Valleys intro sampler - Flipbook - Page 28
PA RT 1
CO NTE X T
Before you begin your study, we will start with the context of the story we are
about to read together: the setting, both cultural and historical; the people
involved; and where our passage fits in the larger setting of Scripture. All
these things help us make sense of what we’re reading. Understanding the
context of a Bible story is fundamental to reading Scripture well. Getting
your bearings before you read will enable you to answer the question What
am I about to read?
TELL ME IF THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR.
You feel like your world cracked. The bottom fell out of your plans or relationships or health. You’re at your lowest of lows. You not only have “friends in low
places,”1 you’ve got caverns in your soul.
Maybe you’ve been there before. Maybe you’re there right now. The human
condition is such that we’ll all likely be there again.
The dips in life might cause us to question God. That’s normal. Everyone
who follows Jesus will experience a crisis of faith at some point in their journey.
When your doubts seem to erode your faith, it’s hard to trust God’s plans and his
goodness. But God can handle your doubts and your questions.
In this lesson, we are going to read from the book of Numbers about a small
group of spies sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land. The twelve spies,
including a man named Caleb, find that the Valley of Eshkol is just as fertile as
7
