The Scriptures: Part 4

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Ever since the writings of Moses, God's people have recognized the divine authority of the written word. Besides the books of Moses, God has added to them from time to time by various instruments, and especially by prophets. They not only enforced the divine authority of what had been written, but also spoke authoritatively with "Thus saith the Lord," or "The word of the Lord came," etc. The future blessings of God's earthly people were spread out largely by them to cheer the faithful and to animate them with hope. Although those who were so employed were men of like passions with ourselves, yet to assure us of the authentic character of their ministry and that they gave out the words of the Lord, we are told that "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 1:2121For 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). All the prophets call earnestly upon the people to be subject to the word of the Lord, for they declared that they spoke His words.
Isaiah said, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read." On another occasion he said, Thus said the Lord, "To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word." And again, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at His word." He also exultingly cried out in contrast with the frailty of man, "The word of our God shall stand forever." Besides this testimony to the truth of the words which he ministered as being the word of God, he reproves the wicked in Israel because they cast away the word of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. The prophet further assures them that "The Lord hath spoken." He said, "Hear the word of the Lord." "Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel." (Isa. 34:16; 66:2, 5; 40:8; 5:24; 1:2, 10, 2416Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them. (Isaiah 34:16)
2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)
5Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. (Isaiah 66:5)
8The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8)
24Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 5:24)
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 1:2)
10Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah. (Isaiah 1:10)
24Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: (Isaiah 1:24).)
Jeremiah was so sensitive to the divine authority of the words he communicated to the people, that we find him saying, "Thus saith the Lord," and "Hear the counsel of the Lord." So divinely true were the words to his own conscience that he calls them God's words. He says, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." Again, we hear him saying, "The word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. Then I said, I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name. But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay." (Jer. 19:1; 49:20; 15:16; 20:8, 91Thus saith the Lord, Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take of the ancients of the people, and of the ancients of the priests; (Jeremiah 19:1)
20Therefore hear the counsel of the Lord, that he hath taken against Edom; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitations desolate with them. (Jeremiah 49:20)
16Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)
8For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the Lord was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily. 9Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. (Jeremiah 20:8‑9).)
Ezekiel says, "the word of the Lord came unto me," and "the word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel," and "Again the word of the Lord came unto me." This is repeated many times in his prophecy and he was also commanded to write. The Lord 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 shall speak shall come to pass" and "the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord God." (Ezek. 7:1; 1:3; 16:1; 2:7, 9, 10; 12:25, 281Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 7:1)
3The 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)
1Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, (Ezekiel 16:1)
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)
9And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein; 10And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe. (Ezekiel 2:9‑10)
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).)
No one can carefully consider the book of Psalms without seeing the value and authority of the Word of God frequently set forth. It opens by marking one point in the righteous man, being that he meditates in the law of God day and night. In Psa. 119 almost every verse speaks of the word, statutes, commandments, or law of the Lord. Not only does it speak of the purity of the word itself and its cleansing virtue, but its divine authenticity is so regarded that he 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." David was one of those holy men of old who was moved to speak by the Holy Spirit. (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).)
Daniel owned the writings, or books of Jeremiah as "the word of the Lord," and also "the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God," and that God had confirmed His word which He spake against us "as it is written in the law of Moses." We know that the God of heaven made known and revealed wonderful things to Daniel, and used him to communicate His mind both concerning the times of the Gentiles and His own people. Some things concerning them have since been accomplished, and much remains to be fulfilled. (Dan. 9:2, 11, 13; 2:19, 28, 442In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2)
11Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. (Daniel 9:11)
13As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. (Daniel 9:13)
19Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. (Daniel 2:19)
28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; (Daniel 2:28)
44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44).)
The other prophets generally ascribed the authenticity of their ministrations to God. In Hosea it is, "the word of the Lord that came unto Hosea." In Joel, "The word of the Lord that came to Joel." Amos said, "Thus saith the Lord." Obadiah said, "Thus saith the Lord God concerning Edom." In Jonah it is twice said, "The word of the Lord came unto Jonah." Micah begins with, "The word of the Lord that came to Micah." Nahum says, "Thus saith the Lord." Habakkuk tells us, "The Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." Zephaniah begins with, "The word of the Lord which came unto Zephaniah." (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); Joel 1:11The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel. (Joel 1:1); 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); Obad. 1:11The 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); 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); Mic. 1:11The word of the Lord that came to Micah the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. (Micah 1:1); 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); 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); 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).)
Malachi also introduces his testimony with, "The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi." It is well to observe that this last Old Testament prophet presses, in the Lord'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; 4:41The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi. (Malachi 1:1)
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).
C.H. Mackintosh El