Would you be offended if you were misquoted? Or what if you wrote a love letter, and someone else took it and claimed it was to them? Would that bother you? What if I told you that daily God is misunderstood, misquoted, and the letters that He has written have been carelessly handled and misinterpreted? This months newsletter is on Dispensational Truth; What is it and Why does it matter?
I like many of you, awakened by my all encompassing device, known as my smart phone, find myself half awake, lying in bed for at least 10 min. checking apps and scrolling through news feeds as a typical morning routine. Without a doubt, the app with the highest number of red notifications gets my attention first. After months of this daily routine, I found that often my attitude for the day would begin on a high note or maybe a sour one depending on what I had subjected myself to. Realizing this is not a good practice, and knowing that my mood can be wavered by these day to day occurrences, I began a new habit. As soon as I shut off my alarm, the first app that I opened was the Bible app. Many of you, I am sure, are familiar with this handy tool. No longer can we use the excuse, I forgot my Bible. We can have any portion of scripture called up and at our fingertips in no time. There could be no better way to set your mind on things above then going straight to the source, His beautiful Word.
This morning at 7 am my alarm began to sound. I quickly swiped to turn it off and headed for the Bible app. Usually, I'll take a peak at the verse of the day, then head on to the passage I'm studying. Today's verse of the day caught me by surprise. It was a picture with Matthew 7:7 which read -"Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for." I shook my head, blinked and then reread it. I thought in my head, "what kind of paraphrased misinterpretation is this?" I realized when I looked further, they had quoted from the message Bible. Here we see a verse quoted and taken entirely out of context. Just imagine if this was some ones first exposure to "scripture". Would it not be easy for one to get the wrong picture of our Heavenly Father? Missing the context, misses the heart of what our Lord Jesus was getting at in this passage, and turns the relationship into a 'God give me all I ask for" mentality. Hence leaving a person disappointed or unbelieving that God is True to His Word. Here is the verse in its entirety from the King James Bible, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you." In 2 Timothy 2:15, God tells us to - "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." So how do we take a Scripture, like the one given, and rightly divide it?
First, it is important to read it within the context in whole in which it was given. Using a good translation of the Bible is important. We recommend using the King James Version. Yes, it can sound poetic at times, which is a style many aren't accustomed to, however, it is the closest translation to the original Hebrew and Greek.* Therefore in this case, we would need to find To Whom this passage or Book is written to or about. If we go to the beginning of the Book of Matthew, we shall find that it is a record of the lineage of Jesus Christ. We also know that in chapter 7, it was Lord Jesus Whom was speaking to a multitude of people, along with His disciples. If we back up just to the top of chapter 7, we see He is speaking of not judging others, for on the basis we judge, we shall also be judged. He goes on to warn them to not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast pearls to the swine, because they will trample it under their feet and again turn on you. It is the very next verse, (7) which begins with "ask and it will be given"....The following verse says, "For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." He further explains that they, being sinful humans, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more will our Heavenly Father, in whom there is no evil, will give unto us. This picture He gives, allows us to really put it into perspective. Parents love their children; even when they mess up, we don't cast them aside; we correct and restore them. When my child asks for something, if it is good, safe, and within my potential to grant the desire, I gladly oblige. Yet, when my darling 7 year old asks for something that is neither good, nor safe, or could in anyway be a detriment, I say no. I do this out of the love I posses for her, not from a dictator perspective. In the same way, but free from all selfish desire and sin, our Heavenly Father will grant unto His children, the things we ask for, that He knows are for His glory and our ultimate good. And if we are asking for something which He knows will ultimately harm us, He lovingly declines. Now we can see the true meaning and clarity in the verse, rather than interpreting it in a greedy, self-serving manor, looking to God as a cosmic vending machine, rather than our loving, protective, Heavenly Father.
That is just one example of how easy it is to pull a single Scripture from The Word and manipulate it to match our desires, rather than understanding its real meaning. So how do we go about interpreting the rest of the Bible? Sometimes it can seem confusing or deep, and maybe even a little overwhelming. It was that way for me for years. I grew up in a Christian home and was brought up in church. From all the years I've been taught and spent in my Word, one would think I would have a decent understanding. I did know a lot of verses and could retell many stories from it, yet, until a short while ago, I was seeing the Bible like a complex puzzle. The Scriptures were the pieces. Have you ever tried building a large jigsaw puzzle without having the box to refer to? As I read the Bible, I tried to put pieces together to make sense of it, but I didn't have the box with the picture or any idea of the grand scheme or how to make sense of it. This place I was in was confusing, frustrating, and left me disappointed and un-motivated in my spiritual walk. It wasn't until I understood right division, through dispensational truth that it all began to make sense. The Key of Knowledge, is an outstanding little book that gives you the breakdown of Dispensational Truth, allowing you to unlock the Scriptures and see the bigger picture throughout the Word. It shows you how the Bible was carefully and beautifully laid out and uses Scripture to all God's Word to interpret itself. We want to make it available for free to you by clicking this link: The Key of Knowledge. I cannot recommend a better book to start with, to get you understanding the Bible and rightly diving it. It will change your perspective so much and grow your view of God immensely!
Stay tuned for our Newsletter next month. Meanwhile, remember the Believer.com website is full of Rightly Divided Scriptural teachings to keep you filled with the knowledge of Him. Also check out our Facebook page Believercom to stay encouraged and meet other fellow believers and discuss what you are learning.
May God bless you and keep you as you set your mind on things above,
In His Love, Kacy
