Listening to Scripture

Last year my church bought a copy of the NIV Live A Bible Experience. This is a dramatic reading of Scripture with different people doing the different characters in Scripture as the Story is read. When Abraham talks with God it is 2 different men talking the different verses and parts of the Story. When Jacob is interacting with his 2 wives, it is 3 different people talking and bring Scripture to life. There is emotion in the readers voices and depth to what they are saying in their voice inflections.

Along with reading though the Bible this year, I have also taken to listen to Scripture read in this dramatic way. This had done 2 different things for me that have become a real blessing. First, it has brought more life and depth to God's Word. As the writer of Hebrews says, the Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edge sword. Listening to God's Word read is how it was written and intended to be heard the first time. This has allowed the emotion and depth of the living Bible come to life. God is still moving and acting just like He did in His interactions with Abraham and hearing it gives depth to it and the truth becomes more clearer.

The second thing that listening to Scripture has done for me is given new insight to certain parts of the Bible. When we read through the Bible we read it silently or to ourselves. But when it is read to us dramatically a new picture is shown. I never realized how perverted some of the patriarchs were until the listening to Jacob and his wives interact from different voices. It has brought the characters to life and has helped me understand more of God and His grace and faithfulness to all kinds of people and through all kinds of stories of sin and failure. The stories have become real and I have began to relate more to the Biblical characters and realized I am just like them and they are just like me; broken and sinful people saved by the grace of God.

So I would encourage anyone to find a way to listen to the Bible come to life in this dramatic reading of His Word.