Maybe a year ago, I got a call from a pastor I used to have Bible study with. He wanted to talk out an idea with me.
During a study we had while he lived around here we discussed how to interpret God’s Word. One of the ideas was we were supposed to use examples in the Bible. I do not recall how he had come upon the need but he wanted to know how God told us to interpret His Word in His Word. So he read the Bible through three times looking. Basically he came to the conclusion that we are supposed to obey God’s voice.
But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ –Jeremiah 7:23
As he read the Bible he saw no place where God said something like obey my example. He did however see God tell us to obey His voice and His Word. After this he had to ask how important many of the things he had held onto were. Not having musically instruments in worship is not really a point of contention any more. I do not know how often we experience epiphanies like this. Sometimes it feels like I experience it daily and other times it feels like I got nothing from God at all. Even when I do have one of these epiphanies, I often times am learning the same thing I learned in the past.
This is where realizing that I need to preach the gospel to myself continually comes in handy. If not for the grace of God, I would be dead in my transgression.