Inspiration of the Old

Testament

Specific claims to the specific books

 Hebrews 1:1- 2

“God, after He spoke long ago to the

fathers in the prophets in many
portions and in many ways, in these
last days has spoken to us by a
Son…”
 “A person inspired to
Prophet = proclaim or reveal
divine will or
purpose”
1. Prophet – inspired to speak/write divine truths
2. Seer – see what others cannot see; divine message given
to them
3. Man of God – receives prophecy & revelation
4. Visionary – is given the will of God by a vision

THEY MEAN THE SAME THING…

 Hebrews 1:1- 2

“God, after He spoke long ago to the

fathers in the prophets in many
portions and in many ways, in these
last days has spoken to us by a
Son…”
“many portions…”
Isaiah is a perfect example of this:

• Isa. 1:1 – received his vision for years & years

• Isa. 6:1 – Isaiah saw the throne room scene
• Isa. 8:5 & 11 – the Lord speaking to him at
different times
• Isa. 13:1 – saw the oracle against Babylon
 Hebrews 1:1- 2

“God, after He spoke long ago to the

fathers in the prophets in many
portions and in many ways, in these
last days has spoken to us by a
Son…”
Numbers 22: 28 – 30

“and the Lord opened the

mouth of the donkey and she
said to Balaam, ‘what Have I
done to you, that you have
struck me these three times?’
Then Balaam said ‘Because
you have made a mockery of
me! If there had been a sword
in my hand I would have killed
you by now.’ The donkey said
to Balaam, ‘Am I not your
donkey on which you have
ridden all your life to this day?
Have I ever been accustomed
to do so to you?’”
Deuteronomy 5:22

“These words the Lord spoke to

all your assembly at the mountain
from the midst of the fire, the
cloud and the thick gloom, with a
great voice, and He added no
more.”
Daniel 5:5

“Suddenly the finger of a

man’s hand emerged and
began writing opposite the
lampstand on the plaster
of the wall of the king’s
palace, and the kind saw
the back of the hand that
did the writing.”
 All books have a claim of
inspiration or characteristic of
being inspired!
27 of the 39 Old Testament books
have an obvious claim of inspiration
• Books filled with laws and specific instructions have an
obvious claim

• Books which are more descriptive and historical have

characteristics of inspiration
Genesis – in the first chapter alone, the phrase “God said” is found ten times
Exodus 24: 3 -4; “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord”
Leviticus 1:1; “the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting…”
Numbers – bookended with claims of inspiration

INSPIRATION OF THE LAW

 Numbers
the first verse says… the last verse says…

“these are the commandments

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses and the ordinances which
in the wilderness of Sinai…’ the Lord commanded to the
sons of Israel through
Moses”
Genesis – in the first chapter alone, the phrase “God said” is found
ten times

Exodus 24: 3 -4; “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord”

Leviticus 1:1; “the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the
tent of meeting…”

Numbers – bookended with claims of inspiration

Deuteronomy – the phrase “the Lord’s commands” is found 123

times

INSPIRATION OF THE LAW

Inspiration of the Prophets - Joshua
1. Joshua 1:1 – God spoke to him
2. Joshua 24:26 – Joshua added words to the
words of Moses
3. Moses wrote words and set them beside
the ark of the covenant. Deut. 31:24-26
4. Deut. 34: 9 shows that Joshua had “the
spirit of wisdom.”
Inspiration of the prophets - Judges
• Judges 1:2 & 6:25
• Inspired because a prophet wrote it!
1. Samuel was a prophet.
2. Everyone recognized him as a prophet. 1 Sam. 3:19ff.
3. Samuel lived in the times of the judges and of kings.
Cf. 1 Sam. 7:15; 9:15.
4. Yet in Judges he we see “in those days there was no
king in Israel.”
5. 1 Sam. 10:25 – placed some writings with the others
 Inspiration of the prophets – Samuel

- Tradition says that Samuel wrote Samuel.

- Scripture says so in 1 Chronicles 29:29.

 Samuel & Kings
• Filled with the actions of prophets
• Who are some of these prophets…
• Did any of those prophets do any signs?
 Inspiration of the prophets - Jeremiah

• Jeremiah set apart to be a prophet. Jer. 1: 5

• The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah on different
occasions. Jer. 1:2, 3.

Ezekiel too…
• Ezekiel 1:3
 The Twelve
• 11 of the 12 begin in the first verse with
either….
Oracle (Nahum, Habakkuk, Malachi )
“word of the Lord came…” (Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah,
Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah)
Vision (Obadiah)

• Amos is the exception. Cf. Amos1:3.

 The Writings….
• The Psalms are different

• Consider who the writers were…

 David (73) – 2 Sam. 23: 1-2
 Asaph (12 or 13) – 1 Chr. 25:2; 2 Chr. 29:30
 Moses (Ps. 90)
 Solomon – an inspired man

Wrote Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Proverbs, and

Psalm 72 & 127.

1 Kings 3:9 – 12

“So give your servant an understanding heart to

judge Your people…behold, I have given you a
wise and discerning heart”
 The others…
• Job - God spoke to Job and his three friends in
the ending chapters.
• Ruth – gives the exact genealogy as seen in
Matthew 1:5 – 6.
• Chronicles – Matt. 23 and the death of
Zechariah.
• Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther are the tough ones.
 Possible explanations…
1. Because they are lumped with other books.
2. Because of the nature of the book. Only the
historical books lack the explicit claims.
3. Because the writer was universally
recognized as being from God.