Delicious Superfluity – 2
Eschatology as Cooking
NOTE: THIS POST HAS BEEN REMIXED AND INCLUDED IN GOD’S KITCHEN.
As a young Christian, I found the New Testament irresistible and the Old Testament mysterious. But as I began to actually read through the Old Testament, I also began to find it really annoying. Instead of finding snappy answers, sound bites and knockout quotes, there are long stretches of detailed information or seemingly redundant poetry. Surely Jeremiah and Lamentations could have been combined and slashed to a few short, sad chapters. Daniel is short, but it’s second half has caused nothing but problems. Isaiah is inspiring in parts, but tedious as a family slide night in many places. He should have just gotten to the point. After all, wasn’t calf skin horrendously expensive?
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October 2nd, 2010 at 11:42 am
My eldest daughter read this and said, “Dad, you do go on a bit.” I told her that was exactly my point.
November 27th, 2010 at 3:08 am
The bible is not to be read to entertain us. Jesus was not sent to enlighten us but to save us. It is a detailed urgent message to you personally. God made the word flesh. Theologians wish to turn it back into the word. My favorite theologian? John Bunyan’s desperate Christian in Pilgrim Progress.
November 27th, 2010 at 8:09 am
Hi Paul
I don’t think I said the Bible was to entertain us. But as Jordan says, if the purpose of the Bible was simply to save us, and not to change the way we think and live, it would be about 15 pages long. Its purpose is to save us, but also to equip us for godliness and wisdom in every sphere of life. That takes a big book, with all the trimmings.