Read The Whole Bible Repeatedly

It was said that Benjamin Franklin wrote to his son, “My son, my advice is that you cultivate an acquaintance with and a firm belief in the Scriptures for this is your certain interest.”

That quote was not the factor why I started to read the Bible. I encountered it when I was already reading the Book and I quoted it before to encourage others to become interested also in the Bible.

Now, it's my purpose to relate to you not just why I read the Bible, but why I became interested to read through it – reading it from Genesis to Revelation. And after I finished reading the whole Book, I would start again reading it.

Actually, I started before to become interested in the Bible, because of my desire to know the events that would happen in the future – about prophecy. However, through the years of reading it, I encountered some Bible passages that shifted my desire from knowing the future events to a different, but more exciting area of desire.

Among those passages was Jeremiah 9:23-24:

“Thus says the LORD: 'Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD'” (ESV).

In Hosea 6:6, we read the Word of God in the New Century Version: “I want faithful love more than I want animal sacrifices. I want people to know me more than I want burnt offerings.”

And we are familiar with the words of Paul in Philippians 3:7-8a, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...” (ESV.)

My interest to know what would happen in the future was drowned by my overwhelming desire to become more familiar with the One who determines the future.

And that interest became more intense, when other passages in the Bible confronted me like John 17:3, wherein Jesus said: “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” For me, it was then the Biblical definition of eternal life – life that is not just eternal inhaling or exhaling of air, or eternal consciousness, but life of eternal “knowing” – knowing and becoming more intimate with God and His Son.

I was overwhelmed with the thought that we could not fully comprehend God in our lifetime. It would take an eternity to really know Him.

Reading Christians books with topic on the characters or attributes of God helped me to know God more. But, the Bible, I realized, is His Autobiography. Jesus in His prayer told His Father in the first part of verse 6 of John 17, “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world...” And in verse 26 of the same chapter, He declared: “I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

If I just read the Bible once, I told myself, I would not comprehend what Jesus would like to tell me about the Heavenly Father.

So, the first reason I read through the Bible is to know what God is revealing about Himself to me, or to become more familiar with Him.

The second reason why I read through the Bible is to feel the enjoyment of God.

Again in John 17, we read these words of Jesus to His Father in verse 13: “But now I coming to you in these things I speak in the world that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” In John 15:11, Jesus also told His disciples:

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

Those passages were spoken in different context, but in a general sense, for me, the words of Jesus or God's Word is intended for His people to experience also His joy. We read in Galatians 5:22 that joy is also the fruit of the Spirit. And Jesus declared in the last part of John 6:63, “... The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

The Psalmist declared it explicitly in Psalm 119:162-163, “Princess persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words. I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.”

Then, to experience God's joy, why do I read through the Bible, not just the Psalms, or the book of John, or some books in the Bible?

Because the third reason, but it's the most important, why I read through the Bible is that it is the very Word of God and I must value all of it.

It is not just the words of David, of John, of Paul, or other writers used by God as His “secretary.” In 2 Timothy 3:16, we read in part: “All Scriptre is breathed out by God...”

It is not just the Psalms, Proverbs, or the Gospels, but also 1^st and 2^nd Chronicles and other books that are included in the Scripture and should be regarded as the Word of God.

When I was still single, I joined my two friends in hiking that turned almost into climbing halfway on the side of Mayon Volcano. When I read through the Bible, it was not always just walking on the beach, sometimes I was walking uphill.

But, whether we walk on the beach (reading our favorite books in the Bible), or we walk on difficult ground (reading some parts of the Bible we seldom read), we need to dig, if we want to find gold (or to find the truth). It is not always easy. But, it's a thrilling and rewarding tour.

In Psalm 119:72, we read: “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” In Psalm, I noticed that “laws, rules, precepts, statutes and commandments” are used interchangeably with “the word.” So, we can read the passage, “The word of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”

And if we consider the Bible as God's Word, then, we should regard highly all of it, as we worship God in all of His attributes, natures, or characters. We regard highly not only His steadfast love, but also His justice, and righteousness.

There are other good reasons why we should read the whole Bible. But, for the meantime, let's remember the points I related.

First, to become more acquainted with God. Second, to experience His joy. And third, to value the Bible as the Word of God as a whole.

To paraphrase the words of Benjamin Franklin, “Brethren, my advise is that you cultivate an acquaintance with the Scripture and a firm resolve to read all of it, perhaps, again and again, for this is your certain interest.”