Week 2: Reading the Bible w/understanding Opening Questins: When was the last time yur Bible reading changed yur life? Hw many wuld say that reading and studying the Bible has made a significant difference in the way yu live yur lives? D yur thughts thrughut the day return t the scriptures? Psalm 119:97 Oh hw I lve yur law! It is my meditatin all the day. Biblical Examples f hw Gd s Wrd made a significant difference in ne s life: Jsaiah 2 Kings 22:11 When the king heard the wrds f the Bk f the Law, he tre his clthes. 12 And the king cmmanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the sn f Shaphan, and Achbr the sn f Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, 13 "G, inquire f the LORD fr me, and fr the peple, and fr all Judah, cncerning the wrds f this bk that has been fund. Fr great is the wrath f the LORD that is kindled against us, because ur fathers have nt beyed the wrds f this bk, t d accrding t all that is written cncerning us." 14 S Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbr, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went t Huldah the prphetess, the wife f Shallum the sn f Tikvah, sn f Harhas, keeper f the wardrbe (nw she lived in Jerusalem in the Secnd Quarter), and they talked with her. Israelites during Nehemiah s Day Mary Nehemiah 8:5 And Ezra pened the bk in the sight f all the peple, fr he was abve all the peple, and as he pened it all the peple std. 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great Gd, and all the peple answered, "Amen, Amen," lifting up their hands. And they bwed their heads and wrshiped the LORD with their faces t the grund. 7 Als Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hdiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jzabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the peple t understand the Law, while the peple remained in their places. 8 They read frm the bk, frm the Law f Gd, clearly, and they gave the sense, s that the peple understd the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, wh was the gvernr, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites wh taught the peple said t all the peple, "This day is hly t the LORD yur Gd; d nt murn r weep." Fr all the peple wept as they heard the wrds f the Law. Luke 10:38 Nw as they went n their way, Jesus entered a village. And a wman named Martha welcmed him int her huse. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, wh sat at the Lrd's feet and listened t his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up t him and said, "Lrd, d yu nt care that my sister has left me t serve alne? Tell her then t help me." 41 But the Lrd answered her, "Martha, Martha, yu are anxius and trubled abut many things, 42 but ne thing is necessary. Mary has chsen the gd prtin, which will nt be taken away frm her." 1 P a g e
Clepas and friend n rad t Emmaus Luke 24:27 And beginning with Mses and all the Prphets, he interpreted t them in all the Scriptures the things cncerning himself. 28 S they drew near t the village t which they were ging. He acted as if he were ging farther, 29 but they urged him strngly, saying, "Stay with us, fr it is tward evening and the day is nw far spent." S he went in t stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he tk the bread and blessed and brke it and gave it t them. 31 And their eyes were pened, and they recgnized him. And he vanished frm their sight. 32 They said t each ther, "Did nt ur hearts burn within us while he talked t us n the rad, while he pened t us the Scriptures?" 33 And they rse that same hur and returned t Jerusalem. And they fund the eleven and thse wh were with them gathered tgether, 34 saying, "The Lrd has risen indeed, and has appeared t Simn!" 35 Then they tld what had happened n the rad, and hw he was knwn t them in the breaking f the bread. Thessalnian believers 1 Thessalnians 2:13 And we als thank Gd cnstantly fr this, that when yu received the wrd f Gd, which yu heard frm us, yu accepted it nt as the wrd f men but as what it really is, the wrd f Gd, which is at wrk in yu believers. The Bereans Acts 17:11 Nw these Jews were mre nble than thse in Thessalnica; they received the wrd with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily t see if these things were s. Remember that the Bible is a divine bk and a human bk (This sectin f ntes are frm CHBC Cre Seminars, What is the Bible ) The Bible is a divine bk Gd is the direct and ultimate authr f Scripture 2 Timthy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed ut by Gd and prfitable fr teaching, fr reprf, fr crrectin, and fr training in righteusness, Matthew 19:4 He answered, "Have yu nt read that he wh created them frm the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, 'Therefre a man shall leave his father and his mther and hld fast t his wife, and the tw shall becme ne flesh'? Jhn 16:12 "I still have many things t say t yu, but yu cannt bear them nw. 13 When the Spirit f truth cmes, he will guide yu int all the truth, fr he will nt speak n his wn authrity, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare t yu the things that are t cme. 14 He will glrify me, fr he will take what is mine and declare it t yu. Fur Implicatins f the bible being divinely inspired Bible is alive Hebrews 4:12 Fr the wrd f Gd is living and active, sharper than any tw-edged swrd, piercing t the divisin f sul and f spirit, f jints and f marrw, and discerning the thughts and intentins f the heart. Bible is true and withut errr Psalm 12:6 The wrds f the LORD are pure wrds, like silver refined in a furnace n the grund, purified seven times. Psalm 119:160 The sum f yur wrd is truth, and every ne f yur righteus rules endures frever. Hly Spirit is essential fr understanding scripture 2 P a g e
1 Crinthians 2:14 The natural persn des nt accept the things f the Spirit f Gd, fr they are flly t him, and he is nt able t understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Bible is authritative Jhn 10:27 My sheep hear my vice, and I knw them, and they fllw me. The Bible is a human bk The Bible was written by particular peple, at a particular time, in a particular place, fr a particular reasn I, Daniel, was exhausted and lay ill fr several days... (Dan. 8.27) The wrds f the Teacher, sn f David, king f Jerusalem... (Ecc. 1.1) When yu cme, bring the clak... (2 Tim. 4.13) Verbal-plenary inspiratin: Gd s mved the authrs f Scripture that the resulting prduct [every wrd] was the Wrd f Gd written, ttally withut errr in the autgraphs, in every area including thelgy, histry, gegraphy, and science. (Dennis McCallum and Gary DeLashmutt, Verbal Plenary Inspiratin, http://www.xens.rg/classes/papers/vpi.htm, 2008) Acts 4:25 wh thrugh the muth f ur father David, yur servant, said by the Hly Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peples plt in vain? 2 Peter 1:21 Fr n prphecy was ever prduced by the will f man, but men spke frm Gd as they were carried alng by the Hly Spirit. Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put ut his hand and tuched my muth. And the LORD said t me, "Behld, I have put my wrds in yur muth. JUSTIN TAYLOR 5:00 PM CT, JULY 19 TH, 2011 Hw Valuable Is Every Wrd f Scripture? Fr whatever was written in frmer days was written fr ur instructin, that thrugh endurance and thrugh the encuragement f the Scriptures we might have hpe. All Scripture is breathed ut by Gd and prfitable fr teaching, fr reprf, fr crrectin, and fr training in righteusness, that the man f Gd may be cmpetent, equipped fr every gd wrk. Rm. 15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17 3 P a g e
Selected Passages n the Blessing and Benefit f Meditating n Scripture What is Biblical Meditatin? Psalm 77:12 I will pnder all yur wrk, and meditate n yur mighty deeds. Psalm 119:15 I will meditate n yur precepts and fix my eyes n yur ways. Psalm 119:27 Make me understand the way f yur precepts, and I will meditate n yur wndrus wrks. Psalm 119:48 I will lift up my hands tward yur cmmandments, which I lve, and I will meditate n yur statutes. Psalm 119:78 Let the inslent be put t shame, because they have wrnged me with falsehd; as fr me, I will meditate n yur precepts. Psalm 119:148 My eyes are awake befre the watches f the night, that I may meditate n yur prmise. Meditatin means t think deeply abut the Scripture and it is the key t delighting in Scripture and being changed by it. Strengthens Faith Prverbs 22:17 Incline yur ear, and hear the wrds f the wise, and apply yur heart t my knwledge, 18 fr it will be pleasant if yu keep them within yu, if all f them are ready n yur lips. 19 That yur trust may be in the LORD, I have made them knwn t yu tday, even t yu. Guides ur Steps Psalm 119:24 Yur testimnies are my delight; they are my cunselrs. Ephesians 4:29 Let n crrupting talk cme ut f yur muths, but nly such as is gd fr building up, as fits the ccasin, that it may give grace t thse wh hear. Philippians 4:8 Finally, brthers, whatever is true, whatever is hnrable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lvely, whatever is cmmendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything wrthy f praise, think abut these things. Gives Wisdm Psalm 119:98 Yur cmmandment makes me wiser than my enemies, fr it is ever with me. 99 I have mre understanding than all my teachers, fr yur testimnies are my meditatin. 4 P a g e
Applying the Gd s Wrd: Pssible Questins t Cnsider in One s Daily Bible Reading 1. Reading the Bible t knw Gd. a. What des this text teach me abut Gd? b. Des this text reveal smething I shuld believe abut Gd? 2. Reading the Bible t grw in Gd. a. What des this text teach me abut my walk? b. Hw am I t respnd t this text? c. What wuld Gd have me d as a result f my encunter with this part f His Wrd? d. Des this text reveal smething I shuld have a new attitude abut? 3. Reading the Bible t speak with Gd. a. Des this text reveal smething I shuld praise r thank r trust Gd fr? b. Des this text reveal smething I shuld pray abut fr myself r thers? 4. Reading the Bible t live fr Gd. a. Des this text reveal smething I shuld d fr the sake f Christ, thers, r myself? b. Des this text reveal smething I shuld make a decisin abut? Final Applicatin/Discussin What are the varius ways yu are invlved currently in reading Gd s Wrd and prayer? Hw d yu respnd t the idea that the key t enjying Scripture is t meditate n it? What wuld have t change in yur life fr yu t make mre rm fr a cnsistent, daily time fr meditating n Gd s Wrd? 5 P a g e