How Many Times Have YOU Read The Bible?
In Bible College
The question asked of all the
students in class and they answered by a show of hands.
How many of you read the Bible
1 time? Many raised their hands. I did not. To that he replied read the Bible again.
Again, asking the same
question. How many of you read the Bible 2 times? Less raised their hands. To that
he replied read the Bible again.
Then again, asking the same
question. How many of you read the Bible 3 times? Fewer raised their hands. To
that he replied read the Bible again.
He kept raising the bar of how
many times the students in class read the Bible until there was no show of hands.
He concluded with you should read the Bible again.
Studying the Bible is a
lifelong commitment. If you prove faithful God will reveal to you the understanding
of Scriptures that you have read over and over again. It might be years later until
you are ready to receive understanding. Oh what joy when that happens! It
proves to me God is real and God rewards those that diligently seek him and to
15 Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15 (KJV) Tat takes time and effort.
I have been studying Psalms
150 trying to understand verse 6 in context since the 80s. It has been a
conundrum to me until in Church the other Sunday this man took over Church
praising God with his instrument. He had a Spirit provoked solo.
I immediately thought this is
Psalms 150 and proclaimed it vocally! Verse 6 was my verse of puzzlement. This might
sound funny to some of you but I could not reconcile the fact the instruments
don’t have breath.
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary:
praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his
mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise
him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise
him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and
organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the
high sounding cymbals.
6 Let
every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
Psalms 150:1-6 (KJV)
This
particular Sunday it dawned on me that people have to bring their instruments
to life to Praise the Lord. Instruments can’t do that on their on normally. It
takes a breathing human being and people have breath! Here is what God finally
revealed to me after over 20 years of studying this verse and chapter.
6 Let
every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
People who play instruments the
have breath
verse 6 is talking about their instruments do not. Musicians Praise the Lord
with their instruments as an extension of themselves or substitute to being
vocal!
Wow! It took over 20 years for
me to understand that verse in the context of Psalm 150 in its entirety. Now my
understanding is clear. Misunderstanding one verse can clutter understanding.
Of course in the Church van ride home I gave testimony still relying on
Scripture:
