Ryan Higginbottom | Knowable Word

Overlooked Details of the Red Sea Crossing

March 27, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

The crossing of the Red Sea is one of the most memorable and cinematic events recorded in the Bible. This brief section of history has been captured in several films as well as in thousands of Sunday school lessons and coloring pages.

So if we were asked to recount this story, we could probably list many of the highlights without consulting Scripture. However, because the episode is so famous, and depictions of the event are so numerous, we will inevitably miss some details. The story is perhaps too familiar.

This was certainly the case for me! I recently reread this portion of Exodus and felt like I was reading this passage for the first time.

Four Important Details

Peter has written extensively and deeply on all of Exodus and on this passage specifically. To learn how this event fits into the whole book of Exodus, and for a razor-sharp look at this particular episode, I encourage you to read his article.

Here I will highlight some aspects of Exodus 13–14 that I had not remembered. These details are not just interesting—they help guide us to the main point of the passage. (Remember: good observation fuels accurate interpretation!)

Israel crossed at night

For understandable reasons, all pictures and video depicting this event happen during the day. (That makes for a much better coloring page!) But this event happened in the dark of night. (See Exodus 14:24 and Exodus 14:27 where it seems that the Israelites crossed during the night, with their path illuminated by the pillar of fire, and then the Egyptians started their pursuit at first light of the morning.) As we will see below, God aimed to confuse the Egyptians, and the nighttime setting was an important ingredient.

The wind blew all night to part the sea

Yes, Moses “stretched out his hand” in order to divide the sea, but the way this happened was that “the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21). This miracle did not happen in an instant but rather over the course of several hours. Imagine waiting by the side of the Sea while this was happening!

The pillar of cloud protected Israel

God went with his people out of Egypt in the form of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. His primary purpose was to lead and direct his people. And those very pillars led Israel to the shore of this great sea.

But God led Israel in a roundabout way to this particular spot in order to provoke Egypt to pursue their valuable runaway slaves. Once Egypt caught up, there was a real threat!

Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night without one coming near the other all night. (Exodus 14:19–20)

The Egyptians fled from Israel

In my memory, the Egyptians pursued Israel into the bed of the Red Sea, the Israelites exited on the other side, and then the Egyptians drowned as the waters returned to normal. But that’s not what happened!

The Egyptians, having been provoked by the Lord to chase the Israelites, went into the sea (Exodus 14:23). But the Lord intervened—he “threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily” (Exodus 14:24–25). The Egyptians knew they were in trouble, so they decided to flee (Exodus 14:25). So, it was while these two nations were running away from each other that the Red Sea covered Pharaoh’s army.

Why These Details Matter

The Lord determined that he would get abundant glory at the Red Sea. He said, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord” (Exodus 14:4). He says much the same to Moses again in Exodus 14:17–18.

This was not just about God getting glory from the Egyptians. He also wanted his people to know and fear him.

Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. (Exodus 14:30–31)

This is crucial, because the Israelites were greatly afraid when they saw Pharaoh and his army drawing near (Exodus 14:10). Moses told the people:

Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Exodus 14:13–14)

The four details above show God’s hands-on involvement in the crossing of the Red Sea. God rescued his people and closed the door to any possible return to Egypt. In tangible ways, the Lord fought for his people as he promised.

When God sets out to deliver his people and gain glory for himself, he will make both happen.

Fear is a Battleground

March 13, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

The Bible says a lot about fear. The book of Proverbs begins by asserting that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Prov 1:9). We also read that “the fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Prov 29:25). The Bible teaches plenty about fear in the New Testament as well (see Hebrews 13:6, Matthew 10:28).

These pillars of the fear of man and the fear of God are crucial to understand and identify. Yet the Bible often points to them from a distance, asking us to supply the details in our personal application. It’s more rare to study a passage where the granular temptations to fear are explicit.

We have such a passage in Nehemiah 6.

A Lure and a Lie

Nehemiah was leading the efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with other Jewish people who had returned from exile. Because God’s people were surrounded by hostile nations, the wall demanded attention and effort after the temple was completed (Ezra 6:15).

Nehemiah had to deal with enemies and disrupters—both when he arrived in the city (Neh 2:10,19-20) and when fending off later attacks (Neh 4:1-23). But Nehemiah 6 offers specifics about complex plots to harm or stop the governor and his work.

Two of Nehemiah’s opponents, Sanballat and Geshem, tried to lure Nehemiah far outside the city. They wanted the work on the wall to stop, and they likely intended to capture or kill Nehemiah (Neh 6:2). Nehemiah received four private letters before an open letter arrived. There we read of the threat to tell King Artaxerxes about a Jewish plan to rebel and Nehemiah’s intention to become king, allegedly backed by prophets declaring as much (Neh 6:6-7). All of this was a lie, crafted to provoke Nehemiah into traveling out of the city to protest.

Nehemiah knew what Sanballat and Geshem really wanted—they aimed “to frighten” Nehemiah and the other workers. They hoped this threat would halt construction on the wall (Neh 6:9).

Hide in the Temple

The second plot unfolded when Nehemiah went to the house of Shemaiah. Shemaiah warned Nehemiah about a plot to kill him and suggested they hide in the temple (Neh 6:10).

Nehemiah saw the implications. He understood that he would seem weak if he hid. He also knew this was not the purpose of the temple! Nehemiah realized that God had not sent Shemaiah; rather, Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to prophesy (Neh 6:12). They were working, along with some other prophets, to make Nehemiah afraid (Neh 6:13,14).

Contrasting Fears

The threats to Nehemiah were not just from outside. Because of his connections by descent and by marriage, Tobiah had regular communication with the “nobles of Judah” (Neh 6:17,18). He exchanged letters with them and they reported Nehemiah’s words back to Tobiah. All of this was an effort to make Nehemiah afraid (Neh 6:19).

But another fear emerged. Despite numerous efforts to stop it, the wall around Jerusalem was completed (Neh 6:15). Here is the reaction.

And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:16)

These enemies attempted to frighten Nehemiah, but they were the ones who ended up afraid. The surrounding nations thought less of themselves and more of Yahweh because they knew he helped his people.

Specific Targets of Fear

This chapter records contrasting fears: the repeated attempts to make Nehemiah afraid, and the fear and awe that God inspires when he strengthens his own. We also read about the specific aims of fear, aims that are not often spelled out in Scripture.

Here’s an important interpretation question to lead us into application. How were Nehemiah’s enemies using fear against him? What specifically did they want him to be afraid of?

First, they wanted him to fear the loss of the king’s approval. If the king heard the dishonest account about Nehemiah, he might take action to stop the work on the wall or summon everyone back to Susa. Nehemiah was dependent on the favor of the king, and Sanballat and Geshem wanted him to be so afraid of losing this favor that he would meet them at the plain of Ono and, presumably, suffer capture or death.

Nehemiah’s enemies also wanted him to fear the threat of death. If Shemaiah convinced Nehemiah to hide in the temple, Nehemiah would look like a coward who was using a holy place for self-protection. Nehemiah knew what his enemies were up to: “For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me” (Neh 6:13). They wanted Nehemiah to sin, to gain a poor reputation among his people, and then to be open to ridicule. In the end, Nehemiah’s enemies were hoping to eliminate the work force behind him by painting him as an ungodly leader.

Gospel Answers

We can be tempted to unrighteous fears from many directions. Perhaps, like Nehemiah, you’ve been tempted to fear death—a very natural fear! Or maybe you’ve been afraid of disapproval from a boss, supervisor, or parent. You may be resistant or hesitant about something God has called you to because of one of these fears. For those who trust in Christ, the gospel addresses these fears.

While a courageous, God-honoring action on your part may bring criticism from those in authority over you, God is the ultimate authority and he has kings in his hands (Prov 21:1). Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down as a sign of this supreme control.

Further, while death is an enemy, Jesus defeated death in his resurrection. Our destination is the same as his.

God gave Nehemiah strength and wisdom to resist temptations to fear and to see through falsehoods. We can also take to heart Nehemiah’s example of prayer in the midst of temptation, hardship, and anger (Neh 6:9,14).

A List from Ezra Repeated in Nehemiah

February 27, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

A Bible reader making their way through the historical books of the Old Testament could be forgiven for feeling a sense of déjà vu after finishing Nehemiah, chapter 7.

If this describes you, the good news is, you’re not wrong! With a couple of exceptions[1], Nehemiah 7:6–73 is an exact copy of Ezra 2:1–70. While these passages are not the sort of fast-paced narrative that might captivate a modern reader, they are an accountant’s dream. These passages give a thorough list of the people who moved back to Jerusalem from Babylon during the reign of Cyrus. (See Ezra 1:1–11.)

Many Christians struggle to read a passage like this once. So why would it be in our Bibles twice?

The answer cannot be merely that Nehemiah found the scroll and wrote down what he read (Neh 7:5). Just a chapter later some Torah scrolls were read in public but were not copied into Nehemiah’s narrative. Something else is going on.

The current article is a case study of what Peter wrote about recently. When the Bible quotes or alludes to other parts of the Bible, we should take extra care to understand.

Ezra 2

The historical context of both passages is important. In Ezra 2, we have a list of the people “whose spirit God had stirred to go up to rebuild the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:5). God had put it in the heart of Cyrus, king of Persia, to send some of the captured Jewish people back to Jerusalem. The temple had been destroyed when Nebuchadnezzar’s army had leveled the city, and the people of God were now being charged (by a pagan king!) to rebuild what had been knocked down.

In the long list of chapter 2, the author took great care to list the people who returned by clans and families (Ezra 2:2–35). However, we also read of people specifically gifted and trained to help with the temple rebuilding efforts: the caravan back to Jerusalem included priests (Ezra 2:36–39), Levites (Ezra 2:40), singers (Ezra 2:41), sons of gatekeepers (Ezra 2:42), temple servants (Ezra 2:43–54), and sons of Solomon’s servants (Ezra 2:55–57).

What is the point of the list in Ezra 2? This thorough accounting shows that Cyrus really did let people leave for Jerusalem and that they were prepared for the work of rebuilding the house of the Lord and resuming temple worship. Much of the rest of Ezra recounts the success of those rebuilding efforts.

Nehemiah 7

By the time we get to Nehemiah 7, somewhere between 70-80 years have passed since that multitude hiked back to Jerusalem. Nehemiah is handing over the governorship of Jerusalem (Neh 7:2) after having successfully managed the rebuilding of the city wall (Neh 7:1).

But the work of reconstruction was not complete. The temple had been reopened and the wall was repaired and functioning, but the city itself was still a wreck. “The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt” (Neh 7:4). There was a third phase to the rebuilding efforts yet to come.

Then Nehemiah discovered the Ezra 2 scroll:

Then my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles and the officials and the people to be enrolled by genealogy. And I found the book of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and I found written in it: (Neh 7:5)

If we wonder why the long passage was included twice, we can start here. Nehemiah calls this “the book of the genealogy.” The leaders would rebuild the city by tribe and clan, so the genealogical records of those who repopulated the city were vital.

This played out later in Nehemiah. As the leaders made efforts to repopulate the city of Jerusalem, they cast lots to relocate people from the surrounding area (Neh 11:1). But when the list of people who settled in Jerusalem is given in Nehemiah 11:3–24, it is organized in part by tribe.

One List, Two Purposes

Although Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 are almost identical passages, the contexts show that the lists and enumerations were used for two different purposes. In Ezra, the list confirmed that Cyrus made good on his promise and that the returnees were ready to rebuild the temple. In Nehemiah, the list was recalled for genealogical purposes in an effort to rebuild and repopulate the city of Jerusalem.

There are several places in the Bible—like the tabernacle instructions and construction in Exodus—that seem repetitive, and we may wonder why God would preserve such passages for our benefit. Instead of viewing these passages with frustration or impatience, we can humbly ask God to teach us.

Often, these repetitions are instances of God’s people using his word in a faithful way. In addition to learning about each of the passages involved, we have examples for our instruction.

[1] These two passages are not exactly identical, and the small discrepancies have caused large stumbling blocks for some people. All of God’s word is important, including these differences, but that is not the focus of the present article.

10 Truths About God’s Word From Nehemiah 8

February 13, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

Both nature and the Bible give compelling arguments that God wants to be known. He reveals himself.

It should therefore not surprise us that God reveals to us something about those very means of revelation. How else would we understand?

So, while it may seem circular to some, the Bible is a valid and rich source of information about how we should treat special revelation coming from God. The eighth chapter of Nehemiah is crammed with this sort of instruction.

In the Midst of Rebuilding

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are largely about new beginnings. A remnant of Israel has returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. They have rebuilt the altar, the temple, and the city walls, and they are rebuilding the city itself. In the midst of so much building, they are learning how to be God’s people again.

The occasion in Nehemiah 8 is a special month in the Jewish calendar. The first day of the seventh month is the Feast of Trumpets, and later we have the Feast of Booths. On the first of the month, the people call for Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law into the public square (Neh 8:1).

Learning about God’s Word

From the way the people handle, approach, and react to the Law, we can learn much about God’s word.

God’s word has divine authority

The scrolls that Ezra carried into the square before the Water Gate were not merely historical. The people were not just feeling nostalgic. This was “the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel” (Neh 8:1).

God’s word is preserved

The people called for the Law, and—rather remarkably—Ezra had it (Neh 8:2)! Between the devastation that Jerusalem experienced and the decades spent in Babylon, the existence of these scrolls is surprising. Because God wants to be known, he protects and preserves his word.

God’s word is meant to be understood

There is staggering emphasis on understanding the Law in this chapter. Those who gathered were those “who could understand” (Neh 8:3, 4). Levites “helped the people to understand the Law” after Ezra read it (Neh 8:7). “They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading” (Neh 8:8). The people rejoiced greatly “because they had understood the words that were declared to them” (Neh 8:12).

The reading of the Law was no empty religious activity. The people wanted to understand the words from their great God.

God’s word demands sustained attention

Ezra read from the Law “from early morning until midday” and “the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law” (Neh 8:3). This is a long time to stand and listen, but this reading is worthy of such focus.

God’s word is honored

The Israelites constructed a platform for Ezra to stand on for this reading, so they were literally elevating God’s word in front of the people (Neh 8:4). When “Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people,” “all the people stood” (Neh 8:5).

God’s word leads to worship of God

Note what happened after Ezra brought out the scroll.

And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. (Neh 8:6)

God speaks and as the people learn from and about their Sovereign Lord, they are humbled and driven to worship him.

God’s word is understood in community

Trained ministers of the temple—the Levites—moved among the people to give instruction after the reading of the Law was over (Neh 8:7–8). The Israelites “remained in their places” while this happened, so this may have looked like teachers walking through a large crowd and stopping to help small groups.

In the West we sometimes overemphasize the individual nature of religious life. We’d do well to remember the blessings of being among God’s called people.

God’s word brings conviction

As the people heard the words of the Law, they wept (Neh 8:9). They were likely overcome by their sin and moved to confess their violations to God (see Neh 9:3). The Scriptures are not cold or dry. This living and active word sinks a hot poker into our hearts and points us to the deep mercy of God in our conviction.

God’s word is worthy of study

After a long day of hearing the Law and working to understand it, some of the Jewish leaders wanted more. They went back to Ezra the next day “in order to study the words of the Law” (Neh 8:13).

God’s word informs behavior

As a result of this study, the leaders realized they had not been keeping the Feast of Booths properly (Neh 8:17). There was immediate and fruitful application from this study of God’s word as the whole city was brought into obedience.

A Rich Word

There is more to say about the Bible than what is captured in Nehemiah 8, but this is quite a list. I was quieted and convicted as I read this chapter of God’s word, because I don’t always treat the Bible as it deserves. Perhaps you might benefit from a slower meditation on these truths about the Scriptures. Do you believe them? Do they shape the way you and your church approach the Lord?

Why We Reread the Bible

January 30, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

The Bible is not like other books. When we finish a novel or biography, we put it down and pick up something new. But many Christians complete a Bible reading and start right in again. For those new to the faith, this may seem strange.

Because frequent rereading of the Bible is not an obvious activity, I thought it might be helpful to highlight some of the reasons Christians never really finish reading the Scriptures.

The Bible is a Singular Book

Christians believe that the Bible is God’s Word, that God himself inspired what we read on those pages. This gives the Bible an authority and status unequal to any other book.

While this by itself does not imply we should reread the Bible, it does mean it’s no surprise if we treat it differently than other volumes on our shelves.

We Need to Keep Learning

The Bible gives us instruction, correction, comfort, and hope. This is the infinite, eternal God’s primary revelation of himself, and we finite, fallen humans don’t understand everything about God the first or second or tenth time we read it. Given our limitations and our nature, we will never have perfect knowledge of God in these imperfect bodies.

Because the Holy Spirit illuminates the Bible for us and gives us understanding, rereading the Bible can sometimes feel like reading a completely different book. I’ve talked to many Christians who admit to reading a passage dozens of times—over decades of their lives—before grasping something profound that now seems obvious.

We Forget

The Bible is a long book, containing truths both profound and difficult. Our frail minds do not easily hold all of these truths for long periods of time, especially when only exposed to them once.

We forget who God is and what he has done because we are weak and limited. We also forget God’s word because in our corruption we do not hold tightly to stories that emphasize our dependence and guilt. This is especially true when our lives are comfortable. (See the relevant warning to Israel in Dt 8:11–20.)

Because we easily forget God, we reread his word to remember.

We Are Commanded

Keeping the holy teachings about God top of mind is not just a recommended Christian activity. God commands it!

We are to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Col 3:16). Because we are forgetful, it’s hard to imagine obedience to this command without rereading.

Jesus says that part of the way we abide in him is to let his words abide in us (John 15:7). The words of Christ take up residence with us when we revisit them frequently.

To Grow in Love

Reading (and rereading) the Bible is not an end in itself. There is no heavenly trophy for most times reading the Bible.

We are getting to know a person—God—not a textbook. And we must hold tight to the gospel truths that fuel our love of our neighbors.

We read because we are loved by God. And because God loves us, we read so that we might love him and love our neighbors.

And until we love perfectly, we reread.

Repeated Words and Titles as a Clue to the Main Point of a Book

January 16, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

We’re big fans of observing repetition in the Bible. Just like in our emails and conversations, the words, phrases, and topics we dwell on most are usually at the center of our thinking. We’ve pointed out how this helps us find the author’s main point in a passage of Scripture.

The same is also true for books of the Bible! Since books of the Bible are really just long passages, maybe this isn’t that shocking. But I was a bit surprised how easy this was in the New Testament book of Titus.

Look at the Data

Titus is a short book, so we can read it several times without much effort and uncover the repetition. (For longer or more complicated passages, Bible study software might come in handy. We’ve pointed out the capabilities of both Logos and e-Sword to help in this regard.)

Titles of God

The title of God as “Savior” shows up six times in Titus. Combine that with one occurrence of “salvation” and one of “saved,” and we can see part of what occupies Paul as he writes.

Paul has been entrusted with preaching by the command of “God our Savior” (Titus 1:3).
Paul sends grace and peace “from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior” (Titus 1:4).
The submission of bondservants to masters will “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior” (Titus 2:10).
The grace of God has appeared, “bringing salvation for all people” (Titus 2:11).
Living godly lives in the present age involves waiting for “the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).
The “goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared” (Titus 3:4).
God “saved us” (Titus 3:5).
The Holy Spirit was “poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:6).

The titles used to refer to anyone (especially God) are important details in a passage. So when a title is repeated this often in three little chapters, we should take note.

Good Works

The other repetition that jumped out at me in Titus was the idea of works or good works. I count eight occurences.

The unbelieving profess to know God but “deny him by their works” (Titus 1:16).
Because they deny God, these unbelievers are “unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16).
Paul charges Titus to be a “model of good works” (Titus 2:7).
Jesus gave himself (in part) to purify a people “who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).
Titus is to remind his people to be “ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1).
God saved us “not because of works done by us in righteousness” (Titus 3:5).
Those who have believed in God should “devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8).
Paul wants “our people” to “devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:14).

Putting Pieces Together

Noticing the repetition of these two ideas is not enough to produce a main point for the book of Titus. These data points are essential, but we have merely observed so far; it takes the additional work of interpretation to take the next step.

Epistles, more than other books in the Bible, sometimes contain a purpose or summary statement. This is not true of all epistles, just like it is not true of all our conversations or emails.

There are two short sections of Titus that involve one or both of our repeated ideas and which might function as a summary of Paul’s letter.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11–14)

The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people. (Titus 3:8)

Stayed tuned, for in a future post I plan to use the observations here to produce an interpretive overview of Titus.

The Bible Is Not About You

January 2, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

We are self-centered by nature. This egotism can be amplified in certain cultures and by some personalities, but we all have a central impulse to focus on the person in the mirror.

So it is not surprising that when we turn to the Bible we think about ourselves first. Our spiritual disciplines can easily become a vehicle for self-improvement.

So what is a healthy way to approach reading the Bible? How should we pay attention to and process God’s word?

For a start, when reading the Bible, we should not immediately look for ourselves in the text. The Bible has implications for us, but the Bible is not about us.

The Bible is about God

If the Bible is not about us, then what is it about? Don’t take my word for it—search the Bible from beginning to end and you will see there is one primary actor and one main subject. The Bible is about God.

Note how the book begins.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

And when the book ends, we see the servants of this creator-king gathered around to worship.

No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. (Revelation 22:3)

God is infinite and eternal, so glorious and holy that humans could never know him without his self-revelation. And while God has revealed himself through his creation, he has shown himself in more detail and with precision in his word, the Bible.

Consider the way this displays God’s heart. He wants to be known! If you have access to a Bible, you are able to learn about this wonderful, powerful God. This is his desire!

The Bible is about Redemption

As we read the Bible, we learn who God is and what he is like. But we also learn about the place of humanity in the world and how we relate to God.

Adam and Eve turned against God early in the Scriptural story, disregarding his command and seeking their own way. God responded with judgment, mercy, and a promise. God’s judgment was the exile from Eden (Gen 3:22–24) and the curse—childbirth, the husband-wife relationship, and work in creation would all be painful and difficult (Gen 3:16–17). God’s mercy was that he continued to speak with the man and woman and that he covered their shame and nakedness (Gen 3:21). God’s promise was that there would be a child of Eve that would bruise the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15).

The rest of the Bible unfolds these responses of God and the fulfillment of his promise, and everything points to Jesus (Luke 24:44–48). Jesus was the Son of God incarnate; he came to make God known (John 1:18), to redeem God’s people (Titus 2:14), and to bring them to God (1 Peter 3:18).

So, the Bible is about God, but it is also about how (and why) he is redeeming a people for himself.

Implications for Reading

If God and his redemptive purposes are at the core of the Bible, that should shape how we read.

First, we should be aware of the big picture as we read. When we study the Bible, we are seeking the author’s main point of each passage and how we should respond. But when we are reading for breadth, we don’t have time for such a narrow focus. It is better to think about the themes and arguments of the book we are reading and how they connect to the overall sweep of Scripture. Reading for breadth is primarily about familiarity and understanding, not application.

We should be sure to interpret before we apply the Bible. Some people are in such a rush to come away from their Bible reading with a “nugget” on which to meditate for the rest of the day that they skip crucial steps. All basic communication means that we must understand before we act. This may mean that you end up with no victory token from your devotions, no Instagram-worthy verse to quote and post. And that is fine!

Finally, we should think corporately, not individually. Especially in the global west we have a far more individual mindset than the first audiences of the Bible. God has set out to redeem a people for himself, the Church. This collective body is not the same as a group of random humans! So, while applying the Bible has clear implications for us as persons, those implications (often) flow out of truths and commands for the corporate people of God. (So many of the New Testament commands are for you (plural), not you (singular)!)

The beginning of another year brings many of us back to the Bible. As we turn to the Bible for the first or for the ten-thousandth time, let’s make sure we recognize our place. We are part of this grand story, but none of us are at the center. That would be far too small a story.

Asking Better Small Group Questions

December 5, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Small Group Network (2021), public domain

The longer I lead and attend classes and Bible studies, the more convinced I am of the importance of good questions.

Good questions cannot make up for sloppy study or errant understanding. However, without good questions, the Biblical truth that should pierce like an arrow may land like a jellyfish instead.

Questions are the delivery method, the interface between leader and participant. Assuming the leader does not want to lecture (please don’t!), questions are the primary way to fuel the discussion and learn what the Scriptures say.

Every leader and teacher can improve in their question-asking. Like anything else, this takes practice and training. Below, I offer three suggestions for those who want to grow in this area.

Envision Possible Answers

Here’s my recipe for level 1 improvement: As you write your questions, think of the specific people in your small group and how they are likely to hear and answer what you ask.

This depends on a leader knowing their small group members and having experience talking with them about the Bible. Every group is different, so a set of questions that work well in one setting might not fit in another—even with the same Scripture passage.

When I draft a question, I imagine trying to answer it myself. Then I picture the possible answers my small group members will give. This step sharpens my questions, helping me to discard any vague and ill-formed inquiries. I am better able to point my friends toward what matters in the text.

Review the Meeting

We can unlock the next level of progress by reviewing the small group meeting with a friend afterward. Ideally, this is someone who attended the meeting, though that isn’t completely necessary.

The goal is to think carefully about the questions after the fact. Did they accomplish what you wanted? (You did have a goal for each question, right?) Were they clear? Try to hang onto your meeting notes and go through the questions one by one.

The best time to debrief is while the meeting is still fresh in your mind—optimally within a day or two. I find that if too much time passes, it’s hard for me to remember the responses to individual questions.

A Pre-meeting Discussion

The most intense way to upgrade your question-asking skills is a hybrid of my first two suggestions: Meet with a friend in advance of the meeting to talk through and plan your questions.

After you have studied the relevant Bible passage and made a plan for the study, get together with a friend and discuss the questions you plan to ask. This friend can draw out your intention behind each question. They can also answer your questions, and you can learn how someone in your group is likely to interpret and respond to them.

No Perfect Plan

These strategies come with no guarantee. Asking good questions in a small group is a learned skill; it is something we can practice and improve. However, because people are unpredictable, one of the other skills we need is improvisation. No study will ever go exactly according to script, so we need to be ready to reframe, drill down, or pull back.

The job of the small group leader is to understand and apply the Biblical text and then help group members to understand and apply it as well. Because questions are central to the second part of this goal, it is worth the effort to ask the best questions we can.

A Parable on the Dangers of Speculation in Bible Study

November 21, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Amy tossed her phone on the bed. “Any idea what happened between John and Zack?”

From across the room, her husband David answered, “What do you mean?”

“Well, John always gets invited to Zack’s birthday party. But not this year.”

David and Amy Goodwin’s eleven-year-old son John was friends with Zack Thomas, who lived in the neighborhood. Today was Zack’s birthday, so Amy had just texted Charlotte, Zack’s mother.

Charlotte’s reply was pleasant enough. But Amy was hoping for more. Over the past two weeks she had been expecting a colorful card in the mailbox, announcing some big production: paint ball, or ice hockey, or white water rafting. John loved Zack’s parties, so Amy thought her message would trigger a forgotten invitation for her son. No such luck.

“I don’t know of any problems between the boys,” said David. “Maybe Zack isn’t having a party this year.”

“Yeah, maybe,” said Amy. “It’s just that Charlotte’s text seemed so brief. I gave her an opening to mention a party, and there’s just nothing.”

“Can I see?” asked David.

Amy turned her phone toward her husband.

AMY: Happy birthday to Zack! Hope your new TWELVE year old has a great day! Any big plans?

CHARLOTTE: Thanks! Can’t believe he’s 12!

“I see what you mean,” said David. “But maybe she’s just short on time. You could be reading too much into something that isn’t there.”

“Maybe. I just think if that friendship was important to Zack, Charlotte would have said something—one way or the other. I hope John will be okay.”

Amy made a mental note to talk with her son about Zack. She knew John didn’t have any friends to spare.

A few weeks later, the Goodwins were heading over to the local pool on a Saturday afternoon. John, who wasn’t phased by any previous birthday drama, asked his father if he could bring Zack along.

“Great idea,” said David. “I’ll text Mr. Thomas.”

David pulled his phone from his pocket and tapped out a message.

DAVID: We’re headed to the pool. Do you want to join us? Or we can just pick up Zack on our way.

A reply pinged on David’s phone within 30 seconds.

JOSH: Sorry, we can’t. Charlotte’s parents are in town this weekend.

DAVID: No problem. Hope you have a good visit!

JOSH: Thanks. It will be a blast.

When they got to the pool, David relayed his text exchange with Josh to Amy.

“That’s a little weird, right?” asked David.

“What do you mean?” asked Amy.

“Well, I thought Josh liked his in-laws. But it sounds like he’s bracing for a hard weekend.”

“What? He said the visit would be a blast,” Amy said.

“No, he’s being sarcastic. Don’t you see? No exclamation point, no emoji. There’s no way he’s having fun,” said David.

Amy frowned. “You’re drawing a big conclusion from that little phrase. I’m not sure you’re hearing his intended tone.”

“I think it’s pretty clear,” said David. “I’ll have to stop by their house tonight on my walk. I bet Josh could use the interruption. We’ll throw the football in the yard for a while.”

How to Make the Bible Come Alive

November 7, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

If you lead a Bible study or teach the Bible in any capacity, and if you love God and his word, you want the Bible to come alive for your people. You want their hearts to catch fire as they read, listen, and engage.

The bad news is that we cannot do anything to make the Bible come alive. The good news is that we don’t need to make the Bible come alive, because the Bible is already living and active.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

The best way for us to “make” the word of God come alive for our friends is to recognize and act like it is already living and active.

Active in You and Others

If the Bible is indeed active, then it will change us as we encounter it. In particular, as we prepare to lead Bible studies or teach the Bible, we should be different people because of the text we have been preparing!

The most powerful evidence of the truth of the Bible is often the leader’s own testimony of its transforming power. Like all Christians, we should be growing in our love for God, growing in our love for our neighbors, growing in the fruit of the Spirit. We should not put ourselves as the focus of our discussion, but we should plan to testify to the ways God has been at work in us.

Sharing will not look like victory upon victory. That’s not my experience of walking with God, and I don’t hear that from others. Rather, the Bible works in us in many ways—to teach, to reprove, to correct, and to train us in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). Once we stop trying to be impressive, we can share about both the ways God is correcting us and the ways he is training us in righteousness.

Ideally this sort of discussion will help to create a culture within a Bible study group. Eventually, everyone will talk about the ways God’s word has been changing them.

What Do You Expect?

When we teach the Bible, our expectations influence our actions and interactions. Are we expecting people to be bored by the Bible or transformed by it?

Some leaders break out the bells and whistles. They think that if they jazz up the setting, or the presentation, or the activities, then people will really pay attention and get a lot out of the Bible study. However, this approach is doomed from the start. It presumes that the Bible is (at worst) boring or (at best) inert, and that what God really needs is a good carnival barker. If we expect people to be bored by the Bible, they will be.

A better approach is to recognize that the Scriptures are sharp and powerful. They may not affect every person the same way at the same time, but God’s word will accomplish what he wants (Is 55:10–11). If God’s word is at work within believers (1 Thess 2:13), then we should act as though that were true! This approach will affect the way we read the Bible out loud, how we ask questions, and how we pray for our friends.

The Living Word of God

How powerful is the Bible? To what degree is it living and active?

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; (1 Peter 1:22–23)

The word of God is living. It is abiding. It is an imperishable seed that brings new life to the dead. And it works mightily in God’s people.

We dare not act like it is boring or harmless. And we dare not presume that we can make that which is already living come alive.