Jump Start # 1785

Acts 8:28 “and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.”

Our verse today comes from that powerful conversion account of the Ethiopian. He had been to Jerusalem to worship. On his trip back home he was reading Isaiah. God sent Philip the preacher to him. A conversation began with a simple question, “Do you understand what you are reading?” From that question, a discussion about Jesus, the Messiah took place. All of that resulted in the eunuch obeying Christ and being baptized. It was a glorious moment and it remains a trustworthy standard in our Bibles to look at.

A thought that is so easy to miss here, is the seeing the Ethiopian reading Isaiah in his chariot. The book of Isaiah is large and is thought to have taken three scrolls in length. For someone to have their own private copy was very special and unique. It is not out of hand to believe that on this trip to Jerusalem, the Ethiopian purchased his copy of Isaiah. This would have been the place to buy them. Ethiopia wouldn’t sell them in the market place. Most unlikely. To own your own copy would have cost a lot of money. I expect that Philip didn’t have his own copy.

All of this leads us to a thought about our own Bibles. Most of us have a few copies here and there in our homes. But there is probably one Bible that you carry with you on Sundays. Most preachers have what we call our “preaching Bibles.” They are suitable for use in teaching and preaching. I have a study Bible that I use in my office. I can’t preach out of it any longer because pages fall out and it’s a mess.

On any given Sunday we see all kinds of Bibles. More and more are carrying electronic Bibles, via their phones and tablets. I guess I’m old school, because I still like the book form of the Bible. I like the feel of the Bible and I like look of my Bible.

Our Bibles are more than God’s word. They are a tool for us to know God’s will and to understand the life that God wants us to live. That being the case, a person needs to make their Bible “user friendly” just for their own taste. Here are a few suggestions that can help you:

1. Underline phrases and circle words, especially repeated words in a text. It helps these words to jump out and you can see themes and what is important. For example, in that section of Hebrews 10 that leads up to “not forsaking our own assembling…”, three times the preceding verses all begin with the expression, “let us.” Let us begins verse 22, 23, and 24. Circled in your Bible, you see a minor theme there.

– when writing in your Bible, make sure you find a pen or a highlighter that doesn’t soak through to the other side. That will make reading the other page difficult if you are not careful.

2. At the back of your Bible are several “White pages.” Use those pages to write notes, lists of things that you want to remember, or even to tape some printed things that will help you. This is a great place to put a list of Biblical dates and events that you want to remember. I have a short highlight of a sermon that Harry Pickup, Jr preached about Philemon years ago. I typed up lesson and taped it in the back of my Bible. There was an occasion when I needed to deliver a quick invitation and I opened to that page and that was helpful.

3. Take care of your Bible. Books, Bibles included, will last a long time if you are careful with them. I have several books that are over 100 years old in my library. I have a few that are edging close to being 200 years old. A Bible can last many, many years if you are careful with it.

– don’t toss it or leave it in your trunk

– don’t use it for a coaster

– don’t leave it on the dashboard where the hot sun can cook it

– don’t jam so many papers in it that it breaks the binding

– before it falls apart completely, take care of it

The breaking of the binding is usually the greatest danger to your Bible. As the binding starts to separate, use some super glue and put it up and down the binding and then use rubber bands to hold your Bible tight. Don’t touch it for a few days. That ought to put a few more years into your Bible.

4. Replacing a favorite Bible is painful and hard. Sometimes you cannot find the exact Bible that you had. Then, even if you can, there is the transferring of all those notations, underlines, circled words and things you have written in the white pages. It can be done, but it’s a long process.

Most of us who have used the same Bible for several years, have a feel for where things are. You know a certain passage is on this side of the page. You can open to certain books of the Bible without having to look. Your Bible has become very familiar to your hands and eyes. That’s a wonderful feeling. That’s a good sign that you have spent a long time with that Bible.

5. Purchase a few less expensive Bibles in other versions. This is a great way to study a text. Get two or three Bibles opened, most Bible programs on-line allow you to do this very easily, and read from them. Good reliable translations will help you to see what a text is pointing to. It will help you.

6. Teach your children to take care of their Bibles. Starting early, and developing a deep respect for God’s word and learning to take care of your Bible is something that can stay with them for the rest of their lives. Having a Bible for little ones helps them. There are many, many children’s Bibles on the market. Get one that they will like. As they grow, so will the need for a Bible that fits their age. Bibles make great gifts for graduations, weddings and Christmas.

I have an old New Testament that belonged to a preacher long ago. He has since died. This little New Testament is clean. There are no words underlined and nothing is written on the “white pages.” I wish he had done that. I wish I knew all the places that he took this little Bible and where all he preached with it. I wonder what good came from this little Bible.

Give me the Bible…

Roger