Read the Word, Write the Word, KNOW the Word

The simple discipline of writing out the Scriptures has made God’s Word come alive & active to me than anything else I had done before to grow in my understanding of the Bible. 

We know that reading the Bible and studying it is a spiritual discipline and an act of worship. We read the Word to get to know God better.

In her book, Women of the Word (which is excellent by the way), Jen Wilkin’s reminds us that the Bible is a Book about God, His heart for His people, His mission and purpose, and His plans.

“The Bible is a book that boldly and clearly reveals who God is on every page. In Genesis, it does this by placing God as the subject of the creation narrative. In Exodus, it places him in comparison to Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt. In the Psalms, David extols the Lord’s power and majesty. The prophets proclaim his wrath and justice. The Gospels and Epistles unfold his character in the person and work of Christ. The book of Revelation displays His dominion over all things. From beginning to end, the Bible is a book about God.” Women of the Word, page 23

As we read and study the Bible, we clearly see God’s plan throughout the pages.

When we slow down though and spend time on each and every word through writing the Scriptures, the Word becomes alive and active in ways we could never imagine. Little things we may have missed in quick readings become highlighted and the bigger story unfolds.

In recent years, writing the Word has started to become trendy again, or a least more and more people are sharing about it. A simple search on Pinterest or Google will show tons of Scripture writing plans, as well as pre-made journals to write through certain portions of Scripture but this discipline of writing the Word has a history that can be found throughout the pages of the Bible.

Let’s turn in our Bibles all the way back in the Old Testament to Deuteronomy.

We are going to be talking about two specific passages, one very well known, that you probably have written down all over your homes, and one you have probably read before but may have skipped something so impactful. I know I had!

Let’s begin by turning in our Bibles to Deuteronomy 17: 14-20.

In the first part of this passage, God is giving instructions to the future King of Israel. He is telling his people that when they finally arrive in the Promised Land and decide that they need a King, they will want to make sure he is faithful and good.

Specifically, in verses 14-17, God is laying out certain character qualities they should look for, but what caught my attention begins in verse 18-20.

So let’s read those verses together:

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, so that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. (Deut. 17:18-20, emphasis mine)

God is essentially telling the Israelites that the King they need is one who is so committed to God’s Word, he will take the time to write it out himself.

The king is to write a copy of the laws, himself, not have his servants do it for him, which was typical.

Basically, the king would be committed to writing out the entire Pentateuch, which is the first five books of the Bible which include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Word by word, God’s law would be firmly implanted in the king’s heart so that he would know it and could lead God’s people faithfully.

This act would permanently implant the truth in his heart.

Think about it, it goes like this:

Read the Word, Write the Word, Know the Word.

And that is powerful!

And that can be so true for us in our lives too!

We can read the Word, then write it allowing it to become so implanted in our hearts we know the Word deeply and intimately.

You are probably very familiar with Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 which says:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

We are called to know the Word and to hide it in our hearts so that we can teach our children God’s Word too. In verses 8-9, we are simply told to write the Word on the doorposts of our homes so they can be firmly implanted in our hearts.

In verses 8-9, we are simply told to write the Word on the doorposts of our homes so they can be firmly implanted in our hearts.

Just as the King of Israel is to faithfully lead his people knowing God’s Word, imagine how our own families and home can be completely transformed and changed when we have the Word of God so deeply implanted in our hearts!