Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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You Are Smart Enough to Study the Bible

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There are dozens of reasons for our collective lack of Bible study, but here’s one we need to address: I’m not smart enough.

Few people use those words, but this captures the general sentiment. Many people feel inadequate or intimidated by the task of studying the Bible, so they never attempt it.

How does this happen?

Célio Silveira (2011), public domain

Célio Silveira (2011), public domain

The Quicksand of Comparison

We live in a culture of experts. And in the church we propogate more of the same.

We cite brilliant philosophers and commentators in our sermons. We watch polished teachers on video in Sunday school. Over and over we see examples of those with great training, ability, and insight. They make the Bible come alive.

We compare ourselves to all-stars and find ourselves lacking. How can we compete? If I can learn from experts, why should I study the Bible myself? I’ll never learn as much on my own.

This argument is easy to believe but important to reject. Gifted scholars and communicators are blessings to the church, but they do not replace the need for individual time with the Bible.

Bible study is never about bare facts or ideas. We study the Bible to know Jesus and have eternal life, to love God and obey him. We aren’t cramming for a test; rather, we need God’s truth to sink deep into our souls. Instead of borrowing the work of others, we need to digest and rejoice over the Bible ourselves.

Here’s the bottom line. You don’t need to be smart to study the Bible. As Peter wrote, Bible study “should be simple enough to engage young children yet profound enough to occupy erudite scholars.”

You don’t need seminary training. You don’t need a full bookcase or years of experience or an understanding of Greek and Hebrew. You don’t need a high IQ or a big vocabulary. You don’t even need a high school diploma.

I don’t dismiss any of the education, intellect, or training God gives. But only a few things are necessary to study the Bible. You need a Bible, a pen, paper, a heart that seeks God, and the Holy Spirit. Gather the first three, ask God for the last two, and you’re ready to go.

We must remind each other that there is no intellectual barrier to the Bible. When Christians come up short in their comparison to others and withdraw from Bible study, they miss a vital connection to Jesus.

What We Miss When We Neglect Bible Study

Do you believe we need the Bible? That it is not merely an add-on, but that it is more essential than bread (Matt. 4:4)?

We forget, and in the Bible God reminds us of the truth.

We sin, and in the Bible God corrects us and teaches us about forgiveness.

We despair, and in the Bible God gives us hope.

The Scriptures are not a burden or a weight, but a privilege and a blessing. We get to study the Bible! The Bible is truth from our loving God who wants us to know him and be transformed. And we miss out on these blessings—in fact, we miss God himself—when we neglect Bible study.

How to Begin

Whether you’ve been away from the Bible for years or you’ve never picked it up—you can start studying the Bible.

Pray. Ask God humbly and confidently to teach you by his Spirit. Only he can give you the understanding you need for life.

Next, pick up a Bible and read. We have a series of blog posts written to help you learn how to study the Bible. You might also check out our printable resources.

Finally, contact a friend from church. Ask them to pray. Arrange to meet every week or two to discuss what God is teaching you.

Buckle up. God will teach you and change you in ways you never imagined!

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When a Name Goes Missing in the Bible

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Pierre Bamin (2021), public domain

Observation is the first step in any good Bible study practice. And in most passages, there is a lot to observe!

Under the umbrella of observation, we naturally think about noticing what is present in the text. But sometimes, we also need to notice what is absent. The key to interpreting a section of Genesis 21 turns on just such an observation.

Ishmael is Sent Away

When Isaac was weaned, his parents threw a huge party to celebrate this milestone (Genesis 21:8). During the party, Ishmael laughed at Isaac, and this angered Sarah so much that she told Abraham to get rid of Ishmael and his mother, Hagar (Genesis 21:10). God agreed with Sarah, so Abraham sent them away (Genesis 21:12–14).

When their meager food and water ran out, Hagar prepared for her son’s death and cried out to the Lord (Genesis 21:15–16). God heard Ishmael’s cries and opened Hagar’s eyes to a nearby well (Genesis 21:17–19). God was with Ishmael as he grew up (Genesis 21:20).

This story is straightforward, right?

Something is Missing

As we continue to remind our readers, context matters. Why does this story immediately follow the glorious account of the long-awaited birth of Isaac (Genesis 21:1–7)? How does the story’s placement in the text aid our interpretation?

I didn’t understand this connection until I landed on an observation. In these fourteen verses (Genesis 21:8–21), something important is missing.

Ishmael’s name doesn’t appear at all.

In fact, Moses (the author) seems to go out of his way to avoid writing Ishmael’s name. Moses refers to “the boy” (6 times), “the child” (3 times), “the son of Hagar” (or a close variant, 4 times), and “his son” (once). This whole section of Scripture is centered on Ishmael, and Moses steadfastly refuses to include his name. Why is this the case?

Making Way for Isaac

From earlier in Genesis, we know that Abraham was a man who liked to protect himself and hedge his bets. He repeatedly tried to pass Sarah off as his sister (Genesis 12:10–20, 20:1–18). He fathered Ishmael with Sarah’s servant because he couldn’t see how God would otherwise keep his promise (Genesis 16:1–4).

Once Isaac was born, he was to become the focus of the story. Had Ishmael stayed around, there would not only (likely) be sustained conflict between him and Isaac, but it would have given Abraham a way to doubt and wonder. If anything were to happen to Isaac, I still have Ishmael right here.

Moses uses the names in the text to help us understand. The names for Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar all show up in this passage, so Moses is not opposed to names in general. But he won’t call Ishmael by his name. Moses wants his readers to see that Ishmael is moving off stage. Ishmael is no longer a main character. The covenant spotlight is now on Isaac.

Learning to Notice

Someone new to Bible study might be thinking, It’s hard enough to observe everything that’s there in the text, and now I’m supposed to notice all of the things that aren’t there?! Yes and no.

It would be impossible to notice everything missing from a passage of Scripture. That’s ambiguous and aimless. But we should notice anomalies—things that are unusual or out of place. Anything that sticks out as abnormal.

Moses used names, repeatedly, for all of the characters in this story except one. That should make us sit up and take notice. In observation we gather the fuel we need for the fire of interpretation, and observing odd insertions or omissions is no exception.

Note: After writing this article I remembered that Peter mentioned this observation in one of our foundational articles on observation. I heartily recommend that article, but I came to this thought independently this week as my church is working through Genesis in Sunday school.

Confess Your Sins to God When Applying the Bible

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Samuel Martins (2018), public domain

Applying the Bible involves putting off and putting on. We put off the old self, which belongs to our former manner of life, and we put on the new self, “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22–24). Put differently: applying the Bible involves repentance.

Sam Storms offers a helpful definition of repentance.

True Christian repentance involves a heartfelt conviction of sin, a contrition over the offense to God, a turning away from the sinful way of life, and a turning towards a God-honoring way of life.

The “putting off” and “putting on” essential to repentance has a moral component. This is not like exchanging a baseball cap for a fedora. This “contrition” before God is also known as confession.

Examples of Confession

After hearing the word of God, the Holy Spirit brings conviction, showing us the ways we have sinned. We have numerous examples of God’s people confessing their sins in the Bible.

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah (Psalm 32:3–5)

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment. (Psalm 51:3–4)

O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. (Ezra 9:6–7)

The Scriptures also assume we will regularly confess our sins to God.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8–9)

God’s Kindness

It is good for us to think about the different spheres and directions for our Bible application. But confessing sin is often a necessary step in the process. It is not just that we need a different strategy for loving our neighbor or a new approach to handling gossip. Frequently, we must confess that what we have been doing (or not doing) is offensive to God and deserving of his anger.

Here are some principles related to confession.

  1. Be honest and specific — Let’s not only talk about our “struggles” or “destructive patterns.” Let’s name our sins the way the Bible names them and bring them to God with that vocabulary. God knows all and trying to hide anything from him is downright silly.
  2. Consider the heart — Bad fruit (observable sin) in our lives is the outworking of rebellion in our hearts. (See Luke 6:43–45.) So while we do need to confess our gossiping (for example), we must also think about the impulses and desires that make us crave those conversations. It’s difficult to trace polluted streams back to their source; conversations with trusted friends can be invaluable in this regard.
  3. Confess your sins to others — All of our sin is against God; some of our sin is also against other people. Part of repenting of these sins is confessing them and seeking forgiveness and reconciliation.
  4. Pray for conviction — This may sound scary, but part of the essential function of God’s word is to expose us (Hebrews 4:12–13). It is not God’s displeasure but his kindness that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). God brings us conviction as a loving father disciplines his children (Hebrews 12:7–11).
  5. Remember this is the way of grace — While it might not feel good to see more of our sin and discover it goes deeper than we thought, this ultimately helps us exult in God’s grace. When we understand more of our offenses against God, we are reminded that our salvation is due to God’s grace. So, while painful, confession gives us more opportunities to glorify God for his grace.

A Key Step in Application

Not every application requires confession along the way. A church might make a change to their ministry to widows as an application of James 1:27, seeking greater effectiveness or wider opportunities. There might not necessarily be sin in their previous approach.

However, most application probably requires some sort of confession. And because God is so gracious, when his children come to him admitting their transgressions, he forgives. He reminds us of the work of Jesus for us. And that gives us real power to change.

Toward Balanced Bible Application

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Victor Freitas (2018), public domain

I didn’t spend much time around weight rooms or gym culture before college. Once there, I quickly noticed which equipment got the most use.

The young men at my gym were hoping for bigger arms, shoulders, and chests. The benches and barbells for these exercises were in high demand. But few guys were working toward strong legs. I could jump on most of the leg-focused machines without waiting.

For many of these men, the result was an imbalanced physique. They focused on what they found most important without much concern for overall strength, fitness, flexibility, or endurance.

Strange as the comparison may seem, sometimes we unconsciously do this same thing when it comes to application in Bible study.

Two Directions for Application

In our guide to learning to study the Bible, my co-blogger Peter explains how application can be directed two ways. In reflecting on Matt 22:35-40, he writes this:

These two commands show two “directions” in which we can apply any passage of the Bible: inward and outward. We can work on becoming more Christ-like people who love God more desperately (inward application), and we can work on becoming more selfless people of influence who love others as Christ has loved us (outward application).

(Peter has also written about the three spheres of application. This application worksheet may help to keep everything straight.)

I’m not sure it’s necessary to measure down to the milligram, but the majority of my recent application has been decidedly inward. I realized this when preparing my latest small group Bible study. It is far too natural for me to think about myself, and I have been neglecting large areas of my life—marriage, parenting, friends, neighbors, coworkers—where God may be calling me to repent.

Not all passages lend themselves to every sort of application. However, seeing this deficiency, I wanted to challenge myself to right the ship.

Example: Ezra 8 setup

My small group is currently studying Ezra, and our upcoming text is chapter 8. Here’s some background.

Ezra begins with God’s people in exile. The nation of Judah has been taken away to Babylon (and its surrounding areas), while Israel was taken away earlier by the nation of Assyria. God moves within Cyrus, king of Persia (which now controls Babylon), to send Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Cyrus sends them back with his blessing, supplies, and money.

The people rebuild the altar and resume worshipping God. Through some serious disruptions, they also rebuild the temple. God’s hand is evident as he grants his people favor with those in power.

After a number of years, Ezra (a scribe and priest) is commissioned by the new king, Artaxerxes, to return to Jerusalem. This is the re-establishment of God’s word at the center of temple worship. Finally, in Ezra 8, we have a list of those who return with Ezra, Ezra’s efforts to include Levites in his caravan, God’s protection of those who were traveling, and a precise accounting of the silver and gold that was being delivered to the temple. The chapter ends with the people worshipping God in the temple.

Here is my attempt at a main point for this chapter: God provides all that is necessary to worship him, because that is the main occupation of his people.

Example: Ezra 8 application

Here are some initial applications I wrote down which flow from this chapter and its main point. I prepared these both for myself and as exploratory questions for my small group.

  1. I should be filled with wonder, awe, and thanks for all God has done in history and all he has done for me.
  2. I need to confess that at times I’ve found worship dull and uninteresting; at times I’ve avoided God.
  3. How can I talk to my family/friends/neighbors about worship (what is most valuable and worthy)? I should pray for the chance to talk to [neighbor’s name redacted].
  4. Do I believe/remember how central worship is to God’s purposes in the world? How would this affect me if I did?
  5. How can I remember and daily confess my dependence on the Lord (verses 21–23)? Would historic documents like the Heidelberg Catechism be helpful?

Only one of these applications (#3) is an outward application; all the rest are inward. That doesn’t make them bad applications, but I’m feeling an imbalance.

In challenging myself to generate three more outward applications, here’s what I came up with.

  1. God provides everything we need for worship; how can I emphasize this with my children when we talk about personal or corporate worship?
  2. How can I encourage those who serve in different capacities in my church’s worship service?
  3. Are there ways I can help a family with young children during my church’s worship service?

An Inventory

I suspect most people are prone to emphasize some application categories over others. But this might go unnoticed without some examination.

If we glance back at recent Bible study notes, we might be able to identify patterns and work to balance out our application muscles.

The Absurdity of Using God’s Word Out of Context

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Wolfgang Hasselmann (2020), public domain

The Bible contains many surprises: reversals of fortune, shocking victories, demoralizing deaths, and (spoiler!) resurrection. But plenty of claims and commands in the Bible remain elusive. Despite reading the Bible for years, some Christians have missed important truths.

I’m here to change that.

Three Bible Surprises

Now readers may not like what they are about to read. They may find it shocking or even offensive. But I’m only reporting what the Bible says.

Windows are evil. Most readers can probably look out a window where they are sitting right now, but perhaps they should reconsider. Here is how this truth emerges in God’s word.

  • “Windows” — 1 Kings 7:5
  • “are” — Ecclesiastes 12:3
  • “evil” — Proverbs 2:14

(Should this principle be used to advocate against certain computer operating systems? I’ll leave that for personal application.)

Everyone should own four camels. Readers may be tempted to dismiss this as antiquated advice that modern Christians no longer need to follow; remember, this is found in Scripture!

  • “Everyone” — Genesis 16:12
  • “should” — Psalm 25:12
  • “own” — John 10:12
  • “four” — Isaiah 11:12
  • “camels” — Judges 6:5

Dance all night on your neighbor’s roof. Here we have another clear command from the Bible. Will following this command cause persecution? Perhaps! But God’s people have frequently suffered for the truth.

  • “Dance” — Psalm 150:4
  • “all” — Genesis 2:20
  • “night” — Joshua 1:8
  • “on” — Genesis 1:11
  • “your” — Genesis 3:5
  • “neighbor’s” — Exodus 20:17
  • “roof” — Deuteronomy 22:8

Quoting Verses

I’ve never seen anyone use the Bible in the way I did in the previous section (though some “word studies” aren’t far off). It’s ridiculous to pick words from all over the Bible, string them together in an order of my choosing, and then claim the resulting statement is from God.

The sobering truth is that when we pluck phrases or words from their Scriptural context and string them together, we’re not doing much better. We have an entire series of articles on this website as evidence. When we use a verse outside of its original context, we risk missing some of the meaning or getting the point wrong entirely.

The common answers to these questions are likely missing the nuance, depth, or intention of the original author. It’s as true for the Bible as it is for a legal document or even your text messages: context matters.

Avoiding Laughable Mistakes

How can we use the Bible faithfully? How can we learn the truths of Scripture while avoiding these contextual mistakes?

We must learn how to read and study the Bible. Sometimes, we need to relearn how to read and study the Bible. The Bible is not a one-cup coffee maker that we visit for a daily shot of spiritual caffeine; it is a book to which we must give careful attention.

Learning to study the Bible is a process, one done best in the company of other Christians with similar ambitions. We have lots of articles and resources to help!

Bible Study is for Everyone

In our Christian circles, sometimes we absorb the truth that serious Bible study is for professional Christians—pastors, preachers, seminary professors, or counselors. But studying the Bible is for everyone!

God’s word is not beyond your grasp. Reach out your hands and take hold of it, for the Bible contains the best, most important, most hopeful news you’ll ever read.

The Power of Real Application Experience

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Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu (2022), public domain

There are few things better than a bowl of warm soup on a chilly evening. Paired with some fresh bread and butter, that’s close to a perfect meal.

Soup is an odd food, though. Most dishes are best fresh and then decent or tolerable as leftovers. Not soup. Many soups are better on the second day than the first. And if they last until the third day, they’re even better. The absorption and combination of flavors somehow doesn’t reach its peak for that first serving.

Application Takes Time

In the OIA model of Bible study, application follows observation and interpretation. And as the most effective Bible study leader is the one transformed through personal study, leaders must be committed to application.

But application takes time.

Application doesn’t take time as measured in minutes and hours. Like soup, application often needs days to mature. We don’t know how our ideas about applying a passage may encounter obstacles in our hearts and lives until some serious time has passed.

For this reason, I recommend that leaders complete the application portion of their study several days before their small group meets. (I hope preachers reading this will translate this advice to their own callings, because it is just as relevant for them.)

Time for Confession

I write this advice out of my weakness. I see an acute need for improvement in my own Bible study leadership, and I’m hoping that by broadcasting my shortcoming, it may help others excel where I have not. (And, as I’m planning to write a follow-up post, I’m hoping that accountability helps me!)

My habit in preparing Bible studies is to use my devotional time the week beforehand. My small group meets on Sunday evenings, so ideally I would complete my personal study of the text by Wednesday. This would give me four days to try on the applications that have come out of my study before I see my group. (In that time, I would also prepare my comments and questions for the meeting.)

Instead, I’ve recently been finishing my studying on Saturday. And as I rush to prepare for my group, I’m not engaged enough in personal application of the text to be helpful to my friends. I usually have a decent understanding of the passage, but my life does not often reflect the changes the main point of the passage demands.

Adjusting the Schedule

I realize this advice will not win me any popularity contests. I’m telling people who have little margin in their lives to finish their preparations earlier.

My own preparation schedule cascades from one meeting to the next. So it’s hard to simply declare that I’ll finish earlier this time around. Instead, I need to reset my “preparation calendar,” which means I need a break from leading for at least one meeting.

I’ve done this in different ways in the past. My group has met for fellowship and prayer but not for Bible study for a week. I’ve cancelled a meeting. And, I’ve asked a friend within the group to lead for a week. (This is a great opportunity to start or continue to train others to lead Bible studies!)

Grace for Leaders

As Bible study leaders read my suggestion, I hope they do not feel another burden landing on their shoulders. I’m not advocating for more work, just a shift in the preparation timeline that sets leaders up for greater effectiveness.

And we dare not lose sight of the gospel as we ponder these matters. Because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Christians are righteous, forgiven, adopted, and prayed for by the Son of God. Following my advice will not endear anyone more to God, and rejecting this advice will not make God love anyone less. God is committed to us, and he is transforming us by his Spirit as we walk with him.

The more we talk about and show that personal transformation to our Bible study friends, the more we will encourage them in their own transformation.

Context Matters: My Cross to Bear

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Greg Rosenke (2019), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard people talk about the crosses they bear. They might mention chronic pain, their role as a long-term caregiver, or trauma they’ve suffered at the hand of another. Your friend might carry a heavy burden, but if they believe that God is in control, they may affirm his call to follow Jesus with this weight on their back. “That’s just my cross to bear!”

For Christians, the cross brings to mind specific events and theological realities. Does the Bible speak about followers of Jesus also bearing a cross? Does it describe that cross-bearing in this way we commonly hear it?

Context matters. Many words and phrases may sound religious, but we should take care in our speech. When we learn to read the Bible carefully—and not just as a grab bag of holy words—we’ll find that God’s call on our lives is more comprehensive than we may have assumed.

Not in Scripture

Let’s dispense with one question up front. Referring to an acute challenge as a “cross to bear” is not in the Bible. God tells us a lot about suffering and burdens, but we don’t find this specific phrase in Scripture.

By itself, that doesn’t mean this saying should be discarded. The phrase “in the world but not of the world” is nowhere in Scripture, but it captures some important truths in a helpful way. Perhaps the same could be true of “my cross to bear.”

The closest we come to this phrase in Scripture is a sentence in Luke.

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25–27)

Let’s consider this passage in its context in Luke.

Discipleship in Luke

As Peter has pointed out, Jesus starts to head toward Jerusalem in Luke 9:51. Until he arrives, Jesus talks about the nature of his kingdom and, by extension, the nature of discipleship.

Jesus teaches about the cost of following him (Luke 9:57–62). The 72 disciples are sent out and they return (Luke 10:1–20). He teaches his disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1–13) and about the folly of anxiety (Luke 12:22–34). He uses parables and metaphors to teach about God’s kingdom (Luke 13:18–30).

In the immediate context of Luke 14:27, Jesus is speaking about the cost of following him. Specifically, he mentions three requirements—anyone who neglects these cannot be his disciple.

  • Disciples must, having come to him, hate their family and their own life (Luke 14:26).
  • Disciples must bear their own cross and come after him (Luke 14:27).
  • Disciples must renounce all that they have (Luke 14:33).

In the midst of these requirements are two stories about the need to count the cost (a landowner building a tower, a king engaging in battle). Disciples of Jesus must know what they are getting into.

Jesus has used the language of the cross before.

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:23–24)

The cross was a Roman instrument of torture and execution, so Jesus did not invoke it lightly. Those who heard would have known exactly what Jesus meant when he brought up a cross.

Jesus called his disciples to hand their lives over to him. To save their lives, they were to lose their lives for his sake. They were to renounce everything, including their closest family members.

Both Good and Bad

There may be a good intention behind the phrase “my cross to bear.” A person might be striving to be faithful in the midst of God’s difficult providence. If they know this responsibility is part of God’s calling on their life and they’ve handed their lives over to God, they embrace this burden as a disciple.

And yet, using this phrase could have the effect of compartmentalizing Jesus’s call. Referring to a particular aspect of one’s life as a cross to bear may soften the blow of Jesus’s expectation that in every aspect of our lives we are to bear our cross and follow him. We do not just give up our comfort, time, or opportunities—we are to renounce everything.

This call from Jesus is heavy, but we must not forget it is also joyful. We only need to turn the page in Luke to see the celebration we are welcomed to as repentant sinners following King Jesus (Luke 15:1–32). Jesus calls us to bear our cross, but that is not any one particular duty or condition. Bearing our cross means giving control of everything—family, possessions, vocation, life—over to our wise Master.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

How Should We Handle the Unnamed in Scripture?

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Tim Mossholder (2019), public domain

Names and titles are important in the Bible. Paying attention to these details is a key step during the observation stage of Bible study.

Adam named his wife “Eve” because “she was the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). As God made his covenant with Abram, he changed his name to Abraham, “for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5). The angel told Joseph in a dream that his son should be named Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). In these examples we have an explanation for each name, but there are scores of other named figures in the Bible where the name sheds light on some part of their story.

But, as you may have noticed, not every character in the Bible has a name.

If names are so important, why does it seem like some names in the Bible are missing? And, practically, how should we approach passages in which unnamed characters play a key role?

Let’s take a look at two examples.

The Redeemer in Ruth

My pastor just finished preaching through the book of Ruth, so we were confronted by the unnamed redeemer in chapters 3 and 4. Ruth and Naomi are aware that Boaz is a redeemer for Elimelech, Naomi’s deceased husband. However, there is a closer redeemer—a closer relative—who should receive the option to redeem Elimelech’s land and family name before Boaz is given the opportunity. (See Ruth 3:9–13; 4:1–6.)

For a character that spends so much time on the page, it seems strange that this redeemer isn’t named. And yet, this seems like an intentional choice by the author. Boaz tells this relative that when he serves as a redeemer for Elimelech, he will acquire Ruth, and any children he has with Ruth will bear Elimelech’s name (Ruth 4:5). This man refuses, saying he does not want to “impair [his] own inheritance” (Ruth 4:6).

This closer redeemer refused to lay down his concerns for another. He wanted to preserve his own name and inheritance. So, the author of Ruth serves up some poetic justice by omitting his name from the Biblical record. (This same reasoning may lie behind the fact that we know so few of the names of those building a tower in Babel in Genesis 11.)

The Believing Criminal

While not occupying as much of the biblical story as the reluctant redeemer in Ruth, some of the people who played important roles at the crucifixion are also unnamed.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals. One criminal mocked Jesus, but the other showed evidence of faith in Jesus as the king who could save. Jesus responded, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Wouldn’t it be nice to have the name of this believing criminal?

However, Luke gives us all the information we need about this man: He is a convicted criminal who confesses Jesus. Luke’s Gospel is full of Jesus extending invitations to the poor and the forgotten, to those outside the boundaries of polite Jewish society. The religious leaders put Jesus to death, and the last person to trust Jesus before he dies is a condemned criminal. We don’t need his name, because Luke has made his point: Jesus is the king and savior of the world, welcoming all who believe.

Why Are Some Unnamed?

When a character in the Bible is unnamed, one of two things is true. That name is either unknown by the biblical author or withheld from us. But since God is sovereign over the writing and preservation of his word, we can be confident that we are not lacking anything we need.

Those who are named in the Bible, are named for a reason. And those who are unnamed in the Bible, are unnamed for a reason. Though we may be missing their names, we often still know the most important things about them—their actions, their characteristics, or their roles. The biblical authors use these details instead of names to contribute to their main point in writing.

When we lack a name in Scripture, we shouldn’t react with frustration, grumbling, or speculation. It’s a good excuse to sharpen our observation skills as we try to understand how the biblical author is using this character in the story.

Individual Impressions Are Inevitable

By

George Prentzas (2020), public domain

I studied the book of Lamentations with my small group during most of 2021. Through thinking about lament in general, and the book of Lamentations specifically, God taught me so much more about grief, prayer, trusting him, and his faithfulness than I could have predicted. It’s no exaggeration—I think I grew more spiritually by studying Lamentations than I have through any other book study in the last five years.

However, not everyone in my Bible study felt the same! A woman in my small group could not wait for us to move on to study something different. She found Lamentations repetitive and deflating (despite all my cheerleading). I’m sure most of my small group friends fell somewhere in the middle.

The Bible lands on each of us differently because God works with different people in different ways. We see this in several places in Scripture.

Shouting and Weeping in Ezra

After King Cyrus of Persia sent a group of Israelite exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, their first order of business was to construct the altar. After this was accomplished, the people offered burnt offerings and celebrated the prescribed feasts (Ezra 3:3–6). They hadn’t been able to do this for decades!

After the altar, the Israelites laid the foundation of the temple (Ezra 3:10). This was a time for worship and singing.

And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

“For he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel.”

And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ houses, old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the joyful shout from the sound of the people’s weeping, for the people shouted with a great shout, and the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:11–13)

There was a loud, joyful shout from some people and loud weeping from others. Despite the celebratory occasion, some of the older Israelites mourned because they had seen the original temple (and they had also seen it destroyed). Each person’s history and experience shaped their reaction to this event.

It’s not unusual for God’s people to come away with different responses when he acts.

Surprise, Not Everyone Is Like Me!

When I have a strong reaction to something I expect others share my conclusions and enthusiasm. This is especially true when learning from God’s Word. I think everyone should be convicted in the way I’ve been convicted and focused on the same applications as me. I’m the center, and I’m the standard.

When I get some distance, I can see that my thinking is ridiculous. There is so much that determines how a Bible passage affects a person. Their background, interests, social circles, vocation, experience, and spiritual maturity all play a role.

I need to remind myself frequently that this is a good thing. My church would be boring and unbalanced if everyone took identical impressions and applications away from a Bible study, class, or sermon.

The Value of Application Questions

God works by his Spirit in large crowds with largely uniform responses. (The apostle Peter’s sermon at Pentecost seems to be an example of this.) But God also knows and works with each of us as a loving father trains his children individually according to their needs and disposition.

Bible study leaders can trust God to produce the fruit he wants in each Christian. We guide and lead our friends through observation and interpretation to understand the meaning of a passage, and we should press our friends toward application. But we cannot broadly dictate application to individuals.

This is one reason (among many) that I advocate for asking application questions. It may be better, through such questions, to suggest areas for our friends to consider than to list specific options. The Holy Spirit often helps us examine our lives in light of those questions, convicting and directing us.

Two people at the same study may come away with very different applications of a Bible passage. Bible study leaders can plant and water, but God gives the growth.

Context Matters: The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things

By

Jr Korpa (2018), public domain

Perhaps you’ve heard that our hearts are deceitful, wicked, and sick beyond all cure. You’ve been taught that our desires should always be questioned and our impulses should always be doubted. Anything we want—because that want blooms in our heart—should be suspect.

This is no inspirational teaching, so you won’t spot it on posters or mugs. But I see this verse dashed into arguments like salt in soup. Are we using using this verse properly? When we learn to read the Bible like a book and not as isolated bullet points, we’ll see that some familiar phrases don’t mean all that we’ve always assumed.

The Immediate Context

The verse in question is found in Jeremiah 17:9. Here it is with some surrounding context.

Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
and makes flesh his strength,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.


Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”


The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:5–10)

We first observe the connection between a man’s heart and his trust. A “man who trusts in man” is one whose “heart turns away from the Lord” (Jer 17:5). This man is cursed. In contrast, the man is blessed who “trusts in the Lord,” and from the structure we infer that his heart does not turn from the Lord.

This connection is essential to a proper understanding of this passage, and it is evident throughout Jeremiah’s prophecy as well. (More on this later.) This is also true in the larger context of the Bible—the heart is not primarily the origin of feelings; it is the control center for trust and worship.

We further see that the question asked in verse 9 (“who can understand it?”) is answered in verse 10 (“I the Lord”). Even if man cannot know his own heart, the Lord understands it well enough to treat everyone “according to the fruit of [their] deeds” (Jer 17:10).

Before moving on, we should examine the paragraph just prior to this passage. God is speaking, and he says that “the sin of Judah” is “written on the tablet of their heart” (Jer 17:1). The children of Judah have altars and Asherim (wooden idol-worship poles) “beside every green tree and on the high hills, on the mountains in the open country” (Jer 17:2–3). Turning away from God involves both turning to other people and turning to idols.

The Broader Context

In Jeremiah 16, the Lord tells Jeremiah what he should say when others ask what sin the people have committed against God.

Because your fathers have forsaken me, declares the Lord, and have gone after other gods and have served and worshiped them, and have forsaken me and have not kept my law, and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me. (Jeremiah 16:11–12)

The primary way that God’s people rebelled against him in Jeremiah’s day was to forsake him, turning to and serving other gods. As we can see from earlier in this prophetic book, it is the people’s hearts that lead them astray.

  • The “people [have] a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.” They do not fear the Lord (Jer 5:23–24).
  • The people “stubbornly followed their own hearts and have gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them” (Jer 9:14).
  • “This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stubbornly follow their own heart and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them” (Jer 13:10).

There are numerous other examples in the first 16 chapters of Jeremiah which mention Israel’s idolatry and turning away from God. (Most of Jeremiah 10:1–16 is a contrast between the Lord and idols, showing just how ridiculous it is to prefer idols over God.)

Conclusion

Modern Christians like to seize upon the word “heart” in Jeremiah 17:9; they point it as an accusing finger and waive it as a grand caution flag. But this verse was written to a particularly idolatrous people in a specific time. Jeremiah had exhorted them repeatedly about the tendency of their hearts to prefer other gods to the Lord.

This does not mean that 21st century Christians are exempt from warning in this passage. God’s people were led by their hearts away from him before, and the same can (and does!) happen to us. We also must watch our desires, our trust, and our security. But this verse does not teach that we must be suspicious of our every thought or emotion.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.