Inspiration one

This is the first of several lessons we plan to present on the subject of Bible Inspiration. They will be posted from time to time. I make no claim for their depth or originality. These are just a few of the things I have found helpful and interesting on the subject. freddie


INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE
I I Tim.3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
II Peter 1:19 We 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:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For 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.
Matt.24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

By observation and Intuition, human beings of normal intellect know there is a God. Reason dictates that this God will communicate with His creatures. The Bible tells us He has used many ways of doing this in the past. Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

The Bible, as the revealed will of God stands as the very foundation of our faith today; Psa 11:3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

The Bible has one divine author who used many human instruments. This IS inspiration. It is typified in an event recorded in the book of Daniel. Dan 5:5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

This was God’s message to Belshazzar and he couldn"t understand it though he saw the human hand which penned it. God had to provide the understanding. 1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Some have said that the Bible ‘contains’ the Word of God. This is in error. The Bible IS the Word of God. True, it contains words of even the devil, but they are there because God inspired the writers to tell us of them.
Some try to explain the difference in style from one human author to another by saying that God simply planted the ideas in their minds and allowed them to tell it in their own words. Though God is the author, He used many different men as scribes and their styles and often, even their personalities shine through.
I look at this as an example of a person today who might use pencil, pen, typewriter , chalk or crayon. The attributes of each instrument would be plain even though the author would be the same.
The truth is, they often penned down the words but had no idea as to what the meaning might be! 1 Pet 1:10 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1 Pet 1:11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

They often had to study diligently to find the meaning of their own prophecies and sometimes, even then , this was denied them. Dan 12:8 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
Dan 12:9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

Not only were those who were inspired given the words instead of the thoughts, they spake as they were moved [borne along by force, like a leaf in a stream]. Though Balaam was not one of God’s prophets, even he could only speak that which God gave him to say. Num 22:38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee: have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.

Those who penned down God’s Word were not writers or scribes, by trade.
Moses was born in slavery, condemned to death as a baby yet raised as a prince by his condemner. A fugitive, a shepherd, a national leader by divine appointment and a writer of scripture by inspiration.

David was the youngest and most insignificant son in an obscure family, a shepherd by trade, a warrior by necessity, a king by divine choice and a writer of Scripture by inspiration.

Daniel was led into Babylonian captivity as a young man, rose from slave to Prime Minister of Babylon and was a prophet and writer of scripture by inspiration.

Ezekiel was born into the Priesthood.

Amos was a lowly gatherer of wild figs.

Matthew was a despised and feared tax collector for the Roman government.

Luke came from the ranks of medical men of his day and is called the beloved physician.

Peter came from a family of fishermen.



Paul was a lawyer by education and a tent maker by trade. By natural temperament a radical Jewish zealot.
The characteristics of each of these instruments can be clearly seen in their writings yet it is the mind of God which is expressed.
It is a truly wonderful thing that these men, who, though separated by time, geography, social strata, education and circumstances, nevertheless wrote on many subjects without a single disagreement!
This was made possible by a single fact; GOD IS THE AUTHOR.
Some writers use typewriters; others write in longhand and others use computers; still others write by dictation . God used a method available only to Him; Inspiration. 2 Tim 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Though Moses was the scribe, God, himself, said He is the author of the Law. Hosea 8:12 I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.

The Bible clearly declares that God is the author of the laws and statutes given to Israel.
2 Ki 17:36 But the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, him shall ye fear, and him shall ye worship, and to him shall ye do sacrifice.
2 Ki 17:37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which he wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
Moses had no doubts as to the source of their instructions.
Exo 35:1 And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
Exo 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,

As David came to the end of his life he had this testimony; 2 Sam 23:2 The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
Jeremiah affirmed; Jer 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,


Ezekiels deposition was thus; Ezek 1:3 The 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.

Amos said he wrote the WORDS that he saw. Amos 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

During the lifetimes of these men there were many false ideas in the world and yet none of these ideas crept in to the Word of God. Perhaps the greatest example of this truth is Moses. During his time, the Egyptians taught some strange things, including the idea that life came from the slime of the River Nile and the earth rested on the back of a huge turtle whose moving caused earthquakes. Even though Moses was educated by these people he wrote not one of these errors. Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. More will be said on this subject in another chapter.

NEXT: THE PLAN OF THE SCRIPTURE

Start Where You Are and Use What You Have

TEXT:1 Pet 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Pet 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

For far too many children of God, ‘someday’ is used as a labor saving device;
Some day when I gain more knowlege-
Someday, when I get the money--
Someday, when I have more time-
Someday-------
Suppose you were stranded in a wilderness area. Would you begin to work toward survival or would you sit down and wait for someone to build a freeway to a supermarket and give you a car?

I. Some Old Testament Examples of the Principle we wish to explore.
A. Israel at the Red Sea. No army for defense and no place to turn, but God had the answer.
Exo 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Exo 14:16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

B. A shepherd lad faces a giant warrior. No armor that will fit, no time for lessons in swordsmanship. He had faith in God and five smooth stones.

C. Sampson found himself surrounded with enemy and nothing to fight with but the jawbone of an ass. It was enough.

D. Gideon saw himself as an insignificant little man in a job much too big, and most of his assets taken away. But God gave a victory.
Judg 6:15 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.
Judg 6:16 And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.
That promise was worth more than a division of well trained soldiers!

II. Examples from the New Testament.
A. The loaves and fishes.
Mat 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.
The disciples wanted to send for supplies, Jesus said just go to work. However inadequate we perceive ourselves to be, we can meet the challenge if we but place ourselves in the Master’s hands.

B. Consider the Gadarean Demoniac.
Mark 5:18 And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.
He had not had time for a course in theology, but was sent home with a personal testimony! If that’s all YOU have, use it while learning more.

C. The Ethiopian Eunuch.
Acts 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
Just a few minutes earlier, he had to have a simple scripture explained to him. Now he has salvation, and baptism and the joy of the Lord and he heads to Africa with it.

D. The first disciples, Peter and Andrew; "Follow me!" not, ‘Sit down until you are well prepared" Christian education is something to be desired by all children of God, but God started the ‘earn while you learn’ plan. Study to be a workman, but work while you study!

III. Application of the Principle
2 Pet 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2 Pet 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2 Pet 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
Use your strongest virtue to increase your own power and to be a blessing to those around you.
2 Pet 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A. When faced with a ‘perceived’ lack of power, learn to thrill to answered prayer and share THAT with others.

B. If you have no knowlege of deeper things but desire to see souls saved, use that desire to reach out to those around you.

USE WHAT YOU HAVE AND He will bless your efforts and add to them. You will grow through exercise.

A More Excellent Way

I wanted greater wisdom
and so, I asked the Lord.
He said,"Take this gift I give,
It’s called, The Love of God!"

I wanted to show I loved Him.
For ways I began to search.
He said, "Take up your cross and follow
and serve me in My Church."

It will strengthen you when tempted,
and comfort when you’re sad.
It will change your fears to boldness,
There"s nothing greater to be had!"

My love caused Me to die for you
and shed tears in Gethsemene.
In your heart let it be shed abroad,
It’ll help you to live for me!

fcc