In reading through the book of Deuteronomy I had to pause at a verse which was directed to the people of Israel about what they should do at their Feast of Tabernacles. All Israel was to assemble and the law of God was to be read to them. There is a process in these words that would apply to Bible learning even today.
“Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.” (Deut. 31:12, NASB)
Four Elements about the Bible Learning Process from Deuteronomy 31:12
Not only should these four elements be a part of the Bible learning process but they seem to show a progression in that process. Clicking on the links will take you to input on that element for a closer look at what it means.
1) hear
2) learn
3) fear the Lord
4) observe
Implications for Bible Teachers
As teachers, we can’t just assume students will advance through this process. If we truly want our students to get to the point of knowing and revering our Great God so much that they want to obey Him, we must start by evaluating our curriculum to make sure it takes students there.
- Look for curriculum that includes these elements.
- Teach in ways that help students work through this process.
- If the curriculum is missing or is weak in one of these elements, know how to “tweak” the curriculum to add or strengthen it.