All About the Bible
12 - Studying the Bible
Reading the Bible daily is important. It is during our own personal reading that God is able to speak to us. It is equally important to make a habit of studying the Bible. As valuable as reading the Bible is, we need to dig deeper. The great truths of the Bible are known through study. Daily reading is good but it often leaves us with a superficial understanding of the passage we have read, even with the best monthly Bible reading notes to help us.
God expects us to do more than read His word. The great truths of the Bible can’t be unlocked unless they are prayed over and diligently studied. A preacher once began his sermon by saying, "Christians should never read the book of Leviticus in the Old Testament". You can imagine the perplexed look on the faces of the congregation! Then he clarified himself. "No", he said, "Leviticus should never be read—it should be studied". He had a point. Study and research is needed if you are going to understand the meaning of the various rituals and sacrifices found in that book. The Principal of the Bible college I attended told us that his policy was that whenever he was reading through a book of the Bible, and he came across a verse that was difficult to grasp, he would not go any further until he understood it. He would spend time studying the verse until it opened up its treasures.
Bible truths are revealed as a result of discipline and work. We read in Proverbs 23:23, "Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding". There are four things we all need as we follow the Lord: truth, wisdom, discipline and understanding. They come at a price. No, I do not mean we can buy them with money. This idea of buying the truth suggests at least two things. Whenever you buy anything it is because you want it and you see its value. Many do not study the Bible because they have no desire. When you see the blessing that can be yours by studying it and living it out then you will want to know more about it. Buying speaks of cost. When you buy something you pay for it. There is a cost to getting truth, wisdom, and understanding. When you buy something of great price then there’s a financial sacrifice you make to own it. The cost to buying the truth is the effort you put into studying the Bible. This demands your time, concentration, and thought. Sacrifice is needed.
This is the point made in Proverbs 2:1-5. We read, "My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding".
The Lord is more than willing to give us understanding. The problem is our lethargy in seeking it. That passage of scripture shows the effort we should put into Bible study to receive the benefits. We must apply ourselves to Bible study. It involves crying out to God in prayer for light and help as we study His word. If you knew there was treasure to be found at a certain place in a nearby field you would go there and dig and dig until you unearthed it.
The same attitude should be seen in our approach to understanding the Bible. Unearthing the great truths of the Bible should be your top priority above everything else. After all, knowing how to live in a way that pleases God is why we are here.
Mary had the right attitude. Jesus and His disciples visited the home of Mary and Martha in Bethany. Martha was busy in the kitchen preparing the food for her guests. Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to His teaching. Martha was not impressed. We read in Luke 10:40 that Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, do not you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?" Martha was not doing anything wrong, she was doing a legitimate thing. Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10:41, "Martha you are worried and upset about many things. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her". The point is that Mary’s priority was right. Learning from Jesus took precedence over the passing things of this life. Material things, however legitimate and important some of them might be, won’t last forever. They have no eternal consequences. The best use of your time is to learn from the Lord through His word the Bible. The treasures you discover are eternal and will not be taken from you. The point Jesus is making to Martha is not that she should neglect food and family needs. She simply needed to get them in perspective. There is always the danger of giving more priority to the things of everyday life, and miss out on what really matters like our spiritual growth. If we are honest, we don’t give as much time to studying the Bible compared to the time we spend doing other things in life.
Make it your aim to set some time each week to study a book of the Bible until you have a good understanding of it. The Bible speaks about meditating on God`s word. This is a lost art for many of us. We read in Psalm 119:97, "Oh, how I love your Law! I meditate on it all day long".
We need to stop and think about what we have read in God’s word. Life is moving at a fast pace for most of us. We are often in such a rush. This is the deadly enemy of Christian meditation. William Bridge said, "Man may think on God every day and meditate on God no day". Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see great things from His word. We have the Holy Spirit living within us who enlightens the minds of all who study the Bible diligently. Ask your Church leader to suggest a good Bible commentary, Concordance, and other Bible helps. These will be invaluable as you study God`s word.
You will be rewarded with a good knowledge of the Bible. This will help you to know God's will for your life. It will bring great happiness as you live it out. You will be able to discern between truth and error and not be led astray. Above all you will grow to be like Christ. This is the chief aim of the Bible that you grow in love and obedience to God, and live a holy life pleasing to Him.