That’s a Book of the Bible?!

If you’ve been following along with this blog for a while, you likely know I’m reading through the entire Bible for the first time in my life this year. I just finished Song of Songs today, which should give you an idea of where I’m at after starting on January 1, 2022. Sometimes I think in devoting myself to reading the Bible, I’ve learned even more about myself than I have about God.

For instance, I’ve discovered that the vast majority of the Old Testament is not a fun read. I think that explains why when you ask Christians what their favorite book of the Bible is, they’ll more than likely call out a gospel or other book of the New Testament. They might also go with the “safe bet” of Psalms or Proverbs. Any of these is fine, as they provide insight into the life and times of Jesus, as well as wonderful songs of praise and bits of pithy wisdom that will get you far in life.

However, if you were to ask me what my favorite book has been so far in my reading journey, I’d say…Ecclesiastes. To some, this might elicit the same reaction as if I were to have said my favorite was Haggai, Obadiah, or Nahum: “THAT’S a book of the Bible?!” I don’t say this to make fun of anyone. To be completely frank, I can’t say I had read an entire book of the Bible from start to finish before I started this venture.

While looking at the Bible as a whole may be incredibly intimidating, it contains so many possibilities if you just take the time to pick a starting point and read. Don’t let yourself get hung up on the crazy notion that one must start at Genesis and power through until they hit Revelation (full disclosure: I am doing it that way, but there’s no one right way to read the Bible). You may want to start with a lesser-known book because, as I discovered with Ecclesiastes, you might just find a hidden gem.

For me, Ecclesiastes spoke to my feeling of what it’s like to be alive at this point in history. The book opens with Solomon exclaiming: “‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher. ‘Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless’” (1:2). Now, tell me you haven’t felt that way at least once in your life! In all seriousness, what the message of the book boils down to is every Earthly pleasure is meaningless when compared to the satisfaction only God can bring to your life.

King Solomon talks about how he’s toiled, built grand things, acquired wisdom and fortune, and yet says: “…when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (2:11). In that same chapter, he concludes, “A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” (2:24-25).

Without God in our lives, who are we living for? Ourselves? What’s the point of that? As Solomon says above, nothing we do to try to satisfy our Earthly desires will actually leave us feeling fulfilled. As someone on the younger side, I particularly appreciated this verse toward the end of the book: “You who are young, be happy while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment” (11:9). Even youth is meaningless unless you spend it wisely and in a way that would be pleasing to the Lord.

All of this is to say I would have never gained this insight if I only decided to read the books of the Bible that are mentioned in church most often. To find what really resonates with you, you have to step out of your comfort zone and dive into the deeper end of the pool, so to speak. While David’s Psalms are beautiful and Solomon’s proverbs are wise words to live by, you may be pleasantly surprised by a book you may have never heard of before you saw it in the table of contents.

My challenge to you today is just that. Look up a list of the books of the Bible, pick one you’re unfamiliar with, and give it a try. I’d love to hear your recommendation if you tried this and found it insightful! Do you have a favorite book of the Bible that’s a little out of the ordinary? I’d love to hear about what it is and why! Let me know in the comments.