Session 1: Preparation

If you desire a full summary of our ‘preparation’ for ‘Thinking through the Bible’ on Sunday mornings, send your request by email to carlsonpj@gmail.com. This blog is a summary of what Paul presented, as well as what others shared during the session.

MATERIALS

·         ‘Text’ or ‘Reading’ Bible – this helps us think about the actual story without being distracted by ‘Study’ and ‘Theme’ Bible notes. These types of Bibles have their place, but not in this approach.

·         Notes are available to guide you in your reading and thinking – they should not replace your personal Bible reading. They are available in printed or electronic (pdf) form – request by email.

·         A Bible Reading Log is available in the notes or separately – simply request one.

·         Optional reading of a textbook can be ordered on line or through a bookstore: ‘Putting Together The Puzzle Of The Old Testament’ by Bill Jones

APPROACH

Listen to the beginning and ending of chapter 1 in The Jesus Storybook Bible: The Story and the Song by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
She begins: God wrote, “I love you” – he wrote it in the sky, and on the earth, and under the sea. He wrote his message everywhere. Because God created everything in his world to reflect him like a mirror to show us what he is like, to help us know him, to make our hearts sing… And God put it into words, too, and wrote it in a book called “the Bible.”
She ends: Our Story starts where all good stories start. Right at the very beginning...We’re not here to develop a bunch of bullet lists and formulas and definitions for Christian living. We’re reading God’s love story, and we don’t do well trying to define love; it’s better described.

We are accustomed to asking ourselves: How is my relationship with God? Turn that question around and ask: How is God’s relationship with me? That opens the way for other questions about God’s relationship with me: What does God think of His relationship with me? Does He keep putting me down? Does He haul out my sins He’s forgiven?

READING

Find a Bible that helps you to simply read and think about what you’ve read. There is a good reason why God wants us to read the Old Testament as we have it. Our local musician (Zach) shows us through a song he’s written from Genesis that we can see God as our ‘redeemer’. Click on the ‘Zach Songs’ tab to read his ‘Genesis’ song. God gave us a progression of His revelation through the ages. Can we use the Old Testament for personal application before we get to the New Testament? Yes, just look at what Abraham did before the Law was revealed! ‘Crushing Satan’s head’ was enough for those in the beginning of Genesis to know in order to believe. Just read and grasp the flow of the story and see how it unfolds, and fits together into one marvelous story, without struggling with confusing English. Look at a sample of what we’ve done with it:

1.    The bandage was wound around the wound.

2.     The farm was used to produce produce.

3.     The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4.     The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert and he will get his just deserts.

5.     Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

6.     When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

7.     There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

8.     They were too close to the door to close it.

9.     After a number of injections my jaw got number.

10.  I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

To understand these words we need to read them in their context, which is how we need to understand ‘God’s Story’. Don’t stall at what you don’t understand in the story. It’s like eating fish, if you get a bone, spit it out and move on.

RELIVE HISTORY

Essential to our approach in ‘Thinking through the Bible’ is that you read each Book of the Bible as if you lived during that time. Read as if you are there. Think ahead only to the degree the future was revealed to those living at the time. In this way you will best discover that “Behind and beneath the Bible, above and beyond the Bible, is the God of the Bible” (Henrietta Mears). The story will unfold for you. For example, read the first command by God to ‘go’, found in Genesis 6:18; and the second ‘go’ in Genesis 8:16; and finally the third ‘go’ in Genesis 12:1. What would have been the consequences if these men disobeyed?

ATTRIBUTES

Another essential to our approach is to remember that we are reading God’s Story, so learn through the story how God relates to His creation. A good motto is to ‘Watch God at work’. As you read, make special note of what it tells you ‘about’ God, how God revealed Himself through what He ‘did’, and how God ‘related’ to people. This reveals God’s ‘attributes’ – what God ‘is’. Be careful not to think of ‘traits’ or ‘characteristics’ or ‘qualities’ when describing God, because these words apply to created beings.

RELATIONSHIPS

Finally, as you read God’s Story, focus on the relationships He had with ‘households.’ What becomes apparent are ‘household’ relationships. Look at the description in Exodus 20:17 and Deuteronomy 5:21. We are accustomed to looking at how individuals related to God and what it was like for them; while ‘Thinking through the Bible’ look at how God related to His created beings and what emotions He expressed. This helps us appreciate God as ‘our’ God in all His fullness.

COST
·         The greatest ‘cost’ is your time. Adjust your schedule according to the amount of time you need to complete your Bible reading. G. Campbell Morgan once made the statement: “The Bible can be read from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 at pulpit rate (out loud) in 78 hours.” A lawyer challenged him on that. Morgan told him to go on and try it. The lawyer went home and read the Bible in less than 80 hours. We don’t ‘make’ time to read the Bible; we merely ‘take’ time.

·         Pray for fellow ‘Thinking through the Bible’ participants around the world – request a list by email.

·         If you request printed notes, inquire about the cost – there are twelve parts for the entire Bible.

NEXT SESSION

Our next session on October 10 will be the INTRODUCTION, when we’ll look at how the Bible was put together; the difference between ‘revelation’, ‘inspiration’, ‘illumination’, ‘communication’; names of God; and the Bible in its setting.

But, on October 17 we’ll enter Genesis, so be sure to begin reading your Bible. It’s fine to read ahead, but don’t get behind!

TEACHING

If you are guiding an individual or group through ‘Thinking through the Bible’, you may want to read Paul’s full set of notes and fill in the gaps to this summary and the one you request by email. Enjoy reading ‘God’s Story!’