The Fun of the Bible

Good morning as the heat wave continues for another day. Have you looked at your Bible study as an obligation, a chance to learn, or as fun? Perhaps some combination of all three, but today let us look at the fun of Bible study. We like statistics, and you can find many on the Internet about the Bible. Longest chapter, shortest verse, and many other stats give us a fun view of the Bible. We like trivia, and the Bible is chock full of interesting trivia. We may not know the name of 'a certain Levite' in Judges 19, but the name of Jezebel's father is given. I know that because I got a trivia question on that once upon a time and I reacted about as you might expect, "Jezebel's daddy? How am I supposed to know that?" Turns out the old fellow was named Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians. With 31,102 verses in the King James Bible holding some 788,258 words, there is room for a whole lot of trivia and statistics.

How about who was Mahershalalhashbaz? Please don't ask me to spell that one out loud. The name means literally, Speed the Spoil, Hasten the Body. Aren't you glad that you don't have to fill out that name on forms for the remainder of your miserable life? "Just call me 'Baz, thanks." In case you think the Lord does not have any humor, He instructs the prophet to, "Take a large scroll and write on it with a man's pen concerning...'baz" In the NKJV, the name is hyphenated 3 times to help the mind see it without drawing a confused blip. If you really want to be mean, have your favorite Bible study student recite Isaiah 8:1-4, he or she will have to say ol 'Baz's name twice along with Jeberechiah.

Like your crime procedural dramas on TV? Take a look at Judges 19. A few chapters earlier you can read the story of Samson, perhaps the physically strongest man to ever live. Like boats? The gospels have several stories about boats and storms and such. How about RC model airplanes? Um, that one might be more difficult, try this one, "Be shattered, O you peoples, and be broken in pieces! Give ear, all you from far countries. Gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, but be broken in pieces." (Isaiah 8:9) Heh, heh, sound unrelated? Then you haven't seen Burt's RC Rescue Repair Shop!

God bless you,
Bucky