This is an excerpt from Kelly Needham’s new Bible study See for Yourself. Learn to explore Scripture with confidence and see the Bible for what it truly is—a gateway to know the living God.
The Bible is a Relational Book.
Its primary purpose is to usher us into relationship with the Author and His people. Our goal in studying the Bible isn’t to become experts on it for expertise’s sake, but to grow closer to the God it reveals. He is alive. He is knowable. Friendship with Him is possible. And the Bible shows us the way. Let’s see this principle in the pages of Scripture.
What the Old Testament Says
Let’s look at how God connects with the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, in Genesis 1:28-29 and 2:16-18. In each instance, fill in the blank with the word that immediately follows the word “God” or “Lord God.”
God ____________ them, and God __________to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” God also __________, “Look, I have given you every seed-bearing plant on the surface of the entire earth and every tree whose fruit contains seed. This will be food for you” (Gen. 1:28-29).
And the Lord God __________ the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Then the Lord God ________, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him” (Gen. 2:16-18).
Read Genesis 3:1-24 and consider how many times this chapter references God’s speech. We see clearly that the living God reveals Himself to people through speech, through His words.
What the New Testament Says
First John 1:1-3 reads as follows:
What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
What reason did John give for declaring (in written words) what he’d seen and heard? He tells us in verse 3: so that we may have fellowship with God!
Jesus made it clear to His followers what the purpose of Scripture was. Read his words in John 5:39-40 below.
You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.
He makes it clear: the primary response Jesus wanted from those who studied the Scriptures was for them to come to Him.
Meanwhile, in John 1, Jesus is referred to as the Word. In John 1:1 we see that the Word was with God, but in verse 14, the Word changes locations. Read John 1:1-18 and consider the significance of this. What does this tell you about the meaning and significance of the Word and what problem the Word came to solve?
Jesus, the Word, didn’t come to reveal something but Someone. He came to show us what God is like. His was a relational mission because words are relational.
Every Relationship is Built on Words—That’s Why the Bible Matters
We see this principle at work every day of our lives. Words connect us with people. We get to know them through words. Sure, we see other people with our eyes, but seeing alone doesn’t foster relationship. I can see pictures of celebrities all day long, but I don’t know them. I can walk the streets of a foreign country and see and hear the people there. But if I don’t understand their words, I can’t really connect with them.
Every relationship is built on words we hear and understand. Words reveal. Words express. Words expose the invisible character underneath. And that’s why words matter. That’s why the Bible matters. It’s full of words that reveal the living God to us! These words invite us to respond. They invite us into relationship.
Want to learn more about See For Yourself? Check out another excerpt here.
About Kelly Needham
Kelly Needham is a student of the Bible and COO of her home, where she lives with her husband, Jimmy, and their five children. She is the author of Purposefooled: Why Chasing Your Dreams, Finding Your Calling, and Reaching for Greatness Will Never Be Enough and Friendish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion, and has been a contributing author to other books including Faithful and Beautifully Distinct.
