I want to tell you about this strange dream I had – I was in Wellington when suddenly this giant came down, with a double rainbow above its head. It put one foot on the North Island, one on the South and then pulled out an ipad – though of course being a giant it looked more like an iphone. I saw the giant send off an email and get a thousand replies and I was going to tell you what those replies were…but the giant told me not too.
Sounds, well, a bit fruity right? But those of you who have a good Bible knowledge might be saying, ‘hey, I’ve heard something like this before,’ because I’ve painted a scene much like the one you’ll find in Revelation 10. Go have a look at it, you’ll see it’s actually even more intense then my version!
I’m currently reading Revelation and I have to say, it’s a struggle. At the risk of sounding heretical I think the book is just bizarre, John sounds completely loopy! He sees giant angels and mass destruction and creatures with more eyes than a fly. But I believe it’s in the Bible because God wants it to be. So where does that leave me as I read this book?
What do we do when the Bible doesn’t make sense? Is it ok to say the Bible can sometimes seem weird, irrelevant, even boring? My first instinct is to grab a commentary – or three – to read along with it. I believe that the Holy Spirit can speak God’s truth to us through hearing the truth he has spoken to others. But sometimes I think I’m also over reliant on what has been revealed to others instead of grappling with the word of God and asking his Holy Spirit what he might want to say to me directly.
Of course, there are people who go the other way too – they are so sure that God has spoken to them they don’t see what other Christians are saying, thinking or learning. These people can often end up with ideas far outside the fellowship of believers.
I think the answer to all this lies in the Bible itself. Psalm 119 is famous for being the longest chapter in the Bible and I love it because it someone grabbling with the word of God. Seeking God, even when the text seems strange. Here’s a part of the Psalm -
“I have tried hard to find you—
don’t let me wander from your commands.
I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
I praise you, O Lord;
teach me your decrees.”
-Psalm 119 v 10 - 12
When what you read in the Bible gets a bit rough going, seek the wisdom of other Christians, the Holy Spirit and trust the Lord to teach you his decrees.
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