Savage Street Church of Christ

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Why You Should Read the Bible All the Days of Your Life 

Deuteronomy 17.18–20

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • January 5, In the year of our Lord, 2014

Prelude: 

1. The Lord knew that Israel would eventually want a king. 
   1. Therefore, through Moses, the Lord delivered guidelines for a king.
   2. Deuteronomy 17.14–20 listed what the Lord required:
      1. Israel could only set up a king whom the Lord chose.
      2. They could only set up an Israelite; no foreigner could be their king.
      3. He could not multiply horses for himself.
      4. Nor could Israel return to Egypt for horses.
      5. He could not multiply wives lest they turn him away from the Lord.
      6. He could not multiply gold and silver for himself.
         1. Then the Lord listed one more thing, but
         2. this time the Lord gave more detail about it.
            1. As I read this passage, I realized
            2. that this last item has perfect relevance for the Christian.
2. The Lord knew that if the king of Israel did what follows, 
   1. that king would be everything God wanted him to be, and
   2. these instructions would lead to long life and prosperity,

      18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel” (Deu 17.18–20).

Persuasion: 

1. Have Your Own Copy of the Scriptures 
   1. Today, we are blessed beyond measure with easy access to Bibles.
      1. You can go to downtown Grants Pass and get one.
      2. You can buy Bibles at other locations in Grants Pass.
      3. If you do not want to go into town,
         1. you can order one and
         2. have it mailed right to your house.
      4. If you own an electronic device,
         1. you can get a Bible application (program),
         2. some for free, others start at a modest price.
      5. If you cannot afford anything at all, I will get you a Bible.
   2. You need to have your own Bible, because
      1. the God of heaven wants to keep in daily contact with you.
      2. As you read your Bible, you will find yourself wanting to speak to God.
   3. With your own Bible,
      1. you will become more familiar with the Scriptures.
      2. You will know where things are located.
      3. It will feel good in your hand. (Just by feel I know which way it is facing.)
      4. You will start to mark it up.
         1. Be sure to take good care of it.
         2. Do not throw your Bible around; it is the word of God.
   4. Next, the Lord gave the number one reason for having your own Bible.
2. Read the Bible All the Days of Your Life 
   1. If the king did not own a copy of the Scriptures,
      1. he would not be inclined to read.
      2. If he had easy access to it, he would be more prone to read it.
         1. How often would you make an effort to read the Bible,
         2. if the only place you could read it was at the one place in town,
            1. let’s say at the County Library.
            2. You would know that others would need a chance to read it.
               1. You would appreciate the time you had for reading, but
               2. that difficulty would discourage you from trying.
   2. Therefore, like the kings of Israel, have your own copy of the Scriptures
      1. that you might read it all the days of your life,
      2. that you might read it everyday of your life.
   3. When you read the Scriptures daily,
      1. the Spirit of God talks to you!
      2. If you believe that, you will feel cheated when you miss.
   4. Next, the Lord revealed five reasons for reading the Bible continuously.
3. Five Reasons Why You Should Read the Bible Continuously 
   1. Read the Bible to learn to fear the Lord our God.

      7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
      But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
      (Pro 1.7)

      10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
      And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
      (Pro 9.10)

   2. Read the Bible to learn to be careful to observe all the words of God.

      3 “…man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord” (Deu 8.3).

      34 And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. 35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women, the little ones, and the strangers who were living among them (Jos 8.34–35).

      2 “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Do not diminish a word” (Jer 26.2).

   3. Read the Bible to prevent your heart from being lifted above others.

      3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
      It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
      We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
      (Psa 100.3)

      1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another (Tts 3.1–3)

   4. Read the Bible to prevent turning aside from the commandments of God to the right hand or to the left.
      1. God had reasons for saying things the way that He did, and
         1. He had reasons for issuing commands and prohibitions.
         2. Any modification that we make of it, leads to trouble.
      2. Do not so back away from one side that you fall off the cliff behind you.
         1. [Illustrate with what I did in the driveway recently in the snow]
   5. Read the Bible to prolong your days on the Earth.
      1. If you want to live long on the Earth, the world says
         1. eat the right foods,
         2. avoid the wrong foods,
         3. avoid stress, and well,
         4. you know all the advice we get all the time.
      2. When you read your Bible all the days of your life,
         1. you will discover many things that the world never discusses.
         2. Not being right on the inside affects what we are on the outside.
            1. Our spirits affect our bodies,
            2. so much so that it is the spirit that gives the body life.

               7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
               Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
               It will be health to your flesh,
               And strength to your bones.
               (Pro 3.7–8)

               1. Humility – Your relationship with yourself.
               2. Fear the Lord – Your relationship with the Lord.
               3. Depart from evil – Your relationship with evil.
                  1. Do those things affect your life or living?
                  2. Negative or positive, the inward affects the outward,

                     30 A sound heart is life to the body,
                     But envy is rottenness to the bones.
                     (Pro 14.30)

                     22 A merry heart does good, like medicine,
                     But a broken spirit dries the bones.
                     (Pro 17.22)

Exhortation: 

1. Do I overemphasize reading all the Bible all the days of your life? 
   1. If the Lord appeared suddenly right here in our midst, and
      1. I went around telling everyone about it,
      2. that they all needed to come to hear what He had to say,
         1. do you think I could overemphasize something like that?
         2. What is the Bible?
2. Perhaps someone says that other things are also important. 
   1. I would not disagree, but
   2. I would ask,
      1. How do you know other things are important?
      2. You would probably show me a passage of Scripture
         1. that says we also need to pray, and
         2. you might also show me another passage that says we need to love.
            1. However, look at what you are doing!
            2. You are consulting the word of God, because
               1. you have discovered some important things.
               2. It all starts with reading the Bible.
3. When you stand at the Judgment before the Lord Jesus Christ, 
   1. will you have wish that you spent more or less time reading the Bible?
   2. This Book prepares us for our meeting with the Lord.
      1. Read it to get prepared for an appointment that none of us will miss.
      2. If you do not believe that Jesus is Lord now,
         1. you will on that day, but
         2. it will be too late.
4. [I will pass out my reading plan in the back]