February

We are starting our second month of The Year of the Bible. By now, you have probably been able to settle into some sort of routine for your reading. By now, too, you may have fallen behind a few times. You should assume that this will happen occasionally in an undertaking like this! Try not to get too far behind, however, because then it is easy to give up on the entire project.

The Old Testament readings this month are primarily from Exodus and Leviticus. Exodus contains the familiar story of Israel's escape from bondage in Egypt. The first twenty chapters are the most exciting, as they tell us about Moses' life story, the burning bush, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Many people have pointed out that the plagues (as well as the Red Sea and the manna and quail in the wilderness) all have parallels in natural events, so that what is "miraculous" in them is not so much the extraordinary events themselves, but the timing: they occur as they are predicted by Moses, God's servant. A very important element of Exodus is God's giving of the name to Israel in chapter 3. The meaning of the name is mysterious ("I am who I am"), but it obviously indicates God's absoluteness. It is a potent sign that points clearly to the Lord's control over this world.

Once you begin chapter 21, you enter a world of laws and customs, many of which seem strange and alien to us. Some of them will even appear to be unjust or unloving. These kinds of injunctions will be a regular feature of the readings all the way through Deuteronomy. Read them quickly; don't get bogged down. Bear in mind that these laws are given to a group whom God is attempting to turn into a people, and these people live in a world that is in many ways chaotic. As harsh as many of the laws may sound to us, there is a much greater emphasis on justice, equality, and mercy here than there was in the cultures surrounding Israel.

Most of Ex. 24-40 deals with the Tabernacle, the "tent of meeting" that became the center of Israelite worship. With the Holy of Holies as its focal point, the Tabernacle was the place that God promised to be accessible to the people. Here, too, sacrifices could be made to atone for sin and ritual defilement. Exodus closes with an affirmation that God's presence has filled the Tabernacle. The people of Israel can be sure that they belong to and are protected by a gracious and merciful Lord!

Leviticus is a book to read quickly. Much of the material it records, which is intended to regulate religious and civil life for Israel, will be hard to understand and will appear burdensome to us. If you are curious about a regulation or law, a commentary will be helpful. Note in particular chapter 19, with its emphasis on justice and helping the poor. There are certainly implications here for our own attitude toward the less fortunate in our society.

Also, you may notice the material on atonement in ch. 16 of Leviticus. It is this kind of ritual material that provides the background for our understanding of Christ's sacrifice of himself on the cross in order to bring atonement. This is a good example of the point, made by many people, that you cannot really understand the New Testament without grasping the basic concepts of the Old Testament.

Most of our reading from the new Testament this month will be in Acts. This book tells us the story of the growth and development of the earliest church during a period of about thirty years from the time Christ departs in glory. Acts 1:8 sets the outline for the book. It shows an ever-widening circle of testimony to the gospel, until the movement begun in Jerusalem reaches the whole of the world.

Acts points out, too, that it is the Holy Spirit, God's power in the world, that underlies this movement. The Spirit is the motivating force, the impelling energy that transforms a small band of believers into convinced and effective witnesses to the Christ. Look particularly for Luke's references to the Holy Spirit in the life and mission of these early disciples. It's a good reminder of our need for the power of God's Spirit to sustain and equip us for our own ministries as Christians.

You will be reading through chapter 15 this month. Most of this half of Acts deals with the original disciples, led by Peter. It is worth reflecting on how different these men are now from the tentative, doubting group of people who were with Jesus only shortly before. Obviously, they have seen the risen Christ and been touched by the Spirit!

Watch for two other things as you read Acts. One is the gradual inclusion, with some hesitations, of non-Jews into the church. The other is the rise of opposition to the new faith. This is tempered at first, but it results eventually in martyrdom for Stephen and James. Contrary to what we hear sometimes these days, witnessing to the gospel does not guarantee a trouble-free existence or a life of ease and comfort!

From The Year of the Bible by James E. Davison