We just finished examining a bit of Solomon’s biography and credentials for authoring the book of Proverbs. We saw that God’s wisdom, God’s promise, and great wealth qualified him for this task.
How did I come up with these principles?
The main idea here is that the narrative books of the Bible often give us key information to help us interpret the didactic (teaching) books. We learn about Solomon’s story from the books that chronicle his life. As I studied those sections, I began to draw connections to the Proverbs. Especially helpful was 1 Kings 3:1-15, where Solomon asks for wisdom, and 1 Kings 4:20-34, where Solomon demonstrates his wisdom.
We can follow this same procedure for other parts of the Bible.
- When reading Paul’s letters, first check out the biographical information on Paul in the book of Acts. The most helpful parts are the sections where he ministers in the cities he later wrote letters to. For example, study Acts 16:11-40 for background on the book of Philippians, Acts 17:1-9 for background on 1 & 2 Thessalonians, and Acts 18:1-18 for background on 1 & 2 Corinthians.
- Consider Acts 14:8-23 and Acts 16:1-3 for information to help you interpret 1 & 2 Timothy.
- Certain Psalms are connected with events in David’s life. Psalm 3:1-8 makes sense after you understand 2 Samuel 15:1-37, and Psalm 51:1-19 should be read in connection with 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25.
I’m sure you get the idea. When you study books of the Bible, first try to understand the author’s life situation and character. The Bible itself can help you do this.
How would I follow this same procedure on my own, in my own Bible study? To find some of these connections in other places within the bilbe.
Search sites like http://www.biblegateway.com can be really helpful. Whenever I begin to study a book of the Bible, I want to understand as much background as possible. It helps to search the Bible for other references to the people or events in the book I want to study.