God the writer
JCC 01.11.09 pm
Although the Bible was written by people inspired by the Holy Spirit, there are several times when God wrote Himself
There are at least 5 accounts:
1. The writing on the stones Ex 32 and Deu 10:4 God wrote
It is significant that the tablets were written by God’s direct hand
All law and morality must come from God’s standard and character
This is a powerful picture of the inspiration of God’s word; though God did not literally write the Scriptures with His own hand, He did perfectly guide the minds and hands of the writers, so that the Scriptures are “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), that is, given by the inspiration of God
10 commandments
He gave them his law, gave it to them in writing, as a standing oath of his favour
It was the same with the first writing, and both the same that he spoke in the mount
Here Moses saw the word spoken changed into the written word
Today we see the opposite; the written changed into the spoken
In the beginning was the word…………John 1
After the first tablets were broken, God wrote a second edition
The second edition needed no correction or amendment from the first
Nor did what he wrote differ form what he had spoken
The written word is as truly the word of God as that He spoke to his servants the prophets
It was God Himself who made this inscription a second time with His own hand
To testify the importance of it, that He attached to the Ten Commandments
Different from all other stone monuments of ancient times, which were made to stand upright and in the open air, those on which the divine law was engraved were portable, and designed to be kept as a treasure
JOSEPHUS says that each of the tables contained five precepts. But the tradition generally received, both among Jewish and Christian writers is, that one table contained four precepts, the other six.
The commandments were important for the people to keep reading
To remember what God had said
His word was now living with His people
Where they went, His went too
2. Ez 2
Ez ate a scroll with writing on it
The divine word is always accompanied by the Spirit Gen 1:2, 3
It’s the Spirit that gives it life
V 8. eat (see also Jer 15:16; Rev 10:9, 10 )
The idea is to be possessed fully with the message and digest it in the mind
There were unpleasant contents on it
Sometimes God’s word seems bitter for us to swallow
We want the Lord to say nice things to us
V 10. words written within and without, on the face and the back. Usually the parchment was written only on its inside when rolled up; but so full was God’s message that it was written also on the back
We are to take the words of God within us to consume it fully
3. Dan 5:5 The finger on the wall
The king saw the part of the hand that wrote a message: This is where we get our well-known phrase ‘the writing on the wall’
The Babylonian wise men could not read the writing because it was in Hebrew
And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word.
MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it
TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting
PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians
God was writing for a reason; important
Sometimes people need harsh words from the Lord Himself
But what is written to us by the finger of God is clear to all
Everyone can read, but not all hear
4. John 8
The woman bought to Jesus in adultery
What did he do?
He wrote on the ground
‘What was Jesus writing on the ground?’
It is the only mention in the gospels of Jesus writing anything
It wasn’t on parchment, so we needn’t look for it in archeological digs
It wasn’t carved into stone or wood, so it won’t be found stashed away in catacombs under the Dome of the Rock or the Vatican in Rome
The one time we know of Jesus writing, He did it with His finger, in the dust at his feet
It probably didn’t even make it through the day, before being scuffed out, either by Jesus Himself, or a passersby
We love a mystery, and we don’t like unanswered questions
The Holy Spirit would have inspired John to include it in this account unless it meant something for us
Among textual scholars there is some debate as to whether this account even belongs in scripture. John 7:53 through to 8:11 is not found in the oldest manuscripts, and in addition, the style of writing in this passage differs in many respects from that of John throughout the rest of the gospel.
The New King James simply adds a footnote on the page that says the account was not in the earliest manuscripts, but adds that it is found in over 900 existing manuscripts.
But nevertheless, Jesus wrote
Why?
Proverbs 26:4 says “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, lest you also be like him”
Jesus wasn’t going to dignify their claim with a response. He wasn’t going to argue with fools.
Have you noticed how people always want to argue with you?
These men were the ones who had authority to deal with the situation
If they really thought Jesus had no authority, they wouldn’t have dreamed of bringing her to Him
By their very challenge, they were validating His claims, and they couldn’t see that. They were fools.
Instead of answering, or giving them a response, He ignores them
As though they aren’t there
He stoops and writes in the dirt with his finger
Can you picture it?
The crowds shocked to silence; the woman, head down, hair hanging mercifully over her face so she doesn’t have to meet anyone’s eye; the Pharisees and Scribes standing in silence and being given a moment to take in the circumstances they had created. Maybe starting to feel a little uneasy, shifting their feet…
Whether you are a believer in Christ or not, this is something you need to know
God won’t answer the questions we already know the answer to, if we are only asking in the hope that He’ll validate us and give a wink and a nod to our excuses
He’s not going to lend His ear while we confess the sins of others
We have our own to confess
And until we are prepared to come in repentance and humility, He’s just doodling in the dirt, waiting for us to stop acting the fool and wake up to our real need
But that wasn’t the case with these men on this day in Jerusalem.
It says they persisted
They kept on asking Him. Some people don’t know when to stop
He said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her
And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground.”
Once more He ignores them. He confronts no one individually
He meets no gaze and he stares at no one
Here we see He is gentle and humble in heart, just as He has said of Himself (Matthew 11:29) and He came, not to destroy, but to save
So in all dignity He offers dignity
I wonder how this woman felt
I’m sure she waited in fear for Him to say, ‘stone her’
The waiting time, what will He do
If at times it seems like He’s just writing in the dust and ignoring you, it’s not a show of approval. He’s waiting for you to drop your stones take your eyes off the sins of others and see your own, recognize that He’s waiting for you to acknowledge who He is and let Him cleanse you and offer His grace to you.
Don’t walk away from Jesus like the men did
Your own sin may shame you but He won’t
He won’t ignore your sin or help you pretend it isn’t there
He didn’t do that even with this woman
But He will cleanse you, empower you to obey, then admonish you to put away the sin and walk in the righteousness He gives
Those men could have received the same forgiveness and reconciliation that day that this woman received
Not because she asked for it, but because He wanted to give
But they walked away and stayed in their sin
The wind blew away whatever it was Jesus was writing in the dirt
And the wind of indifference blew away the gracious opportunity they had been given to believe and be saved
What is He writing in the dirt as you stand before Him?
What is it He is giving you the opportunity to realize in your own life and relationship to Him?
What is it He’s waiting for you to recognize? Anything?
Can you honestly say that your conscience is pure before Him?
If not, don’t walk away. Empty your hands. Search your own heart and see your own need, and I promise you, He will send you away renewed and restored
It was her, and Jesus, alone
Alone in the midst of a multitude
When Jesus deals with you, it’s just you and Him alone
When you come extensively into His presence, all pretense and pretension is left behind, not denying your sin, but confessing it and putting yourself at the mercy of Him, the cleansing redeemer
It doesn’t matter if the world is pressing in around you, brushing by you, jostling you in its bustle of activity; it will be you and Jesus alone.
And you will go away like this woman, renewed
What did He write?
One of the mysteries of life
· don’t be afraid
· you’re special………….etc
Why did He write?
To give her time to reflect, to respond, to repent, to be renewed perhaps
5. He has written (or engraved) our name on his hands Is 49:16 and His law in our hearts Jer 3:33
He knows you by name
He continually is reminded of us
He knows that the fulfillment of his law being written on each of our hearts may involve millions of drafts, perhaps, with lots of revisions and times of starting over. But he never gives up on us and encourages us never to give up on ourselves, and therefore, not to give up on one another
Each one of us is in some version of draft
You are not finished yet
Something personal about handwritten text
And the Lord is still writing
He is still in the process of creating clean hearts in us
It’s a creative process that takes time and is not just over in the snap of a finger
Surrender to him as he continues revising and crafting drafts over and over and over again so that you can become more like Jesus
God’s progress in this writing assignment advances our ability to fulfill the assignment of serving God in this world
Let’s each ask God to continue that process. Every day of our lives may we say, “Let it be done to me,” as God performs to open our hearts and to continue writing his loving and gracious law within us
Father’s love letter video
