I confess.  Yes, I admit there is a bit of a “you don’t think I can do this?  Just wait and see, I’ll show you” attitude in me.  To be honest, I have taken that approach to reading the Bible, particularly those books that theologians debate and scholars with multitudes of letters behind their names expound with confidence.

I had a brief discussion recently about the New Covenant and the perspective that it is a much too deep theology for most to understand.  Granted, the depth of God’s amazing love, His grace, and His mercy are light-years beyond my understanding, but the apostle Paul gives us a peek into new covenant relationship in Romans 3:23-25, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness.”

Paul goes on to exclaim in his letter to Romans, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has become His counselor?  Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him?’  For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever.  Amen.”  (Romans 11:34-36)

I have heard some people, who regard God’s Word as primarily a theological treatise, something to be analyzed from the early manuscripts and original languages, imply that only those who study the Bible from an educated, intellectual perspective are able to understand its precepts—although valuable resources, scrolls and ancient languages are definitely not necessary to hear God speak through the Bible!  Unfortunately, exclusive thinking—and history shows that this attitude is not new—tends to muddy the water where God truly wants to give clarity.

So, in my Bible reading/prayer journey, I decided to venture into the world of Ezekiel and Daniel.  I did so with some trepidation, but—what amazing books!  I love the richness and craziness (merely human terms) in that God gave the vision of coming kingdoms, and the endgame picture of His kingdom and authority being established on earth, to a pagan king.  …and that king both wisely and prophetically told Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries!” (Daniel 2:47)

Jesus prayed, after the return of the seventy-two disciples he commissioned to heal the sick and teach the nearness of the kingdom of God, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” (Luke 10:21).  God still does that.  He still reveals mysteries and gives understanding to those who do not necessarily think they are wise or possess understanding.  The same Spirit, who breathed truth into the hearts of the men who wrote scripture, continues to breathe life into those words and our hearts today.

The apostle Paul was a highly educated man and yet he wrote this to the church at Corinth:  “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.’…For consider your calling, brothers:  not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.  But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18-19, 26-29).

I had an idea where I wanted to go with this blog when I started it several days ago, yet it has been a struggle to write.  I absolutely know where I want it to go now.  I am writing it to honor a man who died this past week, a man who started a revolution amongst Christians and churches, who dared to stand for the authority and reliability of scripture teaching it verse by verse, who received with open arms all people.  No person, standing in defense of truth and the Word of God remains without detractors: however, I am one who is truly grateful that Chuck Smith “fought the good fight…finished the race…kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for [him] the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8).

(More may be coming soon from the book of Daniel…)