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     In the previous articles, we have considered the readily obvious evidences pointing toward the inspiration of the Bible – scientific, medical, dietary, meteorological, archaeological facts and prophecy.  Aside from prophecy, these categories of evidences are tangible and physically ascertainable today.  However, there are also several other categories of evidences which point to divine inspiration that only become obvious as one studies the entire Bible itself.
     One of these is brevity, i.e., “what the Bible does not say” about people, places and events (in contrast to the evidences we previously considered).  The Bible has no introduction or preface by its author, but profoundly begins with “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1), as if everyone knows all about God, who He is, where He is from, what He does, etc.  What we do know from the passage is God’s claim of unfathomable power ...to create the universe.  “The heavens declare the glory of God;  And the firmament (sky – JCM) shows His handiwork.” (Psalms 19:1), is an acknowledgment of God’s power, but says nothing of His existence.  Throughout the Bible, God’s self-existence is assumed and assumed to be true (i.e., no argument as evidence of His existence is given).
     Neither at the beginning nor elsewhere in the Bible are we told of the origin of God.  In fact several times the Bible states that God is “...from everlasting and to everlasting”(e.g. Psalm 41:13; 93:2, 106:48), but gives no explanation of His eternal existence, nor to His origin – when and from where.  Interestingly, the closest explanation about God’s origin is actually “no origin!”  When Moses went upon the mountain and approached the bush that burned but didn’t burn up, He asked God, “What is your name?”, so he could tell the Israelites who sent him.  God answered, “I AM who I AM.”  Thus Moses told the Israelites, “I AM has sent me to Israel.”(Exodus 3:13-14).  “I AM” is God’s reference to Himself, but not as much as a name.  Rather it defines His existence.  In reference to time, God never was nor ever will be, but rather He always is.  We humans see three periods of time, past, present and future.  Since God always is, He does not see time as we do, thus He says of Himself, “I AM.”  Eternity has no time element, nor would an eternal being recognize such in His realm.
     Those of us who grew up knowing of the eternal God, might not see this as a startling revelation.  However, consider this — Pagan religions’ gods were not eternal, rather they had origin.  For example, Egyptian religion.  Osiris (sun) gave birth to seven great planetary gods, and then the twelve lessor gods of the signs of the zodiac, who in their time produced the twenty-eight gods presiding over the stages of the moon, the seventy-two companions of the sun, and other gods.  All pagan religions have similar explanations of the origins of their gods.
     Why are none of those gods called eternal?  Because mankind only sees birth bringing new life and death extinguishing life, a beginning and an end.  So where does the concept of an eternal God come from?  From God Himself and only briefly stated in a few passages of scripture.  Since man would not imagine “eternity,” and if he did, we would have volumes explaining it, we thus conclude that the Bible’s brevity of God’s self-existence points to its Divine inspiration.

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