“What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.” – Romans 3:1-2
Romans 3 opens with an important question: “What advantage then has the Jew?” Paul had just dismantled the false security of external religion—rites like circumcision or rule-following that gave the illusion of righteousness. But here, he makes a stunning pivot: the Jew did have an advantage—they were entrusted with the very words of God. Imagine being given the only roadmap through a dark forest. That’s what God had offered Israel through His Word: direction, truth, and light. Yet over time, what was a sacred trust became buried beneath layers of tradition. Like hedges around a garden that eventually choke the plants, the Pharisees had built rule upon rule until the Word itself was suffocated by human regulation.
Jesus condemned this practice plainly. In Mark 7, He called out the religious leaders for honoring God with their lips while their hearts remained far from Him. Their worship had become “in vain” because it was based on man-made commandments, not divine truth. Take the Sabbath, for instance—what was meant as a day of rest became a day of restriction, with rules so intricate they included what kind of knots could be tied or whether a candle could be lit. They lost sight of the heart of God. It’s like driving in traffic with an ambulance blaring behind you, refusing to move because the light is red. You miss the spirit of the law when human need is ignored.
We have more access to Scripture than any generation before us—digitally, physically, audibly. Yet many who claim Christianity rarely open their Bibles. The danger isn’t ignorance—it’s indifference. Josiah’s reign showed how Israel had lost the Book of the Law entirely—and didn’t even notice. Today, we can “have” the Word and still live without it. Let God’s Word speak louder than your habits, your opinions, or your traditions. Read it. Let it breathe. Let it lead. Because possessing the Word without believing it leads to a life where God feels absent—but responding to it invites Him to be gloriously present.
“The Jews had a great advantage in that they were entrusted with the oracles of God. This was not a guarantee of salvation, but it was a solemn responsibility. To possess the Word is to be accountable to it.” – Leon Morris
surrendered devotions 