This is the sixth lesson in Mel Lawrenz’ new “How to Study the Bible” series. If you know someone or a group who would like to follow along on this journey through Scripture, they can get more info and sign up to receive these essays via email here.
They spent months in the inhospitable sands of Egypt searching, looking for clues, digging in the sand, watching for concealed chambers. One day, down a 30-foot passageway, Howard Carter and a few workmen discovered a door, and when they had cut a small hole, he was able to peer in and see “wonderful things.” It turned out to be the famous tomb of King Tut. Breaking into the chamber, they discovered elaborate vases, couches, statues, jewelry, chariots, a beautiful ostrich feather fan that stood in perfect condition, and, of course, the famous solid gold coffin of Tutankhamen.
Howard Carter grew up in the late 1800’s in England, a weak and sickly boy who possessed a powerful sense of curiosity. That is what drove him years later to the sands of Egypt.
Treasure is discovered not by casual people, but by explorers who are driven by the belief that there is untouched treasure, and that it is worth enormous work to find it. So it is with Bible study. The people who find the treasures of God’s word are those who are driven by faith and curiosity, and are committed to doing the work.
Browsing casually through the Bible will not yield its deepest treasure, not just because of a lack of commitment, but because Bible study is the study of God. We are not longing to know God if we are giving casual glances his way.
Neither does this work: always and only going to the Bible to find solutions to our problems. It does not work in marriage when husband or wife sees the other only as a solution to life’s problems. Marriage is to be an ever-deepening knowledge of each other. And so God invites us to listen to his word, to explore its depths and find its treasures, not just as an answer book, but as a deep and personal conversation.
Really good journalists are driven by curiosity about their subjects, not about how they will be viewed by the public. Scientists have integrity when they examine the evidence, no matter where it takes them. The person you call your best friend is probably someone who is genuinely interested in you, not just what you can do for him or her.
Some people are naturally curious. They connect with people easily because they are interested in others, which shows respect to them. They read about a wide range of subjects. They open the Bible like an archaeologist digging in the sand.
Most people have to choose to be curious. This is not too difficult. In Bible study it is about faith, the choice to believe that there is gold there, and to want to dig it out. It is about respecting God, and thus respecting his word. Jesus said the person whose heart is like the the soil on the path, or the shallow soil, will never see the fruit of God’s truth. But receiving God’s word deeply into our minds and hearts is where the the work of God begins.
Here are some practical steps to make sure we are approaching the Bible with the commitment of curiosity.
1. Do not rush reading and studying Scripture. Better to spend more time on smaller passages than to look only for the big obvious points. There is a time for reading through the Bible quickly (I love the 90-day Bible reading plans), but that must be matched by reading and studying slowly.
2. Pretend like you have never read it before. Bible comprehension is cumulative over a lifetime, but it is good to apply a fresh eye every time we look at a passage, otherwise our eye will only be attracted to what we’ve seen and underlined before.
3. Understand your level of expertise. If you’re not an archaeologist, you cannot pretend to be one. If you have not spent years studying Hebrew or Greek you cannot reach conclusions on your own about matters of lexicography or grammar. If you are not a botanist or a geologist or a medical researcher, you are dependent on the knowledge we get from those who are. This is why really good reference works like Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias and commentaries are crucial in Bible study. And we must avoid the temptation to only quote those experts whose conclusions we prefer for one reason or another. We must look for good authority on these matters. (Much more about this later.)
4. On the other hand, have the confidence that your respectful and curiosity-driven study of Scripture is at the heart of good Bible comprehension. Yes, we need experts on detailed matters of history and language and culture, but the main meaning of the biblical text is what we get by good old-fashioned curious study and inductive thought. Anyone can do that.
We are all able to peek inside and see “wonderful things.”
Mel Lawrenz trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin, for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large. He has a Ph.D. in the history of Christian thought and is on the adjunct faculty of Trinity International University. Mel is the author of 18 books, the latest, How to Understand the Bible—A Simple Guide and Spiritual Influence: the Hidden Power Behind Leadership (Zondervan, 2012). See more of Mel’s writing at WordWay.