Deuteronomy 17:18-19 When he sits on the throne, your king must make for himself a copy of this law on a scroll. It must be with him constantly. He must read it daily, as long as he lives, so that he may learn to love the Lord, observe all of HIs ways, and fulfill them.
As the foundations of Israel were being established, long before they had a king, God gave them this important decree: the king needed a copy of the law made by his own hand. When I was 17, I began writing the GAV: the Garold Andersen Version of the New Testament. I rewrote the New Testament in my own words so that I could better understand it and communicate my belief to others. It was during those months that I came to love God’s word and with David could say, “Your commands are of greater value than gold and more delightful than honey.” (Psalms 19:10)
Before the invention of the printing press, owning a Bible was costly and rare. Today everyone can have a Bible app on his smart phone – in multiple versions and languages. If the only way we could get a copy were to write it out by hand, I believe we would value it much more and take time to understand it.
As members of God’s tribe, we are kings and queens sitting on thrones as His representatives. Just like the early kings of Israel, each of us need to be prepared to convey God’s ways to this world. Every day the truth and wisdom of God’s word is distorted through soundbites, opinions, and verses taken out of context. We, as His representatives, need to know the depth of His word. The beauty, truth, and wisdom of God are understood through desperate situations, impossible dilemmas, and answered prayers throughout the Bible. People don’t need scriptures quoted at them; they need the wisdom of God to be lived before them. It might sound like a cliché, but you ARE the only Bible many people will read. If you have never read the Bible, now is the time. I challenge you to ask God to give you a plan that will help you understand the broader picture in His word, that you might love the Lord, know His ways, and give His wise council to those you know.