1889 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

INTERNAL EVIDENCES.Those who will make a study of the Bible plan will be fullyconvinced of the conclusive evidence of the credibility of theSacred Scriptures, which is furnished in the purity, harmony andgrandeur of its teachings. Outside of the Scriptures we havenowhere to look for an account of the circumstances andmotives of the earliest writers: but they furnish these items ofinformation themselves, and their integrity and evidenttruthfulness in other matters is a sufficient guarantee oftruthfulness in these.Our first definite information with reference to the SacredWritings is afforded by the direction given to Moses to write thelaw and history in a book, and put it in the side of the ark forpreservation. (See Exod. 17:14; 34:27; Deut. 31:9-26.) Thisbook was left for the guidance of the people. Additions weremade to it from time to time by subsequent writers, and in thedays of the kings, scribes appear to have been appointed whosebusiness it was to keep a careful record of the important eventsoccurring in Jewish history, which records--Samuel, Kings,Chronicles --were preserved and subsequently incorporated withthe Law. The prophets also did not confine themselves to oralteaching, but wrote and in some cases had scribes to record theirteachings. (See, Josh. 1:8; 24:26; 1 Sam. 10:25; 1 Chron. 27:32;29:29,30; 2 Chron. 33:18,19; Isa. 30:8; Jer. 30:2; 36:2; 45:1;51:60.) As a result we have the Old Testament Scriptures,composed of history, prophecy and law, written by divinedirection, as these citations and also Paul's testimony (2 Tim.3:15,16) prove. These writings collectively were termed "TheLaw and The Prophets," and the Hebrews were taught of God toesteem them of divine authority and authorship, the writersbeing merely the agents through whom they received them.They were so taught to esteem them, by the miraculous dealingsof God with them as a people, in confirmation of his words tothem through the prophets, thus endorsing them as his agents(See, Exod. 14:30,31; 19:9; 1 Kings 18:21,27,30,36,39); andfurther by the establishment and enforcement of the law asproclaimed and recorded by Moses.The political interests and the religious veneration of theIsraelites, under God's immediate overruling and protection,combined to preserve and protect these writings fromcontamination. Religiously, they were rightfully regarded withthe deepest veneration, while politically they were the onlyguarantee which the people possessed against despotism. TheJewish copyists regarded these documents with great veneration.A very slight error in copying often led them to destroy it andbegin anew. Josephus says that through all the ages that hadpassed none had ventured to add to, take away from, ortranspose, aught of the Sacred Writings.