Publisher
Habit # 2: Diligent Study
Habit # 2:
Diligent Study
The Seven Spiritual Habits of a Maturing Messianic Jewish Faith
Repeating the Series Theme:
Discipline is an active pursuit toward personal development.
Spiritual Discipline is living out G-d's expectations for his people to learn of him
and to actively accustom themselves to living their lives his way!
To know G-d we must study his revealed Instruction to us: the Scripture. We need to study it
daily on our own or with others. A good practice is to read sequentially three chapters a day with
the goal of completing the whole Bible in one year. Besides just reading, it is important to also
meditate and memorize smaller portions of Scripture to gain a deeper understanding of specific
teaching and for personal application for one's life.
Big Idea: Knowing G-d means knowing his Instruction!
I) Have Confidence: Know that the Scriptures are True!
1) What do we think of the Scriptures ourselves? How would you describe
the Scriptures to others who might not be followers of Messiah Yeshua?
2) How do many people commonly view the Scriptures?
a) They hold the misconception that the Scriptures are full of Myths -
Jonah and the whale, Creation, Sampson (they compare the Scriptures to
Greek Mythology)
Correction - The Scriptures claim to be historical and the people cited
are claimed to be real; Greek Mythology doesn't claim historicity while
the Scriptures do, and they have been supported by archeology and
history (Ex: Pontius Pilate, Nebuchadnezzer and Beltschezzar - I
Corinthians 15:14-19;
b) They hold the misconception that believing in the Scriptures is a
total leap of "blind faith" - There is this view that the Scriptures are
not verifiable or supported historically
Correction - The Scriptures purport to be historical and have
consistently proven to be historically reliable - I Corinthians 15:1-6;
Daniel fragments were found in Caves 1& 4 among the Dead Sea Scrolls
& prove a very early date for authorship; Daniel's Historical
knowledge of Babylonian & Persian Politics of the 6th Century has
been recently proven to be incredibly accurate; Daniel's Hebrew and
Aramaic as well as Greek & Persian loan words are consistent with a
6th Century authorship date.
c) They hold the misconception that the Scriptures teach only of love
and peace - People only want to believe that the Scriptures speak
positively and not about G-d's Holiness and justice.
Correction - The Scriptures do not teach universalism: The G-d of the
Scriptures claims alone to be the only true G-d! - Isaiah 37:17-20
3) How did the Scriptures come about?
a) G-d had people to write them down (Jer 36:1-4; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Pet 3:15-16)
b) G-d had people collect them\preserve them (Dan 9:1-2; Prov 25:1; Col 4:16
i. All the books of the Hebrew Scriptures were found in Qumran except for Esther
ii. The Council of Yavneh in approx 90CE confirmed our current Hebrew Scriptures Canon
iii.The New Testament books as we have them today, minus 2 Peter and 3 John, were considered Scriptures by the mid 2nd Century.
4) How does the Scripture describe itself?
a) Exodus 24:3-4 (Moses wrote down all the instructions from G-d for the people to remember and do - Read also Deut 31:24-26; )
b) Psalm 19 (This Psalm especially in verses 8 through 10 focus on the perfection of G-d's Scripture)
c) Psalm 119:97-112 (This section of Psalm 119 speaks of G-d's Scripture as being practical and helpful for life)
d) II Timothy 3:16 (All of Scripture is inspired by G-d)
5) How can we better defend the Scriptures to those around us? Study!
a) II Timothy 2:15 (Proactively study and apply the text to our lives,
and think on it so that when people have questions, we have answers.
Avoid worthless controversy)
b) Acts 17:10-12 (People studying the texts for themselves to know the truth)
II) Study, Memorize and Meditate: Know G-d's Word by Concentrating on It
a) Memorize - Psalm 119:11
b) Study - 2 Timothy 3:14-15
c) Meditate - Psalm 119:15; 23, 27
Josephus - "We have given practical proof of our reverence for our
own Scriptures. For, although such long ages have now passed, no one has
ventured either to add, or to remove, or to alter a syllable; and it is
an instinct with every Jew, from the day of his birth, to regard them
as the decrees of G-d, to abide by them, and if need be, cheerfully to
die for them." (Against Apion 1.42f)
Application: G-d has given us His Scripture. It has come
to us to provide guidance and encouragement to follow G-d in a godless
world. This study has sought to explain in a simple way why it is
reasonable to believe that the Scriptures are true.
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| Category: The Seven Spiritual Habits of a Maturing Messianic Jewish Faith | Added by: admin (03.10.2010)
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