The Bible isn’t for babies, though babies can easily draw life-sustaining milk from it. Really, God's word is for those with spiritually attuned hearts and minds. Here’s the secret.
Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. (10) For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: (Isa. 28:9-10)
Knowledge and understanding of God’s word comes from God. We can read it and get a little devotional thought, but real knowledge and understanding is an act of God in our hearts and minds.
If that’s the case, to whom does God bestow that knowledge and understanding? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Heb. 5:12-14)
Do you want to transition from the “little daily devotional” milk mindset to a full meaty knowledge and understanding of God’s word? It’s not only an act of God in the heart (whom shall he teach knowledge and whom shall he make to understand doctrine), it’s a discipline of the will and an application of time and effort. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little. That simply means that you compare scripture with scripture.
When you sit down to read your Bible, pray Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law (Ps 119:18) because God’s word can only be spiritually discerned. The mind of the flesh will not get it. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they [the things of the Spirit of God] are spiritually discerned. (1Cor 2:14)
Then, become skilfull in the word. Don’t settle for reading a paragraph from the Bible each day. Find an interesting thought and trace it through the Bible. Use a good Bible computer program that allows you to find cross references to ideas in the Bible.
If I was stuck on a desert island with only one other book besides my Bible, it would be the “Treasury of Scripture Knowledge,” which takes you to other verses that contain the same ideas of the verse you are reading. Good Bible software has the “Treasury of Scripture Knowledge” built in. (I use the Bible program e-sword, which I downloaded from the internet for free. Visit www.e-sword.net.)
Follow me in future blog posts as we go through Ps. 119 and look at that word precepts. Remember in Isaiah we saw For precept must be upon precept. Let’s learn more about that together.
Jody
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