The phrase, “going down the rabbit hole” comes from Lewis Carroll’s 1815 classic novel where Alice follows a rabbit, ending up in Wonderland – a bizarre alternate dimension. Since then, the phrase has taken on nuanced meanings where one becomes deeply engrossed by an interesting topic – and loses track of time in the process of following where that topic leads. It is the act of getting lost in the research. It becomes an immersive journey into the undiscovered, leading you far from where you started; you become completely absorbed in your exploration.
This whole “introduction” became the “rabbit hole”… describing what being drawn deeper into the discovery of truth can be like. There comes a time, as you consistently read, study, and obey the Scriptures, that something mysterious happens. Every single time you sit to read or study the Word, there’s a possibility you’ll encounter this phenomenon. Originally the following passage of Scripture was meant only as an introduction, but it took on a life of its own and enticed further study into other passages.
So here we go….
Psalms 68:11 states that “the LORD gave the Word, and great was the company that published it.”
- “the Lord gave the Word”… God speaks to us! He reveals Himself to us! This in itself is beyond comprehension!
- “and great was the company”… This speaks of an appointed gathering of individuals – from scribes writing on their scrolls to those of us presently appropriating that message. YOU are invited to this amazing assembly!
- “a company of those who published it”… WE proclaim! We announce with our words and display with out lives the efficacy of God’s good news.
We are down the hole, and our memory catapults us forward from Psalm 68:11 to a New Testament concept in I Peter 1:10. “Concerning this salvation… those who spoke of the grace of God searched diligently.” (There’s so much more… but we’ll exercise self-control.)
- “Concerning this salvation” … Can any statement be more pregnant with meaning than this?!
- “they searched diligently” … As with them, we have the invitation and opportunity to investigate and to seek carefully the depth of God’s person and purposes, and as we do, this in itself becomes an act of worship!
Let’s ‘follow the tunnel’ to one more passage before we introduce the original purpose of this post (in the conclusion). Go to Acts17:11; explore the engaging truth that “they were of noble character, for when they received the message, with great eagerness they examined the Scriptures every day, to check the validity of what they had been told by others.”
- “more noble” … Scripture-study transports us to a higher plane of existence which manifests in daily life as humility and generosity.
- “received the message” … They sought out every avenue possible to assimilate and appropriate God’s Word into their lives. And they did this with “readiness of mind,” which is an affirmed predisposition to prioritize God’s Word above all.
- “they searched the Scriptures daily” … scrutinizing, investigating, interpreting, asking questions, examining, and searching intently whenever and however possible.
Now that you’ve had a taste and seen a tiny example of where following a “rabbit hole” might lead, the conclusion post will share a step-by-step method for safe exploration within Scripture!