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Finding the Themes of Scripture

More to Say on the Benefits of Scripture Saturation

It is no stretch of the imagination to say that for most Christians in the USA, the majority of their Bible reading comes through resources like daily devotionals or life application readings of Scripture sections that address their current challenges (i.e., the Bible as a Christian therapy text).  Moreover, those things are not necessarily bad, but they can disfigure what any given biblical passage was initially trying to communicate.  That is why we need to study the Word, not just tap it in a moment of need.  However, sometimes, too, the way study is presented is incredibly dry, often solely to undergird some Christian doctrine, and leaves one with the feeling of, “Ok, I learned some fun-facts about Paul or the church in Thessalonica, but… that is about it.”  My point is that reading the Bible is simply an act of obedience, or at the very least, it will have you engaging more with the text; however, over the long haul, it is little more than excellent head knowledge.  

What I propose is that we teach the reading of Scripture according to the thematic frameworks that are clearly present (though not so clearly present at first, I will grant you).  Once our minds grasp the pattern recognition (which our brains naturally love – learning through association is how He wired our brains to acquire, process, and integrate information), it is like an entirely new world opens up to the student.  This is not easy, and it is not a constant dopamine fix—but that is the point: the work is the prize, and the results of gaining understanding spur our hearts and minds on to deepen our relationship with the Lord, His Word, and the Interpretive Community (the Church).  Therefore, reading the Bible through thematic patterns is essential for grasping its more profound meaning and narrative coherence. The Bible is not merely a collection of isolated teachings or moral lessons; it is a unified story woven with recurring motifs that give shape and significance to its message. Themes such as Exile and return, the inclusion of outsiders, and symbolic geography—such as the city or the East—serve as interpretive keys that connect disparate passages and reveal theological depth.

Exile, for example, is a recurring theme throughout the Hebrew Bible (the Christian Old Testament), but the term itself (Hebrew גָּלוּת; pronounced “galut”) first appears in 2 Kings 25:27, referring to the initial deportation of Judeans to Babylon.  However, the concept of failed responsibility (rebellion against a divinely given task) followed by judgment (separation from the task/role and its blessings), with the promise of restoration (a return of status/place/benefits, etc) is there from the very beginning with Adam and Eve, the Serpent and the Garden.  Adam, the divine image-bearer, is given the responsibility to “work it and keep” the garden (Genesis 2:15-a priestly role).  He is derelict in his duties, rebelling against God in obedience to his wife and the serpent and is stripped of his duties, the cherubim taking his place as Garden Guard (Genesis 3:24).  But all hope is not lost.  In Genesis 4:1 Eve declares, at the birth of her firstborn: “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man”; a type of the promise that God would provide a man to avenge the first couple:  “I will cause hostility between you [the serpent] and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15).  This pattern is seen again and again, generationally, personally, nationally, etc., and is one of the stories that determines human history.

From Adam’s being driven out of the Garden (Gen. 3:22-24) to Cain’s similar fate (Gen. 4:14-16, Exile, then, is the theme that ties together both an ideal past and an idealized future with a complicated, tenuous, and uncertain present.  So the question is, “How are we supposed to conduct ourselves in exile?”  For the Christian, this is precisely our situation. According to James, we are living “in the diaspora” (James 1:1); that is, the scattered people of God doing their best to remain faithful outside the land of promise (1 Peter 1:1 denominates us the “elect refugees of the dispersion, and 1 Peter 2:11 as “sojourners and exiles” in relationship to the current operating system of the world).

Scripture Saturation

Why We Need to Be Saturated with Scripture

To be saturated with Scripture is not merely to acquire knowledge of biblical facts but to allow the Word of God to permeate our minds, imaginations, and affections so profoundly that it reshapes how we see the world. In an age dominated by distraction, noise, and competing narratives, the Scriptures provide a grounding force—a true story that defines our identity, our calling, and our hope. As Psalm 1 describes, the blessed person meditates on God’s law day and night, becoming like a tree planted by streams of water. This saturation with Scripture provides the spiritual roots necessary to withstand seasons of seeming spiritual drought, moral temptation, and cultural confusion.

Moreover, when we are saturated with Scripture, we begin to think with the patterns of God’s wisdom rather than the reactive logic of the world. The Word renews our minds (Romans 12:2), realigns our desires, and equips us to discern what is true, good, and beautiful in a disordered age. Jesus, when tempted in the wilderness, responded not with human reasoning but with words from Deuteronomy—demonstrating that Scripture was not an external tool for Jesus but his instinctual source of help in times of temptation. 

Finally, being steeped in Scripture forms us communally as the people of God. The Bible is not just a private devotional text; it is the script for the Church’s worship, mission, and shared life. When our conversations, decisions, and prayers are shaped by Scripture, we speak with the language of heaven, reminding one another of what is eternally true. Without saturation, we default to spiritual shallowness—guided by opinions and emotions rather than revelation. But with saturation, the Word of Christ dwells richly in us (Colossians 3:16), and we become a people who bear fruit in season and out, rooted in God’s living and active Word.

Let me give you an example of how this works over time. Recently, I received a fascinating video from a friend about a pastor’s visit to a site south of Israel, where an incredibly huge rock is split in two – just as described in Exodus 17, as Moses leads the people out of Egypt and into Canaan. The pastor is awed—and I would be too! I’ve been to Israel and walked in the same longitudes and latitudes where Abraham, David, and Jesus traversed the promised land. It’s an amazing sense you get.  

Click HERE to see the video

At about the 4:40 mark, the pastor begins relating how awed he feels, even apparently affirming that this very rock is the one that God split due to the marks left on it, its size, and other factors. And if I were in his position, there would be some worship going on!

But here’s the thing: The rock that Moses struck in the wilderness (Exodus 17, Numbers 20) is not just a geological relic to be unearthed; it’s a narrative symbol that extends beyond itself. While archaeologists may search for the literal stone, the true power of the biblical story lies in its capacity to transform every rock into a theological witness. The miracle was not confined to a single historical moment. Still, it opened up the imagination to see how God’s provision can break forth from what seems dry, lifeless, or inert—even today. When we are saturated with Scripture, we begin to live in a world where even the most mundane objects echo divine meaning. Every rock becomes a possible altar, a reminder of thirst met, of judgment withheld, or of Christ himself—the rock from whom living water flows (1 Corinthians 10:4). In this way, the biblical story does not reduce the world to artifacts of the past, but re-enchants it as a living theater for God’s continuing work today.

So go to Israel! Hunt down the lost ark of the covenant! Find Noah’s ark! But remember that in the meantime, you have constant access to the biblical record of what these historical places, artifacts, and times meant – and that they are just as alive today in your experience of what God is doing in the world as they were back then. That’s a gift someone who has immersed themselves in Scripture can pass on to others—a life preoccupied with God’s mighty acts (Psalm 145:6).