Be careful what you wish for, they say, it may just happen. So last week I wished I could get sick, lie in bed, drink tea, and blow my nose. Boy, wish my other prayers got answered that quick. Right now I’m in bed sick, coughing my eyeballs out, sipping tea, and writing this post.
It’s late and I just spent all day reading through enough Ancient Near Eastern material to last me a good while. I’m getting ready for my Old Testament Introduction course and I’m trying to catch up on all of the ANE stuff so that my students don’t have to. I’ll just tell you that while it was fascinating to read and learn, it really did very little to help me better understand the Bible. It did even less to help me see the Bible for what it is – the Word of God. You know what? No amount of extra-biblical data in the world will tell you that what you are holding in your hand today is Scripture. So, while I am a bit sad I had to cancel tomorrow’s class, I’m so happy I teach my students not just fascinating information that will wow their peers (like knowing that Sumerian probably belongs to the sino-tibetan language group) but I’m passing on the words that have the power to change their lives forever.
Grace to you. (and don’t get sick!)