Do you find it hard to read the Bible and get much out of it, especially the Old Testament? You’re not alone! The fact is that it was carefully crafted as complex poetic literature that crams multiple layers of meaning into simple phrases and repetitions. It is also written in very different languages, to people living in a very different time and culture.
However, because we are not alone, God has also given us a lot of help. For example, pastor and theologian Tim Mackie has been helping people understand God’s word in very accessible ways through his YouTube cartoon videos called “Bible Project.” Our family has gained so much from them, and we were delighted to discover graduate level classes available for free on their app! We are currently going through the 29-session series on “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” which is helping us understand so much (about why the OT often seems so strange and also how to unravel the message stitched together in it).
The authors of the Bible were actually part of a small group of Jews (the “afflicted”) who remained faithful to God’s path even when the rest of the nation (even the Temple) went astray. Wonder why people in the Bible seem to do horrible things? God is shining through writers, like satirical movie critics, to point us back to Him through these cautionary tales. One big clue is repetition. If you see a phrase multiple times in a chapter or even across multiple books, ask why, compare and contrast.
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