Studying the Bible in Context
Just reading one
verse of the Bible can be like basing your thoughts and reactions on one
sentence of a conversation. Take a look at this passage from Exodus:
“Moses
answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the
deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will
never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you
need only to be still.'” Exodus
14:13-14 (NIV)
Did you notice Moses
tell the people to stand still because the Lord will fight for them in
verse 14? Doing nothing, however, was not the Lord’s plan!
“Then
the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites
to move on.'” Exodus 14:15 (NIV)
“Rather than
telling the Israelites to stand still, He propels them to action.” God
wanted the people to “move
on.”
When we read the
Bible in context, we are taking into consideration:
WHO wrote
it? (Who authored the book of the Bible it’s in?)
WHEN was
it written?
WHO was
the audience? (Who were they writing/speaking to?)
WHY were
they writing/speaking?
WHAT were
they trying to say?
Moses told the people
not to be afraid. What were they afraid of?
God sees the bigger
picture! The people were more focused on the problem than the promises of God.
What promise from the Bible do you need to remember today?
See also Inductive Bible Study posts
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