Gator Wesley

For the past five weeks, before Thanksgiving break, we took a look at five Old Testament books that played central roles in five Old Testament festivals. We studied Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. Some of these were connected to festivals we may recognize, like Passover, and some… well, not so much- unless you and your family still whoop it up for Purim or Ninth of Av.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t spend a lot of devotional time in these books. I could have given you the summary of the plots of Ruth and Esther thanks to Sunday School/VeggieTales, but to really pin my finger on what Ecclesiastes was all about would have taken me a little while. It was an absolute pleasure to get to study these books in depth.

It is my hope that through this experience, perhaps some of your interest in the Old Testament has been rekindled- or kindled for the first time. There is a lot of good stuff there. Sometimes it is really hard to get through, and at times even harder to apply to our own lives- like some of the lists of restrictions and commands in Leviticus. However, the Old Testament is part of God’s story. It is part of the story of the way in which our God, infinite and holy, has chosen in be in relationship with us. You can read the Old Testament for signs of the coming Christ, but you can also read it through Old Testament eyes and see a people who are trusting in a God they cannot see to fulfill promises that sometimes seem in doubt.

The writers and characters of the Old Testament also show us what it means to be human- mistakes, emotions, celebrations, and all. There is a level of honesty about life and about being in relationship with God that I admire. There is a level of courage, bravery, and integrity that comes with being honest. Perhaps, too, when we really do drop all of our facades between God and one another, we find the opportunity to turn something muddy into something beautiful.

Peace
Dan