In the Beginning was Information

him: “Today salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:9). Thisblessing is ours also, today, when we turn to Jesus. When you havedone this, you will continuously be nourished by the up-to-dateWord of God: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on everyword that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).4. Accessibility a: At present the total volume of knowledge isdoubled every seven years. For electrical technology this period isfive years, and it is even less in the case of information technology.If a scientist really wants to keep abreast, he will have to spend 100hours every day just reading, which is impossible. It becomes verydifficult, and sometimes impossible, to find relevant information inthe present knowledge explosion. Access has become problemnumber one. In the case of the Bible the situation is quite different:The wisdom it contains is complete and permanent, and there isthus an essential distinction between it and human knowledge.God’s information is contained in one book so that we can haveeasy and complete access to it. This access, through continuoususe, has been commanded by God:Joshua 1:8: “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from yourmouth; meditate on it day and night.”Jeremiah 22:29: “O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord!”Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”1 Peter 2:2: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, sothat by it you may grow up in your salvation.”In addition, we are encouraged to read the Bible through the exemplarywitness of others. “Now the Bereans ... received the messagewith great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day” (Acts17:11). The Psalmist longs for the word (Psalm 119:81), becausehe finds renewal (Psalm 119:25), strength (Psalm 119:28), hope,and salvation (Psalm 119:81).5. Existence e: There is one further important question: Does theBible really contain all the information required for knowing Godand ourselves, to live according to God’s standards, and to achievehis eternal purpose? All important questions are answered clearlyand unambiguously. But critics and doubters introduce uncertaintiesand vagueness. Spurgeon rightly concluded that “Nothing is160