How do we generally interpret scripture?

[JustAWitness]

I'm reading cover to cover right now and have some questions about interpreting scripture. I don't want to be misled by myself and be learning and teaching wrong doctrine.

In the old testiment, is it ok to interpret some verses as if they applied to our very lives today? I know moses and others wrote these words for certain people but is it safe to say that God also wrote it for me and us today?

example: Deuteronomy 8:1-2: 1BE CARFUL TO FOLLOW EVERY COMMAND I AM GIVING YOU TODAY, SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE AND INCREASE AND MAY ENTER AND POSSES THE LAND THAT THE LORD PROMISED ON OATH TO YOUR FOREFATHERS. 2REMEMBER HOW THE LORD GOD LED YOU ALL THE WAY IN THE DESERT THESE FORTY YEARS, TO HUMBLE YOU AND TO TEST YOU IN ORDER TO KNOWWHAT WAS IN YOUR HEART, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD KEEP HIS COMMANDS.

so if I look at that as Moses writting to Israel then it's pretty straight forward. Would it be safe to say that those verses apply to me today? and interpret it in the following way?

verse 1 says that i am to follow God's commands so that I may posses the land that the LORD has promised. would it be safe to say that it applies to me in the way that if i follow every command then i'll also inherit what God has promised me? what he has in store for me and get to my own little "promise land" such as career and other blessing on earth?

verse 2 talks about their 40 yrs in the dessert, could i interpret this dessert as my desserts? perhaps my trails and tribulations? my times of suffering and wandering?

I guess my questions is, Is God's word literal or can what was written over 2000 years ago still apply to our lives today in the context i was refering to earlier in the post.

Does it sound like I'm interpreting correctly?

thx for bearing with me. God be with you and you with Him.

 

[LilLamb219]

Do you think you can follow every one of God's commands? I know I can't, for I'm a poor miserable sinner in need of a Savior. Because God gave us a Savior in Jesus Christ, I want to follow his Law as it is good and holy, but it doesn't earn me anything. Jesus Christ earned everything for me and I reap the benefits because I have faith to believe.

The Old Testament and the New Testament are connected...both have Law and both have Gospel. The Old Testament told God's people of the Savior to come and all the promises surrounding Him and the New Testament was a fulfillment of those promises.

 

[Johnnz]

There is no concise answer that will cover the whole field. But generally

a) A good commentary on a book is helpful. Because
b) We need to understand what the author and its readers actually understood something to mean at the time. Then we can draw out relevant principles for today.
c) Find a good book on how to understand the Bible.
d) The bible was written in different genres - history, poetry, prophecy, biography. We need to understand how to interpret each genre.
e) We need good teachers who have applied themselves to a-d. This includes books, tapes, etc

In short, you need to do some homework, and be diligent.
Hope this helps

John
NZ

 

[bsd13]

If you seek the heart of God, and you listen carefully to His voice you can't go wrong. Don't try to interpret scripture. Let God minister it too you as it is intended not as your carnal mind would see it.

 

[heron]

People tend to apply the words directly to them, but sometimes they go overboard. God has let us know how He thinks and what He promises, through the Bible. There are definitely words that were specific to a given time, but you'll get the feel of that as you keep reading.

It helps me to listen to the Bible on tape occasionally because it goes faster and I get a better idea of the context in which something was said -- what happened before and after, and whether it was a human reaction or something God asked them to do.

The verse about the commandments was followed much later in the book with a command to keep commandments for all generations. The laws were given to the Hebrews excaping exile, traveling out in the desert with no government and no land, but God told them not to stop once they'd planted themselves on solid ground.

These laws helped them operate a community with equity and justice, providing for the poor and the foreigners, defending downtrodden. If everyone followed the law, it would help ensure that everyone was treated fairly.

The promises that came with them -- some were very practical, natural results. If the people followed the laws, God would plant them in the land -- which is true... if people are not out for themselves, they are better able to dwell in unity and help each other.


But there are also confusing passages like the one about cutting hair -- this was written in a letter from one individual to a church representative, discussing how to address a local custom of pagan temple prostitution... that believers should not look like they also participated in that.

Specific prophecies, like God promising to free the people from Babylon, would of course not be taken literally, but can be encouraging. (Actually, there might be hostages in Babylon...). Most Christians do use these the way you're asking, applying it to their lives.

The Psalms, which were very honest outpouring of David's heart (and other writers), are almost always taken with personal application. If we didn't do some of that, imagine what our faith would be like.


​

 

[Rage4Christ]

Just,

I'm curious what you want out of the interpretation?
I'll tell you what I don't expect when going over the Bible. I don't expect easy answers.
Life is not a paint by colors sort of experience. We are not here to just dot the i's and cross the t's so to speak. The Bible is not a cheat-sheet to heaven, as it were.

We are here to transform ourselves. To become like Christ.

The Bible is a tool, but it is not the final solution.
That solution is in your heart and in your actions.

 

[heron]

I'm curious what you want out of the interpretation?

That's a good question. Even knowing how to interpret is going to be a slower process that we're usually comfortable with. I suspect that you might have heard some people use scriptures to claim all sorts of things, and then opposing voices say we can't. I think it's safe to say that if God promises something for His people, we can look at the cause-effect statement and see it as workable...see that as God's desire for us.

There are also some disagreements over whether promises were made directly to Hebrews/Israel, or to all believers.... statements like returning to Zion...we're not all going to crowd into one small region.

 

[JCFantasy23]

I believe those words can apply to us, simply because of past experience. When I was a teenager and reading the bible regularly, and a question was weighing on my mind that I had asked God about in a previous prayer, wherever I opened the bible to would have a section that applied to my current situation. Because of this, I know it to be true. (for me and my relationship with God at least)