The Bible Jesus read (by Philip Yancey)

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I’ve appreciated and liked reading all the books I’ve collected by Philip Yancey, over the years. I’ve reread most of them at least once. The one I found least memorable was ‘The Bible Jesus read’, which I read in 2008. It was well overdue for a reread; all I could remember about it was that it related to what is generally known as the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures). 

I’ve read about half a chapter per day over the past couple of weeks. The introductory chapter asks why we should read, or at least be familiar with the older parts of the Bible. Christians, after all, focus mainly on Jesus. His life, ministry and death are covered in the four gospels, and the rest of the New Testament explains the growth of the early church, and instructions for lifestyle, worship, and so on. 

But, as Yancey points out with examples, Jesus himself was familiar with the Jewish Scriptures. He quotes them several times, and expects his followers to know the context and background. So as a most basic tenet, if we are following Jesus, we should read the Scriptures that he read, as well as the more recent ones. 

But, of course, it’s not that simple. Some of the Old Testament is historical, with some exciting stories - many of which we probably heard at Sunday School as children. Some of it is highly detailed descriptions of buildings or clothes or dietary rules, most of which are not relevant to today. Some of it lists tribes and people, long gone, who took part in battles or other exploits. And some of it is, frankly, confusing.

So Yancey takes a thoughtful look at different sections of the Old Testament which people (including the author) have found difficult to understand, or irrelevant. He begins with the book of Job. He suggests that most people see it as a book about suffering - and, to some extent, it is. 

But he points out that it’s also like watching a play where we see the background (the first couple of chapters of the book) while the characters have no idea what’s going on, or why Job is suffering so much. And we keep wondering… will Job stay faithful to God, or give up? There’s much more to it than that; I found it a helpful, thought-provoking chapter. 

The next chapter looks at Deuteronomy in the context of Moses’ final speech. There’s some artistic license, here, but, again, much to think about. Yancey introduces, here, a concept he touches on in other chapters: that of hardship often bringing people closer to God, while comfort and wealth tends to make us become complacent and forgetful. 

A brief overview of the book of Psalms follows, demonstrating the extreme contrast between the praiseful Psalms and some very vitriolic ones. Again, Yancey comes up with a helpful theory: that we’re essentially reading over the shoulder of the writers in different contexts, expressing their deepest feelings. They’re not instructions or teaching; they’re indicative that it’s fine to be angry with God, to say exactly how we feel.

Then Ecclesiastes, the book where the author wonders what the point of life is. It contrasts strongly with the book of Proverbs, set immediately before it in the canon of Scripture. Proverbs tells us to life a life of integrity and moderation, and encourages wisdom. Ecclesiastes bemoans the fact that we all die, and that sometimes wicked people prosper. I found this chapter very thoughtful and quite encouraging. 

The sixth chapter looks, broadly, at the prophets in the Old Testament. They’re often thought of as repetitive, confusing and rather negative, which - Yancy admits - is not unreasonable. Yet there’s a lot more in them; each one has his own quite distinctive voice. He points out that prophecies are - if valid - God speaking through people who may not have any idea what they’re about. And they can be either relevant to current circumstances, or looking ahead to the future. 

From our perspective, over two millennia later, we can see that the ‘future’ prophecies are of two types: those fulfilled in the birth, life and death of Jesus, and those about his second coming. It’s sometimes hard to untangle which prophecies relate to which event or period, as the prophets themselves didn’t know, and nor did whoever wrote them down.  

The final chapter sums up what has been said, looking forward more to the culmination of all the prophecies when Jesus comes again. Yancey shows some of the contrast between the old and new testaments, and also looks at questions that have been asked over the ages - why does God seem to be silent at times? Why do good people suffer?  Why is the world in such a mess?

There are no real answers to these questions, other than to look towards Jesus and try to see things from God’s perspective, rather than our limited human one. Which may sound like an excuse… but it’s well-presented, and quite thought-provoking.

All in all, I thought this book very well-written, with the author’s usual light but thoughtful style. I’m glad I reread it, and hope I remember some of the advice and insights when I next come across a confusing or apparently contradictory passage in one of the old testament books. I liked it better this time than I did the first time I read it. 

Recommended.

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