Read the Book

Posted on Mar 5, 2001 by Scott Ashley Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Brides carry it at their weddings. Presidents and judges place their hands on it when they are sworn into office. In legal proceedings, witnesses put one hand on it while they swear to tell "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

In many hotel and motel rooms it can be found on the desk or nightstand. Most homes have at least one, and often it occupies a place of honor on the mantle, coffee table or nightstand where it gives the impression that it's used daily.

If it were listed by booksellers, it would perpetually make the bestseller lists, with millions of copies sold and given away year after year. It's been translated into more than 2,000 languages and dialects.

This book is, of course, the Bible.

But, popular though it is, how many people actually take the time to read it?

Recently, a survey by the Barna Research Group, a religious research firm, found that only one in three Americans read the Bible regularly or could name the writers of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Not even half of those surveyed could name even five of the Ten Commandments. Most indicated that they find the Bible irrelevant.

Although Bible sales are surging among some publishers, and dozens of varying versions and translations line the shelves at religious and secular bookstores alike, it appears that relatively few take the time to actually read the Scriptures. And, regrettably, even fewer understand them.

What a remarkable turnaround from earlier years!

Bible-believing leaders

Not long ago Ronald Reagan, U.S. president from 1981 to 1989, said: "Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face. The Bible can touch hearts, order minds, and refresh souls."

The legendary British statesman Winston Churchill firmly believed in the accuracy and integrity of the Bible. "We reject with scorn all these learned and labored myths that Moses was but a legendary figure," he wrote. "We believe that the most scientific view, the most up-to-date and rationalistic conception, will find its fullest satisfaction in taking the Bible story literally."

Many other great leaders have likewise believed in and tried to order their lives according to the Bible's instructions.

Queen Victoria, monarch of Great Britain at the height of its power, exclaimed, "That book [the Bible] accounts for the supremacy of England!"

Abraham Lincoln, who led the United States through the Civil War as its 16th president, perhaps summed it up best when he said: "I believe that the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man."

George Washington, Revolutionary War commander and first president of the United States said: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."

Substance or show?

What about you? How much attention do you pay to the Bible?

Of the world's six billion inhabitants, about a third claim to be followers of the Bible. But how many follow Jesus Christ's advice to read the Book? (Matthew 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mark 2:25; 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3).

Notice how God views those who outwardly adhere to His words but neglect to live by them: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men" (Isaiah 29:13, New International Version, emphasis added throughout).

God is neither impressed nor pleased with empty outward appearances of religion. He is pleased, though, with those who deeply respect His Word: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2, NIV).

The choice is up to you

How does God view our choice of whether or not to live by His Word?

When He revealed His instructions to ancient Israel, formerly a slave people in Egypt, His desire was for them to become a model nation to the other nations around them. Through His servant Moses God told them: "See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' What other nation is so great as to have ... such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8, NIV).

God intends that His way of life be a shining example to others. When we live by them, His laws are to be a model of wisdom and understanding to those around us. Jesus Christ Himself made it clear that we are to live not by physical food alone, "but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4; Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).

But it is up to us whether we will take the initiative to study and live by those words. When God revealed His instruction to Israel, He also set before them a choice: "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you...

"But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear,... I announce to you today that you shall surely perish;... I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:15-19).

Simply put, God promises great blessings for those willing to study His Word and put it into practice. Failing to live by it will bring its own punishments in the sorrow and suffering that inevitably follows breaking God's laws.

Where to begin

If by now you see the value in discovering the treasures of the Bible for yourself, you may be wondering where to begin. The answer is to start at the beginning, with the first chapter of Genesis.

Some Bibles contain only what is called the New Testament, plus perhaps Psalms and Proverbs. By omitting the Old Testament, such Bibles are missing about three-quarters of the material God inspired to be written down and preserved through the ages for us.

Be sure you have a Bible that contains both the Old and New Testaments. After all, the Old Testament writings were the Holy Scriptures to which the apostle Paul referred when he wrote to Timothy: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The writers of the New Testament understood the Hebrew Scriptures to be inspired by God. They included some 300 quotations from the Old Testament and hundreds of allusions to it in their writings.

Read and learn

If you spend only 10 to 15 minutes a day in reading the Bible, you can read the entire Bible through in about a year. Initially you need not be so concerned with studying the Bible or solving problems so much as simply reading through it. At other times you can sit down with The Good News, some of our booklets, or our Bible Study Course and study the Bible in much greater depth as you examine various topics.

As you read, you'll discover many fascinating stories involving history, romance, danger, violence, intrigue and even prophecy. You'll quickly encounter men and women like Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, Joseph, Moses, Miriam, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jesus, Peter and Paul. Their stories were written down as examples for us, preserved that we might learn from their many and varied experiences (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6-11).

And the Bible explains things as they really are--the good, the bad and the ugly. It presents a clear picture of human failings and gives the solutions.

If some passages are unclear, you may want to compare one or more Bible versions to clear things up. Used bookstores are a good place to find inexpensive Bible translations. (To understand the differences in approach among various translations, be sure to read Bible Study aid booklet How to Understand the Bible.)

Try to read with an open mind and fresh approach, as though you were reading every scripture for the first time. You may be surprised at what you'll discover. Some scriptures, for example, may directly contradict what you may have always believed the Bible said. You must be sure to rely on what the Bible itself says, not what someone says it says.

Take the first step

If you apply its words, reading the Bible can be the most rewarding thing you could ever do. Woodrow Wilson, U.S. president from 1913 to 1921, compared his success to the application of God's Word. "There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as President, but I expect to find the solution of those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God." No doubt, much of the success of "the American experience" can be attributed to its leaders' familiarity with God's Word.

By studying the Bible, you'll gain wonderful and marvelous insights into your relationships with family, friends and others. You'll far better understand why our world is in the condition it's in. You'll come to understand yourself far better than you ever have before.

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Scott Ashley
United Church of God Pastor, Beyond Today Managing Editor
Scott Ashley is managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he has worked for 50 years.

Read the Book