Why Did God Choose Written Languages?
Several alternatives were open to God in His choice of a means for communication of His truth to men.
As a matter of fact, a wide variety of the media of communication were actually utilized by God “in time past,” as He “spake unto the fathers by the prophets” (Heb. 1:1, KJV).
WHAT GOD COULD HAVE USED
God could have chosen to continue to communicate with men as He did initially in biblical times.
Angels
Sometimes God spoke through angels (Cf. Gen. 18–19, 22; Ex. 3.) In fact, their very name means “messenger.” Their ministry began in Genesis (chaps. 18–19), and continued through the very last chapter of the Bible (Rev. 22:8–9). However, the very nature of their celestial intrusion into the terrestrial made it a special revelation that did not lend itself to permanence. There were certain distinct limitations in having to call upon angels to convey everything that God wished to say to every man under every circumstance in every age. One could imagine quite an endless invasion from outer space in order to care for all the details of truth transmitted to billions of people, many of which have short memories.
Visions and Dreams
Visions and dreams This was another means of communication that God occasionally chose to utilize (cf. Dan. 7:1; Gen. 41). Visions and dreams had more potential for universality and individuality than did angels. This is because it did not involve the mass of heavenly traffic and it could even be worked into one’s personal experience more readily. However, this method also has serious handicaps. For one thing, visions and dreams tend to be subjective and personal rather than objective and universal. For another, even their ecstatic impact could wear off and be forgotten.
The Urim and Thummin and the Lot
The Urim and Thummim and the lot These methods were sometimes used to determine God’s will (see Ex. 28:30; Prov. 16:33). However, they were limited in the scope of the content of truth they could convey. Apparently, all they could indicate was a yes or no answer to questions that men happened to direct toward God. Thus, their scope was quite limited when compared with a detailed description of God’s declarations to men found in other media of transmission.
The Moral Law
The moral law and creation God has revealed Himself by the moral law “written in the heart” (Rom. 2:15) as well as through creation (Ps. 19:1 ff.) to all men. But the amount of truth available here is limited and subject to corruption. Romans 1:18–19 says that although the truth from creation is “evident within them,” men “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” Their consciences also distort the moral law (Rom. 2:15; cf. 1 Tim. 4:2). Further, even though this general revelation is sufficient for man’s condemnation (Rom. 1:20; 2:12), only through special revelation has salvation come to light (Heb. 1:1; Rom. 10:9 f.).
The Audible Voice and the Direct Miracle
The audible voice and the direct miracle These were also media of divine communication (see 1 Sam. 3 and Judges 6:40), but they suffered from the same intrinsic difficulties that other means had, namely, they were good ways for God to speak to one man on one occasion and for one specific purpose. Nevertheless, it would be a strain on the divine economy to expect a repeat performance of these feats in speaking to all men everywhere. This is not to say that all of these methods were not good; they were in fact the ways by which God did speak to the prophets.
There was, however, a better way to communicate; it was a more precise, more permanent, and more easily disseminated revelation, which was just as personal.
WHAT GOD CHOSE TO USE
It was no doubt desirable to speak to the prophets “in divers manners,” but the best way to speak to the men of all ages through the prophets was to record the communication. Although no one can doubt that language, whether written or spoken, is not a “perfect” means of communication, it seems evident that it was the “best” means available, not that the best means was “adequate.” It is incongruous that the scholars who raise a voice against the adequacy of language have found language adequate enough to convey their view that language is not adequate! The time-tested superiority of a written record of truth was the one God chose to use in order to make permanent and immortalize His message to men. There were several decided advantages to this medium of revelation.
Precision
One of the advantages of language over the other media of communication mentioned is the matter of precision. It is a common experience that thoughts become more precise as they are expressed. In this connection it may be said that a student can understand better with a pencil than with any other instrument; because, if a thought can be apprehended and expressed in writing, it must have been clearly understood. Another illustration of the precision of language is the difference between one’s active and his passive vocabularies. It is possible to read and understand, in a general way, more words than one can use or write in a specific way. This is true because the accurate usage of words requires a more precise understanding of them, and precision is attained by expression. The proof of that point is the fact that mankind’s most treasured knowledge to date is in the form of written records and books. It is understandable, then, that God should choose to have His truth conveyed by books as precisely as is possible.
Propagation
There is another advantage to written revelation, namely, the matter of propagation. It is possible to make more precise copies of a written medium than a spoken one. No one will disagree that a written copy can be, and usually is, a much more accurate reproduction than an oral tradition. No matter how careful the communication is made orally, there is always a greater chance for change and corruption of the original than with a written record. A simple experiment will suffice to convince the skeptic. The word-of-mouth story passed around a circle of friends returns with amazing emendations in a few short minutes. In fact, it is astounding to note that Jesus’ disciples misinterpreted and mistransmitted a simple oral tradition that they thought they had heard Jesus say (John 21:23). Thus, in order to transmit revealed truth accurately, written records were made and copied by hand, until the invention of movable type in the printing process. Once the movable type had been invented (in the fifteenth century), the advantage of the printed page, and ability to reproduce it on a mass scale, became most apparent.
Preservation
Another advantage of writing is the matter of preservation. Failing memories are sometimes a blessing, but they are a decided disadvantage in the retention of the repertoire of revelation. It is always better to “make a note of it,” or to “put it on record.” As a matter of fact, it is difficult to imagine the adjudication of justice in a court without a record of testimony, to say nothing of the vacillation of memory in other realms. A written record has one additional advantage as well, namely, it can stimulate memory and conjure up within the individual’s imagination a host of personal implications that are latent within the given symbols or words of that record. Words, then, are not so wooden as to prevent a “personal blessing” for the individual reader, particularly in light of the fact that biblical words are the objective vehicle through which the Holy Spirit applies truth personally and subjectively to each reader individually (cf. John 16:13; 1 Pet. 1:11).
Geisler, N. L., & Nix, W. E. (1986). A General Introduction to the Bible (Rev. and expanded., pp. 320–324). Chicago: Moody Press.
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