SO WHAT?
Have you ever read a portion of the Bible and asked yourself, "So what?" I know I have. Actually, it's normal to ask these sorts of questions: "Why is this here?" "Do I need to read this?" "What's the purpose of this?" A lot of times we do this in the boring sections of the Bible (i.e. - genealogies, temple sacrifices & offerings, building instructions, etc.) Let's tackle some of the meaning behind these items!
GENEALOGIES - Genealogies can actually be a helpful tool. It allows us to track the lineage of a family line. Yes, they do seem boring (and the names aren't that easy to say), but without them, we may not know that Jesus descended from Adam, or that Jesus was a direct descendant of King David as was promised. It can also help us trace the age of the earth. So, genealogies can play an important role in the Bible.
TEMPLE SACRIFICES & OFFERINGS - I just recently read all about the temple sacrifices & offerings in the Old Testament, and let me tell you, it is pretty gory. You may say, "What relevance does this have to me?" Well, it doesn't, but it does have relevance to the history of Israel and the reason for Jesus' life. Now, the actually procedures of the Temple Offerings really aren't that important to us these days, but if they aren't known by us, then what would be the reason of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross? What would be the reasoning of giving to our Church? These are what apply to us.
BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS - Another thing that I recently read in the Bible were the building instructions for the tabernacle. Talk about snooze-ville. Everything is very precise in the actual building of it and the consecration of it. However, this can give us a sneak peak into the Lord's character! The Lord was giving very specific instructions about the building of His tabernacle. If you didn't obey the exact commands, you were struck down! Two of Aaron's sons burned the wrong kind of fire and they were immediately killed! This can show us that God has a wrathful character, but also that we should obey His every command. We should not question Him in any way as to the why or how of a command. I think He would probably know what's best for us.
So, the next time you come across these "So What?" moments, just think, "What does this have to do with the whole picture of the Bible?"
WHY READ THE BIBLE?
So many people want to read the Bible, but rarely do. 75 million Americans say that reading the Bible is important to them, but most of them have never read the entire Bible. "So what, you don't need to read the entire Bible to know who God is!" This is true, we don't need to know everything in the Bible or to understand everything to know who God is. Many people have not read even a whole book of the Bible before they decide to follow Jesus. The Bible, however, can be summed up in an acronym: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The Bible is our instruction manual to life. Although you can go your entire life without reading the entire Bible, reading it will give you an understanding of God's character and His Son's redemptive plan. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (NLT) God has provided us with an instruction manual for our lives. I know nothing about cars. I'm don't really know the ins and outs of a car - I just know how to drive it. If I were given pieces and told to put a car together, I would be stumped, but if I was given an instruction book and maybe a friend who knew a bit about cars to help, I could probably put most of it together (with some time). What do we know about life? Do we know everything there is to it? No! Some evolutionists would say they have all the answers through science (that is another discussion for later), but we don't know how we, as spiritual beings, operate. But the Lord has given us an instruction book to help us understand and put together the pieces. And as for the friend, well that is the Holy Spirit that will guide us in understanding the Bible.
Shouldn't we try to know everything that we can learn about this God that we serve? Shouldn't we want to know about Jesus' redemptive plan throughout the history of mankind? Shouldn't we use His Word to live out our daily lives?