There is, of course, grammatical context. And there's geographical context. And historical context. All these are important in correctly understanding the Scriptures.
All this is one of the reasons I love traveling to Israel. You may be wondering what that has to do with context. Everything! To travel to Israel is to experience the context of the Bible!
Earlier this week my Bible reading took me to Genesis 13-18, to the story of Abraham, where I read this verse: "So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron." Genesis 13:18 ESV)
Immediately I was back in Israel. Back in Hebron. Back at the Oak of Mamre. To the very place where I stood just a few short years ago.
We sat in a field nearby this 5000-year old tree and were taught from these very chapters. We sat where Abraham lived. Where Isaac's birth was promised. Where God made covenant with Abraham. Truly the pages of Scripture come to life when you are standing in the very place where the events happened! This is what it means to experience the Bible in context.
What do we know about Abraham? We know that he believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. We know that he obeyed God. We know that he was willing to sacrifice even that which was most precious to him if that was what the Lord required.
What does that have to do with you and me? I believe God expects no less of us today than He did of Abraham then: to believe, to obey, to trust.
How are you doing in those areas? Something to think about.
By the way, concerning this Oak of Mamre, local tradition says that when the tree dies, it is signaling the end of days. You can draw your own conclusion, but I think that tree looks pretty dead!
"It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1;20-21 ESV)
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