Hearing the Words of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:19)

 


Saturday, August 31, 2024


Psalm 83

2 Chronicles 34:14-28

Romans 16:17-27


Observances: Aidan of Lindisfarne, bishop and missionary (d. 651); John Bunyan, preacher and spiritual writer (d. 1688)


Hearing the Words of the Law (2 Chronicles 34:19)


In reading situations like in today’s verse, it is good to remember that just because something happens in the Bible doesn’t mean we should do it too. Imagine if, every Sunday, the readers up the front of the church had to tear their clothes after reading each lesson! Although, there might be one or two people who you think should be tearing the clothes of their heart after reading their Bible…


As pithy and cliché it might sound, we live in an unprecedented age. If you want to read the Bible, you just need to pull out your phone. You can find Bibles in cheap motels in the top drawer. Knock on any church and ask, and I’m certain someone will hand you theirs for free.


There are some parts of the world where it is almost impossible to read the Bible. I have heard of one underground church in China, where they receive small passages of the Bible written on scraps of paper. They take this scrap of paper, commit the words to memory, and then eat the paper, so that the authorities will not find it.


Imagine if we didn’t have the Bible so readily available. Imagine if we had to rely on second and third hand information about Jesus. Have we taken these pages for granted?


We believe the word of God has power. When King Josiah’s men found the books of Moses collecting dust up the back of the Temple, they read it to him, and he responded in a most dramatic way. You wouldn’t tear your clothes over something like Shakespeare – inspired writings speak directly to the human heart in a way no other human ever could.


As we do our kingdom work of the sword and the trowel, we should remember just how powerful this little book is. Just because it is readily available doesn’t mean it has any less power – in fact, we could say that the power is increased, because more people are exposed to its power.


How well do you know your Bible? What is your attitude towards the Bible compared to, say, the newspaper or a good detective novel?


God of all creation, use your inspired words of holy scripture to inspire a love for them in our hearts.

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