Lost Books Found

-
2 Kings 22 is the record of one specific incident in the life of King Josiah. During his reign a lost book was found. Instantly my mind was flooded with a catalog of book titles and declarations of new-found knowledge by this or that group or individual. We are so easily distracted by the shiny object of Mystery that each time something lost is publicly declared as “found,” we raise our heads to look and see. Look at what we’ve found (to name a few):
  • The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden 
  • Homer’s “Margites” 
  • Shakespear’s “Cardinio” 
  • Inventio Fortunata, or “The Discovery of the Fortunate Islands.” 
  •  Jane Austen’s “Sanditon” 
  • Herman Melville’s “The Isle of the Cross”
  • Thomas Hardy’s “The Poor Man and the Lady” 
The most peculiar feature of lost-books-found is the response of those who receive them. Presently, more lost-books-found are being printed with so many lost-secrets-known that the world should be revolutionized by their presence. These literary zombies are eating the brains of people who are no longer thinking. 

Case in point: when Josiah was presented with the lost book of the Law, it was identifiable as being not merely connected with national history, but also brought a response practically unheard of in comparison with today’s responses. Who has fallen on their face before God in repentance and being spared the destruction of sin after reading any other lost book? This is not the response of Joseph Smith or Oprah Winfrey. No, these book instead receive they applaud of those who find their contents compatible with their lifestyle. 
Who has noticed these “lost books” all promise the same thing: Eternality without God? 

  1. “You will not die.” Reincarnation or at least an “eternal summer;” 
  2. “Your eyes will be opened.” Gain the secret knowledge of the lost book and rise above average. Knowing the right techniques produces the right experience. 
  3. “You shall be like God.” Control your circumstances thus controlling your destiny—but if something bad happens to you it’s your fault. 
  4. “You will know good and evil.” You are the measure of all things, so if it works for you then it’s “good.” 
Why does all this sound so familiar? 

Amazingly, people every day open God’s Unchanging Word and meet His perfection face to face as they read the same words Josiah read in the Law. It is not uncommon that many people have read the Word over and over to the point it has become “lost” to them. Yet, there comes a point when these same persons are brought to their knees confessing their brokenness before God because His Word is alive. Missing? Only inasmuch as people close their eyes and hearts against the Bible.

Popular posts from this blog

The Island-Fish

-
Image
  “O ye passengers, whom may God preserve! come up quickly in to the ship, hasten to embark, and leave your merchandise, and flee with your lives, and save yourselves from destruction; for this apparent island, upon which ye are, is not really an island, but it is a great fish that hath become stationary in the midst of the sea, and the sand hath accumulated upon it, so that it hath become like an island, and trees have grown upon it since times of old; and when ye lighted the fire upon it, the fish felt the heat, and put itself in motion, and now it will descend with you into the sea, and ye will all be drowned: then seek for yourselves escape before destruction, and leave the merchandise.—The passengers, therefore, hearing the words of the master of the ship, hastened to go up into the vessel, leaving the merchandise, and their other goods, and their copper cooking-pots, and their fire-pots; and some reached the ship, and others reached it not. The island had moved, and descended...
Read more

“And so, about this tomb of mine . . . “

-
Image
  “VANITY, saith the preacher, vanity!  Draw round my bed: is Anselm keeping back?  Nephews—sons mine … ah God, I know not! Well—  She, men would have to be your mother once,  Old Gandolf envied me, so fair she was!  What’s done is done, and she is dead beside,  Dead long ago, and I am Bishop since,  And as she died so must we die ourselves,  And thence ye may perceive the world’s a dream.  Life, how and what is it?  As here I lie In this state-chamber, dying by degrees,  Hours and long hours in the dead night,  I ask “Do I live, am I dead?”  Peace, peace seems all.  Saint Praxed’s ever was the church for peace;  And so, about this tomb of mine.  I fought With tooth and nail to save my niche, ye know:  —Old Gandolf cozened me, despite my care;  Shrewd was that snatch from out the corner  South He graced his carrion with,  God curse the same!  Yet still my niche is not so cramped...
Read more