It is Written

by David Gibson

My dad kept a small notebook in his pocket for writing reminders of appointments and things to do.

Why do we write notes to ourselves? Because we all know how fallible human memory is.
When Israel was at Sinai, Moses would climb the mountain to receive God’s instructions, then come down and tell the people what God said. But Moses did not leave it in oral form.

And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD . . . . Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient’” (Exodus 24:4, 7; see Deuteronomy 31:24-27).

This has been called the beginning of Scripture. Note the order:

  1. God spoke to Moses,
  2. Moses wrote what God said,
  3. Moses read this to the people,
  4. the people promised to obey.

Although they didn’t always live up to their promise, at least they knew God’s word was meant to be practiced (James 1:22-25).

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you’” (Jeremiah 30:1-2). (For a fascinating illustration of how God’s word continues to survive repeated attempts to destroy it, read the 36th chapter of Jeremiah.)

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31).

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, ‘Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea’” (Revelation 1:10).

Wasn’t God wise to preserve His truth in an objective, unchanging form: the written word for all time?

Repeatedly, Jesus challenged His audience, “Have you not read...?” (Matthew 12:3, 5; 19:4; 22:31; Mark 12:10; Luke 6:3).

His question lingers still.