Last night, I invited my granddaughters over for a dance party.   We put on some fun worship music and danced, holding our Bibles.  We concluded our celebration with a lively Bible discussion on end times.  We thought it was so precious that Jesus calls us “His bride.”  We can’t wait to eat at the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.  (well – that’s another story….back to topic!) 

Why did we do this?  Sounds a bit odd.  We did it because we love celebrating Jewish holidays, and Simchat Torah sounded like fun.  The day after Sukkot, Feast of Tabernacles, our Jewish friends celebrate Simchat Torah with joyful dancing.  Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing in Torah.” They do this because they are starting a new cycle of the yearly Torah readings with Genesis. The day before, the last day of Sukkot, they read the last portion of the Torah in Deuteronomy.

    The Jewish people usually do this in the synagogue, with the scrolls being the center of attention.  This year, because of quarantine, many are celebrating in the home or doing it virtually.  

Why do we cherish the precious Word of God?   Here is a shortlist:  

 1)         It’s God’s blueprint for successful and joyful living.  After all, God created the universe and us, so it makes sense to look into His instruction manual. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” Proverbs 16:3

2)         He introduces Himself, His Son, and His Spirit to us, making the almighty God very personal.  Exodus 20:2-3

b.         Jesus: Seven times, Jesus answers “I Am” when people question his identity. (Book of John)  

c.         Holy Spirit: “Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you everything and will cause you to remember everything I said to you.” John 14:26

3)         He gives us His redemption plan. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 

4)         He tells us how it all got started and how it’s going to end. “In the beginning, God…” Genesis 1:1a and “I make all things new.” “No more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.  Revelations 21:4b and 5a

5)         He wrote it! “All Scripture is breathed out by God…” 2 Timothy 3:16

6)         It is living. “For the Word of God is alive and powerful…” Hebrews 4:12a

One of the songs we danced to was “Dance with Me” by Paul Wilbur.  

Won’t you join us in joyous celebrating and dancing of the Holy Scripture, the Bible?