Reading the Word

“Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” (Proverbs 29:18, ESV)

Understanding and Applying the Word

We need our Bibles and we need preachers and teachers of God’s word to help us understand them. The first line of this proverb tells us why. Where there is no prophetic vision, or revelation from God, the people cast off restraint. Another way this last phrase could be translated is “the people run wild” or “the people go out of control.” The contrast to this are those who obey God’s law, which is his revealed word. They are blessed.

Our Bibles are God’s word to us. The prophetic vision that this proverb speaks of is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Our Bibles tell us about who God is, what he has done, what he plans to do in the future, and what he wants from us. We need God’s word so we can rightly order our lives and please him. It is easy to see the consequences of how people live when they do not have access to Scripture or when they reject it. They quickly fall into great sin and moral confusion. However, for those who make it their goal to understand the Bible and live by its teachings, there is great blessing. The word of God gives life to all who live by it.

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