Introduction to Digging For Gold
Digging for Gold commentaries are unique for the following reasons: 1) The commentary is found within a complete outline of the book that is studied. 2) Thought Questions are also found throughout the study of each book. 3) There has been an attempt to thoroughly cover each verse while being concise in the comments. How can these Digging for Gold studies be used? They can be used as a personal devotional. The Thought Questions can be answered as one goes through the study. They can be used in a Bible study or Sunday school class. They can be used as a commentary as part of one's research in seeking to understand a verse or Bible section.
If you were waiting in line at your local supermarket and someone came in all excited and said they had just found gold just a short distance outside of town, what would probably happen in that store? I will allow you to answer that question in your own imagination. I asked that question in a class some time ago, and one fellow answered that it would not be long before the valley that we lived in would be a deeper valley. You have entered into a study I call "Digging for Gold." There is gold in the Bible. For those who are searching to understand God and His ways, the Bible is filled with spiritual gold. In Proverbs 2:4, Solomon says, "if you look for it (understanding and insight) as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Then in Proverbs 3:14, Solomon says that this insight and understanding "is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold."
It is obvious that most people do not realize the value of the gold in the Bible, for we do not see people get as excited about spiritual gold as they get about physical gold. What would happen if someone came into that same supermarket and yelled that there is gold in the Bible? There would probably not be the same type of stampede that would take place if it were physical gold that was available to them. But, for those whose eyes have been opened to see and who have chosen to seek His will for their lives, there is gold in the Bible that it is infinitely more valuable than the gold of this world. But to find this gold in the Bible we need to do exactly the same thing that those people who search for gold ore need to do; we need to dig for it.
You are beginning a "Digging for Gold" Bible study. It was not designed to be easy. As my wife often says, it is not for those who want to be "spoon fed." You will need to do some hard thinking. But unlike digging for gold ore, God Himself promises you that your hard work will always be rewarded with insight about His ways and a knowledge of Him that will make your efforts well worth it.
You will be asked, after reading a portion of the Bible, to make your best attempt to answer some "Thought Questions." Then, you will be asked to look over the notes that I have made after my own digging for gold in that part of the Bible. I had an advantage over you, for I have benefited from the digging for gold that was made by God's servants whom I have come to admire. These servants of God have expertise in one or more of the following areas: They are experts in the original languages; in historical knowledge; in knowledge about a particular book; in the spiritual walk; in an overall knowledge of the Bible; and in their ability to practically apply the Bible to our lives. You will find that I will, at times, directly quote from these servants of God when I believe that what they have to say is said so well that you can benefit from their exact words. Though I have benefited from the thoughts and insights of many people, what I have written are my own personal conclusions. I hope that you will do just as I have done. I hope that you will benefit from what is contained in the "Digging for Gold" studies. But I also hope that you will come to your own conclusions about what God wants you to learn from His book. I urge you to work hard in the digging and may you also enjoy the GOLD!
