1 My son, if you will receive my wordsThe Bible repeatedly commands and commends the fear of the LORD. I have personally struggled to lay hold of that. The fact is, I don't fear God--or at least not as I should. Perhaps in glimpses or moments, but not consistently or to the depth I inwardly know I should. How can I get it? What will give me the fear of the LORD? What will cause me to live a life of righteous, holy, reverent worship at all times? I think these verses get at the answer. I should have known--it'll be a tried and true Sunday school answer.
And treasure my commandments within you,
2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:1-6
Notice in verses 2 and 3 the triad of synonymous virtues that are commended: wisdom, understanding, and discernment. Verse 5 adds the fear of the LORD and the knowledge of God. In verse 6, we are told that these things all come from the LORD (wisdom, knowledge, and understanding). Specifically, we are told that "from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."
The point is that if I want to truly fear the LORD and know God, such will only be attained by knowing His words. Yep, that's it, the Sunday school answer: read the Bible, study it, know it. Let's look at five practices from these verses to maximize our Bible intake--and consequently our knowledge and fear of God.
- Don't just read, receive (v. 1a).
It is all too easy to just "read over" the Bible. We are prone to read the Bible quickly and detached because of time constraints, familiarity, or a host of other reasons. But we must not just read for the sake of reading. We need to read for the sake of receiving the truth of God. While Scripture has only one meaning that stands for all time, we must ask, "How does this text's meaning apply to me in my life right now?" Read thoughtfully. The following questions may be helpful for us to think about as we read. "What sins in my life does this text address? What comfort can I draw from this in the midst of this difficult situation I'm in? What promises does God make to me here? What commands are present in the text that I need to obey?" Etc. - Meditate and memorize (v. 1b).
I'm the world's worst about this. I am very good at compartmentalization. I can read God's word--even have a great time in it--but then put it away and move my mind to other things effortlessly. It's a skill I've honed over the years, sometimes proving valuable, but in my spiritual life it is detrimental. We should "treasure [His] commandments within" us. This will require memorization and meditation; you can't really separate the two because you can't really do one without the other. Work on memorizing powerful verse(s) that grab your attention in your reading. Think about the verse(s) or passage you read throughout the day. Reflect and pray on the applications the Holy Spirit placed on your heart. - Listen to good Bible exposition (v. 2).
While the Bible is obviously the primary source, God uses men who faithfully expound upon His word. Having studied it thoroughly and being gifted and skilled in the art of processing and packaging truth into a current and cogent form, faithful preachers can really help us to see things we missed and to bring application to mind that we might not have conceived. Plus, listening to preachers and the way they analyze and see the text will help us to hone our abilities to work through the text as well. - Pray for comprehension of the word (v. 3).
The same Holy Spirit who inspired the text is the One who will illumine that text to our minds and hearts. I believe the Lord delights to show us His truth. Therefore we should pray for both mental and spiritual comprehension. Pray that the Spirit would open our minds to understand the text mentally. Pray also that He would open our hearts to believe what we understand and then to receive the application into our hearts by faith--and for grace and strength to respond appropriately. - Be diligent in your pursuit (v. 4).
We must seek the knowledge and wisdom that is found in God's word with diligence and determination. Let's be honest: reading the Bible can be difficult and even dry. Sometimes it is confusing or seems outdated or irrelevant. Let's be honest about another thing: we are impatient and give up easily. In our microwave, Google, drive-through culture, we have lost much discipline, patience, and endurance. We are products of technology that has dulled us to reading and study, making our minds mush with visual over-stimulation and instant gratification. But just like seeking for silver and treasure comes at great risk and difficulty, so it is with the truth of God's word. If the reward for being diligent in the pursuit of precious treasure is so great that we count it worthwhile, how much more so the yield of the word of God? The reality is that reading and studying Scripture is hard work. It will take much time and effort, thought and struggle, possibly the use of some study helps, maybe a rearranging of priorities, sacrifice, and consistency.
As I close, I highly recommend an article to you that I recently read about Bible reading. Please read Jim Elliff's "The Man Who Would Not Read His Bible."
The concept of fearing someone whom loves you and you should love has always puzzled me. I understand that God is all powerful and one should be fearful of consequences of their own actions when they are judged, but this fear thing just doesn't sit right in my mind.
ReplyDeleteThe biblical concept of fear does at times involve the sense of the word we consider primary, namely, terror, dread, fright. But it is much richer and more nuanced that than. Scripture also (primarily) uses the word "fear" to convey the sense of awe, reverence, respect, adoration, worship--a concept which is much easier to square with the love of God, both objective and subjective.
ReplyDeleteThis is too great a simplification; of course it can never be divided so neatly and easily. But, in general, the Bible teaches that those who are in right relationship to God should fear Him in the second sense, while those who are not in right relationship to God should fear Him in the first sense.
Of course, there are particular times and manifestations of God's person and power recorded in Scripture that incite the first in God's people whom He loves. But I would argue that even those are intended to incite the second sense of the word: greater and truer awe, reverence, and worship.