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Bible Word Studies Gone Bad

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As we study the Bible, we must not forget to correlate similar passages into an overall framework of biblical teaching. Such correlation is necessary for good Bible study, yet it comes fraught with many dangers, such as flipping around too soon, harmonizing without first interpreting, and connecting words instead of ideas.

For example, many “Bible word studies” do more harm than help by creating an illusion of authenticity without reaching the true meaning of a text.

George Guthrie gives a great example about Euodia and Syntyche in Phil 4:2-3, where attempting a word study before understanding the passage at hand could lead to some crazy ideas: Arrest those women! Capture those women! Impregnate those women!

I beg you: If you feel stuck in your Bible study, and you’re not sure what to do, please don’t rush into a word study. You will feel busy, and you’ll feel like you’ve made progress in your study. But the progress is almost always in a wrong (or at least irrelevant) direction. If you feel stuck, just observe the text more deeply. Ask better questions. Take a stab at the main point.

After you have guessed at the main point, then it might be helpful to reference other passages to see where these ideas also come up. But if you’re stuck on a specific word, the immediate context (and not a word study) is typically your best help.

Guthrie’s article is a short and clear attempt to show how easily our word studies can go wrong. Check it out!

Five Misconceptions About Finding the Main Point

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This is a guest post by Brian Stenson and Lincoln Fitch, who serve with DiscipleMakers in eastern Pennsylvania. They share a love for good coffee, good books, and good Bible study.  Listen to their talk on Bible study from the DiscipleMakers Fall Conference here.

Finding the main point tends to be one of the most difficult skills to master when learning to study the Bible, in part because of believing one or more of the following five misconceptions.

1. Your Bible study is solely dependent on the quality of your main point

Perhaps you think your Bible study is not worthwhile without a solid main point. And certainly, understanding the main point of a passage is crucial to understanding God’s word.

Yet God’s words are living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. The words that come from his mouth will not return to him empty.

This means that the God-breathed words in this book are not dependent on us. We definitely want to be careful and handle them faithfully, but the power in them is not from us but from God. This fact frees us from needing to have perfect main points.

If you’re tempted to cancel your Bible study because you’re not sure you’ve understood the main point, don’t! Trust in the power of God’s words.

2. The main point is a summary of the passage

A summary of the passage simply retells the facts. In contrast, the main point interprets what those facts mean.

For example, a summary of John 1:1-18 might be “Jesus is the Word, the life, the light, and the glory of God made flesh.” This statement communicates (summarizes) what the passage says. But to get the main point, we must ask what these things mean, and we’ll come up with something like, “God is making himself known through Jesus.”

Summaries of the passage can lead you to the main point. But don’t settle for a summary. Dig further to understand what the passage teaches about God.The Main point must answer the question: Why did the author write this?

3. Finding the main point is more of a science than an art

Finding the main point is not an exact science. There’s no formula that guarantees you a main point if you follow certain steps or ask certain questions.

Finding the main point is more of an art, where you use different tools to discover the author’s intentions. You put yourself in the author’s shoes.

And when we call Bible study an art, we’re speaking less of the art of creation and creativity, and more of the art of fine arts criticism. Or more specifically, the art of literary analysis. We’re not creating meaning, but simply uncovering the meaning already present in the text.

So don’t expect any series of steps to drop the main point into your lap. Rather, acquire the careful discernment required to understand the author’s intentions.

4. The main point is a precise phrase you’re looking to find

Don’t think of it as a treasure hunt for the right answer, nor as an encryption key to break a code.

James St. John (2015), Creative Commons

Think of it like a gem—one beautiful idea with many facets. You can come at the main point from different angles. Don’t put pressure on yourself to get the wording exactly right. There is no secret answer key of main points for the Bible.

And note: While there usually is no single, “right” main point for a passage, there can certainly be many wrong answers. For example, possible main point statements for John 1:1-18 could be:

  • God is making himself known through Jesus.
  • Jesus reveals God to the world.
  • Jesus is the God who created the world and now brings life to it.

But it would be incorrect to say the main point of John 1:1-18 is that “Jesus is the first created being” (poor observation) or that “Jesus was rejected by those who should have received him” (focusing on a sub-point of the passage’s argument).

5. Wise teachers should always agree about a passage’s main point

Because finding the main point is more art than science, and because the main point can have many facets from which to view it, we should expect some disagreement or differences in stating the main points. Commentators can state the main point differently, and yet still have a good understanding of the passage. Pastors can preach different sermons from the same passage and yet still be faithfully representing the passage.

So if you and your Bible study co-leader come up with similar main points, but you phrase them differently, don’t be surprised! As long as you’re looking at the same gem, it’s OK if you don’t frame the main point the same way.

Conclusion

The main point is not an observational summary but an interpretive statement. We’re looking in the text, not for a specific phrase, but for the author’s intention, which, like the facets of a gem, can be looked at from multiple directions.

Picture a miner digging down 20 feet and hitting copper. Though he isn’t thrilled, he figures it’s the best he can do. So he packs up and leaves, ignorant of the gold just a few feet further down. We’re like this when we study the Bible but don’t quite get to the author’s main point. And how much more valuable is the Lord’s word than gold?

So don’t give up! Keep digging to understand God’s word.

We Are All Guilty of Elevating Tradition Over Scripture

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When we read Jesus’ condemnation of the Pharisees in Mark 7:9, we tend to nod our heads vigorously, wondering how the Jewish leaders of Jesus day could have been such doofuses. We would never do that, of course! We’re the people who love Jesus and who love the Bible. We are more careful than most…

And yet, I must propose we are just as guilty. We have many traditions that have been handed down to us that have no basis in the Scripture.

And the answer to this problem is to open ourselves to careful observation. If we don’t see what it says, we’ll always struggle to understand what it means.

For this reason, a few years ago, I began keeping a list of things that most Protestants assume are in the Bible, but really are not. If you thought God regularly walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, or that the resurrected Jesus walked through walls, or even that Jesus’ ministry lasted for 3 years, you need to read it again and observe more carefully!

And I must confess I’m as guilty as anyone. This past week, I came across an article blowing up an idea that I always took for granted: that God changed Saul’s name to Paul at his conversion. In “No…’Saul the Persecutor’ Did Not Become ‘Paul the Apostle,'” Greg Lanier does a terrific job observing the biblical data to show that this idea is merely a false tradition not based in the text of Scripture. If you’re willing to reconsider your assumptions and truly let God’s word shape your thinking, I encourage you to check out Lanier’s article. It delights me when I see people taking the word so seriously and helping us learn to read it well.

Check it out!

 

 

A Crucial Question to Help You Find the Main Point of a Bible Passage

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This is a guest post by Brian Stenson and Lincoln Fitch, who serve with DiscipleMakers in eastern Pennsylvania. They share a love for good coffee, good books, and good Bible study.  Listen to their talk on Bible study from the DiscipleMakers Fall Conference here.

Why the Main Point Matters

Can you imagine pouring yourself into your study of a passage, only to discover you were missing the main idea?

I (Lincoln) had that experience a few months ago. After reviewing my notes for an upcoming sermon, my ministry supervisor asks me straight out: “What would you say is the main point of the passage?” And upon hearing my answer, he holds nothing back. “I don’t think that is the main point of the passage.” Though it is hard to hear this, I know he is right. I can’t even justify my proposed main point to myself. And now I feel like a total failure. Will I ever be able to understand or teach the Bible accurately?

While finding a text’s main point is not easy, it is crucial. Consider what happens if we teach the Scripture without grasping the main ideas. At the very least, the message (even if it has some real truth) doesn’t arise clearly from the page to stick in your listener’s hearts. At the worst, you could be working at cross-purposes with what God actually wants to communicate through the passage. But finding the main point empowers you to access the boundless power of God’s transformative word. Whether you lead Bible studies, teach and preach, or study the Bible on your own, finding the main point of a passage is foundational to understanding and communicating who God is.

A Crucial Question

If you’re familiar with OIA Bible study, you’ve probably experienced the challenge of finding the main point. After observing, you ask questions, especially “why” questions. You consider the context. You try to figure out the author’s intentions. But often, you feel stumped.

We find one particular question to be crucial when it’s time to identify the passage’s main point:

Why did the author write the passage this way?

ed_needs_a_bicycle (2012), Creative Commons

It’s not a flashy or revolutionary question, but it usually gets the job done. And it does so by causing us to examine a few more specific questions.

  • What gives the passage its shape?
  • What does the author emphasize?
  • How did the author get from beginning to end?
  • How does the structure of the larger section, and the book as a whole, help us see what the author is trying to get across in this passage?

For example, notice how the shape of John 6:60-71 reveals much about the author’s main point:

  • This relatively short passage concludes a long discourse between the Jews and Jesus. These final verses show the responses to Jesus’ teaching.
  • The passage begins with many disciples following Jesus but ends with few. John 6:66 says, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” This statement serves as a turning point in the narrative.
  • This turning point raises the following questions: 1) “Why did so many people turn away?” and 2) “What was the difference between those who turned away and those who continued to follow Jesus?”
  • The disciples who turned away gave a reason: “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60). Jesus also knew they were grumbling and asked if they took offense at his words (John 6:61).
  • After many turned away, Jesus turns to the Twelve and asks if they want to go away as well (John 6:66). Peter explains their reason for staying: “You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:69-70).

Do you see how both groups of disciples comment on Jesus’ words? The first group turns away because they are challenged and offended by Jesus’ words. The second group keeps following because they hear Jesus’ words and receive them, knowing them to be the words of eternal life. This text reveals a lot about people by their response to Jesus’ words, and by the inherent contrast in the structure.

Here’s where we think John is going: People’s responses to Jesus’ words demonstrate whether they’ll follow him or fall away. There is our main point.

You could state the main point in many ways, but the passage clearly highlights both Jesus’ words and what we do with them. May the Lord help us to hear and love the words of eternal life found in the Scriptures!

Conclusion

Do you see why structure matters? The passage has a significant change (the number of people following Jesus) from beginning to end, which shows us the author’s intentions: to demonstrate the impact of our response to Jesus’ words. This insight arises from examining why the author wrote the passage this way.

Finding the main point of a passage is not easy, but it’s worth it. The main point is your front-row ticket to the revealed glory of God, and it will equip you to think and speak with clarity and power when you teach the word.

Not Every Bible Study is a Bible Study

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Writing for Christianity Today, Jen Wilkin encourages us to “Stop Calling Everything a Bible Study.”

On the typical church website, it’s not uncommon to find classes on marriage, finances, parenting, prayer, and books of the Bible all listed as “Bible studies.”

In these gatherings, good things happen. People connect to one another in community. They share needs, confess sins, and explore topics through the lens of Scripture. But not all of these classes are Bible studies…

As we have expanded our use of the term, we have decreased the number of actual Bible studies we offer. Churches have gradually shifted away from offering basic Bible study in favor of studies that are topical or devotional, adopting formats that more closely resemble a book club discussion than a class that teaches Scripture.

I’ve also written before about how book discussion groups are not Bible studies. Getting this right is not merely a matter of terminology. Getting this right can mean the difference between training our people to read the Bible on their own, and training them to believe they can’t do it without expert guidance.

Wilkin’s short article is worth considering. Check it out!

Exodus 7:8-15:21: Frightful Deliverance

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Step Back

When our Bible study focuses intently on each passage, one after another, we may find it difficult to step back and see how they fit together. But we must remember the Bible is a work of literature. It was not written to be scrutinized in bites; it was written to be devoured in gobbles. We should remember to read the Bible as we’d read any other book: moving through it at a reasonable pace and recognizing ongoing themes, climax, resolution, and character development. When we hit milestones in the text, we should take the opportunity to survey where we’ve been and how it fits together.

So, now that we’ve hit the end of Exodus’s first act with a climactic song of praise, it’s a good time to catch our breath. From this point in Exodus, we’ll see God rebuilding his people as a new nation in covenant with himself. But where have we been so far?

Review

Let me list the main points I’ve proposed for each passage in this section:

  • Exodus 7:8-13: This will be a mighty showdown between God and Pharaoh.
  • Exodus 7:14-8:19: Yahweh is the only judge of all the earth, who both executes and removes judgments.
  • Exodus 8:20-9:12: Yahweh is the divider of peoples, vindicating and elevating those who are his and casting down those who are not.
  • Exodus 9:13-10:29: Yahweh glorifies his name in all the earth by executing ultimate judgment on evil.
  • Exodus 11:1-12:28: When Yahweh finally strikes his enemies, he will provide a way for his people to be spared.
  • Exodus 12:29-13:16: Yahweh strikes his enemies and blesses his people to show he owns all the people of the earth.
  • Exodus 13:17-14:31: The all-powerful God employs his power to separate and rescue his people so they might fear and believe him.
  • Exodus 15:1-21: We must sing to Yahweh, for there is no other god who can cast down his enemies and raise up his people.

In addition, my overview of the whole book led me to this overall main point:

Who is Yahweh, and why should you obey him? He is the God who 1) demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15), 2) prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18), and 3) builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

And the main idea of Part 1 (Ex 1:1-7:7) was: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance.

Pull It Together

Now what do these things show us about the flow of thought in chapters 7-15?

  • Exodus 7:8-13 sets up the mighty showdown that will take place in three waves.
  • Wave 1: The Plagues
    • Round 1 (Ex 7:14-8:19): This is not an equal battle between good and evil, ying and yang. Yahweh reigns supreme.
    • Round 2 (Ex 8:20-9:12): Yahweh will not lose his people to the battle. The wheat will not be pulled up with the weeds.
    • Round 3 (Ex 9:13-10:29): God’s enemies will come to a fiery, eternal end.
  • Wave 2: Passover
    • Scene 1 (Ex 11:1-12:28): Yahweh is able to provide a way of rescue…
    • Scene 2 (Ex 12:29-13:16): …because he owns all the people of the earth.
  • Wave 3: The Red Sea
    • Scene 1 (Ex 13:17-14:31): God’s deliverance causes his people to fear him…
    • Scene 2 (Ex 15:1-21): …and they can do nothing but sing.

These chapters show us it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God, regardless of whether you are his people or his enemies. Some will fear the death he deals, and others will fear the life he brings. But all will fear him. God’s deliverance, accomplished only by God’s appointed mediator, shapes his people into the delicious paradox of fearful joy.

Nicholas Laughlin (2009), Creative Commons

We can flesh out our outline of the book a little further:

Act I: Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15).

Introduction: Nobody can prevent Yahweh from keeping his promises, but we’re not sure how he’ll do it (Ex 1).

Part 1: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance (Ex 2:1-7:7).

Part 2: Yahweh delivers a deserved destruction to his enemies and a frightful joy to his people (Ex 7:8-15:21).

Act II: Yahweh prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18).

Act III: Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).

Gaze Upon Jesus

Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment and embodiment of God’s deliverance. On the cross, “steadfast love and faithfulness meet” (Ps 85:10). On the cross, the Lord cast down his enemies and raised up his people once for all. And, while this gives us great joy, it should also terrify us:

For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. (Rom 11:21-22)

Jesus is now King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev 19:16). He cares for his people and preserves them to the end of the age, when he will “gather out of his kingdom all cause of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace” (Matt 13:41-42). He has full ownership and all authority in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:18). He has brought down the mighty and exalted those of humble estate (Luke 1:52). He was appointed for the fall and rising of many, and a sword pierced even the souls of those closest to him (Luke 2:34). He fills his people with both inexpressible joy (1 Pet 1:8) and healthy fear (1 Pet 4:12-13).

Apply

Head: Did you expect Christianity to be a big party? It certainly includes parties, whenever we gather to worship the risen King of kings. But the way to get invited is scary indeed. Does it feel good to discover you’re not good enough? Does it tickle your fancy to find yourself in a pickle that’s not possible to escape on your own? Do you appreciate having everything you hold most dear die, so you can be reborn to new life? You now belong to your king. There is joy ahead, however frightful it may be. But that’s okay, because nobody can snatch you out of your King’s hand.

Heart: Please don’t choose between fear and joy in your walk with Christ. Always incubate both in your heart. The combination will thrill you indescribably and satisfy you unbelievably.

Hands: Sing to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Let us never stop telling the glorious tale of the frighteningly delightful deeds God has done for us in Christ (Ps 78:1-4).

Outstanding Short Videos on the Bible

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If you haven’t heard of the Bible Project, you really should check them out. They offer some of the best Bible teaching I’ve ever seen, and they package it in 5-10 minute chunks with the highest quality visuals, all available for free online. If you browse their site, you’ll find all sorts of videos, including the following:

  • literary overviews for every book of the Bible
  • thematic overviews of the books of Moses and the wisdom literature
  • topical overviews of key Bible themes

On Sunday evenings, I’ve been reading straight through the Bible to my children. Whenever we hit a new book, we begin by watching the Bible Project’s overview for that book. My children (ages 2-10) and I all love the videos.

My church small group watched the videos overviewing Matthew before we began our study of that gospel this year.

The main reason I’m writing about the Bible Project today, however, is because they just kicked off a new series on how to read the Bible. The first video is called, simply, “What is the Bible?” It briefly and clearly explains “the origins, content, and purpose of the Bible.” It is a terrific start to what promises to be a great series.

Check it out!

Exodus 15:1-21: I Will Sing to the Lord

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At the Red Sea, the all-powerful God employed his power to separate and rescue his people so they might fear and believe him. But what now? What response must an act like this elicit?

Observation of Exodus 15:1-21

Most repeated words: Lord (14 times), sea (9x), hand (6), people (6), like (5), glorious (4), sing/sang (4) 

  • While the previous chapter drew attention through repetition to Egypt, this chapter returns our attention back to the Lord, Yahweh (14 times).
  • Miriam took a tambourine in her hand (Ex 15:20), but what God did with his hand gets more press (Ex 15:6, 9, 12, 17).
  • We’re clearly dealing with a song, and the singers want others to join the song as well. Notice the shift from Moses’ first-person “I will sing” (Ex 15:1) to Miriam’s imperative “Sing” (Ex 15:21).

One observation is incredibly obvious and therefore easy to ignore. The genre has shifted to poetry.

  • Of course, poetry is the most fitting form for a song.
  • Poetry also stands out, as this chapter is the only instance of poetry in the book of Exodus.

Officine Della Cultura (2013), Creative Commons

This song’s structure1 reveals much about the composer’s intentions:

  • Stanza #1: I will sing to Yahweh my God, whose glorious triumph warrants praise (Ex 15:1-3).
    • Stanza #2: Yahweh’s powerful hand threw Pharaoh’s chariots down, deep down, into the sea (Ex 15:4-10).
      • Stanza #3: No god is like Yahweh, the majestic, holy, awesome, and glorious wonder-worker (Ex 15:11-12).
    • Stanza #4: Yahweh’s great strength terrifies the nations, until he raises his people up to his own mountain (Ex 15:13-18).
  • Narrative recap of Yahweh’s triumph (Ex 15:19) and Miriam’s response: Sing to Yahweh for his glorious triumph (Ex 15:20-21)!

Interpretation of Exodus 15:1-21

Some possible questions:

  1. Why do we get this song/poem before resuming the action in Ex 15:22?
  2. Why is the narrative restated and summarized in Ex 15:19 before Miriam’s song?
  3. Why is the poem’s center focused on comparing Yahweh to other gods? Why not compare him to Pharaoh, the nations, or the rest of creation?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. If we step back and examine the five books of Moses as a whole, we see long poems cropping up at key points:
    • Genesis 49: where Jacob commissions his 12 sons as a new nation and predicts their tribal fates.
    • Exodus 15: where Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites celebrate God’s victory and their new-found national freedom at the Red Sea.
    • Numbers 23-24: where, by predicting a powerful Israelite king, Balaam’s prophecies thwart the Moabite king’s plans to curse this fledgling nation.
    • Deuteronomy 32-33: where Moses commissions the 12 tribes to enter their land, and he predicts their fate as a nation.
      • These long poems interrupt the narratives when the people of God reach a milestone in their nationhood. By means of these poems, the narrator takes a break from the action and invites us to reflect with him on the significance of what just happened and what will result from it.
  2. I’m not sure, other than perhaps to highlight just how important this event is. Ex 15:19 is basically a second retelling of the same story to make sure we understand what happened. The repetition also invites us to see Miriam’s song in the same light as Moses’ song: the overflowing praise of God’s people in response to God’s glorious triumph.
  3. It connects to Ex 12:12, which considers the Passover night as Yahweh’s warfare or justice on all the gods of Egypt. Those gods (demons) contributed true supernatural power to the Egyptian nobles (Ex 7:11, 22; 8:7), but those gods couldn’t come close to the power and majesty of Yahweh (Ex 8:18-19, 9:11). Also, Joshua 24:14 tells us that the Israelites served the gods of Egypt before their exodus. So the exodus from Egypt is not only about getting the people out of Egypt, but also about getting Egypt (and its gods) out of the people. If this poem is an opportunity for us to reflect on this milestone (see my answer to question #1), let us reflect on this: Who is like Yahweh among the gods? There is no other god, no other source of power, not even another supernatural being in the cosmos, who is able to do what Yahweh has just done. No-one and nothing can deliver people so completely, and torment and judge their enemies so utterly, as this God of gods and Lord of lords. Why would we consider offering our allegiance to anyone or anything but Yahweh?

Train of thought:

  • Yahweh (the LORD) is worthy of our songs of praise and delight.
  • He casts his enemies down and raises his people up.
  • There is no other god like him.

Main point: We must sing to Yahweh, for there is no other god who can cast down his enemies and raise up his people.

Connection to Christ: The cross of Jesus Christ, and not the Red Sea, is the place where God has truly cast down his enemies and raised up his people (John 12:31-32). Jesus even sings the praise of God on our behalf (Heb 2:11-12) so we can join him in the song of Moses (Rev 15:2-4). Jesus is himself this same Yahweh who does the mightiest of deeds; every person will one day confess Jesus is LORD (Phil 2:10-11).

My Application of Exodus 15:1-21

I don’t always feel like singing praise to God, so I must remember that, just as the Holy Spirit intercedes for me with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26), so also Jesus Christ sings on my behalf and offers acceptable praise to God (Heb 2:11-12).

When I find myself in incredibly stressful, impossible situations (as the Israelites were caught between Egypt’s chariots and the sea), my allegiance to the LORD Jesus must not waver. There is no other god who can deliver me. Not an extra bowl of ice cream. Not my anger or force of personality. Not my greed for financial security or a good reputation. Deliverance is rarely painless, but I can count on Jesus Christ to make it happen, in his way and at his time. Always.

Corporately, we make a practice of praising the Lord Jesus together in song. But the song is not an end in itself; it should be a response to his saving deeds. Our worship music should recount the gospel narrative. Our worship services should remind us of what Christ has done, and then call us to join the song. “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously…”

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.

1I’m grateful to my colleague Gene Williams for his insight into the structure of this poem.

Addressing Our Bible Boredom

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In his article entitled “Why Are So Many Christians Bored With the Bible?”, Marshall Segal tackles the problem head-on:

Unfortunately, many Christians love the idea of the Bible, but not really the Bible itself. We love having a Bible close by, even within reach, but don’t make time to open it on an average day. We talk about Bible reading like we talk about cutting calories or cleaning our house. We’re grateful for the results, but we don’t wake up dying to do it again. It sounds like a fine thing to do, until we have to choose what we won’t do in order to make time for it.

He paints a picture of what could be. Imagine being able to pray this biblical prayer (paraphrased from Psalm 119:14-20:

I enjoy reading the Bible more than the wealthy enjoy all their houses, cars, technology, and vacations. God, your word will be my first priority and focus each day. I will read and read the Bible, until I cannot forget it. Give me more grace, O God, and enable me to obey what I’ve read. Help me see more today than I’ve already seen before, even in these same pages. I only wish I had more time to read more of my Bible.

And he identifies the source of our boredom: We treat the Bible as an old book, and not as the words of a living, knowable person.

Do you want a better relationship with your Creator and Redeemer? It is right there for the taking. And Segal has some great ideas to help you move in the right direction.

Check it out!

Exodus 13:17-14:31: Watch Out When God Decides to Show You His Powerful Rescue

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We’ve now reached the first major climax of the book of Exodus. The people who tried to drown the sons of God (Ex 1:22) will have their own sons drowned instead.

Ari Evergreen (2009), Creative Commons

Observation of Exodus 13:17-14:31

Most repeated words: Egypt/Egyptian (28 times), Israel (19x), people (19), Lord (18), sea (18), Pharaoh (12), chariot (10), all (9), Moses (9), said (9), out (8).

  • The terms Egypt and Egyptian take over the narrative in this chapter. Before this passage, “Egypt” occurred 94 times in Exodus. After this passage, it will occur only 20 more times.
  • This chapter marks a major transition, for both the Israelites and those who read their story. “For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again” (Ex 14:13).

In this story, the drama moves forward through frequent changes of perspective:

  • God’s perspective: Leading his people right where they must go (Ex 13:17-22).
  • Moses’ perspective: Receiving a frightening message (Ex 14:1-4).
  • Pharaoh’s perspective: Regretting the release and pursuing his slaves (Ex 14:5-9).
  • Israelites’ perspective: Seeing and fearing their oppressors (Ex 14:10-14).
  • Moses’ perspective: Receiving another frightening message (Ex 14:15-18).
  • God’s Angel’s perspective: Separating God’s people from God’s enemies (Ex 14:19-20).
  • Israelites’ perspective: Crossing on dry ground with oppressors pursuing (Ex 14:21-23).
  • Yahweh’s perspective: Throwing Egypt into a panic before throwing them into the sea (Ex 14:24-28).
  • Israelite’s perspective: Seeing their oppressors’ dead bodies, fearing Yahweh who made it happen, and believing Yahweh and Moses (Ex 14:29-31).

With italics, bold, and underlining, I highlighted the connections that strike me within the text. And a few implications stand out further:

  • We see a pattern happen twice
    • Yahweh tells Moses what he will do (and it doesn’t sound like fun).
    • Egypt pursues God’s people.
    • The Israelites see their oppressors and feel fear as a result.
  • Roughly bracketing this pattern is God’s sovereign control over the situation:
    • He led the Israelites right here on purpose.
    • He throws the Egyptians into the sea.
  • And almost right in the middle is the separation caused by the angel of God by means of the cloud and the darkness.

While the pattern isn’t perfect (not quite an ABCDEDCBA structure), it’s close enough to be noticeable.

Interpretation of Exodus 13:17-14:31

Some possible questions:

  1. How is this path to the Red Sea an avoidance of war (Ex 13:17), when they face Egypt’s army and soon will face war with Amalek (chapter 17)?
  2. Why would God harden Pharaoh’s heart to cause this terrible situation (Ex 14:4).
  3. Why is the concluding response fear and belief instead of joy and relief?

My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):

  1. Ex 14:14 clarifies that Israel will not have to fight Egypt; Yahweh will fight on their behalf. Though they see a terrible disaster befall Egypt, they do not have to wield the sword themselves. In addition, God’s purpose in Ex 13:17 is to prevent the Israelites from changing their minds and returning to Egypt. The Red Sea incident burns their last bridge and therefore guarantees they can never return this way again, even if war with Amalek frightens them.
  2. Again, the Lord wants to make sure the Israelites can never change their minds and return to slavery. So he must do two things: utterly eliminate the oppressors, and close the route at Israel’s back. Once they cross the Sea, and the waters return to their place behind them, they literally cannot turn around and go back.
    • Now this answer demands a deeper question: Why would God even go through with all that? Why must he eliminate the oppressors and close off Israel’s escape route?
    • The text’s best answer has to do with God getting all the glory (Ex 14:4, 17) when the Egyptians know he is Yahweh (Ex 14:4) and the Israelites see his mightiest act of salvation (Ex 14:30-31).
  3. In an earlier chapter, I mentioned that God is not bringing these people out of slavery into unconditional freedom. He’s bringing them out of slavery to a harsh master into slavery to a good and gracious master. Similarly, they have a vibrant fear of the powerful (Ex 14:10). God does not want to ease their fear; he wants to redirect it to the source of true power (Ex 14:31). In order to fear, they must believe he is who he’s said all along: the one who sees, hears, knows, and rescues.

Train of thought:

  • The Lord takes his people exactly where they must go to learn to fear him.
  • They experience their deepest fears and are completely unable to do anything about it.
  • God rescues them in such a way as to make it clear that he is the one with all the power.
  • They now fear and believe this God who uses his power to rescue.

Main point: The all-powerful God employs his power to separate and rescue his people so they might fear and believe him.

Connection to Christ: Jesus has all power. He used it to rescue his people through the cross. He will one day use it to wipe out his enemies. He inspires all with proper fear (Matt 10:28).

My Application of Exodus 13:17-14:31

I love it when God uses his power to ease my pain and suffering. I want him to remove discomfort. But I must trust he will often use his power to increase my discomfort so I will fear and trust him.

For example, we’ve faced some severe (and sensitive) parenting challenges this year. Circumstances are not what I would prefer for myself, my wife, or my children. But I can see how God has given us all greater fear and trust in him. And we have nothing to hope in but Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf. When I have eyes to see this, I realize this is a better place for our family than to have all the pain simply removed.

Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.