Is The Bible Just Poetry?

Tom:

Thanks, Gary.You’re listening to Search the Scriptures Daily, a program in which we encourage everyone who desires to know God’s truth to look to God’s Word for all that is essential for salvation and living one’s life in a way that is pleasing to Him.In this first segment of our program we’re continuing our series on the EmergingChurch movement.Last week we addressed what I believe is the most serious problem with this movement that is capturing the imagination of increasing numbers of young evangelicals between the ages of 18 and 30, and that problem is its regard for the Scriptures, or should I say its lack of regard for the Scriptures as the inerrant, completely sufficient and authoritative Word of God.As we learned last week from some EmergingChurch leaders, the Bible is better used as poetry or as a stimulus for our feelings or emotions, but certainly not as an instruction manual.Dave, here’s a quote again, Rob Bell.Rob Bell is an EmergingChurch leader.We quoted this last week, but I think it’s important to go over—

Dave:

Now, Tom, this would be what they would all agree with.Is that right?

Tom:

Well, that’s part of the problem, Dave, because sometimes people accuse us of using a broad brush.There are lots of Emerging Churches out there and some are into it for this and into it for that and haven’t quite gotten up to speed, so you can’t really say they’re all doing this.But, basically, the writers of this, they would be in agreement.I have a book I may quote from today, An Emergent Manifesto, written by a number of EmergentChurch leaders.

Dave:

I’ve read it, but that’s what I meant, that the leaders are all in agreement on this.

Tom:

I would say, and if there are some that have objections to it, they would be going against the crowd, as it were.But here’s a quote.Again, Rob Bell: “and while I’m at it, let’s make a group decision to drop once and for all the Bible as owner’s manual metaphor.”It’s terrible.It really is.Dave, in addition, there’s an interview, both Rob Bell and his wife Kristen did an interview for Christianity Today and she expands on her husband’s “Bible as instruction manual complaint.”She says, “I grew up thinking that we figured out the Bible, that we knew what it means.Now, I have no idea what most of it means, and yet I feel life is big again.Like life used to be black and white and now it’s in color.”Now, let me give you one more quote.This is from Leonard Sweet.He says, “People today are starved not for doctrines but for images and relationships and stories.”Well…

Dave:

Tom, this is not only foolishness—which it is.Stories?Images?We’ve talked about that many times in the past.

Tom:

Interpretations based on your feelings.

Dave:

What is an image going to do for you?Remember the old saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words.”Well, that’s because you can’t tell what it means, so you’ve got a thousand different people who are all interpreting it.Talk to the art critics.You know more about that than I do, Tom.

Tom:

Well, Dave, you know the saying, “well, I don’t know anything about art, but I know what I like.”So again, it’s so subjective, it’s so experiential.

Dave:

Right.So now we are literally, I’m sorry, they are literally turning their backs on God and upon His Word.God gave us His Word.Didn’t He?He gave it to us for instruction and doctrine, reproof, correction and now we’re saying, “No, that’s not what we want.We want images, we want feelings, we want emotions, and we want stories.”

Tom:

Well, Dave, is this not what Moses, when He led the Israelites out of Egypt, isn’t that when he said, “hey, let’s get into some images, let’s get into something visual?”

Dave:

Yeah, well, that’s what Aaron said.He made a golden calf.

Tom:

Right.But what’s really interesting about that, anybody, and we encourage our listeners, our viewers to, the name of the program is “Search the Scriptures Daily.”Don’t just buy into what we say.We want to encourage people to check us out.Check everything out according to the Scriptures.

“It is written.”

Dave:

And, Tom, why do we do that?Because this is God’s Word.

Tom:

Right.So, Dave, Moses, if somebody will go to Exodus and read what’s taking place there.Moses, through God, is giving them instructions.They are to do this.Go to Deuteronomy, I mean, particularly Deuteronomy, Leviticus, Numbers, these are instructions.This is the Instruction Manual.Because God wanted to separate the Israelites from the pagan nations around them, and they needed to know what God wanted them to do, how they were to live, and so on.

Dave:

And the pagan nations were all into images.

Tom:

Right.

Dave:

They were all into idols, and this is why God said, You will not make an image, andyou will now bow down to it, because there is no way that you can depict the eternal God in the visible form.

Tom:

And Dave, it’s not just idols, but God condemned the rituals, and so on.And that’s what we see today.We’re going to get into that, by the grace of God, in the programs coming up.We’ll get into it in more depth, but what I would like to do right now, Dave, is kind of shift gears.I get tired of quoting these guys.You know, you say it makes you angry, some of the things they are saying.But let’s quote some scripture here.Let’s go to Proverbs, chapter 4.We have quoted, you have, the last couple of weeks, Proverbs chapter 4 verse 7, but I want to go to Proverbs chapter 4.I’m going to start with verse 1, and just go through, we’re not going to read them all, but most of them in chapter 4.Then I want you to comment, so just jump in as the Lord leads you here.Proverbs chapter 4, and again, what I’m trying to do, these were written by Solomon under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and we want to compare that with some of the quotes that I just gave and that we gave last week.Proverbs chapter 4 verse 1:“Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.”Oh, doctrine, Dave, instruction.“For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words:keep my commandments, and live.”

Dave:

Now, Tom, I think a quite a bit of the Book of Proverbs was really David’s words which he taught to his son Solomon.But anyway, that’s beside the point, because this is the instruction from the Holy Spirit.

Tom:

Right.And not only Solomon to his son Rehoboam, and we know how that turned out, he didn’t heed his father’s words, but as you said, for us.So Verse 5:“Get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.”

Dave:

These are words.

Tom:

Not drawings, not images, not models of this.

Dave:

Right.I probably mentioned this before, but let’s—a little instruction here would be helpful.Words are not physical, ideas are not physical, doctrine is not physical, holiness, purity, being filled with the Spirit, submission to the Lord— How are you going to depict that in visible form?You cannot do it.And the illustration I often use is, if I say justice, you know what I am talking about.What does it weigh, what does it smell like, what’s its texture, what does it sound like?It has nothing to do with the 5 senses that are involved in this physical world.And if you try to make ideas, to express ideas in that form, you are going astray and especially if you try to express God.Now, God is the One who is—He gave us the capacity for words.And how many times have we quoted Mortimer J. Adler, who says, how long ago did I read that book, 50 years ago at least, and in his book, The Difference of Man and the Difference It Makes.Remember, he was an atheist, but he was willing to face the facts, and he said, “The one thing that you cannot argue with, that separates man from all animals, all lower creatures, is the ability to form conceptual ideas and to express them in speech.”Now, a conceptual idea is not something that you can draw a picture of, but you can express it in words.And God has expressed his doctrines, his truth, I mean truth, what does it weigh, what’s its texture, and so forth?No, this is something that God has given us the capacity to comprehend.“With all your wisdom get understanding” you are probably going to get to that verse here.What is understanding?See, these people are turning away from that.They don’t want to understand—Oh, I thought I knew what the Bible was about—well, now I don’t hardly understand anything in the Bible.”Really?The Bible is written for your understanding.If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God.And that’s what this is all about, it is not about feelings!

Tom:

Well, Dave, if I have understanding, then I’m obligated, right?I’m accountable for what I understand and what I know.But if I can massage all those things around, you know, I can keep pushing it off and pushing it off, and getting around it.

Dave:

You can’t get around truth, and it is expressed in words.It involves some doctrine, it has some form, not a physical form but you cannot escape truth!Truth is objective.It can be expressed in speech.It can’t be expressed any other way, it’s an idea, it’s non physical.And Tom, this has such repercussions, because we live in an age when it is very important to understand this—materialism.These guys are materialists.They may talk about the Spirit, may talk about feelings or whatever—

Tom:

And mystery and so on.

Dave:

Right, but they are materialists! Because they think the only way you can get to this is through an icon or a candle, some visible—

Tom:

Sensuality.

Dave:

Right.So when you take that route you are on the downward path to paganism, like you have already become a pagan.

Tom:

Dave, I’m going to go back to verse 5, so we keep this in context.If you just joined us this is Proverbs Chapter 4, and I’m picking up with verse 5:“Get wisdom, get understanding” reinforce the emphasis the Word of God has about this.

Dave:

Understanding, that’s the thing they say they don’t have.

Tom:

Right.And it says:“Forget it not.”So obviously, from God’s perspective, because this is inspired by the Holy Spirit, they are able to get these things.It’s possible, but the EmergingChurch, the mystics, the contemplatives say, “Oh, no, no, no, God is infinite, you know, he is transcendent, we can’t understand Him, we can only experience Him.”That’s bogus!

Dave:

Well, God says in—there are certain key verses, but there are many verses that say the same thing.But I will quote again:Jeremiah:9:23Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
See All..., 24:“Let not the wiseman glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:But let him that glorieth glory in this”—I came into his bedroom last night and he got all goose bumpy, it was really fabulous, just this feeling, I never felt—No, God says, “Let him glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me.”Now God puts understanding first.Now how are you going to understand the infinite God?Well, he wants to reveal Himself to us, not just in feelings, but in truth.And we worship the Lord; he that worships the Lord must worship him in Spirit and in truth.

Tom:

Right.Dave, continuing with verse 5:“Forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.”

Dave:

Now Tom, let me interrupt again.“Forget it not” apparently it doesn’t change, apparently it is something we can know, and we retain it in our mind and in our hearts.And you don’t just make it up, and it doesn’t change.Okay?But these people want to change everything.

Tom:

Right.Well, they say it no longer applies, or it has to be in a certain context.I mentioned last week we are going to get into contextual theology, but that may be next week or the week after, depending on how long it takes for us to get through this.But going on, Verse 6:“Forsake her not, (referring to wisdom) and she shall preserve thee:love her, and she shall keep thee.”Sounds to me like wisdom is a good thing, Dave.

Dave:

Right.

Tom:

And of course, Verse 7:Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Dave:

Sounds like God wants us to understand, not just to have feelings, but to have understanding.In fact, He wants to reveal himself.And oh well, they say, we want to get to know God.How?Just with some feeling?No, He wants us to understand Him.

Tom:

And what are the benefits?Verse 8:“Exalt her, (and talking again about wisdom) and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.”“She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.”“Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.”“I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.”When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened (that is, hindered); and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.”You know, you go through life and you’re going to make choices, why not have the wisdom of God.What He says is the right thing to do.Not that it can always be that easy, but what are the benefits?Well, I am just going over them.“Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go:keep her; for she is thy life.”

Dave:

Tom, this is one of the things that characterizes most children, young people, we don’t like instruction, we don’t like rules, we don’t like to be corrected.Do you know anybody who says, “Oh please correct me.”Well, I’ll say that, please correct me.But most people don’t want to be corrected.It’s not easy for a husband to correct his wife—whoops, let’s just be careful now, or the wife to correct her husband.Well, take it easy now; we don’t want to offend one another.And we should be careful.But most people do not want instruction.Try it with a little child.One of the first things you see in a little child; you see that maybe it’s working a little puzzle or something, and you see it’s just getting nowhere and you want to help it.No, no, I want to do it!And that is built into us.And Solomon is giving wisdom to his son.

Tom:

And Solomon is going to address those very things, Dave.I want to pick up with Verse 20:Solomon goes on, “My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.”Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.”“For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.”Now Dave, this next verse, I know it’s a verse that you’ve taught on quite a bit.Verse 23:“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Dave:

Well, Tom, we have a book called, What Love is This?Calvinism, we have several books about Calvinism, another one, Debating Calvinism, another one, Honest Doubts Resolved.This is a very important subject, because they deny, Calvin himself denied, and the Calvinists deny that we really have the power of choice, we’re totally depraved, we couldn’t possibly choose, and so forth.Now if you go through the Old Testament, which the Calvinists ignore, avoid, seventeen times it talks about a free will offering.It talks about you bring an offering to the Lord it must be of your own voluntary will.He goes into this over and over, and the word heart is used over and over.For example, Romans:10:9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
See All...:“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead- and you remember Philip when the Ethiopian wanted to be baptized, he says, Why can’t I be baptized, or What must I do to be baptized?And Philip says:“If you believe with all your heart.”What does that have to do with what we are talking about?Well, we understand in the heart.God wants us to understand him.How can I believe something that I don’t understand?It’s impossible!It’s like Andrew Murray, many years ago, he said:“You cannot receive from God what you do not perceive he is offering you.”We have to have some understanding, and it is very important to faith.How can I believe, how can I live by faith if I’m just kind of out there in space, going by my feelings?This is what the Bible is about.This is the relationship God desires with mankind.This is life eternal that they might know thee, the only true God.And Tom, the EmergingChurch leaders are just throwing all of that out and saying, “Well, I thought I understood, or I thought I knew the Bible, but no, no, we’ve got to throw all of that out.”

Tom:

Dave, all we’re asking, and for churches that are getting into this, check these things out.What are they saying, and how does it relate to what the Word of God says?For example, the Verse that you just went over; “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”That means choices are going to be made from the heart.Well, let’s go on with Verse 24.Then God tells us what happens with regard to the choices that we make.Verse 24: “Put away from thee a froward mouth (that is like a back talking mouth) and perverse or contrary lips put far from thee.”“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.”“Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.”Well, how would that be if I don’t have a reference point, if I don’t have what God has told me to do, as the instructions he has given me.

Dave:

And so we have Psalm 119:“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”Or Psalm:119:9(BETH.) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
See All...:“Wherewithal shall a young man (and these people are reaching a lot of young people, they want to get into all of this stuff) “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way.”“By taking heed thereto according to thy Word.”And that’s what I am supposed to hide in my heart, and this is where God reaches me is in my heart.“Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”So Tom, it’s pretty clear if we are willing to follow the scriptures.

Tom:

Well, Dave, it doesn’t look like they are willing.For example, in addition to the quotes that I gave by Rob Bell, he goes on to say, and I have numerous quotes along this line by many other EmergingChurch leaders.He says, “We have to embrace the Bible as the wild, uncensored, passionate account it is of people experiencing the living God.”Now, the Lord willing, we are going to get into that.What does he mean, “The wild, uncensored, passionate account”?We’ll check that out next week end.

Dave:

I don’t know where that would be in the Bible.I’ll be interested to hear.