Scolarship part4
Thus, in a small silent aleph, which cannot be carried into the English translations, we see a sermon on sacrifice, atonement and right attitude. We see evidence of the humility of Moses and the love of God in desiring a close fellowship with His people, born out of a love which invites intimate fellowship. The message would be quite different without that small silent aleph and we are left to guess at some of these things, if we consider them at all, by reading our translations. In the same way that the Rabbi makes a sermon out of one letter, which is not even pronounced in the Hebrew, I see a different sermon emerging from the overall message. It causes me to think of scholarship in the Church today, or should I say, the lack of it, at least from my observations. It also causes me to wonder if Christians, in general, have lost their thirst to seek the depth of truth in the scriptures. Few of us study the original languages in which the Bible is written. Fewer sermons than in previous generations contain the wonderful lightgiving expositions of one word or phrase, taken at a deep level - leave alone one small silent letter, which contains a deep truth about a whole book of the Bible and important activities among God's people. I would ask the question, are we losing the desire for these deeper expositions, or are we losing the ability to bring them to the Church? We are basing so much of our meetings on experience these days and are in danger of losing our ability for a deep study of the Word. Yet surely the example of the Rabbi's message, given above, fills the heart of any Christian with an excitement about the depth that can be discovered in the written words of the Bible. Our hope should be that this excitement will create thirst in the coming days, once more.
I would also ask the question about the scholarship that can be applied to Biblical understanding in these days. Where are the scholars today? Now I am not looking for dry theologians who kill the word rather than minister its life. I am talking about those who have the ability to help us to stand firm on deep truths which are not compromised, while ministering the life and excitement that is to be discovered in all passages of the Bible.
Summarising, I have two desires: perhaps you will share them and put the ideas into prayer, if you have noticed a turning away from deep study of the Bibles, as I have.
First, I long for a thirst to grow within the body of believers, to find deeper understanding of the Bible. A thirst that can only be satisfied through groups of Christians meeting together with Bibles on their laps as they discuss, study, meditate and pray together (perhaps preferring the kinds of messages that come out of the last but one page of the Jerusalem Post International Edition from the last but one page of the secular newspapers). Please pray for this in our fellowships.
Secondly, I also long for the leaders of church fellowships to have, among them, scholars of the nature described above, feeding the flock with good solid food and holding firm to a heritage of solid Biblical truth, while continuing to expect the full range of manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our midst. Please pray for scholarship to be deeply evident in the Church of the present generation. This may turn out to be our safeguard against the rising deception of the coming days.
Beyond that I look forward to the day when the Jewish people are brought into their heritage of salvation through Christ. If the Rabbis can bring revelation to us through a small silent aleph, when they are not yet receiving the full revelation, then how much more will we have to share together when that glorious day comes? Let's pray for this as well, and let us keep such prayers going in the days to come.