The Importance of Scripture Reading

Jay Horsley

The very existence of the scriptures (holy writings) implies that they are to be read. No one would dare affirm such a ludicrous proposition as “God gave us a book but doesn't want us to read it.” But, in fact, a number of groups have taught this. the best known example is that of the Catholic Church of the high middle ages forbidding the possession of the Bible and it's translation into local languages. Many noble men braved great dangers, and even death, to obtain Bibles that the people could read.

Other religious groups, while not directly denying the importance of Bible reading, slight the Bible by instructing their members to read other works instead. Such things as commentaries, creeds, confessions of faith, books of prayers, and numerous other publications have been substituted for the real thing. I suppose that they must think that their own writings are more clear or more relevant than the scriptures. Human wisdom is taught instead of God's. Many souls have struggled long and hard to overcome these false systems to come to a knowledge of the true faith.

But most dangerous to us today is fact that so many of us who have free access to Bibles (even owning multiple copies of many clear and understandable translations) simply don't read them. In this “information age,” we are swamped with things to read, see and hear. How many new books, magazines, TV shows, movies, web sites, commercials, songs, etc. are produced daily? So the book of books is often neglected, and is left dusty and buried beneath so many new and flashier things. And in many churches, “Bible” classes aren't even used for careful examinations of the text. Instead any and every other kind of contemporary topic or therapeutic technique of help are substituted for discussion.

Such neglect of scripture is not new. At one point in the O.T. the Jews so neglected the book of God that they lost it for a number of years until some workmen found it while repairing the Temple. They took it to King Josiah who “tore his clothes” and cried out in anguish because of “the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” (2 Kings 23:11,13) But God was rich in mercy and blessed them when they repented of their sins and began again to do according to the words of His book.

And the Bible has many other examples off people reading the scriptures to others. Ezra brought about a great reform that began with reading and explaining the scriptures: “[T]hey read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading...all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.” (Neh. 8:8,9) But it did not always go so well. When Jeremiah had his servant Baruch “read from the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house,” he was told by some concerned noblemen, “Go, hide yourself, you and Jeremiah, and do not let anyone know where you are.” (Jer. 36:8,19) In this latter case, reading the scriptures took courage and actually placed one's life in danger.

Anytime that we are neglectful of reading and heading the scriptures, we are on our way to one to the situations described above. We will lose our way when we lose sight of God's truths. Then when we are reminded of them, we'll either have to make major reforms to get ourselves back in line with the truth, or we will continue to rebel and reject the scriptures and those who bring God's words to us. Of course, the much safer road would be to give head to scripture all along. Thus Paul instructed the evangelist Timothy to “give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13) so that the saints would never forget.

But not only is public reading of scriptures necessary, we must also read for ourselves. Public reading and exhortations are limited - there are only a few each week and they may not address the exact situation that each individual faces. When we read for ourselves, we read more and our reading can be directed to our own specific need. Yes, we might be the Ethiopian who was “returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah” (Acts 8:28) and we might need someone to explain it to us. But we can like him, ask someone knowledgeable for help. And think the opportunity this man would have lost had he not been reading his Bible.

Through our own reading we will gain greater personal understanding,. We will make much greater personal growth. And we will find for ourselves, in the pages of God's holy word, the exhortations that we need. This is of the utmost importance, not only because of how it will make our lives better here, but even more because the Bible will be the standard of judgment on the last day. As Jesus Himself said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.” (Jn. 12:48)

Thus it behooves us to make a regular, daily effort to know more and more about this book of God. This is the divine book of instruction for the ordering of our lives. It is the wisdom of God revealed to man. It is the answer to all the great questions and meanings of life. And by working faithfully to know and do it we obtain the blessing of God. “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.” (Jas. 1:25)

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Large Task, Simple Steps

Reading the entire Bible seems like a large task. But through daily, systematic reading, the entire Bible can easily be read in one year. By reading two to four chapters of the Old Testament and one half to two chapters of the New Testament (this varies due to length of chapters) this goal is easily reached. Depending on how fast one reads, such readings can take between fifteen and thirty minutes a day. That is about the same length of time as a TV sitcom, and infinitely more profitable. Simply make it a habit.