Knowable Word — Guidance for “Your Turn” Exercises

This page provides guidance, i.e. possible “answers,” to the “Your Turn” exercises scattered through the book Knowable Word.

This guidance is offered not in the spirit of “here are the right or infallible answers that any reasonable individual must arrive at when studying Scripture,” but in the spirit of “here is some help for those who have never tried to study the Bible on their own before.” So please feel free to argue against what I have here, as long as you can do so from the text.

Chapter 1: Why Study the Bible?

Why OIA is the Best Method

This one’s really up to you.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9-10. He observes the text in verses 14-15. He applies the text in verses 11-13 and 16-17, by showing how Isaiah’s prophecy is still working out in his own day, thereby calling his disciples to value the secrets they’ve been given. His assumed interpretation of Isaiah is that the opponents of his day are just as hard-hearted as the people of Isaiah’s day. Or, if you dig deeper into the context of Isaiah 6: people become as deaf and blind as the gods they worship, and therefore the truth revealed about God’s kingdom will be misunderstood by those who reject him.
Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1. He observes the text in verse 36. He applies the text in verses 35 and 37 by implying that the Messiah ought to be called Lord, as David had called him. His assumed interpretation is that the Messiah/Christ is not subservient to David but greater than him.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1-2. He observes the text in verses 17-19. He interprets the text in verse 21, proclaiming the arrival of the Spirit-filled servant of Yahweh. His assumed application is: Trust that I am the one anointed by God; listen to my good news and receive the kingdom’s blessings from me.

Chapter 2: From Familiarity to Observation

The Greatest Enemy of Observation is Familiarity

Depends on what your favorite Bible story is.
How many observations can you make on your own?

Genesis 1:1-2:3

Seriously, that overview at bible.org is quite good! But they changed the URl for it. You can find it here.
The historical context will help you to get as close as possible to putting yourself in the shoes of the original author and audience. Our first goal in Bible study is to figure out what this passage would have meant coming from this author to this audience at this time. And any historical work we can do to help us get there is worth the effort.

Five Things to Observe in a Passage

Up to you.
Up to you.

Genre

There are many reasons why genre matters, not the least of which is that the author signals how he wants you to read his words by means of the genre he selects. If we act as though genre matters, we are putting ourselves and our own ideas at the center of interpretation, instead of trying to understand God’s words and God’s ideas as communicated through the human authors of Scripture. The consequence of reading one genre as though it were another genre is that we are likely to get it completely wrong, which would dishonor the Lord and not be profitable for us. At worst, it could lead us into error or even heresy. Just look at how some of the cults misread Scripture, in part by ignoring the genre, context, and/or author’s intent.
Genesis 2:4-25 continues in the genre of historical narrative from chapter 1, even though a few poems are scattered throughout (verse 23 and perhaps verse 4). This genre should be read as presenting a true story, even though it may not necessarily be chronological (or chronologically following the end of chapter one). The story also serves the purpose of teaching truths about both God and human nature, which does not minimize its factuality.

Text Types (new section in second edition)

The overall text type of Genesis 2 is narrative.
Both poetry (verses 4 and 23) and discourse (verses 16-17 and 18) are embedded within the overarching narrative.

Observe Words

Most repeated, significant words in ESV: man (20 times), God (11x), Lord (11x), every (6x), land (6x), there (6x), garden (5x), good (5x), ground (5x), name(s) (5x), not (5x), river(s) (5x), tree (5x).
Connectors: when (v.5), for (v.5), then (v.7), but (v.17), for (v.17), then (v.18), now (v.19), but (v.20), so (v.21), then (v.23), therefore (v.24).
Names/titles: Yahweh God (11x), the man (14x), Eden, garden of Eden (Eden was not the name of the garden, but the region in which the garden was planted on the east side! – v.8), woman/wife (don’t fall into the trap of calling her “Eve” just yet; she won’t receive that name until Gen 3:20).
Key terms: generations (v.4), when (v.5), no/not (many times), water, good, naked, not ashamed.

Observe Grammar

Main clauses are on the left. Dependent clauses indented.

These are the generations
- When no bush was
- and no plant had sprung
  - for Yahweh God had not caused rain
  - and there was no man
Yahweh God formed and breathed
and the man became
Yahweh God planted and he put
Yahweh God made to spring up
The tree was … and the [other] tree [was]
A river flowed and divided and became
The name is
It is the one
- where there is
The gold is good
bdellium and onyx are there
The name is
It is the one
The name is
- which flows
The fourth is
Yahweh God took and put
Yahweh God commanded
- You may surely eat
- but you shall not eat
  - for you shall surely die
Then Yahweh God said
- It is not good
- I will make
Yahweh God had formed and brought
- Whatever the man called
That was its name
The man gave names
But there was not found
So Yahweh God caused
- while he slept
Yahweh God took and closed up
He made and brought
Then the man said
- This is bone and flesh
- She shall be called
  - because she was taken out
Therefore a man shall leave and hold fast
And they shall become
The man and his wife were and were

Comparisons and Contrasts

The chief structural device in Genesis 2 is that of geography, or location, yielding the following main sections (or units of thought):
- Title – v.4
- What happens in “the land” broadly – vv.5-14
- What happens in “the garden” specifically – vv.15-25

Unpacking the Rising Action in Genesis 1 (new section in second edition)

Since the overall text type is narrative, our chief tools will be those involved in plot structure: setting, conflict, rising action, climax, resolution, and new setting.
Those tools help to clarify the structure because we ought to expect two complete plot arcs: One in the “land” section, and one in the “garden” section. Those two plot arcs may connect into a larger unified arc, or they might not; we just have to look closely to find out.
1. In the first section (vv.5-14), the conflict is introduced in v.5: there was no bush or plant yet in the land. The reasons given are: 1) God had not sent water, and 2) there was no man. The action rises as we’re told of the mist attempting to solve the water issue, and of God forming a man to solve the no-man issue. We’re led to believe the climax might hit in v.8a when God plants his own foliage, but the conflict of v.5 is not fully resolved until both the no-man issue (v8b) and the water issue (vv.10-14) are solved. So the true climax is likely in v.10, resolved by the four branches spreading out in vv.11-14. This directional water flow (from Eden, into the garden, then down into the four corners of the world) strongly suggests that man should follow this water to both solve the problem of “no bush/no plant” (v.5) and get all the good stuff God hid out in his world (vv.11-12).
2. In the second section (vv.15-25), we begin with a setting of man in the garden with clear marching orders (vv.15-17). But the narrative tension (the plot conflict) arises when we learn he cannot fulfill his orders by himself (v.18). Like the mist in v.6, a pseudo-solution causes the rising action (vv.19-20), but the problem is not really solved (v.20b). So God offers a permanent solution in creating a new being, a woman (vv.21-22). The climax comes when the man sees and delights in the unspeakable (poetic) value of this solution to his troubles (v.23). And the resolution follows with a general principle for all humanity (v.24) and a new state of affairs to set up the next plot arc (v.25).
3. Putting the two scenes together, we do see an overall unified plot arc: God’s creation is unfinished until he creates humanity and gives them them every resource they need (not only permanent sources of water but especially female humans!) to fulfill his mission for them. (Insert your own love song here.)

Observe Mood

The mood of the first scene (vv.5-14) is quite impersonal and dispassionate, but the mood of the second scene (vv.15-25) changes to being quite personal and passionate. As the tension grows through the text, so, too, does the sadness and despair of ever finding a true solution. Until the climax, and then voila! [Cue love songs.]
The mood stays the same in that both scenes are describing a series of problems and their solutions. Obstacles to accomplishing God’s mission for his creation, and finding solutions to overcome those obstacles.

Four Key Observation Skills

I already observed repeated words, connectors, and names/titles under “Observe Words” above. Crucial comparisons and contrasts are: contrast between the initial state of affairs in v.5 and that in vv.8-9, contrast between the state of affairs in v.18 and that in v.23, contrast between the mist (v.6) and the river(s) (v.10), comparison between God’s personal solution to the problem of the first scene, and his personal solution to the problem of the second scene, contrast between what may be eaten and what may not be eaten (vv.16-17).
Can you make it to 50 observations? These students did.
Find a printable worksheet here.

Chapter 3: From Presumption to Interpretation

Why We Interpet

Up to you.

The Greatest Enemy of Interpretation is Presumption

Genesis 1 and 2 are very prone to the presumption we bring of our views on the days of creation, or to the presumption of scientific presuppositions. If we come to the text with a preconceived notion of what it must say, or what it must not say, we typically fail to listen to what it actually says. Then we cannot even interpret the message clearly on its own terms.
Up to you.

Three Steps for Interpreting the Bible

Seriously, take some time to pray! Without his help, we’re all doomed to our own devices.

Ask Questions of Your Observations

Your list is limited only by how deeply and richly you observe, and by how curious you are about those observations. But here are some sample questions of each type:
- Genre
  - What effect does the switch to poetry in v.23 have on the mood?
  - Why does the author employ this switch?
  - So what does this switch suggest about the narrative’s climax and the way we humans ought to view our mission on God’s earth?
- Words
  - What exactly being named “Eden” here, and what is the relationship of “Eden” to the garden God plants in v.8?
  - Why are we told the river originates in Eden before flowing into the garden? Why are we told it then divides into four branches?
  - So what is the man (the character in the passage), or humanity in general supposed to do with this information about the direction of the river’s flow?
- Grammar
  - What is this forming of the beasts and birds in v.19? Is it the same as the creation of these animals in chapter 1, or is it referring to something else?
  - Why are we told at this time (immediately after the statement of the problem in v.18) of the forming of the beasts and birds?
  - So what is the impact of the forming of the beasts and birds on the man, and on the problem of v.18?
- Structure
  - What is the relationship between scene 1 (vv.5-14) and scene 2 (vv.15-25)?
  - Why does the narrator juxtapose these two scenes in this way?
  - So what does this juxtaposition suggest about the overall plot arc and climax of the narrative?
- Mood
  - What about the poem makes it so climactic?
  - Why would the narrator bring climax to the mood in this poetic celebration when the man meets his woman?
  - So what does this climax imply about the main message of the passage? Or about the way men ought to view their wives?

Answer the Questions from the Text

I cannot answer every possible question, but here are some sample answers:
- Genre, Q2 (from the previous section): The original audience would likely hear echoes of celebration, and possible even love poetry, in this switch. It would evoke a sense of heightened emotion and intimate passion to signal a climax to this narrative.
- Words, Q3: The geography of this chapter suggests a three-fold view of the early creation (Eden, garden, surrounding land). The land “out there” is unfinished and needs some work. Humanity lives in the middle region. The source of life comes from the Eden above. We see clear echoes of this cosmology later in Scripture (which I will address later in the process), but it begins here: Humanity is to receive life from above and follow that life into the corners of the world so that the entire world would become more like God’s hand-crafted paradise. At this point, we just have the suggested inclination to receive the water and follow it out to get all the gold and gems that are “good” and beautiful.
- Structure, Q1: Both scenes describe the same process: An obstacle to Yahweh God’s plans for his creation, a pseudo-solution that hints at a better solution, a proper solution to overcome the obstacle. The first obstacle is the barenness of the land outside Eden. The second obstacle is the barenness (aloneness) of the man. The process of overcoming the first obstacle serves almost as a template for solving the second obstacle.
- Structure, Q3: The overall plot arc is that humanity has neither the resources (scene 1) nor personnel (scene 2) required to achieve the expectations of his creator. But Yahweh God himself will provide both the resources and the personnel. And not in a measured and dispassionate way, but in a way the man never would have expected—and that brings sheer delight. What a privilege to be a part of gardenizing the outlying wilderness to the glory of God!
- Mood, Q3: Since the text goes right into a generalization for all of humanity (from v.23 into v.24), it seems reasonable to conclude that the narrator expects all men to find such delight in their wives. You cannot do what God has called you to do without her. She is not simply a business partner, but the apple of your eye, and the delightful bone of your bones. Whoa, man! is truly a great name for her.
Argue against me if you want, but I tend to think Grammar, Q1 from the previous section is worth letting go. It’s possible that Gen 2 is simply zooming in on Day 6 from Gen 1. It’s also possible that Gen 2:19 is simply a summary statement of what had come before (therefore the verbs are best translated as “had formed” and “had brought”). It’s also possible that Gen 1 is focused on the broad creation of the entire heavens and earth, and Gen 2 is describing a different event, localized in the garden found on the east side of the region of Eden. Regardless, certainly there is no contradiction to be found between chapters 1 and 2, unless a person wants to invent one. And none of the (legitimate) options have much effect on the plot, and therefore the message of Genesis 2.

How Do We Find the Main Point?

In my years teaching people how to study the Bible, I have found that getting a strong main point is one of the two most difficult skills to acquire. (Incidentally, the other skill most difficult to acquire is the skill of setting aside one’s familiarity in order to observe — really observe — a text.) I’m sure there are many reasons for this, but what I have noticed often involves: difficulty observing the structure; difficulty following an argument; difficulty distinguishing between crucial, or primary, information and secondary, or supplemental, information; difficulty thinking clearly and critically; wanting to rush too quickly to application to get something immediately profound and practical from the text; or a concern that identifying a single “main point” may be counterproductive or unspiritual (i.e. rejecting the inner guidance of God’s Spirit in the moment of study).
It is critical that we identify the main point, because — by definition! — the main point is the main thing God wants people to hear and receive from a text. And our Lord Jesus was not pleased with folks who set aside the main points of Scripture in favor of their own fancy regarding secondary points (see Matt 23:23-24).
Since Genesis 2 has the primary text type of narrative, we should expect the main point to be closely connected with the climax and/or resolution of the plot conflict. If verses 10 and 23 are the climaxes of the first and second sections, we see God’s provision of resources and personnel for the mission of bringing life to the world (this mission is drawn from the context of Gen 1:28-30 and Gen 2:9).
One possible way (and only one possible way!) to state the main point of Genesis 2 is: When God expects his people to bring life to his world, he assuredly provides them with both the resources and the personnel required to do so; all they need to do is trust his counsel.

Context Matters (new section in second edition)

Genesis 1 gave a big, broad view of the creation of the heavens and the earth. It was a vast and epic narrative. So it ought not to surprise us that chapter 2 moves into a more intimate and personal explanation of the effects of this creation on specific people placed in a specific location.
Genesis 1 leaves us with a few questions that set up the tension in Genesis 2: 1) What does it look like for humanity to fulfill its potential in imitating God’s patterns, and 2) Will they actually do so? Genesis 2 now picks up the threads left from Genesis 1 by showing us greater detail in how to illuminate, shape, and fill (by trusting God to provide both resources and personnel to overcome obstacles). The question of whether they will do so lingers into the next chapter.
Genesis 2 is quoted and alluded to with such frequency in the rest of the Bible that I can’t cover every one of them. But here are some key ones, including every direct quotation in the New Testament.
- In Proverbs 3:18, 11:30, 13:12, 15:4, the “tree of life” becomes an image of the fullest and best life that flows out to the world. Perhaps this is connected to the firmly-planted tree imagery of Psalm 1.
- Isaiah 51:3 describes Yahweh as a comforting God, who turns the wilderness into a paradise like Eden. This confirms the expectation of Genesis 2 that humanity would come down off the mountain of Eden to do this very thing in the wastelands of the rest of the world. Ezekiel 36:35 communicates in similar imagery.
- Ezekiel 28:11-19 speaks a poetic, ironic lament over the king of Tyre, treating him as though he had been a guardian cherub in Eden, the garden of God (Ezek 28:13), “the holy mountain of God” (Ezek 28:14). This helps us to understand that Eden was, indeed, a mountain from which the river flowed to the rest of the world.
- Matthew 19:5, Mark 10:7-8: Jesus uses Genesis 2 to draw a universal principle for human marriage.
- 1 Corinthians 6:16: Paul applies the teaching on marriage in Genesis 2 to make a case against prostitution.
- 1 Corinthians 15:45: The creation of Adam’s perishable, natural body is contrasted with the resurrection of Jesus’ imperishable, spirit-filled body.
- Ephesians 5:25-33: The universal principles of marriage from Genesis 2 are applied to all husbands and wives and revealed to reflect on Jesus Christ’s relationship with his church.

How to See Jesus in Any Bible Passage

The main point of Genesis 2 shows us Jesus in that he is both the key resource (John 7:37-38, 14:6-7) and the key personnel (John 15:1-17, 16:4b-11) sent to accomplish God’s mission for humanity on earth.
The interpretation worksheets are available here and here.

Chapter 4: From Inertia to Application

Gospel-Motivated Application

You could re-read this chapter to find out what motivates me.
Up to you.

Hearers and Doers

Frankly, I am often more of a doer when others are watching me or have expectations on me. Some of that is healthy, as I can surround myself with positive peer pressure and accountability to help motivate me. But of course, other times, such people-pleasing is far less than healthy. I am also more of a doer when a matter touches on my personal piety or devotional habits. I tend to be more of a hearer when a matter has to do with more people-work, or if it is inconvenient to my typically over-booked schedule. How about you?
When I am struggling with staying still or refusing redirection, it is often simply because it is easier. I am a creature of habit, and it’s much easier to maintain habits than to break old ones or form new ones.
I have been very helped by inviting others in to speak to me, as long as it is called “today,” lest I become hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. A few trusted advisors have an open invitation to address known issues where I am tempted to resist change. My wife is one of the most vocal and most welcome voices among their number.

Two Directions for Application

Genesis 1 and 2 instruct me to change and be changed by embracing more vigorously my mandate from God to imitate him in bringing life to his world. I can trust that he has provided, and will continue to provide the necessary resources and personnel. I just have to follow the current of his rivers out to the wilderness. At the time of this writing (July 2021), one of the primary areas God has called me to take initiative to carry his life is in the realm of helping to shepherd people through the remains of the global pandemic. It is worth the time and effort it takes to meet with people, hear their concerns, understand their criticism, and show them the grace of Christ to them in this trying season. How about you?

Chapter 5: Head, Heart, Hands

Introduction

The easiest sphere for me to address is the head, perhaps closely followed by the heart. The most difficult sphere for me to address is the hands. How about you?

Apply the Bible to Your Head

Inward: I must trust that God has provided (and will continue to provide) both the resources and the personnel to enable me to bring life to the part of his world he has called me to.

Outward: I must not lose heart, but continue to trust that God has provided (and will continue to provide) both the resources and the personnel to enable others to bring life the parts of the world God has called them to.

Apply the Bible to Your Heart

Inward: I must repent of being too content with not bringing God’s life to God’s world. I must repent of being too comfortable with my own private definition of what “life” is.

Outward: I have some children, quickly becoming adolescents and young adults, who struggle with similar complacency. I must pray more fervently for them to become the kind of young men and women who find deep fulfillment in their commitment to Christ and being channels of his mercy to the world.

Apply the Bible to Your Hands

Inward: I have a few people in mind with whom I can take more initiative to check in on in this season, instead of waiting for them to contact me.

Outward: I will bring these matters up in some upcoming 1-1 time with my children.

The Application Matrix

Inward head and heart are most intuitive for me. How about you?
Inward hands and outward heart require the most effort from me. How about you?
Got ’em!

Remember Jesus in Your Application

I have written down the fact that Jesus himself is the key resource and personnel I need to obey God by bringing life to the world. When I sense failure, or feel like a failure, I will return to this chapter and to my notes, to remind myself that Jesus’ life still flows unendingly — even for me.
When I succeed, it is even more important that I remember Jesus and don’t seek credit for myself. I will heed my wife’s counsel, as she is often very quick to give praise and thanks for Christ for the work he does in and through us. I will also make an effort to celebrate the Lord Jesus, and give him the credit, when I see my children succeed, so that we all can keep our gaze focused on him.

Be Specific in Your Application

Honestly, I knew all along that this point was coming, so I have already tried to be as specific as possible (for an online audience). In my private notes, I can take what I have written here and give it more concrete and measurable steps to pursue.

Chapter 6: The Unity of the Whole

Three Tips for Healthy Correlation

This list is not exhaustive, but here goes:
- Theology of God: Genesis 1 shows us a God who delights in creating. He’s not a God who wants to keep people in the dark or at arm’s length, but a God who wants to draw them near and illuminate their understanding of themselves and their world. He is a God of order. He is a God who fills his creation with good things. He speaks and is not silent. He cares about truth and the future. His work of creation is done.
- Theology of people: People fulfill their creative purpose when they draw near to God and become like him. This involves the spread of knowledge, the bringing of order (including naming), and the act of multiplying (including, but not limited to procreation). Humanity is the pinnacle of creation and ought to take charge of the world’s resources in a way that brings glory to God.
- Theology of the world: The world is a good place. It comes from the hand of God and shows us his handiwork and glory. Though God’s work of creation is finished, our work of imaging him is not. In order to bring greatest glory to God, the world still requires much illumination, shaping, and filling. The sciences and arts are therefore worthy pursuits. As is architecture, athletics, education, medicine, law, government, and economics. Nearly every human pursuit can be traced in some way to this mandate to image God by illuminating, shaping, and filling.
Psalms 19 and 104; Ecclesiastes; Exodus 20:8-11; and 2 Corinthians 4, to name a few.
Genesis 2 adds the idea that humanity is not left alone in this mission to image God. God doesn’t give a mission without also granting the resources and personnel required to accomplish it. And, even before sin, there are hurdles to overcome in order to shape the world for God’s glory. Perhaps, when we reach the new heavens and new earth, there will be more than strumming harps and singing: There will be an eternity available to us for problem solving and improving the creation into a greater and deeper paradise, world without end. Amen!