Round the Sphere Again
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And, oh!--the wisdom of God in revealing Himself and His ways in written form! Being written, it is preserved, set, defended from alteration or modification. Being written, we can study it, meditate upon it, hold it in our hands, take it along with us, share it, give it, rely upon it's familiar and comfortable passages, be forced to face the difficult and convicting challenges.
As an integrated whole, each segment in organic relation to all others, the Scriptures present to our eyes the nature of the Holy Creator and Redeeming God who has seen fit to enter into history and reveal Himself and His will to man by His Sovereign direction and decree. It is through the multi-faceted commentary on how He works in history that man's sense of God is awakened.
The Bible is God's unfolding Word, and it is God's Word to us. He speaks to be heard, and understood. Hence its meaning is not a matter for secret-club decoder-rings, arcane rituals, and secret councils composed of a different class. It is to be understood according to the normal canons of language.
Now for lighter fare:
The painting is Old Woman Reading a Bible, done around 1630 by Gerrit Dou, one of Rembrandt's students. Some say it is intentionally pointing to two Solas of the Reformation. Can you name them? Hint: She's reading the story of Zaccheus. You can see the picture of him in the tree better if you click the image for the larger version.
Tags: links, Bible, scripture, hermeneutics, ear. nose and throat, Gerrit Dou
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