During a long wait for a recent medical appointment I examined the copy of a Gideon King James Version of the Bible in the waiting room. As a lifetime reader and student of the scriptures, I tried to imagine how someone unfamiliar with the Bible might respond to this bedrock of our faith.
On the back page of the waiting room copy I found the Gideon list of passages that have brought comfort and help to millions, a testimony to why the Bible is one of the most treasured books of all time. Here are some the categories listed:
The Way of Salvation
Comfort in Time of Loneliness
Comfort in Time of Sorrow
Relief in Time of Suffering
Guidance in Time of Decision
Protection in Time of Danger
Courage in Time of Fear
Peace in Time of Turmoil
Rest in Time of Weariness
Strength in Time of Temptation
Warning in Time of Indifference
Forgiveness in Time of Conviction
Undoubtedly these passages have brought help and comfort to millions of readers in countless motels, waiting rooms and in other public places.
But the Bible is a very big book and is about an imperfect humanity in a greatly troubled world. And it is about a God who is not only about responding to our inner distresses and individual needs, but one who is heaven-bent on saving, restoring and blessing all of creation, the good, the bad and the ugly. Its texts shine a light on all kinds of darkness, and include stories about a flawed but loved humanity that so often disappoints and gets it all wrong. As such it is at times raw, difficult and even laborious to read.
So I wondered how someone unfamiliar with the Bible's life giving message might respond to random selections I realized might seem strange, confusing, or even troubling to a modern reader. Such as:
Numbers 2:1-4 (instructions for the journey from Egypt to Canaan)
"And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. And on the east side toward the rising of the son shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nashon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of of the children of Judah. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred."
Exodus 27:1-3 (instructions for furnishing the tabernacle)
"And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits. And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass."
I Chronicles 18:1-4 (stories about Israel's King David)
"Now after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines, and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hands of the Philistines. And he smote Moab; and the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts. And David smote Hadadrezer king of Zobah unto Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the river Euphrates. And David took from him a thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen: David also houghed* all the chariot horses, but reserved of them an hundred chariots."
Some of the disconnect readers might feel with the above has to do with the centuries old form of English used. Obviously the 1611 King James translation, though beautiful, contains words and phrasing that often seem foreign to modern readers. It should be noted that recent Gideon Bibles use more modern and readable versions, but some passages like those above will still seem puzzling.
Please understand, I love the Bible. It's been a source of lifelong wisdom, hope and nurture for me and millions of others. And I wasn't specifically looking for problem passages here, yet I realize how much of the book, or really a collection of sacred writings and stories, I seldom if ever take time to read or to refer to on any regular basis, and never use as sermon material.
I'd be glad for your reflections, but here are some of my own:
1. In spite our questioning the relevance of some of the above sample passages, we can be sure that each was of profound interest to large numbers of people of faith in times past, so much so that these texts were painstakingly copied and carefully preserved and shared as an important part of their history and identity.
2. As a part of a continued and unfolding story of God's people over millennia of time we can better understand and appreciate our faith today by better understanding the faith and life of millions of believers who have preceded us. They are all a part of our sacred but very human history.
3. Jesus, a devout and observant Jew, loved the Torah, and frequently quoted passages from the Psalms and the writings of the ancient prophets. Yet he was also selective in his use of Hebrew scripture texts, and never quoted any examples of the military conquests of Israel, of rites like circumcision, or of the need for elaborate human made temples for the worship of God.
So maybe it's OK to read and heed the Bible much as Jesus did, with his own selection of topics and texts to which he gave priority. Not unlike the choice of of the many passages in the back of the Gideon Bible.
*hough: to hamstring, i.e., to sever the 'tendon of Achilles' of the hind legs of captured horses so as to render them useless.
