Holy Bible: Book Divine Part I

            Each Christian Heart at the sight or mention of the Bible senses the meaning of Burton’s lines: “Holy Bible, Book divine, Precious treasure, Thou are mine; Mine to tell me whence I came, Mine to tell me what I am.”  And as one journeys through its pages and behold its beauties he exclaims with Holder:

“Thy Word is like a garden, Lord,

With flowers bright and fair;

And everyone who seeks may pluck

A lovely cluster there.

“Thy Word is like a deep, deep, mine;

And jewels rich and rare

Are hidden in its mighty depths

For every searcher there.”

            With the multitude of books, magazines and other reading material that clamors for attention we are in danger of neglecting the precious Book.  We need, as a recent writer has remarked, to saturate our language with its vocabulary, our minds with its truth, our heart with its love, our conscience with its law, and our life with its spirit.  It is the “source book of culture,” and a very vital part of worth-while living.  It is as relevant to this day’s problems as it was when its messages were originally delivered.

What It Will Do

            Many assume an apologetic and timid attitude toward the Bible.  To such the testimony of Dr. Joseph R. Sizzo concerning the Bible is pertinent: “it will do for all what it did for me: lifts horizons, push back foothills, and give courage to live unashamed and unafraid.”

            Despite its wonderful diversity this “Rock divine” reveals a basic unity.  Many authors representing all grades and conditions of men across many centuries of time contributed to it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  These different personalities from many lands, and languages, are in such agreement that one is convinced that this Book is not of human origin.  To deny that it is the divinely inspired word of God involves far more difficulties for the honest inquirer than to believe that it is.

            In Psalm 119, thirty-five times one meets the expression “thy word.”  Nevertheless, the chapter contains such other terms as “thy percepts,” “thy testimonies,” “thy ways,” “the judgments of thy mouth.”  But always the Psalmist recurs to the expression, “Thy word,” which is most significant.  Whatever aspect it may present to the mind of the reader, it is ever and always: The Word of God, revealing God and His eternal divine purpose for man.

            This Book has been hated more bitterly than any other book in the world.  In some lands, to won a copy has been a serious crime, punishable by the severest persecution.  Despite that opposition it has been circulated secretly by those to whom it meant more than life itself.  To possess its own copy of the Bible has sometimes required real sacrifice by an entire family but such has been joyfully endured in order to possess this precious treasure.  Shame on us who take our Bibles for granted!

--Roy S. Nicholson