How We Should Read the Bible

INTRODUCTION

Today is the last day of the year

As we prepare to start the new year tomorrow, I want to challenge you to read your Bible everyday

I challenged you last year as we approached the new year to do the same thing

Our church took on a Bible reading plan

Our family finished it in December

Now we’re ready to start another one

Bible reading is essential

You should be reading it everyday or as much as possible

This is key to developing a healthy appetite for God’s Word

“You can’t expect to come to church on Sunday with a hunger for God’s Word if you haven’t been feeding on it throughout the week.

John Piper likens daily Bible reading to eating an appetizer that cultivates a spiritual appetite for the Sunday sermon; that is, it prepares and trains your palate for the main meal.” (Ken Ramey, Expository Listening, pp.37-38)

The sad reality is many do not read the Bible

With the use of technology, many have ditched the book form of the Bible for an electronic one

That’s fine if that’s your preference

But many have done that and still don’t read it consistently

Reading the Bible allows you to hear the voice of God in His Word

We learned during our study of the Protestant Reformation that the Bible was in the language of the learned and the clergy and not in the common everyday language of the people

That caused many problems

People were ignorant of God’s will

They were also ignorant of the gospel and how to be saved from God’s coming wrath

Now that the Bible is in our language, we need to read it

Did you know that there are over 3000 translations of the Bible today and there is more always being translated

With each people group having the Bible in their language that leaves them without excuse

It would be difficult today for someone to say they have never heard of Jesus Christ and their need to be saved

Charles Spurgeon said…

I venture to say that the bulk of Christians spend more time in reading the newspaper than they do in reading the Word of God.

To the rebuke of some, Jesus asked his hearers on 5 different occasions, “Have you not read?”

They didn’t understand His teaching because they not only didn’t read God’s Word but they didn’t obey it either

Therefore they were subject to error and a lack of understanding of what God’s Word said and meant

So it is essential that you develop the habit of reading your Bible regularly and consistently

There is a story in Acts 8 that illustrates the importance of this subject for both reading and understanding God’s Word

It’s found in Acts 8:26-31.

It’s the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch

Luke tells us that an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip and said to him to “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” 30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.”

Notice the eunuch was reading God’s Word but he didn’t understand what he was reading

Many of us have that same problem

Hence the purpose of the pastor

But once he understood, he believed and was baptized

I remember many years ago when I was witnessing to someone after work telling him if I were to be judged by the things in the Bible, I would like to know what’s there

And how I would know would be by reading it

There are several ways to effectively read the Bible:

First…

We must read carefully

We do that by being alert and not falling asleep

You need to read when you’re at your best

Reading when you’re tired or sleepy won’t accomplish much more than guilt

So make sure you’re rested and alert

Or when you’re feeling not your best, read anyway and later go back over what you read

Reading carefully also involves reading deliberately and slowly

Some people read like they’re in the drive thru at a restaurant

Everything is in a hurry

They don’t slow down long enough to enjoy the meal

What’s the point of reading in a hurry if you’re not going to benefit from your reading

So take your time as you read

Second…

We must read repeatedly

We must return often to the beginning of the passage

That means we must read it again and again

In other words, we must use repetition

Everything we learn is not learned the first time

We learn by do it repeatedly

Good readers read a passage many times

Third…

We must read aloud

When we read aloud words and phrases take on a new look

It also helps to keep the mind focused

You should read aloud at lease once

I personally like to hear the Bible read

When you read aloud do it slowly taking time to focus on each word

Words that you don’t understand look up in a dictionary

Fourth…

We must read with tools in hand

Irving Jensen said…

How to Profit from Bible Reading F. Read with Tools in Hand

When you read your Bible, always have a marking pencil (or pen) in hand, and paper (or notebook) on a table or desk next to your Bible. This is the best setup for a Bible reading experience.

The valuable help of your pencil cannot be overstated. Professor Louis Agassiz of Harvard was once approached by a student concerning the study of a special area of zoology. Agassiz gave him a pickled specimen of a fish, a haemulon, which was to be the sole object of his scrutiny for days to come.

Dr. Agassiz’s advice to the student was very practical and to the point: (1) He was to “look, look, look,” for how else could he master the subject? (2) He was to draw on paper what he saw, for “the pencil is one of the best eyes.” (3) He was to see the parts of the fish in their orderly arrangement and in relation to one another because, in the professor’s blunt words, “facts are stupid things until brought into connection with some general law.”

For three whole days the student kept following the advice of his teacher, and in doing so he learned just about all there was to know about the haemulon. In fact, so absorbed was he in the learning process and so indelible was the impression of the haemulon that years later he testified, “To this day, if I attempt to draw a fish, I can draw nothing but haemulons.”

I am convinced that a pencil in hand is the best mechanical aid that you can use in a reading project.

Fifth…

We must read to understand

As you read you will come across things you don’t understand but don’t let that discourage you

Make notes on your pad of those places or questions you have and come back later and try to find the answer

Your observations of the text should make you want to understand what it means

This should drive you to questions about the text:

What is the main point of the passage?

How is the writer getting it across?

What truths and facts is he emphasizing?

How does he relate truths to each other?

What is my purpose in reading this?

God wants you to understand His Book and His meaning is not hidden or a mystery

Sixth…

We must reflect as we read

This is the lost art of meditation

People involved in meditation today are not meditating on God’s Word, they are contemplating their belly button to Nirvana

Reflection is the mind and heart at work thinking over what the eyes have seen

Reflection in Bible reading should have the intensity of meditation where the soul has the desire and intention of obeying God’s Word

Listen to what God said to Joshua in…

Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.”

When you reflect or meditate, do it purposely

“You don’t just read. You read for a reason, a purpose, with a particular aim in mind”

The psalmist had a purpose in hiding God’s Word in his heart:

Psalm 119:11, “Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You.”

The Bereans had a purpose in examining the Scriptures daily:

Acts 17:11, “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.”

Reading only isolated verses, out of context, and expanding them according to personal whims, is a dangerous practice. It is as foolish and fruitless to read the Bible without purpose as it is to search about a room looking for nothing in particular.

Jensen, Irving L. How to Profit from Bible Reading. Moody Press, 1985, pp. 48–49.

Seventh…

We must pray as we read

If you reflect humbly, you will reflect prayerfully, for the contrite heart craves to speak to the One on whom it depends

Bathe your reflection in prayer, from beginning to end

David’s prayer in Psalm 119:18 was for God to “Open [his] eyes, that [he] may behold Wonderful things from Your law.”

David also said in Psalm 119:97, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

Do you think about God’s Word throughout the day?

David later said when he meditated on God’s testimonies it gave him “more insight than all my teachers” (Ps.119:99)

If you do these 7 things it will help you as you read the Bible

It will also help you in understanding the Bible

Now let’s talk about the 3 types of reading:

There is devotional reading, analytical reading and informational reading

I have personally focused on analytical and informational reading in my study because I felt that any time I spent in the Bible was devotional but now I’m rethinking this

You’ll understand what I mean as we talk about the first type…

I. Devotional Reading

This is different from the other two

The key to understand about this type of reading is everything you have done up to this point is preparation for your devotional reading (The 7 ways to prepare yourself to read)

But understand that preparation is not devotional reading

Devotional reading is your personal devotional time

It is your worship of God when you talk to Him, and, more prominently, when He talks to you through His Word

This is a time of reading the Bible alone with God

It’s not reading analytically or for information

It’s reflection

It’s confession

It’s faith

It’s obedience

It’s building your relationship with God

It’s like meditation, it’s your response from thinking on Him

It’s personal

Andrew Murray said…

Some read the Bible to learn and some read the Bible to hear from heaven.

Devotional reading is seeking to hear from heaven

It’s waiting on the Lord

It’s “seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God”

Paul said to the Colossians in Colossians 3:1–3, “1 Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

He said something similar to this in Romans 12:1–2, “1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

So in devotional reading, you’re praying, confessing, believing and obeying what you already understand from Scripture

Richard Mayhue said…

How to Study the Bible Affirmation

Every time I open the Bible to study, it is with the fresh confession that it is ‘God’s Word.’ Therefore, I accept it as inerrant (truthful) and infallible (trustworthy). It thus becomes my teacher and also my absolute authority for both belief and behaviour.

Devotional reading prepares you for the second type of reading…

II. Analytical Reading

How to Profit from Bible Reading Chapter 4: The Activities of Analytical Reading

The Bible is a book to be read that way, in an analysis that is thorough and complete, not limited by time, and not for mere information or for entertainment.

Analytical reading is the range of study that covers the whole unit (a segment or paragraph) to the individual words that make up that unit

This is done in 3 steps: Observation, Interpretation, Application

Observation is the key activity of analytical reading

The point of analytical reading is to make a thorough examination of all the parts of a unit of Scripture, as a basis for interpreting and applying it

This is what I do each week when we’re studying a passage

I break it up into parts

That means I want to understand where a thought begins and where it ends in any given passage

Then I want to understand it in its context

Let me give you a few thoughts about observation…

When you are doing observation, don’t look at any book other than the Bible

Put God’s Book in a place all of its own

Then begin to observe carefully what you’re reading

How to Study the Bible Observation

Spurgeon quotes from a writer of his day: ‘Most read their Bibles like cows that stand in thick grass, and trample under their feet the finest flowers and herbs.’ Observe with the idea of discovering the detailed beauty that God has put into His Word. Take your time and concentrate.

Observation asks, “What do I see?”

To answer that question you must first…

Observe thoroughly

You do that by looking at the whole

This is getting a big picture overview

The first essential for observing the whole of a passage or book of the Bible is to read it

Next you look at the parts

That involves breaking down the passage

This would involve defining words, examining the grammar, researching any history, geography or culture that may be present in the passage or chapter

And last you look at the details, the tiny pieces

Remember that you will never see it all at one study

But you need to purpose to see as much as you can

So when you look at a passage in the Bible, you want to first observe both the content and the context of the passage

So…

“Observation is taking a good hard look at what’s actually in the text” (Hans Finzel, Unlocking the Scriptures, pp.30, 35).

Analytical reading uses questions such as: who, what, when, where, and why

Who is the author?

Who is the audience?

What truth is being given?

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

Why did it happen?

When I begin my analytical reading I want to know mainly one thing: What is going on in the passage?

What’s the story about?

Who are the characters?

Where does the subject begin and end?

Where is this passage in context of the previous verses?

Next you need to…

Observe systematically

How to Study the Bible Observation

Martin Luther studied the Bible as one who gathered apples. ‘First I shake the whole tree, that the ripest may fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf.’

This becomes the homework of who, what, when, where, and why

Look for repetition

If the passage is speaking about a location, research it

For example…

In our study of Mark we read about locations like “the wilderness,” “Judea,” “Jerusalem,” “the Jordan River,” (Mk.1:4-5), “Nazareth,” “Galilee,” (Mk.1:9), “the sea of Galilee,” (Mk.1:16), “Capernaum” (Mk.1:21)

We read about places like the “synagogue” (Mk.1:21)

It is helpful to have some background to those places

I try to understand everything I can about a given passage, not just the words but places, people, buildings, etc.

Last…

Observe intimately

How to Study the Bible Observation

Look at it with the realization you are reading a message from the heavenly Father to you His spiritual child. It’s like a letter from home while you are far away.

So we have looked at devotional reading and analytical reading, now notice…

III. Informational Reading

Informational reading is usually very factual

It informs the reader or listener of facts and truths

What are some facts and truths in the Bible?

It affirms the existence of God in the first verse of the Bible

It says in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God”

Another fact is also present in that verse

It says “God created the heavens and the earth.”

A third fact is also found in the name God

The Hebrew name for God is elohim

Elohim is a plural noun and tells us that God exists in plurality

When you read the Bible, you find the same three Persons in both the Old and New Testament claiming to be the One true God

Deuteronomy 4:35, “To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.”

1 Corinthians 8:6, “yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.”

Jesus is also called God in John 1:1 (and the Word was God)

Thomas referred to Him as God in John 20:28.

The Holy Spirit is also called God in Acts 5:3–4, “3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? 4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.””

Informational reading also complements the surrounding Bible text by providing illustration or example

1 Corinthians 10 is an illustration of why we shouldn’t live immorally

Paul uses the example of the Israelites in the wilderness

He says in verse 7, “Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play.”

Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Informational reading also gives a setting

Most passages of the Bible that are for informational reading concern history, reporting hosts of facts, whether they be small or large

We find Jesus and the writers of Scripture doing this when they refer back to the OT

The New Testament contains some 300 direct quotations from the OT

Acts 7 is a factual account by Stephen of the history of the Jewish people beginning with Abraham, Moses and King David and King Solomon

Some of what I said earlier under analytical reading like locations could easily be put into this category

The passage of informational reading is usually long, especially if it is historical

Usually a passage for informational reading has one main thought running through it

CONCLUSION

As we close, you need to understand that reading is a must

God told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 17:19, that His word “shall be with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes.”

Isaiah 34:16, “Seek from the book of the Lord, and read…”

God also said in Deuteronomy 31:11–13, “11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.””

This must be a daily practice

Whatever plan you choose for the new year, make sure you have made the priority to read the Bible

In reading is where you learn about Christ

Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15, “and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”

The reason why Timothy knew this from childhood is because his mother and grandmother read the Word of God to him

They obeyed Deuteronomy 6:6–9, “6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

The whole purpose of systematically reading God’s Word is to know God and to understand why you need Christ

Jesus took the penalty of our sin on Himself on the cross in order to redeem us, to forgive us, to save us

Have you been saved from your sin?

Have you fled the coming wrath of God?

If not, I urge you to come to Him now as we pray

Let’s pray