_In this Genesis Bible study we will go through the three processes of Understanding, Application and Communication.
_A. The Process of Understanding
We use the acronym "START" to determine how the original receivers of Genesis understood the message.
1. Situation
God promises Abraham land and numerous descendants. Now God tests Abraham's faith by commanding that he sacrifices Isaac.
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2. Type of Literature
Genesis 22: 2-19 is in Prose form. The form of Prose is Narrative and the genre (type) is Story.
3. Analyze the passage
We have seen that the plot structure is the main thing to determine. The plot structure of Genesis 22: 2-19 Problem – Resolution.
The plot structure is:
Tension - Problem (verse 2-10): Abraham must offer up his son
Relief of tension - Resolution (verse 12-15): The Lord provides a lamb
Result (verses 16-19): The Lord promises blessing
Message of Genesis 22: 2-19
God is able to provide a way out in surprising and unpredictable ways. Human beings are active in the way God provide.
4. Relate the message to the rest of the Bible
In this step we determine whether the findings of the previous steps relate to the rest of the Bible.
The
message of Genesis 22 relates to the rest of the Bible (Jeremiah 11:20;
Hebrews 2:18; James 1: 2,3). It is very clear that this message is an
essential and therefor applicable to us. There are no references to the
triple C's (Ceremonial - and Civil law as well as Cultural practices).
5. Test your findings
In this step you test your own findings (Biblical interpretation) against those of others.(e.g. commentaries and study Bibles)
The commentaries and study Bibles confirm that the message to the original receivers is:
The message to the original receiver is:
God is able to provide a way out in surprising and unpredictable ways. Human beings are active in the way God provide.
B. The Process of Application
In
this process we determine whether the message to the original receiver
is applicable (essential) or not (incidental) to our situation.
It is very clear that this message is an essential. There are no references to the triple C's (Ceremonial - and Civil law as well as Cultural practices).
C. The Process of Communication
In this process we communicate the message to a specific target group.
Please read Days 6 of “The Bible as Your GPS” or Page 22 of Hearing God’s Tweet and answer the following questions.
1. What touched you the most in this story and why? 2. How can this story comfort us in difficult times? 3. Do things happen coincidentally in our life? Read Day 58 from the Bible as your GPS" to get more clarity on this question.
