The Bible, it is claimed, is the foundation upon which western society has been built. It is certainly difficult to imagine how life would be today without the civilising influence of ‘The Word’.
The English language has also been influenced strongly by the Bible, filled as it is with sayings taken from the Parables and from other stories. Expressions from the Bible are used frequently, sometimes without us knowing it.
For example, we talk about "the wisdom of Solomon", even though he has been dead for 3000 years! Someone who betrays us is "a Judas" and if somebody is arrogant we might say "he thinks he can "walk on water".
We are also comforted in our darkest moments by much beloved and encouraging texts such as The Lord’s Prayer and The 23rd Psalm.
The Benefits of Reading the Bible
Reading the Bible is an ambition that many people strive for as part of their general education. The benefits of reading the Bible are both spiritual and cultural. However it is not a task to be embarked upon unprepared. The more help we get, the easier it will be.
Which Version Should I Read?
Many people struggle to read the Bible initially. It is true that the Bible is not an easy read for the novice and for this reason it is a good idea to start with a version like the New International Version (NIV) that has been translated for readability and clarity of language. The Daily Bible uses the NIV, but with some very useful adaptations to help the novice.
Why The Daily Bible?
The Daily Bible is divided up into 365 sections, each one with a specific date. There are introductions to each section telling you what you are about to read. This is helpful for the novice as it clarifies the story line and points out any major incidents to be noted.
Another helpful feature of this version of the Bible is that it has been rearranged so that it is in chronological order. This means that the books are placed according to the timeline of history. We get a better idea of the sequence of events so that we can understand how the various happenings and characters of the Bible relate to each other.
The Psalms and Proverbs have been arranged together according to their themes, so you can read Psalms to Soothe the Troubled Soul, Psalms of Joy, Psalms of Protection etc.
For those who are confused about how the Prophets fit into the Old Testament, this has been solved by inserting them into their correct chronological context alongside the Kings that they often had to contend with.
References:
The Daily Bible, Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon, USA.
The Daily Bible can be obtained via their Website
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