“Logging And Bible Study”
Jarrod M. Jacobs
This title may seem odd at first, but I assure you that it will make sense by the end of this article. I write this article admitting I know next to nothing about logging. I do, however, have friends and brethren who are in the logging business, and one particular brother made a comment to me the other day that had me contemplating logging and its relevance to Bible study.
My friend said when he is about to cut down a tree, he will look up to see which way the tree is leaning so he can consider which direction the tree might fall. Of course, this is important because he wants to cut the tree down, but be safe and protect whatever might be on the ground that he doesn’t want to be crushed! He, therefore, looks up at the tree from a distance of perhaps 4-5 feet and then walks around the tree to see which way it is leaning.
He told me that sometimes, that is not far enough, so he goes out farther, perhaps 15-20 feet away, and then walks around the tree to see which way it leans. If that is not sufficient, he goes out even further to discover which way the tree is leaning. He said that sometimes, you have to go out a ways, but you will eventually see how the tree is leaning, and you can cut the tree down safely.
As he explained this, I thought about Bible study. While we know Paul’s words are true, and when we read, we can understand (Eph. 3:4), we also recognize that there are times when just reading one verse is insufficient to understand the thoughts of the one speaking or writing in Scripture. Sometimes, we must read not one but a few verses before and after the one in question to ascertain the truth. Sometimes, this can be all we need.
For example, it is hard to understand John 6:44 and determine how God draws men to Him unless we also read verse 45! Some read Galatians 3:26 on its own and conclude that one is saved by faith only. This is not true. To understand Galatians 3:26, read verse 27!
What does it mean to “call upon the name of the Lord”? We do not get the answer by reading Romans 10:13 alone. We must also read Romans 10:14-16 to understand what verse 13 says. In other words, just like my brother in the logging business had to walk farther away from the tree to ascertain how it leans, so we also in study need to “walk away” from a verse or sentence and take in the larger context to understand what that verse is saying.
We might need to go back even further, reading an entire chapter and even the entire book to understand what the author, inspired by God (II Pet. 1:20-21), was intending. By doing so, we can be assured we understand the context and handle God’s word “accurately” (II Tim. 2:15), just as the logger, who learns how the tree is leaning, can cut the tree from a safer position than the person who does not observe at all.
Friend, is reading several verses or even a chapter or two too much to ask for Bible study? A good logger will go the “extra mile” for his safety and the safety of the things that might be in the path of a falling tree. A good Bible student will go the “extra mile” to examine the context of the verse or section of Scripture he is studying for the safety of his soul and the souls of those he is teaching, whether it is friends, family members, or strangers (I Tim. 4:16)!