Class 1A The Word of God–Treasures New and Old
SECTION 1: Bible Study on God’s Word

The Bible was given to man by God

The Bible is a collection of 66 books that are the written record of messages
God gave to about 40 people whom He chose as His spokesmen. Although the Bible
was recorded by men, it was written by God.

2 Timothy 3:16—All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

2 Peter 1:21—For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

We can know the author

There’s a story about a girl who was assigned some book to read in college. She
started, and because she found it kind of dry and uninteresting, she threw it
in the top of her closet and thought she’d read it later. Later on a man came
to the college and lectured. She found out during the course of his lecture
that he was the author of the book! She so fell in love with him on his visit
to the college that after hearing his lectures, she immediately went home and
dug the book out of the top of her closet and buried herself in the book to
read it!—Why? How come the book was all of a sudden so interesting, whereas she
thought it was dry and uninteresting before?—She knew the author!

What’s the most important reason why we know the Bible is true? We know the
Author. Before somebody introduced you to the Author, you probably didn’t care
much about the Bible and didn’t know whether it was true or not, never read it
and maybe didn’t even believe it. But now since we’ve told you that it’s Jesus
and you’ve been introduced to Jesus and received Jesus in your hearts, all of a
sudden you’re interested in the Bible for the first time maybe in your life,
because now you know the Author and you want to hear what He has to say!

Archaeological finds confirm the veracity of the Bible

Biblical archaeology is the scientific study, by excavation, examination, and
publication, of the evidences of cultures and civilizations from the Biblical
period. Archaeological discoveries paint in the background of the Bible,
helping to explain many of its events. Although it is not possible to verify
every incident in the Bible, the discoveries of archaeology since the mid-1800s
have demonstrated the reliability and plausibility of the Bible narrative. Here
are some examples:

The discovery of the ancient city of Ebla’s archive in northern Syria in the
1970s has shown the Biblical writings concerning the Patriarchs to be viable.
(Patriarchs is a name generally applied to the progenitors of families or
“heads of the fathers” mentioned in Scripture, including such personages as
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, etc.) Documents written on clay tablets from around
2300 B.C. demonstrate that specific people and places in the Patriarchal
accounts are genuine.

The name “Canaan” was in use in Ebla, a name critics once said was not used at
that time and was used incorrectly in the early chapters of the Bible.
The word “tehom” (“the deep”) in Genesis 1:2 was said to be a late word
demonstrating the late writing of the Creation story. “Tehom” was part of the
vocabulary at Ebla, in use some 800 years before Moses. Ancient customs
reflected in the stories of the Patriarchs have also been found in clay tablets
from Nuzi and Mari.

The Hittites were once thought to be a Biblical legend, until their capital and
records were discovered at Bogazkoy, Turkey.

Many thought the Biblical references to Solomon’s wealth were greatly
exaggerated. Recovered records from the past show that wealth in antiquity was
concentrated with the king, and Solomon’s prosperity was entirely feasible.
It was once claimed there was no Assyrian king named Sargon as recorded in
Isaiah 20:1, because this name was not known in any other record. Then,
Sargon’s palace was discovered in Khorsabad, Iraq. The very event mentioned in
Isaiah 20, his capture of Ashdod, was recorded on the palace walls. What is
more, fragments of a stela (ancient stone slab or pillar) memorializing the
victory were found at Ashdod itself. (In Daniel 5:2, Nebuchadnezzar is
portrayed as the father of Belshazzar, however the word translated in this
verse as “father” is more accurately translated as grandfather or ancestor.
Belshazzar was the son of Nabodinus, and grandson or descendant of
Nebuchadnezzar.)

(Based on the research of Bryant Wood, of Associates for Biblical Research.)

God’s Word is true and never fails

Psalm 119:89—Forever, O Lord, Your Word is settled in Heaven.
Isaiah 40:8—The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands
forever.
Matthew 24:35—Heaven and Earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means
pass away.

The Bible works!

A skeptic, talking about the Bible, said that it was quite impossible these
days to believe in any book whose author was unknown. James, who believes in
Jesus, asked him if the compiler of the multiplication table was known.

“No,” he answered.

“Then, of course, you do not believe it?” asked James.
The skeptic replied, “Oh, yes, I believe in it because it works.”

“So does the Bible!” responded James.

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Testimony: “Through the Rivers!”

(Introduction: This is the translation of a letter that was sent to us by a
Russian pastor who lives in a town on the Amur River in Russia, beyond the Ural
Mountains.) The Lord did a miracle for me shortly after I met you! One morning
recently, I opened my Bible to Isaiah 43:1–2, which says, “Fear not, for I have
redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass
through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor
shall the flame scorch you.” In the central hospital later that day, we were to
hold services for the sick people. I prayed and asked the Lord what I should
talk about, and He showed me to preach on those verses.

Then the next evening, I needed to go to a ship on the Amur River, as the
engines needed to be tested. (I work as an inspecting engineer, besides being a
pastor.) We agreed that at 9 p.m., I would come to this ship by another boat.
The ship that needed to be checked is 45 meters long, with four meters of the
hull below the surface of the water.

Before leaving, I finished all the work I had to do at home, I prayed, dressed
warmly and left.

I arrived at the pier and took a boat to look for the ship on the river. It was
now about 10 p.m. and very dark. Later I was in the captain’s quarters of the
small boat, and when I looked out the door I immediately saw the large ship I
was looking for heading straight at us on an unavoidable collision course! The
only thought I had time to think was, “Thy will be done, Lord!”

We collided, and I was immediately thrown out of the boat. The Lord surely
guided me, as deep down in the water I swam close to the side of my boat, and I
could hear the great propellers of the large ship pass near me.

When I rose to the surface, I called out to the Lord. I didn’t have any
strength, and I couldn’t breathe well, but I knew He was helping me! I looked
around. It was very dark and there was no one around. I was right in the middle
of the Amur River. (Note: The Amur is one of the great rivers of the world,
forming the border between Russia and China for 1,600 km.)

I thought, What next, Lord?

I got an answer: Call for help. I couldn’t get enough air and didn’t have much
of my voice left, but I started to yell as loud as I could for help, still
wondering, Who can hear me? To find a man on the water in the dark is like
looking for a needle in a haystack … but if the Lord said to do it, then my job
was just to obey.

I later found out that after the ship struck our boat, it veered to the right
and got stuck on a sand bar. My cries were heard and I was brought to the ship!
Everybody looked at me with wide eyes, as they did not expect to see any
survivors. I had no wounds, not even a cold. One man said, “You’re alive! I
would have died from a heart attack if I was in your place.”

I answered, “Right! I would have died myself if it hadn’t been for the Lord
leading me and not allowing the ‘river to overflow me’.” Praise God for His
miracles!

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The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Word

Jesus is the “Word made flesh.”

John 1:1,14—In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. (14) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth.

Hebrews 11:3—By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of
God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are
visible.

God has always spoken to people in many ways: through the beauty and wonder of
His Creation, through His prophets and messengers, and through His written
Word. But the clearest revelation of Himself—of His character, of His Love—is
found in His Son, Jesus, Whom the Bible calls “the Word.” Words are the means
by which we express ourselves, by which we reveal our thoughts, our feelings,
our character.—And Jesus is the means by which God expresses Himself to us.

God’s most outstanding means of communication with us, the way that He chose to
communicate His Love to the World, was by His Own Son, Jesus.

The Bible was written for our benefit

John 19:35—And he [John] who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true;
and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
1 Corinthians 10:11—Now all these things happened to them [Bible characters] as
examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the
ages have come.

John 4:13–14—Jesus answered and said to [the Samaritan woman], “Whoever drinks
of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I
shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will
become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Revelation 22:17—And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who
hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take
the water of life freely.

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The Water of Life

Water is the most valuable commodity on earth, outside of life itself, which is
why God symbolizes life with water, calling it the Water of Life, along with
the Word of Life, the Water of the Word!—Water being such an essential element
of man’s life, existence and survival, and without which all life dies!

It’s important to keep the Word

Obeying and keeping the Word proves we know and love Jesus. As a result, we
receive benefits!

John 8:31–32—Jesus said, “If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed.
(32) And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Luke 11:28—More than that, blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep
it!

John 15:7—If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 14:15—If you love Me, keep My commandments.

The Bible is like a map to guide you through life. To say you don’t have time
for it is like a driver going on a long journey, saying, “I’m in such a hurry
to get there I don’t have time to look at the map.”

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Augustine’s conversion

In 384 A.D. a young man from North Africa went to Milan, Italy, to take a
position as teacher of rhetoric. While there, he became very absorbed by and
troubled about the meaning of life.

One day in the back yard of his home, while on the verge of almost complete
despair, he heard the voice of a child next door chanting, “Take and read, take
and read.”

Immediately he took the Scriptures and read that Jesus Christ was the way of
complete forgiveness of sins. Through reading the Word of God, this man’s life
was changed and he became St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo, one of the great
Christian theologians of all time.

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The thief

In a meeting, converts were giving personal testimonies. One man arose, holding
a New Testament in his hand. “My story,” said he, “is unlike other men. I was a
pickpocket, and one day I saw a man with a definite bulge in his hip pocket. A
fat purse, thought I, and soon it was in my pocket. But when I arrived home,
behold, it was this book. In disgust I threw it aside, but afterward, out of
curiosity, I opened it and began to read. Before many days had passed I
discovered Christ as my Savior and Lord.”

Listening to this testimony, one of the volunteers from the Bible Society
became interested. After the meeting, he asked to see the New Testament. It was
the one he had carried with him for years, the one he had considered lost. Is
not this evidence of the power of the Word to change and to transform man’s
life? What has the Word done for you

Abide in Jesus to bear fruit

John 15:1,4—I am the true vine. … (4) As the branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
The physical illustration is clear. If a branch is cut off from the rest of the
tree, it will wither and die and bear no fruit.

Benefits of the Word

The Word gives us faith, truth, wisdom and strength!

Psalm 119:7—I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your
righteous judgments.

Romans 10:17—Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Acts 20:32b—The Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you
an inheritance.

Meditating on the Word brings blessings and success:

Joshua 1:8—This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall
meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that
is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will
have good success.

Psalm 119:130—The entrance of Your Words gives light; it gives understanding to
the simple.

The Word cleanses us, heals us, makes us happy, gives us peace!

John 15:3—”You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to
you.”

Psalm 107:20—He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their
destructions.

Psalm 119:165—Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them
to stumble.

Jeremiah 15:16a—Your Words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me
the joy and rejoicing of my heart.

2 Timothy 3:16—All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

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It will light you home

Years ago, a minister went far into a backwoods settlement to hold a meeting,
and it was necessary that he return late in the very dark night. A woodsman
provided him with a torch of pitch-pine wood.

The minister, never having seen anything of the kind, said, “It will soon burn
out.”

“It will light you home,” answered the woodsman.

“The wind may blow it out,” said the preacher.

“It will light you home,” was again the answer.

“But what if it should rain?”

“It will light you home,” was the answer a third time.

And, contrary to the minister’s fears, the torch did last him all the way home.
The Word of God is a torch given into the hands of each of us. What if it
rains? What if the wind blows? What if all is dark around you? If you will hold
the torch high, “it will light you home.”

All of these benefits will come when we read and absorb the Word

1 Peter 2:2—As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the Word, that you may
grow thereby.

Matthew 4:4—It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”

Colossians 3:16—Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.

2 Timothy 2:15—Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

As someone wrote: “We get no deeper into Christ than we allow Him to get into
us.”

We need to read the Word to receive the benefits

A certain wayward young man ran away from home and was not heard of for years.
After he heard that his father had just died, he returned home and was kindly
received by his mother. The day came for the reading of the will; the family
members were all gathered together, and the lawyer began to read the document.
To the surprise of all present, the will told in detail of the wayward career
of the runaway son. The boy in anger arose, stomped out of the room, left the
house, and was not heard from for three years. When eventually he was found, he
was informed that the will, after telling of his waywardness, had gone on to
bequeath him a large inheritance.

How much sorrow he would have saved himself and others, if he had only heard
the reading through! Thus, many people only half read the Bible, and turn from
it dissatisfied. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death,” yes. But it says
more. It says, “but the gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23).

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