But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to our own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5–6)
Ever hear of “The Hogan Secret?” Details are sketchy, but it appears Ben first revealed it in a 1953 interview with Golf Digest. The secret related to a 20-minute practice routine that Hogan followed every morning.
A year later, Time magazine ran a story titled “Ben Hogan’s Secret: A Debate,” which involved seven other PGA pros trying to guess the secret. Then, in 1955, Life magazine ran an article titled “Hogan’s Secret.”
In it, Ben revealed he’d had a dream that allowed him to overcome a longstanding hook problem. In short, he weakened his left-hand grip, fanned the club open on the backswing, and then cupped his left wrist at the top of the swing.
Fast forward to 1990, when the PGA Tour started the Ben Hogan Tour, now the Korn Ferry Tour. As part of the sponsorship, Hogan agreed to an interview and promised that the real secret would be revealed.
When pressed for the secret, Ben told the interviewer to take his normal golf stance, then move his head to the right. When the interviewer skeptically asked, “That’s it?” Hogan swore that it was and claimed the tip could be traced back to Bobby Jones.
If you are still a bit confused, you might want to check a couple of books: Ben Hogan’s Secret: A Fictionalized Biography (1997) or Ben Hogan’s Secret Fundamental: What He Never Told the World (2017). When you take all of this into account, it appears that Ben either didn’t want the secret to be revealed or wanted to keep people guessing.
Let’s move on to another mystery, this one involving the Bible. Over time, I’ve heard of people setting a goal to read the Bible and asking where to begin. The most frequent response is to start with the New Testament because many people are confused or even intimidated by the Old Testament.
Maybe you’ve heard comments like “All those rules in Leviticus!” or “Those genealogies, where ‘so and so begat so and so—so what!’” I’ve even heard people say, “The Old and New don’t seem related; the Old has a God who is angry and vengeful, but the New is about a God of love.” But that way of thinking is entirely wrongheaded!
Obviously, they are connected. In fact, there’s a telling phrase from Augustine: “The Old Testament is the New Testament concealed; the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.” What does that mean? The Old Testament has a “veiled” message.
While many remember it for the famous stories and characters, it also contains clues that point to a future Redeemer without explicitly naming him. The New Testament fulfills these promises by revealing the Redeemer and his message. Of course, that person is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the most telling signs is the verse quoted above from Isaiah 53:5–6. What a vivid and heartbreaking description of how Jesus suffered at Calvary on our behalf, written 700 years before the event itself. You’ll find many more pointers to Jesus, starting all the way back in Genesis.
The Bible has both testaments for a reason, and fully understanding God’s Word requires reading it as a whole sweeping, narrative with Christ as its center and goal. Give it a try—it’s worth the effort.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of your Word. Help us to read it, understand it, obey it, and apply its wisdom and guidance to our daily lives. Amen