An elocution master once made use of this passage of Scripture as a text for a lecture upon the advantages of good reading. Words have been called the vehicles of thought. A good writer chooses his words so that his message is presented as accurately and forcefully as possible to a careful and receptive reader. When, however, the words are read aloud to others, another mind is interposed between the author and the audience, and this additional channel of communication may have an important effect upon the impressions which the writer desired to create.
His line of thought will be made easy and pleasurable to follow by a good reader, while a bad reader will distort or even destroy the author’s message. When the message comes from a Divine source and is a matter of life and death to those to whom it is sent it becomes a necessity under certain circumstances to “read distinctly” and “give the sense” so that the hearers “may understand the reading.” Those who read in public have here a text worthy of consideration.
Exposition After The Exile
But the advantage of good articulation and emphasis is not the principal lesson to be drawn from this passage in Nehemiah. The chapter gives us the picture of an assembly of exiles who had returned from Babylon with its pagan environment to take up some of the scattered fragments of their national polity. They had rebuilt their city wall in the face of much opposition and distress, and felt that now they could withstand such raids as their neighbours might make. The leaders realised however, that faithfulness to God must be their chief defence, and they were anxious that the idolatrous associations of Babylon should be counteracted. This could only be done by an understanding of the revelation of God whose purposes the nation was historically fulfilling. This new attempt to rebuild the Jewish state must be based upon a sound foundation, so the people were gathered together as one man to hear the reading of the Law by which their individual and national conduct must be governed.
In “causing them to understand the reading” we have one of the greatest occasions of Bible exposition in the history of the people. Their national record prior to this event had been blackened by repeated descents into the idolatrous depravity of neighbouring nations. After this event their career was still to be chequered, but it was never again stained with that particular crime.Perhaps it would be attaching too much importance to this event to make it responsible for this change in the national character.
Other factors played a part ; such factors as the competitive example of the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim, the favour of the Greeks under Alexander, and the intense patriotism of the religious wars of the Maccabees. Nevertheless Ezra’s exposition, and the circumstances connected with it, had a great deal to do with the regeneration of the religious life of the Jews. While the record does not contain his addresses to the assembled multitude, it is not difficult to imagine that he would find in the history of his race a variety of examples to “point the moral” during the reading of the Law. On such lines he could make a strong emotional appeal to a people just returned from the experience of suffering divine vengeance in the Chaldean exile, and thus stir up in their hearts a resolution to greater faithfulness.
The Need For Another Revival
The sharpness of the impression faded with the passing of time. A few generations later the last of the prophets appeared, and his record is an indictment of the haphazard and unappreciative way in which the Jews conducted their religious devotions. Malachi’s reproof was also an exposition. The spiritual values of the Law were emphasised in an endeavour to reform the people and bring them to a higher realization of what God desired.
Again the impressions faded. Four centuries later the Gospels testified to the hardened traditionalism and formality of the religious attitude of the Jews. The “tradition of the elders” had encrusted the divine revelation with human observances, and buried its spirit beneath a mound of ritualism.
The Exposition Of Jesus
Jesus was revealed to such a world, and his teaching was Bible exposition of a most lofty and revivifying character. He declared that the Law,s most important command was “love God,” and the next in importance was “love your neighbour as yourself.”
Upon these two commands hung all the law and the prophets. His exposition was novel ; his insistence upon it was unacceptable to the nation, particularly to its official section. They held preconceived opinions concerning their relationship to the divine purpose which centred round the promised Messiah. “Moved with envy” at the attitude of Jesus they brought about his death. This antagonism unwittingly put into effect “what the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” had planned, for the crucified and resurrected Jesus became the redeemer of men.
The Gospel An Exposition
The Gospel concerning him was preached to the world, and the records we have of that preaching comprise another series of Bible expositions setting forth the application to Jesus of Nazareth of “all that the prophets had spoken since the foundation of the world.” Those prophetic records were referred to by the Apostle when he said “the Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” This statement is of importance not only for the idea it conveys, but also for the implication that the Old Testament is still the source of the knowledge that can save, when regarded in the light of the exposition of the New Testament writers.
The fact that there is a belief in Christendom that the New Testament has superseded the Old and made it of no further value indicates that history is again repeating itself. The Bible exposition of Ezra produced beneficial results which did not last because of the endeavour to add to the “reading” the opinions of rabbis and scribes. The result was described by Jesus, “Ye have made the word of God of none effect through your traditions.”
The Bible expositions of Jesus and Paul also produced beneficial results by “turning men from idols to serve the living and true God.” But as time passed the opinions of clerics and bishops were adopted into the teaching of the Church, again making the Word of God of none effect through ecclesiastical tradition.
The Decline Of The Church
As this statement may appear to be too drastic to those who think that modern Christianity is based upon the Bible, and as ecclesiastical tradition has provided the reason for our “study and defence of the Holy Scripture,” it will be advisable to say a little more in support of this fact.In the first place a departure from the faith was predicted by the first expositors of the Gospel, and therefore it should occasion no surprise nor resentment to find in the history of Christendom the fulfilment of their prophecies.
Jesus himself asked “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man cometh shall he find the faith on the earth?” Luke 18, 8, a question which implies a negative answer. On several occasions the same forecast was given by Paul. When leaving Ephesus he said to the brethren, “Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them,” Acts 20, 30. Again he wrote,
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter day some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils,” 1 Tim. 4. 1-3
Also, “Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed ,” 2 Thess. 2. 3-12.
To speak “perverse things,” to “depart from the faith,” to “fall away” from the apostolic teaching; these are plain, straightforward statements, and indicate the Divine view of the changes which took place in the doctrines of the Church.
In the second place many prominent members of the Church have definitely admitted the non-Christian origin of much of the Church worship. Some years ago the late Bishop Hicks of Lincoln, who enjoyed a European reputation as a Greek Scholar, made the following statement in an article on “Hellenism in Human History.”
“Later the Church took over some of the beautiful elements of Graeco Roman culture. Christian teaching assumed more than ever a philosophic method ; the rhetoric of the Schools developed in the teaching of the Church, and the Christian worship enriched itself in adopting the procession and the elegancies of Greek pagan ceremonial. Something, too, of the Oriental mystery cults, transformed under Greek influences, passed into the worship of the Church.”
Such evidence could be greatly extended, and fully justifies the statement that the Word of God is made of none effect through ecclesiastical tradition.
The Modern Need For Exposition
The necessity for Bible exposition still exists. “The Testimony” comes into the field, not because its contributors “think of themselves more highly than they ought to think,” but because they believe that the attitude of Ezra and Paul with their disregard for human wisdom and attachment to the Word of God, is the true one to adopt. On this subject the Apostle was particularly emphatic. He had received his knowledge of the Gospel from no human source. It came directly from the Lord.
Consequently he asserted that if he himself, or even an angel from heaven, were to preach anything different to what had been proclaimed, “let him be accursed.” Very strong language, very intolerant according to modern standards, but nevertheless very vital. The Gospel had as its object the salvation of men upon very clearly specified conditions of faith and belief. To depart from these conditions was to preach another gospel, one not authorized by the Saviour. The crime of such preaching lay in the fact that men would be induced to accept the unauthorized teaching under the impression that they were to receive the benefits which could only come through a belief in the true teaching. They would thus be deceived and deprived of hope. The blind leading the blind would cause both to fall into the ditch.
The Basis
The Bible claims to be the Word of God, and it is upon this basis that our expository work will be built. Its authenticity and inspiration are denied by agnostics, scientists, and scholars, who seek to reduce its records to the level of ordinary human literature. These efforts we hope to answer. Another view of the Bible is that it contains writings which are of human origin, but much that is divine. Parts of it can be rejected and parts respected. It would be interesting to know the standard by which the human mind can decide what is human and what is divine. This attitude has a parallel in Old Testament history. When Israelites turned from the worship of the Creator to worship “the likeness of four footed beasts and men” they aroused at times the caustic humour of God. He exposed their absurdity by showing the folly of a man who took a log of wood to cut and carve it into an image for worship. Of the chips he made a fire, of the block he made an idol. Of the one part he said “l have made myself warm,” of the other he said “save me for thou art my God !”
The only satisfactory view to take is that of the Apostle.
“No prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
The “Unsearchable Riches”
However familiar with the Bible one may be it seems impossible to reach the limit of its teaching. New beauties, new values, a deeper comprehension, a more profound reverence, are always to be discovered and developed.
“It is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God be perfect.”
This perfection, it is true, relates particularly to conduct and character, those fruits of the spirit which are the evidences of our faith. But character and conduct are greatly influenced by perfection of knowledge. Knowledge of God, of our need for God, of His provision for our redemption, of the great purpose for filling the earth with His glory. As the finite mind can never comprehend the deep things of God, we can always be striving towards perfection, helped greatly by Bible exposition. When it is realized that the latest writings in the Bible are nearly two milleniums old, and the first writings go back fifteen centuries earlier still, that they were written by Orientals, quite different in mode of thought and literary style to us Western Europeans; that the languages in which they were written have long been “dead” languages ; the advantages of bringing all available knowledge to bear upon our study of the Bible itself will be evident.
We make no profession of being scholars in the ordinary sense of the term, but some have the opportunity and the capacity to make use of the results of scholarship and research. Their work will help the ordinary reader to get below the surface of the matter which he reads, and so enhance both the pleasure that comes from understanding, and the influence which the Word taken into our hearts can wield. By so doing we hope to imitate the example of Ezra in “giving the sense” that some may be “caused to understand the reading” a little more fully. To “give attention to reading” was advice given by Paul to Timothy to qualify him for his part in the service of the Gospel.
Thus fortified he could be told “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ.” In this spirit we approach our Bible exposition.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One