THAT this exhortation points to the public reading of the Scriptures seems to be confirmed by the rest of the verse. The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Till I come give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” In those days, manuscripts of the Scriptures were few and far between, many could not read at all, so that the public reading of the Scriptures was a very needed service.
May we not well pay heed to this exhortation today. In this country at least, it is rare to find any unable to read. The younger generation can read one and all. Printing has multiplied and cheapened the means of possessing a copy of the Bible. A few pence can command this priceless boon.
Surely if one was exhorted to read to the many, because the many had not easy access to the Holy Scriptures, now that the many have that access it is well within the spirit of this verse to exhort the Lord’s people to the study of the Scriptures.
Any observant Christian will have noticed that the serious reading character that our fathers possessed is in danger of being lost by the younger generation. It is to our younger brothers and sisters that we address these lines particularly.
There never has been an outstanding servant of Christ, but who studied the Scriptures, not in an intellectual way, but devotionally, and with the purpose of translating it into the practice of his daily life.
Take Psalm 119 with its 176 verses. Scarcely a verse but has reference to God’s word and the Psalmist’s delight in meditation in it.
“I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways. I will delight myself in Thy statutes: I will not forget Thy word.” (verses 14-16).
These are three verses taken almost at random. To rejoice, to meditate, to respect, to delight, not to forget, form a series of expressions that bespeak an earnest study of the Word of God. Can this be said, even feebly, of you, as you read these lines.
It is interesting to see how the Word of God was known by God’s servants of old. Daniel had evidently studied the Book of Jeremiah (Dan. 9:22In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:2)). Mary, the mother of our Lord, in her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-5546And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. 50And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. 51He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; 55As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever. (Luke 1:46‑55)) showed that she had an intimate knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures. What a touching example is that of the blessed Lord Himself, always the perfect One, in quoting three times from the Book of Deuteronomy in the temptation in the wilderness. Peter on the day of Pentecost in his wonderful sermon, used to the conversion of about 3000 souls, showed an intimate acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures. He quoted from the prophet Joel, from Psalms 16:8-11,8I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 11Thou wilt show me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:8‑11) a second time quoting verse 10 in particular. In his second Epistle he draws attention to the writings of “our beloved brother Paul” showing that he had studied them; whilst Paul writes happily of Timothy as knowing the Scriptures, able to make him “wise unto salvation,” with very evident satisfaction.
There are 245 pages in the New Testament (Oxford Bible), and there are over 350 quotations from the Old Testament, that is, more than one quotation for every page of the New Testament. The Old Testament cannot be understood without the fuller light of the New; and the New cannot be understood without a knowledge of the Old. We need a knowledge of the Book in all its parts.
Suffer a further word of exhortation. There are many excellent books, expository and doctrinal, that have opened up the Scriptures wonderfully to many of our older brethren. There is a great danger of their being neglected today.
Let them not be neglected. Especially is this more necessary when our young brothers and sisters are connected with a meeting where there is little or no gift. Careful reading of sound literature that will open up the Scriptures to the reader is of great importance. To have a few rows of well-chosen books ought to be the ambition of our younger brethren.
A superficial knowledge of the Scriptures means a superficial Christian. Shall we be content with being merely superficial? Remember if we are shallow in the one, it means that there is too much room for the world to get in. Our minds are filled either with the Lord’s things, or those of the world. Which shall it be? Each of us makes our choice and the choice is intensely solemn and fraught with great possibilities of good or evil. Youth is the crucial period for decision.
A. J. Pollock