Tag Archives: Word of God

Reading and the Christian – Part 3

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Last time we looked at the expectation that the Israelites would gather together for the reading of the law in their hearing. Today we look at an example of that recorded in Nehemiah 8.

It would probably be best if you read the narrative yourself, but here are the highlights.

The people gathered together in the open square and Ezra the priest brought the Law to be read to them. The assembly consisted of men, women and all who could hear with understanding. The people stood for this reading. We are told that all of the people were attentive to the Book of the Law as it was read to them.

Ezra stood on a platform along with several of the leaders of Israel. The book was read distinctly and the sense of it was explained to the people in order to help them understand the reading. This reading took place from morning until midday. We don’t know what time that would be in our terms, but I would think at least 9 until noon. Perhaps 8 until 2 or something like that.

On another day a similar session was held which lasted for one fourth of the day. On another fourth of the day they confessed and worshiped the Lord.

We can see from these examples that reading was extremely important in the life of the Old Testament Jewish people. God expected that His Word would be read and since they did not all have a copy of their own, it was read publicly to them and they were expected to stand and listen to it.

My first thought is, “How did they have the attention span to do this?” Most of us here in our culture would have a difficult time listening for that length of time with no musical or video going on in the background. Later on in this series I’m going to discuss the issue of attention and the distractions that prevent us from attending to anything for a length of time

It might be a worthwhile exercise for us as men who desire to be faithful to God to think through how attentive we are to God’s Word and what kind of place it has in our lives and minds. Are we losing the ability to read and concentrate on the Word for any appreciable length of time?

Reading and the Christian – Part 2

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In both the Old and New Testaments reading is commanded, encouraged and expected. In Deuteronomy 17 we find that the king of Israel is to write for himself a copy of the Word of God and then read it every day. The goal here is quite interesting. Verses 19 and following tell us that the purpose is so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of the law and the statutes. The purpose furthermore is so “that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left.”

So here we see the intended power of the Word in the life of the king if he would read it every day of his life. How much more so for us as Christians to be faithful readers of the Word of God.

In Deuteronomy 31:11ff we find that all Israel is to come to appear before the Lord. At that meeting the leaders “shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land.”

In the next part of this series we’ll look at a particular instance of this happening and we’ll focus on what took place and then think about whether people of our culture would be comfortable in that setting for that length of time.

What I find intriguing in the passages we looked at today is that the Scripture has a profound effect on people as they read it or hear it read. It tends to keep us faithful to the Lord, fearing Him and learning to observe all of the things He commands of us His children.

Reading and the Christian

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There are three things that I would like to accomplish in this series of articles. 1) Show from Scripture the importance of the word and reading, 2) Explain a couple of ways reading is being eroded in our culture and the danger that this poses to people’s souls, and 3) Give some suggestions as to how you can wield your influence on others to stem the tide of this erosion in your families and churches.

God has chosen to act through words. For example, God used words to create. He said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). Jesus calmed the sea with the words, “Peace, Be still” (Mark 4:39).

It’s interesting that in Revelation 19:15 the conquering Christ is pictured as a having a sword in his mouth rather than in His hand as one might have predicted. I take this to mean that Christ will conquer with the word of His mouth rather than the might of his arm.

God uses His word to call things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17). He did this when he called creation into existence and when he brings the light of salvation into the dead soul.

Finally, God the son is called the Word in John 1:1. He is God’s ultimate communication to us. In fact, the writer of the Hebrews in chapter 1 tells us that God has spoken in times past in various ways through the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us in Son. His Son is the language God used to bring His saving message to the world.

So clearly, God has chosen to use words to act in this world. Next time we’ll examine the concept of the written word.