The Heart's Cry: Psalm 140

Psalm 140

This Psalm flows from the end of 139 nicely, if by nicely we mean that the anger that ended the previous Psalm flourishes in this one. It makes me think about people who say that the Bible is a consistent book, one that doesn't contradict itself. Do you realize that the Bible is literally a portable library? Do you realize that it consists of 66 different books compiled and bound together? Do you really realize that? I mean, not just the knowledge of it, but what it means about the fact that each book of the Bible was originally meant to be read by itself, standing on its own? Instead we have turned it into an anthology series, like Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Grey, reading it as if the next book will automatically agree with and build upon the previous book, and this is simply not the case. The books aren't even in chronological order, so you will read something in one book and then the next may be written years before it, this gets especially tricky with Paul, whose books [letters] are arranged by length [and in addition are only incomplete conversations]. Reading Paul in chronological order you see a progression of theology, but instead we read them as if they all must be written at the same point in time and agree, and are all actually written by the same person, which is quite possibly not true.

I say all of that because we can't read every word of every book and think that we must act like this person or that person. Nor can we read it and judge one point in time on another point in time. For instance, I can't read the Psalms and then go and hope for the destruction of my enemies, because I live on the other side of the Gospels, nor can I blame David for thinking that way, because he lived before them. All I can do is realize that I am called to something different that David was. I am called to a life that is supposed to be from hate and the need for vengeance. I am called to do good to those who do me harm, to pray for those who persecute me, to go two miles, give my all, and allow myself to be slapped twice, should my attacker want to dishonor him/herself. I am called to feed, clothe, and take care of the needy. I am called to remember that even my most hated foe is my neighbor and I should love them as such.

I read the Bible through the lens of Jesus, because Jesus says that he is the clearest representation of the character of God. In other words I read the Bible from the pinnacle of Jesus, the pinnacle of the Gospels, wherever the rest of the Bible is in agreement with how Jesus shows himself to be I must be in agreement and wherever the rest of the Bible is in contrast to the ways of Jesus I must choose the ways, actions and beliefs of Jesus rather than the ways, action or belief of any other person.

+ How do you understand the Bible?

+ How do you read the Bible?

p.s. want a good book on the Bible? Check out Rob Bell's new book What is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything.