The following is composed of three daily devotional readings from 10 Questions About the Bible: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families, a new devotional written especially for children ages 8–14.
God Reveals Himself
When you meet someone new, how do you introduce yourself? You might describe your family, hobbies, and favorite foods. If you design buildings or write stories, you might introduce yourself by showing pictures of buildings you’ve sketched or passing out copies of your books. You can get to know people through what they enjoy, do, and say.
How does God introduce himself? God wants you to get to know him in several ways. The Bible tells us what they are. First, God shows what he’s like in creation. In Psalm 19, the psalmist (King David) describes how God revealed himself in the creation of the universe (Ps. 19:1–6). Have you ever stood on the beach or on top of a mountain? David writes as if he were at one of those places. We see God’s power in mountain peaks, ocean waves, and so much more. But you can’t hear God speak to you in creation, so the created world is only the beginning of how God reveals himself.
Second, Psalm 19:7–14 states that God reveals himself to us in Scripture. He speaks to us in the Bible so we might have a personal relationship with him. Scripture is God’s complete revelation of himself to us for salvation. At the beginning of Revelation, the apostle John writes about Scripture: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). Guess how John concludes Revelation? Yes, by writing about Scripture. In Revelation 22:18–19, John warns that adding words to or taking words away from the prophecy of this book will bring severe consequences. And that principle can be extended to all Scripture (Deut. 4:2; 12:32).
Presenting 10 questions in 30 readings on one important faith topic, this 10 Questions volume helps young readers understand the origin of the Bible, how to read Scripture, why they can trust God’s word, and more.
Third, God has revealed himself even more personally. He’s shown us an up-close view of himself through Jesus. Jesus is God’s Word made flesh. The apostle John begins his Gospel by stating, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1–4). In ancient times, God spoke in his word through the prophets, but in Jesus God has come near (Heb. 1:1–2). How do we learn more about Jesus? We get to know Jesus in Scripture.
So, how did we get the Bible? God chose to reveal himself personally in his word.
The Holy Spirit Worked Through Men
Do you have a favorite superhero movie? Many superhero movies feature a main character who is chosen for a special mission. Sometimes that person is just an ordinary man or woman—until some event happens that requires a special role. These characters receive powers or abilities that help them complete their mission.
In a similar way, God chose the authors of Scripture for a mission. They were just people like anyone else. Then they received the special influence and aid of the Holy Spirit to complete a task. The Holy Spirit helped them write down the works they’d seen God do or the words they’d heard him speak. He guided the biblical authors so what they wrote was what he wanted them to say to their readers. Let’s look at a few of these human authors of Scripture. God revealed himself to Moses and called him to lead Israel out of Egypt. Near the end of his life, Moses wrote down all God had done for Israel and all God’s instructions for his people (Deut. 31:24). When Moses died, Joshua took his place as the leader of Israel.
God told Joshua, “Be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you” (Josh. 1:7).
David fought Goliath, ruled Israel, and won many battles. He also wrote some of the songs in God’s word. Near the end of his life, David said:
The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. (2 Sam. 23:2)
David also wrote many of the psalms so we would know of God’s work in his heart and life.
The words of Scripture are the words of the Holy Spirit of God; he inspired them.
God appeared to the apostle Paul in Acts 9, and Paul wrote most of the New Testament letters to churches so they could know what God had taught him about Jesus. Paul wrote about what God did for him and what God wanted him to tell all followers of Jesus.
The Holy Spirit guided some men as they read and studied history. When Luke wrote his Gospel about Jesus, he looked at other books written about Jesus to see what those books said. Luke began by stating, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1–4).
Luke included some of what he heard from people like the apostle Paul. Here is what is important: The Holy Spirit inspired the words Luke wrote so that he wrote just what God wanted us to know.
So how did we get the Bible? God chose to reveal himself personally in his word by appearing to men and guiding them by the Holy Spirit.
God’s Inspired Word
Have you ever been in a play? What role did you have? How did you know what to do or say? It can be scary to remember all your lines. But it might be even scarier if there were no lines!
What if the author of the play told you all about the story, your character, and what he wanted the play to be about? And what if he then told you to go on stage and make up your own lines? Well, that’d be really hard and pretty terrifying!
But what if the author could somehow also guide the thoughts in your head? What if he brought all the right things to your mind so that when you spoke, the words you decided to say fit what the author had planned?
This is similar to how the Bible came to be written. The apostles Peter and Paul said that God guided the biblical authors so they wrote just what he would have written. The words of Scripture are the words of the Holy Spirit of God; he inspired them.
Paul told Timothy that God inspired the words of the Old Testament writers: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Those who wrote the Old Testament recorded the works they had seen God do and the words they’d heard him say. The Holy Spirit guided them, so the authors wrote exactly what he wanted. As a result, future believers could read God’s word.
Paul urged Timothy to trust God’s word of the Old Testament because God inspired the words of men like Moses, David, and the prophets.
Peter knew Jesus well and wrote two New Testament letters to churches. In 2 Peter 1:20–21, Peter wrote about how the Holy Spirit inspired the words of Scripture: “Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Peter also wrote that Christians should read the letters of the apostle Paul (3:15–16). Peter knew that the Holy Spirit was also working through Paul.
Do you wonder why this matters? The biblical authors were like reporters recording all they had seen and heard in God’s big drama production. And that production is God’s plan for the salvation of his people. That is why God chose to write his word through people. Since God planned to save people, he worked through people to write his word. You can trust the words of Scripture. Men wrote them down, but they wrote them as the Holy Spirit directed them. God inspired the words of Scripture.
So, how did we get the Bible? God chose to reveal himself personally in his word by appearing to men and guiding them by the Holy Spirit who inspired the Scripture they wrote.
This article is adapted from 10 Questions About the Bible: 30 Devotions for Kids, Teens, and Families by Todd R. Chipman.
