Know the Book

Years ago, I wrote a Bible commentary that was a single volume and it was entitled, Know the Book. After it was published, it was painstakingly translated by a missionary to Africa into Swahili. And my publisher then reprinted it in Swahili and 4,000 copies were drop shipped into the heart of the Congo.

I wrote that book so Christians could have a Bible survey at a glance where I broke down every book of the Bible into a central message, a central verse, and a central application. I saw the need for such a book after playing around a golf with two pastors years ago who were more concerned about lowering their golf handicap than they were teaching their congregations about the deep truths of God. After that day, I determined to take the time to spend more of my own time in the study of Scripture and in a pursuit of God rather than in pursuing a little white ball that usually ended up in a lake or in the woods.

I believe if more pastors today would turn from their entertainments, turn from their ballgames and favorite TV shows and turn from the world and rather turn to the Word of God and immerse themselves in it as they would spend their time better and become better pastors. In Psalm 119, 162 we read, I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. I remember Stephen Alford sharing a story with me about his days growing up as a youth in the African bush as his parents were missionaries to Africa.

Dr. Alford shared with me that he learned to distinguish between the different roars of the lions which he heard come forth in the jungle. He said the female lions had a specific roar as they hunted prey and went in for the kill as it was the female lion's job to go out to gather meat for the male lions. Then Dr. Alford related that the male lion had a very distinguishable roar when the females brought the fresh kill to him and dropped it before him as he looked at it and salivated over it.

It was a startling roar as if he was saying with delight, you're mine, you're mine. And then Stephen Alford taught me to appreciate and approach the Word of God like that with the relish and delight as the psalmist declares, I rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. Well, friends, we don't have much time left in life to waste it on nonsense and the things of this world, and I would exhort every one of us to spend more time in God's written word.

I will leave us with a little outline on a few books of the Old Testament. With the hope it will whet the appetite to read more of the rich treasure of God's inerrant word. Genesis is a book of beginnings.

Exodus is a book of delivering. Leviticus is a book of holy living. Numbers is a book of wandering.

Deuteronomy is a book of remembering. Joshua is a book of capturing. Judges is a book of ruling.

Ruth is a book of redeeming. First Samuel is a book of reigning. Second Samuel is a book of failing.

First Kings is a book of fleeing. Second Kings is a book of fighting. First Chronicles is a book of recordings.

Second Chronicles is a book of reviving. Ezra is a book of returning. Nehemiah is a book of rebuilding.

Esther is a book of sovereignty. Job is a book of suffering. Psalms is a book of praising.

Proverbs is a book of sayings. And I hope, friends, that we spend more time in that wonderful book called the Bible.