JEREMIAH 36:4 : Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him.
A first-grade girl was sitting next to her grandmother during the morning worship service. Curious, she looked down at her grandmother’s open Bible. In a low whisper, she asked, “Did God really write that?” “Yes,” her grandmother whispered back. Looking down at the pages of the Bible again, the little girl said in amazement, “Wow! He really has neat handwriting!”
That’s obviously not what we mean when we say that the Bible was written by God. Instead, Jeremiah more accurately demonstrates the process of inspiration.
The words written down were spoken by Jeremiah, but they didn’t originate with him. Everything that the prophet instructed the scribe Baruch to write were words that the Lord had given to Jeremiah. God chose the content; Jeremiah was simply the instrument by which that message was recorded.
When you open God’s Word, remember that what you read is not the opinions or thoughts of those who penned them. Second Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is given by “inspiration of God.” Literally, this phrase means “God-breathed.”
Nothing comes more deeply from within us than our breath. Therefore, the Bible has as its source the innermost depths of God Himself. While the Scriptures pass through the intellect and personality of the writer, they have their origin in God. If you disagree with the Bible, you’re not disagreeing with the likes of David and Paul and Jeremiah. You’re disagreeing with God.
As you read your Bible, never forget how special that book you hold really is. The Bible is God’s personal, intimate Word to you. When you read it, you are touched by the breath of God.
THE WORD OF GOD IS THE BREATH OF GOD.