What Is The Biblical Meaning Of Lament
In ancient Israel, there were great demonstrations of grief and mourning for leaders such as Moses, Jacob, and Aaron that lasted 30 days. It was a tradition for the dead to be mourned by family, but they may also call on professional mourners who played instruments or chanted dirges. This is what Jesus encounters when He visits Jairus house to raise his daughter from death in Luke 8.
Lamentation was also a practice to express sorrow over sin. In James 4:9, James uses the Greek word, pentheo, as an instruction to the believer in the process of repentance. After we submit to God, resist the devil, draw near to God, and purify our hearts, he calls us to Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom James 4:9 NKJV. Lamentation is not an end to itself, but a path to praise. James tells us in verse 10 that if we humble ourselves before God, He will lift us up. In the heavy times of life, there is a lightness to be found but the pathway to this is lamentation.
Bible Study Protects Us From Twisting The Truth
Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.
The Word of God is challenging, and because sin is a power at work against man, its inevitable that people will twist the words of God for their own purposes. This sort of manipulation will be confusing and distracting to those who do not regularly seek a fuller grasp of Gods Word through study.
Study of the Bible is important for the health of a believer. Someone who reads daily but never spends times in study is like a person who eats regular, nourishing meals but never bothers to discover why the meals are nourishing: You gain some benefit, but cant appreciate the components of the meal, nor can you fully apply the concepts of nourishment to other facets of life.
For example, when reading through a verse or book of the Bible, we will get the benefit of its implications on our current experience, but we may miss the meaning of the context in which it was written. This expanded view of the insight of Scripture is only available through study.
Search Blogs And Online Articles
Another one of my favorite Bible study methods for beginners is to simply see what other writers, pastors, and bloggers have to say on the topic.
Now, you do have to be very careful when studying the Word in this way.
While you can learn a ton reading online articles, keep in mind that not everything you read online is Biblically sound, even if its written by a Christian author. And its very easy to get false information from a source that looks reputable, especially if youre just learning how to understand the Bible for the first time.
Some bloggers do have formal Bible training and actually care about getting the messages of Jesus Christ right. But unfortunately, many others simply want to spout off opinions or write something encouraging without first checking to make sure their message is Scripturally sound.
And again, were all just humans. Even when we do our best, were not infallible.
So, while you can certainly learn a lot this way, you DO need to make sure you also learn how to study the bible for yourself.
Read what they say, examine it against Scripture, and see if it makes sense. Read multiple, reputable sources. Dont simply take one persons word for what the Bible means. They could be wrong.
Also, whenever Im trying to figure out how to understand the Bible on a particular topic, I always save this step for last, because I want my beliefs to be formed by Scripture first not how other people interpret it.
Don’t Miss: How Many Times Does The Bible Say Fear God
How Can We Understand The Bible Better
Are you ready to dive deeper into the Word of God and get to know him better? As we seek to understand the Bible and draw closer to God, there are specific strategies and Bible study methods that we can use to help us better understand what we are reading. Remember, God wants to reveal himself to us through his Word, and studying the Bible does not have to be a meticulous task that feels forced and monotonous.
With the right Bible study tools and resources, we can study the Bible in ways that give us deeper spiritual insight, knowledge, and wisdom. So how can we begin to understand the Bible better?
Bible Verses About Cursing Your Parents
The way you treat your parents will have a huge effect on your life. God commands us to honor our mother and father and let me say this, you only have one life so dont waste it. There will be a day when your parents will die and all you have is memories.
They fed you, changed your diapers, gave you clothes, shelter, love, etc. Love them, obey them, and cherish every moment with them.
Thank God because there are some people who dont have a mom and dad on earth anymore. Cursing your parents doesnt always have to be to their face.
You can curse them in your heart as well. You can talk back, roll your eyes, wish harm, talk about them negatively to others, etc. God hates all this. We are in the end times and there will be more and more disobedient children because many parents stopped disciplining and teaching their kids Gods Word.
Kids are being influenced by evil things on websites, TV, bad friends, and other bad influences. If you cursed your parents you must repent now and apologize. If you are a parent and your child cursed at you then you must discipline them, and help teach them with the Word of God. Never curse back, dont provoke them to anger, but continue to love and help them.
Last days
What does the Bible say?
2. Matthew 15:4 For God said: Honor your father and your mother and, The one who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.
3. Proverbs 20:20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.
Reminders
Read Also: List Of Fear Not Verses In The Bible
Why Should We Study The Bible
You may have heard of this popular acronym for the Bible:
B-Basic
L-Leaving
E-Earth
Not only is the Bible the most important instruction book we will ever need to guide our lives, but Jesus is the very Word of God himself.
John 1:1-2 explains it like this:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
The Greek meaning of the word Word in this passage is logos, which means speech. It is described as a word, uttered by a living voice, by the sayings of God. Logos is also defined as a decree, or a mandate, and the moral precepts given by God .
Whenever we study the Bible, we are drawing closer to Jesus, because he IS the Word of God. He is the God who spoke mountains and seas into existence, and who lovingly wove us together in our mothers womb. When we study the Word of God, we are studying the very essence of who Jesus is! When we seek to get to know him through the Bible, he will reveal himself to usbecause he is the Living Word.
Every page we turn in Scripture is an invitation to know God better. When we approach Bible study this way, it does not have to be a duty we do as Christians, but a divine opportunity to draw closer to our Lord and Savior!
I want to know Christyes, to know the power of his resurrection
Philippians 3:10a
The Sword Of The Spirit
..and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17
The word of God helps us in so many ways. It helps us to lay aside our doubt and frustration. It gives us strength and confidence. It assists us when we are making decisions.
Hebrew 4:12 says, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,
It is a living truth, and it can be used as a defensive weapon and an offensive one. We need a weapon to fight with! Look what happened in Matthew 4:
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, He will command his angels concerning you, and On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said to him, Again it is written, You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.
Each time the devil tried to tempt him, Jesus responded with Scripture. What a wonderful world it would be if each of us could do this! We would be able to send the devil back to his proper place. The Holy Spirit enables us to do it if we remain in the Word. The more we read and understand the Bible, the more souls we can save.
Recommended Reading: What Does The Bible Say About Strong Woman
Creative Bible Study Method
Another fun and powerful way to study the Bible is to use Bible journaling. Bible journaling is a creative approach to studying the Bible because it incorporates art and Bible study together. Even if you arent an artist , you should try this method out!
I recommend using the SOAP Bible study method before starting a Bible journaling page. After you have read and studied a Bible passage, then you can choose one aspect of the Bible passage or verse that you want to illustrate. You can use paint, markers, colored pencils, or mixed media like washi tape, scrapbook paper, stamps or stickers.
Related: Check out this on how to get started Bible journaling if you are on a tight budget. I also have tons of free Bible journaling printables that you can download for free!
Priscilla Shirers 5 Ps Bible Study Method
I absolutely love anything published and produced by Priscilla Shirer. A few years back I went through her Bible study Can We Talk? Soul-Stirring Conversations with God. In this Bible study she outlines the 5 Ps of Bible study that she uses and teaches throughout the book.
The 5 Ps are:
Okay, there technically are 7 Ps that she discusses in this method! I like this Bible study method because the steps are very specific and practical. In order to position ourselves to hear from God, we can start with prayer and open our hearts to hear what God will speak to us through his Word.
The second step is reading through the passage. I like how she encourages us to paraphrase the passage into our own words to make sure we understand what we are reading. When we pull out the spiritual principles, we can use our observations of the passage to discover the key biblical truths.
The last two stepspose a question and plan obedience get into the interpretation and application of the passage. Questions we can ask ourselves are questions related to the passage that will give us more clarity and understanding of the passage. When we plan obedience, we can then apply the Scripture to our lives and make sure that we are doers of the Word and not just hearers!
Read Also: The Bible Books In Chronological Order
Interpret First Use Commentaries Second
If you choose to consult a commentary during your study, try to do it toward the end. Strip the passage of all the jewels you can find on your own, and then come back through with a commentary. Using a trusted commentary can help in a few ways:
-
It can help show you the details you missed in the observation phase. This can train you to be more of an explorer in the future.
-
It can provide you with answers you werent able to come up with on your own, and maybe give you some clues on interpretive techniques and tools in the future.
-
It can provide details and facts that you do not yet have the capacity or training to pick up on your own.
Graceful Bible Verses About Cursing And Swearing
by Ryan Hart | Updated on December 20, 2018 | Post may contain affiliate links
In this post Im going to share with you the most impactful bible verses about cursing and using profanity that Ive read.
In fact:
These scriptures on cursing will make you think twice about the words that come out of your mouth from now on.
Ready to find out what the bible says about swearing?
Lets get started.
You May Like: Apocalypse Bible
You May Like: Does The Bible Say Mary Magdalene Was A Prostitute
Praying The Scriptures Over Your Children
You will discover how using the Bible to shape your desires and requests opens the door to Gods provisionand frees us from things like worry and fear in our parenting! This expanded edition of the bestseller features updated content on issues like technology and identity, and comes with new material designed to invite children into the family prayer circle. Purchase now and receive 10% off your product.
What Submission Looks Like In Marriage
According to Paul, a faithful husband willing lays down his life for his wife. He is not a tyrant who forces her to submit to his sinful human desires but abandons his own will, affections, and needs for her sake. Further, Paul exhorts the husband to love his wife as he loves his own body and equates the husbands care of his wife with that of Christs for His church . A loving husband submits his will to that of Christ, and, in doing so, imitates Him in the marriage relationship. In this context, the wife willingly surrenders to her husband just as her husband chooses to surrender his will to Christ. Submission based on love brings peace and harmony to the family.
Biblical submission fosters right relationship with God and spouse and others. In the Ephesians passage, Paul uses marriage to illustrate the perfect eternal submission of the Three Persons of the Trinity. This is a profound mysterybut I am talking about Christ and the church .
Read Also: What Is An Omer In The Bible
Examples Of Bible Study In A Sentence
My cousin, being the nice, kind, welcoming person he is, he welcomed him to his congregation, welcomed him to the Bible study, and he sat there for an hour … At the conclusion of the Bible study, they just heard just a ringing of a loud noise, and it was just awful from what I heard.
It’s obviously a crime of hate. Again, we don’t know the rationale, but what other rationale could there be? You’re sort of lost that somebody could walk into a Bible study in a church and indiscriminately kill people, this is one of those situations where you just have to take a step back and say we you know, you talk about the importance of prayer in this time and we’re now seeing assaults on our religious liberty we’ve never seen before. It’s a time for deeper reflection beyond this horrible situation.
My faith is really the foundation of who I am, its so important to me, and its always a part of me, whether its at home and privately, or when Im reading the Bible in Bible study. But also at work, and the choices I make within work, and the companies I choose to work with and the projects that I choose to take on.
Understanding The Root Of Your Child’s Misbehavior
Often, children act out because they are used to getting attention through bad behavior. Dr. Kevin Leman offers advice to help parents transform their childs behavior. He discusses the benefits of allowing your kids to learn from real-life consequences and describes the importance of understanding your childs temperament based on his birth order.
Also Check: Teaching Bible To Preschoolers
The Bible Is One Complete True Story
When we think of reading a book, we often think about taking it to our favorite chair, leisurely taking in the words, reading a chapter or two, and sticking a bookmark in it to resume when we have another free moment.
The Bible, however, is different from your typical novel, biography, memoir, etc. The Holy Scriptures read more like an anthology. But even beyond that, each book of the Bible works together to tell one powerful, complete story.
It may not seem like a chronological work of literature if you read it straight through. One book doesnt necessarily start where the previous one left off. In a big picture view, however, it is chronological in that it begins with the creation of humankind and the world, and ends with Earths re-creation into a perfect New Earth.
To tell this story in the most complete, relatable way, the Bible includes poems, songs, letters, memoirs, eyewitness accounts, prophecies, parables, allegories, historical records and more. All these types of literature work together in harmony to reveal a bigger picture of who God is, how much He loves us, and His plan to ultimately conquer evil for good.