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Lesson Book for All Mankind, January 4
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.
2
Peter 1:21
.
God committed the preparation of His divinely inspired Word to fi-
nite man. This Word, arranged into books, the Old and New Testaments,
is the guidebook to the inhabitants of a fallen world, bequeathed to them
that, by studying and obeying the directions, not one soul would lose its
way to heaven.
The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human
hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the
characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all “given
by inspiration of God” (
2 Timothy 3:16
); yet they are expressed in the
words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into
the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions,
symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed,
have themselves embodied the thought in human language.
The Lord speaks to human beings in imperfect speech, in order that
the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly perception, of earthly beings may
comprehend His words. Thus is shown God’s condescension. He meets
fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect as it is in its
simplicity, does not answer to the great ideas of God; for infinite ideas
cannot be perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of thought. Instead of the
expressions of the Bible being exaggerated, as many people suppose, the
strong expressions break down before the magnificence of the thought,
though the penman selected the most expressive language through which
to convey the truths of higher education.
God designed the Bible to be a lesson-book to all mankind, in
childhood, youth, and manhood, and to be studied through all time. He
gave His Word to men as a revelation of Himself.... It is the medium of
communication between God and man.
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