Wednesday, June 2, 2010

What do you see?

Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Psalm 119:33-35
Over the past few posts I have talked a lot about the two main aspects of bible study.....exegesis (meaning) and hermeneutics (application). Now, let's dig in. Let me introduce a brand new word to the discussion: OBSERVATION. This is where it all begins....this is the foundation of good bible study. As soon as we open the bible to read, this word (observation) should be on our minds. Now, how do we do this? Here are some suggestions-- Read the passage of scripture from different character perspectives. This works especially well when the passage in study is a narrative. With the passage above from Psalms- read it from the perspective of the psalmist, but then read it from the perspective of the Lord. Read it meditatively....then read it slowly while focusing on each individual word. Read it like it is the very first time you have read it. Discover what is truly there.

The method of bible study that I am suggesting is actually called "inductive bible study." Induction looks at all the individual parts and then draw conclusions. This is opposite of deduction which starts with a conclusion and then observes to determine if the conclusion is true. Induction, in essence, is the process of discovery whereas deduction looks for proof.

So, when you open your bible today (and every day for the rest of your life)- think "observation"! Throw out the old stale ways of reading and jumping right to application. Read, observe what is there, read it again, read it different ways, explore the text....then move on to determining meaning and application. If you are not used to this process it may seem a bit unnatural at first....but, as it becomes a normal part of your bible reading- you will enjoy God's word like you never have before!

No comments:

Post a Comment