Have you read a good book here lately? Just recently some ladies in our church were cleaning out the old church library in the old building, and knowing that I appreciate history, they brought me several historical books to add to my own library. One of them is called, “The Man Who Dared The Lightning”. It’s an autobiography about Dr. Ben Franklin. Do you remember him? The guy who hung a key to a kite string to see if lightning would hit it? He is also one of our Founding Fathers and one of the writers of the Declaration of Independence. Another book is called, “The Man From Monticello”. Surely you will recognize his name. This man’s name is Thomas Jefferson, who was the author of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the creator of the American political system, and, the third President of the young United States of America! By the way, did you know that he and John Adams, the second President of the United States, although bitter rivalries in our young government, were the closest of friends, and that both of them died on July 4, 1826, fifty years after the Declaration of Independence was declared by the thirteen colonies to the British crown? Yet, there is one more book that I’m sure that most of you won’t recognize, I didn’t myself until I read the fly-leaf in the book I’m about to tell you about. His name was Jose Antonio Navarro. Now, if you are an inhibitor of this part of Texas, you will recognize the name, “Navarro”, as in the names “Navarro County” and “Navarro College” in Corsicana. He happened to be very much involved in the independence of the Republic of Texas as well as the State of Texas, helping to secure its freedom and helping to write both Texas Constitutions as well as being an official member of both governments. It’s a fascinating story that I am just beginning to read.
However, as great as these histories are, and as great as the stories are concerning the life of these three men, none is as great and as important and as exciting as God’s Holy Word, the Bible. Being a student of this great book, I know a great many things about it. First of all, as I have said so many times before, the Bible is primarily a book of history. The reason why schools are once again teaching the Scriptures as a part of their educational process, is because the Bible can be taught either as a book of history or even as a book of literature, and therefore, as a part of the English curriculum. It is first and foremost, a book of history because it is a book about real people in real places in real times and under real circumstances. Many people believe that the Bible is just a collection of stories designed to teach a lesson, or, a book of proverbs and fairy tales intended to give anecdotes and fables to help oneself through life. While the Bible does have a huge collection of illustrations, and I know because I use illustrations when teaching or preaching the Biblical stories. But then, let me ask you, what parent, what teacher, what business leader or community leader does not use illustrations and stories to make their point? Jesus used them all the time, only He called them parables, and He used them for the same reason, to help teach the truth of His Father’s Word. A preacher friend of mine told me a long time ago that illustrations are windows into the understanding of the Scriptures. I’ve never forgotten that.
The Bible can also be taught through the English and Literature structure of education as a book of all kinds of literary writings. Why, this book is full of poems, dramas, laments, prophetic writings, biographies and autobiographies, proverbs, psalms, adventures, histories, laws, illustrations, parables, romance, wisdom, and just about every kind of literary writings there are in the world. Did you know that the great generals of armies often read about the war stories of Moses and David in order to bring about a victory in their conquests?
