I can think of, among many, two reasons why the Bible is relevant to you and me today, as it was when God spoke to the prophets long ago.
Firstly, because God said so:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” [1]
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”[2]
The second of my two reasons is the words of the Bible are positive and leave no space for confusion – understanding maybe, but never confusion:
“God’s word is alive and powerful! It is sharper than any double-edged sword. His word can cut through our spirits and souls and through our joints and marrow, until it discovers the desires and thoughts of our hearts.” [3]
So, where am I going with these biblical statements?
Firstly, God’s word will never change.
Secondly, God’s word can reach the human spirit and soul and reveal the actual state of any person at any time and age.
In all the advancement of humankind since the beginning of civilization, nothing has been invented that can achieve the same results as God’s word.
Humanity has produced unique gadgets, such as computers, smartphones, and AI, to mention a few that come to mind. Every field of science has reached a gigantic understanding of every part of the human mind and body. Scientific progress has been nothing short of astounding.
There is little comparison between our forefathers’ way of living and the present century. One thing has not changed for all of this accomplishment and massive change in our lifestyles.
Human Nature Has Not Changed.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” [4]
Technology has changed all our lives. The smartphone has only been around for over a decade but has already reshaped society. But underneath it all, human nature hasn’t changed. We still have our frustrations and disappointments, yearnings, fears and desires for something better, and weaknesses and failings.
The Bible has the most influential account of human nature’s positives and negatives. It explains why we are the way we are – problems like greed, exploitation, and excess that are still part of society – and it tells us what we can do about it, how we can find relief and comfort in our shortcomings, and how we can grow and be better.
It gives us a yardstick by which we can make judgments and learn how we ought to live. Most of us have a sense that we’d like to be more than we currently are, and the Bible shows us how. It provides beautiful guidance and direction for everyday life.
The nature of humanity changed from being pure to being incurably evil after the fall in the Garden of Eden. For this reason, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible forever deals with human nature in any generation.
Another significant point is this: any decisions we humans make that don’t include God are fallible.
“What do you mean by fallible?” you ask. In the simplest of words, let me say,
‘As humanity invents something to solve a global problem, other lesser or greater problems are created.’
I’m tempted to give examples to back my statement, but that would use up precious space on the site. But I will provide you with one example you should all be familiar with. The introduction of plastic into our lives, in too many ways to mention, has been a modern miracle. Slowly but surely, the curse of plastic raises its ugly head. The greatest threat is to our oceans. As a matter of course, and in other instances, unintentionally, our oceans have become a plastic dumping ground. I don’t think any scientific or environmental group fully understands this phenomenon’s consequences.
From a Biblical perspective, two cases in which human solutions ended in disaster were Adam and Eve[5] and Abraham and Sarah.[6]
So I repeat, ‘Any decisions humans make that don’t include God are imperfect and prone to failure in the long run. Any human decision that includes God’s input will never fail.’
God’s counsel is timeless, as is God’s word. Given that there may be translation errors and human interpretations of God’s word in the Bible, the reality of God within you and me and God’s participation in all our decisions makes these fail-safe.
Until next time
Love and Blessings