More Than A Dusty Ol’ Book
I didn’t grow up in church. Still, my mother kept a leather bound KJV with a rosary tucked in as a bookmark beside her bed. I’m confident it was a King James Version because I thought it was hilarious when I looked up certain PG-13 words. Don’t judge me, I was seven. Even though I never saw my mom read the Bible, the fact that she held it in high regard was seriously impactful to me.
Another significant memory was sometime in middle school. At this point, I was saved and regularly attending a youth group. I was given a Bible from the church, but it ended up getting tossed around my room, finally landing by my bed. I didn’t treat this book nearly as well as my mom even though I was a Christian and she was not. As each year passed, I remember how the layers of dust would pile up. It felt like a movie scene when I finally blew a cloud off the cover and cracked the spine. Truthfully, I look back at that time wishing I took God’s word more seriously. I wish I started reading it sooner. I had no idea what wonderful things were written within the pages.
Do you remember in The Goonies? Phenomenal movie. One scene that stands out to me is when Mikey stumbled across a frame in his attic. As he brushed the painting to see it clearer, he revealed a map encased in the glass. Upon further review, the Goonies realized it was no ordinary map, but a treasure map. Thus, the beginning of a wild adventure. In the same way, as I unearthed that dusty Bible, there was something much more significant within those pages than I expected. Unlike the Goonies, who recognized the treasure right away, it took me years before I realized what I had in my hand was gold all along.
The Bible is more than a dusty old book, it is the breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16). It uncovers the story of human creation, their fall, their redemption, and the return of the King. A scandalous, glorious story. A nail-biting, better-get-your-popcorn-ready story.
You see, the Bible is not just an ancient collection of poetry, letters, and stories. It is so much more. Consider this famous description, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12).
Is the Bible ancient? Yes, it is. The earliest text dates back several thousands of years. Is the Bible collected works? Yes, it is. Over 40 authors have been used to press ink to papyrus, but it is the Holy Spirit who inspired the writers to write. Is the Bible history? Yes. Many of the stories are verified through secular historians. Is the Bible a list of ‘thou shalt’ and ‘thou shalt not’s’? Yes. God is the perfect moral standard; therefore, His word is full of instruction and prohibition for how a Christ follower ought to live. However, is the Bible only that? No.
Viewing the Bible strictly as a pragmatic good is too simple. It is not enough to recognize the positivity that biblical wisdom offers while scratching the author’s name off the tag. Any intellectually honest person will agree that the Bible teaches great wisdom; it is the fool or the liar who will then attempt to divorce the Teacher from the teaching.
The Bible is the word of God and should be embraced in its totality. Do not be mistaken. The word of God is ancient, but it is not an antique. It is complex, but it is not complicated. It is mysterious, but it is not a mystery. The Holy Scriptures are the infallible, inerrant, inspired, sufficient, and authoritative word of God. They should be regarded as such.
Brush the dust off and read.
