Take Advantage of His Word

Don't let the advantages of God's gifting us with his word be taken for granted. America has a massive advantage. While Israel had a covenant with God that America does not have, they had, and we have the advantage of the availability of God's word. His holiness and love call us to act on what he has readily made available for our knowledge and doing.

During day 68 of the 90-day Bible read-through, God interacts through a famine of His Word for those who did not take advantage of it. They had an advantage that allowed its power to revive their souls, make the simple wise, and enlighten the eye, but most of the nation rejected this privilege. Many gained knowledge without change. Amos reveals that God brought consequences to Judah for dismissing the Law, neglecting His Precepts, and breaking His Commands.

Amos 8:11-12 " 'Behold, the days are coming,' declares the LORD GOD, 'When I will send a famine on the land- not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to see the word of the LORD, but they shall not find it.'"

I spend most of the day reading Scripture. In the morning, I read 12 or so chapters for the 90-day Bible read-through, and in the afternoon, I prepare for leading a weekly study on the book of Luke. Our group is studying chapters 19-21 of Luke, and a portion of chapter 19 caused the Amos verses to stand out. In the NLT, "How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But NOW it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes."

The warnings are the same for both groups. Both these Jewish audiences had the advantage of God communicating to them about His expectations for their relationship with Him. This advantage is a gift and also a responsibility. If you read the Old Testament, you will read about the gift God gave Abraham and his seed. This covenant was carried through the Nation of Israel. God gave the Law to this same nation and promised he'd be their God and they would be his people if they obeyed the very law they were advantaged to be given. But repeatedly, they dismissed his words, covenanted with other nations, served idols, and walked contrary to the advantage they were given. Eventually, God had to hold them accountable for rejecting the information they knew and turning their backs on the God they promised to serve.

In the New Testament, a similar transaction occurred. The book of Luke tells us that many of the Jews "had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem." They knew from their Scriptures the promise of a descendant of David who'd be an eternal King. The very people who would have read these Scriptures, the Luke passage seems to communicate that Jesus rejected them because they'd reject him. Though they read these passages from their prophets, they rejected their truth. They had an advantage that they did not embrace. And many of them had waited expectantly for this rescue. Jesus, with sympathy, states that he wished they would have understood. The longer they chose to harden their hearts, the more God met their hardening by hiding the truth of Jesus from them. This was not about all of Israel, but sadly, for most. This was no different than what he did in Amos, causing a famine of his word. This was not because he hated them but because they continued to reject the advantage they had. They had his law but dismissed it more often than not.

When Jesus came, he went back and forth verbally with the religious and political leaders of the Jews. He offered them evidence through the power of the Spirit working through him to heal, change lives, and raise the dead. Again and again, they challenged him, and his life exemplified proof that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah, Psalms, and others who prophecied of the future Messiah. There was an advantage in the gifts offered to this group of people. They disregarded this advantage.

The Amos and Luke passages tell us that God eventually says, "Now it is too late, and peace has been hidden from you." The advantages run out.

Can you imagine the advantage American Christians have?

We don't need to imagine. Most families have many Bibles in their homes. Each family member probably has 2 or 3 Bibles. Most of those with the advantage of God's word in their homes don't pick it up until Sunday. Some don't read it, study it, meditate on it, and forget about memorizing it. We have an immense privilege, and not taking advantage of this gift could cost us. Let us not see ourselves any different than Israel in this regard. A famine may be waiting. God wants us to hunger and thirst for his word, but first, we must eat. It takes eating to begin to hunger for it. Biologically, we eat to satiate hunger; spiritually, we eat to become hungry. We start to eat out of obedience to his word, "Sanctify them by Your truth, Your word is truth." That is one reason we begin to take advantage of the privilege of having his word: Eat and become hungry!

Another part of Luke 19 was the parable of the nobleman who divided ten pounds of silver among his servants; he expected that they would take advantage of the privilege of serving him by investing what he gave them in his kingdom. The servants who recognized the great responsibility they were handed invested, increased what was given, and were then rewarded for not taking what they were given lightly. They recognized the advantage. The ones who did not choose to take advantage and invest what they received had what they were given taken away.

No one who is given the great advantage of having God's Truth readily available, and casting its truths aside is doing what pleases God. If that is you, stop, repent, and pick up the gift of God's Word, which we can have through the freedom in our country. Let the truth of his word sanctify you and invest back into the Kingdom. Don't let his peace pass you up.

When he returns, he desires to say, "Well done!" To hear that, you and I must take advantage of the truths of His Word. There are countries where they do not have the advantage of having multiple Bibles in their homes. The fact that we do matters.