This morning I read the last chapters of Revelation, completing the 90 day reading plan. There was a much more efficient and tech-savvy way to keep record of my progress of course, but I am irredeemably old school in this regard, preferring as I do the one page tally sheet where I can highlight each day’s reading with a yellow marker. Most days I read, but occasionally I took advantage of the audiobook app on my cellphone. I started out using The Message version of scripture and indeed used it more than any other over the 90 days, but whenever certain books like Psalms came up, I reverted back to the King James because of the beauty and familiarity of the language.
What did I learn? Many things, actually. Most I already knew but needed a reminding. Some things I had never noticed before in previous readings. Some of what I read was disturbing, uncomfortable words to hear in the 21st century. I read things that were profoundly beautiful and soothing, other things that felt like a rebuke. The one thing that strikes you about the Bible is how vulnerable are the heroes. All of the saints and mighty characters of the Old and New Testament are presented in all of their flawed humanity. King David’s bravery and love for God is clearly conveyed, right along side his adultery, murder and cowardly treachery. Moses and Abraham were presented as the powerful men of faith that they were, but we were also told of their missteps, their lying and disobedience. In Jesus’ disciples we see men who were painfully dim-witted, often petty, and nearly universally uneducated, making their heroic deeds post-resurrection seem like maybe the most miraculous thing in all of scripture. In other words, the entirety of scripture seems brutally honest in the extreme. Lest we be tempted to venerate someone, we are told of their worst possible moment, cutting them down to size. This feature of the Bible is encouraging to me and always has been. Perfection of character is not a requirement for approaching God. Good thing.
There are plenty of themes that run throughout all 66 books. Here are just a few I picked up:
- God hates the prideful
- God has a heart for the sick, widows, orphans and the poor and expects us to look after them
- The Law was designed as a guide for human flourishing, keeping the Ten Commandments are still the best way to avoid poverty and human suffering.
- Anything God creates, human beings ultimately screw up.
- No matter how much we screw up, God has bottomless reservoirs of compassion.
- Forgiveness is the most vital ingredient for human happiness and the most difficult to both give and receive.
- The concept of grace is perhaps the most beautiful thing in all of creation.
- There’s a lot of messed up stuff in the Bible…human beings are nuts!
Yes, there are many more themes in the Bible and many of them are of far greater theological importance than these I have listed, but these are the ones that jumped out to me…this time.
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