This book didn't even start out on paper. It began as a family history, carved into a wooden staff. As each child was born, or each family member died, their name and their deeds were cut into the wood,and each successive generation was taught to read it,memorize,and recite it. Finally, of course, it became to big for the staff,and was carefully transferred to paper-like scrolls, and papyrus and ink. As the family grew to be greater and larger,new writers came along, and took up the staff---the scrolls were carefully preserved,and sealed in air-tight containers. And still the book grew. Each new generation was taught the skills to carry on,along with learning the family history, and then,faithfully adding to it. Everything they did, whether it was good or bad, was written down, and without them even being aware of it, the book took on a pattern. For those who did the right things, there was a sign upon their lives of goodness following them. And for those who chose to do evil things, the evil seemed to visit their children as well. But throughout the ages, there were good men and women, and not so good men and women, and the family thrived, or started to die out accordingly. But there came a time, when, as a whole, the family grew so large, they forgot they were a family and they began to consider themselves "tribes".The tribes followed one God, for ever so long, until at last there came a time when they no longer followed him,but they scattered their worship, and became scattered in their lands as well, and still, they kept the tradition of keeping, the book. Some became nomads, who wandered around, not knowing where they belonged, or who the God of their fathers was. Some fell into traps, and became slaves. Not just once or twice, but time and time again. and still, they kept the book, and felt deep down inside a yearning for a way, and a place that for some would have been long forgotten, but because of the staff, or the scrolls, or the papyrus, new generations would turn back to the old ways, and then they would be brought back into their own lands,and begin again to fulfill the old traditions. Then God took an interest in them, and began to send prophets to tell them what he wanted them to do, and gave them a law to live by, that their lives would be long and happy upon the land. Sometimes they did it, and sometimes, they didn't,and it was all written down,dutifully, for the future generations to read about and learn from,as examples of how to live happy,long productive lives,and conversely, what sort of actions cause people to live unhappily disastrous lives,and slowly they began to understand that if they listened to the prophets, things went well, and if they didn't listen, or they stoned the prophets to death so that God could not communicate with them, and lead and guide them, things didn't go well at all. This took hundreds,perhaps thousands of years, but at long last, they began to revere the prophets,and follow their leading, and the family began to settle down and build great cities ,with nice homes,and farms and everyone began to see that taking care of each other worked out better for everyone than before when all anyone did was fight to have things their own way. Then, after a gap of some six hundred years, a whole new perspective of that very same book began. In this new way, the authors focused on just one linear branch,one single blood line,following the Davidic ancestors,and descendants,leading up to the promised "golden child." It is in this part of the book that the promise made hundreds of years before was fulfilled! Fascinatingly enough, this part is filled with as many twists and turns as any New York Times best-seller list of murder mysteries. From a suspicious husband-to-be dealing with a pregnant girl friend,to a sudden birth of the child in less than desirable surroundings, to the threat of a powerful man who sends his thugs out to kill that child,and ends up killing all other babies in the area, as the terrified family flees the country to save the child! There were hard times, that if you read this book, will keep you wondering what went on while they were out of the country, because again, there is a gap, and then the story is taken up again as they return to the land of his birth, and by now he is half-grown,home-schooled in the book of his family,and learning a trade from his "father." This is the most interesting part of the whole book, because there is more of his personal life, his personality and his motives given than in any of the other stories of his family, combined. Little instances are given where if you are paying attention, tells you more about this man, than you are ever likely to know about any man. He is strong, but a loving man, who not only talks about love, but teaches those around him the true meaning of love. He knows the law,and lives it to the fullest, and yet, goes beyond the law, knowing not just the letter of the law, but able to demonstrate his love, thereby putting into practice the spirit, the essence of the law. And as his life is played out on the pages of this book, there are points where there should have been a laugh track,and other parts where would have been music of beauty, astonishment, and power,but in the end, deepest sorrow....And then, Triumph! But even then, the book isn't over at this point. Because in his lifetime this golden child drew to him so many people who loved him, and believed in his approach to living,that what he had begun, did not just weep and throw up their hands and walk away from all he had done; but began to spread the word that life is more than just greed and hatred and wants. That it can be happy and glorious,with peace of mind, and not all bogged down with guilt and shame. And the afterword becomes, not an afterword at all, with just anti-climactic stuff,but is writings by his followers who then take the time to fill in the blanks that couldn't be brought out in the body of his life and fine-tunes your understanding of all the marvelous things that he did. The miracles he performed,and the truths that he taught.
And you finally begin to see that the book, The Bible, is one story. One story, written under the power of the Holy Spirit,by a multitude of authors, preserved and protected in a multitude of ways, until the time was right, and then God brought it all together, and caused it to be compiled,printed, translated,and published and bound together just as HE intended it to be, to tell US the one story!The story of man's redemption! From Genesis to Revelation, One story! All those thousands of lives, over thousands of years, God,through feeble sinning man, wrote one story! HE wrote a book to tell us that he loves us,and he has a way made clear and plain for us to find our way back to where we came from. We were in heaven,when came a war. We all know that part. But God said, I will make another place for those who do not wish to be with me to go, but now I must try every soul. And earth became a place of testing, for each of us to find our way back to him and have that choice,to accept his love, or go to that place where his love cannot go.
If you doubt any of this, I have a question for you. Have you ever written a book? If so, you know how hard it is for even just one author to write a book that doesn't contradict itself several times. That is why editors were born. Then, after you have written it, how hard it is to keep it intact,and protected long enough to get it into print! Think about it. Where man finds it difficult to create such a work over the course of years,keep it in agreement with itself, and see it through to a happy conclusion! Consider the miracle power that it took God to cause hundreds, perhaps thousands of different authors to write a book filled with his love for us, that tells us who he is, who we are, and each one totally unaware of what everyone else is writing! Each piece separate and complete unto itself, and yet, when finally brought together, it never contradicts itself, it interprets itself, and gives us examples of every conceivable problem in life, and how to overcome them, and what to do if we make a mistake!
And then finally, HE himself gave us the solution to the very problem of the entire focal point of the book. The human sacrifice, as played out in example by Abraham, and his son Isaac! Remember? God stayed Abraham's hand,and showed him a ram, caught in the bush, to sacrifice instead! God told us in Genesis that this sin that had been brought into the world had to be paid for by a blood sacrifice. This then was the basis for the children of Israel's priests to sacrifice lamb after lamb, spotless and pure, on every high feast day. And then, amazingly enough, God caused his own son to be born, spread the word,and then to become that pure, spotless sacrificial lamb to redeem mankind. On both occasions, God himself provided the sacrifice....and then he superseded himself, and brought his son back to life! Truly, a book of miracles, that continue on today!
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