Inspiration of the Scriptures: The Testimony of the New Testament to the Old, Part 5

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The Testimony of the New Testament to the Old Testament
It would be interesting in looking into the prophets, to trace the variety of instruments God was pleased to use in this blessed service, but that would far exceed our proposed limits. It is well, however, to observe how careful each was to impress those they addressed with the fact, that they came forth on their service with divine authority. They also knew little of each other; and their ministry, from Moses to Christ, occupied about 1500 years. A brief quotation or two from each may suffice for our present purpose.
Isaiah begins by asserting that what he saw was concerning Judah and Jerusalem. He says, “Hear.... for Jehovah hath spoken.” “The word which Isaiah the son of Amos saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem” (Isa. 1:1, 2; 2:11The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. 2Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. (Isaiah 1:1‑2)
1The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:1)). Jeremiah has, “The word of Jehovah came unto me,” or, “The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah.” In Ezekiel it says “The word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel,” or, “He said unto me;” or, “Again the word of Jehovah came unto me,” and such like expressions occur many times. He also was commanded to write. Jehovah said unto him, “Thou shalt speak My words unto them;” and in a vision he saw “a roll .... written within and without.” So assured was he that what he declared was the Word of God, that he said, “The word that I speak shall come to pass, and the word that I have spoken shall be done .... Thus saith the Lord God” (Ezek. 1:3; 2:7,10; 7:1; 12:25,28; 16:13The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him. (Ezekiel 1:3)
7And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. (Ezekiel 2:7)
10And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. (Ezekiel 2:10)
1Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 7:1)
25For I am the Lord: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 12:25)
28Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 12:28)
1Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 16:1)).
No one can have carefully considered the Book of Psalms without seeing the value and authority of the written Word frequently set forth. It opens by marking one point in the righteous man, being that he meditates in the law of Jehovah day and night; and in Psalm 119, almost every verse speaks of the word, statutes, commandments, or law of Jehovah. Not only does this book extol the purity of the word itself, like silver purified seven times, but also of its cleansing virtue. The authenticity too, of the Scriptures is so regarded that the writer says, “The law of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver;” and “I love Thy commandments above gold, yea above fine gold” (Psa. 1:2; 119:9,72,1272But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (Psalm 1:2)
9BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9)
72The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. (Psalm 119:72)
127Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. (Psalm 119:127)). David was one of those holy men of old of whom Peter speaks who was “moved by the Holy Spirit” to give unto us the “sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19,2119We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: (2 Peter 1:19)
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 1:21)).
In Proverbs also we are told that “every word of God is pure.... add thou not unto His words” (Prov. 30:5-65Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5‑6)). And again, “Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that sent unto thee?” (Prov. 22:20-2120Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? (Proverbs 22:20‑21)).
Daniel though he prophesied by the same Spirit, is somewhat different, for his line was “the times of the Gentiles,” as also his own people. He gives us, in Daniel 2, the whole history of the Gentile nations, and their concluding judgment; he also spoke of the abomination yet to be set up in the temple, which our Lord referred to in Matthew 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15), and is so soon to have its very solemn fulfillment. In Hosea it is, “The word of Jehovah that came to Hosea” (Hos. 1:11The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (Hosea 1:1)). In Joel “The word of Jehovah that came to Joel” (Joel 1:11The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. (Joel 1:1)). Amos said, “Thus saith Jehovah” (Amos 1:33Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: (Amos 1:3)). Obadiah begins, “Thus saith Jehovah concerning Edom” (Obad. 11The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom; We have heard a rumor from the Lord, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle. (Obadiah 1)). In Jonah we are twice told that “The word of Jehovah came to Jonah” (Jonah 1:1; 3:11Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, (Jonah 1:1)
1And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, (Jonah 3:1)). Micah begins with “The word of Jehovah that came to Micah.” Nahum says, “Thus saith Jehovah” (Nah. 1:1212Thus saith the Lord; Though they be quiet, and likewise many, yet thus shall they be cut down, when he shall pass through. Though I have afflicted thee, I will afflict thee no more. (Nahum 1:12)). Habakkuk tells us, “Jehovah answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, 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)). Zephaniah begins with, “The word of Jehovah which came unto Zephaniah” (Zeph. 1:11The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. (Zephaniah 1:1)).
The testimony of the prophets was nearly completed when the Jews were carried away into Babylon. We have only three post-captivity prophets – Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, though some of the prophecies of Jeremiah (see Jer. 52:3030In the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadrezzar Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred. (Jeremiah 52:30)) and Daniel, were given after the great captivity. Haggai distinctly affirms that his word was “the word of Jehovah,” and that it came to him at different times. He announced his messages authoritatively, with, “Thus saith Jehovah” (Hag. 1:1,7; 2:1,7,201In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, (Haggai 1:1)
7Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways. (Haggai 1:7)
1In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the Lord by the prophet Haggai, saying, (Haggai 2:1)
7And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:7)
20And again the word of the Lord came unto Haggai in the four and twentieth day of the month, saying, (Haggai 2:20)). Zechariah also asserts the divine source of his most solemn and beautiful utterances, when he says, “The word of Jehovah came unto Zechariah.” This he repeatedly asserted (Zech. 1:1, 7; 7:1; 8:11In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, (Zechariah 1:1)
7Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, (Zechariah 1:7)
1And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Darius, that the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah in the fourth day of the ninth month, even in Chisleu; (Zechariah 7:1)
1Again the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, (Zechariah 8:1)).Malachi also introduces his mournful testimony with, “The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi.” It is well not to overlook how this prophet, like others, looks on to the Lord coming in glory to the faithful in Israel, His “jewels” as the Sun of Righteousness with healing to them and judgment on the wicked. This prophet also pressed, in Jehovah’s name, the divine authority of the writings of Moses, saying, “Remember ye the law of Moses My servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments” (Mal. 1:1; 4:2,41The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. (Malachi 1:1)
2But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. (Malachi 4:2)
4Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. (Malachi 4:4)).
It is scarcely possible that we could have more conclusive internal evidence of the writers of the Old Testament scriptures having been inspired by God for their service. Well then, has the Lord informed us by His Holy Spirit that, “Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:44For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)).
(To be continued.)