September 23, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Wednesday, September 23.
In September of 1971, the public first gained access to the Dead Sea Scrolls. The journey of discovery had begun back in 1947, when a shepherd boy stumbled upon an earthen jar in a cave beside Israel’s Dead Sea. Since then, thousands of scrolls have been discovered. They date back to several centuries before Bethlehem, and are the oldest surviving biblical manuscripts. Most of the scrolls are in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, but eight of them are at my alma mater, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Scholars and archaeologists continue the search today. Some do it out of academic curiosity. Some do it for the excitement of a treasure hunt. Still others do it for the money - some scrolls have sold for over a million dollars.
But when you think about it, we already have access to the greatest treasure of all, a priceless gift. It may sit in a bookcase in our house or on our bedside table. And now it’s as close as our smart phone. The Sword of the Spirit. The Word of God. The Holy Scripture. The Good Book. The Bible. God forgive us for ever taking this treasure for granted, for neglecting to search its pages for wisdom, for guidance, for truth. I’m reminded this morning of the lyrics of an old gospel hymn.
Sing them over again to me, wonderful words of life
Let me more of their beauty see, wonderful words of life
Words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life
Beautiful words, wonderful words, wonderful words of life!
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
