Hunger for God's Word

7/31/2019 Hunger for God's Word

1/32

Remnant West Side 2011 Young Adult Conference May 20, 2011

A Hunger for Gods Word Page 1 of 32

A Hunger for Gods WordRemnant West Side 2011 Young Adult Retreat

Objectives

1. Issue a call to greater ______________________________.2. Introduce the arc of ______________________________.3. Give you some material on ______________________________.

A Biblical Call to Gods Word

NOURISHMENT FOR THE SOUL

Deuteronomy 8:1-3 [1] Be careful to follow every command I am

giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and

possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. [2]Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desertthese forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what

was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. [3] He

humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna,which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that mandoes not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the

mouth of the LORD. (NIV)


2/32



VOICES

According to David Shenk in his bookData Smog: Surviving the

Information Glut(ISBN 0060187018), Americans are exposed to anestimated 3,000 media messages per day seeking to influence them in

some way.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt once reported1

that every two days,we now create as much information as we did from the dawn of

civilization up until 2003!

In an article put out by the Union of Concerned Scientists2, it is estimated

that globally, corporations spend $620 billion each year to get us to buy

their products.

1 Kings 19:11-12 [11] The LORD said, Go out and stand on the

mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass

by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart andshattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in theearthquake. [12] After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not

in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (NIV)

GROUP EXERCISE

Turn to your neighbor and ask them if they are satisfied with the amountof time they spend with the Bible. If they answer, yes encourage themto continue on. If they answer, no explore what the barriers are that

keep them from being more connected to Gods word.

1http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/2

http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/guide.ch1.html


3/32



Some General Facts About the Bible

The first part of biblical literacy is becoming familiar with some of the

most basic facts about the Bible. In this section we will review some

basic things that we should be aware of.

THE BIBLE BY THE NUMBERS

God used _______ authors over a period of about _______ years(approximately 1400 B.C. to 95 A.D.) to write the Bible.

The Bible contains _______ books: _______ in the Old Testamentand _______ in the New Testament.

The Old Testament has _______ chapters containing _______ verses.The New Testament has _______ chapters containing _______ verses.

THE UNIFYING THEME

At first the Bible can seem like a hodgepodge collection ofdisconnected writings. But there is a unifying theme that brings all

those pieces together to tell a beautiful story of Gods love and mercy.

This unifying theme ormetanarrative is the story of Gods plan tosave mankind from the consequences of their sin. It is what

theologians call redemptive history. It is this overarching theme thatprovides a skeleton upon which to hang all the other details of the

Bible.

The later section on the arc of redemptive history is largely adaptedfrom Max Anders book30 Days to Understanding the Bible (ISBN:

1418500143).

What Is the Basic Structure of the Bible?

With the rise of Bibles in digital formats it is easy to rely on computers

to help you locate Bible passages. In fact, some people only read the

Bible on an electronic device.

These machines aid us in quickly accessing and searching the Bible, butwe will not always have them handy. When all youve got is the printed

Bible, we should be able to navigate its pages to locate specific texts.

Suggestion: Photocopy the table of contents from your Bible and carry itaround with you to aid you in your memorization.


4/32



It is also helpful to know some general facts about the overall structureor organization of the Bible.

The Old Testaments 39 books fall into three main genres: historical

(17), poetical (5), and prophetical (17).

The New Testaments 27 books fall into three main genres as well:historical (5), Pauline (written by Paul) epistles (13), and general (written

by other than Paul) epistles (9).

STRUCTURE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Historical

Genesis Poetical

Job Prophetical

Isaiah

Exodus Psalms Jeremiah

Leviticus Proverbs Lamentations

Numbers Ecclesiastes Ezekiel

Deuteronomy Song of Solomon Daniel

Joshua Hosea

Judges Joel

Ruth Amos

1 Samuel Obadiah

2 Samuel Jonah

1 Kings Micah

2 Kings Nahum

1 Chronicles Habakkuk

2 Chronicles Zephaniah

Ezra Haggai

Nehemiah Zechariah

Esther Malachi

STRUCTURE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Historical

Matthew Pauline

Epistles

(To

Churches)

Romans GeneralEpistles

Hebrews

Mark 1 Corinthians James

Luke 2 Corinthians 1 Peter

John Galatians 2 Peter

Acts Ephesians 1 John

Philippians 2 John

Colossians 3 John

1 Thessalonians Jude

2 Thessalonians Revelation

Pauline

Epis

tles

(To

I

ndividuals)

1 Timothy

2 Timothy

TitusPhilemon


5/32



Is the Bible Arranged In Chronological Order?

It can be helpful to see a timeline of the Bible books so you know wherethe books fit in chronologically with respect to one another. The

canonical order of the Bible does not always follow a chronological

order. The dates below are approximatescholars debate the exact datesof many booksbut the following tables provide a general timeline forthe Old and New Testaments.

TIMELINE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Historical Books

GenesisExodus Numbers Joshua

Leviticus DeuteronomyJudgesRuth

1 Samuel2 Samuel

1 Chronicles2 Chronicles

1 Kings2 Kings

EzraEsther

Nehemiah

Poetical Books

Job Psalms

Proverbs

EcclesiastesSong ofSolomon

Prophetical Books

To IsraelHoseaAmos

To Judah

HabakkukIsaiah

JeremiahJoel

MicahZephaniah

Lamentations

To AssyriaJonahNahum

To Edom

Obadiah

EzekielDaniel

HaggaiZechariah

Malachi

TIMELINE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

0 AD 30 AD 48 AD 50 AD 53 AD 60 AD 62 AD 67 AD 95 AD

Historical Books

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts post-Acts

Pauline Epistles

Galatians 1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians

1 Corinthians2 Corinthians

Romans

EphesiansColossians

PhilemonPhilippians

1 TimothyTitus

2 Timothy

General Epistles

James 1 Peter2 Peter

HebrewsJude

1 John2 John3 John

Revelation


6/32



Do We Need to Know Geography?

According to a CNN poll conducted in 2006, nearly two-thirds ofAmericans aged 18 to 24 could not locate Iraq on a map despite the fact

that American armed forces had been engaged in more than three years

of combat and sustained over 2,400 casualties.

3

Geography is not alwaysimportant, but there are many cases where a basic knowledge of Biblegeography can add a great deal of meaning to a particular passage.

MAP OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD

The map below represents the general region of the Old Testamentperiod. It is an area roughly the size of the state of Texas.

Key to Map

1. Mediterranean Sea2. Jerusalem3. Sea of Galilee4. Jordan River5. Dead Sea6. Euphrates River7. Tigris River8. Persian Gulf9. Nile River10. Garden of Eden??11. Babylonia12. Persia13. Assyria14. Israel15. Egypt

MAPS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

3http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/05/02/geog.test/


7/32



The Arc of Redemptive History

CREATION ERA (1)

Key Figure: AdamKey Location: Garden of EdenSummary: Adam and Eve are created by God, but they sin

and destroy Gods original plan for man.

Key Points:

Creation - God creates the universe including theearth and all its creatures. He makes man in His

image. All is good and sinless and just as God wantsit to be. (Genesis 1-2)

Fall- Sin enters the world as Satan (in the form of a

serpent) lures Adam and Eve into rebelling againstGod and violating the one prohibition God had given

them: not to eat from the tree of the knowledge ofgood and evil. Pain, death, and evil enter creation

through sin. (Genesis 3)

Flood- Man continues to grow more and morewicked. God judges the world for its sin through agreat flood that kills nearly every creature on earth.

Only Noah, his 3 sons, their wives, and

representatives of every species survive the flood inan ark. (Genesis 6-10)

Tower of Babel- God orders mankind to spread out

and fill the earth in obedience to Him. Insteadmankind stays in one place and grows in numbers and

in pride. They build the Tower of Babel as a

monument to their own greatness. God forces them tospeak different languages and the people are scatteredover the earth, forming nations. (Genesis 11)


8/32



PATRIARCH ERA (2)

Key Figure: AbrahamKey Location: CanaanSummary: Abraham is chosen by God to father a people to

represent God to the world.Key Points:

Abraham - God initiates a plan of redemption bychoosing for Himself a man who would become thefather of the Hebrew people, a nation that would

represent Him. Abraham moves out of Ur (nearconvergence of Tigris and Euphrates) to Canaan

where he has two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. (Genesis

12-23)

Isaac - Isaac becomes the second father of promise.

The promises of the covenant God made with

Abraham are passed down to Isaac and not Ishmael.Isaac becomes very prosperous. He has twin sons,Esau and Jacob. (Genesis 24-26)

Jacob - The promises of the covenant are passed

along to Jacob, the younger brother, through a

deception whereby he stole Esaus birthright. Jacob isa self-centered scoundrel who, after encounters withGod changes his ways. He has 12 sons by two wives

(Rachel and Leah) who would become the fathers of

the 12 tribes of Israel. (Genesis 27-35)

Joseph - Jacobs sons sell their righteous brotherJoseph into slavery because of jealousy. Joseph istaken to Egypt where he rises to the position of

second in command under Pharaoh. During a severe

famine Jacobs sons travel to Egypt for relief and arereunited with Joseph who forgives them and providesfor them. Choice land is provided for Jacobs family

and they grow greatly in number and prosperity

during Josephs life. After Joseph dies the Egyptiansenslave the Jews and they cry out to God. (Genesis

37-50)


9/32



EXODUS ERA (3)Key Figure: MosesKey Location: EgyptSummary: Through Moses God delivers the Hebrew people

from slavery in Egypt and then gives them theLaw.

Key Points:

Deliverance - The Hebrews suffer as slaves in Egypt

for 400 years. God hears their cries for deliveranceand raises up Moses. Moses demands that Pharaoh let

the Hebrews go. When Pharaoh refuses God sends 10plagues on Egypt and the Hebrews are finallyliberated. The Red Sea parts and the Egyptian army

(in hot pursuit) is swallowed up by the sea. The

Hebrews journey to Canaan, the Promised Land.

(Exodus 1-18)

The Law - The Hebrews are now large enough to be a

nation and become known as Israel. At Mount SinaiGod gives them the 10 Commandments through

Moses. Moses also receives the full revelation of theLaw that would govern the Israelites. (Exodus 19-40)

Kadesh Barnea - The Israelites travel from Sinai to

Kadesh Barnea, the southern gateway to the Promised

Land. 12 spies are sent to scout out the land. The spiesreturn and report that the land is flowing with milkand honey but is also populated by giants. 10 spies

say the land cannot be conquered. 2 spies (Joshua andCaleb) have faith and claim the land can be taken. The

people believe the other 10 and refuse to follow

Moses into the land. Kadesh Barnea becomes knownas a place of rebellion against God. (Numbers 10-14)

Wilderness Wandering- A generation of Israelites

that refuses to enter the land are condemned towander in the wilderness until everyone 21-years oldand up die as punishment for their rebellion. Moses is

also told that he may not enter Canaan. Joshua wouldlead the next generation into the Promised Land.

(Numbers 20-36)


10/32



CONQUEST ERA (4)

Key Figure: JoshuaKey Location: CanaanSummary: Joshua leads the conquest of the Promised Land.

Key Points:

Jordan - God picks Joshua to be Moses successor.

His first test is to lead Israel across the Jordan River

into Canaan at flood stage. Joshua prepares the peopleto cross in faith, and when the priests touch the water

the river parts just like the Red Sea. (Joshua 1-5)

Jericho - This heavily fortified city was the easterngateway into Canaan and posed the first obstacle tothe advancing Israelites. Without using any weapons

the Israelites march around the city seven days andthe mighty city comes crashing down. (Joshua 6)

Conquest- Joshua leads the Israelites straight into theheart of Canaan, defeating cities and kings along theway. Then initially head straight toward the

Mediterranean Sea, then move northward. In about 7

years the initial defeat of Canaan is complete. (Joshua7-12)

Dominion - Each of the 12 tribes is given a portion ofthe land by lottery and is responsible for finalizing

control of that region. All 12 tribes inhabit their

assigned territories and are united by a loosefederation with the other tribes. (Joshua 13-20)


11/32



JUDGES ERA (5)

Key Figure: SamsonKey Location: CanaanSummary: Samson and others were chosen as judges to

govern the people for four hundred rebelliousyears.

Key Points:

Judges - These were political and military leaders

who governed Israel with nearly absolute authority.Some of the major judges are Deborah, Gideon, and

Samson. Samuel was a transitional figure who wasthe last judge and the first prophet. (Judges 1-21)

Rebellion - Moses final instructions to the Israelites

were: (1) Destroy all inhabitants of Canaan; (2)

Dont intermarry with the Canaanites; (3) Dont

worship Canaanite gods. Israel had just enjoyed ahigh point of their history (conquest) but entered into

a 400-year period of constant rebellion against God.(Judges 1-21)

Cycles - A clear repeating cycle is seen throughoutJudges: (1) Israel sins; (2) God punishes their sin

through conquest by enemies; (3) Israel cries out to

God for deliverance; (4) God raises up a judge to

deliver them; (5) God establishes the judge as rulerand keeps Israel free during the judges lifetime.This cycle repeats 7 times in the book of Judges.

Sound familiar? (Judges 1-21)

Ruth - A Moabite woman who offers a refreshing

picture of faithfulness in the midst of Israelsrebellion during the Judges era. She demonstratesgreat faith, love and loyalty to her Hebrew mother-

in-law and God rewards her for this. She is one of

only a few women listed in the genealogy of Jesus.(Ruth 1-4)


12/32



KINGDOM ERA (6)Key Figure: DavidKey Location: IsraelSummary: David, the greatest king in the new monarchy, is

followed by a succession of mostly unrighteouskings, and God eventually judges Israel for hersin, sending her into exile.

Key Points:

Monarchy - Jealous of the other nations around

them, the Israelites demand that God give them aking. Israel had been a theocracy (God is king) butnow they wanted an earthly monarchy. Saul is the

first king but fails and is succeeded by David. The

kingdom prospers greatly under David and is handedto Davids son Solomon. Under Solomon the

kingdom flourishes until Solomon falls away from

God in his later years. (1 and 2 Samuel)

Divided Kingdom - A civil war erupts largely

because of Solomons spiritual wandering, and the

kingdom is divided in about 926 B.C. The northernkingdom consists of ten tribes and is still called

Israel. The southern kingdom consists of the tribes

of Judah and Benjamin and is calledJudah. (1Kings)

Northern Kingdom - The northern kingdom is ruled

by a long series of wicked kings punctuated by a few

righteous kings. God raises up Assyria to conquerthe northern kingdom and scatter these people. The

capitol city of Samaria falls to the Assyrian army in722 B.C. The northern kingdom is never restored. (2Kings)

Southern Kingdom - The kings of the southern

kingdom tended to be better than their northerncounterparts, but eventually Judahs sin increases as

well. The southern kingdom lasts about 400 yearsand falls to Babylonia who takes away the cream of

the crop into exile. The capitol city of Jerusalem

falls to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. (2 Kings)


13/32



EXILE ERA (7)

Key Figure: DanielKey Location: BabyloniaSummary: Daniel gives leadership and encourages

faithfulness among the exiles for the nextseventy years.

Key Points:

Prophecy - After the northern kingdom had fallen in

722 B.C. the southern kingdom receives warnings ofimpending captivity through Jeremiah, the weeping

prophet. Jeremiah prophecies that the Babylonianswould take them away into captivity for 70 years.The prophecies come true exactly as Jeremiah

foretold. (Jeremiah 1-52)

Prophets - Daniel and Ezekiel are two prophets who

minister during the exile. Ezekiel foretellsrestoration and encourages faithfulness among the

exiles. Daniel rises to a high position of leadership inBabylonia and stands out as an example of

righteousness and faithfulness to God. (Ezekiel 1-48,Daniel 1-12)

Exiles - The Jewish exiles are assimilated into the

culture of Babylonia. Though they face some

discrimination they are well integrated intoBabylonian society. This represents a wise strategyon the part of the Babylonians to rob them of their

national identity and make them comfortable inexile. (Daniel 1-12)

Power Change - While the Jews are in Babylonianexile the Persian empire rises to power and conquersBabylonia (which had conquered Assyria). The

Persian empire expands from the Tigris River to the

Mediterranean Sea. (Daniel 1-12)


14/32



RETURN ERA (8)

Key Figure: EzraKey Location: JerusalemSummary: Ezra leads the people back from exile to rebuild

Jerusalem.

Key Points:

Disrepair- With the leaders of the southernkingdom in Babylonian exile, no one is left behind

to care for Jerusalem, Gods holy city. The

destruction from battle with Babylonia as well asyears of neglect and erosion have left Jerusalem in

ruins. (Nehemiah 1:1-3)

Temple - God causes Cyrus, king of Persia, to fundthe rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Zerubbabel, a prominent Jew in Persia leads the

initial rebuilding of the Temple. They run into lots ofopposition from the Gentiles in Jerusalems vicinity.The prophets Haggai and Zechariah push for work

on the Temple to be completed and it finally is.

(Ezra 1-6)

Revival- For 70 years Temple worship had ceased

among the Jews. Many had never read or heard theLaw of Moses. Ezra reconnects the Jews with Gods

word and begins to rebuild the people spiritually as

they return from exile. The events of the book ofEsther take place during this era. (Ezra 7-10)

Walls - The Temple is restored but the walls of the

city are in ruins. This is a security threat and anembarrassment. Nehemiah, cupbearer to Artaxerxes,

king of Persia, is raised up to rebuild the walls ofJerusalem. Once again the Jews secure financingfrom the Persian king and face opposition from

neighboring peoples. Nehemiah leads the returning

exiles in rebuilding the walls to completion.(Nehemiah 1-13)


15/32



SILENCE ERA (9)

Key Figure: PhariseesKey Location: JerusalemSummary: Pharisees and others entomb the Israelites in

legalism for the next 400 years.

Key Points:

The Changing Guard- At the end of the OT periodthe Persians were the dominant empire in the region.

In 333 B.C. Alexander the Great conquers the

Persians and establishes Greek culture and languageas a unifying force. Rome eventually overtakes

Greece, but Greek influence remains strong in thisera.

Political Sects - Throughout this period there are

militant Jewish sects that attempt to instigate

uprisings against foreign rule and establishindependence. Among these are the Maccabeans andthe Zealots. Simon the Zealot, one of Jesus

disciples, was a member of these sects.

Religious Sects - There are two main religious sectsin Israel during this period. The Pharisees were

conservative orthodox Jews who called forseparation between them and secular society. They

pushed an agenda of legalistic adherence to the Law.

The Sadducees were more liberal and tended to bewealthier and more politically connected. A ruling

board known as the Sanhedrin was made up ofrepresentatives from both the Pharisees and the

Sadducees. The two groups had little in commonother than their desire for religious freedom and their

later opposition to Jesus.

Messianic Hope - The Jews had long awaited the

coming of theMessiah, a savior who would deliver

Israel. Most expected the Messiah to be apolitical/military leader who would cast off the ruleof Rome and reestablish the former glory of Israel.

The Silence Era was not an inactive one - the hope

for this Messiah reached a fever pitch during thisera.


16/32



GOSPEL ERA (10)

Key Figure: JesusKey Location: PalestineSummary: Jesus comes in fulfillment of the Old Testament

prophecies of a savior and offers salvation andthe true kingdom of God. While some acceptHim, most reject Him, and He is crucified, buriedand resurrected.

Key Points:

Early Life Mary becomes pregnant miraculouslyby the Holy Spirit. Joseph and Mary travel to

Josephs hometown of Bethlehem where Jesus isborn according to prophecy. They flee to Egypt to

avoid Herods attempts on Jesus life. Jesus learns

the trade of carpentry from Joseph. There is verylittle record of Jesus life from early childhood untilHe is baptized at the age of 30 by His cousin John.

Jesus emerges victorious from 40 days of fasting and

temptation in the wilderness.

Early Ministry Jesus begins His public ministryafter His baptism. His two goals are to announce that

He is the Messiah and encourage people to live atruly righteous life. His message is accompanied by

miraculous signs and He gains an initial acceptance.Much of this early ministry takes place aroundJerusalem.

LaterMinistry Jesus initial acceptance does notlast. The religious leaders are jealous and conspire

against Him. He increases His investment of time inthe 12 disciples closest to Him. Jesus travels a lot

during this period. Much of the ministry takes placenear the northern bank of the Sea of Galilee.

Death and Resurrection Jesus continues topolarize the people: some follow Him

enthusiastically while others totally reject Him. No

one feels neutral about Jesus. The leaders succeed

in bringing Jesus to a mock trial and having Himcrucified. He is buried on Friday night but arises

from the grave on Sunday.


17/32



CHURCH ERA (11)

Key Figure: PeterKey Location: JerusalemSummary: Peter, shortly after the ascension of Jesus, is

used by God to establish the Church, Gods nextmajor plan for man.

Key Points:

Birth of the Church The Church is born in

Jerusalem. The disciples were instructed to wait inJerusalem until the Holy Spirit came upon them.

This happened at Pentecost in a miraculous way.(Acts 1-5)

Growth of the Church As the number of believers

in the Church grows some organization and structure

take shape. Deacons are appointed and the disciples

function as elders. The church grows throughconversion as the lost respond to the proclamation of

the gospel. (Acts 6)

Persecution Stephen, one of the original deacons,is arrested by the Jewish leaders and delivers a

passionate gospel presentation before being stoned

to death as the first Christian martyr. This incident

kicks off a wave of persecution against the Church

that causes many to scatter, taking the message ofthe gospel with them as they went. (Acts 7)

Ministry to the Gentiles A zealous persecutor ofthe Church named Saul experiences a dramatic

conversion and becomes Gods appointed witness to

the Gentiles. Until this point the gospel went outexclusively to a Jewish audience. (Acts 8-12)


18/32



MISSIONS ERA (12)

Key Figure: PaulKey Location: Roman EmpireSummary: Paul expands the Church into the Roman Empire

during the next two decades.

Key Points:

First Missionary Journey Paul and Barnabas aresent to Galatia to take the gospel to Gentiles there.

They depart from Antioch, the point of departure for

all 3 missionary journeys. They remain in Galatia fortwo years. They return to Jerusalem where the

council decides that converts do not have to becomeJewish in addition to becoming Christian. (Acts 13-

14)

Second Missionary Journey Paul leaves from

Antioch to visit believers from the first journey. Hereceives a vision of a man from Macedonia (Greece)and changes plans and goes there instead. He travels

in Greece for three years. (Acts 15-17)

Third Missionary Journey Paul leaves again fromAntioch to encourage the believers from his first two

trips and to spread the gospel into Asia. He meetswith great success and great opposition. He remains

in Asia for four years and is immediately arrested

upon his return to Jerusalem. (Acts 18-21)

Trials and Imprisonment Paul is arrested byJewish leaders and moved to Caesarea, the Roman

capital in the area. He is tried there by Felix, Festus,and Agrippa. Paul exercises his rights as a Roman

citizen and is moved to Rome for a trial beforeCaesar. He remains under house arrest in Rome fortwo years but his case never reaches trial. Tradition

holds that he was beheaded before his trial could

take place.


19/32



The Arc of Redemptive History


20/32



Inductive Bible Study

Introduction

There is very little difference between the inability to read ( true

illiteracy) and the practical choice not to read (functional illiteracy).Many Christians are missing out on the great wealth of guidance,

encouragement, and comfort God provides through the Bible simply

because they have not committed themselves to study it.

However, many others have a sincere desire to study the Bible but arediscouraged by feelings of inadequacy. In the following section we hope

to push back those feelings of inadequacy by equipping you with aproven method for studying the Bible on your own. Although, there are

many ways to effectively study the Bible, we will focus on the inductive

method.

What Does Inductive Mean?

To illustrate the inductive method, well begin by contrasting deductive

and inductive reasoning.

Deductive reasoning begins with an idea (hypothesis) about a giventopic. It then gathers data and evidence that can be examined with the

goal of proving that hypothesis true. Deductive reasoning begins withgeneral information and builds toward a more specific conclusion,

guided by a hypothesis. The scientific method is a familiar example of a

system of deductive reasoning.

Inductive reasoningtakes a very different approach. Rather than starting

with a hypothesis, it selects a specific piece of data, then intensely andobjectively studies it until some general conclusions can be induced from

it.

In summary, inductive reasoning starts with specific information andleads to general conclusions, while deductive reasoning begins with

general information and leads to a specific conclusion.

What Are the Dangers of Both Methods of Reasoning?

Although both deductive and inductive reasoning are valid in certaincontexts, they also have some inherent weaknesses.


21/32



The inherent weakness of deductive reasoning is that the preconceivedidea or hypothesis can over-influence the way data is interpreted. It canlead us to choose only the data that supports our ideas.

When it comes to Bible study, deductive reasoning can lead to something

calledprooftexting, where Bible verses are sought to support a

preconceived idea rather than letting the Bible speak for itself.

We prefer the inductive approach to Bible study because it lets the textspeak for itself. However, inductive reasoning can also be abused by

inappropriately generalizing a very specific observation. An example ofthis might be to observe that Jesus turned water into wine at a weddingearly in his ministry, and thus we can conclude that all weddings should

serve wine. That is an example of faulty inductive reasoning.

Any method we choose to study the Bible must be consistent with thenature of the Bible and the authority of God. If the Bible is Godsrevelation and his authority is higher than our own, then our method

must be driven by his agenda rather than our own. Bible study must be aquest to discover what God has to say, not to see if God agrees with what

we have to say.

What Is Required for the Inductive Method of Bible Study?

The inductive method of Bible study requires a certain attitude and

preparation of the heart in order for it to be fruitful:

Time and Patience The inductive method is more of a sitdown than a fast food approach to Bible study. It requires that

you be willing to slow down and take some time with the text.We recommend that you reserve a steady block of time each day

to devote yourself to personal Bible study.

Peace and Quiet To get the most out of inductive Bible study,you should find a place and time where you will be most free of

interruptions and distractions.

Humility and Objectivity You must not be so bound to yourown ideas that you are not willing to abandon them if Gods

word contradicts them. Without humility our study of the Biblewill only make us puffed up (1 Corinthians 8:1, Colossians

2:18).

Diligence and Precision Inductive Bible study is hard work.You must make a steady daily investment in studying Godsword. You must also not be sloppy about details. In inductive

Bible study details are very important.


22/32



What are the Steps in the Inductive Method?

The inductive method is generally recognized to have three main

components: (1) Observation; (2) Interpretation, and (3) Application.

Observation This step deals with the question, What does thetext say? Observation involves data gathering, big picture

perspective, and first round observation.

Interpretation This step deals with the question, What doesthe text mean? It is at this stage that exegesis (in-depth

interpretation of a document) is done.

Application This step deals with the question, How must Irespond? When information ends in the mind, it is simply

knowledge. When it finds its way into our lives, it becomes

wisdom.

STEP 1 Observation

The first stage of the inductive method is observation where the goal is tosee as much as you can. Some are naturally observant while others are

not. No matter where you lie on the spectrum, with proper training andpractice, you can learn to develop your powers of observation.

BEGIN WITH PRAYER AND SUBMISSION

Remember that Bible study cannot be done effectively or fruitfully

without the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Make sure that every session infront of your Bible is begun with earnest prayer. Ask God to:

Open your heart and mind to the deepest insights Give you humility to be led by Him rather than the reverse Give you a commitment to respond to truth in obedience

UNDERSTAND THE CONTEXT

Understanding the context in which words were spoken or written is very

important to knowing what they mean. Consider the sentence, I got a

ticket! If you are walking away from a box office, that is probably good

news. If you are driving away from a police car, it is probably bad news.Context matters.

When it comes to Bible study, establishing the context is not always a

simple task. Because the Bible was written many centuries ago, it will

take some serious work to get the context of any text. Sometimes one ortwo study sessions might be devoted entirely to establishing context.


23/32



One of the best places to start getting the context of a book of Scriptureis the introductory information given at the beginning of each book in a

good study Bible. Zondervans NIV Study Bible gives background

information for every book that serves as a good template for

understanding the context:

Author Who did God use to communicate these words? Date When was this written and what was happening then? Place Where and in what situation was this written? Purpose What was Gods intention in communicating this? Title How did the book get its name and is that meaningful? Themes What are the major topics addressed? Outline How is the text organized?

The historical context of a passage of Scripture is important, but it canalso be helpful to get a sense of its immediate literary context. It is a

good idea to read the passages just before and just after the passage you

are studying. Making this practice a habit will help guard you againsttaking individual passages or verses out of context.

Another practical way to get context is to read the entire book of the

Bible several times through before settling down for careful study. Thiskind of broad survey of the book will give you a good birds eye view.

ASK QUESTIONS

Once youve established the context, you are ready to dive into thepassage. Try to start with the obvious observations such as major events,lists of names and places, etc. It can be helpful to approach the text as

though you were a journalist gathering information for a news story.

When approaching the text, learn to ask the following questions as partof your initial data gathering:

Who Who is writing/speaking to whom? How are they related?Who are the characters in the scene? Who is present and who isconspicuously missing?

What What are the main events recorded in the passage? Whatare the major teachings? What are the most prominent orimportant words and ideas? What is the tone or mood?

When When is the writing/speaking taking place? What otherevents immediately precede and follow the present text? Is there

a time component to the passage?


24/32



Where Where are these events taking place (setting)? Whereare the people going or coming from? Is there an important senseof geographic place or movement in the text?

Why Why is this being written/spoke? Is the occasion of thecommunication made obvious in the passage? Are there motives

that can be clearly seen in the text?

How How was a certain thing done? Are there process-orientedthings in the passage? Is there a lot of attention to proceduraldetail? Are there precise directions given?

LOOK FOR PATTERNS

Once youve asked some questions, you are ready to discern patterns

within the text. Some common patterns to look for are:

Keywords Is there a word that is emphasized in a way that it isobviously meant to take center stage? Are there words thatappear in the text but are not very common in Scripture? Is there

a word that, if removed, would significantly change the meaningof the passage?

Repetition Are there words or phrases that appear several timesin the passage? Is there an idea that is expressed several times

but with different words?

Contrast One of Gods favorite teaching tools is contrast. Heoften teaches about one thing by comparing or contrasting it to

another. Often you will see thematic contrasts such as light anddark, heaven and hell, godly and ungodly.

Bridges Is this passage a bridge that connects to some past orlater text? Words likeso that, therefore, in order to, unless,because, as a result of, in view of, etc. are indicators that you are

dealing with a bridge text.

STEP 2 Interpretation

Having gathered all the important data during your observation period,

you can now start to interpret the passage, finding out what it means.

IMPORTANCE OF CONTEXT IN INTERPRETATION

The importance of context cannot be emphasized enough. In observation,

context was essential for filtering and organizing the data you gathered.In interpretation it is crucial for guiding you to the most truthfulinterpretation.


25/32



Context occurs on three levels, all of which are important in interpretinga Bible passage correctly:

1. The immediately surrounding verses and chapters2. The book in which the passage is found3. The entire Bible

On thefirstlevel of context you should examine the surrounding text to

determine if:

You are understanding the text in terms of the intent of God andthe author in the original setting

There is any additional information that will shed light on howyou are to interpret the present text

If there are surrounding statements that either affirm or denyyour proposed interpretation

On the secondlevel of context you should examine the whole book the

passage is in to determine if:

Your interpretation is in keeping with the theme of the book Your interpretation makes sense in view of the overall purpose,

historical context, and literary genre of the book

On the thirdlevel of context you should consider the following:

Is the conclusion Im about to reach consistent with the overallteaching and tone of the Bible?

Will this particular passage yield a teaching that is at odds withany other part of the Bible?

Has my present interpretation yielded an apparent contradictionin the Bible?

Remember that the key to successful inductive Bible study is to let thetext speak for itself. When we become so committed to one way of

understanding a text that not even clear indications from its context areable to change our minds, we are no longer doing honest Bible study.Instead we are trying to become higher authorities than Scripture. Our

interpretation must flow out of the text, not in spite of it.

With respect to the third level of context (entire Bible), it must be said

that this can only be accomplished through a faithful and regular readingof the entire Bible. Such is a lifelong endeavor that will enrich your

understanding of Scripture and guard you from faulty conclusions.


26/32



CASE STUDY IN CONTEXT

Consider the verse John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in

you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (ESV)

It would be easy to take this verse out of context and see God as some

great genie in a bottle, especially if the emphasis is placed on asking,whatever you wish. Does this verse give us a blank check to demandanything our hearts desire with the guarantee that God will grant it?

If this were the only verse on prayer in all of Scripture we might be led to

such a conclusion, but it is not the only teaching on prayer. There are

other verses such as the following that give us further instruction onprayer:

James 4:3You ask and do not receive, becauseyou askwrongly, to spend it on your passions.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have towardhim, that if we ask anything according to his willhe hears us.

KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING

When we study the Bible, we must remember that it is a fairly

straightforward book. Gods desire is that the Bible should beunderstood and embraced by all who read it (Psalm 19:7). Consequently,our interpretations must not aim to be the most creative or novel, but the

most simple and direct.

When you come to a passage in the Bible, make your first aim tounderstand its simplest and most direct meaning. From there you may

ask good questions of the text to see if there is another layer to be

revealed as you dig further.

From any given passage of Scripture you can draw out a wide variety ofpractical lessons. But there is usually one primary lesson and manysecondary lessons arising from any given passage. The main task of the

interpreter is to see the primary lesson and differentiate it from the

secondary lessons.

NORMATIVE VS. DESCRIPTIVE

Another distinction to keep in mind is whether the passage intends toprovide a normative or descriptive lesson.

Normative lessons are those that are meant to be received as commandsfor our own lives. For example, Jesus command to forgive our enemies

77 times (Matthew 18:22) was normative. He was not only speaking to


27/32



Peter, but his clear intent was that all those who followed him shouldforgive the sins of others.

In contrast, the account of Gideon putting out fleece as a test of Gods

will (Judges 6) is a descriptive account. The story is given to inform us

of the deeds and events of one mans life, but not to teach us that we are

all supposed to put God to the test by putting out a fleece every time wewant to know what to do next.

WORD STUDY

Word studies are careful studies of key words in the original languages

that help us to understand passages where an English translation of a

word misses some key nuances from the original language.

Consider Galatians 6:2-5 (KJV) Bear ye one another's burdens, and so

fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man thinks himself to be something,

when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his

own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not inanother. For every man shall bear his own burden.

At first there appears to be a contradiction in that passage. In the firstsentence we are told to bear one anothers burdens. But in the last

sentence we are taught that every man must bear his own burden. So

which is it?

In order to answer this question we must look at the Greek words behind

the English word burden. It turns out that in verse 2, the word baros is

used, which suggests a burden generally regarded as being too heavy forone person to lift/carry alone. In verse 5phortion is used, which suggests

a personal load (such as a mans satchel) that an individual canreasonably lift/carry for themselves. Completing a word study helps clearup the confusion from an English translation.

Since most of you are not Greek and Hebrew scholars, you will begreatly helped by using an interlinearBible. These Bibles present theGreek or Hebrew original texts directly above or below the English

translations. Using an online interlinear Bible such as the one available at

http://bible.crosswalk.com/InterlinearBible can be very helpful becauseit allows you to do a word study with a single click of your mouse.


28/32



FIGURES OF SPEECH

The Bible makes use of figurative language in various places, and it is

important to have some guidelines in dealing with these figures ofspeech. For example, consider the account of the Lords Supper below:

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, hebroke it and gave it to them, saying, This is my body, which isgiven for you. Do this in remembrance of me.

Was Jesus using figurative language (in this case a metaphor) or was Hebeing literal? If we take a literal meaning, we must adopt the doctrine oftransubstantiation, which teaches that the communion bread literally

becomes the flesh of Jesus Christ when we consume it.

There are seven main figures of speech we should become familiar with:

Simile A stated comparison between two distinct things usingconnector words such as like, as, such as, or the word pairasso. Make sure you interpret similes as comparisons and not

equations. Examples: Revelation 1:14 and Psalm 42:1.

Metaphor An implied comparison between two differentthings. Metaphors are different from similes in that no

connecting words are used. While metaphors use the language ofequation, remember that they are still figurative comparisons.Examples: John 15:5 and Ephesians 6:17.

Hyperbole A way of deliberately overstating something tomake a point. Exaggeration was a very popular communication

device among Jewish people. The key to interpretingexaggeration or hyperbole is to understand what emphasis theexaggeration is trying to make. Example: Matthew 23:24.

Metonymy A device whereby one word is used in place ofanother because it can legitimately stand as a representation or

symbol of the word it is replacing. For example, you might heara news reporter say, Washington had no comment on theincident. In that case, Washington is a metonymy for the United

States or its leadership, not the specific state or city. Example:

Mark 1:5.

Synecdoche A figure of speech where an association is drawnby allowing a part to refer to the whole, or the whole to refer to apart. For example, the Old Testament often uses the Law to refer

to either the Pentateuch, the Ten Commandments, or the wholeOld Testament. Example: Jeremiah 25:29.


29/32



Personification A non-human object or being is given humanattributes to draw a comparison that a human audience can relateto. Example: Isaiah 55:12.

Irony A statement that says the opposite of what is meant toproduce emphasis or effect. Sarcasm or satire are forms of irony.

Example: 1 Corinthians 4:8.

CONSULT THE EXPERTS

After you have done your own diligent study, go to the experts to see ifthey agree with your interpretation. Do not go to them as a first resort or

you will fail to develop the necessary discipline and skills needed for

serious Bible study. The work of scholars is one of Gods great gifts to

the Church, but it must become an added blessing, not a crutch orsubstitute for our own fervent pursuit of Gods Word.

STEP 3 Application

The third and final stage of the inductive method is application, where

the truth becomes a part of our lives as we make an obedient response towhat we have learned. You can think of it this way: Observation and

Interpretation are about what we get out of the Bible;Application is

about what the Bible gets out of us.

CHECK YOUR WORK

Each step of the inductive process is dependent on the step before it.

Your interpretation depends on what you have seen in the text duringobservation. Your application depends on what you think the passage

means. Therefore it is very important that you are confident in your

interpretation because you are about to apply that understanding to yourlife through action.

Two questions may help you check your work of interpretation:

1. Have you understood ALL of what the text seeks tocommunicate? While it may not be possible to gather ALL

that a text communicates, the point is to make sure you have notoverlooked something of great importance. Have you understood

the full content, mood, force, intensity, etc. of the lesson?

2. Have you understood ONLY what the text seeks tocommunicate? In addition to getting all the meaning, it isimportant to guard against making the text say anything it does

not intend to say.


30/32



USEFULNESS OF SCRIPTURE

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, All Scripture is breathed out by God and

profitable forteaching, forreproof, forcorrection, and fortrainingin

righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for

every good work.

On the basis of this passage we can identify four general approaches toapplying a passage of Scripture in our lives:

1. Teaching The NLT translates it, to teach us what is true. Notevery application is necessarily action-oriented. Sometimes theonly thing expected from us by a certain text is to believe and

accept a truth.

ASK:Does this teach me something I didnt know before? HaveI gained some new information or insight into the character of

God, the nature of this world, my own heart or the age to come?

2. Reproof The NLT translates it, to make us realize what iswrong with our lives. We are often blinded to our faults, but the

Bible is a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) that has thepower to cut through our blindness.

ASK:Does this reveal to me some error in my life? Does thispassage produce any inner tension or sense of guilt?

3. Correction The Greek word for correction (epanorthosis)conveys a sense of straightening out, restoring, and improving

something that is off. Correction differs from reproof in thatreproof diagnoses the problem while correction prescribes the

means to set it straight.

ASK:Does this teach me what I must do to get my life back on

track? Does it offer me a picture of the way things should be?

4. Training in righteousness This can be translated, it teachesus to do what is right. Training in righteousness is about doingthe things that make sure your life is strengthened and will not

break so readily in the future.

ASK:Does this teach me something that I can adopt as a patternfor my life? Does it offer me a better way to do something than

what Im already doing? Does it teach me something that will

strengthen Gods grip on my life?


31/32



GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR APPLICATION

In addition to the 2 Timothy 3:16-17 approach, here are some otherguidelines that can help you develop sound applications from Scripture:

1. Differentiate between thought vs. action applications. Someapplications are thoughtresponses and only require a change inthinking. Others are action responses and require a physical act.

2. Dont jump the gun. Do the hard work of observation andinterpretation first. Then, as a final step, work on application.

Dont be in a rush to find out what a text requires before you

understand what it means. .

3. Reject applications that change your interpretation. If you haveto ignore major components of your interpretation to arrive at acertain application, that application is an invalid one. We must

not re-interpret a verse in order to justify a particular application.

4. Focus on the primary intent of the passage. There are usuallyseveral responses a text may present to us, but we should focus

our applications on the primary intent of the passage before we

settle on secondary ones.

FORMING GOOD APPLICATIONS

Sometimes we can be deeply moved by our understanding of a text but

find it has made no lasting impact on our lives. Often this is because we

formed ineffective applications from our interpretation. Here are some

criteria for good applications:

1. Realistic If our applications are going to lead to life change,they must be rooted in reality. Its tempting to be idealistic butapplications that are unachievable are useless.

Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the HolySpirit

Unrealistic I will personally

witness to everyone in my city

within 12 months

Realistic I will finally share my

faith with my best friend

Randolph next week.


32/32

2. Measurable One test of a good application is whether you canknow when you have done it or not. You must be able to detector measure your execution of an application.

Luke 17:17 Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where

are the nine?

Not measurable I will becomea more thankful person.

Measurable I will treat my

parents to lunch this week tosincerely thank them for all

theyve done for me.

3. Challenging A practical application that is challenging andstretches us or pulls us out of our comfort zone can really help usgrow spiritually.

Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from yourmouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be

careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you willmake your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Unchallenging I will try tofinish the book of Genesis beforeI have grandchildren.

Challenging I will commit to aBible reading program and finishthe entire Bible in the next year.

Hunger for God's Word

Documents

Transcript of Hunger for God's Word