In the novel East of Eden, John Steinbeck says concerning one of its characters, Liza Hamilton, that

I was struck by the phrase “she knew it so well that she went right on reading it without listening.” I thought, “I can relate.”

Because I have probably read the Bible every day for the past 45 years, including reading it from cover-to-cover well over sixty times, I know the feeling of going “right on reading it without listening.” I pretty much know the gist of most chapters of the Bible. I am familiar with the narratives of creation, the fall of Adam and Eve, the stories of Noah, Abraham, Hagar, Moses, Ruth, the golden calf, the miracles of Jesus, his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to name a mere sample. So when I come to such passages, I am already well aware of the outcome. The book of Judges will repeat the refrain of chaos because of no king in Israel; Nehemiah will succeed in re-building the wall around Jerusalem; Solomon will conclude the vanity of life under the sun; Jeremiah’s ministry will be largely ignored; the Word will be made flesh; Jesus will graciously respond to the pleas of the Syrophoenician mother; Peter will deny the Lord three times; Jesus will suffer, be crucified, buried and rise again; the gospel will advance from Jerusalem to the uttermost; and there will be a new heaven and earth. And yet I will too often not hear a thing. I will read without listening. Ever been there? How do we avoid this? Does this matter?

Well, of course it matters! God’s word is his self-revelation by which he graciously makes himself known to his people. God’s word reveals his character, as well as his purposes and his promises—including his promised purpose to save sinners and to conform them to the image of his glorious Son (Romans 8:28–30). For this reason, we need to pay careful attention, to attune our ears to hear what the Spirit (continues) to say to God’s churches (see Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). To read without an ear to hear is to miss out on the voice of God and, among other consequences, to forfeit a deeper knowledge of and love for God. To go on reading the Bible without listening to the Bible is to forego being equipped to face our trio of enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. To read the Bible without listening to the Bible is to set us up for failure in what otherwise should be the good and victorious fight of faith.

In recent days, I learned the distressing news that a friend has disqualified himself from pastoral ministry by marital infidelity—a sin in which he engaged for many years. Even as I type those words, I am shaking my head asking, “How? Why?” I am having difficulty processing this news. I love this brother and have been blessed by his ministry. What happened? How is it possible to regularly stand behind a pulpit expounding God’s word while living a double life? At least part of the answer is by reading it without listening to it. When it comes to one’s spiritual life, apparently 20/20 vision is no guarantee against hardened hearts and paralysed eardrums. Brothers and sisters, we must beware. As the Puritans often exhorted from Proverbs 4:23, let us keep the heart. When we read and or listen to God’s word, we must engage our hearts.

Matthew Bingham has written a very thoughtful and helpful book addressing this concern. In A Heart Aflame for God, Bingham appeals to Christians to make use of what is called the “Reformation Triangle” of Scripture, meditation, and prayer. Beginning with an emphasis on reading Scripture, he argues that we need to do so meaningfully. Bingham wisely observes, “No real spiritual growth is possible apart from engagement with God’s word.” Not just reading it but rather engaging with it—truly listening to it.

If we will meaningfully engage with the Bible, we must approach Scripture with an affectionate intention to hear from the Lord (Psalm 119:18). This will require transparent thoughtfulness, including reflection (meditation) on what we are reading and then responding in prayer to God. This prayerful response need not wait until we have finished our intended Scripture portion but rather we can spontaneously pray while we read. This should become a norm. For example, the other day I was reading in Nehemiah 3, which lists all the workers on the wall. Verse 12 says that a certain “Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.” I responded with gratitude, thanking the Lord that my daughters are serving him in the local church. I then prayed for them and their husbands and children. An otherwise boring (to be honest) passage of Scripture became a means of prayerful worship. (For more on this, I recommend Donald Whitney’s excellent little book, Praying the Bible.)

The point is that we need to apply ourselves intentionally so that we avoid the folly of Liza Hamilton who, when it came to holy Scripture, “came to a point where she knew it so well that she went right on reading it without listening.” Though Steinbeck’s character is fictional, this error is far too real. Therefore, may we seek the Lord and prayerfully and intentionally engage with God’s word so that we actually hear what we might otherwise merely read.

Doug