The Old Testamentdd
In turning to the earliest books of the Bible, we read on one occasion that “Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah:” that Jehovah said unto Moses, another time, “Write this law for a memorial in a book and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua.” Again, we read that Moses was commanded to write, and “Moses wrote this song according to the commandment of Jehovah, and taught it the children of Israel,” and that he also “wrote their goings out according to their journeyings, by the commandment of Jehovah,” (Ex. 24:4; 17:44And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Exodus 24:4)
4And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. (Exodus 17:4); Deut. 31:19-2219Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. 20For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant. 21And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware. 22Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel. (Deuteronomy 31:19‑22); Num. 33:22And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the Lord: and these are their journeys according to their goings out. (Numbers 33:2)).
Moreover, it is clear that Moses was conscious that the word he gave Israel had divine authority. He said, “It shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and do all the commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high, above all the nations of the earth.” His writings, therefore, are called “the book of this law,” and “the covenant,” and “his statutes which are written in this book of the law.” “And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests.”
(Deut. 28:1,61; 29:21; 30:10; 31:91And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: (Deuteronomy 28:1)
61Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:61)
21And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this book of the law: (Deuteronomy 29:21)
10If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. (Deuteronomy 30:10)
9And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and unto all the elders of Israel. (Deuteronomy 31:9))
We find in the books of Moses such words as “Jehovah said unto Moses,” over and over again. Sometimes it is added, “Speak unto Aaron thy brother,’’ or “to the children of Israel,” or to the priests; and afterward we read it was done, and it is frequently said, “as Jehovah commanded Moses.”
Joshua also having been assured by direct communication from Jehovah of the divine origin and authority of the writings of Moses, was also taught that his own success in the service of God would be connected with his observing to do all that Moses commanded. He was told to “turn not from it, to the right hand or to the left.” “... The book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to that which is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Josh. 1:7-97Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. (Joshua 1:7‑9)). Thus the writings of Moses were not only authenticated by Jehovah, but Joshua was held responsible by God to obey them “according to all that is written therein.” It was all the Scripture that he had, and yet how careful he was to carry out its directions, Joshua also was a writer. “He wrote upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.” It is added that, “afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law” (Deut. 27:33And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee. (Deuteronomy 27:3); Josh. 8:32-3532And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel. 33And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel. 34And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law. 35There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them. (Joshua 8:32‑35)). It is scarcely possible to have a clearer testimony to the inspiration and divine authority of the books of Moses.
“Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon.” “And Jeremiah said unto Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; then shalt thou say, O Jehovah, thou hast spoken against this place” (Jer. 51:60-6260So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. 61And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; 62Then shalt thou say, O Lord, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. (Jeremiah 51:60‑62)).
Daniel had wonderful things revealed to him by God in dreams, and visions, and by the angel Gabriel. We read that “He wrote the dream.” He also acknowledged the divine inspiration and authority of the ancient scriptures, for he tells us that he “understood by books the number of years, whereof the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem;” and he also recognized the divine authority of what is “written in the law of Moses,” and “noted in the scripture of truth” (Chaps. 7:1; 9:2, 11; 10:21). Let us not fail to observe that Daniel speaks of the prophecies of Jeremiah as the words of Jehovah.
The sweet psalmist of Israel said, “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and His word was in my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:22The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. (2 Samuel 23:2)). “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer” (Psa. 45:11<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A Song of loves.>> My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. (Psalm 45:1)). The wise man also exclaimed, “Have not I written to thee excellent things?” (Prov. 22:2020Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, (Proverbs 22:20)). The prophet Hosea said, “I have written to him (Ephraim) the great things of Thy law” (Hos. 8:1212I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. (Hosea 8:12)); and Jehovah said unto Habakkuk, “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tablets, that he may run that readeth it” (Hab. 2:22And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Habakkuk 2:2)).
Enough of quotations from the Old Testament we judge have been given to show, that writing was a means ordained by God for communicating and treasuring up divinely-given truth, and that its authority was acknowledged by the faithful in all ages. The people, too, were taught by God’s servants to give diligent heed to these writings. When the children of Israel should have a king, Moses said, “He shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Jehovah, his God, to keep all the words of this law, and their statutes to do them.” Joshua also taught the people to “take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of Jehovah charged you.” We read also that in Nehemiah’s day, Ezra the scribe, when the people were collected together, “read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the meaning” (Deut. 17:1919And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: (Deuteronomy 17:19); Josh. 22:55But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Joshua 22:5); Neh. 8:5-85And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. 8So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. (Nehemiah 8:5‑8)).
From all these various witnesses, we not only learn that God had ordered writing as a means of communicating His mind and will, but, as a fact, we also find preserved for us in a most marvelous way for nearly two thousand years a number of books written by various persons who had no communication with each other; written, too, at different times, and under different circumstances for a period extending over 1500 years, and all the books so agreeing together that a spiritual mind can trace all as being under the guidance of a master mind; books that were valued by other prophets, treasured up by faithful men, esteemed by many as of more value than thousands of gold and silver, and ministering words which were found and eaten to the joy and rejoicing of the heart. In these many books we find the prophetic words of some afterward registered by others as fulfilled, and warnings unheeded, too, meeting with the predicted judgments; the depravity and utter ruin and wickedness of man set forth, and alas, manifested, while the nature of God, as love and light, His attributes and words of holiness, grace and truth, stand out in all their uncompromising perfection, and eternal excellence. Because of these things, the written work of the Old Testament brings such conviction to the soul of its divinity and eternal truth, when opened up and brought home by the Spirit, that the heart no more looks to men’s opinions, or other external evidence, than a child, when gazing with delight on a photograph of his living mother, would inquire who it is.