Summer comes to an end and the school doors swing open for another year. By necessity dictionaries will be opened for spelling and for the definition of words Of course many will turn to their phones or computers instead of flipping pages . Using a phone book or a dictionary is for many something of the past. Whatever the means of locating a desired word there is a list somewhere Your dictionary is a valuable source of information.
Daniel Webster, America’s pioneer lexicographer published his first dictionary, a major contribution to education and communication, in1828. Language continues to change therefore there have been numerous editions of Webster’s dictionary.
Interestingly, when his dictionary was published Webster spoke of a Book greater than his work saying:
“The Moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitution and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition injustice, oppression, slavery and war proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible,”
O that educators and students today would have respect for the Bible and refer to it . The Supreme Court ruled that the Bible could not be used devotionally in our public schools. It may be referred to as literary work and as a historical source for information It is amazing to see how the history of the Bible intermeshes with secular history Those who are familiar to the Bible are much better educated than those who neglect it. In the early days of America, Ben Franklin was our Ambassador to France. He was a speaker with a lot of creativity and the elite enjoyed social times when he spoke. On one occasion he dramatically told the story of Queen Esther without identifying it as part of the Bible. The secular audience was unfamiliar with the Bible and were quite surprised when the learned of the source. Many in our schools and society are biblically illiterate , to their loss The Bible is available and can make a great contribution toward the enrichment of individual lives, our communities and nation Finding the right word in a dictionary might meet a special educational need but hearing the Word of God can be life changing.