Rehydration

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus. (Romans 15:4-5)

When I look at many of the original words behind this text and ponder the implications and inferences of it I am a little bit overwhelmed and excited about how much there is in such a small space. It is clear that there is no way I can unpack and consider all of them in just one session. These verses are rich with meaning and application and are ripe just waiting to be picked and savored.

I find so many surprises when I look at the original Greek. It is sad that I cannot read the Bible in its original languages with training and experience. Like one professor tried to explain, “reading the Bible in any other language besides the original is like trying to enjoy ice cream with a sock on your tongue.” But while I'm quite sure he is very correct about that and I am likely missing a great deal due to my limited abilities, I still deeply appreciate the opportunity that modern technology provides today for anyone to be able to quickly use a computer to examine, at least in a cursory way, what might be lurking beneath the surface by looking at the definitions of each word and then allowing the Holy Spirit to rehydrate the Word of God in the heart of any true seeker.

Now that I think of it, that is part of what this text is really talking about. These two verses back to back make it absolutely clear that it is God who is using the Scriptures to fill our hearts and minds with the truths that create the attitudes or emotions or building materials of the life described here as perseverance and encouragement. It is not enough to just expose ourselves to an intense study of the Scriptures if the heart is not in tune and open to listen to the original Author and Inspirer of the Word. While that does happen far too frequently, if we want to be transformed into the image and likeness of the true God who is goodness, compassion and truth personified, then we will only experience that transformational experience by inviting the Spirit who is part of that Godhead to speak to our hearts as well as our minds while we do our digging in the rich soil of the Word of God.

According to this text it looks to me like that is the very purpose why God provided the Scriptures for us. And based on this revelation it could be assumed that to build my spiritual assumptions and experience on anything other than a diligent exploration of the Scriptures is similar to building a house on the beach with no foundation – and in Galveston no less, if you have heard anything current in the news lately.

When I took a look at the word for instruction I sensed that this was one of those times I wish I had been trained in the original language so I could perceive even more of what might be implied here. But since I don't enjoy that privilege I will share what I do see from the definition of this word.

The Strong's definition for this Greek word is: instruction (the function or the information):–doctrine, learning, teaching. At first glance this appears to be rather left-brain heavy on its emphasis. But then as I looked at it closer I noticed that phrase the function or the information. Now, I have to admit that I am bringing my own bias somewhat to what I am seeing here. But I don't think it is out of line to believe that God fully intends to restore and rewire both the left brain and the right brain in His work of restoration and transformation. So what I am seeing here is a reference to both the right brain – the function of the information – and the left brain – the information for the function. Maybe that is stretching it some, but given the context of how God has been training me over the past few years I can't help but see this interesting point here. However, I will concede that this word seems to be heavier on the information side which also may fit the context.

As I have written about sometime back, I believe that the Scriptures are analogous to freeze-dried, powdered high energy foods that are designed for preservation and safety for very long periods of time. What I pointed out was that when a person desires to reconstitute those foods for proper consumption to enjoy the nutrition and flavors that were in the original foods, it is critical that one uses the proper liquids to rehydrate them. Otherwise a person would come to all sorts of false opinions about the nature or flavors of the original foods and might even consider them toxic or dangerous depending on the content of the liquids used.

Let me use another simplistic analogy. Years ago I took a construction class in college and learned that one of the ways schools teach block-laying it to mix oil with dry cement to make mortar for laying blocks instead of using water. The reason for doing this is so that the mortar will not set up very hard and the blocks can easily be taken apart after the students have had a chance to practice their growing skills on how to use the various tools of the trade.

However, if a person were to observe such a practice and not realize that oil was never intended to be the proper liquid designed for re-hydrating the dry cement for its intended purposes, that person might easily assume that mortar was not a valid substance for building block walls and would likely turn away from the use of cement mortar to look for more reliable adhesives to hold blocks together. But the problem was not that cement is invalid as a building material but that the liquid used to reconstitute the cement was not the water that was the very ingredient removed from the cement to begin with and is needed to re-hydrate the dry mix.

Likewise, the Scriptures are like condensed, powdered milk. Even the Bible uses the analogy likening the Word of God to milk in 1 Corinthians and in Hebrews. But in order to benefit from the original intent of that milk it is vitally important to reconstitute it with the water of life which is the same Holy Spirit that inspired that Word originally. Otherwise the word may appear on the surface to be the right food but it may easily contain toxic, deceptive elements slipped in by the father of lies who is always eager and ready to supply counterfeit liquids or spirits that cause us to get spiritually sick or even delirious from improper use of the Scriptures.

This, I believe, is why the very next verse emphasizes that it is God, the Author of the Scriptures, that is the one who is to teach and supply us with what we need through the use of the Scriptures in our lives. And how do we know if we are listening to the right God as we study the Scriptures? When the outcome of our exposure or ingestion of those passages results in the experience described throughout the very next words.

We will have hope.

We will begin to have more and more the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.

We will be in one accord.

With one voice we will glorify God the Father.

We will be accepting of one another as described in the previous chapters.

We will reflect the servant spirit that Jesus revealed while here on earth.

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