The forum speaker for the day, Mr. Jonathan Bueno, spoke on the topic of maintaining focus in a world of distraction. Mr. Bueno explained that this distracted state is a way of life for many in our world, but a young person in God’s church cannot afford to lose focus on their purpose. The speaker outlined three categories of purpose in a Christian’s life: daily tasks, life goals, and the ultimate goal of being in the kingdom of God. So how can we combat our propensity to be, as “distracted” literally means, dragged away from our purpose?
Two major distractions that draw people away from their goals are technology and entertainment. The average American household watches 8 hours of TV per day and iPhones are constantly in hand, grabbing attention with catchy alerts. Mr. Bueno calls these and other similar activities non-essential pursuits. He reminded us that the time spent on these non-essentials adds up. By spending our time in that way we willingly risk becoming, quite literally, chemically “hooked” on our distractions. Mr. Bueno quoted Deuteronomy 5:32, “… you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.” God wants His people to maintain their focus on the important things. Mr. Bueno used the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 to emphasize the danger that distractions pose to the young in the faith. The “thorns” of our day can easily choke out our understanding, simply by overwhelming us with notifications and endless choices.
Mr. Bueno encouraged us to put God first, to be purpose driven, and to evaluate the distractions we allow into our lives by the word of God. We must not be drawn away from our purpose. Distractions kill, but “focus will bring us to the finish line.”
This post is part of our new series of student-written content for LivingEd-Charlotte. These summaries cover topics originally presented by our faculty and guest speakers in our weekly Forum and Assembly. For more Assembly-related content check out our Second Thoughts posts.
Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty of Theology, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time: 7 min., 34 sec.
Did you know that when you read the Bible with due respect and attention you will experience a sense of awe about this supernatural book?
We ended the last Digging Deeper with a verse admonishing us to love God’s word. Along with love will come a sense of awe. Many today treat the Bible like any other book. Some critics consider it merely a work of men framed by the evolution of religion. Some do not even treat their printed copy with due respect, instead, using it in a stack of books to raise something on one’s desk, or as a doorstop. Others cast it about recklessly, even laying it on the floor.
By contrast, others would not even think of doing such a thing due to their awe for the word of God. The verse we will study in this Digging Deeper may be part of the reason for such devout respect. This will be the last article of our recent trilogy including “The Book Unlike Any Other” and “Every Word of God is Pure.”
The heart that stands in awe
Our focus will be on this verse: “Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word” (Psalm 119:161 KJV).
In the history of Bible printing through the centuries, humorous mistakes have occurred that were later recognized and corrected. This is one of them. “Princes” was mistakenly printed as “Printers” giving us the “Printers Bible.”
Mark Cambron, in his Mastering the Bible, lists others that have raised an eyebrow through the years: “We have the ‘Adulterous Bible’, where in the seventh commandment, the word ‘not’ is omitted…The word ‘murderers’ was printed for ‘murmurers’, causing us to have the ‘Murderers Bible’…In Luke 14:26 we have the word ‘wife’ used instead of ‘life’, thus we have the ‘Wife-Hater Bible’…There are these mistakes in printing. No one can blame God for that. God says what He means, and means what He says” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22).
Our focus text records a bold statement from a true worshiper who has been persecuted for no good reason. Perhaps his tormentors attempted to pressure him to go contrary to God’s word. Instead, he stood firm because of his awe for what God has said. He could have given in to political pressure and threats to submit to the princes instead of to the word of the Almighty.
Long before the New Testament was composed, this person understood the principle of Acts 5:29: “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible elaborates this verse: “We ought to obey God rather than men, and to make sure of God’s favour, though we throw ourselves under the frowns of all the world, Luke 12:4, Luke 12:5. The heart that stands in awe of God’s word is armed against the temptations that arise from persecution” (e-Sword 12.1).
This verse from the Book of Psalms was quoted by Jesus to explain the vitriol He experienced from some of the Jewish rulers during His trials. Notice John 15:25 (KJV) “But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.” This verse was one of scores of Old Testament Messianic prophecies that were fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming. Many were fulfilled during His last week before His death and resurrection including several on the day of His death. Many others await fulfillment at His Second Coming.
The meaning of “awe”
To stand in awe is defined by Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 as “to fear greatly; to reverence profoundly” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22). It also defines it as “reverential fear, or solemn wonder; profound reverence.” The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary explains this healthy respect: “Not slavish, but reverential fear. It was accompanied with faith and hope (Psalm 119:120; Psalm 119:147), such as Josiah felt, his ‘heart being tender, so that he humbled himself before the Lord,’ when the words of God’s book of promises and threatenings were read to him (2 Kings 22:10-11; 2 Kings 22:19). He who fears God’s Word need not fear the word of man (Isaiah 8:12-13; Matthew 10:28; 1 Peter 3:14-15; Luke 12:5).”
The Pulpit Commentary edited by Joseph S. Exell and Henry Donald Maurice Spence-Jones characterizes this awe:
Here we have THE TRUE DREAD [AWE]. (Ver. 161) 1. Not the displeasure or the opposition of man; though this may be incurred without cause, and we may feel that the suspicion, or the ill feeling, or the attack is altogether wanton and unprovoked. 2. But the displeasure of God. Undisturbed by human ill will or intrigue, we ‘stand in awe’ of Divine disapproval; we shrink from thinking the thought, cherishing the feeling, taking the course, which Christ would condemn; we are afraid of leaving undone or unattempted that to which he is calling us with his sovereign voice. (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22)
The word awe appears three times in our King James Version of the Bible. The two other references are below. Notice that the entire earth is admonished to stand in awe of God’s word. Doing so will keep us from sinning.
Psalm 4:4
Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
Psalm 33:8
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
A tool to overcome sin
The way to combat and overcome sin is to stand in awe of and meditate upon the word of God. It reveals to us the way of blessing and hope for a better world. Our present world is corrupted by sin. By and large, it does not stand in awe of God’s word. At times, its rulers try to force citizens to yield to their sinful demands. Our key verse reveals one such person who would not buckle. This is a lesson for all of us as we face increasingly dangerous conditions in these very end times.
The book Handfuls On Purpose, Vol. 7 by James Smith and Robert Lee gives this commentary on our key verse: “Stop, before you go any further in sinful unbelief, and consider where, and what you are. Stand in awe at the thought of disobeying God’s Word (Psalm 119:161). Stand in awe at the thought of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). Stand in awe at the thought of opportunities lost, the uncertainty of life, and the certainty of judgment. Stand in awe as you think of the infinite love and mercy of God towards sinners, in the sufferings and death of His Son. Stand in awe, lest ye should resist the gracious stirrings of His Holy Spirit and die in your sin” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22).
Psalm 119 provides us much understanding about the different terms for God’s word and what should be our approach to it. Joseph S. Exell’s Biblical Illustrator explains how our primary verse reveals a rare experience as amplified by nearby verses:
Reverence for God’s Word. The meaning of this, perhaps, is, I have a greater dread of violating Thy law than I have of all the persecuting powers of princes or potentates. This is right, this is sublimely noble.
Delight in God’s Word (verse 162).
Loyalty to God’s Word (verse 163).
Gratitude for God’s Word (verse 164). (Homilist.) (e-Sword 12.1)
It must be genuine
Reverence for God’s word will naturally produce delight, loyalty, and gratitude that God has preserved His Holy Bible for us – therefore, do we love it (Psalm 119:140). One of the outstanding cross-references for our focus text is “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isaiah 66:2KJV).
Godly awe moves one to tremble at God’s word. How many are so moved by God’s Holy Bible today that they tremble at it? This feeling cannot be contrived but must be a genuine sense of the seriousness of our charge to serve God and Him alone. Standing in awe of His word will guide us to do just that.
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
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Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time: 7 min., 41 sec.
Did you know that God says every one of His words is pure?
Some question the Bible today, considering it only another one of many religious books that humans have produced over the millennia. They say it may have some truths in it but it also contains much to be discarded as unscientific, antiquated, or irrelevant. Critics and doubters assert that various myths and inaccuracies have crept into it. What is a Christian to make of all of this? Does the Bible attest to its purity? What internal evidence affirms the accuracy and dependability of God’s word? We tackle this fundamental issue in this edition of Digging Deeper.
Our main text is: “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5 KJV). God affirms that every word of His is pure. At this point, we will zoom in on the original word translated here as “pure.” The Hebrew word is tsawraf. This word relates to the smelting of precious metals. It occurs 33 times in the Hebrew Bible and is translated by different words depending on the context. The NET Bible explains its use in this verse: “The text here uses an implied comparison (a figure of speech known as hypocatastasis): It compares the perfection of every word from God with some precious metal that has been refined and purified (e.g., Psalm 12:6). The point is that God’s word is trustworthy; it has no defects and flaws, nothing false or misleading. The second half of the verse explains the significance of this point – it is safe to trust the LORD” (e-Sword 12.1). God’s words have passed through a spiritual furnace to remove all impurities, leaving behind only the purest elements.
The ESV Study Bible elaborates on this verse: “…the implication is that God’s words are a proven foundation for one’s life. The proverb’s emphasis on every ‘word’ (Hb. ’imrah) underscores the truthfulness, trustworthiness, and reliability of the Bible, not just in its overall message but also of every detail. This verse supplies support for the doctrine of the ‘plenary’ (full, complete) inspiration of Scripture, extending even to ‘every word'” (Tecarta Bible App). Ethelbert Bullinger in his Companion Bible informs us that the Hebrew for “word” (imrah) occurs only here in the Book of Proverbs; additionally, the Hebrew word for “God” (Eloah) as a title for God is used only here in Proverbs (e-Sword 12.1). Standing alone in the entire Book of Proverbs, these words stress the importance of this admonition.
Not only are we assured God’s word is refined and purified, but it also asserts that it has been purified numerous times: “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6 KJV). The number seven symbolizes completion, perfection, and frequency. Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible explains its meaning: “The idea here would seem to be that the process was repeated until the silver became entirely pure. The sense is, that the words of the Lord are ‘perfectly pure.’ There is no admixture of falsehood in his statements; there is no deception in his promises; there is no flattery in what he says. This was the ground of confidence on the part of the psalmist – that while men (even those who professed to be good men) so failed that no reliance could be placed on their statements, the most perfect trust could be reposed on all the statements of God” (e-Sword 12.1). As a result, we can fully rely on them as John Gill explains in his Exposition of the Bible: “The Scriptures are the words of God; and they are pure and holy, free from all human mixtures, and from all fraud and deceit; they are the Scriptures of truth. The promises are the words of God, and they are firm and stable, and always to be depended on, and are ever fulfilled, being yea and amen in Christ Jesus” (Ibid.).
Various explanations have been offered through the years about these seven stages of purification. The Common Man’s Reference Bible has one such explanation: “The earthly purification process of the words of God involved seven languages: Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Old Syriac, Old Latin, Old German, and the King’s English”. Other authors have suggested seven historic stages of the English Bible leading to the King James Version. Whichever it was, we can be sure God has safely guarded His word through the centuries. Let’s notice these cross-references, “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him” (2 Samuel 22:31 KJV). Not only is it tried (tested, proven), it is also settled: “Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89 KJV). We do not have to be concerned about whether the Bible contains all that God intended us to have. Additionally, notice that “Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever” (Psalm 119:160 KJV). Some of the greatest attacks today are leveled against the first 11 chapters of Genesis. This verse tells us that everything in it, starting with Genesis, is trustworthy.
Not only are we assured God has purified his word, but notice this promise: “Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psalm 12:7 KJV). Timothy Morton in his book Which Translation Should You Trust? provides this conclusion: “That God has promised to preserve His word should be obvious to the most casual reader of the Bible. He not only loved man enough to give him His word in the first place, but He also promised to keep it pure, somewhere, for every generation” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22). Not only did God originally inspire the very words of Scripture but then He preserved this word through the millennia so that we have a trustworthy Holy Book today even though we depend on translations. The very Bibles we hold and read are God’s witness to us. We stake our eternal lives on this Book. Do you know where that preserved word is? Have you demonstrated to your satisfaction that the Holy Bible is His word? If you haven’t already done so, you need to do the work to settle this in your mind once and for all.
Bible scholars and commentators through the centuries have realized their limitations in attempting to expound the pure word of God. We can admire their devotion and diligent effort working many years to provide Bible study resources. They share with us many things that the average Bible reader might miss. We learn from them as did the Ethiopian Eunuch from Philip. Nonetheless, those who have studied it over many years recognize that there is so much more they cannot fully fathom. There are limitless levels of understanding of the richness of Scripture. Notice this comment from Joseph Benson in his Commentary on the Old and New Testaments: “You must not expect the full knowledge of divine mysteries from me, nor from any man, but from the word of God, which is a certain rule, both for your faith and practice, because every part of it is holy, and true, and good, and there is not the least mixture of falsehood or folly in it, as there is in all the words and writings of men” (e-Sword 12.1).
Purifying God’s word seven times has produced a perfect witness. Notice: “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7 KJV). Lest we should be tempted to think that His word may have disappeared, notice: “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8 KJV). Verses like those we have read should assure us that we can depend on this Book and live by every word of God (Matthew 4:4). Notice these words from our Savior: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35 KJV). We need to know where these words are. Once we do, we are thus admonished: “Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140 KJV).
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
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We asked students the question “Why do you pray?” in our course Tools for Christian Growth: Prayer. Here are the a few of their reasons:
“To keep my mind on the things of God: praising, praying, and thanking Him throughout the day (Col. 3:1-4; I Thess. 5:16-18). These passages and a few others help me to have a good mindset and attitude throughout the day.” –SK
“I pray 3 times a day and I used to wonder if prayer worked. Then one day it dawned on me that my life was changing for the better. All the things, well most, had happened already. It just proved to me that God is listening and in His time, not mine, He answered my prayers. I feel Father is working in my life day by day. I am a much better person today than I was a few years ago, and I feel God is working on preparing me for His family.” –CVB
“We are in great times of stress and pain, yet the promises of God’s intervention of peace are clearly in His Bible and are stated over and over. Christ is returning and He has shown His saints those who know Him the clear picture we will be a part of a great work/Government coming to this earth…
– A.S.W.
“We are in great times of stress and pain, yet the promises of God’s intervention of peace are clearly in His Bible and are stated over and over. Christ is returning and He has shown His saints those who know Him the clear picture we will be a part of a great work/Government coming to this earth.
How do we know someone? We call them, we talk, we share our experiences, our dreams and pain. Christ commissioned men to pass on His thoughts to those who would carry on this end time work. Now He has asked us to share our thoughts and plans with Him. To be in His family. So many don’t have a good example of a good Father figure. They could have never really known them. Or had an abusive Dad.That can be a stumbling block to some. We are asked to get to know and be in the presence of Our Dear Father through prayer. The God family doesn’t ask much of us. This time on our knees is such a precious tool/gift that He has given us. When we have a bible study and read His words it is easier to carry on the conversation. Put your name in the verses. This is written to us.
There is a time we are looking forward to. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there:They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:3-5 The simple answer of why I pray, is to be in His marvelous Kingdom that He has promised is coming Soon.” –ASW
“One major reason I pray to God is for His divine protection; not only for myself, but for my husband, son and others. Because our world is so violent and there are people who love to take advantage of others, and accidents do happen, I pray and rely on God’s protection. And, He has! (Psalm 91)” –LRM
“Strength to do God’s will when it humanly feels impossible to do – Matthew 17:20” – J. W.
“We pray to God to develop a relationship with Him. God already knows what we need before we ask Him (Matt 6:8). So He wants us to tell Him our needs because that is part of how we build a relationship with Him. He describes Himself as our Father. As most human fathers want a relationship with their children beyond merely transacting physical needs, so God wants a relationship with us. And that relationship provides us with a lot of emotional comfort as well– His special peace is accessible as we seek Him in prayer (Phil 4:6-7).” -SRS
“I pray to draw closer to God for a deeper, more personal relationship with Him because as I do so, He seems more real to me (James 4:8). My daily contact with God through prayer is the most honest relationship in my life because He already knows the thoughts and intents of my heart and my mind, for I am laid bare to Him (Hebrews 4:12-13). There is so much comfort in knowing that nothing can be hidden from Him and so I willingly and gratefully confess and repent of my sins, share my victories and thank Him for all of my many daily blessings.” -JS
Let us know your reasons by visiting our latest course “Tools for Christian Growth: Prayer”
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Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education
Estimated Reading Time:7 min., 44 sec.
Did you know that there is one book in human history that is unlike any other?
Innumerable books have been written through the millennia of humankind’s existence. Solomon commented on this even in his time of the 900s B.C.: “And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end…“(Ecclesiastes 12:12 KJV). It is impossible to imagine how many more books have been written since his time. I remember hearing years ago that another book about the American Civil War is released every day! These volumes describe only one event of U.S. history. Uncountable books have been written on all aspects of human knowledge. However, this Digging Deeper will reveal the book unlike any other.
That incomparable book is the Holy Bible. You may own one or several copies of this volume. To this day, it still is one of the most purchased books every year. What is it about this book that draws people to it, even if they don’t read it? Many think of owning one as a kind of good luck charm. People know there is something special about it, even if they do not know much about what is inside. Look on the spine of your Bible. Commonly, it is called the Holy Bible (at least on older Bibles). What does the word bible mean in common usage? Additionally, why is this particular book called holy? There is good reason why it is thus entitled.
The word bible simply means “book.” In common usage, the word bible is used in titles of handbooks or manuals, such as for hunters or fishermen. However, the word bible in the titles of these books is not preceded by the word holy. We need to explore these two words in greater depth to understand why the Scriptures are called the Holy Bible. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) in its article “The Bible” provides us the derivation of our word bible: “The word ‘Bible’ is the equivalent of the Greek word biblia (diminutive from bı́blos, the inner bark of the papyrus), meaning originally ‘books'” (e-Sword 12.1).
Richard Watson’s Biblical and Theological Dictionary in its article “Bible” explains the origin of our word bible further: “The word Bible comes from the Greek Βιβλος, or Βιβλιον, and is used to denote any book; but is emphatically applied to the book of inspired Scripture, which is ‘the book’ as being superior in excellence to all other books. Βιβλιον again comes from Βιβλος, the Egyptian reed, from which the ancient paper was procured” (Bible Analyzer 5.4.1.22). The word has a humble origin, descending from the papyrus plant that grows in marshy areas. Reeds of this plant were cut, sliced, dried, and pounded at right angles onto another piece of papyrus to make a sheet – a sheet of paper. Our word paper descends from papyrus.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia provides further development of the term: “Jerome’s name for the Bible (4th century) was ‘the Divine Library’ (Bibliotheca Divina). Afterward came an important change from plural to singular meaning. ‘In process of time this name, with many others of Greek origin, passed into the vocabulary of the western church; and in the 13th century, by a happy solecism, the neuter plural came to be regarded as a feminine singular, and ‘’The Books’ became by common consent ‘The Book'(biblia, singular), in which form the word was passed into the languages of modern Europe’ (Westcott, Bible in the Church, 5). Its earliest occurrences in English are in Piers Plowman, Chaucer and Wycliffe” (e-Sword 12.1). This constructive but unusual occurrence seems to have been providential since “The Books” became “The Book!” The ISBE continues: “This word designates the collection of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament recognized and in use in the Christian churches. Different religions (such as the Zoroastrian, Hindu, Buddhist, Mohammedan) have their collections of sacred writings, sometimes spoken of as their ‘Bibles.’ The Jews acknowledge only the Scriptures of the Old Testament. Christians add the writings contained in the New Testament” (Ibid.).
Christians refer to the Sacred Scriptures as the Holy Bible. Let us now focus on the word holy. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary in its article “Holy” provides this second definition in its list: “Hallowed; consecrated or set apart to a sacred use, or to the service or worship of God; a sense frequent in Scripture; as the holy sabbath; holy oil; holy vessels; a holy nation; the holy temple; a holy priesthood” (e-Sword 12.1). Therefore, we may conclude that the Holy Bible is a volume inspired by God as hallowed, consecrated, and set apart for sacred use in the service and worship of Him. In this way, it is The Book unlike any other. When we refer to The Bible we need to capitalize the first b in the word Bible for this reason. This acknowledges the respect people afford to God’s Book. Smith’s Bible Dictionary elaborates on this term, “It is The Book as being superior to all other books. But the application of the word BIBLE to the collected books of the Old and New Testaments is not to be traced farther back than the fifth century of our era” (e-Sword 12.1).
The Holy Bible contains the Old and New Testaments. Smith’s Bible Dictionary defines them this way, “The Bible consists of two great parts, called the Old and New Testaments, separated by an interval of nearly four hundred years. These Testaments are further divided into sixty-six books, thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New. These books are a library in themselves being written in every known form of old literature. Twenty-two of them are historical, five are poetical, eighteen are prophetical, twenty-one are epistolary” (e-Sword 12.1). There are within several different genres of literature, as Smith continues, “They contain logical arguments, poetry, songs and hymns, history, biography, stories, parables, fables [fictitous stories meant to teach a moral lesson], eloquence, law, letters and philosophy” (Ibid.). God inspired each genre in its unique purpose for conveying His message. Smith then describes the over 40 different human authors God inspired: “Among these authors were kings, farmers, mechanics, scientific men, lawyers, generals, fishermen, ministers and priests, a tax-collector, a doctor, some rich, some poor, some city bred, some country born — thus touching all the experiences of men extending over 1500 years” (Ibid.).
Our Holy Bible is God’s story in which He narrates His plan of salvation from creation (Genesis) to new creation (Revelation). Smith’s Bible Dictionary elaborates, “The Holy Bible is the name given to the revelation of God to man contained in sixty-six books or pamphlets, bound together and forming one book and only one, for it has in reality one author and one purpose and plan, and is the development of one scheme of the redemption of man” (e-Sword 12.1). Ancient books were written on long scrolls of papyrus or parchment (animal skins). A change was made centuries ago (that may be attributable to the early Christian church) of binding together several smaller sheets of paper on one common edge. This was called a codex. This enabled preachers a convenient way of transporting the Bible on their long journeys.
This Bible’s story includes the coming of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to provide the necessary substitutionary atonement for human sin. Christians are blessed with four volumes about the life, teachings, and ministry of Jesus. Even then, these four are only a summary of His remarkable life and times. One of the four authors, John, informs us, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen” (John 21:25 KJV). However, these four volumes included in the 66 books of the Holy Bible provide Christians all they need to understand God’s magnificent plan of salvation.
Despite the various genres of literature, the many human authors, the vast separation of time between when these authors composed their books, God’s story contains one overarching theme: the redemption and salvation of those He made in His image. The next time you open your Bible, remind yourself that this is God’s Book and that He is communicating with you unlike in any other book. The Holy Bible is the Book of Books!
Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.
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Dios restauró la Tierra creando el ambiente perfecto para la humanidad. Él creó a un hombre, Adán, para empezar a reproducirse así mismo. Dios hizo a Adán del polvo de la Tierra a Su imagen, y sopló aliento de vida en él. Dios colocó a Adán en el Edén, un hermoso jardín creado solo para él, y le ordenó que mantuviera y cuidara el jardín. Todo árbol hermoso y toda planta con semillas estaban en el Edén. Eso fue un hermoso comienzo para la humanidad. Al contrario de lo que enseñan los evolucionistas, Dios literalmente creó a Adán y a Eva y los colocó en un jardín físico, y de estos dos seres humanos vinieron todas las personas que han existido.
Discusión:
Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que Adán fue el comienzo del plan de Dios para tener una familia.
Pregunte a sus hijos qué trabajo le dio Dios a Adán.
Platíqueles sobre el hermoso jardín y los animales.
Pregunte a sus hijos qué tipo de animal les gustaría tener de mascota si fuera posible. (Use esto como una oportunidad para hablar sobre el maravilloso mundo de mañana).
Platíqueles sobre el vínculo cercano y la relación amorosa que Adán tuvo con Dios.
Memorizar y revisar:
Génesis 1:27 “Y creó Dios al hombre a su imagen, a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó”.
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Dios restauró la Tierra, creando el ambiente perfecto para la humanidad. Dios creó a un hombre, Adán, como el comienzo de Su familia. Dios hizo a Adán del polvo de la Tierra, a Su imagen y sopló la vida en él. Dios colocó a Adán en el Edén, un hermoso jardín, y le dijo que lo cuidara y lo mantuviera. Todo árbol hermoso y toda planta con semillas estaban en el Edén. Fue un hermoso comienzo para la humanidad. Contrario a lo que enseñan los evolucionistas, Dios literalmente creó a Adán y a Eva y los colocó en un jardín físico, y de estos dos seres humanos vinieron todas las personas que hayan vivido alguna vez.
Discusión:
Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que Adán fue el comienzo del plan de Dios para tener una familia.
Pregunte a sus hijos qué trabajo le dio Dios a Adán.
Hable sobre el hermoso jardín y los animales. Pregunte a sus hijos qué tipo de animal les gustaría tener como mascota si fuera posible. (Use esto como una oportunidad para hablar sobre el maravilloso mundo de mañana).
Hable sobre el vínculo cercano y la relación amorosa que Adán tuvo con Dios.
Memorizar y revisar:
Génesis 1:27 “Y creó Dios al hombre a su imagen, a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó”.
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Dios creó al primer hombre, Adán, y luego creó a Eva, su compañera para toda la vida. La familia fue creada por Dios para el bien de la humanidad. Dios estableció la familia humana para reproducirse así mismo por medio de ella (Malaquías 2:15), permitiendo así que la humanidad participe en el plan de Dios de tener muchos hijos e hijas nacidas dentro de Su familia. Como se dijo anteriormente, Dios comenzó con una familia: un hombre y una mujer, Adán y Eva. Todos los seres humanos que alguna vez hayan vivido descienden de Adán y Eva.
Discusión:
Explique a sus hijos qué es una familia. Enfatice que una familia comienza con un hombre y una mujer. Es posible que desee aprovechar esta oportunidad para explicar los roles del padre, madre e hijos en la familia.
Pregunte a sus hijos quién creó la familia y quiénes fueron la primera familia en la Tierra.
Hable sobre el plan de Dios de tener una gran familia con hijos, seres humanos, que se verán como Él es. Diga a sus hijos que Dios quiere que ellos formen parte de Su familia.
Exprese a su hijo que Dios fue padre de Adán y Eva, que Él los amó y les enseñó lo que necesitaban saber para vivir una vida feliz.
Memorizar y revisar:
Génesis 1:27 “Y creó Dios al hombre a su imagen, a imagen de Dios lo creó; varón y hembra los creó”.
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Génesis 1:1 describe a Dios creando todo en el universo visible. Creó todo en un estado armonioso y hermoso. Pero Génesis 1:2 describe la Tierra como un lugar muy hostil e inhabitable. Entonces, ¿qué pasó entre los versículos 1 y 2? Este es un período de tiempo de posiblemente millones de años. Durante este tiempo Lucifer se rebeló contra Dios, y su nombre fue cambiado a Satanás. La destrucción en la Tierra fue el resultado de la guerra de Satanás contra Dios. Cuando Satanás fue derrotado, Dios “limpió” el desastre en los siete días de la re-creación! Luego, Dios rehabilitó la Tierra, volviéndola adecuada para la vida humana. Él restauró la hermosa atmósfera de la Tierra, hizo que apareciera la tierra seca, hizo que crecieran las plantas, creó las aves y los peces y, finalmente, los animales terrestres y los primeros humanos. Entonces, Dios creó el sábado en el séptimo día de la creación descansando en él, y dándole así ejemplo a la humanidad para que haga lo mismo.
Discusión:
Explique que “en el principio Dios creó los cielos y la Tierra” en Génesis 1:1 se refiere a Dios creando el universo físico en un estado de belleza y armonía.
Explique que “crear” en Génesis 1:1 significa literalmente “crear” de la nada.
Ayude a sus hijos a comprender que pudo haber pasado mucho tiempo entre los versículos 1 y 2del Génesis.
Explique que cuando Génesis 1:2 dice que los cielos y la Tierra estaban en un estado dedestrucción y caos, significa que “se volvieron” de esa manera debido a la rebelión de Satanás.
La palabra “era” en Génesis 1: 2 proviene de la palabra hebrea que significa “volverse, llegar a sero llegar a quedar”.
Las palabras “sin forma ni vacío” en Génesis 1:2 provienen de palabras hebreas que significan unestado de confusión o vacío.
Isaías 45:18 dice que Dios no creó la Tierra) en vano; es decir, en un estado de confusión o vacío.
Explique que por la rebelión de Satanás se dañó la superficie de la Tierra, y que Dios la “renovó”(Salmo 104:30) en la “semana de la re-creación” para hacerla habitable para los seres humanos.
Pregunte a sus hijos por qué Dios recreó la superficie de la Tierra. Recuérdeles la importancia dela familia humana para Dios.
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