The Bible: It’s More Than Just Noah’s Ark

“Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up unto salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 (ESV)

Reading the Bible helps us to grow in the knowledge of God and in relationship with HIm. Remember the sketch from the old Johnny Carson Show with Carnac the Magnificent? Carnac astounded the audience each week as he raised a sealed envelope to his turbaned head and revealed the answer to the question sealed within. He knew the answer without even looking inside. Well, my friend, the Bible isn’t like that, and we aren’t Carnac. We can’t absorb the Bible by osmosis but instead need to open it to find the answers we seek.

This week, I began a study of the book of Isaiah with a group of ladies at my church. We meet on Tuesday nights during the school year to study God’s Word. We call our Tuesday night Bible study, Journey Group, because we’re all on a journey together to follow God and practice His ways. This sisterhood of diverse believers comes from all walks of life and different faith experiences. Some are new believers, and some have known the Lord for many years. We pray for and encourage each other as we walk the path of faith, side by side.

At home, I look forward to digging into the Word each day to complete my assignment for the week’s lesson. But honestly, sometimes I’m tired, busy, or unmotivated, and it’s a challenge. If I miss a day, I just pick up the next. When I’m faithfully reading His Word, there’s never a day that God doesn’t surprise me, convict me, or show me something new. The more time I spend studying the Word, the deeper I want to go—like Alice falling down the rabbit hole.

Important Considerations When Studying Scripture

Bible study takes time, intention, and dedication. Meaningful and accurate study of the Bible comes through prayer, a heart yielded to the Spirit, and faithful interpretation. There are techniques and practices to help us correctly interpret scripture. These include things like considering the context in which a book was written, exploring what a passage may have meant to its original audience, and looking up various key words to find their Greek or Hebrew meaning.

 In addition, the Bible contains different genres of writing that we need to keep in mind as we study: poetry, history, prophecy, letters, wisdom literature, and apocalyptic texts (i.e., the Book of Revelation). Each of these genres has unique characteristics and challenges that are important to our understanding of them.

But My Pastor Reads the Bible For Me

But why study the Bible anyway? Isn’t a casual reading of it now and then good enough? Or following along as my pastor reads from it on Sunday mornings? I’m sure he’ll tell me what I need to know. That’s his job, isn’t it? Besides, I heard all the Bible stories when I was a kid. Do I really need to read them again?

Actually, the Bible is more than just Noah’s Ark. It’s a treasure trove of hidden gems and deep truths—a wealth of wisdom. I’m a book lover. In contrast to the many fiction and non-fiction books I read each year for which a single reading satisfies, one can read the Bible many times and still discover new truths and surprising insights. We never truly finish studying God’s Word.

Discovering New Gems

If you are a new student of the Word or new believer, I would recommend a good study Bible. It’s helpful to have notes at the bottom of the page that expand or clarify the ideas in a passage. Often, study notes will help us understand various customs of the day or some historical background. You can ask your pastor, Bible study leader, or a Christian friend for recommendations.

Thus far, I’ve been discussing in-depth Bible study— a deep and detailed investigation of the Bible. As we study God’s Word deeply, we discover new things we never knew before. We learn about the history, culture, and language of the era in which Jesus lived. We learn about the plight and journey of the Israelites, God’s beloved people. The lightbulb comes on: Oh . . . so that’s what He meant by ‘new wineskins’! In-depth Bible study is amazing, and if you’ve never studied in this manner before, I challenge you to do so.

Devotional Bible Reading

But the most important thing is to open God’s Word and just read it. This is called devotional reading. We may read a certain book of the Bible, a chapter, or a passage, or decide to read the Bible through in a year. Meditating on the words we read or committing certain verses to memory can be a part of devotional reading.

When reading devotionally, pray first and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the words you read, helping you to understand His Word and what He’s trying to say to you. God’s Word is alive and full of power. It guides, encourages, and convicts us. You cannot read it in earnest without being changed.

So, Why Study the Bible?

• The Bible reveals God’s character. Reading the Bible shows us who God is—and God wants us to know Him. As we read, we come to know Him as omnipotent creator, loving Father, righteous judge, faithful healer, and more. The Bible is God’s story, from beginning to end.
• The Bible gives us instructions for life and reveals to us God’s will. We cannot hope to please God apart from following the precepts contained in His Word. As we learn to walk in His ways, we find peace, joy, and purpose.
• The Bible contains hundreds of promises from God to humankind. It is by reading, grasping, and believing those promises that we learn to trust God and begin to understand his great love for us. His promises are true and eternal—they give us hope.
• The Bible shows us how much God loves us as it reveals the gospel message. It’s where we find the hope of salvation through Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, we are all dead in our sin. The Bible tells us that God sent His only Son to us so that we could be forgiven, washed clean, and reconciled to God Himself. The Bible and the gospel message within is our path to eternal life.

You may remember the stories of Daniel in the lion’s den, Noah’s Ark, and even baby Jesus, but do you know the story of the young men who were mauled by two bears after taunting the prophet, Elisha? Or the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel? How about when Balaam’s donkey spoke! I bet you don’t know all the stories.

Make it your mission this year to read the Bible every day. Trust God to grow your faith and reveal more of Himself as you read and study. Find a Bible study group to join—there are many online groups if you’re introverted, hesitant, or just don’t get out much. Online groups and Zoom have decimated our (introverts’) excuse file.

God’s Word is for you. Jump in and enjoy the Journey!