The Missing Book
By David Faust
On a January night in 2017, thieves nearly pulled off a daring heist in a crime one reporter likened to the plot of a Mission: Impossible movie. Two men cut holes in the roof of a warehouse in London, rappelled down through the ceiling to avoid security sensors, and hauled away 16 bags in a car driven by a third accomplice. Their target was not cash or jewels, but rare books valued at over $3 million that were being shipped to an auction in Las Vegas. In 2020, authorities found the stash buried under the floor of a house in Romania, and members of an organized crime group have been charged with the theft. The recovered books include first-edition volumes written by Galileo, Copernicus, and Sir Isaac Newton, and an edition of Aesop’s Fables published in 1505.
The Old Testament tells an interesting story about a missing book. The temple had fallen into disrepair, and young King Josiah decided to restore it. During the construction project, workers discovered “the Book of the Law of the Lord that had been given through Moses” (2 Chronicles 34:14). It was remarkable that they found the Book, but why did they lose it in the first place? God’s Law was priceless, handed down from the days of Moses. How could anyone misplace it?
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
The Book wasn’t lost as much as it was neglected and taken for granted—hidden in plain sight. It had been there in the temple all along, but no one was paying attention to it.
Are we losing sight of God’s Book? In America today, the Bible is readily available but frequently ignored. We have more tools for biblical study than at any previous time in history. Yet, according to a 2020 survey conducted by Barna Research, only half of American adults believe the Bible is the Word of God, down from three-quarters just 20 years ago. And there is considerable inconsistency between the plain teachings of the Bible and the behaviors of those who say we believe it.
Is the Book missing from our preaching, our student ministries, and small groups? In my son Matt’s jail ministry, he often talks with inmates about three worldview questions (adapted from Charles Colson): Where did we come from? Why are we here? What happens when we die? These universal questions about origin, purpose, and destiny are relevant to people of all cultures and educational levels, and they are best answered by a biblical worldview.
Sadly, God’s Book is missing in many families. According to Barna, a person’s worldview starts developing at 15 to 18 months of age, and it’s almost completely developed by age 13. Friends, media, teachers, coaches, church leaders, and public figures exert influence as well, but parents are the most important factor in shaping what children believe and do. Without the Book, confusion reigns.
When King Josiah rediscovered the Scriptures and heard what they said, he was deeply moved. He realized the nation had departed from God’s will. He called the people together, read God’s Word aloud, “and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul” (2 Chronicles 34:31). The missing Book addressed what they and their nation had been missing.
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Personal Challenge: Think about the three worldview questions mentioned above: Where did we come from? Why are we here? What happens when we die? How does the Bible shape your answers? Discuss these questions this week with at least one other person, and/or talk about them with your small group.
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