Spending time in God’s Word and discovering to discern truth for ourselves is the most important part of Naomi’s Table. We encourage you to use the Bible Study podcasts and notes for your own personal study, or with girls, teens and women around your own table.
Each Bible study teacher has her own style, but we all use the inductive study method, a process that helps you learn systematically by:
1. Observation: Answer the question, what does this book, chapter, verse say? As you read, interrogate the text by learning to ask the questions: who, what, when, where, why & how (the 5w’s & h). Who is speaking? What is he saying? What was going on? What was the writer/speaker concerned about? When did the action occur? Who is he writing to? Where is the action taking place? Why did he say what he said? Why was he writing (purpose)? How did the recipients respond? And so on! As you read, learn to ask questions.
2. Interpretation: To get a complete and more in depth understanding of what is being said in the text being studied, it is good to go to other verses in the Bible that deal with the same subject and see what they say. These are called cross-references. If you really want to discover truth for yourself, you should learn to do word studies that give you a more specific meaning of what the Hebrew or Greek word means. You use a concordance and a Bible dictionary. Many of the online Bible sites include these. Check out those suggested on our website. After you study the scripture, then it can be helpful to go to recommended commentaries of known good Bible teachers. They will help you to know if you are on track in your thinking… and often add some great cross references and application to your study.
3. Application: The third step in the study process is to take the truth you have discovered and apply them to your life.
So these are the basics of the process, but there are also some very important principles to follow when studying the Bible.
- Pray before you start asking God to give you understanding by His Spirit. And pray Tell Him you want to know Him better and His will for your life. Ask Him to search your heart. Ask Him to help you make the truths you’ve gleaned personal and help you apply them to your life, as He knows your heart perfectly!
- Remember, context always rules when studying God’s Word.
- Scripture interprets scripture. Man’s opinions do not interpret scripture!
- Key repeated words and/or themes are important.
To be the women God has created us to be, we must know Him and His Word! May the Lord bless you richly as you study His Word!
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