1. The Disciples Saw No Need to Ask Jesus
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Was a significant factor behind the disciples’ ignorance simply that they felt no pressing need to seek a fuller explanation from Jesus?
No doubt their own hang-ups made it hard for them to ask – and we’ll examine this soon – but had they been sufficiently motivated, they would have pushed through the obstacles and asked Jesus regardless.
How great is our loss, simply because we are content to leave something in the too hard basket and remain in ignorance? Or how much do we miss out on because we choose to puzzle over something ourselves, rather than specifically and earnestly and repeatedly seek Jesus’ help?
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. God plays hide-and-seek with his children. He deliberately hides spiritual truths and then begs us to seek them. Jeremiah 29:13-14 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD . . .
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Matthew 7:7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find . . . But all this is lost if we don’t bother to seek/ask.
What if, like the disciples, we keep quiet and don’t get around to badgering Jesus for an answer? Let’s not allow James’ sad commentary to apply to us:
James 4:2 You do not have, because you do not ask God . . .
This principle was understood by the psalmist who asked the Lord:
Psalms 119:18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.
For the psalmist, this was no throwaway line. In fact, in this very psalm he asked six times that God grant him understanding of Scripture and a further nine times that God would “teach” him Scripture. And in yet another part of the psalm he prayed that God not “hide” the meaning of Scripture from him (Scriptures).
Contents
Psalm 119
The Psalmist’s Prayers
About Scripture
Prayer for Understanding of Scripture
Psalms 119:27 Let me understand the teaching of your precepts; then I will meditate on your wonders.
Psalms 119:34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.
Psalms 119:73 Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.
Psalms 119:125 I am your servant; give me discernment that I may understand your statutes.
Psalms 119:144 Your statutes are forever right; give me understanding that I may live.
Psalms 119:169 May my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.
Prayer to be divinely taught Scripture
Psalms 119:12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
Psalms 119:26 I recounted my ways and you answered me; teach me your decrees.
Psalms 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end.
Psalms 119:64 The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees.
Psalms 119:66 Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands.
Psalms 119:68 You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.
Psalms 119:108 Accept, O LORD, the willing praise of my mouth, and teach me your laws.
Psalms 119:124 Deal with your servant according to your love and teach me your decrees.
Psalms 119:135 Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.
Psalms 119:19 I am a stranger on earth; do not hide your commands from me.
The man uttering these prayers was so divinely inspired that at that very moment he was actually penning Scripture and yet he realized that, even for him, the Bible’s spiritual treasury would remain locked unless he earnestly pleaded with God for the interpretation. Obviously, this man of God had already discovered powerful, life-changing truths in the Word of God. He declares:
Psalms 119:98-100,103 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts. . . . How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Nevertheless, this enlightened man of God was not content with his abundance of spiritual insight. He knew there were still more treasures locked away in the Word of God and that continued prayer was an essential key to obtaining those riches.
Note this key to spiritual insight:
Proverbs 2:3-5 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. (Emphasis mine)
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt . . .
Note that those who suppose they are already wise lose out completely. They won’t bother to hound God for the wisdom to understand his Word because they are too proud to even know that they need it.
Proverbs 26:12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
“By myself I can do nothing,” declared the Son of God (John 5:30). We should burn those six words into our brains because if that statement applied to Jesus, how much more must it apply to us! And it certainly applies to our ability to understand the Scriptures.
Let’s not treat Bible interpretation as if God has died and left us with instructions as to how to cope in his absence. As the disciples could ask Jesus about the meaning, so can we. Jesus said it was better that he leave because then the Holy Spirit would come and guide the disciples into all truth (John 16:7,13).
For devoted Christians, our greatest danger lies not in deliberately resisting God’s Spirit as he seeks to interpret Scripture for us. Our greatest danger is simply not seeing the need to keep asking for God’s help.
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