A new book, plus thoughts on "the book of the law"

 We are launching into a new book for March, viz. The Reforming Power of the Scriptures: A Biography of the English Bible by Mary Metzner Trammell and William G. Dawley. Although I've had this book since 1999, I don't believe I've ever taken note of its full title before. A "biography" of the Bible? How fascinating. I can't wait to get underway. In the meantime, our intrepid Joyce Voysey has prepared a post for us. 

Naaman: II Kings, Chapter 5. What a story! Is it a parable for kings and presidents and prime ministers to learn a lesson from, i.e. listen to the people--they know intuitively that humility is power. 

II Kings 22:8 brings a great sense of excitement. Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. The NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) tells me that "[t]he book of the law was probably a scroll. The precise circumstances of its discovery are not related. Some scholars have speculated that the scroll had been stored in the temple or hidden away during the anti-Deuteronomic reforms of Manasseh (II Kings 21:2-9). Others have suggested that the book was in fact written by Hilkiah and then conveniently “found.”"

At this stage I went on a hunt. I recalled that somewhere the people agreed to serve the Lord, and I thought it was in relation to the discovery of the book of the law. It seems my memory was askew. But I did find that at the death of Moses, when Joshua was left in charge of the children of Israel, the Lord spoke to Joshua urging him to “be strong and of good courage.” (This phrase appears in the book of Joshua four times.) The authority Joshua was given came from the book of the law. 

He was advised that “[t]his book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1: 8).

In Nehemiah 8 we find that the people he had set to work to rebuild Jerusalem asked to be reminded of the guidance that comes from the reading of the book of the law. They “spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law, which the Lord had commanded to Israel” (Nehemiah 8:1). And Ezra read from the book of the law “before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law” (Nehemiah 8:3). And others stood up to read. 

As a First Reader in a Christian Science church I have loved Nehemiah 8:8 --“So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” Isn’t that the duty of the Readers? Each reads from the book of the law – The Bible, with the First Reader also reading from the Christian Science textbook Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. 

Joyce Voysey