The Bible is a composite of century living in many parts of the world. It is not an exposé of the goodness of mankind. It is, in fact, an observation of how humans followed their own footprints. Some parts of the Bible are difficult for modern man to understand or relate to. Many other parts of the Bible can be understood only partially because the customs of Bible days are so different from us today. How they dressed, ate, related to each other, governed themselves, and conducted warfare is easily beyond our understanding.
So why bother reading the Bible? After all, there are other religious books that talk about morals and ethics. Often those who wish to recognize God in their lives rely on more educated or experienced people. Some religions do not expect the adherent to delve into deep doctrine. They just want people to obey their rituals. The Bible cannot be compared to any other book that exists! It was not written in the same way others were. It was not preserved in the same way others were. Its purpose is even different from all the other books of the world.
It is important for us to remember that whether we talk about the first page to the last page of the Bible all of the pages in between reflect Jesus Christ. As the Son of God, he always existed but set aside many of his divine prerogative so that he might walk this earth and become our Savior. In essence, Jesus is the human version of the Bible. He quoted it. He fulfilled hundreds of prophecies in it. Those of the Bible followed him for guidance and instructions that they knew how to fulfill God’s desires and how to worship him.
It would be fruitless to read some of the early books of the Old Testament because of the reasons I mentioned above. The modern person cannot relate to warfare in which apparently God instructed his people to annihilate all the enemy even babies. We must recognize that we come to a place in our efforts to read the Bible with many passages we will not automatically understand. Relating to the Bible is not like reading a novel or pamphlet on how to put something together. It would be best to begin reading the gospel of John because it’s easy to read, it relates the life and miracles of Jesus, and it gives a foundation for the simplicity of God’s good news. The Holy Spirit will help us as we go along in our reading to better understand Scriptures. I have been in some version of the ministry for close to sixty years and I’m still learning new things.
It is most logical to view the Bible as a library and not a single book. It is an accumulation of many periods in time when people were moved upon by God’s Spirit to share what was happening when they lived and how God related to them. Recognize that one way or the other Jesus is portrayed in every book of this divine library. In the early sacrifices of the Jewish worship, he is represented by their practices and the animals slain. In a historical and poetic section of the Bible he is reflected as Savior and help as many people struggled with her own issues so long ago. The New Testament is a reflection of Jesus as he lived here among us. It contains prophecies for us to observe as a time clock ticks away for his second return.
Give yourself another chance to relate to the Bible. Be more open and recognize that you are seeing customs and people were quite different from you. Allow your life to be influenced by God’s love in writing. Respond by allowing God’s Spirit to convert you and make you into a better person. Follow the guidance of his library of divine books so that you have hope for eternity.
Christian Writer 