“You have carefully hidden these things from wise and intellectual ones, and have revealed them to little children.” (Luke 10:21). These words that Jesus addressed to his heavenly father indicates that to understand the Bible, you must have the right attitude.

To read the book one needs to be humble, but humility does not come easily to most of you because you have inherited tendency to be proud. You live in a world where people are “lovers of themselves… headstrong and puffed up with pride” (2 timothy 3:1-4). These are attitudes that work against your ability to understand g-d’s word.

Regrettably, men to some degree are all influenced by their surroundings. How then, can you acquire the attitude to understand the Bible?

Ezra, an ancient leader of g-d’s people “prepared his heart to consult the law” (Ezra 7:10). Those among you who have read the other articles will recognize the mirror image of a good heart 17. I spoke of how to prepare your heart, but I give you another one. You can begin by adopting a proper view of the scriptures.

The apostle Paul wrote: “when you received g-d’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the words of man, but just as it truly is, as the words of g-d.”

Recognition of that vital fact will make you more receptive to what you hear or read. “Make me understand, that I may observe the law and that I may keep it with the whole of my heart.” (psalm 119:34) Loyalty to g-d before anything else.

Accepting the truth may come at a price even ad odds with friends ,neighbours, workmates, and even your parents. Nevertheless a wise man said: “buy truth itself and do not sell it.”

Yet another obstacle to comprehending the message is the unwillingness to apply to what is said. Jesus told his disciples: “to you it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of the heavens, but to those people it is not granted. For the heart of those people has grown unreceptive, and with their ears they have heard without response.” Most of to whom he preached were unwilling to change. How unlike the travelling merchant spoken of in an illustration! Upon finding a pearl of high value, the merchant promptly sold all the things, he had to buy it. Understanding the bible, truth should be equally precious to you.

I will continue with more obstacles to having the right attitude to g-d’s word and the truth.

14-05-2006

Moshiya van den Broek