I Don't Get It

I Don’t Get It

Read the following passages of Scripture and see if you have an initial gut reaction to them that’s good or… something else.

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:6)

Because you did not serve the LORD your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity, therefore in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and dire poverty, you will serve the enemies the LORD sends against you. (Deuteronomy 28:47-48)

 

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. (Ephesians 5:22-23)

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1)

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

These passages are among those over which I have prayed, struggled and which I have questioned at one point or another in my relationship with God. And I’m not alone in this tension. There’s a question I hear in various groups and conversations I’ve been a part of over the years. Sometimes it’s posed as such; other times it’s implied: What do you do with Scripture that makes you uncomfortable, you don’t understand, or you simply don’t like? I’ve yet to run into someone who studies the Bible and understands and easily embraces all of it, so to say this is a common issue is an understatement.

There are lots of reasons we may bump up against certain parts of God’s Word. It may be obscure and confusing. It may hit too close to home. It may simply be irrelevant for our current season of life. I once heard someone say that not all of the Bible was written to us, but all of the Bible was written for us. Specific prophecies, descriptions and commands need to be filtered through societal and circumstantial context, while much of God’s Word is straightforward enough to enlighten, convict and encourage without digging very deep for understanding.

But what about those parts that just don’t sit well with us upon first glance, or even with deeper study? Do we get to randomly pick and choose the parts that will apply to us? Can we dismiss sections of Scripture as irrelevant or untrue? And these musings lead us to perhaps the most disturbing question of all: are there contradictions in Scripture that make it unreliable? If we say we believe it and want to follow God, the answers to these questions matter. So how should we proceed through this potentially rocky terrain?

Here are some possible approaches to sticky spots in Scripture:

1.     “Lord, what are you revealing about yourself?” – God is all about relationship. He wants to be loved, known and understood so our relationship with Him can grow. In seemingly obscure laws in Leviticus concerning treatment of mold, skin rashes, and food restrictions, God reveals His concern for a wandering people and their physical well-being. In laws restricting sexual relations, He reveals His desire for strong families and pure relationships. His character and thoughts are so beyond ours that a lifetime of learning about Him and spending time with Him would never be adequate to fully grasp the depth of His love or power. Therefore each encounter with Scripture, God’s blueprint for life and love letter to His children, is an opportunity to see more clearly the God who created us to be in relationship with Him.

2.     “What is the context? – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16) Some of the Bible is poetic, some is historical, some is descriptive, some is proscriptive. We do well to read large chunks of Scripture to get a feel for what God meant to say and for what the human author meant to convey, based on his own experience with God. Who were the people reading the letter? What were the societal and economic factors of the time period? What was happening historically?

3.     “Holy Spirit, be my guide.” – Jesus told His disciples that “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth”. (John 16:13) Paul told the Christ followers in Rome that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and intercedes for us when we don’t know how to pray. (Romans 8:26) When we don’t understand Scripture or it rubs us the wrong way, the Holy Spirit is the best teacher to enlighten us. But remember that the Holy Spirit’s job description also includes convicting us of sin, so He may guide us into some unpleasant but necessary personal examination.

Let’s look at how to apply these principles to one of the Scriptures we started with. The passage in Deuteronomy had me scratching my head this week. Why does God bless His children with prosperity only when they do exactly what He tells them to do? Where does free will come into that? If there’s a direct correlation to obedience and prosperity, all the obedient people will be prosperous and the ones who are disobedient and rebellious will be obvious by the boils on their skin, broken families, empty bank accounts and unhappy hearts, right? Is God really so loving if He only pours out His blessing on those who follow His rules? And why do bad things still happen to me when I am being obedient? These were some of the questions in my head this week. So I began looking at the context, asking God to reveal Himself and inviting the Holy Spirit to instruct and convict me. I still have questions, but I heard God say two specific things to me in reference to this passage. The first was that His laws are for our good so when He instructs us to follow them, He’s leading us into life that is full and healthy. I know that and can trust that about Him. The second thing was that His blessings don’t always look the way I anticipate. He is a perfect and sovereign God who saved me from the punishment my sins deserve and He can do whatever He chooses as Savior and Creator. But it will always, always, always be what’s best for me in His perfect plan. Always.

So I got something but not all questions answered or conflict resolved. And I got to hear from God. That is the only reward I’ve come to expect or desire. Beyond understanding, I crave connection. And in that He is most consistent.

Because I’m a bottom line kind of girl, here are a couple that may reassure when not all the questions get answered:

1.     When our perspective clashes with what we come across in Scripture, we are the ones who must change. Where there’s friction in life or between us and Scripture, chances are God’s going to use it to change us and reveal Himself to us. That’s not something we need to fear or run from. He is completely trustworthy and faithful.

2.     It’s okay not to have it all figured out. God is God and we are not. He may or may not choose to reveal His perspective to us in confusing parts of His Word. If that’s the case, I figure I can’t be held accountable for something He hasn’t specifically revealed to me as my responsibility. God is completely qualified to run the universe and judge people’s hearts. I am not.

I pray that God will reveal Himself to you in His Word this week, that the Holy Spirit will guide you in truth, and that you will be changed by your encounter in God’s living and loving words to you.