Is the Bible boring?

Today in school, we read 1 Kings chapter four.  It begins with just lists of people who govern certain areas of the land.  Translation: boring.  When I finished the passage, I asked the kids why that would be included in the Bible and we had a great conversation about it. 

We remembered a story of a missionary who was translating the Bible into the language of the people she was serving.  An elder man had taken it upon himself to ‘adopt’ her as a way of protecting her.  But even with this investment, he had not become a believer.  It was only in seeing the genealogy in the book of Matthew that this dear man realized his ‘daughter’ had not come to share mythological stories with the people.  He was flabbergasted to see that there was a listing of real people that led from Adam to Jesus.  This is what brought his heart to acceptance of the Lord.

Remembering that, we postulated that perhaps the inclusion of passages that are just lists of people and places could be for the veracity of the Bible.  My husband is a lover of apologetics and these issues are very relevant to him.  He cares about the Bible being a reliable historical document.  His faith is solid, but he delights that there is logical evidence to defend it.

As we were talking, my sweet boy respectfully interjected.  He said that he really didn’t care.  He was so sincere in both his respectfulness and his apathy in regard to the lists and reasons for the lists in the Bible.  I had to laugh.  I admitted that apologetics and the long lists in the Bible didn’t really float my boat, either.  He and I both came to Jesus as kids and have been blessed with environments that haven’t demanded we defend that faith.

I explained that Daddy came from a very different background, so these topics are intensely important to him.  And God knew that would be the case.  God is reasonable.  God is loving.  And God is reachable.  I praise the Lord for those boring passages.  I praise the Lord for a husband who cares.