There is a riddle which goes..
Q. What is black and white and read all over?
The answer at the time the riddle was coined was newspaper; but I would go a step further and say that the bible could also be the answer to this question. As a child I didn’t understand that R-E-A-D was pronounced red, and so the answer did not make sense. However now it does.
What is the most influential text?
Once upon a time the newspaper was a relatively well circulated paper, and consequently millions of people read it. Another document which was widely read and circulated was the bible, however, the bible’s reign as number one is slowly waning. This is not the only thing about this book enduring attack, as the authority and influence of the bible has been under criticism for years as well.
While some will argue that it has stood the test of time, with the introduction of so many other religious books, it is undeniable that the bible is not as popular as it once was . Since Christinaity is still the most popular religion in the world, and in recent times race and religion have come up for discussion, it seems only fitting that we should have this bible study in keeping with the celebration of Black history Month.
Let us Pray
Origin of the bible
One of the main arguments for the lack of support for the bible, is that it came from a white man’s hand, and that it is mainly concerned about these white people’s history. But this could not be farther from the truth. Today I hope to open your eyes to the significance of black people in the bible and the role they played.
Since Jesus is considered to be the progenitor of Christianity, let us start there.
“Was Jesus black?”
Proponents for this argument love to quote Rev 1:14-15 as biblical proof that Jesus was black.
Let us read it together. Rev 1:14
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Burnet brass i s black there is no argument about that.
Let’s also consider this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di27hVFKk-g
So lets us revisit the question. Was Jesus truly black?
We cannot say definitely what he was, but we can say what he was not.
Well that verse was not speaking to his earthly form, so we cannot use that to prove his race while on Earth. However there are other verses of scripture which confirm his general appearance.
We’re going to start from the very beginning.
Read with me Gen 10:6
So we know that Noah had three sons and their names were
Shem Ham and Japheth
¶
And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan.
But this is usually as far as our understanding goes.
But this is where this study picks up.
Ham had Cush and Cush was the father of the ethiopians.
Why is this significant?
Cush literally means black.
Ethiopia means burnt - so an ethiopian literally means the burnt one
The English name "Ethiopia" is thought to be derived from the Greek word Αἰθιοπία Aithiopia, from Αἰθίοψ Aithiops 'an Ethiopian', derived from Greek terms meaning "of burnt ( αιθ-) visage (ὄψ)".
Cush = "black"
proper masculine noun
a Benjamite mentioned only in the title of Ps 7
the son of Ham and grandson of Noah and the progenitor of the southernmost peoples located in Africa
the peoples descended from Cush
proper locative nounthe land occupied by the descendants of Cush located around the southern parts of the Nile (Ethiopia)
As we established before anything burned is black.
The Egyptians came from Ham/Cush (psalm 78:51, 105:23, 106:21-22) which from the hieroglyphics we can determine was red skinned people.
I don’t think we have to mention the role that Egypt played in the dealings with God people.
However it goes a step further.
You will recall that Joseph's wife was an Egyptian woman (Gen 41:45) at the very least their descendants were ones of color. What were the names of these descendants?
The half tribes of (manasseh and Ephraim).
But wait still there is more.
The one who took over from Moses, who was considered to be one of the greatest leaders of Israel also came from the tribe of Ephraim. (Numbers 13:16) Joshua was a colored man.
But the plot thickens as we read the book of Amos
Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the LORD. Have not I brought up Israel out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
You’ll remember that ethiopians are the burnt ones.
But still there is more
Who were the Midianites?
The Midianites themselves were later on depicted at times in non-Biblical sources as dark-skinned and called Kushim, a Hebrew word used for dark-skinned Africans.
Although it is not expressly said in the bible that Midianites were black people not doubt we could infer that at the very least Jethro was black, since he had a daughter who was black.
You will remember in the Num 12:1
¶
And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
How the siblings of Moses spoke against his wife, because she was ethiopian.
Why is it significant that we should reckon Jethro?
Note that Jethro was called a priest long before the Levitical priesthood or the aaronic priesthood had been established.
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
So which order of priesthood could Jethro be order after?
Most definitely the the order of melchizedek which is the one that Christ himself was ordered after.
There are more allegations of black people in the bible. Such as the history of the Canaanites and two more famous mentions are the Ethiopian Eunuch and Simon the Cyrenian. I will not get into the details of how we know these people were black, but I will talk about what this does for our race.
What does this elevating one race over another do?
While recognizing the significant roles of black or not white people in the bible, rather than unite us in our cause for Christ, this divides us. Consequently why race is not singled out as a theme in the bible.
While black people need to know how important they were in the bible to get a sense of pride, this should not be the source of their pride.
Jer 9:23-24
¶
Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
TOOLS
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD
Are all Africans black?
For those who are proponents of the arguments presented, and wanting to elevate one race over another, I have one question.
Do you think there was ever a time when all Africans were black? Are all Africans black today?
In our little study today alone, we could see that from a very early stage the races were intermingling. Whether you choose to accept this from the time of Noah or from the time of Israel in egypt. There was hardly a time when the races were not mixing, this is despite God’s warning not to.
Testimony of the white teacher from Africa.
She was a true African American, although she did not fit the bill for whom the term was coined.
The truth is trying to elevate one race over another only makes us a divided nation, and I think Jesus said it best. A divided nation cannot stand. Mark 3:25
Hence it is important that we realize that we are all in need of a savior and come to him bringing as many of our fellow human beings to kneel at his feet.
