"He had the entire contents of the book of the Covenant...read out to them...thus reviving the terms of the Covenant which were written in this book." 23:3
King Josiah was a powerful reformer, but he knew that no real conversion could happen to and for the people unless they were all involved in knowing and understanding the Word more deeply. Though it might not be appropriate in the 21st century, Josiah's order to read the entire contents of the covenant to the people was the first step in their renewal.
It is always important to renew our understanding and interpretation of the scriptures. Because the word of God will impact the people of the 21st century in very different ways than in past centuries, it is the task of modern believers to listen and proclaim God's word in a form that moves the people of this generation to discipleship and transformation.
We need also to grow our personal understanding of the scriptures by reading, listening to and living God's word regularly in order to become authentic people of the book!
Today, read the gospel for five minutes.
What is the best way you know to learn the scriptures?
The best way to get started learning the Scriptures is to be told the stories as a child.
ReplyDeleteWhen people tell me that they have never really read the Bible and don't know where to start, I suggest that they start with a children's Bible- the kind meant for older grade school kids, which are not the full text of the Bible but retell the Bible stories in contemporary language. I encourage them to approach the stories as children- not trying to "get through" or "study" the text at first, but to just engage with the stories and identify with the characters- give them some emotional significance.
Once they have this kind of connection to the stories it is easier to go back to the "grown-up" Bible without getting lost.