Chapter
Four - Scripture Feeding of SELF; Fiber
We certainly can't leave high-fiber foods out of our nutrition of a healthy body. Fiber is a very necessary intake for our proper digestion. High-fiber foods we get from plants, help calm and even prevent some diseases, diarrhea, and other things. The fiber in foods isn't dissolved by the body but binds foods together, like the fibers in a rug or straw hat.
The
connectivity of fibers in food, rugs, and hats is also powerfully
demonstrated in the layout of scripture. Bible
researchers tell us (depending on the detail) between 200 and 600 Old
Testament
instances are referenced in the New Testament. Scripture fiber
tightly binds the
Old Testament
(the
portion
of scripture before the birth of Jesus Christ in the Bethlehem
manger,
with the New
Testament. When we approach scripture feeding, we must expect all of
scripture to be complete, in unison, and without error.
Old
Testament Golden Genealogies
I
agree
with most of you, those 'begats' and 'was the son of' occurrences in
the Old Testament books like Numbers and Chronicles are hard to read
and seem like just a pile of people's names and cities we'll never
see or gain any useful information from. But then I remember that God
never designs or creates anything, without a reason and without
benefit to we humans. An example of the fiber of scripture follows:
Numbers
chapter 1 is a list of the Israelite men able to go to war. They are
listed by family. (Note:
'score' equals 20.) As a first check piece that Moses didn't get
sloppy about recording the numbers, the grand total is stated in
verse 46. Do you get bored with reading these Old Testament names?
Don't you think Moses got even more bored with counting all these
families of people and recording his data correctly? But hold on.
This gets
really golden good. Now watch.
In
chapter 2 of Numbers, those tribes are numbered again – but in a
different way. Moses records the numbers of the tribes by which side
of the Tabernacle they camped on. Compare closely the numbers in
chapter 2 with those in chapter 1. Especially notice the grand total
of chapter 2 in verse 32. How does that number compare with the grand
total of chapter 1? Neat, huh?
So
What?
Spiritual
maturity is largely the revelation in our eyes and heart that God
provides scripture fibers of truth and purpose to be woven into our
daily walk in these shoes on earth. In almost any direction we look,
unity is shown, e.g.
in creation and in scripture. I learn a great deal about a person by
listening to how and for what they pray. It just thrills my deep down
heart to read the prayer
of Jesus Christ to His Heavenly Father, in John 17. Here
Jesus repeats often 'they all may be one' (referring to the binding
together of the true believers) against the fiery darts of Satan.
Input
and Output
While
we're linking scripture feeding with that of our physical food, we'll
tactfully add a reference we'll never hear a sermon preached about.
The sermon title would probably have been, WHAT EVERY KITTY CAT
KNOWS.
In
Europe during the 14th century the Bubonic Plague (a.k.a.
Black Plague) killed an estimated 25 million people by the disease
being carried in fleas on small rodents. It was common in those times
and places that sewers carried human waste in open ditches, easy
access to the rodents. Without proper treatment the infected adult or
child was dead in four days. All of this would not have happened if
humans observed the movements of any kitty cat... - and also followed
the distinct directives of the Old Testament scriptures of
Deuteronomy 23:12 – 14. This is just further evidence of God's Word
being true and complete for our needs – both physically and
spiritually. [~]