Since my last post was a tad heavy-hearted, I decided to lighten it up a little (sort of) with a game I like to call, “Does the Bible Really Say?”

Read through the ten points below and see what you think:

1. “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.”

2. “Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor?”

3. “Behold, here are my virgin daughter and his concubine. Let me bring them out now. Violate them and do with them what seems good to you, but against this man do not do this outrageous thing.”

4. “And the donkey said to Balaam, ‘Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?’ And he said, ‘No.’”

5. “A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping of a leaky roof in a rainstorm.”

6. “The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, ‘Quick! Get up!’ And the chains fell off his wrists.”

7. “Drink water from your own well— share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?”

8. “If a man is found stealing one of his brothers of the people of Israel, and if he treats him as a slave or sells him, then that thief shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.”

9. “Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.”

10. “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.”

So does the Bible really say these things? Yes, it does! You can fact check me below.

If you ever thought reading the Bible is boring, think again! The Bible has it all — drama, mystery, intrigue, betrayal, forgiveness, and hope! Everything from human trafficking, social justice, gender dysphoria, rape, talking donkeys, nagging spouses, nun-like angels, adultery, lessons from ants, times when your mouth runneth over, and SO MUCH MORE!

In fact since the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek and Aramaic, there are phrases and word plays and even puns that are quite literally lost in translation. This is why it is crucial to have a credible commentary or reputable resources to guide you through the literary artistry of God’s written Word. Additionally, I highly encourage you to look up any of the verses above that caught your attention.

Context is key when it comes to understanding God’s Word.

Historical context, social and cultural context, and spiritual context all play a role in discerning the heart and mind of God through scripture. Always keeping in mind what verses in the Word are prescriptive (describing God’s will) and what are merely descriptive (describing what happened). Just because it is in the Bible does not necessarily mean God looks favorably upon it. Likewise, not all proverbs translate into promises, but they do give us insight into the mind and character of God.

We need both a satellite and a microscope to study God’s Word.

Have you ever considered that of all the ways God could have communicated His Divine Mind and Character to the human mind, He chose a Book! What does that say to you?

It tells me that God is truly a literary genius weaving narrative with poetry, with wisdom, with praise, with allegory, with prophecy, with parable, with letters, with the crimson thread of Christ’s atoning sacrifice through it all!

The Bible is God’s Amazing Book!

As Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 1:9 ESV, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

History will repeat itself, humans will continue to sin and rebel against the way of God, and while the Bible really does say and include some eye-opening, heart-wrenching verses, it also extends the most glorious and life-saving invitation of all . . .

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

(John 3:16 ESV)

1. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV

2. Jeremiah 30:6 ESV

3. Judges 19:24 ESV

4. Numbers 22:30 ESV

5. Proverbs 27:15 NIV

6. Acts of the Apostles 12:7 NLT

7. Proverbs 5:15-16 NLT

8. Deuteronomy 24:7 ESV

9. Proverbs 6:6-8 NLT

10. Proverbs 10:19 NLT