“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:6-7).
God gave His Word to His children upon earth with the instructions to proclaim and practice it. It is not our responsibility to preserve His Word. God has promised to do that, and His is promises are sure.
“Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant” (1 Kings 8:56).
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
1. God has not promised us a fragmented preservation. In the text we are told that “The words of the LORD…” will be preserved. There are no lost books of the Bible. They are preserved! There are no lost words of God to man. They are all preserved.
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
“That which is perfect” is the complete Word of God, and it is kept in tact and kept from injury or destruction and protected by God’s promise and power. We have God’s complete Word!
2. God has not promised us a remote preservation. If God’s Words were only preserved in Heaven, that would be of little value to us who are upon earth. God gave His Words upon earth and He has preserved them upon earth.
The Old Testament was given to the Jews, “What advantage then hath the Jew?… Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3: 1-2).
The Old Testament with its completion in the New Testament was given to the church. “I have given them thy word…” (John 17:14).
God’s Words were not preserved in a cave somewhere, but God’s children have had them all the time. God’s Words were not inerrant in the original autographs only, but have been preserved to all generations. It is not a remote preservation but a present reality!
3. God has not promised us a mingled preservation. “…The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). God has not preserved His Words mingled with the words of men.
Israel was not to sow mingled seed in their fields (Leviticus 19:19)
“Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled” (Deuteronomy 22:9).
The results would be defiled fruit. The result of sowing the preserved pure Words of God is true faith. Faith does not come by hearing man’s words (Romans 10:17). It is not necessary for scholars to search tirelessly through Greek manuscripts in an effort to distinguish between the Words of God and the words of men. “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).
4. God has not promised us a reasonable facsimile preservation. God has not promised to simply preserve His thoughts or doctrines. He has preserved His Words!
The doctrine of the inerrancy of the Scriptures is a major doctrine. It is continually under attack. Who do you suppose provokes such attacks upon God’s Words? Satan would gnaw this foundational truth away if he could, but he can’t because we have God’s promise of preservation!
CONCLUSION
To say that some of God’s Words have passed away is to charge God foolishly. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
To say this promise of preservation has failed is an attack upon God. It is in essence blasphemy! A young Christian may for a time be confused and unsettled in his beliefs, but to say that God has not preserved His Words is to call God a liar!
God’s inerrant, infallible, inspired words are preserved in the authorized King James Version.
Thank the Lord for His promise of preservation!