"The Bible is not a therapy program nor is it a human success story, a moral tale with an inevitably happy ending. It is the account of a faithless people and a faithful God who seek constantly to renew their relationship each with the other. Perhaps we are prepared to hear that story for the first time." Peter Gomes The Good Book
In the Disciple Bible Study Class I get to be a part of and teach at Crossroads, we are in the midst of the writings of the Old Testament. We spend a week or two in Chronicles, Ruth, and now Esther. There are so many amazing and shocking things in their pages -- bloodshed, idolotry, poligamy (um, is having hundreds and hundreds of wives and concubines still considered poligamy, or does that move into the "what-are-you-crazy"amy realm?), incest, desolation, and finally hope. While the hope appears in individuals from time to time (Ruth and Esther are great examples), mostly the hope is in God, and not in the circumstances the people find themselves in.
The beauty of Scripture is just that. As Peter Gomes says above, the Bible is not a book of best business or family practices. It is not a book filled with moral people doing moral things (most of the time, God's people seem to be a bit shady. hmmm...). It is a book about God's faithfulness throughout. How often do I misappropriate this wonderful, holy book, and turn it into my own library of self-help and self-justification. God forgive me. Forgive us all.
My prayer for myself and my Disciple class is that we might be able to read these writings as they were meant to be read -- as a means to hear of God's great faithfulness, maybe for the first time. My prayer is the same for all of us.
Have a great week,
jeff
