BIBLE STUDY

BIBLE STUDY; and note taking!

This week in our neighborhood we attended a weekly Bible study with friends. We are completing a study in the book of Psalms and as I prepared to lead the discussion I pulled out a Bible I used some thirty years ago to see notes from a previous study. Sure enough there were notes from a sermon 32 years ago.

Today it is less common to take notes in Bibles during sermons. Many churches project the text on a screen and fewer people even take Bibles to church. And many people use electronic devices to read the text during sermons. Note taking is becoming a discarded part of our church going experience.

So back to Psalm 51, our study for the week. King David with a broken spirit is appealing to God’s compassion and grace and His covenant love, admitting his “transgressions”, his sin. My notes served as a thorough outline and looks something like this:

1. KNOW GOD, verses 1 and 2
   
2. KNOW SIN, verses 2 and 3
   
3. SIN AGAINST WHOM? verse 4
   
4. KNOW POSITION, verses 5 and 6
   
5. KNOW GOD’S METHODS, verses 7 - 9  
   
6. KNOW GOD’S POWER, verses 10 - 12
   
7. KNOW YOUR PART, REPENT, verses 12 - 17
   
8. KNOW RESTORED FELLOWSHIP, verses 18 and 19
   

And from The Bible Knowledge Commentary, by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuk, Victor Books, “The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God;s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and grace”.

Finally, consider using your printed Bible and take notes. It will refresh you in future studies of God’s word. It did for me, just this past week.