Proverbs 3:4 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Our reference point is not to be so rigidly set in stone, that God cannot speak to us through His prophets, or any other means He may choose. In other words, if we restrict God to only what is written in the Bible, then, if He gives us any instruction that we cannot clearly find in His word, it may be rejected on the basis of lacking authority. Back in the days of yore, there were not any laws written in stone before Mt Sinai, yet God’s spoken word, had just as much force as when it became etched with His finger.
In fact, it is written was only meant to certify that which was spoken all along, a fact that can be observed in the way God’s law was given to the Hebrews. Thus, after the Hebrews were given a written reference point in their hands, they could be instructed from the written law of God, and they could always double check the veracity of Moses’ instructions, if there was any doubt or question of authority.
That is all well and good. The problem is that some of the instructions God gave Moses were never written anywhere, and the people were expected to obey them just as if God’s words were written. Therefore, the question of Moses’ authority would surface from time to time, and the question of authority would also ricochet to Jesus’ day, where the issue of His authority would arise after many of His sermons.
Matthew 21:23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. "God bless!