The
Bible – more than history
We might well ask why is the Bible Holy or Sacred? I
previously emphasized it as history, and that is important. Now I probe deeper
to see why it is different to other history books.
The Bible identifies and explains a God who is greater than ourselves, creator of
all, yet communicating with humans. Through the writings of Moses 3,500 years
ago, directions for good living were given. The ten commandments still hold
significant moral and spiritual value today among millions of people. Was Moses
great ?- not really, but the teachings
were special because Moses said : "'This is what the LORD says" .
Moses was communicating God's words.
The prophets were the same – in their historical context
they spoke for God. But something makes the Bible more special – it is full of
prophetic words. For example, the Prophet Daniel in Babylon prophesied about
the wars of Alexander the great and it happened
just as Daniel prophesied. Another example of prophecy :- Jesus prophesied
that the beautiful temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and so it was in AD70. This goes to show that God , who knows the future was communicating
it to those who would listen.
The most important prophecies were written about the promise
of a Messiah (Christ). Isaiah prophesied 700 years before it happened that Jesus would be born
of a virgin, and that is what happened. His virgin mother was Mary. Also Isaiah
prophesied that the Messiah would be rejected by his own people the Jews – and so
it happened. They said 'we will not have this man to reign over us.'
The theme of the Messiah in prophecy, and its fulfilment ,
joins all the different writings together. Then in the New Testament, we read the prophecies by Jesus Christ and
others as to the present time and the future.
Indeed this is a special book. Next article we will consider
the most important question – who Jesus is!
JRM
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