If we’re going to really know God and His Word, we need to learn how to hear the Bible as it tells God’s story to us. But what is that story? And how do we fit in it? Today’s excerpt from The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is found on pages 28 and 29:
“Essentially, the Bible tells the story of God bringing glory to Himself by creating a people to know, love, and serve Him, according to His promises and commands. This is a story of grace and abundant life, even though, along the way in its telling, it also deals with sin and darkness and many things being not the way they’re supposed to be, as Neil Plantiga puts it (Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be).
“If the Bible were to be given a subtitle, I’d offer as an excellent candidate, ‘God’s Covenant of Promise.’ Because this is what the Bible is all about. The Bible tells the story of God graciously binding Himself to a people of His own choosing, in order that through them, and the blessings He lavishes upon them, the knowledge of His glory might cover the earth as the water covers the sea.
“In the Bible, God enters a bond of peace with His covenant people, a bond that operates on three levels. First, by His gracious provision of redemption through Jesus Christ, God brings rebellious sinners to peace with Himself, cancelling their sins and giving them eternal life. Second, He instills His peace and rest into their souls, taking away the fear of death and empowering them for an altogether new life. And finally, He enables all who know His peace to bring the peace of His rule into every aspect of their lives – all their relationships, roles, and responsibilities. The peace of God envelops us as we rest in the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ; and it issues in the joy and rejoicing that declares our hope to the watching world. This is God’s covenant, and this is the story of the Bible.”
For reflection or discussion
1. Do you think God’s covenant with His people is an adequate way of describing the story of the Bible? Why or why not?
2. Why is—or perhaps better, should—that story be of interest to us and our neighbors?
If we find ourselves in the midst of a really good story, an eternally good story, a story that ends with joy and bliss to spare, it seems to me we would want to find some ways to learn more about that story, so that we can tell it well and truly to others. Share today’s podcast with some friends. You can email it to them from right here. Invite them to get together and talk about how the Bible’s story has impacted their lives. Your copy of The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart is waiting for you at The Ailbe Bookstore.
T. M. Moore
