For Christmas we got Hadessah a “big girl” Bible… as in a “real” Bible. Not a story Bible, but one with actual chapters and verses. Actually, this wasn’t her first real Bible. We got both Hadessah and Hezekiah Bibles from the Dollar store. We told them that when they could show us that they could treat their Bibles gently and with respect, we would get them “big kid” Bibles. And since Hadessah was so gentle with hers from the start, it didn’t take her long. Hezekiah has actually been wonderful with his too, and wonderful with Hadessah’s Bible when she shares with him. So whenever we have the money, we’ll be getting Kiah a big boy Bible as well.

I realize that this seems ridiculous to a lot of people. My kids can’t read. Why in the world would I give them a Bible that has no pictures when they can’t read? And yet, if you see them with their Bibles, gently and lovingly turning the pages, feeling the pages, pointing out letters and numbers that they see, you might get the sense that they know this is no ordinary book. The Spirit testifies to their spirits that this book is something special. And as they turn those pages, hunger for His Word is awakening in their little hearts. They’re longing to be able to read His Word. Deep is calling out onto deep.

Many of us teach young children not to touch the Bible. “No! Don’t touch! That’s Mommy’s Bible”… and it’s understandable. Young children rip pages. My Bible is very precious to me and I don’t want little fingers tearing my highlighted and scribbled pages out. But I think it’s important to TRAIN children to be gentle with the Bible. Seeing as how the training process includes bumps along the way, we don’t train our children with our personal Bibles. But instead of making The Word of God off limits to them, we teach them to treasure and value it.

Even with Hosanna, I do this. I take her little puggy hand in mine and rub it on the Bible. “Bible!” I say over and over again. “This is the Word of God!” The Bible is something of great esteem in our household even from an early age.

That being said, I do want to also say that our children have picture Bibles and Bible story books as well. They enjoy these too, but they know the difference. I have to be careful with what Bible story books I allow into their collection. I just threw one on Jonah away because of bad theology. Sometimes I wonder if the people who write Bible story books even read the real story in their Bibles before they write them, or if they’re doing it from distant memory. This particular Jonah book was a rhyming one, and it seems that the author didn’t think it a big deal to change a few key details in order to make it rhyme. I’m sorry, but Jonah did not fall into the water. He was thrown into it. And he wasn’t happy to obey after being spat onto dry land. He went to Nineveh, but grudgingly.  Unfortunately for the book writers, not all the Bible stories have happy endings.

The other thing with Bible story books is that a lot of them include the “moral of the story” as some character lesson. Although I think good character lessons can be gleaned from these stories, I don’t believe that’s the fullness of it. All of the Bible stories, beginning with creation and Adam, are about the knowledge of God. In reading them, we find out who God is. All history hinges on this beautiful God and our holy Savior.  We aren’t changed in the inner man so much by following David’s example, but by seeing God reveal Himself through David’s story.  This is what we’re trying to emphasize when teaching our children Bible stories.

Do you know how many people know the story of Adam and Eve in the garden and don’t understand that the most merciful thing God could have done after the fall was to banish Adam and Eve from the garden? Do you know how many people think God was being mean… punishing them, getting back at them because He was completely disgusted with their behavior? Do you know how many people miss the fact that God was mercifully saving them from eating of the Tree of Life and living forever in their sins? You can know the story of Adam and Eve and not know the story of who God revealed Himself to be in the story of Adam and Eve. You can know all the Bible stories and never have the knowledge of God.

At any rate, I wanted to offer our reasoning behind those big kids Bibles. I know in some posts I can come off as judgmental. That, of course, is not my intention. I hope that someone somewhere is encouraged by these Mommy posts. Let us walk in the light of revelation we have from the Lord, sharing what He’s given to us and learning from what He’s given to others!