The Bible is not the book some expect it to be when they start reading it. Some apparently anticipate a series of soothing, heart-warming stories and pious principles couched in ancient settings. To their surprise (and perhaps shock) the Bible breathes the same air of a sin saturated world we do. The murder, sex, violence and intrigue so prevalent in our world scream from Scripture’s pages.
Genesis 34 reads like a script for one of our hot new television dramas. The wealthy attractive daughter of Middle Eastern sheik is raped. In a sick twist the rapist wants the victim to marry him. Enter the silent, disconnected father who leaves his daughter to writhe in private pain. Looking more like the Mafia than brothers, the boys in the family take matters into their own hands. Their solution is a bloody plot ranging somewhere between kinky and sadistic. Have you seen anything more twisted in primetime?
The Bible is not a collection of innocuous children’s stories. It is a book which intersects with real life in sometimes startling ways. The Bible is the ultimate reality show. Why? It is, in part, because God wants us to see sin in living color. For us to recognize our need for a savior we must see the devastation sin leaves in its wake. God also wants a book which plays as well in the Bronx as it does in Peoria. Scripture is street savvy. It is just as relevant to the pimp, the prostitute and the pusher as it is to the preacher.
Whatever life you have led or are leading this Book is for you. Do you like drama? Hang on there’s more to come!