The Nugget:
My Comment:
Some of the Muslim posters on the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” discussion thread deny that Moses wrote the books attributed to him in the Bible. As usual, like many others today, they are learning their mistaken ideas about the Bible from what I call “poisoned wells,” sources written by authors who do not believe the Bible, and do not believe in the supernatural. Note carefully the Bible claim, “Moses wrote.”
My Response:
It is very clear from the Bible itself that Moses wrote the Torah, or first five books of Moses. See Exodus 24:4. That is the uniform testimony of the rest of Scripture, as may readily be learned by studying what the rest of the Bible itself says about it by using cross references.
Since not everyone has access to a reliable source of good cross references, I will share just a few of them with you:
Exo 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
Exo 34:27 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
Num 33:2 And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD: and these are their journeys according to their goings out.
Deut 31:9 And Moses wrote this law, and delivered it unto the priests the sons of Levi, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.
Deut 31:19 Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.
Deut 31:22 Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.
Jos 23:6 Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;
Jos 24:26 And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.
Notice that the Bible says Joshua wrote words in the book of the Law of God, and this surely accounts for the written record we have about the death of Moses.
2Ch 17:9 And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
2Ch 34:14 And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.
What was found in the house of the Lord was undoubtedly the autograph copy of the book of the Lord written by Moses.
Literally, “a book of the law of the Lord, by the hand of Moses;” i.e. as Dr. Kennicott understands it, “in the handwriting of Moses;” for, says he, though there are fifteen places in the Old Testament which mention “the law of Moses,” and “book of Moses,” yet this one place only mentions “the book of the law in, or by, the hand of Moses.”
Finding this copy had a profound effect in that day. It led to a genuine revival of faith in God and His word.
“These scriptures suffice to refute the assertion of some in our time that the book which Hilkiah found in the temple was of comparatively recent compilation, with the name of Moses attached to it to give it authority in the eyes of the king and his people. The assertion is as absurd as it is wicked. That which was brought to light once more was God’s own revelation to His people, against which, unhappily they so frequently transgressed. In the stirring times of Josiah, when the Spirit of God was working to give Jehovah’s poor fickle people one more opportunity, the rediscovery of the book of the law had tremendous effect upon the heart and conscience of the king; and, we may hope, upon the hearts and consciences of many of his subjects (W. W. Fereday, Josiah and Revival; p. 35).
Ezr 3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.
Neh 8:1 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.
Neh 8:2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.
Neh 8:3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
Neh 8:4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
Neh 8:5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:
Neh 8:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Neh 8:7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
Neh 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.
Dan 9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
Dan 9:12 And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.
Dan 9:13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.
Mar 12:24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
Mar 12:25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
Mar 12:26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Mar 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
Jesus plainly taught that those who do not know the Scriptures, including the “book of Moses,” which He cited on this occasion to refute the error of the Sadducees, are in great error–are greatly mistaken in what they believe. The same is still true today. You need to read carefully the witness of the Bible to itself, for the Bible is the Word of God, and we dare not contradict what the Bible teaches or we will be against God, and reap His full judgment against us in that case.
Luk 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
From this answer of Abraham we learn that the Sacred Writings contain such proofs of a divine origin, that though all the dead were to rise, the proofs could not be more evident, nor the conviction greater; and that to escape eternal perdition, and obtain eternal glory, a man is to receive the testimonies of God, and to walk according to their dictates.
Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Joh 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
Joh 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Joh 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Please pay very close attention to what Jesus said about what Moses has written.
Jesus said that anyone who truly believes the words of Moses will believe in Jesus Christ, for Jesus said, “for he wrote of me.”
Then Jesus declared, “But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
That points very sharply to the spiritual problem anyone has who does not truly believe in Jesus Christ and all that He said.
You cannot pick and choose what you want to believe from the Bible. You must believe it all, to find the truth and to become properly related to God Himself.
So many do not believe Moses, and, therefore, do not come to believe in Jesus. How simple and true. He wrote of the Christ to come. How blessed we are to have faith in Christ and His Word. He is the Word made flesh, and he reveals the Father to us!