“I read the Bible, but I don’t understand it.”
Have you ever said those words? I know I have—I would read passages like the one from Proverbs 25:2 (above); that ‘God glories to conceal matters, ’ and come away puzzled—why on earth would my Father do such a thing? Then it struck me: possessions that are easily gained are easily lost, but in contrast, things which are attained through diligence are treasured assets; the glory of a king! God’s glory, as it turns outs, is to etch His Word upon our hearts as we diligently seek Him.
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And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth (and) Seth …begot Enosh (and) Enosh…begot Cainan (and) Cainan…begot Mahalalel (and) Mahalalel…begot Jared (and) Jared…begot Enoch (and) Enoch…begot Methuselah (and) Methuselah…begot Lamech (and) Lamech…had a son (and) he called his name Noah. Genesis 5 (various verses 3 – 28)
Come to God’s Word with consistency, hopeful and expectant hidden things will be exposed, praying as you read, and through a heart bent towards compliancy. In God’s perfect timing there will come the ‘Ah ha’ moment, and when it ‘clicks’ we then own it; it has been permanently stamped upon our hearts.
Consider the seemingly boring and tedious genealogy of Adam in Genesis 5. Although we don’t give it as much credence as we used to, it is still common knowledge that most names have precise meanings (the name ‘David’ for example means ‘beloved’). Reflect upon the meanings of these names for a moment:
Adam: man
Seth: appointed
Enosh: subject to death
Cainan: sorrowful
Mahalalel: from the presence of God
Jared: one comes down
Enoch: dedicated
Methuselah: dying He will send
Lamech: to the poor and lowly
Noah: rest and/or comfort
At first glance there is not a whole lot there, but connect the names and suddenly there emerges an Old Testament signpost pointing us to Jesus Christ. This sure sounds like the Gospel to me…
“Man, appointed, subject to death, sorrowful, from the presence of God, One comes down, dedicated, dying He shall send, to the poor and lowly, rest and comfort.”
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26
Likely not the best source of biblical axioms, but regardless the lottery commission got it right when they coined, ‘You have to be in it to win it.’ While it is true we can hungrily go into our prayer closets and pray for food, the likelihood that God will slide a pizza under the door is quite slim—be an active participant in your personal faith journey.
He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 