Day 2 – In a Book
From the beginning, God has desired to have His Word recorded in a book of some kind. I believe that it was so important to have God’s Words written in a book that He stated in His Word 12 times! The first historical record of God’s desire for His Word in written form can be found in the oldest book of the Bible, Job: (Job 19:23) Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!
Why do you think God would want us to have His Word in written form?
(1) For an on-going memorial:
(Exo 17:14) And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
What was so important about this this first recorded war with Israel? Why did God request it be recorded in a book as a memorial? Matthew Henry’s comment is a precious blessing:
It was great encouragement to the people to see Joshua before them in the field of battle, and Moses above them on the hill. Christ is both to us; our Joshua, the Captain of our salvation, who fights our battles, and our Moses, who ever lives, making intercession above, that our faith fail not. Weapons formed against God’s Israel cannot prosper long, and shall be broken at last. Moses must write what had been done, what Amalek had done against Israel; write their bitter hatred; write their cruel attempts; let them never be forgotten, nor what God had done for Israel in saving them from Amalek. Write what should be done; that in process of time Amalek should be totally ruined and rooted out. Amalek’s destruction was typical of the destruction of all the enemies of Christ and his kingdom.
What a blessing! I also noticed that it was to be rehearsed – repeated. Noah Webster defines the word as:
1. To recite; to repeat the words of a passage or composition; to repeat the words of another.
God’s Word was not to be put away on a shelf or interpreted only by “certain” people. (2Pe 1:20) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. It was to be repeated over and over. That is how we get to know God’s Word so completely that we no longer stumble. We have it committed to memory. (Deu 6:6-8 ) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (6) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (7) And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. (8 ) What was to be a sign and as frontlets between our eyes? Verse six says God’s Words! Noah Webster defines frontlets as:
[from front.] A frontal or browband; a fillet or band worn on the forehead. Deu 6.
God wants us to keep His Word ever present in our hand and in our heads, as well as in our hearts (verse 6). We are to teach our children and others diligently in every aspect of our lives (verse 7). Why?
2. To point to Christ:
(Deu 31:24-26) And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, (24) That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, (25) Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. (26)
The priesthood (the Levites) was charged with baring the ark. The ark symbolizes the Lord Jesus Christ. The Ark was made of shittim wood, an extremely strong and durable wood which represents our Saviour’s incorruptibility. It was covered with a gold in and out to represent Christ’s complete deity together with His humanity. The golden crown represents Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Ten Commandments were kept inside the Ark showing us that Christ kept these Commandments. The books of the Law were kept on the side of the Ark. Since Jesus is the Word of God, the Law (the books) were kept on the side of the Ark. The Law is made perfect through Him. (Mat 5:17) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. The Law is what makes us realize that we are sinners. (Gal 3:24) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Gal 3:25) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. The book of the Law shows mankind that it is impossible to keep the whole Law (James 2:10). I love how the Law was kept on the side of the Ark. It reminded me that Christ’s side was pierced at His death. (Joh 19:34) But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
What a beautiful picture of the Ark and Christ! The Ark is permanent – everlasting. Christ is everlasting – His Word is everlasting. God pointed that out in His Word as well. (Psa 119:144) The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.
3. To make it permanent:
(Isa 30:8 ) Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:
God’s Word does not expire – it does not become outdated – it is forever and ever. I was excited to find that there are seven occurrences in Scripture that contain the words “word, for ever”! Seven symbolizes perfection – God’s perfect number! The Word is perfect.
(2Sa 7:25) And now, O LORD God, the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said.
(Psa 105:8 ) He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
(Psa 119:89) LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
(Psa 119:160) Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
(Isa 40:8 ) The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
(1 Pe 1:23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
(1 Pe 1:25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
For the Word to be everlasting, never ending, we must have it in its entirety.
4. To make it complete:
(Jer 30:2) Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.
(Jer 36:2) Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.
Notice that God told Jeremiah to write ALL the words. God said this twice! What good is just some words? What good is a story without a beginning or an end? What good is a contract without the signature line? God’s Word is complete and God’s Word will come to pass.
(Num 11:23) And the LORD said unto Moses, Is the LORD’S hand waxed short? thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.
(Isa 55:11) So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
(Jer 1:12) Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
(Mat 5:18 ) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The written Word of God in a Book, complete and perfect without error, points us to Christ and His coming judgment.
5. To warn us about what is to come:
(Jer 51:60) So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.
(Rev 1:1) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
(Rev 1:11) Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
We are without excuse, my friend. God has not left us without direction. He has given us a Book that contains His Words for mankind! From the beginning there has been an effort to corrupt God’s Word because of ole slew foot! (Gen 3:1) Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? The devil caused man to question God’s Word in the Garden of Eden and it continues today.
God was indeed adamant about recording His Word in a Book and preserving His Words. (Psa 12:6-7) The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (6) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. (7) If God cannot preserve His Word for mankind, then this is a contradiction and we can call God a liar. (Tit 1:2) In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Since God cannot lie, then His Words are just as important as He says they are and they have been recorded in a book for us. How, then, can there be over 100 various versions of His Word? Each version has to be different from the main source or it cannot receive a copyright. Does God want parts of His Word to be removed? Does God want words added to His Words? (Rev 22:18-19) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: (18 ) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (18 ) If God took time to point out that severe judgment would come to those who added to or took away from the words of the prophecy of this book, then He most certainly means it. (Mat 5:18 ) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
But Satan continues his attacks and tries to corrupt God’s Word because he knows that the Truth lies within its pages. (Rom 1:25) Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. This is Satan’s primary goal. If he can succeed in keeping people from reading God’s True Word, he can keep people from being saved. He can keep believers from growing and having power through Christ.
Please, Father, don’t let me get complacent
When it comes to reading Your blessed Word
May I keep it as frontlets ‘tween my eyes
Keeping e’er before me, the Spirit’s sword.
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