As those that’ve identified me for any cheap size of time know, I don’t imagine there’s actually a improper solution to learn the Bible. (Apart from not studying it in any respect or studying verses with out regard for his or her context, after all.) We have to each deeply learn single books of the Bible and learn the Bible in huge chunks. Each are important to our expertise of Scripture. Why? As a result of they feed off of each other. Collectively, they assist us establish patterns and themes by means of particular person books and throughout Scripture.
That is hardly a novel thought, after all. It’s the place to begin of primary biblical theology. However what it lacks in novelty, it makes up for in its potential to encourage us and assist us see the richness of God’s Phrase.
The Distinction and Battle
Take into account, for instance, what you discover once you hint a key theme of the e book of Judges. In some ways, Judges serves as a prologue of kinds to the books of Samuel. One of many key methods it does that is by organising the battle between David and Saul as its narrator contrasts the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
For instance, Judah is proven as taking the lead function within the continuation of the nonetheless incomplete conquest of the promised land (Joshua 1:19-20). “The Lord was with Judah,” the narrator wrote, as they drove out the mountaineers and Hebron was given to Caleb. However the very subsequent verse contrasts Judah with Benjamin, highlighting the latter’s failure to drive out the Jebusites (1:21).
Later, as Israel’s Judges are launched, Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, was depicted as probably the most devoted of all who appeared between Joshua and Samuel (3:7-11). In the meantime, apart from the cleverness of the story of Ehud, the narrator says little good about Benjamin in any respect. In truth, by the top, Benjamin is depicted because the epitome of apostasy, as depraved as the lads of Sodom and Gomorrah (Joshua 19:1-21:25; Genesis 19).
And who would go to struggle towards them first? Judah (Judges 20:18).
The Battle Over a Kingdom
First Samuel intensifies the distinction and battle between Judah and Benjamin. Saul, a Benjamite, served as the primary king of Israel and, regardless of his early victories, did not obey the Lord. He seemed the half, being extra good-looking and taller than all the opposite Israelites (1 Samuel 9:2), however his coronary heart didn’t belong to the Lord. David, in the meantime, was a shepherd, the youngest youngster of Jesse’s seven sons, and hardly seemed the a part of a king (regardless of nonetheless being a handsome younger man). But, he was the one who God stated was “a person after his personal coronary heart” (1 Samuel 13:14 NKJV; Acts 13:22).
As David discovered favor with the individuals, Saul grew to become jealous of him and decided to kill him. David, although pressured to flee, refused to hurt the jealous king. Regardless of being anointed as king by Samuel, David wouldn’t raise his hand towards Saul. His time would come; the Lord would decide between them. However David would spare Saul, the Lord’s anointed, even figuring out that Saul wouldn’t present the identical courtesy (1 Samuel 24).
The Ceasefire Earlier than the Storm
One of many causes I discover this theme so fascinating is as a result of it’s not totally resolved in 1-2 Samuel. Now, I wish to watch out right here as a result of there’s a sense by which the rivalry does finish in these books. In spite of everything, Saul dies (1 Samuel 31), and regardless of a failed try to take the throne by Saul’s son Ish Bosheth, David is lastly made king over a united Israel (2 Samuel 2-5). After securing his throne, David even seeks out Mephibosheth, Saul’s grandson, to point out him kindness. And out of that kindness, Mephibosheth is welcomed to commonly eat at David’s desk (2 Samuel 9).
So, sure, there’s peace between Judah and Benjamin when David’s kingdom is established. And even by means of the divided kingdom and into the Babylonian exile, Judah and Benjamin remained collectively. But, this isn’t the top of the story. There’s something extra. A ultimate, deeper decision of the animosity between the 2—between the Son of David and one other man named Saul.
The place Their Striving Actually Ceased
Saul was a Pharisee, extremely educated within the Legislation, and zealous about maintaining it. He noticed Jesus’s disciples as a hazard with all their discuss of their crucified and risen Messiah. He heard Stephen’s preaching, and when the gang stoned and killed him, he permitted of it (Acts 8:1). And he didn’t simply approve—he joined in. Saul terrorized the early church, respiration out murderous threats and looking for to arrest them (Acts 9:1).
After which one thing astounding occurred: Saul grew to become considered one of them.
And never simply considered one of them. The zealous persecutor of the church grew to become its champion. Saul, additionally known as Paul, traveled far and broad to proclaim the information of Christ’s life, dying, and resurrection to these amongst whom Christ was not often called the apostle to the Gentiles. His letters to the church buildings make up practically half of the New Testomony. And in a type of letters, he contains this small element: Paul, this “Hebrew of Hebrews,” was “of the tribe of Benjamin” (Philippians 3:5).
Deposits of Grace Ready to Be Found
Charles Spurgeon as soon as stated, “The deeper you dig into Scripture, the extra you discover that it’s a nice abyss of fact.” He was proper about that, after all. Scripture is inexhaustible—we will by no means exhaust all of its riches. And that is the fantastic thing about studying deeply and extensively. Via it, we discover wealthy deposits of God’s grace working all all through the e book, simply ready to be found. Excellent news that enriches our expertise of God’s Phrase, and let’s us see the fantastic thing about God’s redemption story taking part in out by means of each web page.
Photograph by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
