Following the Bible is Much Easier than a Surprising God

Box full of surprise with a small Bible leaning against it

In the past, the Book followed the people of God. Now, the people of God follow the Book. Is this something to celebrate or mourn? Have we lost something by becoming faithful followers of the Bible rather than of a surprising God? Would our adventures with God be worthy of being written into the Bible if it were possible?

The older I get, the more I’m troubled by those phrases that suddenly pop into my head and can linger there for days. During a walk along the Scottish coast, this sentence suddenly flew into my mind: “In the past, the Book followed the people of God. Now, the people of God follow the Book.”

I had to think about this for a moment: “In the past, the Book followed the people of God.”

“What did you hear exactly, Noah? Was it a voice you could literally hear? An internal conviction? How do you know it wasn’t from the devil? Do you have something tangible to anchor this to? Something written down, preferably in a book?”

The Book, the Bible, our Book hasn’t been in book form for very long. Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Job didn’t have our Book. There were no writings then. The Book followed them and recorded their adventures with God. They had nothing but their own senses.

Noah hearing God’s voice and building an ark

I can already imagine the reactions: “What did you hear exactly, Noah? Was it a voice you could literally hear? An internal conviction? How do you know it wasn’t from the devil? Do you have something tangible to anchor this to? Something written down, preferably in a book?”

Noah builds his ark, and God saves creation through him.
And the Book follows the people of God…

No, Noah just had his inner conviction. So, he spends years working on a boat, in a place without water, because he believes in a God who will judge the people.

“But where did you get that image of God, Noah? Did you come up with that yourself? Did you read it somewhere? How can you trust your emotions and thoughts?”

Noah builds his ark, and God saves creation through him.

And the Book follows the people of God…

“Abraham, God surely isn’t asking you to sacrifice your son! That goes against the God of the Book (which doesn’t exist yet). How did you come to that belief? You can’t trust what you think you hear. Imagine if everyone did that, Abraham, what would become of this world?”

“I’ve heard God and know what he’s asking of me. I don’t understand it, but I trust myself that I’ve heard right and also trust that God knows what he’s doing. He will provide a lamb.”

And the Book follows the people of God…

Look, here comes Melchizedek, the very first priest of God with bread and wine.

“Don’t ask me how I know, but I know. I experience it. I believe it. This is who I am and what I must do.”

“But wait a minute, only centuries later does God officially appoint the first priest, in the form of Aaron, Moses’s brother. That’s what we read in the Book. How do you know you’re a priest of God, Melchizedek? And what’s with this first communion? Who says you’re truly a priest of God? What’s your proof? Your credentials?”

Even in the early church, the struggle seems to continue between who follows what. Does the Book follow the people of God, or do the people of God follow the Book?

Melchizedek can only trust his convictions, what he’s experienced with God, his intuition. He knows he’s a priest of God and that he must go to Abraham with bread and wine.

“Don’t ask me how I know, but I know. I experience it. I believe it. This is who I am and what I must do.”

And the Book follows the people of God…

The Book continues to follow the people of God…

Through the lives of Moses, Samuel, the prophets, and of course, Jesus of Nazareth. Although there seems to be a shift somewhere in that time. It’s evident with the Pharisees and scribes, insisting that above all, the people of God must follow the Book of God. Jesus seems to clash with this repeatedly, perhaps by deliberately performing miracles on the Sabbath. “The Book says we should rest on the Sabbath.” “But I tell you that the Sabbath is a day to compassionately care for others.”

And the Book follows our Lord…

Even in the early church, the battle continues. Does the Book follow the people of God, or do the people of God follow the Book?

Peter receives his vision on the roof of Simon the Tanner (Acts 10). A vision that goes entirely against the Book. Of course, as a Jew, you’re not supposed to eat unclean animals. The Book is clear about that. Would our God go against His own Book?

Yet God does, if we believe Peter.

Surely, God would never go against His Word. Should we trust a man’s word over God’s?

“Wait a minute, a vision that goes against the Book? Who would listen to that? How do we know this vision is from God and not the devil? Surely, God would never go against His Word. Should we trust a man’s word over God’s?”

Yet it happens. Perhaps for the last time. The early church relies more on Peter’s experience than the written word of God. Peter’s experience, not the Book, determines the church’s future forever.

And the Book follows the people of God for the last time

Centuries pass.
Church father after church father,
dogma after dogma,
doctrine after doctrine.
We’ve learned our lesson.
Nowadays, the people of God follow the Book.
It brings such safety, security, structure.
It’s all so clear, so straightforward, so bright.

The people of God follow the Book

After all, following a Book is much easier than following a surprsing God who asks things of people that take a lot of time (like Noah), that are emotionally challenging (like Abraham), where you must rely entirely on your intuition and conviction (like Melchizedek), and that might go completely against the Bible (like Peter).