Every year around this time I am reminded how much of our Bible is made up by what we call the Old Testament. I’ve been reading through the Bible each calendar year for decades and it usually takes until October to begin Matthew. When I read the OT, passages can still surprise me as I recognize them from my readings in the NT. But our Jewish friends hear it the other way around, finding their Hebrew Bible in the words of Jesus and Paul.
Enmeshed in the Jewish Fall Festivals, is the holiday Simchat Torah. It is the day of the year that the Torah readings from the scroll are complete and the scroll is then re-rolled to begin again. This is a joyous holiday and the Torah is celebrated with great delight. God loves us so much He gave us His Word! As the Torah is removed from its closet, there is dancing as congregants reach out to touch and kiss the scroll.
What if we Christians reacted similarly when we gather around the Bible, with joy, awe, and celebration that we have His word?
During the Simchat Torah (Joy of the Torah) celebration, the final reading of Torah is made. The end of the scroll is reached. It is then re-rolled and the first passage of Genesis is read, marking the beginning of a new Torah cycle. I like that it restarts without a pause. It gives it continuity, a unity, maybe even a picture of eternity – without beginning or end - as it repeats.
Thankfully, as I close Malachi and the OT, I’m not re-rolling the scroll. There is more – it doesn’t end here! The Word became flesh and advanced the story. The good news was continued.
I love to study the Bible in its entirety, seeing the unity and beauty of its message. Let’s dance at opening up His pages. Let’s be a community that celebrates each glimpse of Almighty God. He sent His Word because He loves us.
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Matthew 1:1
*I encourage everyone, no matter where you are in your faith journey, to read the Bible. The annual read through is an arbitrary schedule I’ve chosen for myself, but it works for me. Some read just a chapter a day, some intermix NT and OT. Just find a routine that you can follow. If you struggle in the OT, find some helps. One book recommendation is Larry Crabb’s “66 Love Letters” which gives just a couple of pages of each book of the Bible showing how it connects to the Grand Story of His love for us.
1 Response