From Stone to Scroll: Preserving God’s Word
Scripture: Psalm 119:89–90 – “Lord, Your word is forever; it is firmly fixed in heaven. Your faithfulness is for all generations; You established the earth, and it stands firm.”
Devotional:
God’s Word has never been fragile. It has outlasted kings, cultures, and time itself. But how did it physically endure?
The answer lies in how seriously God’s people took the preservation of His Word.
- At first, God’s Word was carved into stone—like the Ten Commandments.
- Then came clay tablets, a common medium in early civilizations.
- As technology developed, Israel adopted papyrus, leather, and parchment scrolls to carry longer texts.
- By Jesus’ time, the scroll was the sacred medium.
- Later, believers adopted codices (early books) to keep spreading the Word.
Archaeological finds like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Palermo Stone confirm that these writing methods existed long before the New Testament and back up the historical legitimacy of Scripture.
But what’s more amazing is this: over thousands of years and evolving formats, the message never changed. God's truth was copied, studied, revered, and passed down with stunning accuracy.
Today, you may read God’s Word on your phone or in a leather Bible, but the content—the breath of God—is still the same.
Questions for Reflection:
- Do you ever take for granted how easily you can access God’s Word today?
- What does it say about God that He ensured His Word would survive through every generation and format?
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for preserving Your Word through centuries, scribes, and scrolls. I’m amazed at the lengths Your people went to copy and protect it. Help me not to take it lightly. Let Your Word shape me, ground me, and speak to me today just as powerfully as it did to generations before. Amen.
Daily Application:
Hold your Bible in your hands (or pull up a digital version). Pause and thank God that you have direct access to His voice. Then read Psalm 119:97–105 out loud. Let it remind you that this Word is not just ancient—it’s alive.