How do I get into the Bible and how do I read the Bible?

Sincerely,
Starting To Study

Dear Starting To Study,

The key to any kind of worship or Bible study is to make it a regular habit. Daniel had a habit of praying (Dan 6:10). Make a decision to put Bible study into your day first (Matt 6:33) and schedule other things around it. Most people fail to study their Bibles because it isn’t a part of their regular life. Make it a part of your morning routine, your lunch break, or bedtime ritual. Somehow schedule it into your life and make it a habit.

After you do that, it is just a matter of what you want to learn first. Many people read a Psalm a day, a chapter of Proverbs each week, or use a ‘read the Bible in a year program’, or you grab one of those five things you want to look at and read away. Any of these is a perfectly acceptable system. In fact, you can buy Bibles that are organized, so that you read a little of the Old Testament and a little of the New Testament every day. For new Bible students, I often recommend reading the gospel of Matthew or the gospel of John first, so that you become acquainted with Christ’s life; then follow that up with the book of Acts and familiarize yourself with the first century church.

The goal is to study your Bible, not just read it. God tells us to study to show ourselves approved (2 Tim 2:15) and to meditate upon God’s Word (Ps 119:15). You could read through an entire book of the Bible in an hour or so but fail to appreciate any of it. Read your Bible with a notepad beside you and a pen or highlighter in hand. Write down your questions and get them answered. Highlight meaningful verses. If you don’t understand something, don’t move on until you do. It is more important that you understand than that you read a large portion of text. And lastly, enjoy your Bible reading time; you are reading the most influential and meaningful book on the planet!

     It troubles me that God caused an evil spirit to come on King Saul.  I don't know another place in Scripture that says He does this.  Does God do that today?

Sincerely,
God Is Good

Dear God Is Good,

God caused that evil spirit to come upon Saul because Saul had turned away from the Lord (1 Sam 16:14).  Saul had failed to serve the Lord, and God withdrew His blessings from him and rejected Saul as king (1 Sam 16:1).  God didn’t randomly curse Saul; Saul had made choices that earned punishment.  As far as whether God does that today, Rom 1:21 says that God allows the hearts of the wicked to be darkened, and He removes His protection from them. How God does that, we don't know, but He does warn that He punishes the wicked.

     Explain please why in Malachi chapter 4 it refers to the ‘Sun’ of righteousness and not the ‘Son’ of righteousness as the New Testament claims.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Wordy

Dear Wordy,

Mal 4:2 is using poetic and figurative language to describe what life will be like for christians.  “The sun of righteousness will arise with healing in its wings” isn’t meant to be read literally.  The sun doesn’t have anything to do with morality, and the sun also doesn’t have wings.  The language is metaphorical and should be treated just like we use metaphorical language today.  Malachi 4:2 is saying that when Christ comes, His people will be blessed with warmth to the soul like the sun provides warmth to the body; they will be blessed with liberty like wings are to a bird, and they will have the healing that forgiveness brings the soul.

     The other day, I asked myself, “Was a Gentile in Moses’ day able to become one of God’s people?”  I was (for some reason) told the opposite.

Sincerely,
A Change In Mind

Dear A Change In Mind,

People were able to convert to Judaism if they wanted to.  Ex 12:48 specifically says that if a man wanted to participate in the holy offerings of the Jewish nation and eat the Passover, he could be circumcised.  When he did that, he would become “as one born in the land”.  God did allow for people to convert to Judaism.  Probably the most famous convert to Judaism was Ruth.  Ruth was originally from the nation of Moab (Ruth 1:4), but eventually, she converted and chose to serve Jehovah (Ruth 1:16).

Why does 1 kings 7:26 say, “And it was a hand-breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup with flowers of lilies: it contained TWO thousand baths.”

And 2 Chronicles 4:5 says, “And the thickness of it was a hand-breadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup with flowers of lilies, and it received and held THREE thousand baths.”

Why would one say two thousand baths and one say three thousand baths? You wouldn't think it's a contradiction, would you?

Sincerely,
Grasping For Gallons

Dear Grasping For Gallons,

1 Kgs 7:26 and 2 Chr 4:5 are talking about the actual contents of the sea of bronze and the maximum content for the sea of bronze.

1 Kings 7:26 tells us that the molten sea contained 2,000 baths of water while the 2 Chronicles passage tells us that it could receive and hold 3,000 baths.  2 Chr 4:5 adds another word to the passage that is the word you would use for something’s maximum capacity.  Therefore, 1 Kgs 7:26 is simply saying that the sea normally held 2,000 baths of water, and 2 Chr 4:5 tells us that it was capable of holding 3,000 baths – the thing was only filled to two-thirds capacity.  It is like saying my coffee cup holds 16 ounces of coffee, but I only fill it to 10 ounces because that’s all I want to drink.  No contradiction; just two different details about an amazing structure.