What kind Of Casing Do You Have?

    I inherited some farm property that had a water well on it. My dad had a man drill the well when I was a small boy. When the well was drilled, my dad had a thin tin medal casing put into the hole to support the wall of the well to keep the wall of the well from caving in on itself and plugging up the well. My dad then set up a windmill over the well so that it could pump water to a home on the property.

    Years later, a short time after I inherited the property, there arose a problem with the well not producing water. Upon investigation, I discovered that the casing of the well had deteriorated to the point that wall of the well had caved in on the well. Debris from rusted casing, rocks, and dirt had cut of access to the water. The well had become completely unusable. I had to have another well drilled some yards away from the old well. I also discovered that I also had to have the old well plugged at the top to keep bugs, lizards, mice, snakes, and small animals from falling into the well and contaminating the underground water.

    By analogy, we as Believers spiritually have the well of Living Water. Jesus said, "But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life"  (John 4:14). However, in one sense this well must be cased with a durable, long lasting, casing so that the sides of the well does not cave in and shut off the living water. That casing, for us, is the Word of God.  We also need to understand that at ground level there are all kinds of forces that come against that casing. Often, the casing, has to stand against peer pressure on every side. It may come from family, friends, various officials in our lives, and social media which comes against the Word of God. People will say things like, "You really aren't one of those Bible thumping religious people are you?" "Science has proven that the earth has evolved over million of years." "My (pastor, priest, rabbi) church doesn't think that the Bible should be taking literally." "You know that the Bible teaches that you must live up to God's standards of doing good works or you won't be saved."

    Some people say, "You know that the Bible is full of all kinds of contradictions in it, don't you?" Others say, "The Bible is outdated! We just need to love everybody." "We must update the Bible so that we can make God more lovable."  Some people will say, "You must completely do away with the Old Testament."  Others will say, "You, can only trust the words of Jesus." The devil knows it only takes a small amount poison to kill. Jesus said, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"  (John 10:10). The reality is that the devil is out to destroy the Word of God and thus do away with our access to the Living Water. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD"  (Amos 8:11).

    We are warned at lest four times in the Bible not to add to or to take away from the Word of God. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you"  (Deuteronomy 4:2). "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it"  (Deuteronomy 12:32). "Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar"  (Proverbs 30:6). "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book"  (Revelation 22:18-19).

    Some religious groups also elevate other books or creeds alongside—or even above—the sixty-six books of the Bible. Examples include The Book of Mormon, the writings of Mary Baker Eddy, the writings of Muhammad, and the Apocrypha.

    However, there is another term, eisegesis, which means "to lead to" the text. This occurs when we insert our own opinions, ideas, or preconceived beliefs into Scripture, causing it to mean something often totally different than what God intended. Rather than allowing the Bible to interpret itself, we make the Bible conform to our own thinking.

    We should understand that God has preserved His Word from the beginning. "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever"  (Psalms 12:6-7). "Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them"  (Isaiah 34:16). "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever"  (Isaiah 40:8). Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away"  (Matthew 24:35). Peter even references Isaiah, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you"  (I Peter 1:24-25). God preserved His Word in Old Testament though the holy priesthood and scribes and the New Testament through the priesthood of believers.

    First, need to begin with the legitimately inspired text. Second, we need to follow with the appropriate translation (KJV or NKJV). Third, we need to have the proper interpretation. Fourth, we should make a faithful application. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth"  (II Timothy 2:15).

    For a further study, see: Navigating The Scriptures.