Have Ye Not Read?
"And there came unto him Pharisees, trying him, and saying, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said, HAVE YE NOT READ....?" (Matthew 19:3, 4 ASV)
Christ's affirmation of His Father's law for marriage and the home not only caused the Pharisees to think, but to try and rebut Him with another question. Oftentimes (and far too many) when questioned concerning a point of law or doctrine we are too quick to react and do so by responding based upon "what we feel," or "Brother...says," or "I think that...," or "I was taught that...," or "My parents always said," rather than heeding the four simple, painful, passionate, yet piercing words of Christ, "HAVE YE NOT READ?"
Our lack of reading, examining, studying, searching and prayerful mediation is evident. There are so many, within the blood-purchased body of our Lord teaching error - by our elderships, in our classrooms and from our pulpits. We note this error being taught relative to instrumental music, fellowship, marriage, divorce and remarriage, separation and humanism, etc. It seems that we have some who cannot see through these teachings, much less (and there is a difference!) able to refute the false teachings, doctrine (cf. Acts 8:20-22; Mark 6:18; 1 John 4:1).
Paul wrote to Timothy, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). It was daily that the Bereans examined the word with "all readiness of mind" (Acts 17:11). Moses, inspired by God, wrote that we are to study and meditate on every occasion (Deuteronomy 6:6-9), while the Psalmist wrote, "It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
We need a resurgence in our commitment. Indeed, we need an acceleration and exaltation in our pledge and promise to Christ, His church, our ability to defend the truth, in recognizing error and in our study, so that in all things we may "speak the oracles of God" (1 Peter 4:11), be able to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15), and be able to offer the soul saving answer of and for our Lord (1 Peter 3:15).
I pray to God that He will allow us another day to turn away from the ways of the world and prove that which is good and acceptable (Romans 12:2). I pray also that we will become a people filled with love and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), and proclaim with John, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, almighty, who was and who is and who is to come" (Revelation 4:8). If not, we could very well face the eternal risk (as we will, some day, stand before the throne of God Almighty, (cf 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:10-12; Revelation 20:11-15) hearing our Father say, "HAVE YE NOT READ?"
From our Archives, Adapted from the Gospel Hill bulletin.