EXAMPLES OF THE DIVINE AUTHORITY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES.
With regard to the divine authority of the ancient Scriptures, nothing is more plainly marked than God’s displeasure at dishonor to His word, and the blessing that has accompanied obedience. The notice of a few instances will suffice to confirm this.
It was by one man’s disobedience that sin entered into the world, with all its consequences of sorrow, death and judgment. Later on, when God’s judgment of fire and brimstone was about to overtake the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot with his wife and daughters were rescued from it, they were commanded to “look not behind;” but one of the party thought it wiser to follow her own reasoning than the word of the messenger of God from heaven, and disobeyed. We are told that then God’s hand overtook her in judgment; for Lot’s wife “looked back.... and she became a pillar of salt” a standing monument of God’s displeasure (Gen. 19:17, 2617And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. (Genesis 19:17)
26But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:26)). How awful it is to go contrary to God’s Word!
The children of Israel who came out of Egypt to the number of six hundred thousand men, never entered the land, except Caleb and Joshua, because they did not believe God; and long after they had had the benefit of God’s ordinances and prophets for a series of years, they rebelled against Him, refused His word, despised His prophets, and became worse than the heathen; so that both Israel and Judah were given into captivity. How true it is that God cannot look on disobedience to His word with any allowance!
Again, at the famine of Samaria, Jehovah’s servant, Elisha, prophesied. His testimony was, “Thus saith Jehovah, Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel in the gate of Samaria.” But a man of high standing there unbelievingly replied, “If Jehovah would make windows in heaven might this thing be?” This was despising Jehovah’s word. So the prophet said unto him, “Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.” And so the words of Jehovah were fulfilled; for the next day there was plenty in the famished city, and this great, but unbelieving man, who despised God’s word, saw the plentiful supply of food, but instead of tasting it, “the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died” (2 Kings 7). Another appalling instance of the terribleness of refusing, through unbelief, God’s word!
Take another case, not that of an unbeliever, but of the failure of a man of faith David, a man after God’s own heart. He attempted to bring up the ark from Kirjath-jearim to Jerusalem; but in so doing God struck Uzzah dead on his touching the ark when the oxen stumbled, and David was deeply distressed. And why was this marked displeasure of the Lord? He afterward found out it was because he had acted according to his own reasonings, and that of others, instead of referring to the written Word and acting on it in faith. Oxen, cart and all were the mere inventions of David and his captains; so that when he knew this he was not surprised at the “breach.” From the book of Numbers he learned that, None ought to carry the ark but the Levites. He now takes the written Word as his guide, acts on it, and we know with what blessed result. O that all God’s people would search the Scriptures to know His mind, and seek grace and strength from Him to carry it out!
Before closing this part of our subject, let us briefly glance at King Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 36. The prophet had written in a roll what Jehovah had told him about the king and people, and it was read to the king, when he took a knife, cut the roll into pieces, and burnt it in the fire. What followed? We are told that the prophet wrote “another roll,” and added to it; and, as a mark of God’s displeasure, said, “Thus saith Jehovah of Jehoiakim king of Judah, ‘He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost’” (Jer. 36:21-3221So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. 22Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. 23And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 24Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. 25Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. 26But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the Lord hid them. 27Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, 28Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. 29And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the Lord; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? 30Therefore thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. 31And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not. 32Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words. (Jeremiah 36:21‑32)). How true are the words of Jehovah, “They that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.”
Let us now briefly turn to a few examples of such as honored God in receiving His written Word, and acting on it, in days too, much like the present, when the traditions and opinions of men have set aside, or corrupted almost everything that God has made known for present guidance and blessing.
Passing by some who had evidently prospered in keeping God’s statutes and commandments, “as it is written in the law of Moses,” we find it recorded that King Jehoshaphat sought to the Lord God of his fathers, and walked in His commandments. He sent also teachers who taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of Jehovah with them. Present blessing was with him so connected with obedience to the written Word, that in the battle field he said, “Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in Jehovah your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper.” We know how remarkably God’s blessing was with him (2 Chron. 17:4, 9; 20:20,304But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. (2 Chronicles 17:4)
9And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. (2 Chronicles 17:9)
20And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. (2 Chronicles 20:20)
30So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet: for his God gave him rest round about. (2 Chronicles 20:30)).
After this, in a time of abounding evil, we find that Jehoiada, after breaking down the house of Baal with its altars and images, appointed the offices of the house of Jehovah, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as it was ordained by David (2 Chron. 23:17-1817Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. (2 Chronicles 23:17‑18)).
(Continued and to be continued.)