God’s life changing gift

https://odb.org/2024/07/03/a-life-changing-gift

We know that the Bible is life-changing as at the macro level, we get a glimpse of who God is from the outset at creation until He called Abraham out of the Ur of the Caldeans to Canaan and from Jacob’s family of 70 who settled in Egypt, they became a community or nation of 600,000 abled bodied male adults 430 years later. In particular, the 40 years spent with Moses in the wilderness after Egypt, the LORD was with them by a cloud in the day and a ball of fire by night and with manna from heaven, led the children of Israel through Moses which later culminated with the Ten Commandments and the Law as recorded in Leviticus. Basically, on how to sanctify themselves before God as God is a holy God.

Exodus tells us of their journey, while Genesis tells us how the nation of Israel came about through the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Joseph. The more we read, the more we see God’s heart and character. The Old Testament is a remarkable achievement as the Torah (the first 5 books of Moses) was preserved and passed down through many generations by the oral tradition of recitation and memorisation.

After the conquest of Joshua and Caleb in the Promised Land, we see the lives of Saul, David and Solomon and the exploits of the prophets Samuel, and later Elijah and Elisha. But before that, we have Queen Esther and the era of the judges before the era of the kings. Later books are mainly books of wisdom and praise (the Psalms) and those of the prophets of God.

When we reach the Gospels, we see God in the flesh in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Saviour. Thus, God takes the form of a man so we may relate better to Him. That is why Paul says that while God spoke through the prophets in the past, He now speaks through His Son, Jesus Christ. From the crucifixion, resurrection and ascession of Christ comes the exploits of the Apostles from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, out to the rest of the world reaching Jews and Gentiles alike, and the many letters of  Paul, plus those of Peter and John, and it all ends with the end of the world as shown to John and revealed by him in the book of Revelation. From Eden to Eden recreated, that’s the journey of mankind and for the latter, for those who placed their trust in Jesus Christ.

I just had a copy of a Malay-English Gospel in the mini-library in my home when I was growing up, and it had a profound effect on me that piqued my curiosity and led me to search for the truth until I accepted Christ at 14. I read about Jesus (Yesus or Isa in Malay) in that Gospel, and He has remained in my mind ever since. Over the past 40 years, I have known Him personally and grown in my faith and have served Him as well, and as faithfully, as I could. It all started because of the little book among the other books. Indeed, I can testify that the Word of God is God’s life changing gift to me!