#3. “God hath spoken” (Heb. i. 1).


In an earlier address of the series, the testimony of creation was considered. We found that in Psalm xix. 1 the word “declare” was the same word that gives us the “scribe”, and the “book” (sepher), and that the word “show” is the word that gives us the “interpreter” (Dan. ii. 24). Associated with the heavens, Psalm xix. and Rom. x. use “speech”, “knowledge”, “language” and “voice”. Rom. i. 19, 20; Job xxxvi.-xli. and Isa. xliv. were also reviewed.

From the voice of creation we now pass to the spoken word of the Scriptures, and there discover an insistent testimony to the fact that God hath spoken by the prophets.

MOSES.
“And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend” (Exod. xxxiii. 9-11).
“With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold” (Numb. xii. 6-8)
“And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deut. xxiv. 10).

Such is the general testimony concerning the appointment and equipment of Moses. Let us note one specific period in that long ministry which is covered by the last reference cited above.

The Law at Sinai.—“And God spake all these words saying” (Exod. xx. 1). If this initial sentence were false, the truthfulness and validity of the whole of the law that follows would be called in question, and if the law, then the covenants, the promises, and finally Him Who came, not to destroy, but to fulfil, the law and the prophets.

“For who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deut. v. 26).

DAVID.
“David, the son of Jesse, said . . . . . The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue” (II Sam. xxiii. 1, 2).
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which spake with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hand fulfilled it” (I Kings viii. 15).

Here is not only assertion, but confirmation. Solomon could add that God’s hand had fulfilled what His word had declared.

ISAIAH.
“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord hath spoken” (Isa. i. 1).

JEREMIAH.
“To whom the word of the Lord came . . . . . Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak . . . . . Behold I have put My words in thy mouth” (Jer. i. 1-9).

This is not only the consistent testimony of the O.T. itself; it is endorsed by the Apostles after the resurrection of the Lord.

PETER.
“Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus” (Acts i. 16).

THE PROPHETS.

The testimony of Heb. i. 1, “God hath spoken . . . . . by the prophets”, but gathers up and endorses the burden of both Old and New Testaments. I Sam. ix. 9 says that “before time” the prophets were called “seers”, a word that translates two Hebrew words, chozeh (II Sam. xxiv. 11) “the prophet Gad, David’s seer”, and roeh (I Sam. ix. 9) “Come, let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer”. Both words lay emphasis upon “seeing” and “vision”. The word usually translated “prophet” is nabi. The function of a prophet is well illustrated by the relationship instituted by God between Moses and Aaron, when He said,

“See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet” (Exod. vii. 1).
“Thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God” (Exod. iv. 15, 16).

Here is an inspired definition of the office of a prophet:--

“He shall be unto thee instead of a mouth.”
“God hath spoken . . . . . by the prophets.”

Let us look at some of the ways in which the divine message was given to the prophets.

(1) By human, articulate, speech (I Sam. iii. 4).
(2) By handwriting (His hand upon me) (I Chron. xxviii. 19).
(3) By dumb show (Ezek. iv. 1-8).
(4) By personal relationships (Hosea i. 2-11; iii. 1-5).
(5) By vision (Acts x. 11).
(6) By dream (Dan. ii.).
(7) By interpretations of dreams (Dan. ii.).

Among the O.T. prophets who are mentioned by name in the N.T. are Isaiah (Luke iv. 17); Jonah (Matt. xvi. 4); Elijah and Elisha (Luke iv. 25, 27); Jeremiah (Matt. ii. 17); Daniel (Matt. xxiv. 15) and Joel (Acts ii. 16). Beside these, the prophets are mentioned in general terms in the Gospels, the Acts and the epistles of Paul, Peter and James.

We have therefore unequivocable testimony as to what the office of a prophet involves, the historic position which the prophets occupy, and the intimate relation instituted by the apostolic writers of the N.T. between the Gospels and the earlier Scriptures.

“God hath spoken by the Prophets.”

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(From The Berean Expositor, vol.32, page 167).

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