The Divine Word of God
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit
2 Peter 1:20-21
The Bible is the one book we can read consistently throughout our lives and never stop receiving divine messages from God. It is where we are forever gaining understanding of God by walking in obedience to his will and being mindful of the Truth. Obedience to his Word opens our minds and hearts to receive the deep things of God.
The Bible was written over a period of approximately fifteen hundred years and was written by forty authors with varying cultural and educational backgrounds. These authors came from three different continents – Asia, Africa, and Europe – and the Bible was written in three different languages – Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Yet the sixty-six books of the Bible fit together perfectly with the constant theme of God’s relationship to man and God’s plan for man’s salvation through Christ. Historical and archeological discoveries have consistently supported the accuracy of the Bible.
For the word of God is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is alive because it is discerned by the Holy Spirit and the Spirit speaks only what he hears from our Lord. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14). But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come (John 16:13). The Word is alive means that when we the read the Word it can be conversation with the Lord. He speaks to us through our thoughts, revealing what he wants us to understand from the scripture as we are reading.
The Bible contains approximately twenty-five hundred prophecies and approximately two thousand have already been fulfilled. These prophecies include foretelling about the Israelite nation, prophecies concerning Jesus, and prophecies concerning the future. These prophecies are described in detail, and were fulfilled in every detail. This can only happen by the divine knowledge of God. Below are a few New Testament scriptures that show the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning Christ.
- But he was “pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5) “But when they came to Jesus and found that he was dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water” (John 19:33-34).
- “He was assigned a grave with the wicked” (Isaiah 53:9). “When they came to the place called the skull, they crucified him there, along with criminals – one on his right and the other on his left” (Luke 23:33)
- “They divided my clothes among them and cast lots for my garments” (Psalm 22:18). “When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, divided them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ‘Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it’” (John 19:23-24)
Today, believe without a doubt that the Bible is divine, written by men who were guided by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The diversity in time, language, and culture of the authors, yet the perfect unity and coherence of the Bible, was only achieved through the Spirit. The prophecies that came true in every detail hundreds of years later could only happen through the divine knowledge of God, again revealed to the authors through the Spirit.
Let’s Pray: Lord, I know every verse in your Word is true, and your truth sets me free from believing Satan’s lies. Thank you for the guidance and understanding you give me every time I read and meditate on your divine Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.