Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Slogging Through the BIble

Reading through the Bible each year is a discipline that I have carried on for almost 30 years. There is so much value to the process that I could go on for hours. Nevertheless, there are portions of the readings, like the section I am reading right now that seem mindlessly detailed. (Sorry Lord!)

I know they aren't. I know that the mind behind the details of tabernacle building and worship garments and procedures are there in the text to teach me something profound about the nature of God and true worship. I know this intellectually, but I still find the detail related in the last chapters of Exodus to be--well, overwhelming and boring.

Part of the problem is the overpacked schedule of this season of the year. These endless lists of details require a lot of meditation over the "why's" of the text. And "why" meditation is time consuming. I'm lazy sometimes and just don't want to get bogged down in the detail of the tabernacle. So pray for me. And if you are bogged down yourself as your slogging your way through the Bible, be encouraged--your pastor struggles with the same thing you do.

In the mean time here's what I do:
1. I remember that God has his reasons and these are still important texts even if my own heart fails to discern it at this time.
2. I concentrate on those portion that I do understand and ask God to help me apply those.
3. I pray for time in the future to do a more intensive study of obscure texts so that nothing God means for my good--everything in the word of God--will be laid aside permanently.

Those of you that are reading with me: Don't give up.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

You showed us your website during the sermon today. I am slogging through Leviticus. Do you have any suggestions about how to understand some of this - commentaries, etc?

ChosenRebel said...

I would recommend the commentary in the Tyndale OT COmmentary series, by R.K. Harrison. It is simply titled Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary. You will find it helpful.

Don't give up.