Divinely inspired means "inspired by the holy spirit of the Creator" (literally "God breathed." )
The Biblical story of Job demonstrates that devoted and dedicated, believers can credit the Creator with the violent acts of the devil. The religious and devout believers in Job's God, believed that God had inflicted the 'curses' on Job and tried to accuse him of covering up his sins for which they believed, he was being divinely punished. They were ignorant that Satan had caused the vicious attacks on Job, his family and his cattle.
In the same way that Job and his companions were deceived, so too were the Israelites of ancient times and also at the time of Jesus when Christ Himself corrected the believers in this and other false doctrines that were written in their holy 'scriptures.'
Exodus 21:24 "An eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot"
Leviticus 24:20 "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Just as he injured the other person, the same must be inflicted on him."
Deuteronomy 19:21 "You must show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, and foot for foot."
Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the ancients, 'Do not murder' and 'Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.'
The "Ancients" recorded those false doctrines in the 'scriptures' which they claimed to be the holy, inerrant and holy word of God, written by the hand of Moses, the servant of God who spoke with God face-to-face. Speaking against the holy writings was considered to be blasphemy - a crime punishable by death.
Why did Jesus, the Son of God and the Word of God (John 1:1-3; Rev 19:13) speak so strongly against part of the supposedly inerrant writings - the same writings that still appear in the current Old Testament?
Why did Jesus tell the disciples that they didn't understand what spirit motivated their desire to bring down fire from 'heaven' and incinerate the villagers who had insulted their Master?
Why was the reaction of Jesus to simply walk away, and no doubt to pray for those people who rejected Him?
Matthew 4:4 Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds out of the mouth of God'."
Mark 7:6-9 "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of God."
Luke 13:26, 27 "Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will answer, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.’"
John 16: 1-3 "I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me."
Matthew 10:17 But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues."
Matthew 9: 54-56 "And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them. And they went into another village."
The same principle should carry over into discerning the spirit that inspired ANY writings, but especially those that are claimed to be inspired by the holy, loving spirit of the Creator, whom Jesus revealed to the world.
Matt 7:17,18 & Luke 6:43 Jesus told us we would know which spirit motivated a person by their actions/works. He added, "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit. And a bad tree cannot produce good fruit."
Jesus is the divine filter. If a 'command' does not fit through the divine filter of Love, then it is likely to be a 'commandment of men.'
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