It's all in the details...

I'm completely aware of the fact that God included everything in the Bible that He wanted in there. He didn't forget anything, or slap His knee after it was all over and say "Whoops, I wanted to add that in the book of Galatians...too late now!" There was none of that. I fully believe the Bible is the living, breathing, inspired word of God.

Wow.

That said - let me add a confession...

HOW COOL WOULD IT HAVE BEEN TO GET A FEW MORE DETAILS???

LOL! You know what I mean, you've probably wondered yourself! =)

For instance, this morning I was reading the resurrection story from the book of Luke. (Luke is my favorite of the four gospels - he has a BUNCH more details compared to the others, maybe because he was a doctor? Maybe because God told him to, so I'd hush so many thousand years later? =P Who knows!) And I got to Luke 24:3-4 where it says "Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold two men stood by them in shining garments."

"Greatly perplexed."

Somehow, I don't see the women entering the tomb and scratching their heads and saying "Huh....He was here yesterday..." I'm almost CERTAIN it was a BIT more emotional than that! But Luke didn't give us those details. What would your reaction have been? Tears? Panic? Adrenaline rush? Screaming? JESUS was GONE. The body they cried over on the cross wasn't where it was supposed to be. This calls for a little more reaction than "perplexed." But, God chose that word, not me. I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall (a fly who already knew the outcome of the resurrection and wouldn't have been screaming, crying, and wailing myself)

Another example: Luke 24:30-32. "Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. And they said to one another 'did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scripture to us."

Whoa. Back up a second. JESUS, their beloved Lord, their trusted leader, their hope in the darkness, who these people watched die a gruesome death, then discovered He was missing (probably assuming His body was stolen) from the tomb, now sat with them at a table, revealed His identity, and POOF - outta there. And they have the presence of mind to tilt their heads and say "did not our heart burn within us while...etc."

Again, where are the open jaws, the wide eyes, the fluttering stomachs, the awe, the "OH MY GOODNESS DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT JUST WAS" remarks? They had to freak out a little, they're human, and they just witnessed the biggest miracle in the entire history of time. And yet somehow they have the capability to speak intelligently in phrases like "did not our hearts burn within us..."

Sigh. I guess its better I wasn't a Bible character. I'd have been the girl jumping on the table screaming "THAT WAS JESUS!!! HE'S OKAY!!!!!" and then probably fainting from emotional exhaustion.

And lastly, my favorite non-Easter example: Philip & the Eunuch! Acts 8:34-40

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Oh, come on, just a FEW details, PLEASE! Can you imagine it - from EITHER point of view? What did the eunuch think? He was in a chariot, trying to understand the scriptures, then He met Philip, prayed to receive Christ, was baptized, and suddenly..."hey, where'd he go?" I wonder if he thought Philip was an angel sent to teach him the way to be saved. Who knows. Again, I wish I could have watched that scene play out if only for the facial expressions of shock.

And Philip! He was beamed! One minute was in a lake, the next minute shaking himself dry at Azotus. Did he just look around a sec and say "Oh, thanks Lord, that saved me X number of miles?" Did his eyes grow wide and he grab onto a tree to steady himself and breathe for a minute? Did God give him warning - "Philip, hang onto it buddy, here we go!"

Oh the details...Once we get to heaven, am I ever gonna have some questions! =) I wonder if God ever took pictures along the way of time? A gag reel of "bloopers" would be the best!

In the meantime, we can trust that God told us everything we need to know, and the rest will be revealed in due time, if it matters. He knew what He was doing when He inspired these men to write His book, and I know nothing was left out that should be included. Sometimes I picture God shaking His head at me, smiling at my curiousity and writer's mind that He blessed me with. Its gotta be amusing!

How about you? What Bible mysteries just make you wanna shake your fists and demand an explanation? Beg for more details? Whine for just one more chapter?