While we should read the books of the Bible in their literary context, we mustn’t forget that God has inspired every word. He is the ultimate ‘series’ editor. This means that we should expect greater depth and more connection between books of the Bible than might be expected if they were only written by humans.

The Bible is the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16); it’s God’s inspired communication of truth to humanity. But it is recorded as literature, with its different books showcasing many styles and genres. Its writing spans 1500 years and at least 40 human authors. This tension poses some challenges for Bible reading, as to how we discern what God is saying. Do we read it as if God has dictated it to us (as many Muslims view the Qur’an)? Or do we recognise the human packaging that the “very words of God” come in (1 Peter 4:11), and study the context and background for better understanding?

The answer, as virtually all biblical scholars and teachers agree, is the second option. That’s why just opening the Bible at random and reading isn’t a recognised way to get guidance from God. This, along with some others, are some of the mistakes I’ve made along the way as I have learnt to read the Bible the way God intended us to. So, let’s look at ten of the mistakes I made in my reading of the Bible.

1. The Fridge Magnet Mistake

Certain verses seem to be popular for putting on Bible covers, bumper stickers, bookmarks and fridge magnets. The most popular one currently seems to be Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

You can feel the positive vibes loading when you read it, can’t you? You might then quote “If God is for us, who could be against us” along with an “amen” in response. But here’s the problem. You can’t take something that God said to a certain group of people at a certain point in history and treat it as a word for your situation—even if it’s the inspired word of God.

My problem was that I was familiar with this verse long before I’d ever read it in the book of Jeremiah. Thus I read it out of context. Jeremiah was originally speaking to a defeated, humiliated people who’d been forcibly exiled some 1400kms away from their homeland. They were living there under terribly oppressive, foreign rule. For Jeremiah to state that God still had plans for that people, saying he will still prosper them—despite them being under God’s judgment—would’ve been hugely encouraging.

But can you see how context matters? We can’t just cut out this verse and paste it into our very different situation, applying it to our lives unthinkingly.

2. Confusing Wisdom With Law

Wisdom sayings aren’t designed to be guarantees. For example, Proverbs 6:10-11 states, “A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest and poverty will come upon you like a robber and want like an armed man.” Of course, it’s generally true that if you are lazy, you may become poor. But there are plenty of people throughout history who have slept a lot and not become poor because of vast inherited wealth.

Proverbial sayings give generalities, not specifics. You can often find exceptions to the rule. But in my zeal to follow the word of God, I took them to heart as absolute truths, paying no attention to their genre.

3. Ignoring the Bigger Picture

When I first read the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22:1-2), I was very troubled. How could I reconcile what I knew about God with this command to sacrifice a human being? I imagined someone saying to their pastor: ‘God is asking me to sacrifice my son to him, can you confirm I am receiving the correct guidance from God?’ The answer would, quite plainly, be: ‘No, you are not!’ But Abraham heard correctly.

My mistake was that God was choosing a significant person, Isaac, the promised son, to give an understanding of a situation far, far in the future. As we read the story, we discover that God didn’t intend for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, as he already had a young ram on standby (Genesis 22:13). But in the future, God would actually sacrifice his Son, Jesus. And Abraham was directed to foreshadow this incredible gospel message to us—even if he was unaware at the time. God wasn’t setting a precedent. No. God was showing us the gospel had been planned long before it came to pass.

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