Still Valid Today

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Thousands of years have come and gone since the time when men put the quill to the parchment and captured the thoughts of God for mankind.  Written mainly in Hebrew (with some Aramaic and Greek), the scriptures have led men and women toward righteousness for generations and generations.  The words of God Almighty were captured by scribes, prophets, and priests over centuries.  The likes of Moses, David, Ezra, the Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others; Peter, Paul, John, Mark, and Luke have captured the inspirations, teachings, and words from God to us.  In a place called Qumran, in the Southeast corner of Israel, there is an ongoing archeological project to uncover the city, homes, and history of the scribes who lived here and spent their days writing.  In the hills just outside of Qumran are the caves, where in the 1950’s, over 900 scrolls were found with references to nearly every book of the Old Testament. Keep in mind that scriptures were numbered and outlined as our modern-day texts are, with books, chapters, and verses.  It was a steady stream of written text copied by a scribe from the mouth of those inspired by God to speak His word.

More copies of the Holy Bible have been printed than any other book in the history of the world.  Certainly, translations from Hebrew and Greek to English and to nearly every other language may have watered down the original; the word of God remains rich and pure to all mankind.  We often question what God wants from us, what our purpose is, why certain things happen, and what His plan is for the future.  The reality is that if we spent time in His word every day, and truly studied it for the richness that comes alive on the pages, we would have a better understanding. 

Most of us live in a “Cliff Notes” world, though, and want the answers without putting in the work of reading, studying, and learning.  Many get lost in the heaviness of the scriptures, and others can’t seem to put it into perspective in their own life.  I have found that spending an hour in the morning reading His word and then taking mental notes of what it means in my life has continually strengthened my outlook on life.  Every time I open the scriptures, I am learning something I didn’t know before.  There is no shortcut.  It takes time, effort, and commitment to grow closer to God, His word, and His purpose.  You have to put in the hard work, and you have to seek Him, for He is not going anywhere.  He is, has always been, and will always be exactly the same. 

The words inscribed on the pages of our Holy Bible are translated from God Almighty and are unchanging.  What He inspired in the heroes of our faith is still just as important today as it was 4000 years ago.  Many will say that the “Old writings” don’t pertain to today’s world.  I say they are very wrong.  The law passed down from God to Moses for mankind has not changed and will not.

1.      Thou shalt have no other gods before me
2.      Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
3.      Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
4.      Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy
5.      Honor thy father and thy mother
6.      Thou shalt not kill
7.      Thou shalt not commit adultery
8.      Thou shalt not steal
9.      Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
10.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's belongings

Why then do we have such a hard time following His word as the truth?  Why are we so inclined to attempt to conform His truth to our way of life, rather than conforming our life to abide by His truth?  If we all took a stand to live by the truth revealed to us through the scriptures, we could solve 90% of the problems in the world today.  In Paul's letter to Timothy he continues in Ch 4 to say, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and turn away from listening to the truth..."  This is happening across the church today.  The Holy Word of God is being morphed from The Truth, to man's version of the truth, based on our own desire and intent.  The real problem we face is that people want the scriptures to support their lifestyle and choices, rather than God's intent.  As long as there is pride, ego, and selfishness in this world, I fear the scriptures will remain a distant record of history rather than a tool for our daily life.