Many think understanding the Bible is impossible. It’s not impossible, but it does take some effort. The Bible is not a novel, something we read cover-to-cover in a few sittings. It’s a Scriptural record, consisting of a collection of different types of writing spanning thousands of years. It wasn’t written in modern times, and in many ways, doesn’t suit modern sensibilities. Studying it – with the goal of faith and life application – doesn’t happen if we approach it improperly.
Here we are going to look at five facts to help you understand the Old Testament. Old Testament Bible Study is common among both new and seasoned believers alike. It also has its own unique study challenges. Want to dive into Old Testament Bible Study and get more out of it? Read on to discover new information!
The Bible isn’t a diary
It’s tempting to read the Bible and think you’re reading someone’s diary. The truth is the Bible is anything but a diary. In the case of the Old Testament (and some of the New Testament, too), the Bible started out as collections of stories passed down between generations through stories and legends. This practice is known as oral tradition. It was very common in the ancient world, as most people were illiterate. Just as with all stories told by mouth, details sometimes changed between generations. Some facts were more relevant to certain generations than others, and sometimes embellishments were added to answer questions, sort out thoughts, or inspire greater faith.
Bible stories were written down in hindsight, sometimes thousands of years after they happened. This isn’t to discount the stories or their contents, but to remind each of us that as we explore Old Testament Bible study, we aren’t reading detailed events as they happened. There were no news crews, written or virtual diaries, or historians around to nitpick every detail. The focus, for Bible writers, wasn’t the accuracy of things we often obsess over. It was the presence of God in the lives of these ancient people.
Things aren’t always in chronological order
It’s tempting to think a chapter of the Bible covers one day, with the next chapter picking up where it left off (i.e., the “next day”). Remember, just as we spoke of earlier, the Bible isn’t a diary. Bible chapters don’t often pick up right where they leave off. For example, There are four years between the end of Esther 1 and the beginning of Esther 2. Many presume Genesis 38 to be a Bible inclusion (as it seems kind of out of place) to indicate how much time passed between Genesis 37 and Genesis 39. In Judges, no one is quite sure where administrations start or end, as some might have run concurrently rather than in succession. With some books, we have no idea how much time passed between the end of one event, the start of another, or sometimes the passage of time within specific situations.
Time, as we understand it (with clocks and measuring devices) is a newer evolution of history. Days and years were measured differently, and the passage of time revolved around approximations rather than exact dates and precise times. The Bible wasn’t written to provide a historical measuring device, but to inspire our faith. Remember, faith is the focus, not these secondary details.
Ancient kingdoms borrowed everything from one another
If you’ve ever read the Old Testament and found yourself baffled at the number of kingdoms mentioned, you’re not alone. In Old Testament times, “kingdoms” were often smaller regions that started out as city states. In many instances, these various kingdoms were found in specific regions, identified by historians as subheadings of a main group. For example, the Canaanites included seven different groups: Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Jebusites, Hivites, Perizzites, and Girgashites. Other surrounding nations were much like one another, as they had something in common: they often shared everything across cultural lines.
In Old Testament times, there were no copyright laws. Cultures borrowed lands, languages, cultural practices, gods (often renaming them), holidays, and religious practices. Nations were conquered by other nations, who were in turn conquered by others. As empires grew larger and Middle Eastern nations faced occupation (think: Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome), the cross-cultural influences adjusted through additions. Even though many of them no longer exist, having a basic understanding of one group helps to understand what went on across the various cultures.
The people in Old Testament times were brutal
The Bible wasn’t written by people in modern society. This doesn’t mean we can’t apply it today, but that it’s tone doesn’t read like modern writings. In fact, the ancient world did not hold to many modern sensibilities. They were brutal, aggressive people, laboring to defend their land, their families, and their very lives. Battles were intense. Relationships were arranged. Even religious practices seem brutal by modern standards. Much revolved around sacrifice, sacrificial offerings, blood, slaughter, and burning.
This doesn’t mean Bible people were inferior to us. They weren’t of lesser intelligence. They just lived in a different time and place. If God reached out to them where they were, surely God can reach out to us, too.
The Bible is not just “about Israel”
It’s a misnomer to think the Bible is exclusively about the ancient people known as the Israelites. The Old Testament speaks of a time when Abraham’s descendants would include all nations (Genesis 26:4). While not all peoples of the world are featured in the Bible (outside of the multitudes of Revelation), all believers of the world have part in Biblical heritage.
Beyond this, the Bible abounds with people from diverse parts of the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and West Asia. The Biblical designation of Israel is not the only nation. Nations include modern-day Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Macedonia, Spain, Portugal, Yemen, and Malta. In some prophetic writings, it is not just the fortunes of Israel that will one day be restored, but of some of these surrounding nations, as well. Bible atlases are a fantastic resource to help navigate the geography of Bible times.
What’s your reason for study?
Old Testament Bible study is an important part of one’s faith. Why do you study? What do you hope to gain?
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