This is a reprinted column from Jack Purcell’s “On the Journey” archives. It originally appeared in The Star in 2013.
My father and others in my family tree were great storytellers. Apparently, this apple didn’t fall far from the tree because my friends would tell you I am apt to weave a yarn or two myself.
My jokes may be bad (puns) but my stories are true. Stories have always been a way of passing on family history and culture, and storytelling has been used throughout history, not just for humor but for passing on truths to future generations.
There is no better example of the value of stories than the Bible. The Bible is full of stories. Any child who went to Sunday school or Bible school is familiar with many of the stories from the Bible adapted to teach children biblical truths.
I fear that sometimes people read the Bible as a history book rather than learning from the marvelous stories told in its pages. The Old Testament is filled with exciting stories, and they are packed full of lessons that should not be lost on the reader.
Daniel in the lions’ den is an incredible picture of faith in the midst of what would appear to be disastrous circumstances. The story of Abraham and Isaac is a story of faith and the trustworthiness of God.
One of my favorites is the story of Elijah running for his life from Queen Jezebel, who had vowed to kill him. Then he crawls up under a shade tree and asks God to kill him.
If he was that depressed he could have just stayed where he was. But our patient God took Elijah to the mountain where he could see more clearly and he heard the whisper of God’s voice.
Valley experiences are generally growth producing and mountain top experiences give us clearer vision of the truth.
Today’s evangelicals sometimes appear to need only the New Testament because that is where they find their understanding of grace and the New Covenant, but we were given the entire Bible for God’s purposes.
There is so much to be learned from these Old Testament saints who lived for God without the benefit of our plethora of Bibles, books and teaching materials.
I think my favorite Old Testament story is that of Moses and his experience with possession. Note that I said possession not possessions.
God came to Moses, as recorded in Exodus 4, and said, “What is that in your hand?” Moses reply was probably a little incredulous, like “it’s a rod” (doesn’t he know?)
You probably recall that God told Moses to throw it down, which he did, and it turned into a snake. I’m guessing it was the deadly asp since Moses ran from it. God then had him pick it up by the tail. (Wrong end).
So what was the point here? It was really a simple but profound lesson for Moses and us. What had belonged to Moses, once thrown down and given back, now belonged to God.
Moses still had it in his hand but didn’t possess it. It is later referred to as the “rod of God,” and was used to help Israel defeat its enemies.
As you can see, stories have a very real purpose in Scripture. They are not just for our entertainment, but for enlightenment. Every time we read a story in the Bible we would do well to ask God to show us how to apply it to our lives.
The stories may be old but the truth and value are as new as the moment.
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