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BIBL 350 – Inductive Bible Study Assignments for Submission #4

Assignment 19-4: Deuteronomy 22:8

“When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof.”

(1) Study the text and make as many observations as you can. List the observations in the space provided. Be sure that you understand the meanings of all the words. Do background study and word studies as needed to understand each term.

(2) Identify both the historical-cultural context and the literary context. Regarding the historical-cultural context: "When and where is this law given?" Regarding the literary context, "What does the surrounding text discuss?"

(3) Apply the Interpretive Journey to the text by completing the following:

Step 1: Grasp the text in their town. What does the text mean to the biblical audience?

Step 2: Measure the width of the river to cross. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?

Step 3: Cross the principlizing bridge. What is the theological principle in this text?

Step 4: Cross into the New Testament. Does the New Testament teaching modify or qualify this principle, and if so, how?

Step 5: Grasp the text in our town. How should individual Christians today apply the modified theological principle in their lives?

(1) Textual Observations:

(2a) Identify Historical-Cultural Setting:

Parapet (5111)à a short wall around the upper level of a house The preceding and following verses are a list of various laws beginning in Deuteronomy 21:22 and going through Deuteronomy 22:12. This verse refers to guilt about bloodshed (death) This verse is written as a command in present tense “roof” is repeated here twice there is cause and effect in the “so that” clause of building the parapet

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(2b) Identify Literary Context:

(3a) Step #1: Grasp the Text in Their Town:

(3b) Step #2: Measuring the Width of the River to Cross:

(3c) Step #3: Crossing the Principlizing Bridge:

(3d) Step #4: Cross into the New Testament:

These laws were given to the Israelites who were going to conquer the promised land. Moses repeated God’s laws to these people before they entered since the previous generation had died in the desert. This was written about 3500 years ago.

The section that this verse is in discusses various laws, however the preceding section talking about the rebellious son and the following section is about marriage violations.

Deuteronomy 22:8 said to the biblical audiences that they should literally build a structure on their roofs in order to protect people on top from falling off and therefore protect themselves from feeling guilty (in case of injury or death).

The main factor affecting the width of the river here is the change in the covenant and having us having Jesus’ teachings in order to aid us in our understanding here.

If we are to stay in the Old Covenant and interpret this before Jesus had come these people were learning not to make ways that their neighbors/brothers would die at their hand even if by accident.

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(3e) Step #5: Grasping the Text in Our Town:

Assignment 20-1: Psalm 20

Based on the discussion of parallelism in the textbook, classify each of the couplets (verses) in Psalm 20, printed below. That is, identify each set of parallel lines as synonymous, developmental, illustrative, contrastive, or formal. Note that verse 5 and 6 each have three lines instead of two. Either classify all three lines together as one category, or classify the first two as one category and then relate the last line to the first two as a category. Verse 1 has been completed as an example for you.

1May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

Developmental

2May he send you help from the sanctuary; and grant you support from Zion. Synonymous

3May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. Selah Illustrative

4May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. Developmental

5We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests. Synonymous/Illustrative

Based on Jesus’ teaching and our understanding under the New Covenant it makes sense to interpret this verse and cross the principilizing bridge by saying that the roof is like our path in Matthew 7:13-14 and the parapet is like the Holy Spirit helping keep us on the path/roof.

When reading verses about this topic I like to reflect back on the idea of the road less traveled. I think that the road less traveled is a good example of this because we can either go with where the crowd is pulling us, or we can go toward a new direction and form a new path, a straight path, toward the Holy Spirit’s goal. This is a personal challenge that I set up somewhat figuratively and somewhat physically everyday of my life; trying to keep it in my mind to keep on the path for God.

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6Now I know that the Lord saves his anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.

Synonymous

7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Contrastive

8They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

Contrastive

9O Lord, save the king! Answer us when we call!

Formal

Assignment 21-2: Jeremiah 7:1-7.

Study Jeremiah 7:1-7, printed below, and make as many observations as you can. List the observations in the space provided. Be sure that you understand the meanings of all the words. Do background study and word studies as needed to understand each term. Be sure to identify all figures of speech. 1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2“Stand at the gate of the Lord's house and there proclaim this message: 'Hear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the Lord. 3This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place. 4Do not trust in deceptive words and say, 'This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!' 5If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, 6if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, 7then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers for ever and ever.'"

Step #1: Grasp the Text in Their Town. What did the text mean to the biblical audience? Identify the literary context and the historical context of Jeremiah 7:1-7. When and where does this prophecy occur? (Use a Bible dictionary or commentary to help you with this, if necessary.) What does the surrounding text discuss? Does this passage fall into one of the three main points of the prophetic message or one of the indictments discussed in the text? If so, which one? Review the discussion regarding the point of the prophetic message that relates to your passage.

Jeremiah wrote between 627 and 580 BC to the nation of Judah. The text prior to this discusses Jerusalem being under siege and the text immediately following this section discusses more on false religion (followed after that by the Valley of Slaughter). This passage seems to most closely fit the prophetic message main point “You have broken the covenant; you had better repent!” To the biblical audience this text seems to have meant that they were not honoring God and they were creating false religions instead. Jeremiah says to “reform your ways and your actions” and not to “trust in deceptive words (of the false religion).”

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Step #2: Measure the width of the river to cross. What are the differences between the biblical audience and us?

Step #3: Cross the principlizing bridge. What is the theological principle in this text?

Step #4: Cross into the New Testament. Does the New Testament teaching modify or qualify this principle, and, if so, how?

This passage comes from a different culture (Judah) and different Covenant period. The letter was written about 2500 years ago in a language other than English (Hebrew/Aramaic).

Jeremiah is calling us here to be strong in our beliefs and to know what we are living for. We are called to help guide those who are leading us astray. It is our duty as Christ followers to not worship false gods as God commanded through Moses in Exodus 20:3.

We are still to honor the same principles today, but we have some teachings of Jesus that help us to remember even better about how standing up for our faith is nothing compared to what some people do. For example Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in Daniel 3.

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Step #5: Grasp the text in our town. How should individual Christians today apply this modified theological principle in their lives?

Assignment 22-1: Various Proverbs

Take the Interpretive Journey with each of the proverbs listed below. That is, take the first proverb and then write a short paragraph for each of the five steps regarding that proverb. Then turn to the next proverb and complete the five steps for it, followed by the same procedure for the last proverb. Try to make the application in Step 5 a real application for your life.

Proverbs 10:12

Hatred stirs up dissension,

but love covers over all wrongs.

Step #1: Grasp the Text in Their Town. What did the text mean to the biblical audience?

Standing up for the faith is what this verse means to me. It is a weird take away because it is not literally what the verse is talking about, but rather not creating false religion, but to me those go hand in hand. In order to stand up for your faith you must be educated in your faith, ready to talk to someone at all times, protected with the Armor of God, and filled with the Fruit of the Sprit. (Read your Bible, go to church, pray, and be filled.)

Hatred stirs up dissension/quarrels/strife Proverbs 10:12 reminded the biblical audience that hatred is bad (Exodus 20) and love is the great commandment.

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Although the proverbs were written under the Old Covenant it fits into Dr. Fuhr’s category one from last week when he talked about not needing adaptation because some things are timeless and if the Bible still is relevant (which it is) this verse still applies.

Similar to that of step one, do not hate for love concurs all.

The New Testament teaching reaffirms this principle by Christ dying for us and showing the greatest love, but the principle does not change; the principle is timeless.

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Proverbs 11:1

The Lord abhors dishonest scales.

But accurate weights are his delight.



Jesus has taught us to love our enemy and in that if we love our enemy we should then have no enemies. Love is above all so love one another and be full of joy; show love to one another and do it for the joy of the Lord.

To biblical audiences this text may have meant that the Lord did not take well to dishonesty/dishonest ways, but rather that He prefers ways of truth and accuracy. The differences between the biblical audience and us are that they are under the Old Covenant (and us the New Covenant), the language/culture in which the verse was written, and the time in which the boo takes place. With all of that being said, the message that the verse delivers to the biblical audience is still equally relevant to the current audience in “our town” because the message is timeless.

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This verse reminds me of a song from my VBS days that the key teachings for the week spelled out “FROGS” (Forgive, Respect, Obey, Give thanks, and Serve one another in love). We should be like little children again and remember to forgive each other, respect each other, obey one another, give thanks to God, and serve one another all in the name of the Father! When we do this it all honors our Lord and Father in heaven because it is the truth and good that He is seeking.

The teaching stays the same in the New Testament and Jesus reaffirms the message to love our brother multiple times in his teachings. This seems like a good lesson on repentance. Maybe an object lesson on what repentance looks like is in order and then sending people out at the end of a sermon/lesson/evening to make right with those who they have wronged. The main point here is making sure to be positive and never being negative even if the group does not understand, because you contradict yourself then.

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Proverbs 18:24

A man of many companions may come to ruin.

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.




Some people may come and some people may go, but God is always there. The width of this river and the differences between the biblical audiences here are almost exactly the same as the previous two; the Covenant, time period, culture, and language have changed. Although so much has changed the message that is given in the verse here is still relevant to todays audience because it is timeless.

We will always have God even when we fell alone and trapped; even when we think no on is around us and we are along He is always there, we always have a friend to turn to in the Lord.

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The principle does not change, but Jesus coming showed the people during His time how he could literally always be there for them. People even now more today seem to need to know they have a friend and someone to turn to all the time, people seem to forget they have Jesus. It may be good just to take time and let people pray in groups or alone and just talk to their friends and their Friend about life.

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