The One Year Bible that we distribute at our church divides the sixty-six books of the Bible into 365 sections from the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Psalms and the Proverbs. Each day’s readings include a calendar date in the margin, solving the problem of what to read each day. It’s a wonderful tool for reading through the Bible in twelve months. But it’s also a dangerous tool, confronting us with less-than-favourite scriptures that can scare us away from God’s Word.
Imagine those who have just been given a One Year Bible this fall. In September, turning to the calendar date, they would have been plunged into a series of dark predictions by the prophet Isaiah about impending foreign invasions. In October, they would have been confronted by Jeremiah’s warnings about wars brought about by unjust kings, lying prophets and unfaithful priests. In November, they would now be confused by Ezekiel’s descriptions of wheels within spinning wheels, living creatures that look like something out of a horror movie, and prophecies that predicted the collapse of society and the end of time.
What are brand new Bible readers to make of all these sombre readings in the “brrr” months? For that matter, what are life-long believers to make of all these dark prophecies?
Remembrance Day may hold the key that unlocks the purpose of these doomful scripture readings about conflict and war.
At this time of the year, we think about the lives that have been lost on various battlefronts. The media provide us with pictures of grim-faced veterans from the two World Wars, the Crimean and Korean Wars, the Vietnam War and, more recently, the wars that are still being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Why are we shown these images annually? “Lest We Forget!” A reminder to each new generation that we forget the horrors of war and the cost of liberty at our peril. A time to thank God for those who paid the ultimate price for our priceless freedom.
The raised, angry voices of the Old Testament prophets talking about wars and rumours of wars are like newsreels about our military campaigns, making us long for a more peaceful way of life. They verbalize what is bound to happen if and when people lose sight of God and stop loving each other. Difficult as these prophecies are to read, they are best summed up by Remembrance Day’s concise three-word mission statement.
As both an idealist and an optimist, I will always be on the hunt for the hopeful sections that light up even the darkest prophecy. Thankfully, there are many! But the prophets’ long descriptions of judgment and bold calls to repentance are important reminders that we are not only prone to wander but also prone to war. According to the biblical prophets, a disobedient life apart from God’s grace leads to chaos, even exile. Centuries later, Peter, Paul and John would agree and add that life without the reconciling forgiveness of Christ is a sure-fire recipe for hell. That’s something we may never forget.
Remembrance Day services and the apocalyptic readings of the Bible share a similar purpose; they help us remember, “lest we forget.” They also underscore the necessity of Christ’s sacrificial love for friends and enemies alike, God’s much needed answer to the problem of war.
This insight, suggested by Rod during a recent pre-service discussion between praise team members, will keep me reading through the prophets even when their dire warnings come close to wearing me out. May his insight also give you what you need to tough your way through the harder parts of God’s Word.
- Pastor Peter
Imagine those who have just been given a One Year Bible this fall. In September, turning to the calendar date, they would have been plunged into a series of dark predictions by the prophet Isaiah about impending foreign invasions. In October, they would have been confronted by Jeremiah’s warnings about wars brought about by unjust kings, lying prophets and unfaithful priests. In November, they would now be confused by Ezekiel’s descriptions of wheels within spinning wheels, living creatures that look like something out of a horror movie, and prophecies that predicted the collapse of society and the end of time.
What are brand new Bible readers to make of all these sombre readings in the “brrr” months? For that matter, what are life-long believers to make of all these dark prophecies?
Remembrance Day may hold the key that unlocks the purpose of these doomful scripture readings about conflict and war.
At this time of the year, we think about the lives that have been lost on various battlefronts. The media provide us with pictures of grim-faced veterans from the two World Wars, the Crimean and Korean Wars, the Vietnam War and, more recently, the wars that are still being fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Why are we shown these images annually? “Lest We Forget!” A reminder to each new generation that we forget the horrors of war and the cost of liberty at our peril. A time to thank God for those who paid the ultimate price for our priceless freedom.
The raised, angry voices of the Old Testament prophets talking about wars and rumours of wars are like newsreels about our military campaigns, making us long for a more peaceful way of life. They verbalize what is bound to happen if and when people lose sight of God and stop loving each other. Difficult as these prophecies are to read, they are best summed up by Remembrance Day’s concise three-word mission statement.
As both an idealist and an optimist, I will always be on the hunt for the hopeful sections that light up even the darkest prophecy. Thankfully, there are many! But the prophets’ long descriptions of judgment and bold calls to repentance are important reminders that we are not only prone to wander but also prone to war. According to the biblical prophets, a disobedient life apart from God’s grace leads to chaos, even exile. Centuries later, Peter, Paul and John would agree and add that life without the reconciling forgiveness of Christ is a sure-fire recipe for hell. That’s something we may never forget.
Remembrance Day services and the apocalyptic readings of the Bible share a similar purpose; they help us remember, “lest we forget.” They also underscore the necessity of Christ’s sacrificial love for friends and enemies alike, God’s much needed answer to the problem of war.
This insight, suggested by Rod during a recent pre-service discussion between praise team members, will keep me reading through the prophets even when their dire warnings come close to wearing me out. May his insight also give you what you need to tough your way through the harder parts of God’s Word.
- Pastor Peter
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