This is another in a series of excerpts from The Book of Life: What the Bible Says about God’s Registry of the Redeemed from High Street Press and available at Amazon. This except comes from Chapter 5: The Book You Have Written.

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This post begins a series of posts on Section II of The Book of Life: The Book of Life in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament features at least seven references to a set of divine books in which people’s names are recorded, along with documentation of their works. We explore these passages on the basis of our discoveries in Section I: (1) the book of life is God’s registry of the redeemed; (2) it’s a real book, not a metaphor for God’s memory; (3) it is the Lamb’s book, purchased by his blood; and (4) names are entered at or after the time of creation, with the unrepentant wicked erased from the book of life when they pass a point of no return.

Now, we begin a series of posts that examine the first biblical reference to the book of life; Moses, speaking to Yahweh, calls it “the book you have written,” and the Lord responds by calling it “my book” (Exod. 32:31-33). Then, we delve into David’s song of lament, in which he petitions the Lord for relief, asking that the names of his tormenters be erased from the book of life (Ps. 69:28). The third reference explores David’s wonder at his own existence, exalting Yahweh for writing all the king’s days in his divine book (Ps. 139:16). 

Next, we see the immediate and prophetic implications of the book of life in the days of Isaiah (Isa. 4:3), followed by the book of life as Daniel shares his vision of the Ancient of Days, and as books are opened before the almighty judge (Dan. 7:9-10). The sixth Old Testament reference propels us to a time of future resurrection and judgment, in which those whose names are written in “the book” escape God’s wrath (Dan. 12:1-3). 

Finally in this section, we investigate the only reference in Scripture to a “book of remembrance” (Mal. 3:16). As a bonus, we’ll note the connection between the Israelite festival of Rosh Hashana and the book of life.

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