Revelation of God’s Word
“The entrance of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).
This verse in the Biblica Yoruba Bible (BYB) reads, “Ìṣípayá ọrọ rẹ̀ mú ìmọ́lẹ̀ wá; ó fi òye fún àwọn òpè,” which translates to, “The revelation of Your words brings light; it gives understanding to the ignorant or inexperienced.”
The more I meditate on this verse, the more I believe BYB captures what was in the writer’s spirit. When human knowledge is compared to that of God, we are all ignorant or foolish. First Corinthians 1:25 says, “The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” We only know what God graciously reveals to us. “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever that we may do all the words of this law” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
How does revelation come?
1. By intimate friendship with God
The disciples spent time with Jesus, and He revealed Himself to them. When the Pharisees wondered why they were so bold, knowing they never went to school, they concluded they had been with Jesus.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
Revelation does not come from the number of degrees you have earned or books you have read. It does not come with your understanding of Hebrew or Greek, but by developing an intimate relationship with Christ. Intimacy will cause us to spend quality time with Him.
The Psalmist says, “The secret of the LORD is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant” (Psalm 25:14). Those who fear God obey and reverence Him—just as you would not reveal a secret or password to a casual friend or someone who has no respect for what you love or value.
Moses’ desire was to be intimate with God, and he prayed, “Show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” Therefore, God made known His ways to Moses, but others saw His acts. Moses was intimate with God.
Apostle Paul’s determined goal for life was to become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Christ. See how he puts it in Philippians 3:10 (AMPC):
[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply
and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of
His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the
power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share
His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death,
[in the hope].
Some Christians equate activities to intimacy with God. No! Of course, we must serve in the church, but our intimate friendship with Him, listening to and obeying Him, is more important. Remember the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10: Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening and feeding on His word, while Martha was busy serving. And Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
2. By prayer
Our spiritual life depends on prayer. Prayer ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father. It is the central avenue God uses to transform us.
All who have walked with God have viewed prayer as the main business of their lives. Moses conversed with God (Exodus 3:1-4:17) and interceded for Israel (Exodus 32:11-13; Numbers 11:11-15). By prayer Joshua discerned sin in the conquest community (Joshua 7:6-9), but he was tricked when he did not discern God’s opinion by prayer (Joshua 9). When the apostles were tempted to invest their energies in other important and necessary tasks, in Acts 6, they determined to give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4).
Each time we read our Bible, we must ask God to reveal Himself and His ways to us. You see, the main purpose of having the Bible is not just to study the historical backgrounds or the lives of the people recorded or the Hebrew or the Greek, but to seek to understand the author (God).
In Ephesians 1:17, Apostle Paul prayed that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
3. By meditating on His Word
Christian meditation is simply the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His Word. Meditating in the Word of God creates emotional and spiritual space for Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in our hearts. The Psalmist says meditation in God’s word gave him better understanding and deeper insight than all his teachers, “for Your testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm 119:99).
When we meditate on God’s Word, we must ask the Holy Spirit to give us revelation of the hidden truths, and then believe that He will. Meditation produces revelation, and revelation motivates us to worship Him and obey Him. Obedience to the truth is the only thing that releases God to conform us more to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), which brings us into intimate friendship with Him.
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Amen.