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All the first five books of the Law Genesis through Deuteronomy and Job were inspired of God and written down by Moses. Any idea of the 17th and 18 Century critics to say there were four different authors or more of those first 5 books is in error. These five books are the only ones we have actual COPIES of n Greek dating from the time of Ptolemy II (283 to 246 BC). We currently have our God inspired preservation in our English KJKB so that none of God’s words were lost, mistranslated and or carried over any copyist errors. Since the time of Moses all Scriptures have been written down.
“For how were these traditions preserved before they were written down?”
The scriptures spoken of to Timothy were copies of the OT scriptures that he was raised on.
2 Tim 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
. Jesus read from written copies, Paul had written copies and Timothy had written copies. From the time of Moses, no one was using oral traditions it was all written words. As to how they were “Preserved”, I am sure you meant “handed down”, before Moses we do not have any record of how it was done except that men SAY it was done passed down by word of mouth, if we can trust that tradition. Just some clarification on that point.
When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
If God wanted to say “Guard or Watch your steps” (plural) as other versions translated it from the 45 manuscripts used to make those translations he would have inspired it as such in the KJB. But what he did inspire was “Keep thy foot” the “Thy” tells us it is a direct spoken word of God to the individual hearer, though read to a multitude of Individuals as a whole, it is to be an application to the individual. “having the word “your” might be updated to American English, but loses the individual understanding as most hearers see it as a plural people and can easily shrug it off as for the other guy and not for them. I recommend a Booklet by James Knox called “Those Nasty Thee’s and Thou’s” a great little study on why those are used rather than ‘You or Your” it also gives us a better understainding of the Eths and Ests of the preserved scriptures.
Vs 1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Now look at the RSV
Eccl 5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. KJB
Notice how the RSV changed the words of God 1) they moved the word not around and added the word “Do” and 2) they replaced the preserved word “Consider” with “Know” this change may look innocuous but it does limit the understanding of the words of God in the later part of this verse. Consider and Know are not even remotely similar and they are never used as synonyms. This is important for once again an individual whom God is wanting to speak to may not even consider if they do evil or not because they say in their heart it is not them doing evil. The Issue is, are they considering what they are doing is evil?
Eccl 5 Vs 1 Guard your steps when you go to the house of God; to draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know that they are doing evil. RSV
Keep the foundation, the very footing, the very reason of why you go to church pure. To go to be seen, heard, noticed for your wealth or abilities or to receive pity or recognition is a false premise upon which one should be going to church. If one’s motive to go to church is to hear the word of God so one can grow thereby then they have keep the foundation upon why the church was established. Hearing the word of God is for more important that sacrifices because to just go for any other reason will make one dull of hearing and then they will never consider the evil they are doing.
Eccl 5 Vs 1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear,”
So always make sure to go into the church with the right motivation.
Heb 5:8-14 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
In the OT Sacrifices were being substituted for their hearing of God’s words. Jesus said this about those who trusted in Sacrifices to make themselves whole and right before God
Eccl 5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
Today in the church we don’t have animal sacrifices, we might think that giving is a sacrifice but that is really an ability and should be exercised in that way and not as a sacrifice. Many a prosperity teacher who lead Churches tells their hearers if they don’t have enough finances to sacrifice their electric bill and give it to God and he would return it 30, 60 or even 100 fold. Of course this goes against God’s word where he says we are to be good stewards of that which he has provided for us. We should never give of our finances sacrificially in this manner because that would be giving out of Covetousness something we were instructed not to do.
Mt 9:13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: . . .
2 Cor 9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
People forget and don’t even consider that going to church or making sacrifices in a way that is not true to God’s word today puts them in a state of sin. Not being pure in motive as to why one goes to church or giving in a way not prescribed by God’s word puts the believer in opposition to God’s word and thereby they are in sin. They never even considered the fact that being disobedient to God’s word is to do evil. So always consider what is your foundational reason and motivation to go to church and be sure that the reason you go is not making you do evil in the sight of God.
Eccl 5:1 Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. KJB