p. 339 | THE WORD OF THE LORD by Ellet Joseph Waggoner

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 3, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 22.

THE WORD OF THE LORD.

By Ellet Joseph Waggoner

BY ELDER E. J. WAGGONER.

"For no prophecy ever came by the will of man; but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:21.

WE have already read that the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets of old, testifying. David said, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." 2 Sam. 23:2. We have also read such expressions in the New Testament as, "The Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake;" "Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said;" "As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began," etc. These and other scriptures show that the Bible is emphatically the word of God.

Read also the following words: "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1 Thess. 2:13. This is the case with "all Scripture," and is just what is stated in the text at the head of this article.

How much is included in the term "prophecy"? This can best be answered by considering the meaning of the word "prophet." This term we find defined in God's words to Moses. When Moses persistently sought to evade God's

commission to go back to Egypt, on the ground that he was not eloquent, "the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God." Ex. 4:14-16.

Now read Ex. 7:1: "And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet." What part did Aaron have to act?—Simply to utter the words that Moses gave him. He was the spokesman for Moses; he was to him as a mouth. But he is called a prophet to Moses. Therefore we know that a prophet is one who speaks for another; who utters not his own words, but the words of another. Therefore a prophet of God is one who speaks for God; who speaks not his own words, but the words of God. "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God." John 3:34.

See this definition of a prophet carried out in the prophecy concerning Christ, in Deut. 18:18, 19: "I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."

A prophet, therefore, is one who speaks the words of God, and consequently prophecy must be that which is spoken by the Lord through a prophet. But this embraces the entire Bible. Of course there can be no question in regard to what are known as the prophetic books. But the Psalms are prophecy, for they are often quoted as such in the New Testament. They are full of predictions concerning Christ and his coming. See the words above quoted concerning the principal writer of the Psalms, in 2 Sam. 23:2.

The five books of Moses are prophecy by the same rule, for they were written by one of the greatest prophets. See Deut. 34:10. He who reads those books understandingly, will find them full of prophecy concerning future events. When Jesus met with his disciples after his resurrection, he said, "These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me." Luke 24:44.

But how about the historical books of the Bible. They must also come under the head of prophecy, for the writers of those books were invariably prophets. They were inspired, as well as the rest of the Scriptures. Let it be noted well that we are not stating any theory of inspiration,—we are not attempting to show how the Scriptures are inspired, nor to settle any question as to "degrees of inspiration"—but are simply considering what the scriptures themselves say of the fact. We do not profess to tell how much any portion of Scripture is inspired, for it is all infinite and cannot be measured. He who presumes to measure the "degrees of inspiration" might as well set

himself to tell how much more power the Lord exerted in creating the sun than in creating the earth, or how much harder work it was for him to make the earth than to make a blade of grass. We simply know that the infinite power of God was required to make the smallest object in nature, and we are content. So we are content with knowing that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God," without trying to weigh God's words in the balances of poor human reason.

So in regard to the historical books of the Bible we may not say that they are inspired as much as the rest of the Bible, for that would be to imply a measurement of inspiration; but we can say that they come from the same Divine Source as the rest. All are given by the same inspiration of God.

Some will say, "Surely it cannot be necessary to consider the narratives of the Bible inspired; anybody can write out that which passes before his eyes, or that which he has experienced." It is a fact that it is comparatively easy to write out what one thinks about a thing, but it is quite another matter to be sure that it is the absolute truth. No human writer can set down the truth and the whole truth in regard to any event in history. Only God can do that, and it is because the historical records of the Bible are his words, that they can be depended on.

But there is something that is not often considered in reading the historical records of the Bible, and that is the object for which they were written. It was not simply to gratify curiosity concerning things that have taken place in the past, but for our guidance in the present. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Rom 15:4. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." 1 Cor. 10:11. Now note the prophetic element in sacred history. In the direct predictions we find set forth the things that are to take place in the last days. The power to foretell future events is clearly recognized as supernatural. In the history we find that which directs us perfectly how we ought to act when the things come that are predicted. One part tells what is coming; the other part exactly fits man's need when the thing comes. And not only does it meet the need of one man, but of every man in all time. Surely sacred history is prophecy.

This matter might be carried farther, but this is sufficient. Let the reader note the frequent occurrence in the Bible of the expressions, "And the Lord said," "The word of the Lord came unto me," etc. Let him learn to receive the entire Bible as the word of God, and then remember that it is written that "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."