Sisters (and Brothers) Doing it for Themselves

Just been away on the third and final RML (small Bible study groups) weekend away for the year. Andrew Sach was speaking on Exodus, and the point of the weekend was really to get people equipped to read and study the Bible for themselves through 'Bible Unwrapped' groups - where we looked at a large chunk of 1 Peter with no leaders and no teaching material.

One thing I've learnt so far this year that really came out this weekend is that Bible study is both less impenetrable and yet more daunting than I thought. Less impenetrable - because basically the commentaries and the study aids don't really do anything that you can't do for yourself. That's not to say that they aren't useful or that they can't give you technical information that will help, but the skill of dividing text into sections and following the flow of the argument is something that, with a bit of encouragement, anyone can learn. More daunting - because the 'answers' provided by said commentaries and Bible study leaders are decidedly less secure than I once thought, and therefore the responsibility of assessing and not depending on other people's ideas about meaning is clear.

But with all that, I was also just plain excited by the reminder that God's Word is really really precious, and that it was the thing that would revive our souls (not just more sleep!). Not just text to be chopped up and packaged into 7 word purpose statements, but something more precious than gold and sweeter than honey, that:

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
Psalm 19:7-9

I wonder if there is anything like the awe or wonder when I come to the Bible that there should be. Scrap that - I know there isn't. Added to it's preciousness, there's its danger. It's kind of like picking up a sharp, double-edged sword - you should worry about getting cut. I think I'll take Psalm 19 to look at in QTs this week...