Image by Melissa Clayton
Welcome to the book of Judith! This book is one of seven that has been omitted from the Old Testament in several translations.Maybe you’re new to Bible studies (or the Bible, period), and you had no idea about this.
Well, here’s an interesting fact - some translations have omitted seven books in the Old Testament. WHY? I could go on a huge history lesson on this, but here it is in a nut shell:In the 1500s, Martin Luther, frustrated with + rejected teachings of the Church, took it upon himself to remove seven books in the Old Testament.
Actually, he wanted to remove at least 11, including the books of Esther, James, Jude, Hebrews, and Revelations, calling them “epistles of straw”. (True story.) Thus began the protestant reformation. And out of the reformation came about 50,000 different churches in existence TODAY. Church of Christ, Assembly of God, countless non-denominational churches, Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, etc.
Now, don’t get me wrong — we’re all Christians. I know friends who started their own churches, their ministry is thriving, and there’s no doubt God is working in them and making things happen.That’s amazing and God bless them in their work! We’re all building the Kingdom.HowEVER… When it comes to Scripture, the TRUTH, they are all in disagreement. Any time they disagree on Scripture, they just go their separate ways and form their own churches.
We won’t get into the reformation or Church history today, but it’s definitely a lesson to learn from — that ONE man can make an impact. The same fire that caused Luther to reject Church teachings still live in people’s hearts today and cause them to reject + misinterpret the Word of God 500 years later.
Now, how does this affect YOU?
If your Bible does not have the book of Judith (and only has 39 books in the OT), I encourage you to pray and ask God to show you His Truth. Not Luther’s truth or my truth. GOD’S Truth.
Get a Bible that has all 73 books and read those seven that were omitted. Really dig far and deep and ask why these books shouldn’t be in the Bible like Luther proposed. What are you gaining from NOT having them in the Bible? More importantly, what are you losing?
In the book of Judith, you’ll find an extraordinary woman of God. You’ll see bad leaders, angry kings, wars, and fearlessness. It is my hope and prayer that by the time you finish this study, God will reveal Himself to you in a new way, and you’ll be empowered to face your challenges and give all the glory to Him.
Peace be with you, my gorgeous faithful sister.
