I just watched one of my favorite movies from 1990s, called Blast from the Past. It is a story about a guy who was raised in isolation in a
fallout shelter, only to come out 35 years later to a very different world. He
has with him baseball cards and stocks from companies that he has no idea how
valuable they are. I guess the reason I like it is also because the values like
honesty, trusting and innocence, which the main character clings to, are no
longer valued in the society into which he emerges.
Bible Study is a value that
is often unappreciated by the world and unfortunately many Christians. Adrian
Rogers in a sermon about Psalm 119, the longest psalm and longest chapter in the
Bible, quoted a wise old saying, “These hath God married and no man shall part:
dust on the Bible and drought in the heart.”
We must appreciate the value
of the Word of God. One of the first long sections of the Bible I memorized
while in college was the first 16 verses of Psalm 119 (see BELIEVE pg. 216). We
have a treasured Word of God in the Bible and we need to study it to appreciate
its value.
We can appreciate the value of
the word of God by first seeing that the teachings are to be treasured, as seen
in verse 11. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against
You.” That doesn’t mean we should be ashamed of the word and hide it, but
rather like a treasure or a prized possession, we need to take care that we appreciate
its value. The HCSB and NASB versions of the Bible actually translate “hidden”
as “treasured” and later on in verse 14, the psalmist says he rejoices in God’s
testimonies, “as much as in great riches”. If you and I treasure the Word of
God, then we will keep it safe in our hearts.
Secondly, we need to
appreciate the value of the Word of God because its truths are timeless. “Your
statutes are my heritage forever…my heart is set on keeping your decrees to the
very end” (Ps. 119: 111-112, BELIEVE, pg. 218). Like the movie Blast from the Past,
in a single lifetime, we have seen the morals and standards of our world
deteriorate to the state where they are now. In fact, in a single presidential
term, we saw the Biblical value of marriage as being only between a man and a
woman go from unacceptance, acceptance, then mandated to be legal in all 50
states. God’s word will forever be the same: “Forever, O Lord, Your word is
settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89, KJV).
Thirdly and most importantly,
the ultimate value of the Word of God is that it is truthful (see Ps. 119:30,
43, 142, 151, 160). Values can be old but not true. As we are seeing today,
some values can be treasured and not true. But God’s Word is right, good, and true. We should study the Bible and apply its valuable, eternal truths to our lives.
It's more valuable than even Mickey Mantle's rookie baseball card.
