Ancient Witness To Bible Truth

by PRASHER, G. | Category: Focus | Oct 2007

Most interesting evidence of the historical truth of the Book of Jeremiah was featured in the British press last July.

When visiting the British Museum, Professor Michael Jursa, an academic from the University of Vienna, took special interest in the museum's collection of 130,000 inscribed tablets. Many of these have cuneiform inscriptions, the oldest known form of writing. It was used by the speakers of some fifteen languages, including Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian.

Professor Jursa came across a 2500 year-old bill of receipt acknowledging the payment of three-quarters of a kilo of gold to a temple in Babylon. He found that the payment was made by a certain Nabu-sharrussu-ukim, 'chief eunuch' at the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The tablet was dated to the tenth year of the king's reign. Professor Jursa identified this official with the person named in the Book of Jeremiah 39:3 (NIV) as Nebo-Sarsekim, 'a chief officer'.

Dr. Irving Finkel of the British Museum commented; "A throw-away detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power." This kind of comment perhaps reflects less than full confidence in the whole of Scripture as true and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The believer is not of course dependant on such 'external' evidences of the divine origin and inspiration of the written Word of God. Nevertheless they do provide a supplementary indication of the truth of Scripture, even in matters of incidental detail.

The testimony of the Lord Jesus to the truth of Scripture is especially impressive. He appealed to the written word of the Old Testament as conclusive confirmation of God's will; (�... the Scripture cannot be broken� - John 10:35). After His resurrection He explained to the apostles the fulfilment of all that had been written concerning Himself �in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms� - that is in the whole of the Old Testament as the Jewish Scriptures were then arranged.

We're further assured from 2 Timothy 3:16,17 that �All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.�

That certain parts of the New Testament were early recognized as having a place alongside the inspired Word of the Old Testament is made clear by the apostle Peter's reference to Paul's epistles: �� as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures�. (2 Pet.3:15,16)

Through the apostle Peter also we're reminded of the inspired truth of the gospel by which we were saved: �... having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides for ever, because "All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures for ever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you� (1 Pet.1:23-25).

That Doctor Finkel should have been so favourably impressed by the accuracy of a 'throw-away detail' in the book of Jeremiah seems rather disproportionate. For the book is replete with prophetic warnings to the kingdom of Judah about the impending Chaldean invasion. The fulfilment of those warnings as recorded in chapters 39 and 40 is historical evidence of the remarkable scope and power of Jeremiah's prophetic ministry. How fully this was authenticated as being of God!

The anonymous writer of Psalm 119 expressed deep appreciation of God's word. Practically every one of the psalm's 176 verses reflects some aspect of the wonder of this written revelation of divine truth. In verse 89 we read;

�Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.�

Thankfully we may rest on its promises, rejoice in the eternal hope it sets before us, and seek humbly to live according to its wholesome counsel.

PRASHER, G. | Oct 2007
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