what i'm learning from scripture

I have to apologize for my lack of posts as of late.  This latest dry spell has been because I am doing a reasonably aggressive Bible reading plan that takes much of my spare time.  It is a six-month plan that covers all but one book of the Bible (it skips Job for whatever reason).  Whenever I end up doing a plan like this I am torn between frustration at the loss of spare time (a precious commodity for a parent with young children) and the immense value I get from the reading.

The insights I have received from reading through the Bible in past years have always been reflective of the knowledge and faith that I have at the time.  Better yet, they are reflective of the lack of knowledge and faith that I have at the time.

The last time reading through the Old Testament I greatly struggled at what--to a Western reader--feels like cultural baggage of sexism, racism, slavery, and sexual abuse.  The code word in a lot of circles for this unpalatable aspect of Scripture is, "patriarchy," and in that time three years ago I felt the full force of this in my reading.  In some cases there are still no easy answers or explanations for individual issues, but I have had three years to better understand God's priorities in Scripture.  The other theme I picked up my last time reading through the Bible was that God desires broken people who know they are broken rather than self-righteous, pious ones.  God will absolutely break people if He deems it necessary as well.

This time reading through the Bible there are two themes that have jumped out to me.  The first is due to the fact that we have been studying Deuteronomy for the last year in Sunday School.  This is that God works with His people in covenants, and so most of the commands in Scripture have to be understood through the lens of the covenant to which they are associated.  A lot of the odd commands from the Mosaic Law only make sense in the context of the nation of Israel and the fact that they were a nation redeemed from Egypt and set apart for God's glory.

The second theme I have noticed this time through is how much of the Old Testament points directly to Christ.  I am not even to the Major Prophets or Minor Prophets in my reading yet, and still so much of what I have read was fulfilled in Christ.  I read from one of these passages today in Sunday School since it is appropriate for the present holiday, and I was embarrassingly choked up in the reading.  I present it below without further comment.

Psalms 22:1-18

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast. From birth I was cast on you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me; strong bulls of Bashan encircle me. Roaring lions that tear their prey open their mouths wide against me. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.