JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE BIBLE

We used to hear Israel Houghton sing this song that he wrote when we attended Lakewood Church in Houston, TX: “Jesus at the Center of it All.” We often look for the center of things so we can get a better perspective of how far we’ve come and how far we need to go. Out of the books in the Bible, have you ever thought of what is the center verse in the center book in the center of the Bible? It is a compelling verse in its own right. PSALM 118 is the middle chapter of the entire Bible.

PSALM 118 is preceded by Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible.

PSALM 118 is followed by Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible.

PSALM 118 is preceded by 594 chapters and followed by 594 chapters. If you add the 594 preceding and 594 following chapters, the sum is a total of 1188 chapters. That puts Psalm 118:8 right in the middle of the entire Bible.

And what is this central verse of the Bible? “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. – Psalm 118:8

It’s simple math. How many books are there in the Bible? What is the center Book? How many chapters to the middle?

Rather than quibble over the precise exactness, let us consider the message of Psalm 118:8 again:

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.”

That’s a great statement to think about in-depth. It will end up changing your life. – Dr. Robert R Seyda