Reading the Bible

People often tell me that they want to start reading the Bible, but are incapacitated by not knowing where to begin.  They often get through Genesis and Exodus, only to bog down in Leviticus.  Then, inevitably, they stop reading altogether.

Well, if you're looking to open up the Bible, and are a little too intimidated by the prophets or law books, and aren't feeling in the mood to read a gospel or one of the New Testament letters, I encourage you to try out the books of Samuel and Kings.  There is nothing in the Bible that is quite as amazing, scandalous, and intriguing as the stories of these four books.  Frankly, they're the ancient equivalent of soap operas.  And for many of us, soap operas don't feel like they belong in the Bible.
 
Those of you who were here last Sunday may understand what I'm talking about.  Last Sunday we heard a story from 1Kings about King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, and their murderous plan to rob Naboth of his family vineyard.  We heard only a part of the longer story, which is fantastically entertaining.  I encourage you to read it. 

But there may have been some out there in the congregation who, when we got to the end, had a hard time responding to "The Word of the Lord" with "Thanks be to God."  Bewilderment, puzzlement, maybe even repulsion, but not necessarily gratitude.

But perhaps its time for us to wake up to the realization that not everything in the Bible is meant to comfort and soothe us.  The Bible isn't designed as a self-help book.  It isn't always easy to digest.  Because the Bible is filled with stories, poetry, laws, prophecies and revelations by many men and women over thousands of years as they wrestled with what it means to live in relationship with God.  Sometimes that looks messier than other times.  Sometimes life isn't easy.  Sometimes we can't just extract a passage of Scripture and apply it to our own lives, or even easily make sense of it, without first understanding the context in which it was written, just as our own behaviors and actions often are understood only in the midst of their context.

Nevertheless, the words of the Bible have been God's words to God's people for thousands of years.  In the Scriptures, Hebrew and Christian, we discover the struggles, power and promise of being in relationship with the Almighty, both past and present.  You won't understand every word of every page.  Not everything will make clear sense.  But who would want such simplicity in their faith, when nothing else in life is?  What you will discover, and this is my solemn promise, if you are willing to engage the Bible in earnest, is God: inspriring, challenging, uplifting, humbling and saving.  You'll find God.