It’s important that you understand these stories especially
if you are telling it to others. The problem with the reading of the scriptures
today is that many of us hurry through the reading, so we aren’t engaged in
what the stories are telling us. It becomes problematic when people turn the
Word of God into a collection of familiar stories without paying attention to
the context of the verse (or the history behind the text).
The Bible is not
merely a collection of quotes, but the telling of history. Many people take in
what they read from the scriptures, and don’t understand the truth from these
stories. It’s important to comprehend what these stories imply, particularly if
we are to follow our Heavenly Father’s call to reach others with gospel. Here
are five misused Bible stories, and
the surprising ways they are misunderstood:
1. Cain
and
Abel (Genesis 4): Cain and Abel, the world’s first
siblings, have a story that causes lots of confusion in Christian circles.
Their story is misunderstood. The storyline doesn’t seem fair. The Bible tells us, “It was by faith that Abel offered
God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God said he was pleased with the gifts
Abel offered. So God called Abel a good man because of his faith. Abel died,
but through his faith he is still speaking.” (Hebrews 11:4, MSG)
Because it was done in faith, Abel made a better
sacrifice in God’s sight. By implication then, Cain’s sacrifice was not done in
faith (or with an attitude of worship). God rejected it. The nature of the
offering wasn’t the problem. The problem comes from what each man’s heart was
offering.
2.
David and
Goliath (1
Samuel 17): You might envision David versus
Goliath as a story of a weak shepherd defeating a mighty warrior. It turns out
that’s not what the story is about at all. Take a look at the story again.
First, Goliath can’t see. He has to call out to David in order to fight him.
Goliath is powerless. David is a lowly shepherd boy, but is the only person in
the story who realizes that heavy armor weighs a warrior down.
David is deadly. One big
misconception is that David goes into battle with “only a sling” which most
believe to be a tiny, toy slingshot. That’s not what David has at all. He’s
carrying a sling, which is a simple effective weapon that armies used in battle
and shepherds like David used to protect their flock.
That’s why David is able to walk
right up to Goliath and kill him with a single shot to the head. The lesson
isn’t simply that when a powerful competitor takes on
a smaller one, the small one might win. Great leaders understand that the real
keys to battle are sometimes obscured by misconceptions. Perceiving them
correctly can amount to a Goliath-sized advantage
3. Jonah
and the Big Fish (Jonah 1:17-2:10): If there is one story in the
scriptures that has captured the imagination of children everywhere, it has to
be the story of Jonah. Even for adults, there’s a lot to like about Jonah’s
story: adventure, boats, storms, a huge fish, a rebellious runaway prophet, a
miracle rescue, and a dramatic ending. But when you take a closer look at it,
the story has God’s redeeming love written all over it.
Jonah’s story is often misunderstood because the
main emphasis of the story is often put in the wrong place. The main theme is
not about a fish, it’s not about the city of Nineveh. Believe it or not, it’s
not even about Jonah. The story of Jonah is about God and His patient, loving
grace and mercy; his relentless pursuit of sinners like you and me.
4. Judas
and the Betrayal of Jesus (Luke 22): Judas was a thief that was full of greed and jealousy.
His guilt did not lead him to true faith but to suicide. He gives no evidence
of trusting in Jesus as the Messiah who would save Him. Judas does not give
enough evidence to suggest that he was ever a true believer in Jesus Christ.
The way Jesus talks about him in the narrative
description of his actions and character suggest the very opposite. The story
of Judas could never be used as evidence that a true believer could lose their
salvation. While this is a sad story, it’s not a believer’s story.
5. The
Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:1-11): This popular Bible
story has been used as a shield for sin. It is an uncomfortable story to be
sure. It begins with a woman who has been caught in the act of adultery. No
further details are given. The scribes and the Pharisees bring her to Jesus,
and place her in the center of their circle. They questioned Jesus about what
should happen to her.
Deuteronomy 22:22 (VOICE) says, “ If it’s discovered that a man has been having sexual relations with
a married woman, both the man and the woman must be put to death. Expel the
wicked from Israel this way.” The truth is
they weren’t after the woman as guilty as she might be. They were really after
Jesus. There is good news for the woman because they brought her to Jesus. Many
people stop early in the story and say, “See, we’re all sinners, so no one has
the right to judge me or hold me (or anyone else) accountable.” It is true the
woman needed grace. But she also needed truth.
“But when it comes to life’s hardships
and difficulties, we should be prepared to receive more than we can handle so
that we learn to rely on God and not ourselves. Either way, whether it is in
great trials or in moments of great temptation, looking to and leaning on God
is the answer. He is faithful.” (Eric J.
Bargerhuff, author of The Most
Misused Verses in the Bible: Surprising Ways God's Word Is Misunderstood )[i]
[i] Adapted from: “5 Surprising Ways
Popular Bible Stories Are Misunderstood” by Lesli White
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