God Speaks To Us
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom he made the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” (Hebrews 1: 1-3)
God wants to reveal Himself to us. The desire to speak and to be understood is part of God’s nature, and because we are made in His image, we can communicate with God. God has been speaking since the beginning, and the message has gotten clearer and more complete through the ages. In the Old Testament, we read about what God spoke to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the prophets. In Jesus, however, God speaks directly to us, and God’s nature is perfectly and fully represented in all that Jesus was, said, and did.
Every child of God hears His voice. He is the good shepherd, and His sheep know that voice. He speaks to us by His Spirit, through other Christians, and through the Bible, His written Word. (John 10)
The Bible
The Bible is actually a collection of 66 books written by 35 authors over a period of about 1500 years. It was written primarily in Hebrew and Greek. The Old Testament is a record of what God did and said from creation until the birth of Christ. It is composed of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy), history (Joshua through Nehemiah), poetry (Job through Song of Solomon), and the prophets (Isaiah through Malachi). The New Testament is composed of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Acts, the epistles (Romans through Jude), and Revelation. The Old and New Testaments have proven to be historically accurate and reliable.
All scripture is inspired or God-breathed. God has provided in the Bible all that we need to know how to be saved and how to fully live the Christian life. Some parts of the Bible are direct quotations of what God said, some parts are poetry and songs of worship, some are personal letters written to churches or individuals, and some parts are historical accounts. Each writer used his own style and language, but did so as he was moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit. Because scripture is God-breathed, He speaks to us, revealing truth and bringing us life as we read it. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Isaiah 55:11)
The Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament. All in the Old Testament points forward to Christ and the new covenant that came with His death and resurrection. Some of what the Israelites were commanded to do under the old covenant, like making animal sacrifices in the temple, do not apply to us, because these things were fulfilled in Christ. The old covenant made with Israel in the Old Testament has been replaced by the new covenant that is in Christ Jesus. (Matt. 5:17-18)
God’s nature, His ways, and His holiness, as well as the nature of man and sin, are all clearly portrayed in the Bible. The Old Testament contains hundreds of prophecies about Christ, all of which have been or are being fulfilled. Reading the Bible, Old and New Testaments is foundational to our Christian faith. It is a living book through which God desires to daily speak to us, bringing hope, faith, truth, and life. Jesus said, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 1:1-3)
Discovery Bible Study Outline
Lesson 4: The Bible
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- What does “God breathed” mean?
- Who was Paul speaking to and why was this important for him to know?
- What does Paul mean by “all scripture”?
- The context of these verses is Matthew chapters 5 to 7, which are commonly called the Sermon on the Mount.
- What is Jesus saying about His teaching?
- What is Jesus saying about the law (which they would likely have understood to mean all of the Old Testament)?
- Who is speaking?
- What is God saying about His word?
- What does it mean to meditate on the Bible?
- Why is meditating on the Bible a delight?
- How will our lives be influenced when we do this?
Additional passages for study: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 19:7-11; Matthew 24:35; Matthew 4:4
Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash