I've been reading the Bible lately. And by "reading the Bible," I don't mean just on Sunday morning when the preacher directs everyone to Jeremiah, chapter 40, verses 2 through 4, and I try my best to look like I know whether Jeremiah is before or after Psalms, and for that matter is Psalms before or after Ecclesiastes, because that's where my Bible opened.
By this time everyone's already read about Jeremiah, and moved on to Isaiah -- who is not to be confused with Hosea. And excuse me. I just found Jeremiah! Why are we in such an all-fired hurry here?
No. That's not what I'm talking about. (And, by the way, that never happens to me.)
What I'm talking about is reading the whole glory-hallelujiah-let-there-be-light-but-the-serpent-gave-it-four-stars-they-worshiped-a-calf?-a-child-is-born-They-know-not-what-they-do-he'll-be-back Bible from Genesis to Revelations.
I'd made a short-lived attempt at "The Bible in 90 Days" regimen some months ago. So when PEZmama announced she'd be leading an on-line group through the same program, I jumped on board. I figured being a Christian and all, it behooves me to read my history; it'll teach me to love God more deeply; and I can regale friends with banter such as, "Did you know Abraham was married to his half-sister and pimped her out twice?" (Hey, he did.)
How hard could it be to read 12 pages (of small-script on razor-thin paper) a day? Turns out it's something of a challenge. It takes me about an hour and a half. Apparently, it takes most people about 45 minutes. I'd like to think I require more time because I'm absorbing God's word. Because I'm analyzing it for subtleties lesser minds might miss. In actuality, it's because I frequently have no idea what I just read and have to move back three paragraphs. Think Candyland meets Canaan.
Actually, I really enjoyed Genesis. I'd read pretty much all of it before, but not straight through. And it's quite a tale. There's poetry; there's drama; there's very old people. We see Abraham having dinner with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There's a pretty humorous scene with Abraham bargaining with God over Sodom's pending destruction:
But what if there are fifty righteous people there?
If I find fifty righteous people, I'll spare the whole place for their sake.
Uh, now that I've been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I'm nothing but dust and ashes, what if there are, oh, five less than fifty?
If I find forty-five there, I won't destroy it.
Okaaay. How about 40?
Sure.
Mmm-hmm. Now, don't get mad, but, if you don't mind me asking, what if you can only find thirty?
Fine.
Great. Uh, how 'bout twenty?
OK.
Sorry, uh -- just once more here -- how about ten?
Yes. Ten. We're done here.
God clearly understand the frustrations of parenting.
So even though the reading is a significant commitment (although not really considering how much time I spend on pointless frivolities), I really enjoyed Genesis. And Exodus started out pretty exciting (and weird): snakes, rivers of blood, hordes of frogs, gnats, flies, locusts. Good times.
Then the instructions begin. Instructions on how to build the tabernacle and everything inside it. I previously had no clue the Ark of the Covenant was made of acacia wood -- two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. That it was overlaid inside and out with pure gold to which four gold rings were fastened on its four feet. Or that the gold-overlaid poles inserted into the rings were never to be removed. Or ... .
But I kept reading and finally was rewarded by ... Leviticus. Leviticus is God's way of making the reader feel as if she too is wandering in the desert for 40 years. Tell me the sin, and I'll tell you the animal to be slaughtered. And where to smear its blood. And what to do with its fat. I cried out to the Lord in my suffering.
What struck me is the incredible specificity of the guidelines for sacrifices, cleansing, observing feasts, etc. juxtaposed with how often the Bible is incredibly, even frustratingly brief. There are 45 verses on how to handle persons with infectious skin diseases. There are six verses on Lot's daughters getting intentionally impregnated by their drunken father. Yes, it's gross. But that's it? Six verses? Did Lot get suspicious when the kids were born with his hairline? Did he care?
Here's the important thing, though: even when I was wading through Leviticus -- and it gets much more interesting after that -- I felt comforted by being in the word every day. I still do.
One night my leg was hurting enough to warrant some pain medicine and a heat pack. As I laid in bed, I started to do that thing. You know. Where you imagine every ache is a tumor? Normally, I mentally walk that road until I fall asleep and then wake up feeling foolish. But that night, no sooner had I taken a few steps down that path than my spirit heard: "Whatever happens, I'm with you. Rest." And I did. Immediately. It was awesome.
The more I read, the more I view God as an incredibly mysterious, forgiving, judgmental, frustrating, loving personality. I'm also seeing a much broader picture of The Story than I've seen before, which is helpful, to say the least.
And as for the questions raised by what I've read, for the most part I accept that "the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever ...." (Deut. 29:29)
I thank God for what he reveals. Even in Leviticus.
-30-
14 comments:
Only you could write about Leviticus and keep me hanging on every word! (Well, you and God, that is.) I'm reading through this year, too, this year--not in 90 days. I'm in awe:)
Philip Yancey read it through in two weeks before writing one of his books. That's impressive.
And thank you for calling me Sarah the Fair. I love it:)
This post is just flat-out inspiring (sidenote: lately when I type the word "post," it comes out "poast," which makes me wonder if I'm having some subconscious craving for toast? Or roast? You think?).
You, Sarah and Big Mama MS have all blown me away today with what you've written. I think some sort of tribute is in order on my end.
I came THIS CLOSE to joining Lori's group when she announced she was leading the Bible in 90 Days but I just didn't feel led to do it right now. I do think I'll be doing it in the not too distant future, though.
There's just something about reading the Bible in big hunks that you miss by reading it in snippets. You miss the big picture, as you said toward the end of your great! post.
This is good stuff, Toni!
Toni~please I am begging you. Go through each chapter like you did the first few for us. I swear, I would pay "cash money" for your reviews. Yes, yes I would!! That line about Candyland meets Canaan? That's flat out funny. (And I do believe it would make a great sub-title to a "Toni's Take on the Testaments" tome.)
I also am reading the Bible through - in a YEAR. I'm doing a version called "The Daily Message". It's Eugene Patterson's "Message Bible" broken down into TEN-MINUTE (!) daily readings, with one day of REST each week! My kind of plan. It's really been great to get such an overview of the whole thing in today's lingo. But YOU. I would read YOUR take on this stuff seven days a week!
Phyllis
Toni, I'm reading through, in a year, although the store has the 90 day Bible which did intrigue me, but sounded a wee bit impossible this year. Still I just read this morning in Exodus all his instructions for building the Tabernacle - amazed me to full grasp that he is a God of DETAIL. And I never noticed he not only told them, he continually said, as I showed it to you on the mountain. Believe it or not, I love Leviticus - always have. It just amazes me how he laid everything out. Maybe next year I can tackle the 90 day thing.
Hi. Stumbled over here from... somewhere--don't really remember.
What you said, "But I kept reading and finally was rewarded by ... Leviticus. Leviticus is God's way of making the reader feel as if she too is wandering in the desert for 40 years.... I cried out to the Lord in my suffering," HAHAHA Just wait until you get to Lamentations. It's a fun read too!
"Cursed be the day I was brought forth from my mother's womb"
I thoroughly enjoyed the post. I'm NOT reading through the Bible this year. Although, you've caused me to consider... nah!
I just found your site and --and I have just started reading this last night. I loved Genesis so much that I kept reading until I hit 15 or 16, cant remember exactly pages. I think it is cool Noah was 950 years old--I cannot even imagine that length of time! I will have to keep your site on my blog if that is ok so I can keep up with how you are doing... It took me about an hour--but you have to fully understand what you are reading, that is what makes it challenging. GOOD LUCK!
The Bible is the one book that you can read again and again. There is something new everytime you read it. I did thoroughly enjoy your overview. I have read the Bible through several times, but never in 90 days. That is something that I aspire to do - as well as more time in prayer, memorization and meditation on His word. But, as my youngest of 4 is only 17 months I will have to wait a bit to get that ambitious. Everytime I try to read for more than 10/15 minutes, I fall asleep!
I considered the Bible in 90 Days challenge and wathched the videos, but I've already committed to a year study of the Pentatauch. I was thrilled to see your comments on Genesis and Exodus (that we have covered so far). There are amazing stories that adults evidently didn't see fit to teach us as children and that I glossed over as a teen. Yes! The bible speaks to us differently each time. What an amazing compilation of God's Word.
Very cool. I think perhaps I could keep a habit for three months. A year? Nope. I always get behind and give up!
Great writing! Thanks for making it so fun to think about! I'm doing a Psalm a day right now. All year. Blessing my socks off!
Hi Toni,
Unfortunately this must be quick.
Am just catching up with friends by reading their blogs. Always love yours. If life is as mundane as a message on an answering machine, or decends to the realms of Dante's inferno, or even freezes over you manage to make it worth reading about.
Miss you all, and can I say again that we loved! Loved getting together at your place over the holidays.
Leslie
I just studied the first 5 books of the bible last year in my CBS study. Love your synopsis!
I remember the first time I studied Genesis, I sat and read and re-read chapters 1 and 2 for no less than 3 hours! I'm not kidding. It was remarkable as God was trying to help me understand what was there. I remember it vividly to this day.
9 years later, I'm embarrassed to say I still haven't made it through every chapter and verse of the bible. I'm excited for you -- and motivated even more by you.
I like your blog. I'll be back. :)
What helps me is to use commentaries, study guides and sermon series on specific books of the Bible.
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