Today You Can Understand

Ezra 8:2, 7-8 - So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Also [those who studied and knew the Law] helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

I can see from these scriptures how it has been said by some religions that most persons will not be able to read the Bible and comprehend it, that it needs to be interpreted by someone who has studied it. This is simply not true.

Priests in the Old Testament were:

• the head of the Temple or Tabernacle.
• it was their duty to know the Laws (of Moses)
• they were the mediator(s) between the people and God.
• It was their responsibility to keep themselves consecrated before the LORD
• they offered up the animal sacrifices for the people so they could live in some form of righteousness before God.

These priest/mediators came and went because of death or through sin, so there was more than one in those days.

Enter the New Testament. A new Priest came on the scene. His name was (is) Jesus. Jesus is:

• our great High Priest.
• Because He is God He knows the Laws. He wrote them. He Himself said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." He fulfilled the Old Testament Law, those words that were spoken prophetically about Him by the Old Testament priests.
• He IS our only Mediator between God and man.
• He was consecrated--He was the holy, pure Lamb of God
• He literally became THE sacrifice so all people would become righteous before God, reconciled to God and have access to Him any time.

In the Old Testament the people were told what the Law meant, what they were to do and when they were to do it (sacrifices for various types of sin and worship). The Torah was only studied and used by the priests. It was their duty to pass this responsibility down from one generation to another within their family and to teach the common people.

Now we all have access to the Bible and we have Jesus. Through it, Old and New Testaments, He teaches of Himself and guides us to Him. After His death He provided us with the Holy Spirit that we might continue to learn and understand. It is always nice to have a clergyman to aid us in our understanding of Scripture, but we are capable quite often of comprehending if we take the time and allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit.

We can read His Word and understand. He is the Word and He wants us to understand. Through a certain amount of common sense we can comprehend the Bible, but through the power of His Holy Spirit it can be seen through spiritual eyes and come to life even more.

Allow Him into your life, be filled with the Spirit of God and receive wisdom and understanding of the things of God. It's never too late.

Ephesians 1:17 - ...That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him...