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“Have You Read It Lately?”
One of the most amazing realities of scripture is its ability to speak to us wherever we are. That is, as we grow and mature Bible passages and narratives bring deeper and richer lessons.
David and Goliath is a classic example. Found in 1 Samuel 17 it is one of the most famous of Bible stories. We teach it to all age groups but to each we teach it differently. With the youngest we sing, “Only the little boy, David, and only a babbling brook,” and focus on 5 smooth stones. The stones went up and the giant came down and we skip the gory details. With middle school-ers we talk about the gory details, because they seem to enjoy that. With high-school age we might focus on David’s older brother making fun of him. With college age students we might focus on the courage it would take to step out alone facing such a daunting foe. With adults we focus on Saul being Israel’s giant and how he should have fought Goliath instead. The narrative has depths of rich meaning that speak different things to us depending on our maturity.
The point is, just because you’ve read a passage once doesn’t mean you’re done. Don’t assume that because you studied something in Junior High class you don’t need to study it again.
Every time a Bible study begins expect to be impressed by a new facet of the text you haven’t considered before. Approach the text with fresh eyes. You’ll be amazed how consistently the Word brings forth new truth. Have you read it lately?
