the 50 books of the bible
For many years I read the Bible. But I never read all of it. Perhaps I should take more responsibility for this, however, I never heard all of the Bible spoken about. There was a group of books that the world in which I lived flatly ignored. Perhaps it was because these ignored books talked about cooking food in your own dung, marrying prostitutes, and the death of many people, including women and children.
The prophets are really hard to deal with. Occasionally one might quote Isaiah or Micah around Christmas or Easter. Those quotes were only a couple of chapters about Jesus. Other than that the prophets were silent. As such I knew very little about anything they said regarding life and living it. Over the last several years I have begun to study the prophets and it has profoundly changed my life.
As I read the prophets the words of Jesus speak in a new way. As I read the prophets, the rest of the Bible becomes much clearer. Yet, as I read the prophets the way I had been living, and the way the Church in America has been living made much less sense.
If you are like me, you have always heard about the people of Israel being unfaithful. This unfaithfulness is often expressed by Israel worshipping other gods. Often the church speaks of being unfaithful, and asks, “What are your gods?” Then we walk through the list … money, cars, houses, sports, etc. We also talk about being more faithful and not being bad people. By that we encourage people not to drink, smoke, swear, maybe even dance … we focus on what not to do. This makes sense especially if we believe that the prophets told Israel “not” to worship other gods.
While the prophets did speak about not worshipping other gods, they spoke more about justice. Their message that demanded justice focused on what we should do regarding the poor, the widow, the orphan and the foreigner in their midst. God’s anger against Israel of which the prophets spoke had everything to do with their lack of justice.
Yet today, justice seems to be a much smaller part of what the Church is about. So many churches pour their time, energy and money into their buildings, weekends, youth programs, activities, or retreats so that people can gather together and hear about how everything will be okay in their life if they just don’t do things like drink, smoke, swear, or __________ (you fill in the blank).
The scary thing is that this sounds exactly like what Israel was being accused of by the very books that we neglected. Listen to the prophetic message regarding God’s attitude toward those who worship without justice:
"I hate, I despise your religious festivals; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:21-24
"The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations - I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1.11-17
God tells Israel through the prophets, “I reject your worship because of a lack of justice.” But he never says, "I reject your justice because of your lack of worship."1
I wonder what the prophets would say to the Church in America today? Maybe something like this:
The size of your buildings … do you really think they I am impressed? Consider the universe I have created. Your Sunday services have all the accoutrements for entertainment one could ask for. Yet your laughter and singing sound like nails on a chalkboard. Your Christmas concerts are worse than eating two week old ham, and your money that you proudly give for more staff so that you do not have to serve others is sickening. I hate your sermons, your worship choruses are an insult to me, and your hymns are like vomit in my mouth. You argue and divide over worship style yet ignore those who are starving in your midst. It is not about your style it smells like a carcass, I care about your justice. I care about your concern for the poor, your defense of the defenseless, and the message of redemption you proclaim to the hopeless. Stop doing all of this crap on weekends, and humble yourselves and serve the poor, the hopeless, and the needy. Proclaim to them the love I have for them. Live in such a way that they understand my justice, my provision, and my hope. Then your songs will be a sweet, sweet sound in my ear.
Sounds harsh doesn’t it? Yet this is what the prophets were saying to the wealthy, religious, elite in their day. It is this message that I heard God speak to me that has profoundly changed my life. It is this message that led me to recognize that though I may preach and worship with passion, if it is without justice, and belief in equality, it is as poison.
It is time for the Church to start reading and teaching all 66 books again. If you are wondering where to start, why not the prophets?
1 This is a quote that I borrowed from a book titled The Last Week by Borg and Crossan
The prophets are really hard to deal with. Occasionally one might quote Isaiah or Micah around Christmas or Easter. Those quotes were only a couple of chapters about Jesus. Other than that the prophets were silent. As such I knew very little about anything they said regarding life and living it. Over the last several years I have begun to study the prophets and it has profoundly changed my life.
As I read the prophets the words of Jesus speak in a new way. As I read the prophets, the rest of the Bible becomes much clearer. Yet, as I read the prophets the way I had been living, and the way the Church in America has been living made much less sense.
If you are like me, you have always heard about the people of Israel being unfaithful. This unfaithfulness is often expressed by Israel worshipping other gods. Often the church speaks of being unfaithful, and asks, “What are your gods?” Then we walk through the list … money, cars, houses, sports, etc. We also talk about being more faithful and not being bad people. By that we encourage people not to drink, smoke, swear, maybe even dance … we focus on what not to do. This makes sense especially if we believe that the prophets told Israel “not” to worship other gods.
While the prophets did speak about not worshipping other gods, they spoke more about justice. Their message that demanded justice focused on what we should do regarding the poor, the widow, the orphan and the foreigner in their midst. God’s anger against Israel of which the prophets spoke had everything to do with their lack of justice.
Yet today, justice seems to be a much smaller part of what the Church is about. So many churches pour their time, energy and money into their buildings, weekends, youth programs, activities, or retreats so that people can gather together and hear about how everything will be okay in their life if they just don’t do things like drink, smoke, swear, or __________ (you fill in the blank).
The scary thing is that this sounds exactly like what Israel was being accused of by the very books that we neglected. Listen to the prophetic message regarding God’s attitude toward those who worship without justice:
"I hate, I despise your religious festivals; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:21-24
"The multitude of your sacrifices - what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations - I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. Isaiah 1.11-17
God tells Israel through the prophets, “I reject your worship because of a lack of justice.” But he never says, "I reject your justice because of your lack of worship."1
I wonder what the prophets would say to the Church in America today? Maybe something like this:
The size of your buildings … do you really think they I am impressed? Consider the universe I have created. Your Sunday services have all the accoutrements for entertainment one could ask for. Yet your laughter and singing sound like nails on a chalkboard. Your Christmas concerts are worse than eating two week old ham, and your money that you proudly give for more staff so that you do not have to serve others is sickening. I hate your sermons, your worship choruses are an insult to me, and your hymns are like vomit in my mouth. You argue and divide over worship style yet ignore those who are starving in your midst. It is not about your style it smells like a carcass, I care about your justice. I care about your concern for the poor, your defense of the defenseless, and the message of redemption you proclaim to the hopeless. Stop doing all of this crap on weekends, and humble yourselves and serve the poor, the hopeless, and the needy. Proclaim to them the love I have for them. Live in such a way that they understand my justice, my provision, and my hope. Then your songs will be a sweet, sweet sound in my ear.
Sounds harsh doesn’t it? Yet this is what the prophets were saying to the wealthy, religious, elite in their day. It is this message that I heard God speak to me that has profoundly changed my life. It is this message that led me to recognize that though I may preach and worship with passion, if it is without justice, and belief in equality, it is as poison.
It is time for the Church to start reading and teaching all 66 books again. If you are wondering where to start, why not the prophets?
1 This is a quote that I borrowed from a book titled The Last Week by Borg and Crossan