How To Read Scripture, Part 12

To continue from yesterday, I believe the balance is found in the truth that both scholarship and a reliance upon the Spirit are needed. I never preach on a text of Scripture without first consulting the scholarship of a commentary. I want to know what the words mean. I don’t want to be sloppy with the text. However, I don’t allow this to detract from what I draw out of the text for personal application.

For example, in studying the life of Abraham, scholarship helps me understand the various meanings of God’s names, such as Adonai, Jehovah, and El Shaddai. Meditation revealed to me that Abraham’s life typifies the Christian life. We see the ups and downs. We see hope and doubt. We see victory and failure. In summary, we could conclude the following:

· In Genesis chapter 12, Abraham went down to Egypt. In Genesis 22, he went up a mountain.
· In chapter 12, Abraham went down to sin. In chapter 22, he went up to sacrifice his son.
· In chapter 12, Abraham feared man. In chapter 22, he feared God.
· In chapter 12, Abraham was rebuked by the heathen. In chapter 22, he was rewarded by God.

All the scholarship in the world would not have revealed this to me, but meditation in the Holy Spirit did. All the meditation in the world will not tell me what Jehovah means but scholarship does. I trust we can see that both are essential. Scholarship keeps me honest with God, while meditation keeps me in touch with Him. Certainly this is not an exhaustive study of either discipline but hopefully will help the reader see the need for cooperation. That the way I see things.