doubts by suggesting, “How do we know that Moses could write? How did he know enough to write Genesis, much less the rest of the Penta teuch?” While probably he wasn’t an evangelical believer, Sir Frederick Kenyon, former curator of manu scripts for the British Museum in London, had something interesting to say on the subject: “It’s not long since it was commonly maintained that the first five books of the Bible could not be based on contemporary records of that day, much less be attributed to Moses himself because they said that writing was not known in his day. Here archeology comes to our assistance most decisively and we know from the spade and shovel of archeology that Moses was able to write.” This does a great deal for the believer, showing that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible as God-breathed. Exodus 34:27 shows us that God commanded Moses to write these words. In verse 28 we see the fulfillment of that. Moses was given the Ten Commandments and then replaced those he destroyed which had been written originally by the finger of God (Deut. 31:9). When Christ was here, His oppo nents such as the Pharisees and the Sadducees, didn’t doubt that Moses was able to write. This is why we see the force of Jesus’ rebuke in John 5:46-47. It’s absolutely perti nent to this day. Christ declared that Moses wrote about Him way back in the ancient day. Archeologists have found tablets dating back before the day of Moses. It definitely shows that men did know how to write. Moses was edu cated in the land of Egypt in a very tho rough m anner (Acts 7:17ff). Verse 22 reminds us that Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds. Moses had a most remark able life. The timing of his varied experiences from birth were certain ly of God. God’s purpose will not be
thwarted. He uses the wrath of man to praise His name and to further His plans (Psa. 76:10). On the basis of the vast wealth of Egyptian lit erature now available to us archeo- logically, we have some idea what the education of Moses really includ ed. He knew hieroglyphics, which is picture-writing. By that time, cur sive writing was then developing. As the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt, much of the foreign affairs and correspondence went through his hands. It was handled in the lan guage of the people. He knew mathe matics, architecture, government and literature. It may be that he also had studied medicine. After 40 years of the best Egypt could offer, Moses still had rough edges which needed polishing. He had every reason to fear for his life after he had inad vertently killed the Egyptian. In the second 40 years of his life, Moses had to learn humility and patience. He came to know the desert as one knows his own neighborhood. He led Israel like a flock of sheep out of Egypt into the wilderness and to ward the land of promise. He may have also learned to use the Sinaiatic alphabet. From internal evidence then, knowing how to write gives us assurhnce that Moses, under the in spiration of the Word of God, wrote th first five books of the Old Testa ment. C hapter S ix I t ’ s wonderful to know not only the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Saviour, but also the securi ty through our legacy in the in spiration of the Word of God. Scrip ture cannot be broken from Genesis to Revelation. Acts 7:30-36 reveals how God uses His servant Moses as an instrument to write part of the Old Testament in the first five books of the Bible. The Lord spoke to Moses in a remarkable manner. It was while Moses was on the back side 21
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