Saturday 2 October 2010

Bible Reading as Seed Planting

If you've ever completed a cover to cover bible-in-a-year reading plan, then today is a big day. It's when you finally, like pregnancy (after 9 months of waiting), reach the end of the Old Testament.

But let's be honest, unless you've been to Bible College for a gap year, or have a degree in theology or you're the booky type who doesn't get out much, then much if not most of what you find in the Old Testament is pretty difficult to penetrate, so why bother sticking with it?

Bigger brains could give you other and better reasons, I'll offer you one. Reading the (whole) bible is not just an exercise in reaping wisdom, but in sowing humility. It's not just about immediate gratification of a felt need, it's about storing things away (dormant) in your heart for a moment of revelation some day in the future.

A day, when all of a sudden, someone makes a comment, or you hear something in a sermon or on the radio, or you're just walking down the street and something you read from that obscure part of the Bible suddenly makes perfect sense and you understand life, the universe and everything in a much fuller, richer and satisfying way than ever you did before. Had you not read that obscure bit of the Bible, the comment/thought would have been lost on you, no unlocking in your head or heart could ever have taken place, little or no deep revelation could have been imparted.

So we come to Malachi 4:6 - the last verse of the Old Testament. All the promises of God have been made; the entire pattern of what is to come laid out. And all these things have been done perfectly through the Son who has walked resolutely down the pages of the Old Testament to his incarnation, just like he did to the cross.

The light has dawned. Deeper revelation and understanding of the God who is love awaits. Bring it on!!

3 comments:

Chris Wooldridge said...

The Hebrew bible ends with this verse (2 Chronicles 36:23):

"This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you—may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.'"

So, having experienced the great fall of Ezra-Nehemiah, we are now given this great eschatological hope, the building of a new temple in Jerusalem! And this temple is the human body of Christ, through whom the "people" can know God amongst them. Woohoooo! :D

Richard Walker said...

SWEET!! :-D

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