WONDERS OF GOD’S WORD (3)

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in ALL the SCRIPTURES the things concerning HIMSELF” – Luke 24:27

The Unity of the Bible is chief among the WONDERS OF GOD’S WORD: “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in ALL the SCRIPTURES the things concerning HIMSELF” (Lk.24:27). Here, the Lord Himself was expounding and displaying to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, the Wonder of God’s Word – in terms of its Unity. The Bible is a unique book which displays an amazing unity of thought even though it was formed in the midst of great diversity. All the Scriptures point to One Message – JESUS CHRIST!

Among all the books ever written, the Bible is absolutely unique, possessing wonderful unity in its construction and formation. Actually, it is not just a book, but a ‘Divine Library’ of sixty-six books – 39 in the Old Testament, written primarily in Hebrew with a little Aramiac, and 27 in the New Testament, written exclusively in Greek. Despite being written by 40 authors from three continents, in three languages, and over a period of 1,600 years, it maintains a perfect consistency of message. The complete unity of the overall message is a most remarkable quality, despite so many different authors writing over many centuries on hundreds of controversial subjects.

The Bible is unlike any other religious book. Natural explanations fail to account for the supernatural character, origin, and unity of Scripture. The words of Scripture point unerringly to Christ, whose work on the cross was ordained by God – the True Author of the Bible – before the world began. The diverse authors of the books in the Bible, each in their own way present a unified portrait of God’s plans and purposes in the world. The Bible is an entire library of different genre of literature: history, poetry, stories, humor, prophecy, romance, letters, biographies, songs, journals, counsel, and laws. These facts and many more amazing details that defy natural explanation, make the Bible one of a kind.

Authors who penned portions of Scripture came from different works of life: Kings, statemen, shepherds, scholars, doctors, farmers, fishermen, prophets, a military general, a cupbearer, and a priest. Moses was raised in the palace of Pharaoh King of Egypt. Joshua was a military commander. David was a shepherd boy turned king. Amos the prophet was a herdsman. Nehemiah was a cupbearer. Daniel was a prime minister. Peter and John were fisherman. Matthew was a tax collector. Paul was a highly trained Rabbi. Luke was a doctor. They had varied purposes for writing, whether recording history, giving spiritual and moral instruction, or pronouncing judgment. They composed their works from palaces, prisons, the wilderness, and exile, and in the process, laid bare their emotions, expressing anger, frustration, joy, and love.

Amidst the vast diversity of history, laws, poetry, prophecy, and proverbs, is an amazing unity, astounding harmony, and continuity of thought that utterly defies natural explanation, and can be best explained by the Superintendence of one Author – GOD. Despite the array of topics and goals, the Bible displays flawless doctrinal and thematic consistency: 66 books but One Message! Although writing in radically different times and contexts, the authors told the same message about God’s eternal plan, from Creation and the Flood to Christ’s work on the Cross and the consummation of God’s Plan. The same truths were stated by Moses, the Old Testament prophets, Christ Himself, and His apostles.

The most striking example of the unity of the Bible is the unfolding revelation of God's Plan of Redemption through His Son Jesus Christ. The Old Testament sacrificial system pictured the atonement to be made by Jesus for humanity’s sins. The prophets foretold His birth, life, death and resurrection. The Gospels present records of the events. The remainder of the New Testament reveals and explains the mysteries of this great Salvation, while the book of Revelation envisions paradise regained. The Unity of Scripture proves its supernatural inspiration. Only the one true, Holy God could provide such a flawless Book to reveal such a matchless message: His staggering Love for His Creation.