Reflections
- What Bible stories confuse you?
- What questions do you have about the Bible and its contents?
- How has your perspective on the Bible changed over time? What is your current outlook?
- What messages from the Bible have helped you?
- Write down 3 questions you have about the Bible. Write down 3 answers you have found in the Bible. Write down 3 things you want to know about the Bible.
- Do you currently have a habit of reading the Word? What can you do this week to carve out time to spend reading the Lord's Word?
- When you see a contradiction in the Bible and take time to pray and look to the Lord, what result do you experience?
The Bible Is Not To Be Taken Only Literally
The Lord’s Word is not to be taken only literally. There are several layers of meaning within the Word. There is the literal meaning, or the meaning that you get from reading the Word at face value. There is the historical meaning, or the meaning you get that describes the relationship between God and His people. This meaning talks about the history of the different churches on earth. There is the Spiritual Meaning, or the inner meaning that contains the lessons of spiritual growth within them. For example, the Children of Israel being in bondage in Egypt portrays how we can become enslaved to bad habits or evil desires. The pain and oppression they endure portrays how living that kind of life is really a type of slavery, full of pain and sorrow. The Lord freeing the slaves by means of Moses portrays how the Lord can lead us out of this condition and set us free leading us to the promised land of spiritual life. There is also a heavenly or celestial meaning of the Word which explains the path that Jesus had to endure to make His human Divine. The spiritual and celestial are similar, but the celestial sense explains the glorification of the Lord and the spiritual sense explains our personal regeneration or spiritual rebirth.
Write down 3 questions you have about the Bible. Write down 3 answers you have found in the Bible. Write down 3 things you want to know about the Bible.
Do you currently have a habit of reading the Word? What can you do this week to carve out time to spend reading the Lord’s Word?
When you see a contradiction in the Bible and take time to pray and look to the Lord, what result to you experience?