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ArthurRosh
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Joined: 2011/9/26
Posts: 940


 Writing out Scripture

Writing out Scripture

By Scott Gilchrist 2004

“O how I love Thy law!
It is my meditation all the day.”

Last Friday as I put down my pencil at the conclusion of copying out Psalm 150, I found myself rejoicing in God’s Word once more. It was a memorable day for me because it marked the conclusion of copying out the Bible. I had purposefully saved Psalm 150 for my concluding page, because it seems such a fitting closure to the book of worship and this project of copying out the Scripture has definitely been a labor of love and worship.

Thirty some years ago, as a young college student, I was just beginning to discover the joys of serious Bible study. I had given myself to repeated readings of the book of Romans and it was yielding up such exciting truth from God that I was almost overwhelmed. I was so excited about first-hand personal interaction with Romans that I decided to copy it out by hand. As I did so I learned so much, saw things I hadn’t seen before, understood connections between verses and just generally found it a very helpful and beneficial exercise.

After that experience, I tended to make copying out Scripture a part of my devotional habit. When I took up another book of the Bible, I would, after reading it many times, make a handwritten copy. This somewhat mechanical discipline would slow me down and give me time to mull over and meditate upon what God was saying.

Sometime after experiencing the benefit of this simple exercise, I read in Deuteronomy where God had actually prescribed this method of interaction with His word for the kings of Israel. I was pleasantly surprised to read that, “When he sits on the throne of His kingdom, he shall write for himself a copy of this law on a scroll” (Deuteronomy 17:18). God went on to explain some of the benefits of this that included:

-- Learning to fear the Lord
-- Becoming more careful to obey the Lord
-- Being protected from pride
-- Keeping one from wandering away from the Lord, “turning
aside... to the right or the left.”

Reading this in God’s Word (Deuteronomy 17:18-20) not only confirmed the value of this exercise that I had already been enjoying, but it also motivated me to perhaps someday complete the entire New Testament. Years later I did just that. I started over and used a consistent format and tried to keep my copy neat enough to be readable.

When I completed the New Testament, I was motivated to begin the Old. I began in Genesis 1 and about five years later, one week ago, finished with great joy in my heart as I penned the concluding words to that last psalm.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

I can only say amen! The joy in my heart was born, not so much from finishing the project, but because of the joy, the personal joy, in the process. In fact, a certain melancholy came over me as the project drew to a close. I was sad that it was over! But that morning I was reminded that I still have plenty of paper and there is nothing to stop me from continuing to copy portions or all of the Holy Scriptures in the future.

That morning I turned to the nineteenth psalm and spent the remainder of my devotional time praising the Lord for the perfection, beauty, and value of His word. Indeed, “The Law of the Lord is perfect,” and it does “restore the soul.”

God has given us a gold mine in the Holy Scripture. He promises great blessings to His children who abide in it. In fact, there is no habit more central to experiencing God’s blessing and personally getting to know Him than spending time on a regular and consistent basis in His Word. If you have never tried hand copying His Word, why not give it a try? You may find, as I have, that it is a very valuable way to “meditate day and night” and “delight in the Law of the Lord.”

 2013/2/24 22:27Profile
Aprlshws
Member



Joined: 2010/3/25
Posts: 23


 Re: Writing out Scripture

Never thought of this, what great benefits he experienced.

 2013/2/25 2:28Profile
ZekeO
Member



Joined: 2004/7/4
Posts: 1014
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

 Re: Writing out Scripture

Very Good,

time invested that will have long lasting benefits.


_________________
Zeke Oosthuis

 2013/2/25 4:21Profile





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