Viewing Scripture Through Middle Eastern Eyes: How it Changes Everything
I’m going to be honest. I struggle sometimes sitting down with my Bible to simply be with God and know Him rather than to study it academically to improve myself. My personality type is a self-improver. I love to learn, and I highly value personal growth—which are good things! But if I’m not intentional, that drive gets in the way during my quiet time. As Westerners, we’re often so “me-centered” and productivity-driven that we bring that same energy to the Word. We open our Bibles looking for the takeaway or open our study books and focus on the application section at the end.
But what if I told you that the people the Bible was first written for didn’t read it that way?
A Shift in Perspective
In Middle Eastern culture—the culture of the Bible—the focus isn’t on me. It’s on God.
When a person from a Middle Eastern background reads Scripture, they aren't looking for a "how-to" manual for their life. They are looking to know God. They read the stories to discover His character, His truth, and His narrative. The goal isn’t a list of things to do or be; the goal is simply to know the One who created them.
In America, Bible studies are often structured around "What does this mean for me?" We want to leave with a plan to try harder and do better. But that Western sense of duty often leads to feeling like a failure. We try to change ourselves through our own efforts, and when we inevitably fall short, we feel like we’ve failed at being "good Christians."
How Knowing God Naturally Changes Us
Middle Eastern culture approaches it differently. They believe that the more you know God, the more you will love God. And when you love God more, you’ll naturally follow Him more closely.
It’s a change that happens from the heart, not from a sense of duty or a checklist. Think about any deep relationship in your life. You don’t do kind things for someone you love because you have an application section at the end of your breakfast with them; you do those kind things because you know their heart and you love them.
When we focus solely on "applying" the Bible to our lives, we often end up relying on our own efforts. But the truth is, nothing we do in and of ourselves can ever be good enough. It’s only what we do through Christ that counts.
Talk Through the Bible
This is why I’m so passionate about discussion-based Bible study. It’s based on this Middle Eastern mindset of looking at the narrative to see who God is and just falling in love with Him.
In these discussion guides, you won't find a box to check or a list of "tips for success." Instead, we simply talk through the text. We ask the big questions. We look at the story of Genesis, the trials in the wilderness, or the laws in Leviticus, and we ask: "What does this show us about God's character?"
When we sit down with our kids and simply discuss the Word, we’re laying the foundation of who God is. As we get to know Him through the narrative, He begins to change our hearts. We become sanctified—not through exhausting efforts that lead to burnout, but through the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.
When we see God for who He truly is, everything else falls into place.
Ready to start the conversation?
If you want to move away from "application-heavy" workbooks and dive into the beautiful narrative of Scripture with your family, check out our Bible Study Discussion Guides. Let’s relax and meet God together!
