There is a powerful line of reasoning for the structure of the Bible that is barely discussed—a seriously untapped potential for Christians defending their faith. I didn’t notice it until I set aside my apologetics books and dove deeper into the world of biblical theology.
To understand the evidence I’m about to share, consider this: In a symphony, you have a melody. The melody progresses and evolves. Different instruments are added, or taken away. Sometimes, the music is soft and gentle. Other times, it’s loud and aggressive. But despite all of the diverse experiences, a symphony is masterfully unified under a single story that’s being told through music.
Now, ask yourself: How many people does it take to write a symphony?
The answer is one. We call this person the composer.
The structure of the Bible as a symphony
The Bible is a collection of 66 books by about 40 different authors. Few of them knew each other. In fact, they wrote across roughly 1,400 years in three different languages and three different continents. Yet despite the Bible’s vast diversity, somehow, it tells a unified story under a single symphony. The best explanation, I propose, is that the Bible is not a mere man-made book, but was written under the supernatural guidance of a single, overarching author (or composer) —God.
Of course, to call the Bible a symphony is easier said than shown. So let me show you.
Related: Three Views on Errors in the Bible
The melody of Moses and Elijah
Alastair Roberts and Andrew Wilson trace the themes of Scripture in their book Echoes of Exodus by showing how the story of Moses is the melody of the symphony of Scripture. This melody takes on different harmonies and moods as the Bible progresses, but it’s always there. For example, consider how the story of Moses lines up with Elijah:
- Through God, Moses and Elijah brought famine to the land as a plague, demonstrating God’s power (Ex. 7:20–21, 9:6, 25, 10:15 / 1 Ki. 17:1, 18:2).
- Moses and Elijah headed east, where meat and bread were miraculously provided for them (Exodus 16:13–15, 19:1–2 / 1 Ki. 17:2–4, 6).
- Moses and Elijah both had a powerful mountain experience where an altar was built, the fire of God descended, and everyone was challenged to worship God alone. (Ex. 19:18, 20:3, 24:4 / 1 Ki. 18:20, 32, 38–39).
- Through God, Moses and Elijah both parted water (Ex. 14:21 / 2 Ki. 2:8).
- Moses and Elijah’s lives both ended in health when God took them. Their bodies were nowhere to be found (Dt. 34:5–6 / 2 Ki. 2:11–12)
The harmony of Joshua and Elisha
After Moses came Joshua. After Elijah came Elisha. The story continues…
- Joshua’s name means “The Lord saves.” Elisha’s name means “God saves.”
- Joshua and Elisha began their ministry by parting the Jordan River, imitating their former master (Josh 3:7–17 / 2 Ki. 2:14).
- Joshua and Elisha started in Jericho (Josh 3:16 / 2 Ki. 2:15).
- Joshua and Elisha showed kindness to a person from an enemy nation (Josh 6:22–25 / 2 Ki. 5:8–14).
- Joshua and Elisha judged an Israelite for stealing (Josh 7:22–26 / 2 Ki. 5:19–27).
- Joshua and Elisha defeated foreign armies in miraculous ways (Josh. 6:20 / 2 Ki. 6:15–18).
The rhythm of Moses and Joshua
Moses’s life is also like Joshua’s, especially when we compare their stories of crossing water. But everything is flipped. Moses crossed the Sea Leaving Egypt. Joshua crossed the Jordan River entering Canaan. With Moses, the order of events was first destruction (Ex. 7–11), then the Passover (Ex. 12), then a memorial (Ex. 13:3–16), then the water parts (Ex. 14:21), then the people walk through with God behind them (14:19, 22), and finally, spies enter the land (Num. 13:1–3). With Joshua, the spies entered first (Josh. 2:1), then the people stepped into the water with God in front of them (Josh. 3:14–15), then the water parts (Josh. 3:16), then a memorial (Josh 4), then the Passover. (Josh 5:10), and finally destruction (Josh. 6–11).
The crescendo of Sinai and Pentecost
Are you seeing the symphony start to take shape? Many more comparisons could be made between different characters and stories, especially as we start to examine the details of Jesus’s life. Roberts and Wilson pack their book with them. But perhaps my favorite comparison is how one of the greatest moments in Church history flipped one of the most tragic events in Israel’s life. This is the comparison between Sinai and Pentecost. Let’s set the scene:
- Seven weeks after the Passover lamb saved Israel from the angel of death in Egypt, Moses took his followers to Mt. Sinai. (Ex. 19:1–2). Seven after Jesus, our Passover lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), was crucified for our sins, his followers met in a different high place—an upper room (Acts 1:13, 2:1).
- Suddenly, the fire of God comes down (Ex. 19:18 / Acts 2:3).
- There’s a lot of commotion (Ex. 19:16 / Acts 2:5–13).
- A new temple of God is established (Ex. 25–31, 35–40 / Acts 2:4, 1 Cor. 6:19).
- Obedience to God is preached (Ex. 20:1–17 / Acts 2:14–39).
Yet, in both cases, there’s also a terrible sin looming in the air. In the case of Moses, the people built a golden calf in rebellion against God. Moses condemned them harshly and sent his servants to cut down 3,000 of their own people by the sword (Ex. 32:26–28). Truly, this was a dark time for Israel. But Pentecost was different. The sin of Israel was that they killed Jesus, God’s chosen Messiah. Only this time, a servant of God stepped up, spoke of mercy, and 3,000 people were “cut to the heart” and saved (Acts 2:37–41).
Related: Isn’t the Bible Full of Disagreements?
A symphony with one Master Composer
The more I study Scripture, the more I find a beautiful symphony guided by one Master Composer; He has created a network of connections so vast, creative, and complex, that it is beyond difficult to accept this masterpiece as some man-made book. And indeed 2 Timothy 3:16 says that “All Scripture is breathed out by God.” It rightly declares Him to be the Master Composer, and I find this to be the best, most reasonable explanation for the harmonized, melodic, and absolutely beautiful structure of the Bible.
