Everyday Reading of the Bible

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about things I have heard said about Scripture. Last Lord’s Day (end of February) the pastor in the Pentecostal congregation preached about that the Bible is God’s Word, so that was good. Then he started to say if they had been Christians for three or four years then they should have read through the Bible at least once, then he caved and said that they did not have to read the Bible. This was the conclusion of the preaching: The Bible is God’s Word, but you do not have to read it or to study it. I felt so sad when I heard that. What kind of message is that? If we have the Word of God, should we then not read it?

People near me have also stated that they only read the New Testament or maybe the NT and the Psalms, and when trying to understand why they only read the NT they cannot really tell. OT is hard to understand, they love to read the Gospels and so on. The thing is that I believe that they are saved, they have saving faith. But what I cannot understand is this: You state that the Bible is God’s Word, you state that you believe in Jesus Christ in a saving way, you state that you love God, but you do not want to read his Word? Or you only want to read parts of His Word. In my ears this sound very modern. The Bible, God, Salvation is for me, for man. Man is the center. I do what is important to me, and that is to read the NT, which I can do every day, but I do not want to study it, because then I would be forced to read the OT. There are so many quotations from the OT in the NT. It is hard to understand one reading the NT without wanting to read the OT. And how could anyone understand the NT without knowing the OT. You have the whole foundation in the OT. What are they building on if they do not build on the foundation laid in the OT? In Genesis 1-11 you have the whole foundation for why the world is like it is, and the rest is God showing us His glory and holiness unto man, who fail in every instance in giving God the glory due to his name, because of man’s sin ridden nature. How shall they understand the pictures in Revelation when they have not read the prophets? How shall they understand the concept of redemption and redeeming when they have not read Exodus or Ruth? Or how shall they understand a sovereign God without reading Genesis, the Prophets and Esther? How shall they understand the providence of God with having read the historical books? How shall they understand worship without reading the Psalms?

I have always loved the OT, there are a few chapters here and there I maybe feel is hard to really study with the same interest as the rest of the text. But only the thought that we have God’s true Word in our hands and not want to read it. How is that even possible? How blessed we are to have his Word, by God’s providence can nearly every man on earth get his hands on a Bible or portions of a Bible. Wycliffe says that 97% of all people at least have some Scripture available. The full Bible 5.9 billion people has access to, in 724 languages. Then there are people that have access to the NT (1617 languages) and portions of the Bible (1248 languages). That is fantastic and you can read about here.

But we in the western world has had the Bible easily accessible for generations and still we treat it as nothing. How is it even possible that we do that?

We know that there are two ways we can get to know the Lord, which is through Scripture and prayer. And in way it is through Scripture you get to know the Lord so that you can come before him in prayer. How should we, for example, come before the Lord? Jesus says in Matt. 6:9, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” Without reading Scripture we would not know that, that God is our Father through Christ. We would not understand the concept of sanctity of life without the OT, we would not understand the holiness of God without the OT. We would not understand the true sovereignty of the LORD without the OT. Many attributes of God would be hard to understand without the OT.

We must read the whole Bible. We are commanded to do that, and they would know that if they had read the OT.

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates (Deut. 6:5-9).

Not only are we to read and study God’s Word, but we are also to instruct our children about God’s Word and talk about them wherever we are or whatever we are doing. We shall always have God’s Word before our eyes. The Psalmist says:

Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper (Ps. 1:1-3).

Blessed is that man that have his delight in the law of God, and that meditate on it always. That is totally contrary to what the Pentecostal pastor said. How could he get it so wrong? I know. He did not want to offend anybody, but instead they are taking away the Word, which is living, and purposeful, and the uncorruptible seed that regenerates us, this seed which the Word is that lives and abides in us forever by God’s grace. So, out of fear of offending anybody he teaches falsehood and is disobedient to the LORD and his commandment.

There are so many things a man misses when he only reads the NT, he needs to read the whole Bible, both the OT and the NT. Ps. 19 says something about Scripture:

The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer (Ps. 19:7–14).

God’s law or Word is perfect, making wise the simple. Holds back sins and secret faults, more worth than gold. It has an everlasting value; you cannot put a price on eternal life and our redemption. But there is a price already paid; the perfect life that Jesus Christ lived vicariously for us, and His suffering and death on the cross, where Jesus Christ died as a substitute for us. This is very clear in Isaiah 53 (as one example). OT is important. God who redeemed His people out of the bondage of Egypt had a plan to redeem man when he sent His only begotten Son to pay the price for the sin that Adam had brought on man through his transgression, and the transgressions we ourselves bring. The wages of sin is death, and Jesus Christ the Son of God died for us, in our place, and man is saved through faith alone, by grace alone, and through Jesus Christ alone. There is no other way unto salvation, to come near our Father, the Creator, then through His only begotten Son. This is the testimony of Scripture.

And Paul says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” All Scripture, says Paul, is given by inspiration of God, therefore, are we to read all God’s Word. And His Word is profitable for us in every way in being the children of God, unto true doctrine, unto reproof, and correction, and unto righteousness, and unto sanctification in Jesus Christ. Scripture is God’s true Word given unto us. Let us receive His Word in thankfulness, and in awe, and in glorifying Him that is worthy, and to whom praise is due. To God be all the glory. Amen.