Grounded in Scripture

What do you believe about the Bible, Scripture?

This is a great question we must ask often. We must ask ourselves this question. If you do not have an answer right off the top of your head, spend this week observing how you interact, or don’t interact, with Scripture.

Is it a manual to live by? It is a commentary and encyclopedia or other reference work? Is it filled with teachings of long ago? Etc.

Our beliefs always lead to actions.

Show me what you believe and I will show you how to behave. Show me how you behave and I will show you what you believe. We can say we believe whatever we want but until we start to live out they are just words. It may be what we want to believe, and in fact we may believe it but until we act upon the believe it is not deep enough.

Believe is not knowledge.

We can know more and more but information is not the goal. A different life is. I can know all I want about a subject but it doesn’t necessarily mean it makes a difference in how I treat others and live.

It also works the opposite way: knowledge is not belief.

Scripture is the foundation of all Spiritual Disciplines.

All spiritual disciplines lead to Scripture.

God will not answer a prayer contrary to Scripture. God will not ask you to do something which goes against His word. We need Scripture for right belief and right behavior.

Psalms teaches about right belief.

We can find about any theme we want in the book of Psalms. It is why many devotionals use Psalms as the basis for their devotions and thoughts. It is one of the few OT books we interact with on a regular basis. We can find how to deal with life struggles, enemies, how to worship Christ, what the purpose of grief is, how to read the Bible, etc in its pages. That is why my prayer, Lord willing, is during our summer months here at FBC St. Paris we will go on a journey in the Psalms and lear its wisdoms for life.

Psalms was used for worship in the Temple.

The temple was where God chose to dwell and met men and women. In the Psalms we see and experience the interaction between God and humans. The “newest Psalm was written around 2,500 years ago. The oldest from the time of Moses which is at least 3,500 years ago, if not longer.

Psalm 119 uses eight Hebrew words for Scripture.

Law/Torah

Statutes

Precepts

Commands

Word

Laws

Decrees

Promises

At least 6 of these words are used in every section. Sometimes all 8 are used. The Psalmist wanted the original hearers to get his point. The Psalm uses every letter in the Hebrew alphabet and each line begins with the respective letter of the alphabet. Yet, I believe (there’s that word again) his main point is this:

Scripture is necessary for life.

This is made explicit in verse 105

Psalm 119:105 NIV

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

He talks about how those who walk in the light of Scripture are blessed and there is a reward for those who live by them.

Scripture reveals God.

Throughout history pastors, professors and others have called Scripture, special revelation meaning specific revelation. We see who God is by observing our world, but that is very general in nature. Scripture is also specific revelation because only those who read it, study it, and meditate on it grasps its truths.

Scripture provides hope.

the Kaph section (verses 81-88) also verses 73-80. Time and again we read of God’s promises in this Psalm. However, in the Hebrew language there is not a word for “promise” in regards to God speaking it. Though we may read “God promised...” there is not one word for this. Instead, as we see in this Psalm what we translate as promise, and I think this is the best word in our language to use at times, is really “word”. God does not need to promise anything, He just needs to speak. His word, unlike ours is always true. The Palmist realizes this and so turns again and again to His Word for truth, hope and life.

Scripture is meant to be obeyed.

Over and over again in the Psalm this is brought out. In verses

Psalm 119:60 NIV

I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

In verses 65-72 we see the Psalmist say he has messed up and this is why he is in distress. Yet, he has come back to obey the Word.

We could say this differently: Scripture is practical and relevant.

Psalms 119 gives us three options to interact with Scripture.

Each is built on the other. It is a path to deeper walk with Scripture.

1. Read/know God’s Word.

This is mentioned by the repetition of “teach me...”, “cause me to understand...” and so forth. When we read God’s word we are trying to understand what is being said. This can take as little or as long as you want. The goal with reading is to become familiar with what it is saying. With the “story” of Scripture. The goal is to know what the Bible says.

Yet, we cannot just stop here. We are invited deeper.

2. Study Scripture.

See the back of your handout for questions to ask as you read Scripture. This means going deeper than just becoming familiar with the words of Scripture. The goal in studying is not to gain knowledge but to know how to live. One cannot study Scripture and not obey Scripture, if you study and do not obey I would say you are just reading it.

3. Meditate on Scripture.

Mediating on Scripture is a lost art in some regards. Our culture talks about meditation but not in the same sense as what our Psalmist uses the word.

Meditation is about filling our minds with Scripture.

It is not just emptying and having a blank mind.

Meditation focuses on a small portion and letting it simmer in our minds and hearts.

It is about internalizing and personalizing Scripture into our life. According to Richard Foster.

Donald Whitney would say it is to become like Christ.

The Goal: Become attached to Jesus.

We must always keep this in mind. The goal is never just knowledge and information. If one can come to church, bible study and stay the same, we are missing something. Not because we are awful people but because we need to be more and more like Jesus.