How to Read the Bible for More than Information
How do you think the first dictionaries were created? I recently read a book called, “The Dictionary People: The Unsung Heroes Who Created the Oxford English Dictionary,” by Sarah Ogilvie. Here’s Amazon’s description of the book:
The Oxford English Dictionary is one of mankind’s greatest achievements, and yet, curiously, its creators are almost never considered. Who were the people behind this unprecedented book? As Sarah Ogilvie reveals, they include three murderers, a collector of pornography, the daughter of Karl Marx, a president of Yale, a radical suffragette, a vicar who was later found dead in the cupboard of his chapel, an inventor of the first American subway, a female anti-slavery activist in Philadelphia . . . and thousands of others.
Of deep transgenerational and broad appeal, a thrilling literary detective story that, for the first time, unravels the mystery of the endlessly fascinating contributors the world over who, for over seventy years, helped to codify the way we read and write and speak. It was the greatest crowdsourcing endeavor in human history, the Wikipedia of its time.
The Dictionary People is a celebration of words, language, and people, whose eccentricities and obsessions, triumphs, and failures enriched the English language.
For a word nerd like me, this was the most fascinating story to read. The compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary was a massive crowdsourcing project, chalk full of volunteers who sent in slips of paper with words (and supporting information relating to each word) that could be used in the dictionary. Each slip contained the word itself, the date/author/title of the book it came from, and the exact quotation (or sentence) where the word was used.
As I read the book, it often used the phrase, “reading for the dictionary.” For example:
- Smith stopped reading for the dictionary when he underwent surgery the following spring.
- She loved medical books and read them for the dictionary, submitting thousands of slips with medical terms between _____ and _____.
- During her years reading for the dictionary, Johnson was a top contributor, second only to Reagan himself.
What an interesting concept to consider—reading for the dictionary. As I made my way through “The Dictionary People,” learning more and more about how early dictionaries came together, I could picture dictionary “readers.” When they read for the dictionary, they approached the book with a certain mindset. They weren’t reading to just enjoy a story or to learn new information about a specific topic. And they weren’t reading because they were being forced or paid to… This was a volunteer gig! These unsung heroes, as Ogilvie called them, were very specifically reading to find words they deemed worthy of submitting for the dictionary. Then, they recorded the accompanying information that was required to be on the slip.
I suppose we always have a purpose behind our reading. Do you agree? You might read for pleasure, for a school/work requirement, or to learn more about a specific topic. You might read because it relaxes you, because you’re trying to set a good example for someone, or because you need an escape from reality. The reason doesn’t really matter!
However, I would suggest that the reason does matter when you’re reading the Bible. Be honest with yourself for a minute… Whenever you sit down and open up God’s Word, why are you doing it? Are you hoping to build a bank of Biblical knowledge? Are you flipping to the stories that recount amazing miracles because you simply enjoy reading those parts? Are you reading the Bible to check off an item on your daily to-do list? Are you doing it because it feels like someone is forcing you? What an interesting thing to consider.
Digging deep to name your own motivation for reading the Bible is not just interesting, though, it’s crucial, I believe. If a dictionary reader had committed to sending in slips for the dictionary, but then just opened a fun romance story and read/enjoyed it, she would not accomplish the task at hand. And while I don’t like thinking about reading God’s word as a task, I do know that if I don’t open those holy pages with the right mindset, it won’t be able to transform me as God desires.
According to Scripture, the Bible can teach, rebuke, correct, train and equip us for doing good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17). It also teaches us endurance while offering encouragement and hope (Romans 15:4). The Bible offers blessing to those who read it (Revelation 1:3), and it can lead people to Christ (Acts 8:26-38). Did you notice that everything mentioned here impacts a person’s heart, mindset, actions and lifestyle? We should read the Bible FOR TRANSFORMATION!! Encountering the Word of God should be life-changing, sometimes in big ways and sometimes just in small ways.
How big? You might read the Word and decide it’s time to change jobs or finally forgive your family member after holding a grudge for 25 years.
How small? You could be convicted about being more patient with a friend, or maybe you’ll find the encouragement you need to be joyful in all circumstances.
I challenge you to check your mindset and heart posture next time you open God’s Word. You should not stay the same after reading and studying the Bible. Remind yourself that you’re reading Scripture so that God can teach you about Himself. He wants to spend time with you and then mold and shape you into being more like Him. Don’t just read the Bible to gain Biblical knowledge or to enjoy the exciting stories. Read for transformation. …and then that’s exactly what will happen! You will be transformed. 🙂