Reading the Bible slowly

With writers such as Tony Buzan correctly showing us that the human brain and eyes can take in information at far higher speeds than was once thought possible, reading quickly is in fashion. Why spend hours lingering over every paragraph of a book when you can skim read it in 3 seconds and still recall all the relevant information?

However, we are not called the Bible simply to gain information. Joshua wasn't told to "remember" the Word but to "meditate" on it (Joshua 1: 8). This same verse also shows us that it is only when we "meditate" on the Word that it can really lead to changes in our behaviour. The Hebrew word translated "meditate" in this passage comes from a root meaning "to murmur" and it is also used to mean to "mutter, speak, study, talk, utter." (Strongs: H1897)

If meditation on God's Word means speaking or muttering it, then this is completely incompatible with the fashionable speed-reading approaches. In this case, we are not reading for information but instead we are invited to speak out and ponder the Word of God until it begins to change our behaviour. This is also a form of study. In fact, I personally believe that study by meditation must come before we reach for the commentaries, maps and dictionaries. As a little preview of what we can gain from Biblical meditation, I am going to take two verses from Romans, split them into small, meaningful chunks. By "studying" each of these chunks, we will see just how rich the Word of God really is.

So, let's begin.
Romans 1:3-4 (NLT)
³ The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, ⁴ and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let's break these two verses down.

a) The Good News is about his Son [some editions add "Jesus"]
What does this tell us? Speak it aloud to yourself a few times.

Personally, what I see here is that Paul is setting out clearly the focus of the gospel. The Good News is not about joining a church or taking communion or building our reputations. The Good News is all about Jesus. Jesus is the focus point of Christianity. No doctrine outshines Him. No preaching outdoes his. The gospel, the Good News, is all about God's Son Jesus.

b) In his earthly life
God became flesh and lived among us (John 1:14). We do not serve a distant God who imposes rules on us for no reason. God came and lived an earthly life. It might be hard for theologians to explain and for philosophers to understand but God, who is perfect, came to a world full of imperfection. When Jesus calls us to be holy as He is holy (Mat 5:48, 1 Peter 1:16), He doesn't do it from a position distant from our everyday life; He calls out from the position of one who knows what that means. He lived an earthly life but He was not caught up in fleshly sin. He lived among imperfection but remained perfect. Jesus knew fine well what people were like (John 2: 25) but He did not become like them. He could spend time with tax collectors and prostitutes (Mat 9:10) but instead of becoming like them, they yearned to become more like Him (Luke 19:1-10). Jesus knows what earthly life is like, because He lived on earth. He sympathises with our weaknesses but calls us to perfection.

c) he was born into King David’s family line
To understand this line we need to know more about history. We know that David was a great king of Israel and that God promised that one of his descendants would always rule (2 Sam 7:16). We also know that he was called a man after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). He was a wholehearted worshipper of God (2 Samuel 6:12-14).
So, what does this section tell us? First, it tells us that God always honours his promises. He told David that his descendant would always reign and Jesus reigns forever in Heaven (Rev 11:15). If God gives you a word or a promise, He will honour it. He is true to His Word.
Secondly, it tells us that, in earthly terms, Jesus was born into a holy inheritance. Just as David was a man after God's heart, Jesus only ever did what He saw His Father doing (John 5:19). Just as David honoured the return of God's presence to the nation (2 Samuel 6), Jesus' death tore the veil that separated people from God and God from His people (Mat 27:51, Luke 23:45).
This section alone shows that God is true to what He says and that even Jesus "earthly" inheritance was powerful.

d) and he was shown to be the Son of God
Jesus was fully man but also fully God. I know a talented theologian who is right now researching the ways in which theologians have tried to work this out through the ages. You see, it is very easy to come down hard on one side of the equation. We can easily imagine Jesus as a man, a loving, kind and generous man, with a passion for God's presence and compassion for the poor. We can also easily imagine Him as God: the God who works miracles, sustains the entire universe by His powerful Word and reigns in Heaven at the right hand of the Father.

However, to emphasise the first, makes the gospel a story about a nice teacher who got in trouble. It excuses us from actually taking his message seriously. To emphasise the second distances Jesus love for us from a real understanding of what life on earth is like. It excuses us from taking Him at his Word about holiness and purity

Even people in His day found it hard to accept that He could be both God and man (Mat 16:13-14 and many others). They saw the outward signs and interpreted them according to the logic of their day. Today, the only way for many people to accept what the Bible says about Jesus is to make up theories about "substances" or "natures." Logically, it seems foolish that Jesus could be entirely man and entirely God.

Yet this section tells us clearly that the Father demonstrated clearly who Jesus was.

e)when he was raised from the dead

This is how God demonstrated who Jesus was. And this is why the resurrection is, and will continue to be, the most offensive part of the Gospel to non-believers. For Jesus to rise from te dead forces us to take His godliness seriously. If Jesus is risen from the dead, He was right in what He said.

People might try to make this a spiritual resurrection only, but they conveniently forget that Jesus ate (Luke 24: 42-43) and still had a touchable, feelable body (John 20: 25-27) after his resurrection. The resurrection was a bodily resurrection! That fact alone demonstrates who Jesus really was!

f) by the power of the Holy Spirit

The same power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in those who believe in and follow Him (Rom 8: 11, Eph 1: 19-20). How much should we then follow Him and walk in His power?!

God dwells in us who follow Him. So incredible, it needs no more words than that.

g) He is Jesus Christ our Lord.

When we understand all that Paul has written in the previous verse and a half, what other conclusion can we come to? How else shall we respond to the fact of Jesus humanity and deity? How else shall we recognise His place in the gospel? How else shall we honour God for being true to His Word? What other way is there to respond to God's incredible, almost unbelievable, decision to deposit into us the very same power that conquered the grave?

With the Roman officer, we must say "truly, this man [is] the Son of God" (Mat 27: 54). And, once we declare this, we are left with another decision. Acknowledging who God is simply is not enough. He must go from being the Son of God to being "our Lord." The Greek word translated as "Lord" in this verse comes from the Greek word from "supremacy" and so means "supreme in authority." With all we know about Him, Jesus must become supreme in authority in our lives. What other honest response can there possibly be?

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Now, if those are the riches of only two verses, how much more does the Bible hold? Pick a few verses at a time and go try that for yourself. You will be amazed what you find. And, as you meditate on the Word like that, you will find that you memorise it far more easily.

Until next time.

Peace,

Jonathan