Writing of the King James Bible

On the backside of the desert on Mt. Sinai...

Moses climbed up the mountainside once more,  eager to hear the voice of the Lord again. He smiled when he reached the top, even though he was out of breath and his legs were sore. It could be worse. The years of man's life were three score and ten, and perchance fourscore. At 81 years old, Moses knew he was blessed. He was alive and healthy because God still had work for him to do. He wondered if it was in part because he still had more to write. The LORD had told him that he wanted him to record what had been happening with his people. He looked down at the writing tools in his hand. He was still amazed that God wanted him to write down His Words. Even now, Moses was prepared to write what God wanted him to. He reached the place he normally met with the LORD. He had to only wait but a second before he heard the voice of the I AM. As Moses listened, he carefully wrote the words God told him to. He hoped that generations to come would read the LORD's words and obey it's commands.

Years later in Jerusalem...

The scribe sat down to copy the law of Moses. He had a few scrolls set out,  and he had plenty of writing tools. He grabbed the law of Moses to set before him as he copied it down by hand. With careful strokes he wrote down the timeless words. Not one jot or tittle could be missing. If one jot or tittle was missing, then it would not be God's whole perfect Word then, would it? No, each and every word, each and every tittle and jot, must be written. The scribe did not know why men like him had needed to do so throughout the years, but he thrilled at being one of them. Many kings had come before the young king, Josiah. Now, like the kings before Josiah, the law of Moses must be copied down for King Josiah to have. 

In 16th Century Europe...

As the means of writing changed, so did the ways of penning God's Word. Nevertheless, it was still the same timeless, perfect, God-inspired Word. Tyndale looked down at the manuscripts before him. Finally, after long waiting to translate God's Word for the common man to read, the time was at hand. William Tyndale did not care that the enemy was out to stop him. The common man in the field must be able to read God's Word for himself. This drove men like Tyndale, Wycliffe, and many others. They had known it was God's will. Now it was time to put feet to that knowledge. As Tyndale carefully translated the Word from Greek to English, he made sure not one word was missing. Everything God had said in Greek and Hebrew could and would indeed be translated into plain English. Tyndale looked out the window. He had come this far, he must continue, even if it meant his own death.

1611-

The men gathered before King James. He was a good king. They prayed he would accept what they had to say. When they told the king their desire, he was all ears. With a smile he said he must authorize it. They named it the King James Bible after the king, but they knew it was truly God's Bible - His precious, perfect, infallible, inspired Word. The enemy had tried to stop it, burn it, break it, destroy it, but they failed. They could not destroy something that was eternal.

 The words of the King James Bible was perfect and complete, but the English language and way of writing had changed once more. The s was changed to f. Yet, there was still one problem. When a preacher asked you to turn in your Bibles, it took some time to find the place. The remedy - chapter and verse divisions. Once these minor details were changed, a third-grade reader could read it. Moses' dream, the Scribes' hope, and Tyndale's desire had been fulfilled. Now every man, woman, boy, and girl, could read the B-I-B-L-E for themselves.

Present Day...

The young preacher looked across the table at a man who wanted to debate the King James Bible. The young preacher shook his head. He had studied out the King James Bible. He had proved it to be true, perfect, and infallible, but the man sitting across from him did not believe it. As the young preacher listened to the man's faulty arguments, he thought on the journey his Bible had taken to get to him today. He looked down at his worn, King James Bible with a smile. This book had withstood much and had stood strong. The young preacher rubbed the worn cover tenderly and lovingly as he thanked God in his heart for giving him His Word. No amount of arguments could change his beliefs in this perfect book.

This is just a glimpse into the history behind the King James Bible. To go into a theological discussion on this would take post upon post. You can have your NKJV, your ESV, your NIV. Just give me the good old, timeless KJB. It is perfect, holy, inerrant, infallible, inspired, and reliable. I pray you may come to love this precious Book as much or even more than I do. Read this Book, study it, learn it, memorize it, treasure it, meditate on it, keep it, respect it, live it, and you will surely love it.

May you keep your heart by keeping His Word,

Elisabeth Kristine