04.07 - Revelation Independent of the Record

(7) Revelation Independent of the Record The Divine purpose in the call of Abraham and the choice and history of Israel, the dealings of God with that people, and the laws, ordinances, and communications given them, were not only prior to the record, but their meaning, intent, and action were also independent of it. The Divine purpose and activity in Israel were what they were and in every respect what they would have been, whether they were understood and recorded or not. The record of the Divine commandments, covenants, and movements was made and published that they might be known, obeyed, and fulfilled, but the record was apart and subsequent to the events themselves. It is so with the great facts of the Incarnation, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. These facts have their place and significance in the work and mission of Christ, and in the revelation of the Divine purposes of grace and redemption for the race, but the facts were accomplished long before the New Testament Scriptures were written, and were what they are from the time of their occurrence, and in the Divine intention and purpose would have been what they arc, had the Gospels of Jesus Christ never been written. This is what is mainly intended by the statement that the facts of revelation and the record are not the same, that the revelation is distinct from the record, and in considering the doctrine of Scripture it is important to make clear this distinction. The distinction is important and helpful because it enables us to consider the nature, subject-matter, and method of revelation apart from the question of date, authorship, and order of the books of the Canon of Scripture. The order of Divine revelation is not necessarily according to the arrangements of the books in our English Bible. The order and process of historical development and of Divine revelation is not necessarily that of “ Law, Psalms, and Prophets:” the reverse may have been the true order, and the Prophets before the Law and the Psalms. So with the books of the New Testament; for whilst the facts of the Gospels are the primal facts of God’s revelation in Jesus Christ, and the source and fount of New Testament teaching, they are not the earliest of New Testament writings, but were written subsequent to the earliest of Paul’s Epistles. Hence the order and process of revelation is not that of the Book. This distinction is further important, because it enables us to consider the facts and truths of revelation, and the historical development exhibited in Divine actions as well as in truths and teachings. The Divine revelation is closely related with the Divine movements in history: the historical is an essential element in the progress of Divine revelation, while the events of history are among the essential parts and purposes of divine revelation. By these is made known the activity of God in the history of Israel, and what His gracious purposes concerning the human race are.

God identified Himself with Israel, took an active interest in their history and progress, because by them He sought to accomplish His gracious purposes of redemption and salvation for the race. The calling and separating of Abraham and his seed as a people for Himself, the wonderful interpositions and miraculous deliverances wrought out for them, the revelation of His will made to them, the laws, ordinances, and institutions given them from time to time, the accomplishment of His purposes concerning them and the part they were called to play in furthering the purposes of God in the world, are all parts of God’s revelation for the race. “ Put the Scriptures,” says Professor A. B. Bruce, “ foremost in your ideas of revelation and you almost inevitably think of revelation as knowledge, as consisting in truth and doctrines, in words and speech. Put the record in the background, forget for the moment that there is a Bible, and you make room in your thoughts for the idea that revelation may proceed by deeds and acts as well as words, and even more characteristically by the former than by the latter.” 1 1 “ The Chief End of Revelation,” p. 96,