For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 2 Peter 1:21
The gift of prophesying encompasses more than simply telling the future. A broad definition of the term can be found in apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believers:
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
1 Corinthians 14:3
We are told that ‘all scripture is given by inspiration of God’ (2 Timothy 3:16). Besides the dedicated prophetic books such as Daniel and Revelation, the Biblical canon contains various forms of writing for our edification including historical chronicles, songs from a young shepherd, and letters to church brethren. While all Scripture is inspired of God, it is a mistake to understand that the words we read bypassed the mind of the human instrument, or that the writer’s pen moved across the page as though he were possessed.
There is no doubt that God impressed David with the thought of His watch-care over him night and day, and of His everlasting love towards him. David’s days were similarly spent tirelessly caring for his own sheep. Through the lonely night, David zealously protected his flock from wild beasts, and led them to green fields and still waters. Drawing from his own experience, David sung, ‘the Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want’ (Psalm 23:1). God did not say this about Himself, as that would be disingenuous. David spake as he was moved by the Spirit of God.
When we understand that Scripture is thought-inspired rather than word-inspired, things become clear. The individual writing styles and differing focal points we see in the various books of the Bible demonstrate that the Word of God has come to us through the lens of a human mind.
Nevertheless, it is the Word of God and therefore wholly divine. It was the divine mind which moved upon the human, and not the other way around. Never are men to reinterpret or wrest its plain utterances (as is done in cosmology) upon the grounds that the Bible has been relayed through human agencies. Far from being a cause for shame or distrust, we see in this the same principle as when ‘The Word was made flesh’ in Jesus Christ. The Scriptures demonstrate the blending of the divine with the human to the glory of Him who entrusts humanity to be labourers together with Himself (1 Corinthians 3:9).
Christopher Sparks