As one reads through the Bible it is hard not to come away with the idea that there is something quite different about this ancient document. Its appeal is so universal, its scope so broad and wide, and its depth so incredible that it leaves any serious or even casual reader breathless.
We read in (2 Timothy 3:16): “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” This statement should not be taken too lightly, in view of the enormously profound effect this one book has had in molding this great country, the United States of America, into what it is today. To many the contents of this great book and the greatness of our magnificent country go hand in hand.
The Bible is so unique in that, although it is one book, it is not just one book. Woven into its pages we find an almost endless encyclopedia of knowledge. It is a multidimensional book that talks authoritatively on an immense array of subjects.
It is a history book. Our greatest knowledge of the ancient world comes to us through the pages of the Bible. Over the last 200 years there have been numerous archaeological discoveries in the Middle East, substantiating the accounts found in the Bible. As a result of these discoveries even the most skeptical mind must concede that the Bible is truly the history of ancient times.
It is a science book. Imagine for a moment a book 2,000 years old containing scientific statements in the fields of astronomy, chemistry, and medicine that are totally accurate today. You might say, “So what is so special about that?” except for the fact that our scientists didn’t discover this knowledge until 1,500-plus years after the Bible said it. I can hear the skeptics already saying that this is not possible. But not only is this possible, but as I have already shown in past devotions and plan to show in future ones that indeed this is true.
It is a book of wisdom. The Book of Proverbs, found in the Old Testament, has such an incredible wealth of wisdom on almost every avenue of human living that our lives have been guided by its principles probably without us being totally aware of it. Even the secular world acknowledges that Solomon’s wisdom (he wrote most of the Book of Proverbs) is so true and quite exhaustive.
But, first and foremost, running throughout its entire length, throughout its history of mankind, from Adam to Jesus, the Bible is the greatest love story ever told. The story of Adam sinning in the Garden of Eden, and all of mankind inheriting that sin nature, creates the backdrop for the greatest redemption story ever told. No Hollywood script could ever match the Holy Scriptures and their dramatic and moving story of a God and His everlasting love for His creation. My friends, when all is said and done, the Bible stands head and shoulders above any other book ever written – period!