As we read the Bible, we sometimes are so focused on how a passage applies to our lives that we so easily lose sight of what was happening when a book was written. Truth is always truth! It cannot contradict itself and is timeless. The laws of God have changed in various dispensations, but the fundamental aspect of truth does not change. Our failure to understand this is the basis of the title for this article—unrealized timeless truth.
Psalm 138 is a good illustration of this. It is described as a “Psalm of David” and the opening verses reflect the heart of the great king. David praises God with his whole heart; he sings praises to God; he worships God toward His temple; he praised God for His lovingkindness and truth, and he magnified what God had said.
In verse four, he turned his attention and states that all the kings of the earth would magnify God. This was not true of the kings in David’s day, but he looked to future happenings. The unrealized truth is found by carefully reading all of the verse. All the kings of the earth would hear the words of God’s mouth. Pay special attention to the fact that “words” is plural. The voice of God had spoken directly to man at Mt. Sinai, and it still would speak to kings. How is this? Was He about to speak from heaven to those kings? Obviously not. They were to hear the same messages His mouth spoke because the very words God used are eternal! Truth is eternal and this emphasizes that when we read the Bible, we too are hearing the words from the mouth of God.
Another illustration of this principle is found in the words spoken at the burning bush. To whom were these words spoken? The obvious answer is Moses (Luke 20:37), but they were also spoken to others. Hear the words of Jesus describing this event (I will capitalize one word to emphasize truth). “Have you not read what was spoken to YOU by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham…’” (Matt. 22:31). God’s exact words spoken at the bush were spoken to the Jews of Jesus’ day! By implication they are spoken to us! This is an unrealized, timeless truth.
Finally, realize what will happen at the final judgment. All mankind will be judged by the precise words written in the books of the Bible. “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened…and the dead were judged according to their works, by the things where were written in the books” (Rev. 20:12-13). Truth is truth. Truth is eternal. The words of truth are spoken to all mankind of every age. Remember this as you read the Bible. Read it carefully for truth is spoken to YOU!