The Year Of The Bible

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

June

When we have finished the readings for June, we will be halfway through The Year of the Bible. This is a good time to look back over the readings we have completed thus far, to give thanks for this accomplishment, and to ask for help in continuing unti the end of the year. The discipline of regular reading, no doubt, has been profitable, so that you have found it to be not only a rigorous challenge but also a valuable time that enriches your faith and draws you closer to Christ Jesus.

The Old Testament material this month covers the second half of 2 Kings and the books of the Chronicles. As you read 2 Kings, remember that the people are no longer united; there are two kingdoms - Israel in the North and Judah in the South. At times the kingdoms work together, but there is no love lost between them. Israel, in particular, gives us a dismal picture of idolatry, Canaanite worhip (the people seem to have missed Elijah's message about choosing God or Baal!), and social injustice. Before long Israel becomes entangled in an unholy alliance with the Assyrians, the rising power in the East. When Israel later attempts to revolt, the kingdom is destroyed.

An especially significant consequence of this is that, as part of their policy of subjugation, the Assyrians deport Israesl's leading citizens and resettle foreigners from other parts of the Empire in Israel. Israel, now a province of the Assyrian Empire, is named Smaria, after its leading city. Intermarriages soon occur and the population becomes mixed. This is the origin of the "Smaritans," the group of people who are so despised by the Jews in New Testament times. Although they continue to worship God and retain a form of the Law of Moses, their adherence to differing traditions and their racially mixed blood makes them outcasts in the eyes of Jews in Christ's day.

The situation in Judah to the South is somewhat better, but only barely. The line of David continues without interruption, and there are a number of good kings, such as Hezekiah and Josiah. Ahaz and Manasseh, however, are evil - so evil, in fact, that each of them burns a son as an offering to the gods. In other words, they participate in the most depraved practices to which Canaanite religion could descend. You will probably find the account of Hezekiah and Isaiah (2 Kings 18 - 20) to be the most uplifting part of these stories.

Eventually, Judah's involvement in power politics gets it into trouble with the Babylonians, who are now the major power in the East. Second Kings ends with the story of the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the kingdom of Judah. By the way, at this point the Ark of the Covenant disappears from the pages of history, never to be seen again.

You will want to read the Chronicles fairly quickly. As you read this material, note that the writer presents David and Solomon as ideal figures by which to gauge later rulers. At the same time, there is a stress on the priesthood, the Temple in Jerusalem, and the need to obey the law of Moses. Looking for these themes will give you a thread to follow as you read.

The New Testament readings for June begin with the last two-thirds of 2 Corinthians. The tone of the letter indicates that Paul has difficulties with this church. In chapters 4 and 5, Paul says that his troubles are ways in which he comes closer to Jesus Christ, and that he looks forward to the time when this present life will give way to the full, eternal life that awaits us in Christ. Read these two chapters several times; let them penetrate your mind and spirit. They can be especially helpful in our own times of trouble.

Chapters 8 and 9 are worth noting as an example of Paul's attitude toward financial resources. When you run into one of those people who comments that "the church is always asking for money," suggest that they read these two chapters! Paul's own sufferings for the gospel come through clearly in the latter part of this letter. Chapter 11, specifically, contains a sompelling autobiographical portrait of his life.

We will also be reading Glatians and Ephesians this month. Glatians gives us a sustained discussion of the famous doctrine of the Reformation, "justification by faith alone." How urgent this was for Paul is apparent when you see that he opposed Peter publicly at Antioch (2:11). You will have trouble understanding Paul's reasoning unless you bear in mind that, for Jews, the Law was assumed to be inviolable and eternal. Paul had believed this once, too, but in light of Christ, he has come to see that the Law is only temporary. A case in point is the pohibition against Jews eating with Gentiles: "for all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (3:28). A useful exercise is to ask ourselves whether there are any areas in our lives where "justification by faith alone" may require us to revise some of our attitudes or actions.

Ephesians, since it does not address acute difficulties and problems, is much more serene in tone than Glatians. It, too, talks about justification and, like the end of Glatians, it offers comments on living as Christians in the world. In fact, Ephesians contains some very practical advice about this. Even more significant, perhaps, are the appealing statements about the riches of God in Jesus Christ. Notice how frequently this theme returns in the first four chapters. The benediction at the end of chapter 3 is worth pondering: We believe in a God who is able to accomplish in us "far more than all we can ask or think" (v.20). Isn't that a good verse to remember when you fall behind in your readings for The Year of the Bible?

From The Year of the Bible by James E. Davison