how can i know god through his book

8/11/2019 How Can i Know God Through His Book

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HOW CANI KNOW GODTHROUGH HISBOOK?

YYou can tell a lot about a

person by what he writes.His way of saying things,

the issues he discusses, and thepeople and places he mentionsreveal a great deal about him.

If this is true of the books menwrite, it is more true of theBiblethe book that was

written to reveal its Author.David Egner has written this

booklet to show us how we can

know God through our study ofHis bookthe Bible.

Martin R. De Haan II

Managing Editor: David Sper Cover Photo: Terry BidgoodScripture quotations are from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by ThomasNelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 1988, 2002 RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, Michigan Printed in USA

CONTENTS

The AuthorAnd His Book . . . . . . . . 2

The BibleAnd Its Author . . . . . . . 4

How To Know God

Through The Bible. . . . . 51. Through

The Story Line . . . . . . 6

2. ThroughThe People. . . . . . . . 11

3. Through

The Places . . . . . . . . 154. Through

The Mood . . . . . . . . 19

5. ThroughThe Message . . . . . . 24

Putting It To Work . . . 27

Helping YouHelp Others. . . . . . . . . 29

What About You . . . . . 31

The Knowing GodSeries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.


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THE AUTHORAND HIS BOOK

AAn author often revealshimself in what hewrites. He will

sometimes put himself intohis characters, talk throughtheir speeches, and pour hisfeelings into their emotions.

Ideas and issues that areimportant to him will findtheir way into the pages ofhis books.

One of the intriguingaspects of the study of

literature, therefore, islearning about an authorthrough his writings. Forexample, we can learnmuch about the blind poetMilton through his sonnets

and through Paradise Lost.And the study of the darkand twisted stories of Edgar

Allan Poe take us deeplyinto his twisted mind andtormented heart.

Sometimes the writer willcome right out and tell thereader what he is like and

what he believes. The fewpeople who took seriously

Adolf HitlersMein Kampf,for example, recognized hisego, his love of power, andthe intensity of his hatredfor the Jews.

Usually, however, an

author does not reveal histhinking and his characterdirectly. His works must beread carefully and analyzedbefore the reader can beginto understand him. We

must study his characters,scrutinize his places andincidents, and review histhemes before we can know

what makes him tick.Think a moment about

James Fenimore Cooper, theearly American writer who

wrote such thrilling stories

2

What an authorsays reflects whothat author is.



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as The Deerslayer,The Pilot, and The LastOf The Mohicans. Readingthese stories would give

you a sense of Coopersadmiration for thepioneering spirit of theearly settlers and hisrespect for the shrewdnessand skill of the American

Indian. You would alsobegin to feel his love forthe spirit of adventure andhis conviction that faith is

vitally important if one isto overcome the fears and

uncertainties of life.But, you ask, how is

all of this going to help me?What does it have to dowith God and the study ofthe Bible? Simply this:

While one of the interestsof literature is to get toknow an author through

what he has written, itshould be the main interestof all Bible study. The Bible

is Gods book. Although itwas written by men likeMoses and Luke and Paul,

it is the self-revelationof God. He is the Authorbehind the authors. And

what He says reflectswho He is.

To know God, therefore,

we have to read His book.We have to learn to seeHim on every page, aboveevery event, in every placeand circumstance, andoverseeing the choice of

every person who makeshis way into the sacredpages of biblical history.

3

While one of thevalues of literature

is to help you getto know an author

through whathe has written,

it should be themain purpose ofall Bible study.



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THE BIBLE ANDITS AUTHOR

TThe Bible, the book of

books, was written sothat we could know

the Author behind theauthors. Sometimes Heis revealed directly instatements that tell us

exactly what He is like.The simple sentenceGod is love (1 Jn. 4:16)is an example. So is thestatement Be holy, for Iam holy (1 Pet. 1:16).

In most cases, however,we must look into andbeyond the stories andstatements and peopleof the Bible to see thecharacter of its Author. The

story of David and Goliath(1 Sam. 17), for instance,tells us a great deal aboutGod. True, the story isprimarily the historicalaccount of a valiant Jewish

youth in his conquest ofa bigger, stronger, moreexperienced foe. But it was

Gods cause that Davidwas defending. It wasGods power and controlthat directed the stone fromDavids sling and broughtthe blasphemous giantcrashing to the ground.

And it was God who was

glorified when the paganPhilistines were put to flightby the armies of Israel.

That God is our God!The details and sceneryhave changed, but the

character of Davids Godhas not. Nor have Hisprinciples. He is still withus, and He can be foundby those who seek Him.He is involved with all

that happens. And Hehas a plan, a cause, and apurpose for each one of us.

4

What God saysreflects who

He is.



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HOW TO KNOWGOD THROUGHTHE BIBLE

TThe first thing you

need to do as youapproach the Bible

is to ask its Author for help.Dont forget to do that! Theamazing thing about the

Bible is that its real Authoris listening to your everythought. He is as closeas a prayer. And when

you ask Him to help youunderstand the book He

has inspired (2 Tim. 3:16;2 Pet. 1:20-21), you canbe sure that He will findpleasure in giving you yourrequest (Mt. 7:7-11).

The second thing we

suggest is that you considerusing the same method ofstudy that is often usedfor literature of lesserimportance. There are atleast five classic elements

of literature that also canbe applied to the Scriptures.

When adapted for the

purpose of Bible study, theylook like this:

1. The Story Line.What God directly causesor allows to happen.

2. The People. How

God relates to what peoplethink, feel, and do.

3. The Places.WhereGod rules in the affairs ofmen.

4. The Mood.What

God wants people to feel.5. The Message.

What God thinks or says.As we look at the Biblefrom these five points of

view, our prayer is that it

will help you see God moreclearly throughout thepages of His book.

5

GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3. PLACES

4. MOOD

5. MESSAGE

READER



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1. THE STORY LINEA first way we can know theGod of the Bible through Hisbook is by observing whathappens in its pages. As wetrace the sequence of events,

the story line, we will seeGod in action: creating,making things happen,reacting to the things thattake place in His world, andresponding to the needs of

man. All of this gives usinsight into His mind andcharacter. It helps us knowGod better.

Learning FromLiterature. Suppose we

are readingMoby Dick. Tounderstand and enjoy thebook, we first have to follow

the story. We must note itsbeginning, how it develops,the climax, and the ending.

WhenMoby Dick begins, thepeg-legged Captain Ahab ishiring a crew to take his

whaling vessel onto the highseas. His quest is to huntdown and kill the great white

whale that took his leg. We

soon realize that Ahab isobsessed with revenge.

As the story movesalong from event to event,the showdown comes closer.Finally the whale is sighted

and a longboat is lowered.The whale is harpooned,but in the wild struggle thelongboat is smashed and theship itself destroyed. Onlyone man is left to tell the

tale of Ahabs defeat.That is the basic story

of the book. But in its 400pages, numerous smallerdramatic episodes takeplace. Their significance can

be understood only in thelight of the basic story line.Each of these minor

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2.3.

4

5.

READER



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episodes has a beginning,middle, and ending. Tracingthem and fitting them intothe main thread of the storyis part of the enjoyment ofreading the novel. It alsohelps us see the authorspurpose for writing.

The Story Line OfThe Bible.We can applythe same method to theBible. Tracing its story lineinvolves two stages as well:(1) seeing the big picture,and (2) examining thesmaller segments.

The Big Picture. Inshort, the story line of theBible shows what God eithercauses or allows to happenin the process of offeringHimself to people who dont

deserve to know Him. FirstHe made two people, Adamand Eve, and placed them ina beautiful garden paradise.But then this same Godallowed this first family to

set the tone for what was tofollow. While giving themindescribable opportunity to

enjoy His goodness, Heallowed them to fail a simpletest of trust (Gen. 3).

The rest of the Bibletells how God responded tomans need for rescue. The

high point of this love storyis also the low point of

human history. God visitsearth in the person of Hisown Son and allows Himselfto be falsely indicted,tortured, and executed. Butthat was not the end. Three

days later the Son of Godrose from the dead. Andbefore ascending to heaven,He assured the eternal lifeof all who would accept Hisoffer of rescue. Revelation,

the last book in the Bible,shows how God will bringto a wonderful, yet terrible

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The Bible isthe life-savingself-revelation

of God.



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fulfillment the love storybegun in Genesis.

The story line of the Bible,then, reveals a God whomade us, loves us, showsHimself to us, and thenallows us to accept or rejectHim. He is a God who buildstests of faith into ourenvironment. He is the God

who allows an evil intruderto come into the picture totest our trust. He arrangescircumstances in such a wayas to allow us to choose Himover Satan, good over evil,

approval over disapproval,rescue over judgment.

This story line isimportant. It shows thatthe God who has made usis a God who does more

than give us good times,good health, and goodrelationships. He is also aGod who allows the kind ofcircumstances that will testour faith. He allows the kind

of temptations that will testour love. He allows us anopportunity to fail so that

we will also have a realopportunity to succeed.But most important, Heshows Himself as a Godof indescribable patience,mercy, and love, in that Heis willing to save all whohave failed so miserably andare now willing to come toHim in faith.

The Smaller Segments.The same method we appliedto the big picture of the Biblemay also be applied to itssmaller segments. Althoughthe Bible is one major story,

it is made up of manysmaller stories and incidents.It reveals a God, for example,

who oversaw and directedthe flood of Noah, the calland life of Abraham, the

deliverance of Israel fromEgypt, the conquest ofCanaan under Joshua,the trials of Job, the birthof Christ, and a host of otherevents.

Lets take a closer lookat one of these smallersegments that make up the

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one big story of Scripture.Lets look together at thatmost revealing record ofGods plan for a man namedJoseph (Gen. 3750). As wedo, keep in mind that Goddid not record the events of

Josephs life to educate us in

the culture of an ancientnomadic people. He didntleave this record to fill us in

on the details of Egyptiandynasties. Neither did He

give us the story of Josephto enable us to explore thedynamics of sibling rivalries.

While He may teach ussomething about all of thesealong the way, His mainpurpose is to teach us toknow and trust Himthe

God who remains with usregardless of circumstances.

Joseph, one of Jacobsyoungest sons, was his agingfathers favorite. He was anirritant, however, in the eyes

of his brothers. They wereangered by the specialtreatment their father gavehim. And when Josephbegan telling them abouthis dreams that he would

someday rule over them,jealousy burned within theirhearts. Finally, they had allthey could take of their littlebrother. After decidingagainst killing him, they

chose to throw him into apit. Later that day they soldhim as a slave to a passing

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The importanceof the story ofJoseph is what it

tells us aboutthe strategies and

tactics of a Godwho will stand bywhile His servantis wished dead,

thrown into a pit,and sold into

slavery.



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caravan. That sudden end toJosephs home-life marked anew beginning.

In the far-off country ofEgypt, Joseph was resold toPotiphar, an officer of thePharaoh. Things steadilyimproved for Joseph untilPotiphars wife made sexualadvances. When he resisted,

she accused him of trying torape her.

Joseph was thrown intojail, but Josephs God wasstill very much in control.

After a series of up-and-

down experiences, Josephwas appointed as Egyptssecond-in-command. Heheld that kind of power

when a famine caused hisbrothers to come looking

for food. Unknowingly, theyended up at the mercy of thebrother they had sold many

years earlier.The dream had come

true. Joseph now had the

upper hand. When he finallyrevealed his identity to them,they were scared stiff. But

Joseph, the man of God,said, Do not be afraid, foram I in the place of God? Butas for you, you meant evilagainst me; but God meant itfor good, in order to bring itabout as it is this day, to savemany people alive. Nowtherefore, do not be afraid; I

will provide for you and your

little ones. And he comfortedthem and spoke kindly tothem (Gen. 50:19-21).

The story of Joseph tellsus a lot about God. It showsus that God is all-knowing.

He knew everything aboutJosephs future. He knewthat someday He was going

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Josephs God coulddemote him toprison as easily

as He couldpromote him to

highest honors.



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to give Joseph dominanceover his brothers, eventhough it soundedoutrageous and impossible

when Joseph dreamed it.The story also reveals

God as all-wise and all-powerful. He could standby and let Joseph be soldinto slavery because He

knew He would weave thistragedy into His long-rangeplan. He could let Joseph beslandered by Potiphars wifebecause He knew that He

would bring good out of

this unfair situation.The truths about God

that shine through inthe story of Joseph arecomforting. He knows andcontrols our present as well

as our future. We can restassured in His constantlove, no matter what Hepermits us to suffer. We canfind joy in knowing that He

will someday honor all who

trust Himif not in this life,then certainly in the life tocome.

2. THE PEOPLEThe second way we canknow God through His bookis to take note of what Hedoes and doesnt value inpeople. The people of

Scripture are there becauseof their relationship withGodpositive or negative.

As we observe thatrelationship, we will learnnot only about the Bible

characters but also aboutthe Lordwhat He likesand doesnt like, what Heloves and hates. Directly orindirectly, the people of Godreflect the character of God.

Learning FromLiterature. The fictionalcharacters of literature often

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3.

4

5.

READER



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reflect the concerns of theirauthor. Some, like OliverTwist, reflect an authorssensitivity to injustice.Others show an authorsability to dream lofty dreamsor to create characters withthe capacity for great goodor terrible cruelty.

The People Of The

Bible. The people of theBible are different fromthose in fiction becausethey are real. But like thecharacters of literature, theyalso reflect the creative mind

of their Author. And they doso in a colorful way. Forexample, Job was a rich man

who lost it all because of adiscussion between Godand Satan. Samson was a

real hero who displayedsuperhuman strength inovercoming the Philistinearmy, but he lost his lifethrough the seductions of anunfaithful lover. Then there

was Zacchaeus, a little manwho climbed down from atree to meet Jesusleaving

behind his life of shadyfinancial dealings.

Theres no question aboutthe human interest and localcolor that comes throughthe personal stories of Biblecharacters. But how can theyalso help us to know God?How can we learn to seethem as people who lived out

their own lives, yet showedhow God related to what theythought, said, and did? Thefollowing questions will help:

1. What does eachpersons experience

tell us about what Godvalues or loves?

2. What does eachpersons experience tellus about what Godhates and abhors?

3. What does eachpersons experiencetell us about what Godcan do in the life of theone who does or doesnot please the Lord?

As an example of howthis works, lets ask thesequestions about Moses, one

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a giant of faith, who stoodout among the people of hisday as one who feared Godand put his faith in the HolyOne of Israel.

What does Moses tell usabout God? He shows usthat God values and lovesthe kind of faith that Hisservant showed when he

chose rather to sufferaffliction with the peopleof God than to enjoy thepassing pleasures of sin,esteeming the reproach ofChrist greater riches than

the treasures in Egypt(Heb. 11:25-26). Mosesshows how God values thequalities of humility (Num.12:3), holiness (Lev. 19:1-2),and prayerful intercession

(Ex. 32:11-14,30-32).On the other hand,

Moses also shows us howGod can be angered. TheLord became angry when herepeatedly refused to believe

that God could enable himto be His spokesman (Ex.4:11-14). God kept him out

of the Promised Landbecause he lost his temperand dishonored God by hisdisobedience (Dt. 3:25-27).

When we read thehistory of Moses, we seehow God values those whoapproach Him in holiness

and godly fear. We see aGod who loves obedienceand hates disobedience. Wesee a God who is close tothose who fear Him, but

who moves against those

who are willfully unfaithfulto Him (Ex. 32).

Its one thing to know the

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The faithful peopleof the Bible reveal aGod who deserves

the highest praise,the deepest

gratitude, and themost self-sacrificing

kind of service.



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principles of what Godloves and hates, values anddoesnt value. Its another tosee how the Lord actuallyexpresses those thoughtsand feelings in a relationshipto a person like Moses.Moses was far from perfect,but he possessedcharacteristics of faith and

humility that God used toshow us what He is like.

3. THE PLACESThe setting of a story is alsoimportant for us to know theGod of the Bible. It is neverby accident that He makesthings happen where they

do. If we spend some timethinking about the places inthe Bible, we will see more

deeply into Gods mind andcharacter.

Learning FromLiterature.An authorchooses the setting of hisstory with care. It makes a

vast difference whether theaction takes place in therich Gold Coast district ofChicago, the steppes of

Russia, or at the foot ofAfricas Mount Kilimanjaro.

Many Americans haveread Mark Twains novel The

Adventures Of HuckleberryFinn. The action takes place

along the banks of theMississippi River. The river is

vitally important to the story,for it separates the refinedculture of the East from themore adventuresome spirit of

the West. Whenever Huckwas on the river, things werepeaceful. But when he wentto the shore, he always foundtrouble. Just as the riverbrought him freedom from

society, so it was the gatewayto another kind of freedom tothe slave, Jim.

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE3. PLACES

4

5.

READER



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The Setting Of TheBible As Gods Realm.There are a number ofdifferent ways of learningabout God from the settingsof the Bible. One of themost obvious is simply torecognize that whereverGod interacts with people,He is Lord of that place.

If the setting is in the hallsand courts of a pagan

government such as in thecourts of Pharaoh, we canbe sure that God is revealingHimself as the Lord of

government. He rules notmerely in the inner worldof the heart, but over thepresidents, tyrants, andprime ministers of the world.

Similarly, an event in

an agricultural setting willreveal God as One whorules over the crops. Thereis no planting, no growingseason, no harvest withoutHis decision and provision.

Thats not all. If thesetting is the family, we needto realize that God is Lord of

the home. If it is thebattlefield, or a strategysession in the basement ofthe kings palace, we can besure it is telling us that Godis the God who rules over all

military effort. There is novictory and no defeat apartfrom His control. The sameis true of events that occuron the high seas or below

them, in the heavens or inthe world of the dead.

Whatever the setting, wecan be sure that nothinghappens apart from thesovereign rule of God.

That is the kind of God whomade us. He is the Lord ofevery place and setting.

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The settings of

Bible events eachreveal an area over

which God is inabsolute control.



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The Setting OfThe Bible As A VisibleBackdrop. The Biblemakes it clear that God isintimately involved witheverything that happens inour world. Yet, He is distinctfrom everything in it. Theimplications of this areimportant. Imagine the

infinite genius of a Godwho has chosen a physical,material setting in which tocarry out His very spiritualbusiness.

This does not mean

that the physical settings ofScripture are not important.It means that they areimportant because they arebeing used as backdrops,platforms, and props by an

invisible Author and Creator.They are tools in His handsas He directs the unfoldingof a real-life drama.

This means we worship aGod who is very different

from the one worshiped bymany today. He is not theGod of the pantheist, who

sees no distinction betweenthe Creator and Hiscreation. Neither is He thekind of God who is satisfiedto be met and then left in abuilding of worship. TheGod of the Bible cannot bekept in any setting. He isthe God of whom Isaiahsaid, Thus says the Lord:

Heaven is My throne, and

earth is My footstool. Whereis the house that you willbuild Me? And where is the

place of My rest? For allthose things My hand hasmade . . . . But on this one

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Imagine the infinitegenius of a Godwho has chosen aphysical, materialsetting in which tocarry out His very

spiritual business.



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will I look: On him who ispoor and of a contrite spirit,and who trembles at My

word (Isa. 66:1-2). That isthe kind of spiritual businessthat is occurring in thesettings of the Bible.

The Setting Of TheBible As Evidence OfGods Wisdom. Theresat least one more way thesetting of the Bible can serveto reveal God to us. Thinkfor a minute about the Godbehind the strategic selectionof the Mideast (Gen. 15:18;

17:8). The central platformand backdrop of Israelspeaks volumes about the

wisdom and foresight ofGod.

Why do you suppose

the Lord chose Israel?Why didnt He giveEgypt to Abraham?or Greece? or just let

Abraham stay inMesopotamia? Well, from

a geographic standpointwe can see the strategicimportance of this location.

Here, God could fulfillHis promise to multiplyAbrahams descendants(Gen. 12:1-3). The fertileplains, lush valleys, and richhills of Israel would turn thatpromise into a reality. So

would the military locationof Israel under David andSolomon.

Here, God coulduse Israel to influencethe world powers

commercially, militarily,and politically. Israel wasan ideal place for a witnessto the peoples of bothancient and modern times.It stands at the place where

three continents converge:Asia, Africa, and Europe.The caravan routes that

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Its not by accidentthat God makesthings happen

where they do.



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passed through it were asimportant as the PersianGulf is to supertankerstoday. Merchants,emissaries, generals, andtraders, as they traveledthrough Israel, noticed thedevout ways and strict lawsof the worshipers of Jehovah.

Here, God saw an ideal

center for the spread ofthe gospel (Acts 1:8). TheLord commissioned Hisfollowers to a work of worldevangelization. As the first

witnesses for Christ went out

from Jerusalem, using theexcellent system of Romanroads and benefiting from astable political environment,they were able to carry the

gospel rapidly to Asia,

Africa, and Europe.Praise God for His

inexpressible wisdom.He not only mercifullycondescended to us, but Healso determined exactly

where and when He wouldmeet and reveal Himself tous (Acts 17:26-27).

4. THE MOOD(Emotion)

A fourth way we can knowGod through His book isby looking for Him in themoods of the Bible. We are

emotional beings, created inthe image of a God who hasmade us to walk with Himnot only with our minds butalso with our emotions. Wehave been created with the

capacity to share Gods joyand jealousy, pleasure andanger, love and hate. We getto know Him by believingthat He is to be feared, loved,and praised, and by entering

into those truths with ourheart. We need to thinkthrough the Scripture to the

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE3. PLACES

4. MOOD

5.

READER



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point of feeling it. As we feelthe moods of the Bible, ourknowledge of God will grow.

Learning FromLiterature. Mood isimportant to achieving theeffect the author of a piece ofliterature intended. A feelingof desperation grows as weread Jack Londons gripping

story To Build A Fire. Thesetting is the Arctic. Thecharacter is a man caught ina blizzard. The story is aboutsurvival; if he cannot build afire, he will die. As he

struggles to ignite a flame,while the air becomes colderand colder, attempt afterattempt fails. As he comescloser to the end, we feel his

growing sense of frantic

desperation. The moodalmost overwhelms us.

The Moods Of TheBible.When we take abirds-eye view of the Bible,

we observe two basic

contrasting moods:despairing pessimism andhopeful optimism. They are

both rooted in Godscharacter and reflect whetherman is responding to Him inobedience or disobedience.

Despairing Pessimism.One of the prevailing moodsof the Bible is that ofsorrowful, despairingpessimism. It is there forthose who refuse to come to

God His waythrough JesusChrist. This mood, whichevery sensitive Christian feels

when the Bible is read, isrooted in Gods perfect

justice. Just as He cannot lie

or fail to keep His side of anagreement, so He cannotallow such things as slander,unthankfulness, adultery,or child abuse to gounpunished. If He did,

He would violate His ownnature. Thats why, when youread the Bible, you can getdepressed reading about theterrible things that happened

when men, created for God,

tried to live for themselves.Dont you feel sympathy

for Achan and his family

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when you read Joshua 7?Can you identify withDavids feelings of alarm andfrustration when God strucka man dead just because hetried to keep the ark of thecovenant from falling off acart? (2 Sam. 6:1-9).

Have you ever feltthe mood of despairingpessimism that gripped

Jeremiah and Ezekiel asthey watched the downfallof the nation they loved?Have you felt the warm tearsof Jeremiah as he cried likea brokenhearted mother or

father? He knew that ifIsrael didnt repent they

would be destroyed. Feel the

mood of the situation as hecries out, Oh, that my head

were waters, and my eyes afountain of tears, that Imight weep day and nightfor the slain of the daughterof my people! (Jer. 9:1).

You havent really felt themood of the stories in theBible if you have never felt

like Jeremiah did. God wantsus to feel that way. Jesus, ourperfect example, did. Thinkof Him with the tears runningdown His face as He thoughtabout what was going to

happen to the Jewish peoplebecause of their rejection ofHim (Mt. 23:37).

Why did God giveus a Bible that producessuch an oppressive mood of

negative, unhappy feelings?Because He wants us tobe like Him. He wantsus to share the kind ofcompassion that allows Himto care when others bring

pain and destruction onthemselves and those theylove. The thought should

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Until we feel theheartthrob, theemotion of theBible, we will

not appreciateits message.



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send shivers up our spine.Listen to God in Ezekiel33:11, Say to them, As Ilive, says the Lord God, Ihave no pleasure in thedeath of the wicked, but thatthe wicked turn from his

way and live. Turn, turnfrom your evil ways! For

why should you die?

Dont miss this fact.Reading the Bible shouldsometimes make youfeel horrible. It shouldsometimes scare you. Thatsbecause its Author is right in

His treatment of wrong. Hemust punish moral andspiritual rebellion just as anysociety must punish crimesof rape, embezzlement, orpublic drunkenness. He

must do it even though Hedoesnt like to. He mustabandon people to utterhopelessness even though ithurts Him to do so. Listen toHim as He, like a parent

who must deal severelywith a rebellious child,cries out to the Israelites,

O Ephraim, what shall I doto you? O Judah, what shallI do to you? (Hos. 6:4). Wedont really know God as weshould until reading His

Word causes us to feel thekind of hatred for pride,sexual violence, and maritalunfaithfulness that Godfeels.

The following areexamples of Bible passagesthat are designed to producea mood of sorrowful,despairing pessimism:Joshua 7; 1 Samuel 4;

Matthew 27:1-10; Acts 5.Hopeful Optimism.

There is another moodthat runs from Genesis toRevelation. This atmospherealso stems from Gods

characterHis love, grace,and compassion. Thepsalmist declared, TheLord takes pleasure in Hispeople (Ps. 149:4). TheProverbs repeatedly declare

that God is delighted whenpeople are honest, upright,truthful, and prayerful (Prov.

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11:1,20; 12:22; 15:8; 16:13).Paul actually referred to the

gospel as coming fromthe blessed [happy] God(1 Tim. 1:11). (The Greek

word translated blessedhere in most versions reallymeans happy.) If you wantto see this happy, forgiving,loving side of God, read

Psalm 103, John 3:16, andRomans 8. Yes, God is theGod of hope. Paul prayed,Now may the God of hopefill you with all joy andpeace in believing, that you

may abound in hope by thepower of the Holy Spirit(Rom. 15:13).

This happy side ofGod should fill us withoverwhelming joy. It should

give us a positive, hope-filled attitude toward thefuture. Jesus Christ came.He lived a perfect life. Herevealed Gods love. He diedfor our sins. He conquered

death. He saves all whoput their trust in Him. Heassures us that He is coming

again to take us to be withHim forever. He tells us thatthe sorrows and sins andpains of this life will bereplaced with the glory ofliving forever in Hispresence.

Yes, the Bible is ahopeful, optimistic bookbecause its Author is a

loving, compassionate,communicating,fellowshiping kind of God.He showed this side of Hischaracter when He sent HisSon into the world with the

assurance that everyonewho trusted in Him wouldenjoy an inexpressibly

wonderful eternity. Thatsthe best news imaginable!Its good news to be

celebrated! Its so goodthat it deserves a deeplyemotional response of joy,

gratitude, and praise. If weare not deeply moved bythe Bibles story of hopeful

optimism, we do not see orunderstand our God the way

we should.

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Examples of Biblepassages that inspire amood of joyful, hopefuloptimism are Psalm 32; 42;121; Daniel 6; Luke 18:35-43; 23:39-43; 2 Timothy 4:6-8. Remember that all ofthese passages, even the

words of the Psalms, relateto stories of real people.

5. THE MESSAGEA fifth way we can know

God through the Bible mightbe the most obvious. In thissense, the Bible is far moreimportant to us than the USPostal Service, WesternUnion, or Federal Express.

The Bible is nothing lessthan the means God haschosen to communicate His

thoughts and desires to us.The people of His book andtheir stories are not there toentertain us. They are thereso that we can know whatGod wants us to be and do.

Learning FromLiterature. Once more

we can learn from the worldof books. The classics of

literaturenovels, plays, orpoemshave often been amessage from the writer tothe reader. He wrote not

just to entertain or to makemoney; he wrote because he

had something important tosay. The writers job is tomake that message clear;the readers responsibility isto make sure he gets it.

Many of the novels

of Charles Dickens, forexample, were exposs ofsocial wrongs in England.The well-known Oliver Twistpointed out in popular termsthe cruel conditions that

orphans faced in 19th-century England. And even

A Christmas Carol,with such

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3. PLACES

4. MOOD

5. MESSAGE

READER



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powerful characters as BobCratchit, Ebenezer Scrooge,and the crippled Tiny Tim,called attention to theproblems of low pay, longhours, and bad workingconditions. Moreover,Dickens message was:Lets do something to rightthese wrongs!

The Message OfThe Bible. The message ofthe Bible is a call to action.Its message is to do whatGod wants us to do. Itsbasic, overarching message

is to accept the rescue frometernal damnation that Hehas provided through thesacrificial death andresurrection of His Son JesusChrist. But there are many

other messages in the Biblethat call upon us to act. Forexample, God wants us to:

tell the truth love one another confess and turn from

our faults meditate on His Word pray for one another

serve Him trust that what He says

is trueSuch messages might be

found in the form of a directcommand, but they are oftenfound in an underlyingprinciple.

For one example, letsfind the message of the storyabout Daniel and his three

prisoner-of-war friends inDaniel, chapter 1.Transported from theirhomeland to Babylon,they were selected bytheir captors as leadership

material and enrolled intoa kind of officers trainingschool. As prime candidates

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The message of theBible is a call to

action. Its messageis to do what God

wants us to do.



26/33

of this foreign government,they were given the best offood and drink. But there

was one problemmuch ofthis diet was forbidden byJewish law. Daniel and hisfriends had to make achoice. Would they try toplease their captors or God?

We are told:

Daniel purposed in hisheart that he would notdefile himself with the

portion of the kingsdelicacies, nor with thewine which he drank;

therefore he requested ofthe chief of the eunuchsthat he might not defilehimself (1:8).Daniels request was

granted. God, in turn,

honored these four menand blessed them withunusual physical healthand academic ability. Danielsoon held a very influential

governmental role.

What is the message?What is the principle thatsurfaces in this story? It is

this: God wants us to remainfaithful to Him no matterhow difficult, frightening,or pagan the setting is.He expects this from Hischildren and honors those

who make the right choice.

This principle is basedon truths we should know

before we read this story:(1) God as our Maker andSustainer has a right todemand first place in ourlives; (2) He has the powerand wisdom to bless those

who honor Him; (3) Hepossesses the moral integrityto do what is right with us.

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God wants usto remain faithfulto Him no matter

how difficult,frightening,

or pagan thesetting is.



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PUTTING ITTO WORK

WWe have said thata person canknow God

through the Bible byusing five different pointsof view borrowed from thestudy of literature. Lets put

it all together with one Biblestorythe story of Godtesting Abrahams faith bytelling him to sacrifice hisson Isaac. Take a momentto read Genesis 22:1-14 and

Hebrews 11:17-19. Then,apply the five points of viewdiscussed in this booklet tothe story.

1. THE STORYLINE: What God

causes or allows tohappen. God showedHis power over natureby miraculously giving

Abraham and Sarah a childlong after her childbearing

years. Later, however, Godrevealed that He not onlyhad the power to give but

the right to take away.When God told Abrahamto do the unthinkable, tosacrifice Isaac, He exercisedHis sovereign authority. Godforced Abraham to make achoice between faith ordoubt, obedience ordisobedience. When

Abraham passed the test,

God showed His abilityto provide a last-minuteprovision and reversalof circumstances.

2. THE PEOPLE:What God looks for

in His people.Abrahamshows us that God looks fortrusting obedience in Hisservants. Here was a man

who chose God over hismost dearly loved pride and

joy. As a result, God usedAbraham as an example fora whole nation that followed.

3. THE PLACE:Where God rules. Inthis story we see that God is

in control even on a remotewilderness mountaintop.God chose the desolate

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surroundings of Moriah asthe physical backdrop forHis spiritual business. It wasin this place far from homethat God chose to test

Abrahams faith. Here,where there was no one elsefor Abraham to turn to, Godrevealed His own presenceand ability to provide. Here,

even the animals and thebushes served Him. Godlater chose this location, rich

with the significance of faithand His ability to provide,as a site for the temple.

4. THE MOOD:What God wants usto feel. The emotions ofthis real-life drama areintense. The mood, whenproperly felt, is enough to

make a grown man cry.Here we find a God whochooses to arouse thedeepest emotions ofparental love. Yet, here

we also find a God who

doesnt want His children tosuccumb to the emotion ofdespair. Abrahams faith

enabled him to rise abovethe deepest and mostagonizing feelings. Onthe basis of his faith, heshowed his ability to puthis hope in God ratherthan in his circumstances.His agony turned to joy andto a renewed, deepenedawareness of Gods

ability to provide.5. THE MESSAGE:

What God wants usto know and do. Themessage here is clear. God

wants us to see His right to

test and develop our faith.He wants us to choose Himover anyone or anythingelse. He wants us tochoose obedience overdisobedience. He wants

us to pass such a test byrelying on what He has said.He wants us to know thatHe is our ever-faithfulProvider.

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HELPING YOUHELP OTHERS

TThe following questions

are listed here for youto use in teaching or

discipling others. We suggestthat these questions bediscussed prior to studyingthe specific pointas

preview questions.

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THESTORY LINE

1. Do you agree or

disagree with the premisethat an author always sayssomething about himself in

what he writes?2. Do you think this

premise is true of the

Author of the Bible?3. What would you say is

the overall story line, or thebig picture, of the Bible?

4. What does the storyline of Josephs life (Gen.

3750) tell us about God?

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THEPEOPLE

1. Of what value is thestudy of biblical charactersto a better understanding ofGod?

2. Who are some ofthe people of the Bible you

would describe as colorful

and interesting?3. Do you agree or

disagree that God is lookingfor different things in ustoday than He was lookingfor in the people of the

Bible?4. What do the following

passages about Moses lifetell us about God? (Ex. 34;14; 32; Num. 12:3; 20:1-13).

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THEPLACES

1. Why is the settingimportant to a story?

2. What do the various

settings of the Bible tell usabout God?

3. How can a well-

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rounded understandingof the settings of theBible help us to avoidcompartmentalizing God?

4. What does Godsselection of the Mideast asthe primary setting of theBible tell us about God?

KNOWING GOD

THROUGH THEMOOD

1. Do you think Godwants us to feel emotionwhen we read His Word?

2. If you neglected to

consider the mood of aparticular Bible story, how

would your understandingof that story be affected?

3. What would you sayare the two primary moods

of the Bible?4. What mood is

predominant in the accountof the flood? of David andGoliath? of Ananias andSapphira? What do these

moods tell us about God?

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THEMESSAGE

1. What literary examplesother than Scripture can youthink of where the authorused the story to get acrossa particular message?

2. What do you see asthe main message of the

Bible? How does this differfrom the story line?

3. As you read the Bible,what are some principlesthat you would expect tosee repeated over and over

again in the various stories?4. What is the underlying

principle, or message, in thestory of Daniel and his threefriends? (Dan. 1).

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WHAT ABOUTYOU?

HHow well do youknow the Godof the Bible? Its

an important question,because the better weknow God the better we

will know ourselves.

Furthermore, we will alsobe happier spiritually andin every other way.

To see Gods holiness isto see our own sinfulness.To see His goodness is to

know the wonder of Hisgrace and the depth of Hislove for us. To see Hismajesty is to give Him thehonor and praise He is

worthy of.

Do you know God? Doyou know Him better thanyou did a year ago? If yourea believer in Christ, youranswer should be yes. The

way to know God better is

through His Word. As youread and study the Bible,

you will grow. Perhaps

youve been neglectful. If so,we hope that reading thisbooklet has motivated youto go back to the Bible andbegin growing again.

If you dont know God,the first step is to establish aright relationship with Him.

You do that by receivingJesus Christ as your Savior,

Gods love-gift to you.The facts are clear.

All men are sinners (Rom.3:23). Our sin keeps us froma right relationship withGod, and we are powerless

to do anything about itourselves (Eph. 2:8-9).Salvation comes throughChrist. He came to earth todie on the cross and pay thepenalty for our sins. Now

our responsibility is to trustin Him. Receive Christ as

your Savior today. If you do,youll have taken the firstand most important step inknowing God.

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THE KNOWINGGOD SERIES

TThere seems to be no

limit to the things wecan know today. We

can be experts on everythingfrom food components tocomputer programs toorganic gardening. But

the knowledge that countsthe most is our knowledgeof God.

If this booklet haschallenged you to know Godbetter, we recommend that

you take advantage of theKnowing God booklets.They have been written totake the reader through theBible with a distinctemphasis on knowing God.

Here is a list of the bookletscurrently available: Knowing God Through

The Whole Bible (SB001) Knowing God Through

The Old Testament (SB101)

Knowing God ThroughThe New Testament (SB201)

Knowing God Through

Genesis (SB111) Knowing God Through

Exodus (SB112) Knowing God ThroughJob (SB141)

Knowing God ThroughProverbs (SB130)

Knowing God ThroughIsaiah (SB151)

Knowing God Through

Ezekiel (SB154) Knowing God ThroughZechariah (SB172)

Knowing God ThroughJohn (SB214)

Knowing God Through

Acts (SB215) Knowing God Through

Romans (SB221) Knowing God Through

Thessalonians (SB228) Knowing God Through

1 Peter(SB242) Knowing God Through

Revelation (SB248)These booklets can be

ordered by writing to RBCMinistries, PO Box 2222,

Grand Rapids, MI 49501.They are also available onlineat www.discoveryseries.com.

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www.discoveryseries.org/catalogUSA: PO Box 2222 Grand Rapids MI 49501 2222

Get your free Bible

Resources catalog!Discovery Series

booklets can be

valuable guides to

help you learn whatthe Bible says about a

broad range of topics.Each 32-page booklet

can be used in your

personal Bible study

or in a small-groupsetting.

Your free Bible

Resources catalog

includes a brief

description of each Discovery Series booklet.To get your copy, write to us at the address below

and ask for a catalog. Or follow the link below to

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