We have seen how the Lord answered the devil’s common temptations entirely by the scriptures, as the Word of God. And it is striking that as to similar attacks of the devil, men generally use their own reason, power, and will, and never think of turning to the Word of God for an “It is written.” It is also further remarkable that in each of these cases the Lord turns to the writings of Moses, as the Word of God — the very writings especially attacked by modern ignorant infidels. These far-seeing men in darkness tell us they are not the writings of Moses, but were written hundreds of years after him. Let us hear Him of whom God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”; He who alone could say, “I am the truth.”
To the healed leper He said, “Go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded” (Matt. 8:44And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (Matthew 8:4)). He appeals also to the words of Moses in the matter of divorce: “Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning, made them male and female... for this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh?” (Matt. 19:4-54And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? (Matthew 19:4‑5)).
And what these words of Moses teach He regards as of God. “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder, etc.” The whole context proves that the Lord owned the words to be of, and by Moses. And the Pharisees acknowledged the truth of this (Matt. 19:3-83The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? 8He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. (Matthew 19:3‑8)). See also Mark 1:4444And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. (Mark 1:44), “And offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.” “For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother, etc.” This Jesus regarded as the commandment of God (Mark 7:9-109And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: (Mark 7:9‑10)). To the Pharisees on another occasion He said, “What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:33And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? (Mark 10:3)). “Have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, etc.” (Mark 12:26-3126And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err. 28And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:26‑31)). “They have Moses and the prophets... If they hear not Moses and the prophets, etc.” (Luke 16:29-3129Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:29‑31)). “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself.” Thus Moses and all the prophets are declared to be the scriptures by the risen Son of God. “And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which was written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures” (Luke 24:27-4527And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 36And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 37But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 38And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 39Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. 40And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? 42And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. 43And he took it, and did eat before them. 44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. 45Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, (Luke 24:27‑45)). Do we need any clearer proof than the plain teaching of Christ? “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:1717For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)). Let us agree with Philip, “We have found Him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write” (vs. 45).
Jesus constantly refers to facts recorded in the books of Moses. He says, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:1414And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: (John 3:14)). For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:45-4745Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. 46For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. 47But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:45‑47)). “Did not Moses. give you the law?... Moses therefore gave you circumcision,” etc. (John 7:2222Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. (John 7:22)). Such is the uniform teaching of Christ. Thus the puerile attempt to repudiate the true authorship of Moses, or the inspiration of Moses (the law), the psalms, and the prophets — as God truly speaking to us by them — is a wicked attempt to make Jesus a liar and a deceiver. My soul, be thou found with Him, the light and life and the truth; and not lost in the wanderings of modern thought.
The teaching of the Holy Spirit, in the Acts and the epistles, is equally decisive. “For Moses truly said unto the fathers... and the words of Moses are the covenant which God made with those fathers” (Acts 3:21-2621Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. 22For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. 23And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. 25Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (Acts 3:21‑26)). “Which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets, since the world began.” Can we say of any other writings that God hath spoken to us by those writings? No, assuredly no! This is the true sense of inspiration. God hath spoken to us in the holy scriptures and Moses is spoken of first. “For Moses truly said unto the fathers,” etc. This is what we must understand by inspiration: God using men to convey His very words to us. What a privilege to be thus brought into direct contact with God.
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by [or in] His Son” (Heb. 1:1-21God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:1‑2)). Thus all scripture was in the beginning owned as the very word of God; as such it was quoted by the Son of God; and as such was always regarded by the inspired apostles. Hearken to Paul, “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak: not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts... For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thess. 2:4-134But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. 5For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: 6Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: 8So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 9For ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: 11As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, 12That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. 13For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:4‑13)). So he exhorts Timothy to continue in the things which he had learned. “And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Therefore the closing words of Paul’ to Timothy are these, “Preach the word.” For the time would come, and now is, when they will not endure sound, doctrine.
Peter also says, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” It is not merely of man’s ability. “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20-2120Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:20‑21)). Oh how dignified then was the Lord’s answer to the devil, “IT IS WRITTEN.”
Let us then beware of appealing to any authority, but to the Word of God. Now, as God did not speak to us in our own tongue, it is of the utmost importance that we should have the best and most literal translation — and that we should not add, or take from, for even one word would often alter the entire sense. There can be no compromise on this question. To give up one verse, or one thought, which God has spoken to us, is to give up all, and set up ourselves as God. In no other way can we meet the attacks of the devil than by appealing by faith to “It is written,” in the Word of God.
It is also important to remember, that the New Testament is regarded equally as the Word of God with the Old. (See 2 Peter 3:1616As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:16); Rev. 22:18, 1918For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:18‑19).) Also Paul says to the Corinthians , “What? came the Word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” Where can our souls rest with calm security amid the confusion and contradictions of these last days, if we could not go back to that which was in the beginning, to the very words of God to our souls?
To bring down the inspiration of the scriptures then, to the level of Milton, or Shakespeare, or any mere man, is to reject the revelation, which God in richest grace has been pleased to give us. Our Lord Jesus Christ and the apostles quote the whole Old Testament, as the Word of God. And as to themselves, the inspired writers of the New Testament, John sums up all in a few words, “We are of God: he that knoweth God, heareth us: he that is not of God, heareth not us. Hereby knew we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 5:66This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. (1 John 5:6)).
However men may in these days of “development” reject the Word of God, or treat it as a mere human imperfect book, or books, it is most certain that in the beginning every Christian received it; as it is the very word of God. If a man did not, he was not of God, but of the spirit of error. Is it not so now? By this simple test then we know, that whoever questions the divine inspiration of holy scripture, is himself assuredly in error. All this may seem a long digression, but since our only appeal will be to “It is written,” how vast is the importance of being well grounded in the fact, that what is written is the sure word of God.
Now let us for a moment suppose the Bible to be withdrawn from this world, and every ray of light borrowed from the Bible. If such a thing were possible, what would be the condition of mankind? How would you answer the thousand questions that rise in your mind? How came this world, or this universe into existence? We see in its existence proofs of infinite wisdom and power: but how came the things we see to exist?
Then what contradiction to that wisdom, and power, in the overwhelming scene of misery and death which covers the globe on which we live. How came this to be so? What could man say, except “I don’t know!” What means, and what is that terrible thing we call conscience? — that terrible remorse of the human mind, for having done the things it hates, or loves, which leave such a poisoned sting? And what is the remedy, and where is it to be found? The poor dark mind could only reply, “I don’t know.” Will death end it? “I don’t know.” Is there a future after death? “I don’t know.” What is the future of this world even here? What is your future? On all these subjects, and thousands more, take away the holy scriptures, and man is left in total darkness. No God of love to speak to him. No Savior from the terrible despair. No comfort, no help here, or heaven hereafter. The only thing such a man could do, would be to say, with Voltaire, “I wish I had never been born.” Nevertheless, God did not leave the heathen without a manifestation of Himself, as we learn from Romans 1.
Oh young man, think of the end and aim and development of modern thought. Let it once get possession of you, and in the wretchedness of despair, as I have seen it, you may long in vain to be delivered from the poison you have imbibed in the writings of modern unbelief, which after all is not modern. No, it is as ancient as the words of the tempter, “Yea, hath God said?”
God hath spoken in His holiness, we will rejoice. Yes, He who said, Let there be light, hath spoken. What would this globe have been without light? Just what it would have been morally if God had not spoken. Oh the mighty power, oh the eternal blessedness of the Word of God. I have known a dying man, by five words of Jesus, turned from a blaspheming infidel, to a happy believing child of God here, and in a few hours in heaven. Those words were, “Thy sins be forgiven thee.” God grant that the reader may never reject that book of books, that treasure of all treasures. Well do I remember singing, when a youth fifty years ago —
“The Word of God, the word of truth,
Instruct our childhood, guide our youth,
Uphold us through life’s middle stage,
And be the comfort of our age.”
Praise be to God I have found it so. No, fellow believers, let us earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. It may possibly be asked, How am I to know what was the faith once delivered to the saints? Let us then turn to the sure Word of God. May He grant us grace to reject everything concerning which we cannot, with our Jesus, say, “It is written.” What is written then let us turn and see.