We are nearly 2 months into the new year (not sure we can call it “new” anymore.) Many of you set a goal of reading through the bible in this calendar year. That is a great goal that I too am pursuing. It is not too late to start! Here is a link to a few popular reading plans. I use the Discipleship Journal Reading Plan, because it gives me 5 “catch-up days” per month.
Usually this time of year is when staying on course with your reading plan gets a little challenging. There are lots of reasons for that. First, we all tend to get distracted. It requires discipline and determination to stick with our daily reading plan. One of the other reasons is often the difficulty with understanding portions of the Old Testament. Regardless of your particular reading plan, you are probably reading through the latter part of Exodus or Leviticus now. On the surface, these texts can seem obscure, boring, and just plain weird. Here are a few tips that I hope will keep you on track.
1. Read these texts as an exercise in your faithfulness, not to understand every word. Even if you do not understand the context, or cultural references that you read…..you still are making progress when you press through keep reading. The bible has an accumulative effect that is intangible at times. Think of it as spiritual exercise. You just have to keep pressing, and in time you will begin to see that all that perseverance is making you stronger.
2. A word about the intricate details we read about in Exodus, Leviticus and others. These texts contribute to our understanding of God, even if we do not fully understand what they are saying. For example, the last 10 chapters of Exodus are filled with intricate details about the design, and construction of the Tabernacle, and even the clothing worn by the priests. A natural question to ask while reading this section is, “Why do I need to know this stuff?” The most important answer to that is simply this, This story reveals to me just how detailed, holy, and particular our God really is. Whenever we are reading a seemingly useless text, stop and ask yourself, “What does this say about the character, values, and passion of God?” God used these events to reveal himself to his people thousands of years ago. They still accomplish that same purpose through the reading of them today.
3. If you want to go deeper, there are some great resources out there. First off, anything in my library is available to you. You will make your nerdy pastor really excited if you ask to borrow a bible dictionary! There are some solid resources online as well. But be careful! All free internet info is not created equally. Here are some sites I recommend:
http://www.biblestudytools.com/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/The single best resource for in-depth bible study available today is the ESV Study Bible. I recommend the the cheap, hardback version. Don’t waste money on expensive leather. This thing weighs 10 pounds, so your not going to be packing it to church anyway (unless you want to knock somebody out with it).
Hang in there church! God is shaping us to be more like him, through his word. I love the quote by an Old Testament professor at Asbury Seminary. “Do not seek to master the bible, seek to allow the bible master you.”
