Unlock How Copying the Bible by Hand Deepens Your Faith

Part 2: The Whole-Book Bible Writing Series

One of my favourite things to do is copying the Bible, book by book. Years ago, I started by writing themed Scripture challenges, and one day I sensed the Lord whispering to me to copy whole books of the Bible. Wow! Now I write out whole books of the Bible, and I invite others to join me as we grow stronger in our faith together through this spiritual discipline.

But the question is: Is this just an activity because everyone else is doing it, or will it benefit my spiritual growth? What about you? Why do you write out Scripture?

Well, let’s talk about that today: how copying the Bible can help your faith grow. Before we answer that question, let’s turn to Scripture to see what it says about writing it out.

The Bible Says “Write”

The first instance the word “write” is used in the King James Version is in Exodus 17:14:

And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know how I love to keep verses in context. So, in context, this verse is about the time when Joshua fought Amalek and prevailed as long as Moses’ arms were lifted up to heaven. To help him, Aaron and Hur held his arms up until the battle was won.

This powerful account gives us principles. God instructed Moses to write this for a memorial so that others would learn from it.

Many verses describe who was to write and what was to be written. In fact, there are 82 verses in the KJV with the word “write” in it 91 times! These extend from Exodus through to Revelation.

Writing out events was important to God. This is how He intended the Hebrew children to remember their history. Moses wrote the Books of the Law, also known as the Pentateuch. We can be thankful for their obedience, or we would not have the Bible to read today!

Copying the Bible or Writing Out the Book of the Law

There is a verse in particular that I want to show you. Turn with me to the book of Deuteronomy 17:18:

And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

Again, let’s look at this verse in context. In Deuteronomy 16:1-22, Moses wrote about the various feasts, what they were and how they were to be conducted. In Deuteronomy 17:1-13, we also learn how justice was administered. And in the next few verses, Deuteronomy 17:14-20, we read about the expectations placed on a king.

When God appointed a new king over Israel, God expected certain behaviour from them:

• He wasn’t to gain horses to himself
• nor was he to provoke the people to return to Egypt
• he wasn’t allowed to have multiple wives
• nor could he gather silver and gold to his treasures
• when he became king, he was to take on the task of writing out a copy of the Law for himself

Ah! There! That’s it! The king was to set about writing out a copy of the Bible- rather, the Law- for himself! But not just for himself, he was to lead his people in living according to the Law and Commands, to love and honour God in everything.

Let’s examine why God instructed kings to do this task.

And what about us? This post, 7 Powerful Benefits to Handwrite the Bible, shows us why this spiritual discipline will benefit us today.

The Main Reason for Copying the Bible

Do you think God intended for believers today to write out the Scriptures thousands of years after He gave this command to the kings? Would it be beneficial for us?

Let’s look at the three main benefits of writing out the Law according to these verses:

• He shall read the Law all the days of his life
• so that he may fear the LORD his God
• and so he may obey and do the law and statutes

Well, that’s a nice tidy little summary. Would you like to reap the same benefits that the kings reaped?

How Writing Out the Bible Will Help Your Faith

Ah, now it’s time to look at you and me. How does writing out the Bible help our faith grow?

Well, our faith grows in five ways when we read, write, study, pray and do the Word. Let’s look at each of them. This has been my watchword since I started blogging in 2017. It’s part of who I am today.

Read the Word

First, I have a question for you. When you read the Word, are you trying to get as much read as you possibly can each time you sit down? Or do you read slowly enough to absorb what you’re reading?

I strongly suggest that you read slowly, even read out loud to help slow yourself down. You may not cover as many verses or chapters, but you will absorb what you’ve read.

I remember the first time someone suggested that I read my Bible out loud. He quoted this verse: Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God Romans 10:17. When I’m by myself, it is good to hear the Word, and that means to read out loud.

Have you thought about using a journal book or pages as you read? You can write out key questions about the text, your observations or even a general overview of the passage. This will help you retain the gist of the passage or text as well. This acts as a memory jogger rather than an actual study.

Reading the Word is vital to your understanding of who God is. And when you learn about His character and qualities, you will see how important it is to live a holy life. [Related Posts: 7 Steps to Be Holy and Blameless Before God and The Best Way for Right Living]

So, reading His Word is instrumental in your spiritual growth. You will remember it, obey it and do it.

Write Out His Word

Writing out His very words from the Bible is another way to grow your faith.

Along with reading the Word slowly, writing out the Bible also involves a slowness. There is no rush to completing each day’s portion of writing.

Here’s what one woman says about her second day of writing out the Book of Galatians:

What a blessing to slow down and savour the Word!

Cindy C. B.

Other women have said that they are noticing details they previously missed reading and that this helps their memory, too.

And here’s a comment about noticing the details enough to ask the basic questions of who, what, where, when, why and how. At this point, definitely write down your findings on another notepaper so you can come back later and study in full.

Getting to focus on each word. It is so easy to see the 5 W’s and the H coming alive.

Therese D.

Not only do you notice the details of all the text, but you are now in a place to hear the Spirit speak to you. Some verses may seem like they are standing out on the page, or the Holy Spirit may simply quicken your spirit to take particular note of something.
It’s been a real blessing writing out Scripture, a good way to end my day with such peace and quiet meditation!

Yen Nee K

Whichever way the Holy Spirit wants to speak to you, it is because you are taking the time to slow down and write out the inspired Word of God. It really is something you don’t want to miss out on.

Study the Word

There are so many ways to study the Word. You can join a Bible Study group at your local church or maybe in your neighbourhood. Maybe you could host a study group in your home with someone else facilitating it. These are sometimes called “life groups” or “cell groups” when they are held in homes.

Another option, and this might work well if you can’t leave your home, is to find an online Bible Study community. Facebook is full of them. You may notice that when you scroll through your Facebook newsfeed, suggested groups may appear. If not, you can always type “women’s Bible study groups” into the search field to see the results. A lot of groups may not even have the phrase Bible Study in their name, so you’ll really have to do some digging.

A third option for you is to study the Word as you write it out. If you’re familiar with the 5Ws and H, you may ask yourself those questions as you read and write. The purpose of writing out the Bible is simply to write it out, but I know that this act will excite you to want to study it at the same time.

If you decide to do that, you may want a separate notebook or worksheets to record what you find as you go. You can refer back to them later when you sit down to study in depth.

Pray The Word

Another way to draw close to God is to pray His Word back to Him. Are you copying out a prayer? If so, use it as a foundation for your prayers for yourself and others. For example, an excellent prayer to pray for your family and friends is found in Ephesians 1:15-19. This is Paul’s prayer for revelation as he prayed for the believers in Ephesus. You will need to change the wording a bit, but otherwise, it’s a great biblical prayer to pray!

Do the Word

In James 1:22, we learn that we ought to be doers of the Word, not hearers only. It’s great to attend Bible study and hear pastors preach, but it doesn’t stop there. It’s important to follow through on what we’ve heard and learned by being doers of the Word. In other words, put into practice what we’ve been taught. So in your copying the Bible, if you learn of a principle or truth that can be applied in your life, then that’s what you should do. Be a doer of the Word. Why? So you don’t deceive yourself into thinking you’re better than anyone else. Check the ending of James 1:22.

4 Practical Tips for Writing Out the Bible

Here is a great short post with 7 tips for your writing time. Quick, click on the link to see how easy these tips are.

And here are 4 other tips to implement:

1. Get yourself a new notebook. I picked up several at the local dollar store.
2. Or, use journal pages or other loose-leaf paper, or maybe you’ll find a beautiful journal at a bookstore.
3. If you don’t have a favourite pen, pick one up at the local stationery store. I came across a Zebra F-301 Fine Point and liked it so much that I bought a few more.
4. Decide which Bible version you are going to copy from. Personally, my favourite version is the King James, which I use for inductive study, reading, and copying the Bible.

However, from my experience, the most important tip is to find a quiet place so you can focus on your writing. Pray first, seek the Holy Spirit’s presence as you write so you can see the truth in the Word. As mentioned above, read/write slowly so you can take it all in. This isn’t a race to the finish, so enjoy the process.

Last Thoughts on Copying the Bible

Copying the Bible can be a whole new way to sit still and enjoy God’s presence. It is another way to draw close to God. This is the core of growing your faith: drawing near to God.

Take your time; write as much as you can each day. It isn’t a race, but it is meant to encourage you as you grow in faith.

Do you currently write out Scriptures? Which book of the Bible will you begin to copy?

~ Cindy

~ Other Posts Related to This One ~

• Part 1: 7 Powerful Benefits to Handwrite the Bible
• Part 3: What Happened When I Started Bible Writing: A Worship Revival
• 7 Steps to Be Holy and Blameless Before God
• The Best Way for Right Living
• Psalm 1 Study: How Sin Slows You Down
• Psalm 1 Bible Study: The Blessed Life, A Biblical Perspective