God and Reason (8)

“Whom will he teach knowledge?
And whom will he make to understand the message?
Those just weaned from milk?
Those just drawn from the breasts?
For precept mustbe upon precept, precept upon precept,
Line upon line, line upon line,
Here a little, there a little.” Isaiah 28.9, 10

Isn’t it obvious?
We who have the Spirit of God have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. Such knowledge piques our souls and makes us want to increase in knowledge of our Lord. The Bible is the place to turn in satisfying this hunger. Because reading and studying the Bible requires us to process words and sentences, and to decipher the meanings of passages and books, it might seem obvious that reason should play a major role in understanding divine revelation.

God’s word to the prophet Isaiah certainly suggests as much. They who wish to learn true knowledge from the Lord must not be infants in their approach to revelation. They must be prepared to partake of more solid food, and to advance by increments, line upon line, precept upon precept (cf. 1 Cor. 3.1-13; Heb. 5.14). To rightly divide the Word of truth, we must make sure we understand it well (2 Tim. 2.15), and this will mean giving our minds to careful, systematic consideration of the divine will, as revealed in His inspired Word (2 Tim. 3.15-17).

Obviously, we should expect to use reason and all its elegant tools in seeking to understand the revelation of God in Scripture. This holds as well, by the way, for the revelation of God in creation (Ps. 19:1-4; Rom.1.18-20), although I will not be treating of this aspect of divine revelation in the remarks that follow.

God uses language
Reason is a valuable tool for understanding divine revelation, for it has pleased God to couch His self-disclosure in language, ideas, doctrines, and, over all else, in His own Son. Could God have done otherwise? Could He have simply impressed upon our souls an understanding of Himself and His will, that did not require the use of reason? Undoubtedly He could. But He did not; therefore, we need to employ and sharpen our reasoning powers as we apply them to the task of understanding divine revelation provided in the Scriptures.

What does this require? In this and the next segment, I want to commend five disciplines as necessary facets of an approach to understanding the Scriptures. Mastering these can help us engage and enhance our reasoning powers as we wait upon the Lord to make Himself known to us in His Word.

We begin with the necessity of reading the Word faithfully.

Continuous, comprehensive reading
There is no substitute, in exercising our reasoning powers for understanding divine revelation, for daily and comprehensive reading of Scripture. All the counsel of God in His Word is available to us, and has been provided to equip us for every good work (Acts 20.27; 2 Tim. 3.15-17). The Bible is a remarkable book, the product of divine inspiration working through the minds and circumstances of chosen human authors (2 Pet. 1.21). It tells a single story about God’s glorious plan to redeem a people for Himself and to bless and prosper them in a world which refracts His glory and goodness on every hand. That story unfolds by segments, within a framework of divine covenant, and is related through various types of literature, and by various themes and doctrines. Only continuous, comprehensive reading of Scripture can train our thinking to grasp the divine narrative, understand and relate the parts to the whole, and appreciate the beauty and sublimity of each particular section and book of the Bible.

Here a plan for reading can be of much help. Like faithful scribes we must work to bring forth treasures of divine insight from both the Old and New Testaments (Matt. 13.51, 52). Thus, we will need to make certain that our daily reading takes us regularly through both, perhaps by reading a chapter or two from each.

In addition, since all Scripture teaches us about Jesus (Jn. 5.39), it would be helpful to spend time each day reading from some portion of the gospel accounts and seeing the ways all aspects of the divine economy come into focus and fulfillment through our Lord Jesus’ active and passive obedience (2 Cor. 1.20). By so doing, we train our minds to seek Jesus in all the different parts of Scripture, and to see in Him how all the Bible points to His glorious Person and work.

Daily reading in the psalms can enhance our prayers and worship, and some meditation in the commandments and statutes of the Lord can make a sure contribution to growing in righteousness (Ps. 1).

Thus, a daily reading strategy that includes something from both Testaments, the gospels, a psalm, and some aspect of the Law of God, will train our minds to discern the story of Scripture and to be able, increasingly, to relate the parts to the whole. Daily reading in Scripture is the starting point for training reason to encounter God in His revelation.

For reflection
1.  It makes sense, since God has taken such pains to give us His Word, that we should apply ourselves diligent to reading and studying it. Why?

2.  What is your present plan for reading the Bible? Is it sufficient to help you to grow in the mind of Christ? For learning about the Lord line upon line and precept upon precept? Can you see any ways your reading plan might be improved?

3.  How can Christians help one another to be more consistent and fruitful in their reading of God’s Word?

Next steps – Transformation: How faithful are you in the daily reading of God’s Word? How might you improve your Bible reading so that you read regularly through all Scripture, meditate deeply on the Word, and discern God’s leading for your daily life?

T. M. Moore

This is part 2 of a 2-part series on God and Reason. You can download this week’s study as a free PDF, suitable for personal or group use, by clicking here.

We invite you to register for the free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview. This course provides a sweeping panorama of how life in the Kingdom of God unfolds in our age in flight from God. Set your own schedule and study at your own pace. Learn more, and register for One in Twelve, by clicking here.

Help us discover the state of people’s understanding of God’s truth. Watch the brief video explaining our Understanding the Bible Questionnaire (click here). Then download the Questionnaire and begin using it with the people in your Personal Mission Field. Be sure to come back to the website and record the answers you receive. We’ll update you from time to time on what we’re learning.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.