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HOW CAN I KNOW GODTHROUGH HISBOOK?

YYou can tell a lot about aperson 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 theBible—the book that waswritten to reveal its Author.

David Egner has written thisbooklet to show us how we canknow God through our study ofHis book—the 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 Author And His Book . . . . . . . . 2

The Bible And Its Author . . . . . . . 4

How To Know GodThrough The Bible . . . . . 5

1. Through The Story Line . . . . . . 6

2. Through The People. . . . . . . . 11

3. Through The Places . . . . . . . . 15

4. Through The Mood . . . . . . . . 19

5. Through The Message . . . . . . 24

Putting It To Work . . . 27

Helping You Help Others. . . . . . . . . 29

What About You . . . . . 31

The “Knowing God” Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

© RBC Ministries. All rights reserved.

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 ofliterature, therefore, islearning about an authorthrough his writings. Forexample, we can learnmuch about the blind poetMilton through his sonnetsand through Paradise Lost.And the study of the darkand twisted stories of EdgarAllan 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 seriouslyAdolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf,for example, recognized hisego, his love of power, andthe intensity of his hatredfor the Jews.

Usually, however, anauthor does not reveal histhinking and his characterdirectly. His works must beread carefully and analyzedbefore the reader can beginto understand him. Wemust study his characters,scrutinize his places andincidents, and review histhemes before we can knowwhat makes him tick.

Think a moment aboutJames Fenimore Cooper, theearly American writer whowrote such thrilling stories

2

What an authorsays reflects whothat author is.


as The Deerslayer, The Pilot, and The Last Of The Mohicans. Readingthese stories would give you a sense of Cooper’sadmiration for thepioneering spirit of the early settlers and hisrespect for the shrewdnessand skill of the AmericanIndian. You would alsobegin to feel his love for the spirit of adventure andhis conviction that faith isvitally important if one is to overcome the fears anduncertainties of life.

“But,” you ask, “how isall 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 throughwhat he has written, itshould be the main interestof all Bible study. The Bibleis God’s book. Although itwas written by men likeMoses and Luke and Paul,

it is the self-revelation of God. He is the Authorbehind the authors. Andwhat He says reflects who 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 ofevery person who makeshis way into the sacredpages of biblical history.

3

While one of thevalues of literatureis to help you getto know an author

through what he has written, it should be themain purpose of all Bible study.


THE BIBLE ANDITS AUTHOR

TThe Bible, the book ofbooks, was written sothat we could know

the Author behind theauthors. Sometimes He is revealed directly instatements that tell usexactly what He is like. The simple sentence “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16) is an example. So is thestatement “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16).

In most cases, however,we must look into andbeyond the stories andstatements and people of the Bible to see thecharacter of its Author. Thestory of David and Goliath(1 Sam. 17), for instance,tells us a great deal aboutGod. True, the story isprimarily the historicalaccount of a valiant Jewishyouth in his conquest of a bigger, stronger, moreexperienced foe. But it was

God’s cause that David was defending. It was God’s power and controlthat directed the stone fromDavid’s 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 thecharacter of David’s Godhas not. Nor have Hisprinciples. He is still withus, and He can be found by those who seek Him. He is involved with all that happens. And He has a plan, a cause, and apurpose for each one of us.

4

What God saysreflects who

He is.


HOW TO KNOWGOD THROUGHTHE BIBLE

TThe first thing youneed to do as youapproach the Bible

is to ask its Author for help.Don’t forget to do that! Theamazing thing about theBible is that its real Authoris listening to your everythought. He is as close as a prayer. And when you ask Him to help youunderstand the book Hehas inspired (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21), you can be sure that He will findpleasure in giving you yourrequest (Mt. 7:7-11).

The second thing wesuggest is that you considerusing the same method ofstudy that is often used for literature of lesserimportance. There are atleast five classic elements of literature that also can be 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. HowGod relates to what peoplethink, feel, and do.

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

4. The Mood. WhatGod wants people to feel.

5. The Message.What God thinks or says.As we look at the Biblefrom these five points ofview, our prayer is that itwill help you see God moreclearly throughout thepages of His book.

5

GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3. PLACES

4. MOOD

5. MESSAGE

READER


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

Learning FromLiterature. Suppose weare reading Moby Dick. Tounderstand and enjoy thebook, we first have to follow

the story. We must note itsbeginning, how it develops,the climax, and the ending.When Moby Dick begins, thepeg-legged Captain Ahab ishiring a crew to take hiswhaling vessel onto the highseas. His quest is to huntdown and kill the great whitewhale that took his leg. Wesoon realize that Ahab isobsessed with revenge.

As the story moves along from event to event,the showdown comes closer.Finally the whale is sightedand 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 thetale of Ahab’s defeat.

That is the basic story of the book. But in its 400pages, numerous smallerdramatic episodes takeplace. Their significance canbe 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


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 author’spurpose 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 don’tdeserve to know Him. FirstHe made two people, Adamand Eve, and placed them ina beautiful garden paradise.But then this same Godallowed this first family toset the tone for what was tofollow. While giving themindescribable opportunity to

enjoy His goodness, Heallowed them to fail a simple“test of trust” (Gen. 3).

The rest of the Bible tells how God responded toman’s need for rescue. The

high point of this love storyis also the low point ofhuman history. God visitsearth in the person of Hisown Son and allows Himselfto be falsely indicted,tortured, and executed. Butthat was not the end. Threedays later the Son of Godrose from the dead. Andbefore ascending to heaven,He assured the eternal life of all who would accept Hisoffer of rescue. Revelation,the last book in the Bible,shows how God will bring to a wonderful, yet terrible

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The Bible is the life-saving self-revelation

of God.


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 builds“tests of faith” into ourenvironment. He is the Godwho 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 that the God who has made us is a God who does morethan give us good times,good health, and goodrelationships. He is also aGod who allows the kind ofcircumstances that will testour faith. He allows the kindof 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 God of 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, thedeliverance of Israel fromEgypt, the conquest ofCanaan under Joshua, the trials of Job, the birth of Christ, and a host of otherevents.

Let’s take a closer look at one of these smallersegments that make up the

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one big story of Scripture.Let’s look together at thatmost revealing record ofGod’s plan for a man namedJoseph (Gen. 37–50). As wedo, keep in mind that Goddid not record the events of

Joseph’s life to educate us inthe culture of an ancientnomadic people. He didn’tleave this record to fill us in

on the details of Egyptiandynasties. Neither did Hegive us the story of Joseph to 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 Him—theGod who remains with usregardless of circumstances.

Joseph, one of Jacob’syoungest sons, was his agingfather’s favorite. He was anirritant, however, in the eyesof his brothers. They wereangered by the specialtreatment their father gavehim. And when Josephbegan telling them about his dreams that he wouldsomeday rule over them,jealousy burned within theirhearts. Finally, they had allthey could take of their littlebrother. After decidingagainst killing him, theychose to throw him into apit. Later that day they soldhim as a slave to a passing

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The importance of the story of

Joseph is what ittells us about

the strategies andtactics of a Godwho will stand bywhile His servant is wished dead,

thrown into a pit,and sold into

slavery.


caravan. That sudden end toJoseph’s home-life marked anew beginning.

In the far-off country ofEgypt, Joseph was resold toPotiphar, an officer of thePharaoh. Things steadilyimproved for Joseph untilPotiphar’s wife made sexualadvances. When he resisted,she accused him of trying torape her.

Joseph was thrown intojail, but Joseph’s God wasstill very much in control.After a series of up-and-down experiences, Josephwas appointed as Egypt’ssecond-in-command. Heheld that kind of powerwhen a famine caused hisbrothers to come looking for food. Unknowingly, theyended up at the mercy of thebrother they had sold manyyears earlier.

The dream had come true. Joseph now had theupper 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; Iwill provide for you and yourlittle 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 aboutJoseph’s future. He knewthat someday He was going

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Joseph’s God coulddemote him toprison as easily

as He couldpromote him tohighest honors.


to give Joseph dominanceover his brothers, eventhough it soundedoutrageous and impossiblewhen Joseph dreamed it.

The story also revealsGod as all-wise and all-powerful. He could stand by and let Joseph be soldinto slavery because Heknew He would weave thistragedy into His long-rangeplan. He could let Joseph beslandered by Potiphar’s wifebecause He knew that Hewould bring good out of this unfair situation.

The truths about Godthat shine through in the story of Joseph arecomforting. He knows andcontrols our present as wellas our future. We can restassured in His constantlove, no matter what Hepermits us to suffer. We canfind joy in knowing that Hewill someday honor all whotrust Him—if 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 doesn’t value inpeople. The people ofScripture are there becauseof their relationship withGod—positive or negative.As we observe thatrelationship, we will learnnot only about the Biblecharacters but also aboutthe Lord—what He likes and doesn’t 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


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

The People Of TheBible. The people of theBible are different fromthose in fiction because they are real. But like thecharacters of literature, theyalso reflect the creative mindof their Author. And they doso in a colorful way. Forexample, Job was a rich manwho lost it all because of adiscussion between God and Satan. Samson was areal hero who displayedsuperhuman strength inovercoming the Philistinearmy, but he lost his lifethrough the seductions of anunfaithful lover. Then therewas Zacchaeus, a little manwho climbed down from atree to meet Jesus—leaving

behind his life of shadyfinancial dealings.

There’s no question aboutthe human interest and localcolor that comes through the personal stories of Biblecharacters. But how can theyalso help us to know God?How can we learn to seethem as people who lived outtheir own lives, yet showedhow God related to what theythought, said, and did? Thefollowing questions will help:

1. What does eachperson’s experience tell us about what Godvalues or loves?

2. What does eachperson’s experience tellus about what Godhates and abhors?

3. What does eachperson’s experience tell us about what Godcan do in the life of theone who does or doesnot please the Lord?

As an example of howthis works, let’s ask thesequestions about Moses, one

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of the most complex andinteresting people in theBible. First let’s review some of his story. Moses thelawgiver wasn’t always “theman on the mountain.” He

started out as “the baby inthe bulrushes,” who waspulled out and raised byPharaoh’s daughter (Ex.1–2). And even though he is characterized as “morehumble than anyone else onthe face of the earth” (Num.12:3 NIV), he wasn’t alwaysthat way. On two differentoccasions, once early andanother late in life, heexpressed a rashness andimpulsiveness that causedhim great trouble.

In the first instance, his rage at an Egyptian he caught beating a fellowIsraelite led to an act ofmanslaughter and the loss of his place in Pharaoh’scourt (Ex. 2:11-15). Becauseof his actions, this former“somebody” of Egypt spent40 years learning what itmeant to be a “nobody.”

The second time Moses’anger and willfulness got himin trouble was later in lifeafter God had brought himback to his people to leadthem out of Egypt. This timehe was so tired of hearing hispeople complain about theirlack of water that he lost histemper and struck a rock thatthe Lord had told him tospeak to (Num. 20:1-13).That might not sound veryserious, but it was to God!Moses’ anger caused him tolose his opportunity to enjoythe Promised Land. Still, inspite of his occasional lapses,Moses is characterized inScripture as a man of God,

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What God loved or despised in the

people of the Bible,He loves or

despises in us.


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 hechose “rather to sufferaffliction with the people of God than to enjoy thepassing pleasures of sin,esteeming the reproach ofChrist greater riches thanthe 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 believethat 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 holinessand godly fear. We see aGod who loves obedienceand hates disobedience. Wesee a God who is close tothose who fear Him, butwho moves against thosewho are willfully unfaithfulto Him (Ex. 32).

It’s one thing to know the 14

The faithful peopleof the Bible reveal aGod who deservesthe highest praise,

the deepestgratitude, and themost self-sacrificing

kind of service.


principles of what God loves and hates, values anddoesn’t value. It’s 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 andhumility 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 theydo. If we spend some timethinking about the places inthe Bible, we will see more

deeply into God’s mind andcharacter.

Learning FromLiterature. An authorchooses the setting of hisstory with care. It makes avast difference whether theaction takes place in the rich Gold Coast district ofChicago, the steppes ofRussia, or at the foot ofAfrica’s Mount Kilimanjaro.

Many Americans haveread Mark Twain’s novel TheAdventures Of HuckleberryFinn. The action takes placealong the banks of theMississippi River. The river isvitally important to the story,for it separates the refinedculture of the East from themore adventuresome spirit ofthe West. Whenever Huckwas on the river, things werepeaceful. But when he wentto the shore, he always foundtrouble. Just as the riverbrought him freedom fromsociety, so it was the gatewayto another kind of freedom tothe slave, Jim.

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3. PLACES

4

5.

READER


The Setting Of TheBible As God’s Realm.There are a number ofdifferent ways of learningabout God from the settingsof the Bible. One of the most obvious is simply torecognize that wherever God interacts with people, He is Lord of that place. If the setting is in the hallsand courts of a pagangovernment such as in thecourts of Pharaoh, we canbe sure that God is revealingHimself as the Lord ofgovernment. He rules notmerely in the inner world of 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. There is no planting, no growingseason, no harvest withoutHis decision and provision.

That’s 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 king’s 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 belowthem, 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 each

reveal an area overwhich God is inabsolute control.


The Setting Of The 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 theinfinite genius of a God who 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 aninvisible 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 differentfrom 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 be“kept” 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 theplace of My rest? For allthose things My hand hasmade . . . . But on this one

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Imagine the infinitegenius of a God

who has chosen aphysical, materialsetting in which tocarry out His veryspiritual business.


will I look: On him who ispoor and of a contrite spirit,and who trembles at Myword’” (Isa. 66:1-2). That isthe kind of spiritual businessthat is occurring in thesettings of the Bible.

The Setting Of TheBible As Evidence OfGod’s Wisdom. There’sat 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 thewisdom and foresight ofGod.

Why do you suppose the Lord chose Israel? Why didn’t He give Egypt to Abraham? or Greece? or just letAbraham stay inMesopotamia? Well, from a geographic standpoint we can see the strategicimportance of this location.

Here, God could fulfillHis promise to multiplyAbraham’s descendants(Gen. 12:1-3). The fertileplains, lush valleys, and richhills of Israel would turn thatpromise into a reality. Sowould the military locationof Israel under David andSolomon.

Here, God could use Israel to influence the world powerscommercially, militarily,and politically. Israel wasan ideal place for a witnessto the peoples of bothancient and modern times. It stands at the place wherethree continents converge:Asia, Africa, and Europe.The caravan routes that

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It’s not by accidentthat God makesthings happenwhere they do.


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 idealcenter for the spread ofthe gospel (Acts 1:8). TheLord commissioned Hisfollowers to a work of worldevangelization. As the firstwitnesses for Christ went outfrom Jerusalem, using theexcellent system of Romanroads and benefiting from astable political environment,they were able to carry thegospel rapidly to Asia,Africa, and Europe.

Praise God for Hisinexpressible wisdom. He not only mercifullycondescended to us, but Healso determined exactlywhere 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 is by looking for Him in themoods of the Bible. We areemotional 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 thecapacity to share God’s joyand jealousy, pleasure andanger, love and hate. We getto know Him by believingthat He is to be feared, loved,and praised, and by enteringinto those truths with ourheart. We need to thinkthrough the Scripture to the

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3. PLACES

4. MOOD

5.

READER


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 London’s grippingstory 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 hestruggles to ignite a flame,while the air becomes colderand colder, attempt afterattempt fails. As he comescloser to the end, we feel hisgrowing sense of franticdesperation. The moodalmost overwhelms us.

The Moods Of TheBible. When we take abird’s-eye view of the Bible,we observe two basiccontrasting moods:despairing pessimism andhopeful optimism. They are

both rooted in God’scharacter 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 toGod His way—through JesusChrist. This mood, whichevery sensitive Christian feelswhen the Bible is read, isrooted in God’s perfectjustice. Just as He cannot lieor 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. That’s why, when youread the Bible, you can getdepressed reading about theterrible things that happenedwhen men, created for God,tried to live for themselves.

Don’t you feel sympathyfor Achan and his family

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when you read Joshua 7?Can you identify withDavid’s 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 felt the mood of despairingpessimism that grippedJeremiah and Ezekiel asthey watched the downfallof the nation they loved?Have you felt the warm tearsof Jeremiah as he cried likea brokenhearted mother orfather? He knew that ifIsrael didn’t repent theywould be destroyed. Feel the

mood of the situation as hecries out, “Oh, that my headwere waters, and my eyes afountain of tears, that Imight weep day and nightfor the slain of the daughterof my people!” (Jer. 9:1).

You haven’t really felt themood of the stories in theBible if you have never feltlike 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 tohappen to the Jewish peoplebecause of their rejection ofHim (Mt. 23:37).

Why did God give us a Bible that producessuch an oppressive mood ofnegative, unhappy feelings?Because He wants us to be like Him. He wants us to share the kind ofcompassion that allows Himto care when others bringpain and destruction onthemselves and those theylove. The thought should

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Until we feel theheartthrob, theemotion of theBible, we will

not appreciate its message.


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 hisway and live. Turn, turnfrom your evil ways! Forwhy should you die?’“

Don’t miss this fact.Reading the Bible shouldsometimes make you feel horrible. It shouldsometimes scare you. That’sbecause its Author is right inHis treatment of wrong. Hemust punish moral andspiritual rebellion just as anysociety must punish crimesof rape, embezzlement, orpublic drunkenness. Hemust do it even though Hedoesn’t like to. He mustabandon people to utterhopelessness even though ithurts Him to do so. Listen toHim as He, like a parentwho must deal severely with 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). Wedon’t really know God as weshould until reading HisWord 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 mood that runs from Genesis toRevelation. This atmospherealso stems from God’scharacter—His love, grace,and compassion. Thepsalmist declared, “The Lord takes pleasure in Hispeople” (Ps. 149:4). TheProverbs repeatedly declarethat 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 thegospel as coming from “the blessed [happy] God”(1 Tim. 1:11). (The Greekword translated “blessed”here in most versions reallymeans “happy.”) If you wantto see this happy, forgiving,loving side of God, readPsalm 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 youmay abound in hope by thepower of the Holy Spirit”(Rom. 15:13).

This happy side of God should fill us withoverwhelming joy. It shouldgive us a positive, hope-filled attitude toward thefuture. Jesus Christ came.He lived a perfect life. Herevealed God’s love. He diedfor our sins. He conquereddeath. He saves all who put 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 aloving, compassionate,communicating,fellowshiping kind of God.He showed this side of Hischaracter when He sent HisSon into the world with theassurance that everyonewho trusted in Him wouldenjoy an inexpressiblywonderful eternity. That’sthe best news imaginable!It’s good news to becelebrated! It’s so good that it deserves a deeplyemotional response of joy,gratitude, and praise. If weare not deeply moved by the Bible’s story of hopefuloptimism, we do not see orunderstand our God the waywe 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 thewords of the Psalms, relateto stories of real people.

5. THE MESSAGEA fifth way we can knowGod 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 ofliterature—novels, plays, orpoems—have often been amessage from the writer tothe reader. He wrote not just to entertain or to makemoney; he wrote because hehad something important tosay. The writer’s job is tomake that message clear;the reader’s responsibility isto make sure he gets it.

Many of the novels of Charles Dickens, forexample, were exposés ofsocial wrongs in England.The well-known Oliver Twistpointed out in popular termsthe cruel conditions thatorphans faced in 19th-century England. And evenA Christmas Carol, with such

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GOD

1. STORY LINE

2. PEOPLE

3. PLACES

4. MOOD

5. MESSAGE

READER


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: Let’s 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 messageis to accept the rescue frometernal damnation that Hehas provided through thesacrificial death andresurrection of His Son JesusChrist. But there are manyother 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 true Such messages might be

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

For one example, let’sfind the message of the storyabout Daniel and his threeprisoner-of-war friends inDaniel, chapter 1.Transported from theirhomeland to Babylon, they were selected by their captors as leadershipmaterial and enrolled into a 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 Godwants us to do.


of this foreign government,they were given the best offood and drink. But therewas one problem—much 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 theportion of the king’sdelicacies, nor with thewine which he drank;therefore he requested ofthe chief of the eunuchsthat he might not defilehimself (1:8).Daniel’s request was

granted. God, in turn,honored these four men and blessed them withunusual physical health and academic ability. Danielsoon held a very influentialgovernmental 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 thosewho make the right choice.

This principle is based on truths we should knowbefore 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 thosewho honor Him; (3) Hepossesses the moral integrityto do what is right with us.

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God wants us to remain faithful to Him no matter

how difficult,frightening,

or pagan the setting is.


PUTTING IT TO WORK

WWe have said thata person canknow God

through the Bible by using five different points of view borrowed from thestudy of literature. Let’s putit all together with one Biblestory—the story of Godtesting Abraham’s faith bytelling him to sacrifice hisson Isaac. Take a moment to read Genesis 22:1-14 andHebrews 11:17-19. Then,apply the five points of viewdiscussed in this booklet tothe story.

1. THE STORYLINE: What Godcauses or allows tohappen. God showed His power over nature by miraculously givingAbraham and Sarah a childlong after her childbearingyears. Later, however, Godrevealed that He not onlyhad the power to give but

the right to take away. When God told Abraham to do the unthinkable, tosacrifice Isaac, He exercisedHis sovereign authority. Godforced Abraham to make achoice between faith ordoubt, obedience ordisobedience. WhenAbraham passed the test,God showed His ability to provide a last-minuteprovision and reversal of circumstances.

2. THE PEOPLE:What God looks for in His people. Abrahamshows us that God looks fortrusting obedience in Hisservants. Here was a manwho chose God over hismost dearly loved “pride andjoy.” 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 isin 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 testAbraham’s 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, richwith the significance of faithand His ability to provide,as a site for the temple.

4. THE MOOD:What God wants us to feel. The emotions ofthis real-life drama areintense. The mood, whenproperly felt, is enough tomake a grown man cry. Here we find a God whochooses to arouse thedeepest emotions of parental love. Yet, here we also find a God whodoesn’t want His children tosuccumb to the emotion ofdespair. Abraham’s faith

enabled him to rise abovethe deepest and mostagonizing feelings. On the basis of his faith, heshowed his ability to put his hope in God rather than in his circumstances.His agony turned to joy andto a renewed, deepenedawareness of God’s ability to provide.

5. THE MESSAGE:What God wants us to know and do. Themessage here is clear. Godwants us to see His right totest and develop our faith.He wants us to choose Himover anyone or anythingelse. He wants us to choose 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 questionsare listed here for youto use in teaching or

discipling others. We suggestthat these questions bediscussed prior to studyingthe specific point—aspreview questions.

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THESTORY LINE

1. Do you agree ordisagree with the premisethat an author always sayssomething about himself inwhat he writes?

2. Do you think thispremise is true of the Author of the Bible?

3. What would you say isthe overall story line, or thebig picture, of the Bible?

4. What does the storyline of Joseph’s life (Gen.37–50) tell us about God?

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THEPEOPLE

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

2. Who are some of the people of the Bible youwould describe as colorfuland interesting?

3. Do you agree ordisagree that God is lookingfor different things in ustoday than He was lookingfor in the people of theBible?

4. What do the followingpassages about Moses’ lifetell us about God? (Ex. 3–4;14; 32; Num. 12:3; 20:1-13).

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THEPLACES

1. Why is the settingimportant to a story?

2. What do the varioussettings of the Bible tell usabout God?

3. How can a well-29


rounded understanding of the settings of the Bible help us to avoidcompartmentalizing God?

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

KNOWING GODTHROUGH THEMOOD

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

2. If you neglected toconsider the mood of aparticular Bible story, howwould your understanding of that story be affected?

3. What would you sayare the two primary moodsof the Bible?

4. What mood ispredominant in the accountof the flood? of David andGoliath? of Ananias andSapphira? What do thesemoods 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 theBible? How does this differfrom the story line?

3. As you read the Bible,what are some principlesthat you would expect to see repeated over and overagain in the various stories?

4. What is the underlyingprinciple, or message, in thestory of Daniel and his threefriends? (Dan. 1).

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WHAT ABOUTYOU?

HHow well do you know the God of the Bible? It’s

an important question,because the better we know God the better we will know ourselves.Furthermore, we will also be happier spiritually and in every other way.

To see God’s holiness isto see our own sinfulness.To see His goodness is toknow the wonder of Hisgrace and the depth of Hislove for us. To see Hismajesty is to give Him thehonor and praise He isworthy of.

Do you know God? Doyou know Him better thanyou did a year ago? If you’rea believer in Christ, youranswer should be yes. Theway to know God better isthrough His Word. As youread and study the Bible,you will grow. Perhaps

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

If you don’t know God,the first step is to establish aright relationship with Him.You do that by receivingJesus Christ as your Savior,God’s 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 powerlessto 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. Nowour responsibility is to trustin Him. Receive Christ asyour Savior today. If you do,you’ll have taken the firstand most important step inknowing God.

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THE “KNOWINGGOD” SERIES

TThere seems to be nolimit 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 knowledge of God.

If this booklet haschallenged you to know Godbetter, we recommend thatyou take advantage of the“Knowing 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 Through

The New Testament (SB201)• Knowing God Through

Genesis (SB111)• Knowing God Through

Exodus (SB112)• Knowing God Through

Job (SB141)• Knowing God Through

Proverbs (SB130)• Knowing God Through

Isaiah (SB151)• Knowing God Through

Ezekiel (SB154)• Knowing God Through

Zechariah (SB172)• Knowing God Through

John (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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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Discovery Series presents the truth of Jesus Christ to the world in balanced, engaging, and accessible resources that show the relevance of Scripture for all areas of life. All Discovery Series booklets are available at no cost and can be used in personal study, small groups, or ministry outreach.

To partner with us in sharing God’s Word, click this link to donate. Thank you for your support of Discovery Series resources and Our Daily Bread Ministries.

Many people, making even the smallest of donations, enable Our Daily Bread Ministries to reach others with the life-changing wisdom of the Bible. We are not funded or endowed by any group or denomination.

CLICK TO DONATE

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