I love every word of the Bible, even down to the smallest details. So, when I make the above statement, please don’t think of it as a denial of the perfectness of G-D’s Word because it is not.
I believe every word in the Bible was chosen by G-D and written under the leading and direction of the Spirit of G-D. But, there are things contained in the Bible that as a human believer I wish were not included.
The following list of five things is not a complete list, nor is this list in any order of priority, nor am I writing this today as a result or response to a crisis of faith or even moments of doubt. These are simply things that travel through my thoughts as I read, study, and teach the Bible.
1. The first thing I wish was not in the Bible is found in Mark chapter 8, where we read about the man that Yeshua (Jesus) healed of blindness. Here is the portion of the text that I personally wish wasn’t there:
“Taking the blind man by the hand, Yeshua brought him outside the village. After spitting on the man’s eyes and laying His hands on him, Yeshua asked the man, ‘Do you see anything?’ The man looked up and said, ‘I see men! They look like trees walking about'” (Mark 8:23).
Here, we have Yeshua, G-D in the flesh, laying hands on a blind man and praying for restored sight. After Yeshua prays for the man, He asks the man directly, “Do you see anything?” The man answers, “I see men. They look like trees walking about.”
Then Yeshua lays His hands on the man again and prays again. It is only after Yeshua’s second prayer that the man’s eyesight is restored. How I wish that these words were not in the Bible. Wouldn’t it be so much easier for us to teach others to believe in the supernatural healing power of G-D if this man had been healed completely the first time Yeshua prayed for him?
However, this verse lets us know that sometimes healing is not always an instantaneous result, but rather a process. Maybe that is why the Scripture also says in Mark 16 “…they will lay hands on the sick, and they will get well.” This verse doesn’t say they will “be healed,” it says they will “get well,” or “recover,” a process of connected miraculous events.
2. The second thing I wish was not in the Bible is found in Deuteronomy chapter 4, where Moses is reminding the people of Israel that G-D told him he would not be leading them across the Jordan river into the Promised Land.
“Furthermore Adonai was angry with me because of your words, and He swore that I would not cross over the Jordan or enter the good land that Adonai your God is giving you for an inheritance” (Deut. 4:21).
This statement by Moses takes place right after Moses pours his heart out to G-D:
“I pleaded with Adonai at that time, saying, ‘O Lord Adonai, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand—for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do deeds and mighty acts like Yours? Please! Let me cross over and see the good land across the Jordan—that good hill country and the Lebanon.’ But Adonai was angry with me because of you, so He would not listen to me. ‘Enough!’ Adonai said to me, ‘Do not speak to Me anymore about this matter'” (Deut. 3:23-26).
Just think about this for a moment. Moses pleads with G-D to forgive him and allow him to enter into the Promised Land. But, even after Moses’ humble cry for forgiveness, G-D is still angry with Moses and says no. Man, I wish this wasn’t in the Bible. If these words were not in the Bible, it would be so much easier to believe that we could simply come to G-D in repentance and humility after we have sinned rebelliously against Him, and G-D would simply forgive us with no repercussions for our actions.
3. The third thing I wish was not in the Bible is found in Matthew chapter 8, where we read about Yeshua healing a leper:
“When He came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. And a man with tza’arat came to Him and bowed down before Him, saying, ‘Master, if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Yeshua stretched out His hand and touched him, saying, ‘I am willing. Be cleansed.’ Immediately his tza’arat was cleansed. And Yeshua said to him, ‘See that you tell no one; but go show yourself to the kohen and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them’” (Matt. 8:1-4).
Notice that after Yeshua heals this man, He tells the man to go to the kohen (priest) and offer the gift or sacrifice that Moses commanded. Man, this bothers me so much. Just think about this: Yeshua sent this man whom He miraculously healed to the kohen. Now, that may not seem questionable to some, but to those who know the history, we know that at the time of Yeshua, the temple priesthood had become very political, to such an extent that the High Priest was a political appointee by the Roman authority.
Yet, here we have Yeshua not only telling this healed man to make the proper sacrifice according to Moses, but also to go to the corrupt priesthood to show himself. Now, this wasn’t just Yeshua saying to go show off this miracle to the priest. He was instructing this leper to follow the process of being proclaimed clean by the priest. I so wish these words were not in the Bible. How much easier would it be for us to walk out our faith if we didn’t have any responsibility to recognize the leadership structure that G-D has put in place? Maybe this was what David understood when he said he would not touch G-D’s anointed.
4. The fourth thing I wish was not in the Bible is found in John chapter 8, in the narrative of the woman caught in the act of adultery. Now, laying aside all of the problems in the story, such as why the man involved wasn’t brought to Yeshua also, the part I wish wasn’t in the Bible is the very end the story, as we read these words:
“’No one, Sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Yeshua said. ‘Go, and sin no more’” (John 8:11).
Just think how much easier it would be for those of us who believe in the absolute forgiveness of Yeshua and the overwhelming grace of G-D if Yeshua had ended His statement with the words “neither do I condemn you,” instead of continuing with the words “go and sin no more.” By adding those five words, Yeshua added personal responsibility upon those forgiven of sin: the responsibility to cease their sinful actions.
5. The fifth thing I wish was not in the Bible is Judas Iscariot. Man, I wish Judas was not in the Bible at all when I think about the fact that Judas was personally chosen by Yeshua. Judas traveled with Yeshua and was personally mentored and discipled by Yeshua for nearly three years. Judas not only saw the miracles that we read about in the Bible, but he also saw many of the miracles that were not written in the Bible. After all, John wrote these words about the works of Yeshua:
“There are also many other things that Yeshua did. If all of them were to be written one by one, I suppose that not even the world itself will have room for the books being written!” (John 21:25).
Yet, this same Judas betrayed Yeshua and turned Him in to be executed. I so wish that Judas was not in the Bible. Think of how much easier ministry would be if there was a biblical expectation that everyone you worked with would be faithful and would walk out their calling with complete faithfulness to Yeshua. If Judas wasn’t in the Bible, those of us who serve in ministry would never have to wonder if someday a Judas will be walking with us leading us to martyrdom for our faith in Yeshua.
These are only five of the things I wish were not in the Bible. I am sure if we tried, we could each make a much longer list. However, while I wish that these five things were not in the Bible, I am grateful that each of them are because each one causes me not to have lazy faith.
Eric Tokajer is the author of “Overcoming Fearlessness,” “What If Everything You Were Taught About the Ten Commandments Was Wrong?,” “With Me in Paradise,” “Transient Singularity,” “OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry,” “#ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer,” “Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians” and “Galatians in Context.”
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