey God and resist idolatry.
3. Both Genesis 22:17-18 and Genesis 26:4 record God making a promise to Abraham that there will be many Jews.  This promise is also added as a content of the Abrahamic Covenant.  Being both a promise and as part of the Abrahamic Covenant we know this will surely be fulfilled in the future.  God will keep His Word.  Since God will keep His Word there is no doubt that there will one day be many Jews.  The question now is how do we explain Deuteronomy 4:27.
4. Deuteronomy 4:27 does talk about decrease population size of the Jews since it states “you will be left few in number.“
5. However one should note from the surrounding context of Deuteronomy 4:27 that this decrease in the population of the Jews will occur under a specific situation.  According to the context this will happen when the Jews in the Promise land “act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 4:25).  Thus the decrease population size of the Jews is a result of God’s discipline upon Israel for her sins and idolatry.  This population decrease will also occur when the Jews are in exile; note the language of Deuteronomy 4:27 of God saying “The Lord will scatter you among the peoples,” and “you will be left few in number among the nations.“
6. Yet Deuteronomy 4:27 does not contradict both Genesis 22:17-18 and Genesis 26:4 since the former is a conditional scenario while the latter verses are God’s absolute promise.  At some point in Israel’s history the population of Jews might decrease as a result of God’s discipline and punishment upon the Jews for their sins but at another point in history God will also keep His word that one day the population of the Jews will be many.  There is not a contradiction here if we are aware and keep in mind the distinction between conditional statements and absolute covenantal promises.
7. Timing is key in refuting the claim that there is a contradiction here.  Just because the population of Israel at some might decrease that does not mean there is a contradiction with God’s promise that in the future the population will increase since it is not talking about the same time period.  The skeptic is making the same error of not acknowledging we’re not talking about the same time that was also committed in another contradiction we refuted: How many were from the tribe of Simeon?
8. An additional reason why we don’t see a Bible contradiction here between Deuteronomy 4:27 on the one hand and Genesis 22:17-18 and Genesis 26:4 on the other hand is the fact that within the context of Deuteronomy 4:27 it also affirms the promises and covenant God made to Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18 and Genesis 26:4.  Following after Deuteronomy 4:27, we see God state the following: “But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them” (Deuteronomy 4:29-31).  These three verses states that while the Jews are in exile (v.29a) in distress they will return back to God (v.30) and the basis for this according to verse 31 is because God is compassionate and “He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”  This is the Abrahamic covenant!  Again, while at certain points of Israel’s history the population of Jews might decrease nevertheless Deuteronomy 4:29-31 synthesizes Deuteronomy 4:27 with the Abrahamic covenant by stating that God will in the future keep His word with the content of the Covenant.
9. Even without the additional truths from Deuteronomy 4:29-31 we have already established that the skeptic is wrong to claim there is a contradiction here.  But with the information presented in Deuteronomy 4:29-31 it further refute the skeptic’s attempt to pit God’s promise and His Abrahamic covenant against Deuteronomy 4:27.

In answering the question “Will there be many Jews?” the skeptic tries to make a Bible contradiction from these verses when there are none.  Instead we find there are many fallacies and mistake made by the skeptic.

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