Through the Bible in a Year (Part 8: Ruth, I Samuel & Luke)

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How are you doing? Everyone keeping up? I found myself playing catch-up this week! 

My pastor’s sermon on Sunday fit perfectly with where we are in our New Testament readings, and it helped me to think a little differently about Luke 20. Much as I’d like to think of the religious leaders as “the bad guys” and me as the “good girl” who would never do what they do, the message pointed to some areas where I am more like them than I want to admit. I’ll start here with some questions for New Testament reflections prompted by the sermon (though they apply to Old Testament readings as well)…

  • In what ways do I attempt to manipulate God? (For example, do I think that I can cause God to love me more by what I do?)
  • In what ways do I minimize God—who He is, His authority in my life, and my responsibility toward Him? How have your readings so far contributed to a richer understanding of who God is, His authority and your responsibility toward Him? 

A few more reflections on Luke…

  • Some scholars point to Luke 19:10 as the key verse, one which provides an outline of the book: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.” (1:1-4:13 “The Son of Man came”; 4:14-19:27 “to seek”; 19:28-end “to save that which was lost.”) In this week’s readings, what examples do you see of Jesus “seeking out” those who are lost?
  • Why do you think Jesus refers to Himself as “The Son of man”? What does this contribute to the portrait of Christ Luke develops in this gospel? 

Old Testament Reflections…

  • Judges: The story of the concubine who was abused strikes me as one of the most disturbing stories in Scripture. As you finished up the book of Judges, what emotions were evoked? Were you surprised at the depravity demonstrated throughout Israel as “every man did what was right in his own eyes”? How does this speak to us about our own culture? About us as individuals? 
  • Be sure to catch these details in the book of Ruth…(That would be easy to do if you were attempting to catch up, as I was!) This takes place “during the time of the judges”: Given your reading of the book of Judges, what do you think the culture was like when Naomi and her husband left for Moab? 
  • A severe famine had come upon the land: Why did God send famines to Israel? How did Naomi and her husband respond? (Keep in mind that Moab was a pagan nation and Israel’s enemy. You may want to read about Chemosh, the god worshiped by Moabites.
  • Naomi feels that God has “raised His fist against me.” What does this suggest about how Naomi interpreted her suffering? 
  • Note the theme of “full” and “empty” throughout the book (and note Naomi’s comment in 1:21: How do you interpret her comment about leaving full and returning empty?)
  • I Samuel: As you read about Saul, what characteristics of the man emerge? Why do you think God chose him to be Israel’s first king?

If you have gotten behind this week, don’t be discouraged! Just catch up as you are able to do so and let’s continue to pray for one another to be consistent in spending time with God as we read together. 

Blessings!

Tammy

Book Review: The Scarlet Pen

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Uhlarkik, J. (2021). The Scarlet Pen. Barbour. 

Another page-turner in Barbour's True Colors Crime series! Headstrong but naive Emma Draycott determinedly stands by her fiance, Stephen Dee Richards, despite her parents' misgivings. When Secret Serviceman Clay Timmons arrives in town investigating reports of counterfeiting, evidence of Stephen's possible involvement invites questions about Stephen's character. Emma has long been Stephen's defender. During their childhood, she defended him against schoolyard bullies. Now she defends him against accusations from her family and law enforcement. With or without her parents' blessing, Emma is determined to marry the man who has given her his word. He will pursue a business venture and return for her with financial proof that he can adequately support the daughter of the well-heeled Draycott family. Stephen's letters bolster her faith in him. But then...Well, you will need to read the book to find out what happens next! 

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series, but I really loved this one. The author deftly weaves in details that show rather than tell, letting the reader get to know each character. The complexity of the characters and the actual criminal case make for a fascinating read. As in law enforcement, the reader is presented with the facts of the case and with the words and perspective of the accused. But, they don't always align. Which is reality? I love the way this author handles the spiritual dimension of the story--did the accused make a decision for Christ? And--if he were truly guilty--should such a one be permitted entrance into heaven? Thought-provoking stuff! The End Notes add interesting details about the actual crime and the thinking behind the author's choices as she fictionalized this story. 

To be released July 1, 2021
[Note: This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.]

Through the Bible in a Year (Part 7 Joshua, Judges, and Luke

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Old Testament readers…Judges is quite a book, isn’t it? I did a Jen Wilkin Bible study on Judges a year or so ago, and this became one of my favorites. So much food for thought and so much relevance to our own day. Have you noticed the pattern? Israel sins, they cry out to God, He rescues them, and then they fall into sin again? You might note the number of years for each as the pattern continues. 

A few more Old Testament reflections…

  • We read in the book of Joshua that God showed His power to Israel so they would gain confidence in Him. He stopped the Jordan, much as He had created a path through the Red Sea, and then the Israelites created a memorial as a tangible reminder of God’s power and faithfulness. How has God taught you to gain confidence in Him? To trust Him more fully? Do you have any tangible reminders of God’s faithfulness?
  • What aspects of God’s character do you see throughout the book of Judges?
  • What results do you see of “every man doing what is right in his own eyes”? In what areas are you tempted to rely on your own wisdom instead of God’s? How does the “wisdom” of our culture contrast with God’s wisdom?

New Testament readers…we’ve had lots of parables this past week. I think parables can be a little tricky to interpret sometimes. I’ll share some notes from the “How to Study the Bible” class we did at church last year. (The class was based in large part on Jen Wilkin’s book, Women of the Word.)

I hope the notes are helpful! 
But first, a few reflection questions…

  1. What main points does Jesus make about the kingdom? 
  2. What do we learn from the parables about God’s nature? About what He values in His servants?
  3. What does Jesus teach about the use of our resources?  What resources has God blessed you with? (Finances? Time? A home? Anything else?) Which of your resources do you have the most difficulty stewarding? Are there changes you’d like to make? 

Notes on Parables:

  1. Characteristics:
    1. Brief story with carefully crafted characters
    2. An illustration that teaches a lesson or makes a point
    3. Culture-rich; everyday examples to the original audience
  2. Interpretation:
    1. Meaning takes some thought and desire to learn; deeper than face value.
    2. Stick to the big ideas.
    3. Don’t look for obscure meanings hidden in the details. 
    4. Identify the main lesson or point.
    5. View the story from the perspective of the original hearers.
    6. Note any clues to interpretation given by Jesus
  3. What part of the “Big Story” of the Bible do parables address?: Fall-Redemption-Restoration
  4. Books: Found in the gospels

What are parables?

  1. 2 types: 
    1. Brief stories
    2. Comparisons (Metaphors or Similes)
  2. A story with a point
  3. Focus: Kingdom of God; Kingdom Living
  4. Designed to evoke a response from the hearer (like the punchline of a joke)

How do we recognize parables?

  1. Most often identified directly: “He put another parable before them…” (Matthew 13:24)
  2. May set up a direct comparison: “The kingdom of God is like…” (Matthew 20:1)
  3. Use of stock figures, such as:
    1. Masters
    2. Servants
    3. Slaves
    4. Vineyard owners
    5. Rulers
    6. Religious leaders

Why are parables challenging to us?

  1. Culturally-based; cultural gaps trip us up
  2. The reference points are sometimes unfamiliar.
  3. Like a joke, you need to understand the reference points in order to “get” the punchline.
  4. Need to identify with the hearers; hear what they heard, as they heard it. (A study Bible or other resource may be helpful here.)
  5. Not due to “mystery” or obscure allegorical meanings.

Tips for Interpreting:

  1. Use “archaeological questions” to guide understanding.
    1. Who is the audience?
    2. What reference points would they have been familiar with?
    3. How would the audience identify with the story?
    4. Where is the twist that evokes a response from the hearer?
    5. How is the point different from their assumptions about the Kingdom of God? 
    6. Try to hear what they heard as they heard it.

References:

  1. Fee, G.D. & Stuart, D. (2014). How to read the Bible for all its worth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 
  2. Harmon, M.S. (2017). Asking the right questions: A practical guide to understanding and applying the Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.
  3. Krejcir, R.J. (2016). What are the types of literature genres in the Bible? http://www.discipleshiptools.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=39932
  4. Roberts, V. God’s big picture: Tracing the storyline of the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: IVP. 
  5. Wilkin, J. (2014). Women of the Word: How to study the Bible with both our hearts and our minds. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

Are you still with me? (If you skipped a few parts, it’s really ok. Sometimes the teacher in me just gets a little out of control! Haha!)  

Blessings to you, dear friends!
Tammy

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