No, the Bible was not written in code, nor does it contain some kind of secret messages from God in a hidden code. God’s command to the prophet Habakkuk could be applied to every book of the Bible: “Write down the revelation and make it plain” (Habakkuk 2:2).

After all, why did God give His Word, the Bible, to us? He gave it for one reason: so we could understand it. Its truth is so profound that even the most brilliant scholar will never exhaust its meaning—and yet its message is so simple that a child can understand it. God doesn’t hide Himself from us; He wants us to know Him and His love. Why, then, would He conceal any part of His truth from us? He wouldn’t—and He hasn’t.

God didn’t make the Bible impossible to understand; the problem is that our hearts and minds are closed. Jesus’ rebuke to those who refused to believe what He was telling them could be applied to many today: “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say” (John 8:43). May this not be true of you.

Instead, ask God to give you a hunger for His Word, and to help you understand it. Then begin reading it for yourself (perhaps starting with one of the Gospels, which tell us about Christ). The psalmist’s words can become yours: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).