Issue 1444 – Out of Context – May 10, 2024
Context is a key component to understanding what anyone says. Our media is filled with sound bites that are taken out of context to make it appear that someone is saying something they are not.
Let me give you a fictitious example. Supposing I said to you, “In the eyes of some of his loyal followers, Adolph Hitler was a great man.” You would be correct that I said that; after all, I did say it, but by ignoring the rest of what I said, you completely misunderstand or misrepresent what I said.
Let me give you some examples where context is key in the Scriptures.
The Bible says that God doesn’t exist!
But wait, how can this be? The Bible, a text believed to be the word of God, seems to contradict itself with a statement like that.
I can prove it.
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.” Psalm 14:1
Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.” Isaiah 44:6
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. Psalm 53:13
There may be other places where the Bible explicitly says, “There is no God.”
It’s true that I’ve taken these verses out of their original context and misunderstood their intended meaning. But I’ve done so deliberately to highlight a point.
The context in which a Bible verse is written, as well as the literary genre, the intended audience and other key components, makes a huge difference in understanding its meaning.
Ignoring those key components is a trap Christians frequently fall into, and I’m certain we have all done it.
One such mistake is to take a saying from proverbs and “claim it for a promise from God.” Proverbs is a book of generally accepted truism, but none of it is a promise to us from God.
Another common one is ” claiming” the following verse for society today.
…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
While it may be in God’s plan to redeem a particular nation today, that isn’t a promise to us.
Contextually, it is a reminder of God’s covenant relationship with God’s covenant people, Israel, and it is given to King Solomon during the dedication of the newly constructed and dedicated temple. It has no relationship to the people of Canada today.
The Bible is filled with God’s truth and promises. God never lies, and He always fulfills His promises. Let us make sure that what we think is a promise is applicable to us.
Let us endeavour to understand what God was actually saying before we apply it.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. Your value in God’s eyes is so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that his plan for heaven will not be complete without you.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV)