Inspiration of the Scriptures: The Bible - its Unity, Part 1

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Every student of Scripture meets with difficulties, and finds much that he cannot understand; but, as we have said before, waiting on God in humility of mind, and in unfeigned dependence on the Holy Spirit, it is astonishing how He clears up the difficulties for us. It is, however, very remarkable how the Lord seems to have anticipated many of the objections which are raised by learned and scientific men, who rely on their own reasonings instead of simply accepting what God has said. In addition to some instances already pointed out, we may notice that the Lord authenticated the doctrine of the descent of the human race from one pair of parents from the beginning of the creation (Mark 10:66But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. (Mark 10:6)); of the taking away of all by the Deluge, except those who were in the ark (Matt. 24:37-3937But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. (Matthew 24:37‑39)); of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone; of the miraculous supply of the manna; and the story of Jonah and the fish (some great fish, not necessarily a whale), and his mission to Nineveh and its effects.
In meditating on the Gospels it is scarcely possible not to notice the reverence and honor paid by our Lord to "the Scriptures." Only think of Him as to this when on the cross. After being bodily suspended there for six hours with nails in His hands and His feet, in unmitigated and indescribable pain, with all the sorrow too that pressed upon His sprit, of being betrayed by one, denied by another, and forsaken by all; when lover and friend had been put far from Him, and His acquaintance into darkness; when consciously too bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, the Holy One made sin for us; the wrath of God, the forsaking of God, the judgment of God for our sins falling upon Him, so that His soul was made an offering for sin; so occupied was He with the prefect will of Him who sent Him, that the silence, of the unparalleled crisis was broken by the words, "I thirst"; and why? There remained one little scripture that had not as yet had its fulfillment. What was it? "In My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink." (Psa. 69:2121They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. (Psalm 69:21);.) We therefore read, "Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar; and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished, and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost." (John 19:28-3028After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:28‑30).) And we may well ask, when pondering such a scene as this, could anything be more perfect as sealing the divine authority of Scripture with his own blood? What true reverence for the sacred writings! What perfect subjection to every word of it! In a moment too of unutterable agony, depths of deepest sorrow, hour of darkness and unutterable woe; and above all, the forsaking of God. His heart broken with reproach. Satan bruising, men deriding in hateful enmity, every bone out of joint, yet manifesting perfect love to the Father, perfect obedience to His Word, perfect subjection to His will, perfect reverence for what is written, and perfect love to all who trust in Him. What perfections cluster around the cross at Golgotha! Happy those who know Him risen and ascended as the object of their faith, and the One in whom they trust. What lessons this unparalleled scene reads to us as to the reverence for Scripture, because it is the will and word of God; and how truly the Holy Spirit says of Him, that He hath "left us an example, that we should follow His steps.”
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