102: Look At The Fish

Let's look at a story about a student's experience in a particular class.

(From "The Man in the Mirror", by Pat Morley)

One of Agassiz's students, who later became a professor of near equal popularity Mr. Scudder, gave this account of Agassiz's method:

It was more than fifteen years ago [from 1874] that I entered the laboratory of Professor Agassiz.... He asked me a few questions about my object in coming.... "When do you wish to begin?" he asked.

"Now," I replied.

This seemed to please him, and with an energetic "Very well!" he reached from a shelf a huge jar of specimen in yellow alcohol.

"Take this fish," said he, "and look at it.... By and by I will ask what you have seen." In ten minutes I had seen all that could be seen in that fish, and started in search of the Professor - who had. however, left the Museum.... Half an hour passed - an hour - another hour; the fish began to look loathsome. I turned it over and around; looked it in the face - ghastly; from behind, beneath, above, sideways, at a three-quarters' view - just as ghastly. I was in despair; at an early hour I concluded that lunch was necessary; so, with infinite relief, the fish was carefully replaced in the jar, and for an hour I was free.

On my return, I learned that Professor Agassiz had been at the Museum, but had gone and would not return for several hours.... Slowly I drew forth that hideous fish, and with a feeling of desperation again looked at it.. . .1 pushed my finger down its throat to feel how sharp the teeth were. I began to count the scales in the different rows, until I was convinced that that was nonsense. At last a happy thought struck me - I would draw the fish; and now with surprise I began to discover new features in the creature. Just then the Professor returned.

"That is right," said he: "A pencil is one of the best of eyes. Well, what is it like?"

He listened attentively to my brief rehearsal.

When I had finished, he waited as if expecting more, and then, with an air of disappointment:

"You have not looked very carefully... look again, look again!" And he left me to my misery.

I ventured to ask what I should do next.

"Oh, look at your fish!" he said. . . . And so for three long days he placed that fish before my eyes, forbidding me to look at anything else, or to use any artificial aid. "Look, look, look," was his repeated injunction.

This was the best entomological lesson I ever had - a lesson whose influence has extended to the details of every subsequent study; a legacy the Professor has left to me, as he has left it to many others, of inestimable value, which we could not buy, with which we cannot part.

Agassiz's training in the method of observing facts and their orderly arrangement was ever accompanied by the urgent exhortation not to be content with them.

"Facts are stupid things," he would say, "until brought into connection with some general law."

At the end of eight months, it was almost with reluctance that I left these friends and turned to insects; but what I had gained by this outside experience has been of greater value than years of later investigation in my favorite groups.'

Every verse in the Bible is true, and from God. What would happen if you studied Scripture in the same way he studied the fish? Have you ever learned how to look at a passage in the Bible that way?

Let's look at how to do that. We will use 2 Timothy 2:15 as an example.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

1.  Read a summary of the book of the Bible

2 Timothy - In this very personal letter at the end of his life, Paul encourages Timothy to hold fast to the faith, focus on what is truly important, persevere in dangerous times, and preach the Word of God.

2.  Read several verses before and after the verse, to get the context, maybe the full chapter

Before the verse, it talks about being faithful, and not getting caught up in meaningless arguments.

Empty talk is compared to cancer - harmful and easily spreads.

3.  Take a look at each word or phrase, and ask why this word is in the verse.

Be - something that needs to be part of us

Diligent - disciplined, work hard towards

To - This is the aim, the target

Present - take ourself, and give it for this purpose

Yourself - this is directly to each of us

Approved to God - picture God nodding in approval when He sees this

As a workman - we are a worker for God, ready to work hard

Who does not need - what is it we don't need?

To be ashamed - we can be lifted up and proud of what we are doing for God

Accurately - we correctly are using God's word

Handling - we are actually taking time to use God's word

The Word - God's word

Of truth - God's word is true

4.  Based on that, rewrite the verse in your own words

"Be a hard worker, studying Scripture, the truth, so we can understand its true meaning, and be proud of our work, so when God sees it, He is proud of what He is seeing in us."

5.  Memorize the verse

This will allow you to take the verse anywhere you go, and in reality, spend more time thinking about its meaning, and learning more what God intended. It will also affect your talk during the day as you recall the verse.

6.  Read the verse in multiple translations

King James Bible - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

New International Version - Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

New Living Translation - Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

7.  Find verses related to this verse, to get a fuller and deeper understanding of God's message to us

2 Cor 5:9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

2 Cor 10:18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.

Acts 20:27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

8.  Look up some of the words in the original translation, i.e. Hebrew or Greek

Be diligent - spoudazo - to be prompt or earnest

Approved - dokimos - acceptable or tried

Handling - orthotomeo - to make a straight cut

9.  Read what others have written about the verse, in sermons or commentaries

One of my favorites is Matthew Henry's commentary, which reads for this verse:

Observe, The care of ministers must be to approve themselves unto God, to be accepted of him, and to show that they are so approved unto God. In order thereunto, there must be constant care and industry: Study to show thyself such a one, a workman that needs not be ashamed. Ministers must be workmen; they have work to do, and they must take pains in it. Workmen that are unskilful, or unfaithful, or lazy, have need to be ashamed; but those who mind their business, and keep to their work, are workmen that need not be ashamed. And what is their work? It is rightly to divide the word of truth. Not to invent a new gospel, but rightly to divide the gospel that is committed to their trust. Etc.

10.   Pause and think about the verse

After all this review of the verse, at the end, just take a moment to reflect on the verse, and what God is saying, and what it means to you.

Professor Agassiz's student had to look at that fish for 3 days. As the student said, it was one of the most valuable lessons he ever had on learning how to learn, to study.

What if we were to take a verse, and spend a few hours on it? What would we discover? How much more we would learn God's heart in what He has given to us in the Bible.

And, how much more it would change our life.