SermonStudio

Universal Bible Sunday

The traveler tied the last strap of a sandal around his bare ankle. Tonight’s journey was to be a long one and there was no moon. It was not common to attempt a seventeen-mile hike over rough hill country on a night like this. As he threw his outer robe about his shoulders his hand reached for the latch. Flinging open the heavy door, he stood in the threshold and gazed into the darkness. Turning back to the lighted room he stooped to do something common in those days. Catching a piece of straw from the pile lying in the corner, he plunged it into the open fire place and withdrew it. Quickly he touched the flaming straw against the toe of his sandal and a small flame shot up. On the toe of this sandal was a lamp which would guide him on the path. This was the flashlight of ancient Israel.


One of the psalmists seized upon this practice and compared it to the lamp which guided life. 'Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.'


What is the Word? Some have identified the Word of God with the Bible, but since the Bible was written by human beings who had the fallibility of humans, it is more correct to assert that the Word of God came to the people who wrote the Bible. As Luther put it, the Bible is like a cradle in which the Word of God lies.


People need the Word of God to know the truth about themselves and the meaning of their lives, to know what God expects of them, and to know how to relate themselves satisfactorily to him. Where can light for uncertain paths be found? This is where the Bible is important. The Bible has light from God for people. How can people have that light?


To see that light people should read the Bible. The Bible can help us to solve our problems. If someone has done us an injustice and we do not know how to react, we will find help through reading the Sermon on the Mount. When we are worried, we will receive help from Jesus’ teachings on anxiety in Matthew 6. When we have sinned and need forgiveness, we will be assured by Paul’s message on forgiveness in the letter to the Romans.


We should read the Bible to give our lives direction. Without a standard, religion becomes largely sentimentality. The Bible provides standards which, if accepted, will make for a whole life. It is when people invent their own principles or live by what is accepted by their neighbors that they often fall into error. Many fall into the trap of believing that whatever the majority says is right, but righteous people have always been a minority. They have been those who have found the will of God and who, despite the indifference or even the opposition of the majority, have obeyed God’s will.


By reading the Bible, we allow God to speak to us. The Bible is a living book through which God speaks today. Through the hymns of the psalter, the warnings of the prophets, the Gospels, the record of the spread of the Christian message through the Roman Empire and the letters of Jesus’ followers to one another, God speaks to people today. The most important purpose in life is to insure that a person is properly related to God. The Bible describes how we must live to do that.


Many more people would read the Bible, but they feel that it is too difficult to understand. The words are unfamiliar. The newer versions of the Scriptures largely remove that barrier. Given an understandable, modern text of the Bible, how should it be read? It should be read honestly. The Bible is not a textbook on science, history or psychology. The Bible is the record of how God revealed himself to humanity. It is a book of religion. When difficult words and phrases cannot be understood, a sound commentary will be of value.


When King Josiah of Israel read the Book of the Law and asked himself, 'What does this mean for me?' he found that it meant a reform of his kingdom. When Ezra and the people of Israel re-read the Book of the Law and asked themselves, 'What does this mean for us?' they found that it meant a renewed dedication to the God of their Fathers. As we read the Bible today, we must ask ourselves as well, 'What does this mean for us today?' And we must listen for the still, small voice’s answer.

Prayer


Your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. We praise You for Your Word which has been revealed to us through many people through the centuries and especially through Your Son, Jesus Christ.


We thank You for those who wrote our Bible. For the priests and scribes, the poets and prophets, the apostles and early Christian writers we are grateful. We thank You for the truth which has been revealed through these people. We thank You for the inspiration and guidance of the Scriptures. For the influence of the Bible upon our lives we are grateful. Especially do we thank You for Your Word which has been revealed to us in the Scriptures.


We confess that we have not used this heritage as we could have. We have not studied the Scriptures as we could have. Please forgive us and help us to develop regular patterns of study of the Scriptures.


As You have spoken to people through the centuries, speak to us and tell us of Your will for us. Enable us to apply the principles of the Bible in business, in our homes, and at school. May we ever keep growing in our communion with You.


Grant that those who are only in recent times becoming acquainted with the Bible may have the insight to understand Your truth and Your encouragement for those times when it is difficult to apply that truth in their daily lives.


Teach us to give ourselves in fresh acts of praise to You that we may reveal Your Word to those with whom we live; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen