When Jesus was in the wilderness He was tempted three times to break God’s commands, but He quickly found the correct answer in each case by referring to His ready knowledge of the Scripture (in His day, the Old Testament) and could reply, “It is written . . .”.
At that time there was no Bible in every home, ready to refer to in time of need. Most of the Scrolls containing the Scriptures were in the Synagogues and people memorized long passages, even whole books in some cases. There was no concordance to help one find the proper verses when required, and He did not say He knew there was verse on the subject and He would consult Bro. So-and-so because he knew where the verses were. When we can’t find the answer ourselves, it is wise to inquire of someone who can help us, but we should not use this course of action as an excuse for not doing our own study.
The best way to become familiar with the Bible is to read it every day and many plans have been drawn up to help us do it effectively. Some brethren and sisters have their own system of reading, and many of us follow the Bible Companion, which has the virtue of covering the entire Bible and not just a few favorite chapters or books. It does not matter which system we adopt as long as we do it.
It is however, possible to read every day and get very little out of it. One of the commonest problems is to let our minds wander, and, while faithfully reading the required chapters, be mentally making up a shopping list, deciding what to have for dinner, wondering what is wrong with the car or what kind of fertilizer to put on your garden this year, or trying to solve some other mundane problem. If we read at night after a long day’s work, we may find ourselves falling asleep, and, at the end of our reading, be unable to call to mind what it was all about. One brother solved this problem getting up at five o’clock in the morning to do his readings before going to work.
Have you ever read about half a chapter telling you “he” was going to do thus and so, and suddenly realized you don’t know who “he” is? Many chapters list calamities that are to befall certain nations as a result of disobedience. It is easy to read all the details and forget which nation it is going to effect.
One day’s readings contained a chapter which started out, “After these things ? It was necessary to back-track to the previous day’s readings to find out.
Another day’s readings told of the conquest of Ramoth-Gilead, and I didn’t know where Ramoth-Gilead was located. Do you?
Where was Jeremiah when God told him to bury the girdle near the Euphrates How long a trip was it? A few miles, or a few hundred miles ?
Genesis 41.1 starts out, “After two whole years . . .” Most of us will know without looking back that this was the length of time that Joseph was in prison for no fault of his own, but do we remember the verse in the previous day’s reading (39:21) that says, “the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” ? In spite of God’s love and the favor of the keeper of the prison, Joseph was in prison for two long years; a lesson in patience!
I’m sure we are all observant enough to notice the difference in the Book of Job between the opinions given by the three friends of Job and the statements made by God, but when we read the Psalms, do we always check the heading to see who wrote the Psalm — or do we simply assume that all Psalms are the words of David. They are not.
Joshua (9:1-2) reads, “When all the kings who were beyond the Jordan in the hill country and in the lowlands all along the Great Sea towards Lebanon . . . heard of this . . .” Heard of what?
Hebrews 8 “Now the point in what we are saying is this” ??? ??
Isaiah 37:1, “Now when king Hezekiah heard it (what) he rent his clothes.”
Judges 19 “In those days” — what days ?
2 Corinthians 22:13, Do you know where Macedonia is? Did you look at a map to see?
Ezekiel 1: 1, “river of Chebar.” The exact location is unknown, but did you know that Chebar was a river or canal in Babylonia?
The additional five or ten minutes a day necessary to make our reading more understandable, will be well spent. Whatsoever our hands or minds find to do should be done heartily as unto the Lord.
It is not in man that walketh
To direct his steps each day.
We need God’s help and guidance
To illuminate our way.
We’ll keep in mind His precepts if
We daily read His word
And let His counsels guide us by
The wisdom we have shared.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One