From the very beginning God’s people were people of the Word.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
The shifty serpent coaxed God’s creation to question His word. But even then, God’s people held on to His new words promising not to abandon them but to work through his now-fallen people to crush this serpent and restore God’s creational intent. Thus God’s Word gave birth to God’s story.
As God’s story unfolded and grew, so did the words. And God’s people passed the story from generation to generation. God gave his people two handwritten tablets of His covenant to keep in a special place. Records started being kept. Those who could write begin to write down the words. Songs turned into songbooks. Stories evolved into storybooks. The people heard it, knew it, and lived by it. The people of God were a people of the Word.
But over time, successive generations began to lay the Word aside. They commenced to living their own narrative instead of God’s until eventually a decisive turning point caused the people to question the entire story. God allowed them to be conquered, their temple was burned, and they were exiled to live in a foreign country.
But as it turns out, this very catastrophe is what caused the people to rediscover the Word of God. When they were eventually allowed to return to their homeland, they rebuilt the temple and the wall around their great city. But they did something else. The leaders stood on a platform and read out loud from the Word once again. The people began to weep and express their remorse and the Word of God was rediscovered.
…he read from [the Book of the Law]…from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground… and there was great rejoicing.
Nehemiah 8:3-18
This is precisely why we feel led to “Read Through the Bible” at Aldersgate. Beginning this Sunday, we will stand in our worship space and read the Word out loud – from Genesis to Revelation – over five uninterrupted days. May God help us rediscover His Word just as his people did in Nehemiah!
Ryan Smallwood
P.S. You can still be a part of “Read Through the Bible.” At the date of this writing, we have about 10 one-hours spots left. Sign up here! And if they all fill up, feel free to come and sit in the Worship Center anytime and just soak in the Word being read aloud.
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