Warren W. Wiersbe - Delights and Disciplines of Bible Study

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DELIGHTS AND DISCIPLINES OF BIBLE STUDY

Published by David C Cook

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David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

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All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV. Copyright 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION and NIV are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain.)

The author has added italics to Scripture quotations for emphasis.

LCCN 2017942196

ISBN 978-1-4347-1056-7

eISBN 978-0-8307-7211-7

2018 Warren W. Wiersbe

The Team: Matt Lockhart, Lindsay Black, Keith Jones, Amy Konyndyk, Stephanie Bennett, Susan Murdock

Cover Design: James Hershberger

Cover Photo: Getty Images

First Edition 2018

The purpose of this book is to help you find enlightenment and enjoyment as you study the Word of God. Dont think of these chapters as a lecture series. Please see them as conversations between you and me about growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). Ill offer some ideas about many passages in the Bible, and your job is to take those ideas and run with them. Weigh what I say with the Scriptures, and use what I say as a beginning of your own exploration of the Bible.

You should know that this book is about the practical use of hermeneutics, a word adapted from a Greek word meaning skilled in interpretation. Whether we are reading Shakespeare, the daily newspaper, or the Bible, we must follow recognized principles of interpretation or we will misunderstand what we are studying. Every believer needs to know how to interpret the Bible accurately and to apply its truths practically in daily life.

Let me assure you that I have written this book for sheep and lambs and not for giraffes! You shouldnt have to stretch too high to grasp what you want. H. A. Ironside, one of my pastoral predecessors at the Moody Church in Chicago, used to say, I try to put the cookies on the lowest shelf so that everybody can reach them. Believe me, he didnt just tryhe succeeded! His expositions of the Scriptures still reach the minds and hearts of serious Bible students.

As you read this book, please have your Bible at hand so you can look up and read the verses that are cited but not quoted. The goal of hermeneutics is to help serious Bible students interpret the Scriptures accurately so they can apply divine truth practically and detect false teachings. We must be determined, with Gods help, to become like the person described in Psalm 1:2 whose delight is in the law of the L ORD , and in His law he meditates day and night. Or like Ezra the scribe who prepared his heart to seek the law of the L ORD , and to do it, and to teach statues and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10). (See also Ps. 119:97104.)

The material shared in this book is written for any Christian who wants to go deeper in personal Bible study as well as for those who study the Bible while preparing to teach individuals or classes or to preach to congregations. A better understanding of the Bible will enrich your life in many ways, so go for it! Bible study should be an adventure and not an affliction. If it is a burden, something is wrong in the heart. I hope this book will help you develop a sense of the excitement of studying the Bible.

One more thing: if you have never memorized the books of the Bible in sequence, please do so. One of the marks of serious Bible students is their ability to find the texts they are seeking. You wont need to buy cumbersome page markers or keep consulting the table of contents. If you really want to be a successful Bible student, take the time to learn the books of the Bible.

May the Lord bless all of us as we seek to understand His precious Word! May the holy Word of God humble us, encourage us, and enable us to serve the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit!

Warren W. Wiersbe

Since there are so many good books to read these days, both classical and contemporary, why should we take the time to read and study an ancient book like the Bible? A bestseller for years, it has been translated into many languages and is available in a variety of editions, but it is still an ancient book about ancient peoples that was written in three ancient languagesHebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Many people respect the Bible but dont read it, and many who do read it dont always understand it. Further, those who do understand it dont always obey it as they should.

Why should we study the Bible? We know that God commands us to study His Word (2 Tim. 2:15), and we know we must obey that command, but there are other reasons. Ive listed several of them below, but note this is not an exhaustive list and that these are not noted in order of importance.

Lets look at some of the word pictures that describe the Bible in the Bible. The Bible is compared to gold and honey. The fear of the L ORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the L ORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb (Ps. 19:910; see also Ps. 119:103). The Lord said to the prophet Jeremiah, Is not My word like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jer. 23:29).

The Bible is like a lamp: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Ps. 119:105; and see also v. 130 and 2 Pet. 1:19). The Bible is like food for the inner person. It is milk (1 Cor. 3:13; Heb. 5:1113; 1 Pet. 2:2), solid food (Heb. 5:1114), bread (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3), and honey (Ps. 19:910).

Gods Word is also a mirror (James 1:2325). This is a very important metaphor that I will say more about later. In His parable of the sower, Jesus compared the Word to seed (Matt. 13:19, 1833). Paul wrote about the cleansing power of the water by the word (Eph. 5:2526), a metaphor Jesus also used in the upper room (John 13:10; 15:3). Keep in mind that water for washing represents the Word of God, while water for drinking represents the Spirit of God (John 7:3738). The Word of God is also a sword (Eph. 6:17 and Heb. 4:12). In fact, when the people heard Peter preach at Pentecost, they were cut to the heart by the Word of God (Acts 2:37).