Bible Study:
The Word of God and the Power of God
“You know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.” (Mark 12:24).
Read: Mark 12:18-27; Jeremiah 4:22, 5:21; Psalm 62:11-12.
What is God Saying?
Here (Mark 12:18-27) the Sadducees are talking with Jesus. Well, they are not really talking but trying to get Him into a corner in order to bolster the premises of their own disbelief in such things as immorality, heaven, spirits and angels. They claimed they knew the Scriptures. They respected the Mosaic Law. They could point to the fact that there was no evidence for immorality in the early books of the Bible. One thing that was especially ridiculous to them was this talk about the Resurrection. To support their position they must trap Jesus, this new Teacher who was gaining in the popularity polls and whose balloon they must prick.
They brought forward an exaggerated case of seven brothers who died. Each successive brother took to wife the childless widow of his preceding brother. This was according to the law of Levirate marriage found in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. “Now tell us, great Teacher whose wife will she be in this Heaven you are always talking about?” Jesus answered by saying that they had a mistaken idea of heaven, a false understanding of Scripture and were total strangers to the power of God.
Jesus said, “You say you know the Scriptures, but you don’t. God said in these Scriptures, ‘I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac and Jacob.’ Does that sound like one who is the God of the dead? No, you are wrong. He is the God of the living: (Mark 14:27). Isaiah in their Scripture wrote, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for him” (Isaiah 64:4). Read Paul’s magnificent words of beauty and hope found in 1 Corinthians 2:9, God is preparing a place far beyond the crassly materialistic puzzle posed by the Sadducees who would rather quibble than believe, who would rather test the Teacher than accept His words.
How Does It Apply To Us?
This kind of question is like the argument of medieval times which asked how many angels could dance on the point of a pin. This question, “Seven brothers for one bride and immorality” in which the questioner has no belief anyway presents no problem for us. It is ridiculous. This fact shines, “If we don’t know Scripture and respect it as God’s loving and wise communication, if we are just hearers and not doers, we will miss the power of God. They go together – not knowing (not listening, not caring, not accepting) Scriptures and not experiencing God’s power in our lives. Ignorance of the Word and lack of power go hand in hand.
Pray With Me
Dear Lord, by Your Spirit You have made known to us Your perfect desire and plan. We may read it clearly in the written Scriptures and in the living Christ. I thank You, Lord, for showing this to me over and over again – the power of God and the Word of God go together.
- To search Your Word is to find Your power.
- To receive Your Word is to accept Your power.
- To believe Your Word is to be filled with Your power.
- To obey Your Word is to move with Your power.
- To speak Your Word is to persuade with Your power.
O God, it is wonderful to know where Your power is to be found. It is wonderful to know how, through faith and obedience, Your power becomes my power. There have been times when my heart was open but the Book was closed. Other times, the Book was open but my heart was closed. Now, Lord, I count on this – Power comes when the Book and the heart are open.
Jesus condemned the earthly-minded Sadducees because they did not know the Scriptures and so did not know the power of God. Let me not fall into the same error … hearing but not doing, reading but not heeding. I don’t want to be simply acquainted with the living, powerful Word of God. I want to experience it.
Since in Jesus Christ the Scriptures come to life, and since through Jesus Christ, I may know the power of God, my prayer is in His name. Amen.
Moving on In The Life of Prayer
- Make sure that when the Book is open, your heart is not closed.
- Make sure that when your heart is open, the Book is not closed.
As we continue in prayer we must ask for better understanding of the Word. Power in prayer and power in life, the power of God, power from God goes hand in hand with knowing the Scripture.
Used with permission.From the book:
First Light: Morning Conversations with God.