Investigating the Contexts and Themes of the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament.
Showing posts with label davar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label davar. Show all posts
Hope
"Plato has taught us to be suspicious of claims of hope. In the Greek world, hope is merely the projection of desired ends in order that I may survive the current trauma. Hope is not real. It is merely psychologically necessary, a convenient crutch to support my battered psyche until I can return to a more rational state of mind. So when the psalmist declares that I can hope in God’s word, my good Greek training whispers, 'Well, if you need to believe this, go ahead, but you know that things don’t turn out that way in the end, do they? You don’t really think God’s goodness will show up, do you? After all, how could the world be in such a mess if what God says is really true?' Ah, the wonders of paradigmatic assumptions. If I listen to all that good training, I will stay in the dark, brooding over the lie of fate."
Words For A New Year
Words are powerful. Often times we use them carelessly, whether it's raining insult upon a perceived inferior, casting doubt into a hidden shadow perhaps already existing in an unsuspecting acquaintance or general derogatory remarks that can fill a heart with hurt as sure as one can be filled with hope. Words are cheap, therefore we spend. All of our spending does indeed cost us, some more dearly than others. I am not making any grand, noble or menial resolutions, but I did however resolve that the first words from my lips this year of 2016 A.D. - anno domini, the year of our Lord, may we never forget it - would not be my words, but rather those of a collection of writing I hold in the highest reverence.
My wife and I sat together on our couch, and as the ever swifter moving clock turned over to 12:00, ushering in yet another fresh year, I read the words of the Psalmist, from Chapter 1, first in Hebrew, then in English. This is the prayer of my heart for 2016. May we all strive to live according to the instruction of our God and Father, perpetually walking in his ways. Then will we know what true prosperity is.
The Word of God
“Say to the servant that he might go ahead of us and pass on, but you remain standing now, that I may proclaim the word of God to you.” 1Sa. 9:27
“It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan.” 1Ch. 17:3
“I [Paul] became a servant of the Good News because God gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message [word] from [of] God, the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself.” Col. 1:25-26
“…the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God.” 2 Pe. 3:5
“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, ‘Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.’" Isa. 1:1-2
“Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God…the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest… Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!’As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.” Ezek. 1-2
“Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.’ But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.’” Jer. 1:4-7
Many Christians today refer to the Bible as “the word of God.” What exactly is God’s word? If this question was posed in most churches, would the answer be “the Bible”? Has it changed definition since its use in the Scriptures? How could “word of God” be synonymous with “the Bible” if the Bible did not exist when “word of God” was used in it? Have the waters perhaps been muddied as often done in Christian terminology? Are Christians confused about what the “word of God” actually is and represents? Did God speak all the words in the Bible or only a few, as seen in some of the passages exemplified above? Are the individuals found in the Bible historical figures with a real voice through whom God spoke, interacted and moved? Did they have freedom to express their experiences with the God of Israel in their own unique way, or were they merely puppets on a string contributing to God’s great Bible compilation schema?
What gives justifiable cause to assume every word in the Bible is God’s word(s)? Whence is this idea derived? A common response may be, “but God inspired the Bible, thus making it from him”. Should a distinction be recognized between words that God actually spoke to his prophets for delivery to his people and the record of what the men of God penned about their experiences, circumstances, feelings and interpretations of what God said?
A couple of years ago I posed these questions in a conversational setting to an individual of influence in the Christian community. At doing so, stern opposition and a verbal chastisement was the reply for even insinuating such blasphemous notions. While there was no evidence presented to refute the proposition, nonetheless there was a vigilant unwillingness to consider what was being stated. Instead of legitimate responses, personal attacks pertaining to lack of credentials and experience were hurled. The question and proposition was almost unfathomable. How has Christianity come to this, and why?
What is inspiration, and what does it mean to most Christians? Did “writers” of the biblical record sit in a hypnotic state and function as an ink jet printer while God dictated the words of the Bible? “Ok Jeremiah, take a seat and get ready, here’s what I want you to write, set, go!
“It came about the same night that the word of God came to Nathan.” 1Ch. 17:3
“I [Paul] became a servant of the Good News because God gave me this work to do for your benefit. The work is to make fully known the message [word] from [of] God, the secret hidden for generations, for ages, but now made clear to the people he has set apart for himself.” Col. 1:25-26
“…the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God.” 2 Pe. 3:5
“The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Listen, O heavens, and hear, O earth; For the LORD speaks, ‘Sons I have reared and brought up, But they have revolted against Me.’" Isa. 1:1-2
“Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the river Chebar among the exiles, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God…the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel the priest… Then He said to me, ‘Son of man, stand on your feet that I may speak with you!’As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.” Ezek. 1-2
“Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.’ Then I said, ‘Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.’ But the LORD said to me, ‘Do not say, 'I am a youth,' Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak.’” Jer. 1:4-7
Many Christians today refer to the Bible as “the word of God.” What exactly is God’s word? If this question was posed in most churches, would the answer be “the Bible”? Has it changed definition since its use in the Scriptures? How could “word of God” be synonymous with “the Bible” if the Bible did not exist when “word of God” was used in it? Have the waters perhaps been muddied as often done in Christian terminology? Are Christians confused about what the “word of God” actually is and represents? Did God speak all the words in the Bible or only a few, as seen in some of the passages exemplified above? Are the individuals found in the Bible historical figures with a real voice through whom God spoke, interacted and moved? Did they have freedom to express their experiences with the God of Israel in their own unique way, or were they merely puppets on a string contributing to God’s great Bible compilation schema?
What gives justifiable cause to assume every word in the Bible is God’s word(s)? Whence is this idea derived? A common response may be, “but God inspired the Bible, thus making it from him”. Should a distinction be recognized between words that God actually spoke to his prophets for delivery to his people and the record of what the men of God penned about their experiences, circumstances, feelings and interpretations of what God said?
A couple of years ago I posed these questions in a conversational setting to an individual of influence in the Christian community. At doing so, stern opposition and a verbal chastisement was the reply for even insinuating such blasphemous notions. While there was no evidence presented to refute the proposition, nonetheless there was a vigilant unwillingness to consider what was being stated. Instead of legitimate responses, personal attacks pertaining to lack of credentials and experience were hurled. The question and proposition was almost unfathomable. How has Christianity come to this, and why?
What is inspiration, and what does it mean to most Christians? Did “writers” of the biblical record sit in a hypnotic state and function as an ink jet printer while God dictated the words of the Bible? “Ok Jeremiah, take a seat and get ready, here’s what I want you to write, set, go!
“The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign….”
This is an absurdity, yet not too far from how it is often conceived and portrayed, a nebulous of inspiration, infallibility and inerrancy with a hint of mystery thrown-in. Are these opening words of the book of Jeremiah the words of the author or God? They never claim to be God’s words, because they are not. God’s words are carefully emphasized by stating, the
“word of the LORD came to me saying”….
and then God’s message to Jeremiah follows. Did God inspire Jeremiah to record his experience and message?
The apostle Paul had messages or “words” from/of God for people, but sometimes (by his own admission), it was not always directly a message “from the Lord," e.g. 1 Co. 7,
The apostle Paul had messages or “words” from/of God for people, but sometimes (by his own admission), it was not always directly a message “from the Lord," e.g. 1 Co. 7,
“…I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her…I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. I think…I want…I mean…I would…I say…in my judgment…and I think that I too have the Spirit of God” 1Co. 7:12, 25, 28, 29, 32, 35, 40.
The Bible never once calls itself “the word of God.” Why not? Perhaps it is because “God’s word” cannot be limited to written words on a page.
The Bible never once calls itself “the word of God.” Why not? Perhaps it is because “God’s word” cannot be limited to written words on a page.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword” Heb. 4:12.
God sends his word and it doesn’t return to him until it has accomplished its purpose (Isa. 55:10,11). The word of God spreads on earth (Acts 6:7). We are
“born again...through the living and enduring word of God” 1 Pet. 1:23.
The word of God abides in us (1 John 2:14). All things were made through God’s word (John 1:1-3). Even Jesus’ is given the title “word of God” (Rev. 19:13) as a correlation to Deut. 18. The word of God, God’s revealed and proclaimed truth is not a book, even though the book reveals things about God and words he did indeed speak, but the two are not synonymous. The most obvious reason is that a “complete” Bible (as is known today) did not exist until much later. The books and letters contained within the framework of “the Bible” know nothing of this later “canonized” development.
The fact of the matter is, it is the prophets[1] through whom the words of God are delivered. The writer of Hebrews is also of this opinion:
The fact of the matter is, it is the prophets[1] through whom the words of God are delivered. The writer of Hebrews is also of this opinion:
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, in these last days, he spoke to us through a son…” Heb 1:1-2.
This has been known early on when God made the declarative promise to and through the authority figure Moses:
“I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you [Moses], and I [Yahweh, the LORD] will put my [Yahweh] words in his [prophet’s] mouth, and he [prophet] shall speak to them [the people, as a prophet is supposed to do] all that I [Yahweh] command him [prophet]. 'It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My [Yahweh] words which he [prophet] shall speak in My [Yahweh] name, I Myself [Yahweh] will require it of him [whoever doesn’t listen].” Deut. 18:18-19.
In 2 Tim. 3:15 the writer calls the Tanakh, (Old Testament)[2] “scripture” (literally “writings”).[3] It is given by God, for the community of God. God has inspired, motivated, gifted, commissioned men for this purpose. An inspired or “sacred canon” is not synonymous to “the words of God.” These scriptures or “writings” of this library are considered “holy” or set apart from others. The reason for this is the community.
Isaiah was recognized as a prophet of God, and God spoke through him to the people. His words were verified (cf. Deut. 18:20-22). He had words of God for the community of Israel. It is not the books of Isaiah that carried authority, those came later. The only reason they carried any authority was because they had as their fountainhead the eponymous prophet Isaiah. It was God’s authority in Isaiah, which in turn made the record of his experiences, interactions, feelings, even interpretations regarded as authoritative by the community. Second Temple era Judaism had their set of “writings”.[4] As time went on, the movement that became known as Christianity procured trustworthy books recognized by the church as “inspired” and normative. This developed into the New Testament, which more accurately stated is a commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures. It seeks to shows why this “Jesus of Nazareth” is God’s chosen one, Messiah, and what that means for not only Israel, but also the rest of the world. It contains interpretations of the Hebrew text aimed at aiding outsiders and gentiles in their comprehension of concepts Hebraic in nature, as taught in the Tanakh and therefore hard to grasp for a Hellenistic and western, philosophically trained worldview.
Simply put, the “word of God” is that which God spoke and/or speaks. For example,
In 2 Tim. 3:15 the writer calls the Tanakh, (Old Testament)[2] “scripture” (literally “writings”).[3] It is given by God, for the community of God. God has inspired, motivated, gifted, commissioned men for this purpose. An inspired or “sacred canon” is not synonymous to “the words of God.” These scriptures or “writings” of this library are considered “holy” or set apart from others. The reason for this is the community.
Isaiah was recognized as a prophet of God, and God spoke through him to the people. His words were verified (cf. Deut. 18:20-22). He had words of God for the community of Israel. It is not the books of Isaiah that carried authority, those came later. The only reason they carried any authority was because they had as their fountainhead the eponymous prophet Isaiah. It was God’s authority in Isaiah, which in turn made the record of his experiences, interactions, feelings, even interpretations regarded as authoritative by the community. Second Temple era Judaism had their set of “writings”.[4] As time went on, the movement that became known as Christianity procured trustworthy books recognized by the church as “inspired” and normative. This developed into the New Testament, which more accurately stated is a commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures. It seeks to shows why this “Jesus of Nazareth” is God’s chosen one, Messiah, and what that means for not only Israel, but also the rest of the world. It contains interpretations of the Hebrew text aimed at aiding outsiders and gentiles in their comprehension of concepts Hebraic in nature, as taught in the Tanakh and therefore hard to grasp for a Hellenistic and western, philosophically trained worldview.
Simply put, the “word of God” is that which God spoke and/or speaks. For example,
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” Gen. 1:1-3.
Is it to be assumed that all the words above are God’s words or just those described as such? If not, then what’s the point of making a distinction?
Does a clarification of the “word of God” really matter or is this a pointless and perhaps pedantic exercise? While referring to the Bible as “God’s Word” or the “Word of God” may seem to heighten its divine inspiration and authoritative content, it also homogenizes the distinctive portions where God is said to “speak”. Basically, it minimizes Yahweh’s actual words he commanded the prophets to speak. When reading the testimonies of the prophets sometime, pay close attention to those specific words spoken by God. Observe the interaction and realize that the God whom they served is the same God who works in the present day and age, with the same communicative power. There have been times, such as what is found in the days of Eli when,
Does a clarification of the “word of God” really matter or is this a pointless and perhaps pedantic exercise? While referring to the Bible as “God’s Word” or the “Word of God” may seem to heighten its divine inspiration and authoritative content, it also homogenizes the distinctive portions where God is said to “speak”. Basically, it minimizes Yahweh’s actual words he commanded the prophets to speak. When reading the testimonies of the prophets sometime, pay close attention to those specific words spoken by God. Observe the interaction and realize that the God whom they served is the same God who works in the present day and age, with the same communicative power. There have been times, such as what is found in the days of Eli when,
“the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision” 1Sa 3:1.
At that time, God raised-up a prophet through whom he spoke. And in the narrative, a message was delivered to Eli by young Samuel that had already been delivered to him. It was the “second witness”, by the mouth of a child.[5]
What about the much quoted (as though it speaks of “the Bible)
What about the much quoted (as though it speaks of “the Bible)
“Your word I have treasured [hidden] in my heart, That I may not sin against You”
or
"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path” Psa. 119:11, 105.
This is a good example how a verse can be taken out of its proper contextual understanding. Exegetical guidelines need to be followed: what did the words mean to the original hearers/readers? What is the cultural meaning of the language (idioms, terminology, cultural colloquial phrases etc.)? What was original communicator’s intent? At the time this passage was composed, there was neither a Christian nor Hebrew “canon”. There were God’s “words” to Moses, the Torah (instruction, statutes, teachings).
Deuteronomy is the common Christian title of the last book of the Torah (Pentateuch). However, the Hebrews know it by another name, d’varim, which is Hebrew for “words”. This title comes from the first few words of the book itself,
Deuteronomy is the common Christian title of the last book of the Torah (Pentateuch). However, the Hebrews know it by another name, d’varim, which is Hebrew for “words”. This title comes from the first few words of the book itself,
“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel…” Deut. 1:1.
This was very important for the Hebrews and even more so for a King of Israel, for in the book of “words” was this “word”:
“If, after you have entered the land that the LORD your God has assigned to you, and taken possession of it and settled in it, you decide, ‘I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me,’ you shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by the LORD your God. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people...When he is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching [Torah] written for him on a scroll by the levitical priests. Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God, to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching [Torah] as well as these laws. Thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left, to the end that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel” Deut. 17:14-20
Within the same book of d’varim (words, Deuteronomy) these words are also found:
Within the same book of d’varim (words, Deuteronomy) these words are also found:
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart”[6] 6:6;
“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul” 11:18;
“But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.” 30:14;
“Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the words of this law. For it is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life. And by this word you will prolong your days…” 32:46-47
So then, the words of the Psalmist are not about the “Bible” as is viewed today, but a confirmation of the composer’s intention to take seriously the “words” spoken by God through his servant Moses, words to be lived, breathed and treasured. Jesus famously quoted these “words” as well,
“man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD” Deut. 8:3
This is not to suggest that the “Bible” is in any way insufficient or lacking in its revelation of God. But God does continue to speak to his people and direct them, outside of a “book”. This is his word. It is better to recognize the Bible for what it is, a library and collection of writings by men and women commissioned (inspired) by God to act and speak in his name rather than a monolithic unit emailed from heaven. When the Bible becomes an object of worship, serious questions must be asked about the worldview that created it as such. God has given his words. But there are also the others words of others about him, providing the necessary context as to why his words have validity, thus showing them to truly be his authoritative “words”.
_____________________________
End Notes:
[1] In the ANE (Ancient Near East) cultures, oral communication and transmission was the norm. It wasn’t until later times that developments brought civilization to the textual dominance with which the world is accustomed to today. “Writing was associated primarily with preservation (archives and libraies) and only secondarily with dissemination (written copy so that others could read it aloud; see 2 Chron 17:9).” John Walton, The Lost World of Scripture (IVP Academic, 2013), 28.
[2] Tanakh is an acronym. In Hebrew vowels are not written. It takes the T from Torah, which is the first five books, the N from Nevi'im, which is the books of the prophets, the K from Ketuvim, which is all the writings such as Ezra Nehemiah, Chronicles, Poetic books such as the Psalms and Proverbs, adds a couple vowel sounds to make TaNaKh. Using the phrase “Old Testament” is very offensive to the Hebrew people, because in doing so, we are stating whether we know it or not, that the New Testament is the new and improved version and they have the old one.
[3] Cf. Mt. 21:42; 22:29; 26:54, 56; Mk. 12:10, 24; 14:49; 15:28; Lk. 4:21; 24:27, 32, 45; John 2:22; 5:39; 7:38, 42; 10:35; 13:18; 17:12; 19:24, 28, 36, 37; 20:9; Act 1:16; 8:32, 35; 17:2, 11; 18:24, 28; Rom. 1:2; 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; 15:4; 16:26; Gal. 3:8, 22; 4:30; 1 Co. 15:3, 4; 1 Ti. 4:13; 5:18; 2 Ti. 3:16; Jam. 2:8, 23; 4:5; 1 Pe. 2:6; 3:16; 2 Pe. 1:20.
[4] Not all were in agreement. The ruling, priestly Sadducees did not accept the progressive revelation of God through the prophets as authoritative and therefore rejected them, accepting only the Torah. The Pharisees however, were fully acceptant of not only the writings that make up our Old Testament, but also other writings (apocryphal, pseudepigraphal).
[5] The instruction given the people of Israel was that a single accusation was insufficient; it needed to be verified by a second. Deut. 19:15 In 1 Samuel 2:27-36 an unknown “man of God” delivers a message that was almost identical to what the young Samuel relayed to Eli “from the Lord”. This (among other things) was confirmation that Samuel was “established” as a prophet, a voice for the God of Israel.
[6] Cf. Job 22:22
[7] Cf. Matt. 4:4; Lk. 4:4
This is not to suggest that the “Bible” is in any way insufficient or lacking in its revelation of God. But God does continue to speak to his people and direct them, outside of a “book”. This is his word. It is better to recognize the Bible for what it is, a library and collection of writings by men and women commissioned (inspired) by God to act and speak in his name rather than a monolithic unit emailed from heaven. When the Bible becomes an object of worship, serious questions must be asked about the worldview that created it as such. God has given his words. But there are also the others words of others about him, providing the necessary context as to why his words have validity, thus showing them to truly be his authoritative “words”.
_____________________________
End Notes:
[1] In the ANE (Ancient Near East) cultures, oral communication and transmission was the norm. It wasn’t until later times that developments brought civilization to the textual dominance with which the world is accustomed to today. “Writing was associated primarily with preservation (archives and libraies) and only secondarily with dissemination (written copy so that others could read it aloud; see 2 Chron 17:9).” John Walton, The Lost World of Scripture (IVP Academic, 2013), 28.
[2] Tanakh is an acronym. In Hebrew vowels are not written. It takes the T from Torah, which is the first five books, the N from Nevi'im, which is the books of the prophets, the K from Ketuvim, which is all the writings such as Ezra Nehemiah, Chronicles, Poetic books such as the Psalms and Proverbs, adds a couple vowel sounds to make TaNaKh. Using the phrase “Old Testament” is very offensive to the Hebrew people, because in doing so, we are stating whether we know it or not, that the New Testament is the new and improved version and they have the old one.
[3] Cf. Mt. 21:42; 22:29; 26:54, 56; Mk. 12:10, 24; 14:49; 15:28; Lk. 4:21; 24:27, 32, 45; John 2:22; 5:39; 7:38, 42; 10:35; 13:18; 17:12; 19:24, 28, 36, 37; 20:9; Act 1:16; 8:32, 35; 17:2, 11; 18:24, 28; Rom. 1:2; 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; 15:4; 16:26; Gal. 3:8, 22; 4:30; 1 Co. 15:3, 4; 1 Ti. 4:13; 5:18; 2 Ti. 3:16; Jam. 2:8, 23; 4:5; 1 Pe. 2:6; 3:16; 2 Pe. 1:20.
[4] Not all were in agreement. The ruling, priestly Sadducees did not accept the progressive revelation of God through the prophets as authoritative and therefore rejected them, accepting only the Torah. The Pharisees however, were fully acceptant of not only the writings that make up our Old Testament, but also other writings (apocryphal, pseudepigraphal).
[5] The instruction given the people of Israel was that a single accusation was insufficient; it needed to be verified by a second. Deut. 19:15 In 1 Samuel 2:27-36 an unknown “man of God” delivers a message that was almost identical to what the young Samuel relayed to Eli “from the Lord”. This (among other things) was confirmation that Samuel was “established” as a prophet, a voice for the God of Israel.
[6] Cf. Job 22:22
[7] Cf. Matt. 4:4; Lk. 4:4
The Word of God to...
It should give reason for pause and reflection that the Bible never refers to itself as the “Word of God" as many moderns are accustomed. The OT is known as the Scriptures, among other titles. Scriptures are writings held sacred by a group, and therefore if one is taking the NT seriously, it falls into this category, as the Word of God is recorded to have been given to individuals in it. Not least of which is the promised "prophet like Moses" which Deut. 18 details,
"I [Yahweh] will put my [Yahweh] words in his [prophets] mouth, and he [prophet] shall speak to them [people, Israel, whoever] all that I [Yahweh] command him [prophet]. And whoever will not listen to my [Yahweh] words that he [prophet] shall speak in my [Yahweh] name, I [Yahweh] myself will require it of him [whoever]."
The Word of God - that which God speaks - is recorded in the Scriptures as coming to many individuals in various times and places, e.g. the “Word of God” that came to Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel etc. That Word (davar, instruction, speech, statement, pronouncement) has been
“handed down through angels and a mediator” Gal. 3:16 (think Sinai).
The word angel comes from the Hebrew, malak, meaning messenger. According to the writer of Hebrews,
“in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son” Heb. 1:2.
"I [Yahweh] will put my [Yahweh] words in his [prophets] mouth, and he [prophet] shall speak to them [people, Israel, whoever] all that I [Yahweh] command him [prophet]. And whoever will not listen to my [Yahweh] words that he [prophet] shall speak in my [Yahweh] name, I [Yahweh] myself will require it of him [whoever]."
The Word of God - that which God speaks - is recorded in the Scriptures as coming to many individuals in various times and places, e.g. the “Word of God” that came to Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel etc. That Word (davar, instruction, speech, statement, pronouncement) has been
“handed down through angels and a mediator” Gal. 3:16 (think Sinai).
The word angel comes from the Hebrew, malak, meaning messenger. According to the writer of Hebrews,
“in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son” Heb. 1:2.
C.S. Lewis on the "Word of God"
"…Holy Scripture is in some sense though not all parts of it in the same sense-the word of God…I take it that the whole Old Testament consists of the same sort of material as any other literature-chronicle (some of it obviously pretty accurate), poems, moral and political diatribes, romances, and what not; but all taken into the service of God’s word. Not all, I suppose, in the same way. There are prophets who write with the clearest awareness that Divine compulsion is upon them. There are chroniclers whose intention may have been merely to record. There are poets like those in the Song of Songs who probably never dreamed of any but a secular and natural purpose in what they composed. There is (and it is no less important) the work first of the Jewish and then of the Christian Church in preserving and canonising just these books. There is the work of redactors and editors in modifying them. On all of these I suppose a Divine pressure; of which not by any means all need have been conscious. The human qualities of the raw materials show through. Naivety, error, contradiction, even (as in the cursing Psalms) wickedness are not removed. The total result is not “the Word of God” in the sense that every passage, in itself, gives impeccable science or history. It carries the Word of God; and we (under grace, with attention to tradition and to interpreters wiser than ourselves, and with the use of such intelligence and learning as we may have) receive that word from it not by using it as an encyclopedia or an encyclical but by steeping ourselves in its tone or temper and so learning its overall message. To a human mind this working-up (in a sense imperfectly), this sublimation (incomplete) of human material, seems, no doubt, an untidy and leaky vehicle. We might have expected, we may think we should have preferred, an unrefracted light giving us ultimate truth in systematic form-something we could have tabulated and memorised and relied on like the multiplication table. One can respect, and at moments envy, both the Fundamentalist’s view of the Bible and the Roman Catholic’s view of the Church. But there is one argument which we should beware of using for either position: God must have done what is best, this is best, therefore God has done this. For we are mortals and do not know what is best for us, and it is dangerous to prescribe what God must have done-especially when we cannot, for the life of us, see that He has after all done it. We may observe that the teaching of Our Lord Himself, in which there is no imperfection, is not given us in that cut-and-dried, fool-proof, systematic fashion we might have expected or desired. He wrote no book. We have only reported sayings, most of them uttered in answer to questions, shaped in some degree by their context. And when we have collected them all we cannot reduce them to a system…He will not be, in the way we want, “pinned down”. The attempt is (again, I mean no irreverence) like trying to bottle a sunbeam.”
C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (London: Wyman & Sons, Ltd, 1958), 19, 111, 112, 113.
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