One of the common experiences of folks reading through the Bible cover-to-cover for the first time is a sense of shock at all the bad behavior of the people involved. Some members of our group have asked or submitted questions about specific instances. Let's set aside the specifics for the moment, however, in favor of considering the larger phenomenon.
Since most of our exposure to Scripture comes by way of the inspiration-application-devotional approach that we have talked about earlier, much of the bad behavior tends to get edited out. Noah's drunkenness, Abraham's white lies, Isaac and Jacob's destructive favoritism of certain sons, Rebekah's deceitfulness, Laban's duplicitousness, what Jacob's sons do to Shechem and company, Judah's episode with Tamar -- and this is just in the book of Genesis alone! -- none of these stories make for very good devotional material. And so, since our aim is typically inspiration and application, we bypass those disappointing stories, focusing instead on the obedience of Noah, the faith of Abraham, Jacob's encounters with God, etc.
When we sit down to read it for ourselves, therefore, we are surprised to discover how uneven these men and women of God actually are. We didn't hear these stories in Sunday School! So what are we to make of it all?
First, once we get past the initial shock, we should find it refreshing. You and I are not made out of stained glass, and so it should be a great relief for us to discover that neither are the men and women of the Bible. They are just like us -- flesh and blood and blemished. They are uneven in their faith and obedience, and so are we. This should make their stories and examples much more accessible to us, for if they were as perfect as we have sometimes been led to believe, we would sense a great distance between ourselves and them.
Second, we should rejoice in the Bible's candor. It is essential to us that the Bible be trustworthy, and if it presented us with airbrushed and idealized portraits of these men and women, we would have reason to question its reliability. As it is, however, we see that the writers of Scripture do not shrink from telling it like it is. Recognizing that, then, we know that we can trust what we read -- that there is no spin, no doctoring of photos, no manipulation of facts. We may blush to have our children read and hear some of this material, but it helps us and them know that the Bible is a credible source.
And, finally, we should celebrate God's grace. When we see clearly the kind of men and women with whom and through whom He worked, we get a renewed understanding of His grace, His patience, and His kindness. You remember what the Apostle Paul says: "It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us." Well, likewise, it is while we are still sinners that He calls us, leads us, works with us, uses us, and such. He is far more patient with us than we are with ourselves and with one another. And so, rather than being supremely disappointed by Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Judah, let us instead be supremely impressed by the God who includes them -- and us -- in His plan.
Since most of our exposure to Scripture comes by way of the inspiration-application-devotional approach that we have talked about earlier, much of the bad behavior tends to get edited out. Noah's drunkenness, Abraham's white lies, Isaac and Jacob's destructive favoritism of certain sons, Rebekah's deceitfulness, Laban's duplicitousness, what Jacob's sons do to Shechem and company, Judah's episode with Tamar -- and this is just in the book of Genesis alone! -- none of these stories make for very good devotional material. And so, since our aim is typically inspiration and application, we bypass those disappointing stories, focusing instead on the obedience of Noah, the faith of Abraham, Jacob's encounters with God, etc.
When we sit down to read it for ourselves, therefore, we are surprised to discover how uneven these men and women of God actually are. We didn't hear these stories in Sunday School! So what are we to make of it all?
First, once we get past the initial shock, we should find it refreshing. You and I are not made out of stained glass, and so it should be a great relief for us to discover that neither are the men and women of the Bible. They are just like us -- flesh and blood and blemished. They are uneven in their faith and obedience, and so are we. This should make their stories and examples much more accessible to us, for if they were as perfect as we have sometimes been led to believe, we would sense a great distance between ourselves and them.
Second, we should rejoice in the Bible's candor. It is essential to us that the Bible be trustworthy, and if it presented us with airbrushed and idealized portraits of these men and women, we would have reason to question its reliability. As it is, however, we see that the writers of Scripture do not shrink from telling it like it is. Recognizing that, then, we know that we can trust what we read -- that there is no spin, no doctoring of photos, no manipulation of facts. We may blush to have our children read and hear some of this material, but it helps us and them know that the Bible is a credible source.
And, finally, we should celebrate God's grace. When we see clearly the kind of men and women with whom and through whom He worked, we get a renewed understanding of His grace, His patience, and His kindness. You remember what the Apostle Paul says: "It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us." Well, likewise, it is while we are still sinners that He calls us, leads us, works with us, uses us, and such. He is far more patient with us than we are with ourselves and with one another. And so, rather than being supremely disappointed by Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Judah, let us instead be supremely impressed by the God who includes them -- and us -- in His plan.