Living the Dream: Courage
The Bible contains a number of passages that are particularly difficult to understand, much less apply to our daily lives: Below I have listed three considerations in how to approach particularly difficult parts of the Bible:
- Context: Though context is always important in reading the Bible well, it is especially important with difficult passages. To read “in context” is to read what is around the particular passage being studied. In the case of Genesis 38, we can gain insight into why this chapter shows up where it does when we take time to read the chapters before and after it. In ch.37 we see the beginnings of Judah’s corruption as he instigates selling his brother into slavery. In ch.39 we see Joseph, in contrast to Judah, practice sexual integrity and faithfulness to the Lord.
- Cultural Distance: The Bible can sometimes be difficult to understand because its events occurred in times and places very different from our own. For instance, the practice of “levirate marriage,” by which a next of kin would marry the wife of a relative who had died, is a practice very unfamiliar to us. However, in the culture of biblical people, this practice was very important, so that the widowed spouse would not be abandoned and uncared for. Understanding this is a key component of understanding both Judah’s sin and Tamar’s risk.
- Community: Healthy Bible reading cannot be done in isolation; rather, it is intended to be a community practice, and this is even more important when trying to understand particularly difficult passages. When preparing to preach to Genesis 38, I took some time to get guidance from the elders on how to best approach the sensitive content of this chapter in a preaching setting. Their thoughts and suggestions were very helpful in figuring out how to present this passage in a way that was both faithful to the text, yet also appropriate for all ages. By the way, Sunday School is a great way to read and discuss the Bible with others!
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