A recent poll found that the average Americans own 4.4 Bibles. The survey showed the Bible is still firmly rooted in American soil: 88 percent of respondents said they own a Bible, 80 percent think the Bible is sacred, 61 percent wish they read the Bible more, and the average household has 4.4 Bibles. (The Barna Group, “The State of the Bible 2013” study) Another study by the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture found that only 9% of Americans read their Bible on a daily basis. On a side note, that is not to say they are even reading the inspired, inerrant, preserved Word of God, many are reading a false version of the real thing. People read the Bible for countless different reasons; to learn about the future or history, to learn about religion, and for the few, their own personal walk and devotions. For the student who has it on his shelf with all his other books, the professor who scoffs and degrades the Bible, and the man who burns it, the Bible is still alive and “works” for them today. No history book, “self-help” book, prediction of the future, or positive message could be more accurate or beneficial than the Word of God. All other books fall short. The Bible stands apart as unique. Webster must have had the Bible in mind when he wrote the definition for "unique"; "1. one and only; single; sole. 2. different from all others; having no like or equal". “Professor M. Montiero-Williams, former Boden professor of Sanskrit, spent 42 years studying Eastern books and said in comparing them with the Bible: "Pile them, if you will, on the left side of your study table; but place your own Holy Bible on the right side - all by itself, all alone - and with a wide gap between them. For,...three is a gulf between it and the so-called sacred books of the East which severs the one from the other utterly, hopelessly, and forever...a veritable gulf which cannot be bridged over by any science of religious thought." (AngelFire) What makes the Bible stand apart from all other books? Its content. The Bible was written over the course of 1500 years by over 40 authors from all different walks of life, many of which never met each other or saw the other’s writings. It was written in three different languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, in many different geological locations. With no comparison between the writings, all the author’s writings mesh so perfectly and completely because they were inspired by God. History books, science, and daily events continually prove the authenticity and uniqueness of the Bible. The Bible has been read by more people and published in more languages than any other book. There have been more copies produced of its entirety and more portions and selections than any other book in history. Daniel Radosh wrote this in The New Yorker: “The familiar observation that the Bible is the best-selling book of all times obscures a more startling fact: the Bible is the best-selling book of the year, every year.” The Bible was one of the first major books translated. The Bible has been translated and retranslated more than any other book in existence. Encyclopedia Britannica says that “by 1966 the whole Bible had appeared… in 240 languages and dialects… one or more whole books of the Bible in 739 additional ones, a total of publication of 1,280 languages.” As of November 2014 the full Bible has been translated into 531 languages, and 2,883 or more languages have at least some portion of the Bible. The Bible is more certain and sure than any other book despite how long it has had to be preserved. The Bible is unique in its preservation. “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40.8) John Warwick Montgomery says that "to be skeptical of the resultant text of the New Testament books is to allow all of classical antiquity to slip into obscurity, for no documents of the ancient period are as well attested bibliographically as the New Testament". Bernard Ramm speaks of the accuracy and number of biblical manuscripts: “Jews preserved it as no other manuscript has ever been preserved. With their massora (parva, magna, and finalis) they kept tabs on every letter, syllable, word and paragraph. They had special classes of men within their culture whose sole duty was to preserve and transmit these documents with practically perfect fidelity - scribes, lawyers, massoretes. Who ever counted the letters and syllables and words of Plato or Aristotle? Cicero of Seneca?" John Lea in The Greatest Book in the World compared the Bible with Shakespeare's writings: "In an article in the North American Review, a writer made some interesting comparisons between the writings of Shakespeare and the Scriptures, which show that much greater care must have been bestowed upon the biblical manuscripts than upon other writings, even when there was so much more opportunity of preserving the correct text by means of printed copies than when all the copies had to be made by hand. He said: "It seems strange that the text of Shakespeare, which has been in existence less than two hundred and eight years, should be far more uncertain and corrupt than that of the New Testament, now over eighteen centuries old, during nearly fifteen of which it existed only in manuscript...With perhaps a dozen or twenty exceptions, the text of every verse in the New Testament may be said to be so far settled by general consent of scholars, that any dispute as to its readings must relate rather to the interpretation of the words than to any doubts respecting the words themselves. But in every one of Shakespeare's thirty-seven plays there are probably a hundred readings still in dispute, a large portion of which materially affects the meaning of the passages in which they occur". It seems to be unnecessary to say that the Bible is unique. It is incomparable to any other book because it is the very breath and words of God. If God placed so much importance upon this book in order to give it to us, why do we not place an equal importance on it in order to give attention to it on a daily basis? Be part of the 9% that read it. Certainly the Bible is a unique book that was inspired by God, but what importance does the Old Testament have to our lives today? The New Testament overrules the Old Testament, does it not? With the law and sacrifices, what makes the Old Testament relevant to today? When Jesus came, He replaced the Old Testament with the New Testament, correct? Some people reject the Old Testament today saying it is irrelevant and has been replaced. However such thinking is flawed in multiple ways. First of all, implying that the New Testament is “better” than the Old Testament is to suggest that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are different. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3.16) I am to the understanding the “all” means all. The entire Bible was inspired by God. Therefore, because the Old Testament was inspired by God it is of value to us; we come to know God through the Old Testament just as by the New Testament. The Old Testament prophesied Jesus and it is fulfilled in Him. The Old Testament. The New Testament needs the preceding chapters and books of the Old Testament to be fully understood. The context of the Bible is necessary to understand where and how it is written. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament work together to give us the whole picture of who God is, who we are, what He does with rebellion, and how He desires to bless us. The Old Testament is absolutely essential to having a true understanding of the Bible. It is filled with many true stories and people. The Old Testament is full of prophecies that were either fulfilled in the Old or the New Testament. When seeing the prophecies fulfilled, it should reaffirm our faith even more in our Awesome God! The New Testament refers back to and even quotes the Old Testament. Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, lists a number of people who displayed great faith, many of those written about were in the Old Testament. Noah trusted God and built an ark to save him, his family, and countless animals from the flood. We read about Noah in Genesis. Abraham had strong faith to trust God and follow Him even when he did not see the outcome. We can read of Abraham in Genesis also. Joseph showed forgiveness, faith, and humility in his life and is written about in Genesis as well. Moses led the nation of Israel out of Egypt in Exodus. David had many ‘heroic’ moments in his life, including the well-known defeat of Goliath in 1 Samuel. These are just a few. These were men who displayed real faith and trust in the Lord. They faced real, and great problems, but relied on the Lord to get them through it. They rested in the promises of God and we can learn from their lives today. They are godly ensamples for us to observe. The Old Testament prophecies are necessary to further build our faith. When you read and understand them, your faith is even more complete because the New Testament makes much more sense when you see the prophecies fulfilled. Jesus was prophesied many times in the Old Testament; from the fact of His coming to details of His crucifixion. Psalm 22.18 says, “They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.” This prophecy was fulfilled in John 19.24 when it was said, “They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.” This is just one of many scriptures that were fulfilled in the New Testament. So you can see how God had a plan from the beginning to unfold His Holy love for us. He told us what would happen in the Old Testament and He did see His work finished and fulfilled in the New Testament. In conclusion, “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:1417) Paul is writing to Timothy about the importance of the scriptures and what they do. The only scriptures Timothy had available to him at that time was the Old Testament. The New Testament had not been written yet. This scripture alone shows us that the Old Testament has a major role to play in our lives. Matthew 5.17-19 says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” He did not come to destroy the Old Testament, but to fulfill it. All the rest of the Old Testament shows us how God works in the lives of His people. It teaches us how God handles certain things. When the Children of Israel turned away from God and did not keep His commandments, God dealt with them in discipline. When they kept His commandments, then God blessed them. Do you want the blessings of God in your life? Then live in a way that is pleasing to God. How do you know what is pleasing to God? Read the Old Testament! The Old Testament tells of men who had testimonies of being the friend of God, a man after God’s own heart, and being pleasing to God. The only way for us to learn how to live accordingly is by observing the lives documented within the Old Testament. The Word of God is alive, real, and there is always something new to discover within its pages. Holding the Truth in my hands is the greatest benefit to my walk with the Lord. Upon a recent study through the Old Testament specifically, a handful of things seemed to be a common thread woven throughout the Old Testament such as sin. Throughout the Old Testament, it is shown time and time again of the effects of sin and rebellion to the Lord. Sin and rebellion was always a slow decline to backsliding without realizing it. After ignoring initial warnings, you do not realize how far you have gone. God is merciful, but He does not ignore sin forever, He does deals with it. And as shown with the children of Israel, it is our tendency to fall back into sin. Every time a judge came on the scene, the Israelites cleaned up their act. However as soon as that judge died, they continued again in sin. Another theme that stood out to me was the dedication and willing sacrifice by the people of God. Those who truly obeyed and loved the Lord did it willingly and unselfishly. Job served God despite negative circumstances in his life, Daniel served God despite peer pressure, Abraham served God if it meant sacrificing his son, Moses served God over choosing a prestigious life style. Examples of Godly living fill the pages of the Old Testament waiting for us to read, take in, and apply its principles to our lives. Incredible sacrifice marked their lives without a second thought on their part. They had chosen it as their reasonable service. The account written about in Exodus thirty six where Moses had to tell them to stop giving to the work of the Lord continually amazes me, but at the stage of my life even more so. Verses five through seven say, “And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the Lord commanded to make. And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.” Apathy and com-pliancy in the lives of Christians today is one of the biggest problems in our churches. Christians count it a drudgery to do anything for the Lord; standards are an annoyance, they only do anything out of guilt, and they avoid getting ‘trapped’ into serving in the church. Their service is out of duty and not dedication. The attitude among the people in Exodus thirty six is incredibly refreshing. The lives of those written about in the Old Testament also express how real their God was to them. Their dedication and sacrifice was one area in which they displayed how personal He was to them. He was not just a type of religion to try, He was not simply an idea or concept, He was as real as you and I and then some, He was (is) real and alive in their lives. The last thing about their lives that stood out to me was how much they emphasized prayer and how meaningful it was to them. Daniel’s prayer life is made evident all throughout the book. It was the fact that he had already built a strong prayer life that he was able to stand, or more accurately kneel, for the Lord above the King’s commandments. Abraham’s prayer in Genesis 18 asks intercession. Jacob had an all-night prayer. He was a man of prayer and believed in the God of prayer. So we find him swift to call upon God in prayer when he was in trouble. Moses prays to the Lord many times to ask for help and provision for the children of Israel. Hannah prays committedly for a son believing that the Lord would give one to her. David, needless to say, was a man of prayer. His prayer life is displayed among the Psalms. Solomon’s prayer is recorded in 1 Kings 3 and 2 Chronicles 6. Elijah’s prayer is recorded in I Kings 19 where his prayer caused God to direct natural occurrences to withhold the rain. It is evident that Elijah's own condition before God was important here. He was a man whose faith in God had shown in many testing circumstances, and God honored that faith by His own actions. Furthermore, Elijah's close communion with God enabled him to know the will of God, and he could pray knowing God's own purpose. These are just a few examples of the prayers mentioned throughout the Old Testament. All these examples of the character in these people’s lives allow for me to observe and apply it to my life. The Old Testament is actually incredibly important to my life and the average Christian’s life.
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