Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 283, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1918 — How to Understand the Bible [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

How to Understand the Bible

By REV. B. B. SUTCLIFFE

BsteoMoq, Department, Moody Bibto Ittrtitutee Chicago

TEXT—They read in the bosk of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the read-ing.-Neh. 8:8. Tn this eighth chapter of'Nehemlah there are seven conditions for Bible

study which if followed will give anyone a full understanding of the Word of God. I. Eagerness to Know What God Says. In verses one and two the people express a desire to have the Word of God read to them. They ask for it and all who could understand gathered to hear. Not much profit can be received

If there is wanting a desire to know what God teadies. There should be the spirit which characterised Cornelius when he sent for Peter to come to him in order that Peter might tell him the troth of God. His readiness to hear moved the Holy Spirit to move Peter to respond to the call. Cornelius had no claim other than his eagerness to know the truth. 11. Patience in Listening to What God Has to Say. Tn yerse three we are told that Ezra read to the people from the Book of God from morning until midday, and the people were attentive to the words of the book. It cannot be understood in a moment or an hour. If we would master it we must give to its study more than a few odd moments; and patience is required to gain, little by little, an understanding of rhe truth which it teaches. 111. Reverence In Our Treatment of the Book. In verses four to six we are told that when Ezra stood up to read all the people stood and bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with faces to the ground. There must be no flippancy in handling the Word of God if we would come to a good understanding of its truth. Too often we make the Book , common by our much handling. We must guard against all 111-chosen jokes and riddles which tend to steal away our reverence for the Holy Scriptures. We must approach it with bowed heads and with the worshipful spirit if we would have it speak to us. IV. Intelligent In verses seven and eight we see how their minds were exercised and thought awakened. They began to ask questions and the men appointed to read spoke the word distinctly, gave the sense and caused the people to understand. If we will think as we read and question when we do not understand the Spirit himself will cause us to understand. We should pray that ministers everywhere would read the Word to the people distinctly and give the sense of what is read, and then not stop until by restatement and illustration and by all means they have caused the people to understand. V. Sorrow Because of Conviction. In verses nine to eleven we see how with their openness of mind they gave conscience a chance to do its work. They became convicted and a Godly sorrow sprang up. They felt God had a right to condemn them and they were exercised in conscience. ..We read the Word of God in vain if we do not allow It to point out our evil and its consciences. But when we do so allow it we come to the next step.

VI. Faith In Its Promises. In verse twelve we are told that when the rulers told them-of the truth and how they could rejoice because of what God had done even in spite of their sin,'they believed the Word and put away the sorrow. When we read of how the Lord has forever blotted out our sin and covered it with his own blood we are to believe the Word and rejoice, in spite of our sin, that God has put it away to be' remembered no more against us forever. VII. Obedience to What Is Learned. The faith is proven by the degree of obedience which we render to the light we receive. Indeed obedience is after all the only proof that we do know the Bible. The eagerness, patience, reverence, intelligent listening, sorrow and faith will all be useless without the obedience to what is taught James says faith without works is dead-—it never was alive. Fulfilling these seven conditions will bring us to tiie place where the Holy Spirit himself will delight to be out daily teacher revealing the things oi Christ to our hearts and giving us that joy of the Lord which win be a towel of strength in all the trying experiences of life. A signboard stands at a crossing where two roads meet. Children spell out the words for amusement, young people read it from curiosity, the old pass by too hurried to notice It An old man comes and tries to read. He Is a real traveler and we are readyin help him find the right way. So the Holy Spirit gives the truth only to the one who is ready to travel the right