Just a few short weeks ago, 1Dale cracked the binding on a Bible for the first time in his 57 years. An accomplished author himself, he quickly became caught up in the drama of God’s story. Although much of what we were reading was new to him, Dale responded with straightforward acceptance. “Yep, that makes sense …so what’s going to happen next?” he would remark lightheartedly.
But last night his demeanor changed dramatically. We were reading about the “The Ten Rules” that God gave to Moses in Chapter 8 of By This Name. As we progressed through the rules, giving a detailed explanation of each, Dale became increasingly more uncomfortable. Nail-biting became his focus as he squirmed nervously on the couch. Evidently the sooner we could finish, the better it would be for him.
When we finally closed our books for the evening, Dale had settled somewhat, but remained thoughtful. So I tactfully inquired if he had anything on his mind. His reply was vulnerable.
“Those ten rules made me feel like I don’t stand a chance…I don’t think anybody does! But from what I can tell of Yahweh, so far, is that He is trustworthy. I’m thinking that He must have some other solution.”
GoodSeed uses the following graph to illustrate the progression of interest as people walk through the story from Creation to Christ. Notice how the spike in interest in Chapter 8 is consistent with Dale’s reaction.
“…through the law we become conscious of sin.”—Romans 3:20
When a person realizes their sin problem before God, they are keenly interested in finding God’s solution…and as soon as possible!
Before heading out the door, Dale asked in earnest, “So, how about tomorrow night?”
------1name changed.
