Sabbath: How to Study the Bible
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 25th of April 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study:
John 15:1-8, Mark 1:35, 1 Chronicles 16:11, Psalms 119:105, Isaiah 50:4, Isaiah 55:1-13.
Memory Text:
“ ‘So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it’ ” (Isaiah 55:11, NKJV).
Think back to when you received your first Bible. Perhaps you were a child, and it was given to you by a Christian relative. Or perhaps you purchased it yourself as an adult. However long you’ve had your Bible for (perhaps you have more than one copy), consider the value that you place on this Book. Is it one of your most precious, treasured possessions, or do you take for granted that you have the Living Word of God at your very fingertips? Do you struggle to be consistent in reading it? Have you ever wondered: Where do I start? How do I read this Book to grow closer to God?
Martin Luther said, “For a number of years I have now annually read through the Bible twice. If the Bible were a large, mighty tree and all its words were little branches, I would have tapped at all the branches, eager to know what was there and what it had to offer.”
Whether you experience a thriving, daily Bible study time, or whether your Bible mostly sits closed on a bookshelf, the reality is that we can all develop stronger Bible study times with God. This week we’ll explore some practical ways to study the Word of God better.
I have spent my whole life studying for examinations. Some people describe me as a professional student and I admit that sometimes I feel as though I have sat more examinations than most people have had hot breakfasts. Most of my study was undertaken while I was also in full-time employment. I did not study just to pass examinations; I studied to be good at my job.
One of the things that I learned very early in my student career was that it was no use just cramming your head full of facts so that you can regurgitate them in an examination. In the sciences and computing disciplines, most of the examiners had the happy knack of presenting you with problems where you had to work out the answers. you could not just write down an answer you had remembered.
Consequently, study was all about application. Learning a formula was not all that useful. (They usually provided a formula sheet in the examination anyway) You had to be able to apply formulas and principles to situations you had not previously seen. The study was all about practice in solving problems.
The “Go To” study source for many students these days is YouTube. Most YouTube videos are about as useless as an extra pair of legs on a centipede. Modern students have the notion, “I have watched YouTube, therefore I have learned!” The problem with that approach is that there is a lot more to learning than just watching. I watched a YouTube video on how to perform eye surgery. It looks easy, but watching is not application. And I am glad that my surgeon had had proper training in real situations many times before he tackled my eyes.
I think it is important to understand that the aim of Bible Study is not just to know more. It is the casebook of applications. Bible study is not about knowing more God “stuff”; it’s about extending the God relationship to others.
YES!! My brother, Mr. Maurice. What you are talking about is Discipleship! There’s so much to it, both Learning and Teaching! You could probably write a full book about it!
Also, you are so right about Youtube. Youtube (and AI) are good for basic knowledge, but when it comes to practicing what you discovered; now that’s a whole other story entirely. Learning comes with PRACTICE, like when we all learned to write our names in first grade; we had to practice writing it over and over again.
Also, I have another short example I would like to share. I’m starting a small raised-bed garden this year. I’m a first-time gardener (and I’m also in my 60s to boot). I have never grown any kind of plants from the beginning stage, only had potted planted from funerals and such, which I didn’t manage that well. So, I’ve been looking at all of these Youtube videos about gardening for the last couple of months, too many to say the least. They are all very interesting, and I’m listening to all the knowledge they are providing. But until I get my hands in there, get my hands dirty with the seeds, plants, and soil (the practicing), I will not really have LEARN anything about gardening.
We have to practice what we learn from Jesus and His word, the Bible, and then we have to share it with others. In this way, we are learning and practicing the art of giving the “Hope of Jesus” to others.
God’s blessings to everyone!!
True! To “grow in a relationship with God”, God needs to be talking to us every day, in every way and in every environment…. and He has.
But maybe, we have heard Him talking – we could be not listening, or not understanding, or not taking time to learn and apply. Why is this? Could it be how we approach the Word?
Nehemiah 8 is a great example of how The book of the Law; was studied, but first, it;s Ezra who is perfectly described in Ezra 7:10 – – this becomes very important as to why in Nehemiah 8, Ezra appears at the “ready prepared rostrum” with the book of the Law in hand, with translators and interpreters necessary to do three things (Nehemiah 8:8): 1) read distinctly from the book of the Law – clearly, 2) giving it sense – translating it, 3) helping the congregants to understand the message – interpreting it. A very sturdy study approach.
We come from understanding “the role of the Bible” and now – and correctly so – we go to “how to study the Bible”. A beautiful and welcome lesson study awaits us this week.
So much has been said and written about how to study or read the Word of God (the Bible). What does the Bible itself say about this matter? The Bible is loud and clear on this subject. Let us listen to and hear the Bible speak/talk by itself.
1. “And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, NLT)
2. “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” (Joshua 1:8, NLT)
3. The righteous man “meditates day and night” on the Word of God (Psalms 1:2)
4. “Oh, how I love your instructions! I think about them all day long.” (Psalms 119:97, NLT)
5. “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (James 1:22, NLT).
Just a quick summary of these Bible passages, the study of God’s Word is not an occasional episode but should be part and parcel of one’s life. The Bible itself calls us not to be casual readers but to engage with it with a sense of commitment and purpose.
The ultimate purpose of the Word of God—the Bible is to equip us in the service of God’s and to live as per His will. As we read the Scripture, our approach should not be casual or shod we read it merely for knowledge, but with a humble heart, asking God to teach us, shape us, and prepare us to serve Him faithfully. God’s Word is not just a collection of written texts; it is living and active, reflecting the very nature of God Himself. Because of this, reading the Bible should lead to transformation, not just information. Through it, God teaches us, corrects us, rebukes us when necessary, and trains us in righteousness so that we may grow in spiritual maturity. As it is written in Book of Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” God does not change, and neither does His truth. Since Scripture comes from God, as affirmed in Second Epistle of Peter 1:20–21, it carries His authority and truthfulness. Therefore, we can trust it completely.
I think that many people today, myself included, take the Bible for granted. We forget that people gave their lives that we might have the Bible in our own language. The medieval church tried to keep the Bible from the common people. Only the clergy were allowed to have the Bible and it was was written in Latin, the language of the medieval church. As a commoner you could be put to death if you were found to have a Bible in your possession. In fact millions were put to death for the “crime” of wanting the Bible in the language of the common people, and desiring to follow it.
The Bible isn’t a good luck charm, or amulet, yet some people treat it as one. Some have told me that they sleep better with it under their pillow, to which I respond that they would probably sleep better if they put the Bible in their head, instead of under it. Here we are in our modern day with the availability of the Bible in many different translations, even on our electronic devices, so readily accessible, and even with all that convenience, we neglect to appreciate and read it as we should. There really is no excuse. Granted life is busy and full of distractions and the human attention span has greatly dimished. When I am more consistent in Bible time, putting my face in my Father’s book, instead of Facebook, a sense of peace, purpose, and direction washes over me. There definitely is something special about this book, but it’s not about the book per se, it’s about the words in it. Other books can make you smart, but the Bible can not only make you smart, it can change your heart. Lord, help me to appreciate the sacrifices that were made that we could have your message of love in our own laguage, and help me, help us, to give your Word quality time, so that the quality of our lives and our relationships, even with you Lord, would continue to improve.
The B.I.B.L.E. yes that’s the book for me. It’s our Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth.
Tim, you wrote:
We need to remember that in medieval times, not a lot of common people were literate. Further, manuscripts were handwritten, and were very valuable. Only the rich, the courts and the church could afford to have people write out the manuscripts and they were not available for general circulation. Not a lot of people learned mathematics either. Even when moveable type and printing presses were invented, the printed Bibles were still enormously expensive. If you were literate enough to read, the only place to find a Bible was in a church, where it was typically chained to the lectern. I think it is fair to say that if a common person was caught with a Bible in medieval times, it was fair to assume that they had stolen it from a church.
You make several good points, Mr. Aston. Thank you for sharing.
The problem with reading the Bible in church was that it was written in Latin, as Tim pointed out. So for all practical purposes it was inaccessible to ordinary people, even if they could read.
Really disappointed with this weeks lesson re “How to Study the Buible.” Why? Because this lesson does NOT touch upon Isaiah 28 but for a brief comment in Mrs. Whites Comments on Tuesday:
The truths that go to make up the great whole must be searched out and gathered up, “here a little, and there a little” (Isaiah 28:10).
That is it! To rightly divide the word one MUST let the Word interpret itself. Isaiah 28 gives us only half of how this is done.
Isaiah 28:9-10 KJV Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. (10) For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
The other half is here:
Isaiah 8:20 KJV To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Daniel, I agree with your principle of comparing scripture to scripture. That is crucial. But Isaiah 28 is actually not a good passage to use to support Bible study. If you read the whole passage, you will see that vs. 10 and 13 are actually used in a very negative fashion. Many translations actually indicate that they are sort of nonsense words. The chapter is not developing principles for Bible study and we have actually misquoted these verses many times.
From the very moment I became an Adventist what I continued to hear was everything must line up like fence post. Whatever the subject is ALL verses must be in harmony, anything out of line is either misunderstood or does not belong in the study. All of this was based upon Isaiah 28. Here we find this principle discussed amongest Mrs. Whites writings:
The apostle Paul felt a deep responsibility for those converted under his labors. Above all things, he longed that they should be faithful, “that I may rejoice in the day of Christ,” he said, “that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.” Philippians 2:16. He trembled for the result of his ministry. He felt that even his own salvation might be imperiled if he should fail of fulfilling his duty and the church should fail of co-operating with him in the work of saving souls. He knew that preaching alone would not suffice to educate the believers to hold forth the word of life. He knew that line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little, they must be taught to advance in the work of Christ. { AA 206.1}
The mother is the queen of the home, and the children are her subjects. She is to rule her household wisely, in the dignity of her motherhood. Her influence in the home is to be paramount; her word, law. If she is a Christian, under God’s control, she will command the respect of her children.4 { AH 232.1}
The children are to be taught to regard their mother, not as a slave whose work it is to wait on them, but as a queen who is to guide and direct them, teaching them line upon line, precept upon precept.5 { AH 232.2}
The Lord has sent His people much instruction, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light. 103 { CSA 68.6 }
As an educating power the Bible is of more value than the writings of all the philosophers of all ages. In its wide range of style and subjects there is something to interest and instruct every mind, to ennoble every interest. The light of revelation shines undimmed into the distant past, where human annals cast not a ray of light. There is poetry which has called forth the wonder and admiration of the world. In glowing beauty, in sublime and solemn majesty, in touching pathos, it is unequaled by the most brilliant productions of human genius. There is sound logic and impassioned eloquence. There are portrayed the noble deeds of noble men, examples of private virtue and public honor, lessons of piety and purity. 1
Without following such we can make Scripture say anything we want it to say. Every doctrine, sound doctrine is like a jig-saw-puzzle. All the pieces must be found to understand it correctly. Best example is what happens when we die. There is NO other place within Scripture that tells us to use Scripture to interpret Scripture. And when we leave out the OTHER half of the principle, to the law and the testimony, we see such results in the rest of Christianity.
You have to remember that Ellen White often used scripture in a homiletic fashion. For example, she quoted the verse “Touch not, taste not” in relation to temperance but if you look at the original verse (Colossians 2:21), Paul is actually using those words to talk about people who were making extra rules for Christians. She knew the Bible very well and would use its wording in her writing. However, that fact does not make her the final authoritiy on the interpretation of the original passage. Doing this not only makes Ellen White the final authority on Scripture (which places her above the Bible) but can lead to some funny interpretations.
The principle of comparing scripture to scripture is a valid one (though we do have to remember that different authors use words differently and so need to be careful about making these comparisons between books), and I am not disputing Ellen White’s quote on studying scripture. I have to believe, however, that she is quoting the verse homiletically here too.
One thing is sure, Isaiah 28 is not a chapter about studying the Bible. Reading it through, you will see that no one is being commended. The verses about “line on line, precept on precept” are not being given to people who are serious about God. They are talking about people who are not listening to God and so they hear the prophet’s words as baby talk or jibberish. There is nothing here to commend them.
Don’t believe me – read the chapter yourself.
Christina, thank you for this valuable contribution regarding the “homiletic” quoting of Scripture. Paul did this very thing on occasion. This is fine, as long as the “homiletic” use does not conflict with the original writer’s explanation of the passage.
(As an example of misleading “homiletic” use of Scripture was a sermon entitled “The Swine Commission.” The pastor used Peter’s vision of the sheet with unclean animals to encourage the congregation to take the gospel to the “swine.” In effect, that categorized all unbelievers as “swine.” To me, that was a contradiction of God’s interpretive directive not to call anyone “unclean” and ignoring Christ’s directive not to cast the pearls of the gospel before “swine.” Matt. 7:5)
Christina, I’m not sure how you can conclude verses 10 and 13 are “nonsense” verses. 2 Tim 3:16 says otherwise.
If you have read my posts, you will know that I do not think the Bible is nonsense. I have a high regard for all parts of it. However, I believe it is crucial that we study everything in context and not proof text verses.
I do not mean that the verse is nonsense, but that the actual translation of the verse is really nonsense words. The Hebrew (according to the footnote in my Bible is “sav lasav sav lasav kav lakav kav lakav” which probably is more accurately translated as baby talk or jibberish. In fact, just reading it, you can probably see that. That’s why Eugene Peterson’s the Message, translates it as “Dah, Dah”
You will see in verse 9 and 10, the people are insulted by Isaiah’s message. They are basically saying “Who is he to talk to us like this, talking to us like we are a baby?”. And so Isaiah says in vs 11-13 “All right, God will talk to you that way, since you won’t listen to anything else. He’ll treat you like a baby since you are not listening to anything else.”
Don’t believe me – read the chapter for yourself, the whole chapter.
Of course context is important. Thanks for the clarification about what you meant by your initial remark. Blessings.
Christina IF Isaiah 28 is NOT telling us HOW to interpret using line upon line etc. show where it does in Scripture.
Also please answer this question:
Did God ever give His people something that was against them?
The people in Isaiah 28 were not really God’s people at that time, they were in rebellion against God. And so God had to work with them a certain way. And yes, God does have to give us things that aren’t good for us if we persist in rebelling. Sometimes that’s the only thing we will listen to.
I believe in comparing scripture to scripture. If we believe that all Scripture is inspired, it does not make sense to take a verse and create a doctrine out of it to the exclusion of everything else. However, I do feel that we have sometimes fallen into excess proof-texting and taking verses out of context.
What I have been told by people who know Hebrew and Greek is that the best way to be compare words to each other is to first look at how the word is used in the rest of the book (for example Romans), then look at how Paul uses the word in other books he wrote, and finally how it’s used in the rest of the Bible. This is the most trustworthy way of making sure you are not comparing apples to oranges. The danger for those of use who don’t know the original language is that we are comparing English words but sometimes two different words in Hebrew or Greek may be translated with the same English word. Or vice versa. So looking at context is really crucial. A case in point is the word “perfect” in English. It is used in many different ways in different parts of the Bible.
On the 27th you posted this:
First off when God’s people walked away from them what He did WAS indeed good for them. They had chosen another way and were suffering the consequences for their decisions in an attempt to draw they back to Him.
The rest of your response was dead on! Perfect example of what we find in Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
And here in Col 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
If we do a word search of the word ordinances in English we will NOT discover what Paul was writing about BUT if we go back to the original Greek in both the NT AND in the Greek OT we discover what he was dealing with was the ordinances of man!! Those ordinances, those traditions of men that set aside or distort a commandment of God, THEY are which are against us! God NEVER gave them a law, a commandment, a statute, a judgment etc that was against them! In fact this is what Mrs. White says about them:
I guess it depends on what you mean by “what’s good for them”. But I see what you mean.
Thanks a lot Christina, I was almost insulted at our church for raising that point, if you read the whole passage you’ll realize that it’s actually used in a negative sense.
PLease, take the time to read Isa 28 in context and in a modern translation, or even a paraphrase like The Message. This is Hebrew idiom, and has absolutely nothing to do with how we should study the Bible. In CONTEXT, Isaiah is dealing with a bunch of drunken Israelite leaders, and the text has NOTHING to do with studying scripture.
Quoting the lesson’s writer: “Have you ever wondered: Where do I start? How do I read this Book to grow closer to God?” How may ways are there to grow closer to God? Do we read the Bible like Luther – twice a year – and expect to grow closer to God? According to the lesson’s author, Luther ‘tapped the words like they where little branches, eager to know what was there and what it had to offer.” And after he found out, what did he do with this knowledge?
Is it the ‘quality’ time spent studying the Bible that helps us grow closer to God? Maybe it’s time spend with others who do this as well. Maybe its reading all types of study-help-books to enhance our understanding of Scripture? How close do these activities bring us to Him who loves us and admonished us to love Him with all our being; not holding anything back from Him?
Is there a requisite when studying Scripture in order to draw close to Him? How important is it to have the right attitude? Once truly falling in love with God’s Truth, one thirsts to understand His ‘Righteousness’ in all its applications helpful to mankind. Joy and gratitude increases with every Truth revealed to our heart and mind. Every Word is welcomed as it brightens God’s ‘Path of Righteousness’ for us to walk in. Every Truth increases the burning desire to discover and ‘know’ the Word of God more intimately – in order to be able to aply His Word of Truth to our daily life – Isaiah 55:1-13.
I received my first Bible as a birthday present from my father on my twelfth birthday. He said to me “I give you this Bible now that you’re twelve so that you can read the Word of God for yourself”. My Bible study methods have varried over time to include mostly reading it through Sabbath School study materials, sometimes letting circumstances lead me to a verse for answers,or spending time to read verses I note down.
Brother Daniel, l may not agree with that you do not agree with the heading of the lesson study”How to study the bible”
This weeks lesson l find it very interesting and educative. It points true facts of daily life.
May be it was designed for me. ‘Coz it pointing all key points to my daily life. And if l want a good relationship with God. What l have to change. And am very thankful to the person who God inspired to write this lesson. I wish l was so good in english then l would point out my points why l find it very useful , interesting and powerful massage inspired by the holy spirit.
I never said I disagreed with the lesson’s title. What my issue was with the author not bringing into the lesson Isaiah 28. While it IS mentioned in Mrs. White’s comments but NOT in the lesson itself. When I first came into the church my than pastor showed my how to applies its principles in my study habits. It opened up for me what Scripture was and is trying to teach us. Gods word IS able to interpret itself and by using that principle in Isaiah 28 proves such methods.
Studying is such a good thing. Searching through reasoning is an invitation to growth, to accomplishment, and to reward. God is an intelligent Force that motivates people to learn. There is Bible reading, and there is prayer; both are different practices with the same focus: knowledge from outside of self.