Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in God's Word)
On the evening of Monday, October 1st, Jews and Christians around the world celebrate the rabbinical holiday, Simchat Torah! "Simchat Torah" means the rejoicing of the Torah and celebrates and marks the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings and the beginning of a new cycle.
The word "Torah" has different meanings:
It can refer to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible;
It can refer to the entire Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) called the Tanakh
It can refer to the entire Bible (both the Old Testament and the New Testament)
How do we know if the Bible we hold in our hands today is accurate?
The Tanakh was written by eye witnesses
It is confirmed by archeological investigations
It was attested to by Jesus Christ Himself (see Luke 24:44, Matthew 7:12)
The Tanakh was preserved by careful copyists
Copies have been validated over a 1,400-year period
OUR BIBLE IS RELIABLE
WE CAN REJOICE IN THE WORD OF GOD