APR 1

Nehemiah 8:1-8
Memorise John 14:26
"...the Holy Ghost... shall teach you all things..."

“Hermeneutics” is defined by theologians as “the science and art of the interpretation of the Bible”. It is a science because it involves principles within an ordered system which help us interpret the Bible properly. It is also an art because it involves the skill of the interpreter in the application of these principles. Of course, as this is not just any book, but the very words of God, hermeneutics cannot merely be an intellectual exercise which involves only the person’s mind. It must also involve the person’s heart, for it is a spiritual exercise.

A good example from the Bible of the practice of hermeneutics can be found in the book of Nehemiah. Following the completion of the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem, the people gathered together to worship the Lord on this special day. The Bible was opened, and read publicly by Ezra the priest as well as the Levites (Nehemiah 8:6-7). However, they did not just stop there – after reading, they carried on and “gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” (Nehemiah 8:8). They were basically explaining the meaning of the text, and helping the people to understand what God’s Word says. This was hermeneutics in action!

It may seem entirely logical to approach the interpretation of God’s Word from a “neutral” position, meaning to study God’s Word with an “open mind”. However, the Lord Jesus Himself said that when spiritual things are concerned, “He that is not with me is against me…” (Matthew 12:30). That means that in order to study and interpret God’s Word accurately one must approach God’s Word with the uttermost reverence, acknowledging that “The Bible is none other than the voice of Him that sitteth upon the Throne! Every Book of it, every chapter of it, every verse of it, every word of it, every syllable of it, every letter of it, is the direct utterance of the Most High! The Bible is none other than the Word of God: not some part of it more, some part of it less; but all alike, the utterance of Him who sitteth upon the Throne; faultless, unerring, supreme!” (Dean Burgon Oath).

Thought: We should not ask if certain parts of God's Word are true but rather how we can better understand the truths of His Word.
Prayer: Thank You, O Lord, for the gift of Your Word which delivered me from darkness into Your marvelous light.