It has been my observation that Deuteronomy 30:14 can be approached from two different viewpoints. Let us look at this interesting passage. Moses said — The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it (Deuteronomy 30:14).
Viewpoint One — Moses is telling us the Word of God (scripture) is close to our heart, we should speak scripture all through the day when we interact with others, and we need to yield to the wisdom of scripture.
Viewpoint Two — builds on an alternate meaning of the term ‘the word’. We could view ‘the word’ as a veiled reference to Jesus. With this alternate view, Moses is telling is that God is extremely near us and God speaks through us and controls our actions.
I think there are elements of truth in both viewpoints. Within the historical context of the verse, the first viewpoint is the right choice. The viewpoints are remarkably similar but not identical. It is here that I begin this essay. Our understanding of scripture is directly related to our understanding of scriptural terms. The more we learn about the individual words and phrases used in the bible to build verses, the easier it is for us to learn the meaning of a verse.
We start with individual words, we progress to verses, we expand to passages (multiple adjacent verses) and then we learn the message in a chapter and how the chapter fits into a book. Finally, we look at how the message in the book or letter fits into the new covenant.
We learn to read by learning how to talk in conversations. Talking with others helps us learn the varied meaning of each word we speak. Then we learn how sentences work. Finally, we learn how to recognize the words we speak on a printed page. Similarly, we can view scripture as a collection of books, then a collection of chapters, then verses, and a verse as a collection of words, with each word rich in meaning.
We go to a Bible study, such as our men’s group on Saturday morning, and we listen, we talk, and we share ideas. Someone brings up a subject or comments on an experience they have had through the week. Others bring God’s word into focus on that subject. We call this iron sharpening iron. But the question is — if the person who is offering advice uses the language that no one understands, how can we expect that the person who is hearing the message to understand anything that was said?
This is where vocabulary plays a role. It is necessary for a person who is an expert in economics to learn the vocabulary of the economist so they can communicate with other economists. It is not that economics is a particularly challenging science, it is not. However, the ‘economic vocabulary’ presents a considerable wall to climb if we want to comfortably communicate with an economist. The same is true in the medical field, they have a very precise vocabulary used to communicate succinctly when they are dealing with colleagues. To communicate with a doctor and the hospital staff — it is necessary to overcome the language barrier and the technology barrier. Once you get over these two walls, you can properly converse with nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.
Scripture is the same way. There is a language wall you are asked to climb, a vocabulary of biblical terms. Learning the meaning of the terms in scripture matters. When it comes to studying scripture, our technology wall is built from things like a Bible dictionary, reference Bible, concordance, and commentary. Recently, electronic search tools for the web have entered the fray. Studying God’s Word is a form of prayer, but rest assured, it is interactive. You think about stuff, you ruminate on the word, you do some homework, you talk with others, you ponder how to apply the word. The Holy Spirit guides this effort, He writes the word on your heart. We learn by doing. Our craftsman friends say –Measure twice, cut once. You are wise to read a lot, take your time, and then gradually develop your viewpoints. Learning ‘God Speak’ helps the learning process go a little easier.
I choose Jesus.
Shalom Talk 