“Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.” Isaiah 28.9, 10
Isn’t it obvious?
We who have the Spirit of God have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Such knowledge stimulates our souls and makes us want to increase in knowledge of our Lord. The Bible is the place to turn in satisfying this hunger. Because reading and studying the Bible requires us to process words and sentences, and to decipher the meanings of passages and books, it might seem obvious that reason should play a major role in understanding divine revelation.God’s Word to the prophet Isaiah certainly suggests as much. They who wish to learn true knowledge from the Lord must not be infants in their approach to revelation. They must be prepared to partake of more solid food, and to advance by increments, line upon line, precept upon precept (cf. 1 Cor. 3.1-13; Heb. 5.14). To rightly divide the Word of truth, we must make sure we understand it well (2 Tim. 2.15), and this will mean giving our minds to careful, systematic consideration of the divine will, as revealed in His inspired Word (2 Tim. 3.15-17).Obviously, we should expect to use reason and all its elegant tools in seeking to understand the revelation of God in Scripture. God is reasonable, and He calls us to reason with Him. We should expect Scripture to yield its secrets to reason. This holds as well, by the way, for the revelation of God in creation (Ps. 19:1-4; Rom.1.18-20), although I will not be treating of this aspect of divine revelation in the remarks that follow.
God uses language
Reason is a valuable tool for understanding divine revelation, for it has pleased God to couch His self-disclosure in language, ideas, doctrines, and, over all else, in His own Son. Could God have done otherwise? Could He have simply impressed upon our souls an understanding of Himself and His will, that did not require the use of reason? Undoubtedly, He could. But He did not; therefore, we need to employ and sharpen our reasoning powers as we apply them to the task of understanding divine revelation provided in the Scriptures.
What does this require? In this and the next installment, I want to commend five disciplines as necessary facets of a reasoned approach to understanding the Scriptures. Mastering these can help us engage and enhance our reasoning powers as we wait upon the Lord to make Himself known to us in His Word.
We begin with the necessity of reading the Word faithfully.
Continuous, comprehensive reading
There is no substitute, in exercising our reasoning powers for understanding divine revelation, for daily and comprehensive reading of Scripture. All the counsel of God in His Word is available to us, and has been provided to equip us for every good work (Acts 20.27; 2 Tim. 3.15-17). The Bible is a remarkable Book, the product of divine inspiration working through the minds and circumstances of chosen human authors (2 Pet. 1.21). It tells a single story about God’s glorious plan to redeem a people for Himself and to bless and prosper them in a world which refracts His glory and goodness on every hand. That story unfolds by segments, within a framework of divine covenant, and is related through various types of literature, and by various themes and doctrines. Its single, unifying focus and theme is Jesus Christ, the Word of God (Jn. 5.39). Only continuous, comprehensive reading of Scripture can train our thinking to grasp the divine narrative, understand and relate the parts to the whole, and appreciate the beauty and sublimity of each particular section and book of the Bible.
Here a plan for reading can be of much help. Like faithful scribes we must work to bring forth treasures of divine insight from both the Old and New Testaments (Matt. 13.51, 52). Thus, we will need to make certain that our daily reading takes us regularly through both, perhaps by reading a chapter or two from each.
In addition, since all Scripture teaches us about Jesus, it would be helpful to spend time each day reading from some portion of the gospel accounts and seeing the ways all aspects of the divine economy come into focus and fulfillment through our Lord Jesus’ active and passive obedience (2 Cor. 1.20). By so doing, we train our minds to seek Jesus in all the different parts of Scripture, and to see in Him how all the Bible points to His glorious Person and work.
Daily reading in the psalms can enhance our prayers and worship, and some meditation in the commandments and statutes of the Lord can make a sure contribution to growing in righteousness (Ps. 1).
Thus, a daily reading strategy that includes something from both Testaments, the gospels, a psalm, and some aspect of the Law of God, will train our minds to discern the story of Scripture and to be able, increasingly, to relate the parts to the whole. Daily reading in Scripture is the starting point for training our reasoning powers to encounter God in His revelation.
For reflection
1. It makes sense, since God has taken such pains to give us His Word, that we should apply ourselves diligently to reading and studying it. Why?
2. What is your present plan for reading the Bible? Is it sufficient to help you to grow in the mind of Christ? For learning about the Lord line upon line and precept upon precept? Can you see any ways your reading plan might be improved?
3. How can Christians help one another to be more consistent and fruitful in their reading of God’s Word?
Next steps—Transformation: How faithful are you in the daily reading of God’s Word? How might you improve your Bible reading so that you read regularly through all Scripture, meditate deeply on the Word, and discern God’s leading for your daily life?
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Two books can be helpful in applying reason to the times in which we live. You can download a free PDF of both Understanding the Times and Winds of Doctrine by clicking those links.
This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. In our Crosfigellteaching letter, we are studying examples of the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. And in our daily Scriptorium column we are working our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451. Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
