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Analyzing the Rich Man and Lazarus

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Peter Gurry has an interesting post at the Gospel Coalition entitled “Is the Rich Man and Lazarus a Parable?” While the post does address that question, it also does much more.

Gurry tackles the account in Luke 16:19-31, demonstrating a number of excellent OIA skills. He observes how the characters are named and portrayed. He considers the surrounding context. He asks great interpretive questions and answers them from the text. He draws vibrant application from the passage.

I encourage you to read the article to see another example of good Bible study skills (even though he doesn’t use the terminology of OIA).

Check it out!

50 Observations About the Christmas Story

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binoculars

Filios Sazeides (2018), public domain

Christmas is coming, and during this season many preachers rightly turn to Luke 2 and the first two chapters of Matthew for their sermons. This is fitting, as the Incarnation is a cataclysmic, earth-rattling truth to be studied and declared through all the earth.

And yet, because we hear and read this story every year, it can become familiar. Our eyes can glaze over despite the glory before us.

Let’s get back to the story in the Bible. We’ll look closely at Matthew 1:18–25. We’ll practice observation, the first step in the OIA (observation, interpretation, application) Bible study process.

Getting Ready

If you haven’t studied the Bible before, don’t worry—this ride is open to everyone. No advanced degrees or long resumes required.

For the sake of space, this post will only be concerned with observation. This is the essential first step in Bible study, like gathering wood for a fire. But it is also incomplete. In the same way that a pile of logs won’t keep you warm, the purpose of observation is to lead to interpretation and application. What you’ll find below is a good start but a terrible end.

If you haven’t already, check out all of our posts on the OIA method of Bible study, but especially these two (and the links contained therein) on observation.

The Christmas Story in Matthew

If you’d like to observe this passage on your own, here’s a printable version of Matthew 1:18–25 to use.

Observations 1–3

The first one is easy. The genre of this passage is narrative. Matthew couldn’t make this more clear (Matthew 1:18).

Let’s make some observations about context. Matthew begins his Gospel with “the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). He traces the lineage from Abraham to David, from David to the deportation to Babylon, and from Babylon to “Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16).

So, when Matthew refers to “Jesus Christ” (Matthew 1:18), there is a relevant context—the preceding genealogy! Additionally, when Joseph is called “son of David” by the angel (Matthew 1:20), that is a reference to earlier in the chapter as well as portions of the Old Testament.

Observations 4–13

Repeated words are some of the most helpful things to notice. I used e-Sword to find this list of the ten most common words in this passage: his (6 times), he (5), her (5), from (4), Joseph (4), son (4), Jesus (3), Lord (3), name (3), and she (3). Interestingly, “his” refers to Joseph only once and to Jesus five times, while “he” refers to Joseph four times and Jesus only once.

Observations 14–22

As I look at verses 18 and 19, I notice the following.

  • Matthew refers to “his mother Mary,” a reference back to verse 16.
  • The verbs used for Mary in verse 18 are passive: “had been betrothed,” “was found to be with child.”
  • The verbs used for Joseph in verse 19 are active: “being,” “resolved.”
  • Matthew emphasizes that Mary was found pregnant before she and Joseph “came together.”
  • Mary “was found to be with child” — yes, that sort of thing becomes obvious after a while in a pregnancy!
  • Mary was found to be with child “from the Holy Spirit.” Perhaps that refers to what is written in the subsequent verses.
  • Several words are used to describe Mary and Joseph’s relationship: “betrothed” (18), “husband” (19), and they would need a “divorce” (19) if their relationship were ended. But the angel tells Joseph to “take” Mary as his wife (20), which he does (24).
  • Joseph’s character is specifically commended in verse 19: “being a just man,” “unwilling to put her to shame.”
  • The mood of verse 19 is matter-of-fact, this divorce was going to happen.

Observations 23–33

Now we move on to verses 20 and 21.

  • There is a massive change in the story with the transition word “but” at the beginning of Matthew 1:20. The angel’s appearance to Joseph in the dream turned the plot.
  • The angel addresses Joseph as “son of David” (20).
  • A Bible character receiving instruction from God in a dream reminds me of several characters in the Old Testament, including Jacob and Joseph.
  • The angel gives Joseph two commands in the dream: “do not fear to take Mary as your wife” (20), and “you shall call his name Jesus” (21).
  • Since the angel tells Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, he must have been afraid to take her as his wife. His consideration of divorce must not have been only for the sake of propriety.
  • The angel gives Joseph a reason not to be afraid: “for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (20).
  • The angel gives Joseph a reason to call the child’s name Jesus: “for he will save his people from their sins” (21).
  • The angel does not tell Joseph how this saving from sin will occur.
  • The angel refers to “his people” in the context of who Jesus will save. This raises a question about who those people are.
  • The word from the angel must have provided Joseph with both comfort and a lot of questions.
  • Joseph does not speak to the angel or give any response within the dream.

Observations 34–44

Now, to the next two verses (22 and 23).

  • Matthew wanted his audience to understand the prophetic fulfillment of Jesus’s conception and birth (verse 22).
  • God governed the world so that his prophet’s words would be fulfilled. Matthew writes that “all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken” (22).
  • God spoke by the prophet Isaiah.
  • The quote from Isaiah begins with “behold,” the same word we also find in verse 20.
  • The quote comes from Isaiah 7:14.
  • The context of the quote in Isaiah (chapters 7 and 8) is quite political. Also, the name “Immanuel” shows up two other times.
  • In the quote, the virgin will conceive and the virgin will bear a son. There may be a connection between this, what we read in verse 18 (before they came together), and what is in verse 25 (Joseph “knew her not until she had given birth”).
  • The angel said that Joseph will call his son’s name Jesus (21), but in the quote it says “they” will call his name Immanuel.
  • The names Immanuel and Jesus are not the same. Yet Matthew says that what happens here fulfills the prophecy. (I’ve written about this elsewhere.)
  • Matthew interprets the name “Immanuel” for his readers.
  • The Isaiah passage was not spoken to Joseph, it was only included by Matthew for his readers.

Observations 45–48

Here are my observations from the final two verses of this passage (24 and 25).

  • Joseph obeyed the angel of the Lord (verse 24), which is consistent with what we know of his character (verse 19).
  • Matthew records three responses of Joseph (verses 24–25). The first (“took his wife”) and third (“called his name Jesus”) correspond explicitly to the commands of the angel (see verses 20 and 21).
  • The middle action (not knowing Mary until she gave birth) does not correspond to a command of the angel. But it may be relevant to explore connections here (see above).
  • There are three mentions of naming in this passage: verse 21 (Jesus), verse 23 (Immanuel), and verse 25 (Jesus).

Observations 49 and 50

Here are two final observations on this passage as a whole.

  • Joseph is the main character of this passage.
  • This is a clear unit of text. There is an introduction at the beginning (verse 18) and a concluding sentence at the end (verse 25). The next verse (Matthew 2:1) begins a new section of the narrative.

What Comes Next

Don’t stop here. Add your own observations to mine and continue on with interpretation. There is a lot of gold to mine in this passage.

How to Observe Structure

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Perhaps you’re persuaded that structure is something you ought to observe in a Bible passage. And perhaps you believe in the value of observing structure. But you’re just not sure how to do it. Those who can outline a passage or an argument seem to you like wizards drawing on sinister secret arts unavailable to the general populace. How do they do it?

A preliminary step is to hold only loosely to what you learned in school about outlining. Remember, the Bible is ancient literature. And the ancients may not have thought about hierarchical outlines the way we do. They weren’t writing term papers, so they may not have been automatically thinking in a format such as:

I. First main point

A. First sub-point

B. Second sub-point

II. Second main point

And so on…

Different Genres

Often we must observe the genre before we can observe the structure.

Logical literature (epistles) will be driven primarily by the argument. Once you can trace the argument (premises, conclusions, illustrations, etc.), you will have a decent outline of the passage.

Poetry is often logical as well, so tracing the argument can help. But the poet typically signals his ideas by means of metaphors. If you notice when the chief metaphor shifts, you likely can identify literary units.

Narrative is driven primarily by plot, though setting and characters can also be used as structuring devices. The main things you want to look for, though, are opening setting, conflict, rising tension, climax, resolution, and new setting. Trace this arc, and you will grasp the structure of a narrative.

Macro-Structure

Now those tips will help you on a micro level, with isolated passages or episodes. That’s often the easy part. Greater difficulty lies in identifying the structure of an entire book, or a book’s major division. But we need to interpret the passage at hand in light of the larger persuasive structure, so we must be able to discover that larger structure within which we find our text.

How do we do that?

As I’ve done before, I will rely on David Dorsey, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, for help. Dorsey has done clear and important work on this topic, which I am happy to present to you.

Primary Steps in Observing Literary Structure

Dorsey gives three main steps for grasping larger literary structures:

  1. Identify the constituent units of a composition.
  2. Analyze the arrangement of those units.
  3. Consider what this structure communicates about the author’s intended meaning.

I find the first step to be the most challenging and to require the most work. And I often have to cycle through steps 1 and 2 a few times before the structure really pops, like one of those Magic Eye 3D pictures that you can’t unsee after you have seen it.

1. Identify Constituent Units

Dorsey give three sub-steps to help you identify literary units:

  1. Beginning markers
  2. End markers
  3. Internal cohesion

Beginning markers are introductory phrases that signal a new section. For example, in my study of the tabernacle instructions in Exodus 25-31, I observed seven narrative statements: “Yahweh said to Moses…” The narrator uses these “markers” to structure God’s instructions into seven speeches. We see Genesis use a similar technique, dividing the book into ten sections that begin with: “These are the generations of…”

End markers are conclusive statements that signal the end of a section. For example, early in Mark’s gospel the narrator uses a general narrative summary statement to signal the end of his major sections (see Mark 3:7-12, 6:6b). The book of Psalms uses concluding doxologies to signal the ends of each of the book’s five major divisions (Ps 41:13, 72:18-20, 89:52, 106:48, 150:1-6). Job gives an end marker to signal a major shift from Job’s interactions with his 3 friends to Elihu’s interaction with Job (Job 31:40b).

Internal cohesion refers to the many techniques an author uses to signal that a passage hangs together as a single unit. Dorsey lists 14 techniques biblical authors use to create this cohesion, but his list can be boiled down to one thing: change. Changes in scene or setting, characters, topic, genre, pace of action, literary form, or grammatical forms (such as a shift from second person to third person pronouns) can all suggest the boundaries of a literary unit. As can inclusio or chiasm, keyword repetition, or recurring motif.

For example, Isaiah’s chapter divisions in English Bibles are notorious for screwing up the author’s structure. Isaiah 7:1-9:7 hangs together as one section, beginning with the promise of Immanuel and ending with the Mighty God being born among humanity as a child. Then Isaiah 9:8-10:4 is a single cohesive unit, containing four stanzas, each with an identical, repeated end marker: “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still” (Is 9:12b, 9:17c, 9:21b, 10:4b). If you read just Isaiah chapter 7, then chapter 8, then chapter 9, then chapter 10 (assuming each chapter to be its own unit), you will miss Isaiah’s structure, and therefore his point.

2. Analyze the Arrangement of the Units

Once you can list, with reasonable confidence, the main units of a book, you can examine how the author has chosen to fit them together.

Sometimes he uses a linear arrangement, which is the most straightforward approach. The units have little to do with each other, except that one leads to the next. The outline looks like: A-B-C-D-E-F-G. I can’t prove this, but my hunch is that this is the least common arrangement in the Scriptures. For oral cultures, a linear arrangement is just too difficult to hear and remember. We see a linear arrangement in Proverbs 10-29, where the author wants us to stop and think after almost every verse.

Sometimes biblical authors use a parallel arrangement, which involves giving a sequence and then repeating it one or more times. The outline looks like A-B-C-D//A-B-C-D. We see this in the book of Judges, where the sequence laid out in Judges 2:11-19 repeats 7 times, before we get two closing epilogues (Judges 17-18 and 19-21) that match the book’s two prologues (Judges 1:1-2:5 and 2:6-3:6). Mark uses a parallel arrangement in Mark 6:30-8:26, where he takes his disciples through the same sequence of events (feed a multitude, cross the sea, dispute the Pharisees, discuss bread, heal someone’s malfunctioning senses) two times.

Sometimes biblical authors use a symmetric arrangement, which involves moving the action or argument forward to a hinge point, then unwinding the action or argument in reverse order. The outline looks like A-B-C-D-E-D-C-B-A. This arrangement is often called a chiasm, because the outline looks like one side of the Greek letter chi (an X). We see this in the Aramaic section of Daniel (Dan 2-7) which tells of:

a vision of 4 kingdoms (Dan 2),

a martyr/rescue story (Dan 3),

judgment on a king’s pride—restored (Dan 4),

judgment on a king’s pride—not restored (Dan 5),

a martyr/rescue story (Dan 6),

and a vision of 4 kingdoms (Dan 7).

Conclusion

I’m out of space for now and will have to return to the third main step in another post. That’s where all this work of observation starts to pay off, as we grapple with the interpretive question: “Why did the author arrange his material in this way?”

Amazon links are affiliate links, which support our blog so we can continue supporting you. There is no extra cost to yourself. We’ll try to help you see chiasms like the one in this paragraph, by blogging more about such topics. But only if you click the affiliate links that take you to Amazon.

The Value of Observing Structure

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Observing structure is a lost art in much Bible study. We fixate on a few verses, and we fail to look for larger literary patterns in larger portions of text. But most Bible books would have been read orally, and authors used larger literary patterns to help people retain information. Public speakers do the same thing today when they repeat and reiterate and reinforce their points through rhythmic patterns of variation. (Just think of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech.)

In his wonderful book, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament, David A. Dorsey enumerates 10 benefits gained by observing structure:

1. Appreciation of literary artistry

Les Haines (2012), Creative Commons

Les Haines (2012), Creative Commons

God’s word is not simply true; it is also beautiful, just like he is.

2. Identification of unit boundaries

Knowing the structure might help you break up the passage sensibly for your Bible study or sermon series.

3. Discovery of the rationale behind a unit’s overall layout

When you can’t figure out why events are in such a strange order, perhaps the author arranged them purposefully to make a certain point.

4. Clarification of the relationship of the parts to the whole

Tracking structure will help you to keep the smaller episodes or stanzas connected to the main point of the whole book.

5. Accounting for repetitions

For example, why does Genesis 6-9 keep repeating the names of Noah’s sons (Gen 6:10, 7:13, 9:18)? They serve as markers for the structure.

  • The world is bad (sons named)
    • God gives Noah instructions
      • A sampling of all living things (sons named) get on the ark
        • Waters rise
          • God remembers the ark’s inhabitants
        • Waters fall
      • The living things (including the sons, unnamed this time) get off the ark
    • God gives Noah instructions
  • The world is still bad (sons named)

6. Accounting for apparently misplaced units

Some scholars don’t know what to do with passages like Genesis 38 or Nehemiah 5 or Isaiah 36-39 that seem to be completely misplaced (way out of order) within their books. But these placements make more sense when we consider the outlines of those books.

7. Clarification of a unit by comparison with its match

For example, Jonah’s prayer in Jonah 2 appears pious and repentant until you consider the parallel prayer in chapter 4. Suddenly his repentance doesn’t look very repentant.

8. A check on redaction-critical theories

For a hundred and fifty years or so, unbelieving scholars spent their time picking apart books of the Bible and showing how all the parts couldn’t have been written by the same person. However, this approach isn’t so common anymore, as the unity and beauty (see point #1 above) of each book speaks a more compelling truth.

9. Discovery of a unit’s main point

Here is something truly worth getting pumped up for. Sometimes a passage’s main point is more implicit than explicit, and the author tucks that point right into his shaping of the composition.

10. Discovery of a composition’s theme

A theme is an idea woven into the fabric of a book. That theme might not be clear until you’ve seen it crop up in many sections. Observing structure brings themes into the foreground.

So much for the principles. To see them in action, look at how much difference structure makes in each gospel’s telling of the feeding of the 5,000. Through the context and structure of each Gospel, we see that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John can use the same event for a different purpose.

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Grammar and the Good Samaritan

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houses

Joshua Hanks (2018), public domain

What shall I do to inherit eternal life?

There’s hardly a more important question. However, as we find this question addressed to Jesus by a lawyer in Luke 10:25, it wasn’t an honest question. It was a test.

After Jesus turned the question around and the lawyer gave the textbook answer, Jesus affirmed the lawyer: “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:27–28).

But the lawyer couldn’t stop there. He wanted to justify himself, so he followed up with this: “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29)

The Basics of the Parable

In response, Jesus told the now-famous parable of the Good Samaritan.

You’ve probably heard the basics. A man is robbed, beaten, and left half dead on the side of the road. Both a priest and a Levite, two representatives of the devoted members of the Jewish religion, avoid the man by passing on the opposite side of the road. A Samaritan approaches, has compassion on the man, and cares for him at great cost to himself. Those are the basics.

As students of the Bible, we must read the Scriptures carefully. We observe the text before we move on to interpret and apply it. Given this commitment, we need to consider an important question: Did Jesus answer the man’s question?

Jesus Flips the Question

The lawyer wanted a neighbor list. Who’s in, and who’s out? If Jesus engaged the lawyer on the lawyer’s terms, he might tell a story with several characters, some of whom would qualify as neighbors.

But Jesus turns this question around. His story has a single person in need, one person who needs the neighbor-love God’s law commands.

When we study the Bible, our observations must include the grammar of the passage. We should notice the subjects, verbs, objects, and so on. And in this passage, Jesus is not concerned with the word “neighbor” as a noun, but as a verb.

Okay, I know—the word “neighbor” isn’t a verb. But at the end of the parable, Jesus asks the lawyer, “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” (Luke 10:36) Instead of telling the lawyer who his neighbors are, Jesus wants the lawyer to understand how to be a neighbor.

Pay Attention to Jesus’s Words

There are important ethnic, religious, and cultural aspects to the Good Samaritan story that are beyond the scope of this post. But we only get to those larger issues through careful observation of the passage.

The lawyer was concerned about himself—his eternal life, his neighbors. But Jesus had much more in mind. The command to love one’s neighbor is not about checking a box to get closer to heaven. We are called to love our neighbors by seeing and meeting their needs. In obedience to our heavenly Father, we can love others because we have known abundant love ourselves.

Jesus often asks and answers questions in surprising ways. If we don’t observe the grammar of the text carefully, we might miss what he’s really up to.

 

What Should We Make of the Massive Repetition of Tabernacle Details in Exodus?

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I used to lead a small group Bible study in my home. And when I proposed we study Exodus, people agreed to participate only if we stopped once we hit the Ten Commandments (chapter 20).

Some time later, I proposed preaching through Exodus at our church. Some of the other elders expressed concern that a chapter-by-chapter exposition would be too taxing for the people. They wanted assurance that we wouldn’t belabor the tabernacle details.

Over the years, I have heard from many friends, who attempted to read the Bible cover-to-cover, that they gave up in the closing chapters of Exodus (though I can think of some who made it as far as Leviticus or Numbers before abandoning ship).

These three anecdotes highlight a major barrier for modern readers: There’s no avoiding the fact that Exodus dedicates exorbitant space to the architectural details of the tabernacle. And those details occur not only once but twice. Every preacher must solve the conundrum of how to preach Exodus without preaching the same sermon(s) multiple times. Every Bible reader must cope with both the pile of cubits, fillets, calyxes, and ephods (Ex 25-31), and the pile of cubits, fillets, calyxes, and ephods (Ex 35-39). As my son loves to ask me: Pete and Repeat were in a boat. Pete fell out, and who was left?

If we believe that all Scripture is useful and profitable (2 Tim 3:16-17), and we are to take heed of what God has revealed about himself, how might we approach chapters 35-39 of Exodus? Will we simply skip them, trusting the lessons from Exodus 26-31 to be sufficient? Or does the Lord have more for us than that?

I have 6 suggestions.

1. Ask why the tabernacle has so many details.

I’ve tried to cover this in my sample Bible studies on each chapter, as I’ve landed on the big picture from the beginning: Yahweh wants to dwell with his people. Here in the tabernacle, we have one of the clearest pictures of Immanuel, God with us. This is worth much time, attention, and detail to ensure we comprehend the glory of it.

2. Ask why Exodus repeats nearly every one of those details.

God chose to give us this particular picture of Immanuel two times. Let’s not let it go to waste. After all, it’s not an exact repetition. First, Yahweh says “you shall build” so and so. Second, the narrator says “Bezalel built” so and so. That shift from instruction to construction must not go unnoticed. (For an example, just do a verse-by-verse comparison of the ark in Ex 25:10-16 and Ex 37:1-5.) Yahweh told them to do something, and they did it. Or more accurately: Yahweh told them to do a thousand somethings, and they did them all. Exactly as they had been told. Down to the jot and tittle. Even if Moses had written his scroll with fluorescent gel pens, he could not have made this obvious point any more vibrant.

3. Observe which parts of Ex 25-31 are not repeated in Ex 35-39.

Though there may be more, I’ve noticed three major things: the intent to dwell, the priests’ ordination ceremony (Ex 29) and the census tax (Ex 30:11-16). All three take on greater significance outside the book of Exodus.

Yahweh clearly states his intent to dwell with his people in Ex 25:8, 29:45-46. While no such intent is stated during construction, this intent to dwell motivates Yahweh through the ages (Deut 31:23, Josh 1:5, Is 7:14, Is 8:5-10, Is 43:2, Matt 1:22-23, Matt 28:20, etc.).

The ordination instruction does finally find its twin in Leviticus 8, and the delay heightens the drama and anticipation for the event. Perhaps this ordination ceremony has more to teach us (about how to approach God) than first meets the eye.

The census tax (“ransom”) is never mentioned again, as far as I can tell. Numbers 1 and 26 narrate two censuses for the two generations of wilderness wanderers, and there is no mention of the tax there. But since Yahweh initiates both censuses, I assume they followed his instructions from Ex 30:11-16. But do you remember David’s fateful census that brought disaster on Israel (2 Sam 24, 1 Chr 21)? Have you ever wondered why it was such a terrible idea? If we didn’t skip over the boring parts of Exodus, we might have eyes to see both David’s failure to collect the ransom and God’s solution to replace the tabernacle with a permanent temple.

4. Observe which parts of Ex 35-39 are new material (not found in Ex 25-31).

Next week, I will focus my sample Bible study on these texts: Ex 35:1-29, Ex 36:2-7, and narrative additions in Ex 39:1-31. They do not have counterparts in Ex 25-31, so they highlight the new angle on Immanuel that the Lord intends with Ex 35-39.

5. Compare and contrast the structure of the two sections.

Some things are similar. For example, the ark, table, and lampstand come in the same order (Ex 25:10-40, 37:1-24), indicating those three items should be taken as a unit. Same with all the priestly garments in Ex 28 and Ex 39.

But most of the structure is completely different. I’ve created an outline showing the differences to help me visualize it. Some key takeaways:

  • The construction begins exactly where the instructions left off: The Sabbath.
  • The instructions take the shape of seven speeches; the construction has no clear corresponding framework.
  • The instructions basically start on the the inside (ark, table, lampstand) and move out (furniture, structure, priests’ garments) before coming back in (more furniture, oil & incense); the construction follows a more logical course (build the tent, fill it with furniture, create the courtyard furniture, build the courtyard fence, end with priestly garments).
  • In light of the content and structural differences, it appears the instructions put more emphasis on the tabernacle as “new creation,” while the construction puts more emphasis on the people involved as “new creators”.

6. Follow the train of thought.

One danger of treating Ex 25-31 and Ex 35-39 as one long passage about the tabernacle is that we miss the crucial train of thought! The covenant is made in Ex 19-24. Then we have tabernacle instructions in Ex 25-31. Then the covenant is broken and repaired in Ex 32-34. Finally, the tabernacle is constructed.

The flow of thought highlights the crucial nature of the breaking and repair of the covenant in between the tabernacle sections. In other words, the only reason the construction can be so detailed, so faithful, and so obedient in every point, is because Yahweh has offered these people more of himself than they’ve ever had. He’s given them a greater, albeit fading, glory in the approval of his face. And he is closer to them than ever. This fact alone makes the tabernacle construction more earth-shattering and supernatural than the instructions were.

If Yahweh is not vulnerable and willing to give himself to his people, his instructions will always fall on deaf ears. But when he shows them his glory, full of grace and truth, they become Spirit-filled to do all that he commands them do. Exactly as he commands them to do it.

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Heb 13:20-21)

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Look and Look and Look

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When I first learned how to study the Bible, I heard the story of Professor Agassiz, telling his student to look, look, and look again at a fish. The story tells of the wonder and amazement that comes from simply learning how to observe. And it shows how difficult it is to overcome our assumption of familiarity which prevents us from observing as we ought.

It’s a classic illustration, and John Piper tells it beautifully in this short video from Desiring God.

https://vimeo.com/208846470

Let this spur you to keep looking at the Scripture. You might think you already know it, but you’ll be amazed at how much more there is to see of the beauty and glory of Christ. Check it out!

HT: Andy Cimbala

How to Read the Tabernacle Narratives in Exodus

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Exodus 37:1-9, the crafting of the ark of the covenant, was the text for one of the most unusual Bible studies I’ve ever participated in. This Bible study was unusual for two reasons. First, it was attended only by pastors. And second, we had no idea what to do with the text.

While this group discussed the ark of the covenant at length, we almost completely avoided discussing the text of Exodus. We went to 2 Samuel and discussed Uzzah touching the ark. We went to the Talmud and discussed rabbinic traditions for the high priest (tying a rope to his ankle, etc.). We went to the gospels and discussed the torn veil when Jesus died. I’m sure Indiana Jones even came up.

But when it came to having a Bible study on chapter 37 of Exodus, all the standard skills went out the window. We didn’t observe the grammar or structure. We didn’t consider repeated words, connector words, or the flow of thought. We never assaulted the text with our questions, nor did we wring it for answers. Instead of studying the passage, we theologized on the theme of “ark of the covenant” and what we thought that theme meant for Christians. And our theologizing had little to do with what Exodus actually said.

If Bible-believing pastors, committed to expositional preaching, are prone to read the Exodus tabernacle narratives this way, how much more the average Christian? So before I dive into the tabernacle instructions in my study of Exodus, let me begin with a few principles to guide our reading.

1. Don’t neglect your OIA skills

You’ve learned to observe, interpret, and apply the Scripture. Though the tabernacle narratives feel alien and overwhelming, don’t let those feelings drive you to neglect what you know how to do. Your skills are even more important when the text feels unfamiliar. Don’t jump too quickly to theological rationalization, or to sloppy cross-references. Work first to understand the passage in context for its original audience; then move forward to connect it with the rest of God’s revelation.

2. Guard the main idea

Yahweh says to Moses, right near the beginning of the instructions, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex 25:8). Here is the driving motive behind the commission to build: Yahweh wants to dwell in the midst of his people. He rescued them and brought them to himself (Ex 19:4). He’s given them himself in the Book of the Covenant (Ex 23:20-22). Now he wants to live with them forever.

They are desert nomads, living in tents; so he will be a desert nomad, living in a tent. They will be moving around, so he will be moving around. Wherever he leads, they will follow. But he won’t lead them from afar. He wants to be right in the middle of their camp.

These tabernacle narratives give us one of the clearest pictures of Immanuel, God with us, in all the Scripture. As you read, don’t lose your wonder at the fact that a holy God would make it possible for himself to live among sinful people.

3. Visualize the details

The tabernacle was meant to be built and interacted with. It was the first “Please Touch Museum,” after a fashion—at least the outside parts of it. The original audience would have been intimately familiar with the tabernacle’s floor plan, fire escape route, and standard operating procedures. We are not, so we’re at a disadvantage.

But we have computers and study Bibles and graphic designers, which puts us at an advantage.

Don’t be afraid to look at pictures of the furniture, architecture, and garments while you read. The more you can visualize the detail while you read, the more sense it will make to you. And there’s no shame in having to look up terms like calyx, carbuncle, galbanum, or ephod.

Ruk7, Creative Commons

4. Notice the order of things

Here’s where your observation skills really come in handy. Most of the details in Exodus 25-31 (instruction) will be repeated in Exodus 35-39 (construction), but in a different order. That’s on purpose, and much of the fun is figuring out why. Why do the priest’s garments come at the center of the instruction, but the end of the construction? Why does the instruction begin with the ark, but the construction begins with the tent curtains? Why, in the instruction, is the golden altar of incense separate from the other inside furniture pieces, but in the construction they’re all together? All these observations give us clues to what the narrator wants to communicate.

5. Observe the narrative frame

I’ve seen readers and students so numbed by the voluminous detail of chapters 25-29 that they miss an obvious observation when they hit chapter 30. Right in Exodus 30:11: “Yahweh said to Moses.” And again in Exodus 30:17. And also Exodus 30:22, 30:34, 31:1, and 31:12. Combine that with Exodus 25:1, and you get seven speeches. This is a narrative about seven speeches from Yahweh to Moses.

And not only that, but the seventh speech is all about the sabbath. And the sixth speech is all about men filled with Spirit of God for the service of God. These things, in this order, should remind us of the creation of the world in Genesis 1. I’m not going to push this parallel (between specific speeches and their corresponding “days” in Genesis 1) any further now, but it’s at least a clue. And we’ll see many more clues in these chapters that connect the tabernacle with the creation of the world—suggesting that this tabernacle is a new creation. Here is God remaking the world in his image so he can live with his people in paradise.

6. Behold Immanuel

In point #1, I said that the main idea is for God to live with his people. Our reading will be incomplete if we don’t eventually get to the fulfillment of “God with us” in the person of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:22-23, 28:20, Rev 21:3, etc.).

So as we read, we want to see Jesus in the tabernacle. We won’t necessarily look for him in every socket, board, gemstone, or tent peg. But we should see him all throughout as God dwelling among his people.

The Gospel of John will be our best guide, as it begins with Jesus dwelling among us (John 1:14), it commandeers the tabernacle’s imagery to explain Jesus’ identity (light, bread, water, Lamb of God, door), it shows Jesus interceding for his people like a high priest (John 17), and it climaxes with a veritable mercy seat, the place where Jesus’ body had lain, with one angel at the head and another at the foot (John 20:12).

Armed with these guidelines, we’re ready to begin studying the tabernacle narratives.

The Twist in the Sermon on the Mount You Probably Missed

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In “The Twist in the Sermon on the Mount You Probably Missed,” Mark Ward shows how to observe connector words, how to ask interpretive questions, and how to follow the author’s train of thought. His study leads into rich application dealing with anger and reconciliation. This is great Bible study.

I’m about to make the greatest understatement of all time: Jesus is brilliant. By focusing my attention on my own sins, he not only helps me defuse others’ anger against me, he also defuses my anger against others. It is in remembering that I am a sinner, and a sometimes mean one, that I can have pity on others. It is in remembering that I am a forgiven sinner that I can find the strength to forgive other sinners—just like the parable of the unforgiving servant.

Check it out!

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!