The Word in the Word

With thanks to David Jeremiah we extend our contemplation of the Bible. It is his daily devotional for Friday, October 19. And David made a comment that I did not know, but suspected. (This will be a composite consideration, using his devotional interspersed with my thoughts and his comments on his radio program, “Turning Point.” The devotional will be in gold.)

As noted before, (http://reflectionsfromjim.blogspot.com/2018/10/repetition-isaiah-2220.html) the New Testament reprises or reaffirms the Old Testament. David Jeremiah documents the extent of this repetition or reaffirmation, as a friend corrected me.
There are around one thousand quotes, references, and allusions to the Old Testament in the New Testament. When New Testament writers wrote their Gospels and letters, they might have had Old Testament scrolls with which to check their quotations and references.

But more important than the number of statements and phrases repeated, is the manner in which the New Testament speakers and author quoted them. They didn’t have their Concordances or Bible Gateway apps available.
But what about when Jesus and the apostles quoted the Old Testament “on the fly”—during the course of their ministry? In those cases they were quoting from memory, not from a scroll. They took the Old Covenant admonition seriously to know God’s Word by heart. Psalm 119:11
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.
Such was the case when Jesus responded to Satan’s three temptations in the wilderness—He quoted three verses from Deuteronomy from memory (Matthew 4:1-11). If we are going to defeat Satan’s lies and temptations with the truth of God, we must store up the Word of God in our heart like the psalmist—“that [we] might not sin against [God]."

Notice the source of Jesus’ quotations. How many times have you read Deuteronomy? Jesus had not only read it, He had memorized it. David further suggested that, as we read Psalm 1:1-3. I will “BibleGateway” it for you. (That is a mimicking of “Google it.”)
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Delight in the Law. I wrote an article recently about the times (over 30 I believe) that Psalm 119 talks about loving God’s law. That is Leviticus. ((I will post that online shortly.)) Watch for it in your choice of receiving this message. So David and Jesus loved the law. And why not? Jesus used it with great success in defeating Satan.

The mechanism we use to delight in God’s law is meditation. And to meditate, we need to first memorize the Word. Read, memorize, meditate, and finally delight. That is the path we follow to verse 3. To be like a tree planted by water, and to enjoy success in that we do. RMMD is a good prescription for mental and spiritual health.

Thought: if Jesus felt it necessary to quote Scripture to counter the force of Satan’s attack temptations, wouldn’t that indicate that you and I might consider such protection as well? David Jeremiah agreed.
While in the midst of temptation is not the time to begin your search for Scriptures. Begin today to be prepared—to commit God’s Word to memory. (Psalm 119:11 is a good place to begin.)

The Old Testament traces the godly line from Adam, through Seth, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and from there, to Judah. A professor of mine once said that there is a crimson thread running  through the Old Testament to the New, right up to Calvary. A wise student will find and follow it. David Jeremiah quoted John Owen as a final thought.
Meditate on the word in the Word.

And, of course we can’t forget Adrian Rogers. He said the Scripture is the best commentary on the Bible. It is like gold in a mountain. We may have to dig a little to get it, but it is worth the effort. Only this analogy collapses, because we are not going through detritus. We are going through other undiscovered and unrecognized valuables.

“Read the Bible. It is great for the soul.” Alexander Scourby

Happy digging.