[Granville-Hough] 18 Sep 2009 - 4 Aug 2004 - Bible Languages

[Trustees for Granville W. Hough]

I talked about Nehemiah and Ezra today (4 Aug 2004)in Bible Study.  I was
wondering what to talk about next, so I think I will do "Languages of
the Bible."  If I cannot find any material, I will discuss work of
Wycliff Society in translating and the Gideons in distributing.  I did
place about 100 bibles in Oklahoma hotels and nursing homes, with
Carol's name inscribed.

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The Non-Temple Jew aka the Good Samaritan.  In a Bible Study class for
younger folks the story of the Good Samaritan was the subject of the
day.  The leader asked the class: "If you saw a person lying on the
Roadside, all wounded and bleeding, what would you do?" Thoughtful Lucy
finally broke the hushed silence.  She said, "I think I'd throw up."
This comes in the category of "know yourself, and speak the truth."

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In defense of the Samaritans, the Non-Temple Jews, I want to paraphrase
what Ken Burns said about his upcoming series on our National Parks. You
cannot go into our National Parks, he said, without feeling a great
sense of awe and wonder.  You feel as if you are in God's natural
cathedral He posed the question: Is it better to worship in one of God's
natural cathedrals or is it better to worship in a cathedral made by
men?  That is exactly the question posed by the Samaritans, who
worshiped on the mountains and sacred places as their Jewish ancestors
had done.  Why, they asked, do I have to go to Jerusalem to a temple
made by men, which looks much the same as man-made temples consecrated
to Baal and other gods?  Why not worship here on God's cathedrals as we
have always done?  I see their point, and may they survive, however few
Samaritans there remain.