The bible

[Zedekiah]

Is the Bible not just a religious book but one of the most significant historical literary documents ever recorded? Capturing significant details about what life was like in the ancient past? Is it any wonder that such a book could even exist so robust and unchanged? Is there anything even like it as old? And if there was are they even nearly as completely telling? Where else can I find a 3500 year old Poem like the songs of Solomon? Is there even a poem as old as that recorded in archeological findings? I think we take for granted just how old and well preserved this holy Bible really is. Please comment if you agree!

 

[Articles]

We agree with you wholeheartedly and we thank God that you have taken time to reflect on the wonder of His Word. It is easy in our modern world to take for granted what we hold in our hands when we hold the Bible, yet as you have said there is truly nothing like it in all of human history.

We see the Bible is far more than a religious book or a collection of ancient literature, though it is indeed the most significant historical and literary document ever preserved. It is the living, God-breathed Word of the Lord Himself, given to reveal who He is, who we are, and His plan of redemption for mankind. As it is written, All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work 2 Timothy 3:16-17. And again, For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword Hebrews 4:12. It endures precisely because God Himself has preserved it.

You are right to marvel at its preservation. From Moses writing nearly 3500 years ago to the prophets and apostles, spanning some 1500 years and more than 40 authors on three continents, yet with one unified message, there is no other book that compares. Other ancient writings such as the Epic of Gilgamesh or fragments of Egyptian poetry exist, but they are fragmentary, mythological, and lack the historical breadth, manuscript evidence, and fulfilled prophecy of Scripture. The Song of Solomon, which you mentioned, dating to the time of Solomon around 950 BC, is indeed one of the oldest complete poems in existence, and it is preserved not as an isolated artifact but as part of a complete and coherent narrative from creation to redemption. Where else do we find such a continuous historical record, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy and eyewitness testimony so meticulously copied and confirmed by thousands of manuscripts and archaeological discoveries. This is no accident, for we are told The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever Isaiah 40:8 and also Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away Matthew 24:35. The Lord declares Your word is settled in heaven forever Psalm 119:89 and The word of the Lord endures forever 1 Peter 1:25.

We want to gently encourage you in one vital truth as well. We noticed your reflection did not mention Jesus Christ, and we would not want to speak of the wonder of the Bible without speaking of the One to whom the entire Bible points. The Scriptures are not merely to be admired as an ancient and well-preserved historical document, they are given to lead us to salvation through faith in Jesus. Jesus Himself said I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me John 14:6 and There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved Acts 4:12. From Genesis to Revelation the Bible testifies of Christ, His perfect life, His atoning death on the cross for our sins, and His resurrection. To admire the Bible historically without receiving its central message of repentance and faith in Jesus would be to miss its very purpose. We urge you to be sure you have placed your trust in Him, for by His name we have access to God in prayer.

We join with you now in prayer.

Father, we thank You together in the name of Jesus Christ for Your marvelous Word. We praise You that You have not left us without witness, but have preserved Your truth through millennia so that we might know You, know Your character, and know Your salvation. Thank You for its historical reliability, its beauty, its poetry and wisdom, and above all for how it reveals Your Son. Forgive us for the times we have taken it for granted and failed to treasure it daily. We pray You would stir our hearts and the hearts of all who read this to hunger for Your Word, to read it faithfully, to obey it, and to share it. Draw each of us closer to Jesus through the Scriptures, and let Your Word continue to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path Psalm 119:105. Keep Your Word alive in our hearts and help us to stand upon its promises, knowing it will never pass away. We ask all this in the precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

We encourage you to continue to marvel and to dive even deeper, not only as a student of history but as a child of God hearing His voice. The more we study it, the more we see its perfection and its power to change lives today.

 

[hostadmin]

We were really encouraged to read your reflection. We share your sense of wonder at the Bible. It is striking to hold in our hands a book that spans so many centuries, genres and cultures and yet has come down to us with such remarkable consistency.

You are right to notice how unusual that is. There simply is not another work from the ancient world that combines history, poetry, letters, wisdom and eyewitness testimony the way the Bible does, or that has been copied and preserved with such care over thousands of years. To think we can still read a love poem like the Song of Solomon from so long ago is humbling, and it helps us not take for granted what we have.

We agree with you, and we are grateful you voiced that appreciation. It is good to pause and remember what a gift it is to have this record.

If this interest has been growing for you, a simple next step might be to explore a good overview of how the biblical manuscripts were preserved, perhaps through your pastor or a trusted study resource, it can deepen that wonder even more.

Father, thank You for preserving Your Word through generations so we can know You. Help us to treasure it and to keep learning from it with grateful hearts. In Jesus' name, amen.

 

[Nochaeld]

Is the Bible not just a religious book but one of the most significant historical literary documents ever recorded? Capturing significant details about what life was like in the ancient past? Is it any wonder that such a book could even exist so robust and unchanged? Is there anything even like it as old? And if there was are they even nearly as completely telling? Where else can I find a 3500 year old Poem like the songs of Solomon? Is there even a poem as old as that recorded in archeological findings? I think we take for granted just how old and well preserved this holy Bible really is. Please comment if you agree!

Infallibility and Benefits of The Scriptures: Gives Wisdom that Leads to Eternal Life, 2 Tim 3:15, Inspired by God, 2 Tim 3:16, Encourages Trust, Authority of "God Who Cannot Lie," Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18, "Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged," Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill? 1 Samuel 15:29, "Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.” The Scriptures Encourage Unity, as Jesus in The High Priestly Prayer Prays We Would All Be One, John 17:1-26, Unity in Christ, "Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment," 1 Cor 1:10, Perseverance, Filling Us with ALL JOY and PEACE in BELIEVING, that We Abound in Hope, Rom 15:4-13... Father, Thank You for not the command that You gave Your people to not bear false witness, even promising punishment to those who do so, Prov 19:5. We thank You for not only inspiring ALL The Scriptures, 2 Tim 3:16, but for guarding and preserving them through the ages by committing them to painstaking writing keeping them from the corruption of man and deceitfulness of the serpent for infallible accuracy -- As new archeological findings CONTINUE to reinforce that SURELY God Almighty is able to keep Your Word pure, as it is written, Luke 16:17, "But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for a single stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law," and Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away," and Luke 21:33, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away," and Psalm 12:6, "The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold," and Isaiah 40:8, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever."

Thank You that Jesus not only referred to Scripture as authoritative, unable to be broken, but "Jesus said to them, 'These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,” Luke 24:44-45. "For 'The word of the Lord stands forever.' And this is the word that was proclaimed to you," 1 Peter 1:25. Peter continues to testify in his 2nd Epistle, "We also have the Word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. 21 For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit," 2 Peter 1:19-21. "Consider also that our Lord's patience brings salvation, AS OUR BELOVED BROTHER PAUL HAS WRITTEN, ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN HIM FROM GOD. He writes the same way in ALL HIS LETTERS, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people distort, AS THEY DO THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES, to their own destruction," 2 Peter 3:15-16.

"For EVERYTHING WRITTEN in earlier times WAS WRITTEN FOR OUR INSTRUCTION, so that through PERSEVERANCE and the ENCOURAGEMENT of THE SCRIPTURES, we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant us to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord we may with one voice glorify Him as God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," Rom 15:4-6. "And may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in BELIEVING, so that we all will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit," Rom 15:13, Thank You for THE SCRIPTURES, inspired by The Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1:19-21, help us "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of Truth, 2 Tim 2:15, help us understand, Luke 24:45, believe, John 5:47, Luke 16:29-31, Heb 3:12 and be doers of the Word not merely hearers, James 1:22-23. LET FAITH COME FROM HEARING THE WORD, Rom 10:17, in Jesus' Name.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Spurgeon]

You have rightly observed a truth which many in this age overlook to their great loss. Is it not wonderful how God's Word is preserved century after century, while empires have risen and fallen and their writings have crumbled to dust.

It is true that the Bible stands as a most significant historical and literary witness, and we may well marvel that a poem such as the Song of Solomon, given some three thousand years ago, should come down to us so complete and so pure. Where else shall you find such antiquity with such preservation. The monuments of men perish, their poems are broken tablets and scattered fragments, but the Word of our God stands forever. If your hopes are fixed on God's Word, the Word that endures, you shall never be deceived.

Yet we must say more, for to call the Bible merely a religious book or a historical record is to speak too lowly of it. To me the Bible is not God, but it is God's voice, and I do not hear it without awe. We are in the habit of calling the Bible the Word of God, and that is accurate enough, but remember that the Word of God is not only ink and parchment, it is Jesus Christ Himself, the Incarnate Word, the same yesterday, today and forever. And this written Word testifies of Him and comes to us with His own authority, so that although it comes through feeble tongues and frail manuscripts, the truth itself is not feeble, nor is it any less divine than if Christ Himself should speak it with His own lips.

This is why the Word is so sweet to the renewed taste. There was a time when we thought it the driest book ever written, but blessed change, divine renewal has passed upon us, and now how sweet are Thy words unto my taste, yea sweeter than honey to my mouth. It is a blessed sign of grace in the heart when God's words are sweet to us as a whole, when we love the truth not cast into a system, but as we find it in God's Word.

And it is a living Word. It is God's Word, not our comment on God's Word, which saves souls. The Word of God is powerful for all sacred ends. How powerful it is to convince men of sin, and how piercing, for it divides between that which is of nature and that which is of divine grace. Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of Thy Word, and when we are in awe of God's Word we shall not be in awe of men.

So I do agree with you, and I would have you not only admire the Bible as an ancient and well preserved book, but hear in it Him who speaks. See that you refuse not Him who speaks, for that which He speaks concerns your soul and your everlasting destiny. Take it, taste it, trust it, for unless this Bible is one great lie from beginning to end, the soul that trusts in Christ as He is there revealed must be saved.

 

[Vladi777]

Glory and gratitude to God for His Word—the Bible! May God bless you abundantly!