How to come to the Bible

This thread is about HOW to come to the Bible.
That is how TO come to the Bible.
Or how to COME to the Bible.
Also meaning how to come TO the Bible.

Basically I am interested in discussion how to come to THE Bible. By which I also mean how to come to the BIBLE.

You get the idea, I'm sure.

This coming to the Bible includes both the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

Some principles about coming to either testament are the same.
Whether the law of the Old Testament or the words of Jesus certain principles should be exactly the SAME. That is to get the best benefit from coming to the Bible.

I will discuss the difference between Mt. Horeb and Mt. Sinai in coming to the Bible (in this case Old Covenant).

First - to come to the Bible should be for the purpose of coming to God.

Come to the Bible not to get away from God.
Neither should come to disprove God's existence.

We should come to the Bible to find God.
We should come believing that God IS.

"He who would come forward to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarded of them that diligently seek Him." (Heb. 11:6)

The first HOW in coming to the Bible is to come to find God.
That is to come with a willingness and a heart to find a living Person.

Someone started a thread some time ago on "Reading the Bible" I think.

This should be considered somewhat of just a continuation of that older thread.

You should come to the Bible as the Bible invites you to come.
It is the breathing out of God. This is an expression to indicate that something of God is conveyed to the one coming to the Bible.

"God breathed" implies something deep out of God He wants to impart into the reader. It is helpful to think of coming to the Bible to have God breath something of His life into your being.

We should come opened to receive this infusion of the divine out from God into our hearts. That's the way we should come to the Bible.

Originally posted by sonship
This coming to the Bible includes both the Old Testament or the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

Some principles about coming to either testament are the same.
Whether the law of the Old Testament or the words of Jesus certain principles should be exactly the SAME. That is to get the best benefit from coming to the Bible.

I will discuss the d ...[text shortened]... to come to find God.
That is to come with a willingness and a heart to find a living Person.

"The first HOW in coming to the Bible is to come to find God."

I don't mean to detract from the purpose of this thread, but I don't believe we "find" God. At least not in the personal sense.

I believe it is God that finds us. Then, whether or not we responds to God's offer of the gift of eternal life, we are empowered to have a relationship with God.

Originally posted by josephw
[b]"The first HOW in coming to the Bible is to come to find God."

I don't mean to detract from the purpose of this thread, but I don't believe we "find" God. At least not in the personal sense.

I believe it is God that finds us. Then, whether or not we responds to God's offer of the gift of eternal life, we are empowered to have a relationship with God.[/b]

Was that your thread some time back on Reading the Bible?
It was a good thread.

Your comment reminds me of a bumper sticker -

"If you don't feel close to God, guess who moved?"

Well, I think it really is kind of both - we find God and God finds us.
This is very mutual I think.

At least we find His living word and we find that they are food to our innermost being.

Jeremiah 15:16 -

King James Bible -
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Holman Christian Standard Bible -
Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Yahweh God of Hosts.

Hungry seeking hearts do find the food our inner being needs in God's living word. And Paul did say that God purposed that all people would seek Him and find Him in Acts 17:27

"That they might seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, even though He is not far from each one of us."

Wouldn't you agree that the finding is really mutual ?
But for certain if God did not reach for us we would have no hope.
I do agree with this need to be empowered by Him and by His regenerating word.

Originally posted by sonship
This thread is about [b]HOW to come to the Bible.
That is how TO come to the Bible.
Or how to COME to the Bible.
Also meaning how to come TO the Bible.

Basically I am interested in discussion how to come to THE Bible. By which I also mean how to come to the BIBLE.

You get the idea, I'm sure.[/b]

I have only one question: do you think your method is reliable?
If we took 100 reasonably intelligent people and gave them your instructions then sent them off to different locations to follow those instructions, then gathered them together again after following the instructions, would most of them agree on the results?

Originally posted by sonship
Was that your thread some time back on Reading the Bible?
It was a good thread.

Your comment reminds me of a bumper sticker -

[b]"If you don't feel close to God, guess who moved?"

Well, I think it really is kind of both - we find God and God finds us.
This is very mutual I think.

At least we find His living word and we find that they ...[text shortened]... d have no hope.
I do agree with this need to be empowered by Him and by His regenerating word.[/b]

"Wouldn't you agree that the finding is really mutual?"

I do in the sense of after one responded to God's having found them first. And here's why; Romans 5:8

Originally posted by twhitehead

I have only one question: do you think your method is reliable?

Its a good place to start.
Yes.

If we took 100 reasonably intelligent people and gave them your instructions then sent them off to different locations to follow those instructions, then gathered them together again after following the instructions, would most of them agree on the results?

Yes, I think so.
It is not my cleverness which counts.
It is God's faithfulness.

I would repeat that coming to the word of God has its principles whether in the Old or New Testaments.

Some Christian teachers think that the New Testament God has abandoned the law. But this is far from the truth. As a way of justification Christ is the end of the law to everyone who believes. But the law was also the word of God. And the word of God is "God breathed" and profitable.

All the the Lord has spoken we will "inhale" should be the seeker's attitude rather than "All that the Lord has spoken we will do" first. In other words in both the Old and New Covenants it is vital to come first to God to have His presence shine upon you. That is God "infuses" the seeker's heart through His word.

The mountain where God gave the law had two names. On the one hand it was Mt. Sinai. But on the other hand it was Mt. Horeb which was called "the mountain of God".

In principle to come to Mt. Sinai has its dark side for the law of God exposes and confemns every sinner. But on the bright side the law of God was after all the "word" of God which is God breathed and profitable to be a channel through which God comes to the seeker.

This is seen quite abundantly in a Psalm like Psalm 116 with its over 170 verses. How much the Psalmist loved God's law as God's word.

This is paradoxical. The law of God was also the word of God.
It had its condemning function on the "night" side.
But on the "day" side it was the inspired God breathed word of God bring a channel to man through which God could come to man.

HOW we come makes the difference.

Originally posted by sonship
Someone started a thread some time ago on "Reading the Bible" I think.

This should be considered somewhat of just a continuation of that older thread.

You should come to the Bible as the Bible invites you to come.
It is the breathing out of God. This is an expression to indicate that something of God is conveyed to the one coming to the Bible. ...[text shortened]... infusion of the divine out from God into our hearts. That's the way we should come to the Bible.

Perhaps one should first of all consider the context of the individual books within the bible. Perhaps one would then have a better idea of what the bible actually is.

Originally posted by avalanchethecat

Perhaps one should first of all consider the context of the individual books within the bible. Perhaps one would then have a better idea of what the bible actually is.

It is true that the Bible is a library.
Or it is a fabulous feast of many dishes that one hardly knows where to start.

Regardless of which book -Genesis, Exodus even Leviticus or another book - we should come to find God. That is not just information but the living God who is behind the word of God.

We should come to taste the sweetness of God's word in any book of the Bible -

"How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Psalm 116:103)

If you rise early and read aloud any book of the Bible with a heart opened to the living God, even Leviticus will be sweet to your spiritual taste.

Of course there is a time to study with language tools and even historical tools. But it is easy to gravitate towards the exercise of our mentality this way. It takes some deliberateness to come to "taste" the sweetness of the word of God for nourishment. So Jeremiah said he "ate" the word of God (Jer. 15:16).

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Yahweh God of Hosts.

International Standard Version
Your words were found, and I consumed them. Your words were joy and my hearts delight, because I bear your name, LORD God of the Heavenly Armies.

The Old Testament seekers loved God's word. And the law given on Mt. Horeb was also the lovely word of God and not just the exposing and condemning commandments.

Eleven times the writer of Psalm 116 speaks of loving the word of God (vv. 47, 48, 97, 113, 127, 140, 159, 163, 165, 167) .

The Bible I think is the most lovable book ever written.
Okay, the most lovable library collection of books ever written - the Bible.

Now some will cringe at the thought of coming to the Bible for any enjoyment. They think that it contains all these hard things "to do" which they have no intention to do.

But before one comes gritting his teeth to think he can muster up effort to keep commandments, one should come with open heart to touch God Himself.

Is there exposing light in places of the Bible - kind of telling you about yourself ? Sure. But God's light is never to just make one feel bad. It is a loving channel over which God Himself as Healer and Sustainer can be imparted TO you.

"Lord I come now to Your word. But I come with a heart to touch You Yourself dear God. My real need is just Yourself."

That is a good prayer. That is a good attitude with which to come the the Bible.

Originally posted by sonship

The Bible I think is the most lovable book ever written.

Blimey, that's quite a claim. Sure you don't want to reconsider that?

If you are going to view the 'Bible' as an integral whole, then you have to take into account its darker episodes, as well as it's chipper parables about love and forgiveness.

"And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, 'Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.'" (Numbers 25:3-4)

Hmm... lovable.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke
Blimey, that's quite a claim. Sure you don't want to reconsider that?

If you are going to view the 'Bible' as an integral whole, then you have to take into account its darker episodes, as well as it's chipper parables about love and forgiveness.

"And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And ...[text shortened]... e fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.'" (Numbers 25:3-4)

Hmm... lovable.

Blimey, that's quite a claim. Sure you don't want to reconsider that?

I did say "I think" putting some humility on my convictions.
I know that there are some other lovable books.
I know that.

But those who love this book have come to find out that there is a living God who stands behind it. And that is what I emphasize here.

When we come to the Bible we should come:

1.) As if we are coming to a living Person who stands behind the words.

2.) Come with a willingness to be changed. God is into changing people. God is into transforming people.

But He is gentle and powerful. That is an unusual combination. He will not coerce you. He will not usurp your will. He is symbolized in this regard as a dove.

A dove is easily shewed away.
A dove is single eyed also.
The symbol of the Holy Spirit is a dove not a screeching terradactyl.

Yes God is symbolized as an eagle elsewhere. I'll speak of that perhaps latter. Because God is so profound He is symbolized with different symbols.

And right now I draw attention to the symbol of a gentle dove. The dove of the Holy Spirit means that God is gentle with you. He will not transform you with dynamite all in one instant. But with your submission to Him He will gently change your attitude, tastes, preferences. And He will make you more and more like Jesus Christ.

All, ALL transformation of a man or woman by God and His word is with a view to conform us to the image of Christ. Christ is the only one who pleases God to the uttermost. Christ is what God mean by Human Being.

That is what to really understand the nature of what man was created to be you have to study carefully Jesus Christ the Son of God. For Christ is normality.

And the distance between us and Christ is a testament of how we have fallen rather than how He is an enigma.

Anyway, I wager that if one rose first thing in the morning and read aloud, say, the Gospel of John, one after a week would be a much inwardly nourished and joyful person. And after two weeks of reading each morning the Gospel of John for just 15 minutes, people around you would realize that something nice has happened to you.

Instead of criticize it, some here should actually try it.
Two weeks - giving the first part of your day to reading aloud the Gospel of John. Say one or two chapters aloud, with an opened heart. With a heart willing to be changed by the God OF the Bible.

Originally posted by Ghost of a Duke

If you are going to view the 'Bible' as an integral whole, then you have to take into account its darker episodes, as well as it's chipper parables about love and forgiveness.

"And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses, 'Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.'" (Numbers 25:3-4)

Hmm... lovable.

Every part of the Bible can be learned to loved.
Do you think nothing will rub your fur the wrong direction?

Of course some part may seem to step on your toes.
I am not so foolish to think all of God's speaking will never be a bother to me.

I learned to love even those portions that are a bother to me.
And with a feast there is soft food and there is harder food.
There is milk to drink and meat to chew.
There may even be some tough meat.

But lovable the Word of God is from Genesis to Revelation . And if this is not learned quickly I do believe that it is learned eventually.

Let the Holy Spirit of God impress upon your heart what He really wants to say to YOU personally. It is quite sweet.

And one learns to see things within the proper context.
God's hatred for sin HAD to be established in the Old Testament to make the propitiatory sacrifice for yours and my hated sins.

All these harsh verses that one can find in the Old Testament represent what fell upon Christ as He carried up our sins in His body on to the tree - onto the cross. There the wrath of God came upon Him for our sins.

This would mean little to us if God had not first established how abominably hateful sin it to His holy eyes. And upon the cross we see His greatest love to save us from that divine penalty which we well deserve.