Tag: Samuel

Simple strategies for navigating scripture

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Christmas might be all packed away, but the search for ornaments on the tree may offer some strategies for navigating scripture.

Have you ever wondered how the Bible all fits together or how to find anything in it? Like locating each ornament on the tree, I’m all about understanding where to find content in the Bible. I think one of the biggest obstacles I faced when first trying to read it was how much time it took to find anything. Then when I did open it, many times the information felt a bit random. I didn’t know how it connected to the rest of the Bible.

As I was putting away Christmas ornaments, I saw similarities to scripture navigation which could prove useful.

All you have to do is find it

Most of the ornaments on our tree don’t have specific boxes they go in. Much of packing up Christmas is about making a space to store all of the holiday decorations. But some do have a specific box they go in, and a handful of those boxes have a picture of the ornament on the front so you know what’s supposed to go inside. Truth be told, those are the easiest ornaments to put away, because a particular ornament goes into a specific box – all you have to do is find the ornament on the tree.

Search becomes a treasure hunt

With the picture on the front of the box, you know what you’re looking for. Now the fun begins as the search becomes a treasure hunt.

I’ve seen that before

Next comes, “I know I’ve seen that somewhere before,” and you try to remember where on the tree you recall having seen the ornament nestled in among the fir branches, lights, and garland.

Sometimes I’ll remember I saw it when I was sitting on the couch looking at the tree, which helps narrow the search area.

How I find it

During the search one of several things generally happens:

I find the ornament right away.

I realize when and approximately where on the tree I remembered catching a glimpse of it.

I do a grand sweep of the whole tree (which rarely unearths the sought-after object).

My husband finds it, but that’s only if I let him know what I’m searching for.

I momentarily stop looking and find a box for another ornament. Eventually the one I was looking for appears.

The process

This year while engrossed in this process, which in some ways is like a game, I noted the similarities to navigating scripture, whether looking for Jesus or another connecting point in the Bible.

Sometimes Jesus’ presence in scripture is obvious, like in the Gospels when He’s with His disciples, and all those red letters highlighting what Jesus said if your Bible references Jesus’ words in red.

Other times His appearance or what I’m looking for isn’t obvious, but I’ll remember that it’s somewhere in the vicinity of or related to another story or passage I’m familiar with.

In other instances, I think about where and when I saw a particular scripture reference last.

What else was I reading at the time?

What other aspect of a passage of scripture do I remember?

Storyline

For example, the book of 1 Samuel begins with Samuel’s mother Hannah, hoping desperately for a child. Her fervent prayers are answered in her son Samuel who grows up to be a servant of God. He anoints the people’s king, Saul and eventually God’s choice for king, David. If we remember Samuel’s role in God appointing a ruler, we have clues to place people like Saul and David in the line up to help us find their stories in the Bible.

Other times I’ll release the search, keeping the concept I’m looking for in the back of my mind, knowing the Holy Spirit will catch my attention at the right time.

Name recognition

Genesis is another great place to establish some name recognition. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are a multigenerational trio that shows up throughout the Bible. Their storylines start in Genesis, but they continue to be mentioned from Exodus into the New Testament. Remembering these three goes a long way to keep us in the know as we read and see them reappear in various places in scripture.

Also, when we see something like “city of David” we can remember that’s connected to the David mentioned in the book of Samuel.

Connecting concepts

Leviticus holds some of the biggest treasure in the Bible, but for now, we’ll just focus on the offerings. In this third book of the Bible, we read about several different types of offerings. Just remembering the reference to these offerings in Leviticus goes a long way toward connecting other concepts in scripture.

Grand sweep

The grand sweep. This works well if you have a Bible with subheadings. It’s also helpful if you’re getting your bearings. You can skim the contents of a few books of the Bible, like all four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, located at the front of the New Testament. A skim of the beginning of these four books of the Bible helped me find the missing manger. I also began to notice the similarities and differences between the Gospels, noting which stories and aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry are covered in each.

A quick view of the Bible

Another way to get your bearings is with a quick overview of the entire Bible. If you’re not sure how to go about approaching the Bible, I have a handy quick view of the Bible. It’s a tri-fold brochure that doubles as a bookmark, offering a quick overview of the whole Bible.

Bible quick view

What’s important is to simply start the process of looking. You’d be amazed at what you’ll find.

So next time you open your Bible, begin your search.

The trouble of reading the Bible and one possible reason we don’t

Piano books and Bible books – an easy way to learn

Two things that kept me from reading the Bible – and what changed my tune

A bike and the Bible – Joshua to 1 and 2 Samuel – part 8

From Joshua to 1 and 2 Samuel, familiar stories bring recognition and maybe a little comfort, much like the stretch of the bike trail that was out in daylight after the long dark tunnel.

Shared road

After 1.661 miles of darkness, I was glad to see sunlight and begin the stretch of the ride that was on a shared road. This section carried bikes, cars, and buses. A gravel road worn smooth from the weight of many tires and frequent use.

Though varied vehicles meant we had to watch for traffic in both directions, I welcomed the open expanse and chance to see something familiar.

Bigger view

Outside the entrance of the tunnel I could see the panoramic view of evergreens, blue sky, and sunshine. We were still near the start of the bike ride, but this was the first we could really see where we were going.

The next few books of the Bible – Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel – offer a similar perspective.

Joshua

Joshua, Moses’ successor, leads the Israelites as their journey continues. To recap, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt (the Exodus) and gives his farewell speech in Deuteronomy. Joshua takes over leadership in the Book of Joshua.

The Book of Joshua includes the story of Rahab who hid the spies (chapter 2), the crossing of the Jordan River (chapter 3 and 4), and the fall of the wall at Jericho (chapter 6). These were stories I heard about at church when I was a kid. They read pretty quickly if you want to give them a look.

Rahab’s name is good to remember. Her name comes up in the New Testament in some pretty remarkable ways. (See Matthew 1:5 and Hebrews 11:31).

The Battle of Jericho is one of many battles that takes place in this action-packed book. The second half of Joshua covers the division of land among the tribes.

Before Joshua passes on, he gives a farewell warning to the people reminding them to obey God. (Joshua 23:6)

In chapter 24 the people swear they will be faithful to God, but the next book, Judges, tells a different story.

Judges

The Judges ruled or led people. The people would do things their own way, “did right in their own eyes,” until they really messed up and God sent a judge to lead them out of their predicament.

Some of the noteworthy names are Deborah (chapter 4 and 5), Gideon (chapter 6-9), and Samson (chapter 13-16). Don’t worry if you don’t recognize their names. Their stories only take a few chapters to read. Here are a couple of highlights from Gideon’s story.

Gideon

I so appreciate Gideon. God whittles down all Gideon’s resources to show God’s strength, not the strength of the Israelites. (Judges 7)

Gideon also has a few trust issues and asks God to do a lot of proving of His role in Gideon’s survival. (Judges 6:36-40)

Ruth

The Book of Ruth is a short four chapter self-contained story that packs a punch when you realize how significant Ruth’s role is in the bigger story of Jesus. (Read Ruth chapter 4, then compare Ruth 4:18-22 and Matthew 1:1-6)

1 and 2 Samuel

1 and 2 Samuel, once one long book split into parchment part one and two, 1 Samuel starts with the story of a woman longing for a child. We learn the story of Samuel from before he was born to boyhood to first job and God’s calling.

1 Samuel presents the rise and fall of Saul as king and the introduction of David who complicates the dynamics of Saul’s kingdom.

When the giant Goliath enters the scene, this adversary defines David’s popularity. David’s story comes to the forefront in the rest of 1 Samuel. His reign as king begins in 2 Samuel.

How to remember what’s in 1 and 2 Samuel?

Samuel anoints David as king. 1 and 2 Samuel contains the story of David.

In these five books of the Bible we find narratives and stories that are easy to follow and in some cases familiar. A breath of fresh air in the Old Testament murkiness.

Easier

On the bike ride we shared the road with automobile traffic and buses, as well as bikes moving in both directions. But because of all of this traffic, the road was smoother. All of that gravel had been worn down and was therefore easier to ride over.

These stories are either well-known, shorter, easier to comprehend, or to follow. We also find a few distinct references to the New Testament showing the two-way traffic between the Old and the New.

Hopefully like the bike path that opened up after the tunnel, you are finding a clearer view through the Old Testament with insights from Joshua to 1 and 2 Samuel.

Want a quick review of the first five books of the Bible, Genesis through Deuteronomy? Find it here:

A bike and the Bible – long dark tunnel – part 7