Deuteronomy 4:12 – 13 NIV
‘Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. ‘
The above is an excerpt from Moses’ address to the children of Israel. That whole chapter shows how YHWH (God) reveals himself, relates and leads his people.
God is not abstract.
Though he is Spirit and omnipresent, he is not a notion. He is not ‘existing only as an idea, in the mind, imaginary or not as something real’ (Dictionary meanings of notional).
YHWH (Yahweh) exists not only in the spiritual reality, but also fully accessible to our human reality. He does this by various means, but most directly and tangibly by his written word.
Notice carefully the choice and sequence of words Moses was inspired by God to use in that excerpt:
1. The Lord spoke to you (signifying a willing communication and interaction) out of the fire.
2. You heard (with your physical human ears with physical eardrums) the sound (noise) of words.
3. You saw no (form) image: no bodily representation. The tangibility of his presence was only in the sound of his words.
4. He declared (made known) the Ten commandments (Dabar (Heb): more accurately rendered as the ten matters, or ten communications) which they heard. He instructed them to be guided by it. This was his personal, intimate, way of shepherding his fleshly humans.
5. Then he made this voice (the sound representation of himself) visible and more accessible to his humans by WRITING it down HIMSELF. He believed in transcribing his revelation of himself (and his will) from sound into touchable written words.
‘’In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.’’ John 1:1-3
At Mount Sinai, this word described by John as God, became written. Exodus 31:18.
There, God became more than just a voice or sound, he became the (referable, tangible, readable) written word.
By this I do not intend to make deity the paper, ink, computer pixels or any other medium by which God’s words are transcribed (he is not represented by any form or material) but to dismiss or subjugate words is to dismiss or subjugate the voice of the speaker, and therefore dismissing or subjugating the person: in this case, God (YHWH).
The written word of God is God’s representation and accurate revelation of himself. It is therefore full of God’s supernatural life and actively produces and performs what it says.
Elevating the word of God written in the bible is elevating God. Making it the guide for life is making YHWH our guide for life. Relating with it as tangibly as you would relate with a letter from a trusted and faithful father or friend is relating with God as a trusted and faithful father and friend. And especially with Jesus (the living flesh Word) as a loving Brother and Lord.
While not every single discuss in the Bible has God as the speaker, the written accounts are part of the whole body of truth inspired (by him) to give us understanding.
YHWH transcribes himself into writing, therefore, those written words from his very mouth are the express unveiling of his person: of Almighty God himself! He is no different from what his mouth has said and what his Holy spirit has caused to be written! The scriptures (Bible) contain the tangible revealing of Almighty YHWH through words.
‘When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.’ Exodus 31:18
‘They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read. … 13 On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law.’ Nehemiah 8:8,13
‘See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.’ Hebrews 4:12 CJB
'Ye search the Writings (scriptures), because ye think in them to have life age-during, and these are they that are testifying concerning me;' - Jesus John 5:39 Youngs literal translation
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