Prophecy never had its origin in the human's will but in the will of God. The Holy Spirit gave the prophets knowledge of divine things and moved them to write or say what God wanted them to. Prophets were instruments of the Holy Spirit who used them to speak from God. "The Holy Spirit so supernaturally superintended Scripture writers that without circumventing their intelligence, their personal literary style or personality, He enabled them to record Scripture with perfect accuracy." (Dr. Grant C. Richison) "A prophet of God, therefore, is simply one who speaks forth God’s Word, and prophecy is the proclaiming of that Word. The gift of prophecy is the Spirit–given and Spirit–empowered ability to proclaim the Word effectively." (John MacArthur)
This shows the authority of the Scriptures since they are the Word of God, and not of men. God, the Author, reveals His attributes, His heart, His thoughts, and His will in His Word. What God wants us to know is in the Bible, the most valuable book in the world. We need to read, study, and memorize it. The Bible is reliable because God is reliable. The Holy Spirit who dictated Scripture is the Best Interpreter to help us understand God's Word. And Scripture is the best commentary on Scripture. The unity of the 66 books in its content, despite the facts that the Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years, by 40 different authors from a wide range of backgrounds and occupations, on 3 continents, and in 3 languages, is another amazing proof of the divine inspiration and authority of the entire Bible.
"I'll trust in God's unchanging Word
Till soul and body sever;
For though all things shall pass away,
His Word shall stand forever!" (Luther)
"When reading God's Word, take special care
To find the rich treasures hidden there;
Give thought to each line, each precept clear,
Then practice it well with godly fear." (Unknown)
"How to increase your faith: Expose your mind to God's Word, more & more, more & more, more & more." (James MacDonald)
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