Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike … Psalm 49:1-2

Today’s Scripture Reading (July 8, 2019): Psalm 49

Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin argued that “the ancient Jewish people gave the world the vision of eternal peace, of universal disarmament, of abolishing the teaching and learning of war.” It is an intriguing take on the Tanakh or Hebrew Bible. So much of it seems to be about war, with most of that conflict taking place around the invasion and the keeping of Canaan. But, indeed, war is not the central teaching of the Bible. The fundamental premise of the Tanakh is about God and the design that he has for the human race. Jesus summed up the teaching of the Tanakh with two laws. “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets [or all of the biblical teaching] hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). The central teaching of the Bible is love.

But the other part of Begin’s comment is that this teaching of “eternal peace, of universal disarmament, of abolishing the teaching and learning of war” was actually given to the world. It is so easy to read the Tanakh and think that maybe these words were intended only for Israel. Sometimes, the Christian Church has even believed that they stand in place of Israel and that at least some of the promises made to Israel in the Tanakh can rightfully be appropriated by the Christian Church.

But the Psalmist reminds us that Begin is right. The Psalmist is speaking specifically about this Psalm, but it is also a reminder that the entirety of the Bible is about the whole world, and about everyone who makes their home on this beautiful blue marble in space. Abraham’s instructions from God was that his descendants would bless the world. This was always Israel’s purpose.

And as Christians, it remains our purpose. Our message is intended for everyone. And we are to be a blessing. The problem with the church is that too often we have become so obnoxious that the central message of the Bible, this idea about loving God and our neighbor, is obscured. And we begin to think that God loves us more than he loves those who cannot hear or understand his message. And that is just simply untrue. Nothing good can come from the biblical message until we know the universality of its words.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 66 &67