Nehustan Bibles

Throw them away.

What do you do with a box of old Bibles?

I ran a thrift store for a nonprofit, and we received many boxes of Bibles as donations. I appreciated the ones that were in good shape and gave them to the men in our program, but I did not know what to do with the ragged and tattered ones.

I knew that people donated them to us because they did not know what to do with them either. It feels blasphemous to throw a Bible in the trash. I left the boxes in the corner of our warehouse for a while.

Eventually, I needed the space. So, I told the guys to throw the boxes in the dumpster. They reacted like I told them to go burn down churches. They refused to do it. I understood, so I threw them in the dumpster myself.

Later, I explained that while I believe the Bible is God’s word, eventually, you have to view it as ink on paper. It is a tattered, inanimate object that has no use. Do not worship the book. Worship the God of the book and get rid of those boxes.

I can hear some of you disagreeing. Fine. Leave me your address in the comments, and I’ll have the future boxes shipped to you. You can store them in perpetuity. You are like the people in my small town who complained when the First Baptist Church recently tore down their one-hundred-year-old sanctuary because it was cheaper to build a new one than repair the old one. Everybody fussed, but few donated toward the ten million necessary for repairs. It is easy to be a distant idealist.

Christians are sentimental, and usually, there is nothing wrong with it. We get attached to places and things that God used in our lives. Returning to those places, seeing certain things, or hearing a particular song takes us back to those moments of closeness, those experiences of revitalization, that life change. We treasure those things because of what they represent.

There is a danger, though.

King Hezekiah was bringing a revival to the nation of Judah. He started cleaning things up.

He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the Asherah poles, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan. (2 Kings 18:4, KJ21, emphasis added)

He broke the brazen serpent that Moses made, that God had used to heal the Children of Israel in Numbers 21 because they had begun to worship it. He called it “Nehushtan,” a piece of brass, and he smashed it. He understood that it was just a symbol, a piece of metal, regardless of how God had used it in the past.

We are always in a dangerous place when we give spiritual reverence to things.

I was always taught to be respectful in “God’s House.” Then I realized that I am God’s house and the church is just a building where “God’s houses” meet for worship. It does not matter if it is an ornate sanctuary or a forest cave where two or three are gathered. Do not worship the building, the book, or the pastor. It is idolatry.

Some churches are notorious for this. The worship of saints and honor given to relics is sad and misleading. The best Christians were what they were because of Christ. Give the honor to him, not them.

There is no power in the actual cross of Christ (even if we had it); it is just a piece of wood. The power is in the person who died on that cross.

Seeing David’s sling, Noah’s ark, or the crown of thorns would all be cool experiences, but they'd be like any other archeological find. Just a connection to a previous time or a reminder of a significant event. In themselves, they are just relics. Even the Ark of the Covenant is just a gold box until God puts his power on it. When it is brought to public light again, it will lead millions astray in a return to Judaism and a rejection of Jesus’s finished work. Read the Book of Hebrews.

I would love to go to Israel. I have tried twice, but Covid and the recent war canceled both trips. I want to see all the sites I read about in the Bible. I know, though, that there is no special power in those places. Being baptized in the Jordan like Jesus would be cool but brings no extra blessing. Otherwise, God is a respecter of persons and has reserved special blessings for those wealthy enough to travel. Besides, having all that history does not seem to do much spiritually for those who live there.

The Bible is the primary means through which God speaks to his people. It is God’s word. It makes no difference if you read it from your momma’s Bible, off the screen of the new iPad you just bought, or off the very scroll that Jesus read from; the power is from God speaking through the words, not the medium. Treasure your momma’s Bible because it was hers, but do not give it special power with God. And do not sing songs about it. SMH.

And if you wish to donate Bibles, buy some nice ones. We can’t read those fine print ones you get from the dollar store, and we certainly do not want that tattered mass of bonded leather and bulletins you tried to sneak in that pile of books you’re giving us. Donate like you are giving it to Jesus.

Throw that other in the trash and ask God to show you the Nehushtans in your life so you can smash them.