The Testimony of the Bible Concerning the Assumptions of Destructive CriticismWishard, S. E. (Samuel Ellis)
Religion
The Testimony of the Bible Concerning the Assumptions of Destructive Criticism
Wishard, S. E. (Samuel Ellis)
Bible -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
1. The denial of the existence of Hebrew literature prior to the exile
is thoroughly answered and set aside by the records discovered on the
Egyptian monuments and writings before and during Israel's bondage. Many
of the critics have found this criticism untenable, and have abandoned
it. They have been obliged to concede that Egyptian and Babylonian
literature existed long before the time of Moses. The best scholarship
of to-day affirms that "the discovery and first use of writing is
certainly as old as the time of Abraham." (See Schaff-Hergoz, Enc. Art.
Writing.)
2. If the Bible itself is not a fraud, writing was constantly in use in
the time of Moses. See:
(1) Exod. vii. 14: "The Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial
in a book."
(2) Exod. xxiv. 4: "And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord."
(3) Exod. xxxiv. 27: "And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these
words."
(4) Exod. xxxiv. 28: "And he (God) wrote upon the tables the words of
the covenant."
(5) Num. v. 23: "And the priest shall write these curses in a book."
(6) Num. xi. 26: "They were of them that were written."
(7) Num. xvii. 2: "Write thou every man's name upon his rod."
(8) Num. xvii. 3: "Write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi."
(9) Num. xxxiii. 2: "And Moses wrote their goings out according to their
journeyings by the commandment of the Lord."
(10) Deut. vi. 9: "Thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and
upon thy gates."
(11) Deut xi. 20. Repeats the last reference cited.
(12) Deut. xvii, 18: "When he (the king) sitteth upon the throne of his
kingdom, he shall write him a copy of this law in a book."
These are a few out of the many passages in the Pentateuch in which God
has commanded his servant to write, and in which it is positively stated
that his servant did write. One of two things is certain, either the
whole Pentateuch is a fraud, having stated repeatedly that writing was
commanded and practiced, or the book is true, and the fraud must be
charged to the belated critics.
The reader will see very clearly that the purpose of such criticism is
to eliminate the supernatural from the Bible, as has been said, and
destroy its certitude.
It is too late in the day for the Professor's criticism, that Hebrew
literature had its first development during the exile. "Stephen full of
the Holy Spirit, looking steadfastly into heaven," read the record of
history concerning Moses differently. Stephen could not have heard the
Chautauqua lecturer's statement, for he affirmed that "Moses was learned
in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds."
3. Consider now the assumptions of the critics in the face of the claims
of the book of Leviticus. In the first verses of the book it is written:
"And the Lord called upon Moses, and spake unto him out of the
tabernacle of the congregation, saying." Then follow God's specific
directions concerning
(1) The burnt offering;
(2) The meat offering, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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