Loving the Word Enough to Read It – Rev. D. Hyde

For our Sunday night post, I take one more look with you at the November 2018 issue of Tabletalk with its theme of “Living by the Word,” that is, living by the Bible as God’s holy Word to us His people.

In one of the final articles on this theme, Rev. Daniel Hyde writes on the critical calling we have to love the Word of God. Indeed, we cannot live by God’s Word unless we love His Word. And, as Hyde states at the beginning of his article, we show our love for God and His Word by reading it. And he points to three ways in which we are to do that. This is the section I wish to quote here this evening.

You have heard me say here before that, while the reading of other good books is a necessity for the Christian, nothing is more important than reading and feeding on God’s book. Hyde affirms that with these three ways to do so in our lives. Meditate on these and profit from them.

Publicly. We love God by loving His Word read publicly. This was done in the ancient Jewish synagogue, as evidenced by Jesus’ entering the synagogue and performing the appointed reading from the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:16–24). The early church carried on this practice, as Paul tells us (1 Thess. 5:27; Col. 4:16), and continued the practice after the close of the Apostolic age. For example, Justin Martyr said, “And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits.” And Tertullian said, “We assemble to read our sacred writings . . . with the sacred words we nourish our faith, we animate our hope, we make our confidence more steadfast.”

As a family. We love God by loving His Word read as a family, if the Lord provides us with a family. Moses exhorted the Israelites to teach the commandments to their children (Deut. 6:6–7). Family Bible reading is necessary to propagate the Christian religion in our children. Studies show the rising generation in American churches leaving those churches; is it any wonder when parents, especially fathers, are not taking the time to read the Word with their children? Ignorance of Scripture leads to ignorance of Christ.

Privately. We love God by loving His Word read privately. Psalm 1 speaks of the singular “man” (v. 1) who is blessed because “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (v. 2). To read the Word and meditate on the Word as a believer causes one to be like a well-watered and fruitful tree (v. 3). Psalm 119 is also the meditation of an individual believer: “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (v. 97). Meditating on the Word makes one wise (v. 98), makes one godly (v. 101), and gives us a spiritual delight as the Word is “sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v. 103). This is why one writer said, “To neglect [the reading of the Word] is to despise our own souls, and deprive ourselves of the advantage of God’s instituted means of grace.” If we love God, it is our duty to read the Word of God.

To read the entire article, visit the Ligonier link below.

Source: Loving the Word