You’ve been reading the Bible wrong, my friend, and it’s time to fix that. Seriously, the Bible is more like a library than a novel, and if you’re starting at Genesis and plowing through to Exodus, you’re setting yourself up for a faceplant—hello, Leviticus! We dive into how the Bible isn’t just a book of rules or promises; it’s a collection of different genres, and if you don’t treat it as such, you’re gonna miss out on the good stuff. We’ll break down the various sections—poetry, letters, laws—and show how each one speaks to you differently and how to approach them without losing your mind. So grab your favorite book and a not-so-favorite one, and let’s learn to engage with scripture in a way that actually makes sense for the messy lives we live. You ever flip open the Bible and think, 'What in the world am I reading?' Yeah, me too. Ashley dives headfirst into the wild world of biblical literature, breaking down this age-old text and enlightening us on why we're all reading it wrong. Spoiler alert: it's not a novel, folks! It’s more like a library filled with various genres, each with its own quirks and purpose. Ashley gives us a no-nonsense look at how we approach the Bible, often treating it like a straight-up storybook, only to hit a wall—hello, Leviticus! She shares her personal struggles with reading through the Bible and how many of us end up feeling defeated by February. But here's the kicker: she argues that the Bible isn't meant to be read from cover to cover; it's a collection of writings that need to be understood in their historical and cultural context. So, whether you’re into Psalms for a little soul-searching or finding Paul’s letters to be like reading someone else’s mail, Ashley's here to guide you through it all with a refreshing mix of sarcasm and sincerity. So buckle up, because this isn't just a lecture—it's a call to rethink how we engage with scripture and what it means for our lives today.

Takeaways:

1. You've probably been reading the Bible like it's a novel, but that's a big no-no.
2. The Bible's not a flat rulebook; it's a messy conversation between God and humanity, get it right!
3. Reading the Bible by genre can totally change your experience—like, poetry vs. law, dude!
4. When reading Leviticus, remember it's not just about dietary laws—context is key, my friend!
5. Approaching scripture differently means you won't hit that wall in Leviticus and give up, trust me.
6. The Bible is a library, not just a book, so pick and choose your readings wisely!

Welcome back.

My name is Ashley, and this is the Black Sheep Christian Podcast.

Happy New Year.

I know I've been off for a couple of weeks, you know, as far as Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Year's, and of course, had to take some time for Martin Luther King.

But it is time to get back into the word.

So if you have a goal to read your word, learn your word, get in the word, this is a series for you.

So what is the series?

The Bible is a library, and you're reading it wrong.

So what am I talking about?

So got the book.

You start at Genesis and you go to Exodus is.

So you're reading it book by book in the order that it was put together.

You're reading it wrong.

So what am I talking about?

Follow with me.

So I've done it.

A lot of people done it.

You get the burst of energy.

You open Genesis, great, wonderful, boom, boom.

You know, the creation, the drama, the coat.

And then you hit excess Exodus, and then you're still doing okay.

And then when you hit Leviticus, and I know I hit that wall.

And then you hit the wall because the dietary laws, the sacrifices, and then you give up by February, been there, done that many a times.

And so then you feel as if you are not walking with God, you are falling behind.

Why is this?

What are you getting wrong?

But the problem is, and the reason why is, is that you are reading it wrong and incorrectly.

So you're reading it like a novel, like I said, the Genesis, the Exodus.

And so you're waiting for the plot and just how you're approaching it.

And the book, the Bible isn't meant to be read from page one to page 5,000 in that order.

So you can get bored, you can get lost in the sauce.

Many things for you to lose interest by reading in that way.

So pivoting Sunday school was great in a way, because it really dumbed down everything to be able to digest it.

Every verse with a promise, every chapter with a command, and every book is written directly to you.

And the issue with this is, is that by approaching the Bible the way we have, it can be weaponized.

It can be weaponized in ways in which the verse, the context is taken out and the verse is not interpreted or told the way it should be, if you get my drift.

Case in point, Leviticus eating shrimp, for example.

A lot of people use that, oh, would you stop eating shrimp?

Why are you eating shrimp?

You know, it's very weaponized in a way of context, context, context.

There's a reason why people couldn't eat shrimp.

I mean, when you think about it, in a health component, In a health component, there are things that they just didn't know or couldn't do, which is why God's like, if you do this, you got to be clean.

You got to be clean for these many days after you're clean.

This is what you're supposed to be doing.

Context, context, context.

Back then, the world was new, it was dangerous, and it was scary.

So today, we have a lot of knowledge.

We can eat shrimp because, you know, we can refrigerate.

You know, we know what's good and not good.

I mean, mushrooms is another example, is a better example.

There's some mushrooms we can eat.

There's some mushrooms we can't eat.

There's mushrooms that if you have.

You have to cook a certain way, prepare a certain way.

Fish are like that too.

There's certain fish that you can cook a certain way, prepare a certain way.

If I remember correctly, there's this particular fish that's very dangerous.

You need to be a professional in how you cut it and how you prepare it.

And then, if I remember correctly, supposedly, allegedly, there was a test, because if you didn't prepare it correctly, you're gonna get sick.

So back to the main point with what we are doing here is by learning the Bible and approaching it differently, we can be able to take out more for ourselves, especially in this moment in time, and heal and be able to protect ourselves for the future.

So let's dive deep into the genres, okay?

So I say it's a library.

Take Psalms.

There aren't rules.

They're prayer, okay?

Half of them are people screaming, upset about God.

And when you read Psalms, you aren't looking for a command.

You're looking for a mirror for your soul.

Okay?

So psalms.

Think about that.

It is soul searching, okay?

That is one section of the Bible, all right?

The male section, the documentary section, the New Testament, the letters.

That's literally reading someone else's mail.

Mostly Paul, writing to a specific group of people with specific problems during a specific time.

So think of.

So you have your poetry, and now you have your letters, your documentary.

So that's another section in the Bible, okay?

And then you have the law section.

This is like the living hoa.

It is a handbook to keep themselves, to keep them safe, basically, from destroying themselves.

Example, a baby.

When I had.

When I had my daughter and they became a toddler, that's when I realized, because as a parent, you're like, oh, my goodness, the world's a dangerous point.

Ways.

Oh.

But once they start moving, you're not really protecting them from the world.

You're protecting them from themselves.

H. And I mean, case in point, hints.

In point what?

Case in point.

Outlets, appliances.

I mean, just leaving.

Just leaving the house.

I mean, there's so many things that.

That being can get into unknowingly.

They have no knowledge.

They don't know what electricity is.

So you cover it up.

They have no idea by touching a button on an oven or moving a knob that they can burn themselves.

That's what God does for the Israelites in scripture.

He is laying it all out.

Listen.

That's what he's telling them.

Listen, you can do this.

You can't do that.

If you do this, you need to do that.

So that is an important section of scripture.

So you have your poetry, you have your documentary, and you have your hoa, your laws.

So by approaching the Bible in different sections and different genres now, you're gonna look at that book, and I hope you're able to look at that book quite differently.

So moving forward, this is a really quick podcast.

I'm really moving fast.

I'm sorry, I'm gonna slow down eventually, but I need for you to follow me.

I'm gonna.

I'm gonna eventually slow down.

We're gonna be at a pace, but I hope and I pray that you keep up with me.

So moving forward, as a reader, I remember when God gave me the permission to stop, not to stop liking every part of the Bible.

He showed me that the tension between the books is where the truth lies.

Okay?

The Bible isn't a flat rule book.

Okay?

And it's conversation between God and his people, God and his baby kids, God and his messy humans.

Okay?

So it's between God and us.

And so the homework that I'm gonna have for you, because this is about you opening your book.

And just this time, we're gonna open it up differently.

So this week, I want you to pick up a book in the book.

So pick up a book.

Pick a book.

Something that you find a book that you enjoy and also that you don't enjoy.

I'm being perfectly honest.

I am not into Proverbs.

I like Psalms better than Proverbs.

I like Psalms because it's deep.

Proverbs is very like 1a squared plus b squared equals C squared.

Cool.

Okay.

It's very direct.

I like to go deep.

But don't read it for inspiration.

Okay.

Look up the genre of what it is.

If it's Jonah Read it like a satire.

If it's eliminations, I can say that, right?

Funeral.

Okay.

Proverbs, direction, psalms, poetry.

So see how the weight shifts when you read for what it actually is.

So if it's not something that you don't like, if it's a book that you don't like, let's approach it differently.

If you want to find a new book, approach it differently as well too.

You are looking at the different books for what they are and for who they are.

They're not people, but for who they are and accept them for who God created them to be.

All right, so my call to action.

Black sheep's flock, here's my call to action for you.

Which book did you enjoy?

Which book are you like?

This isn't for me, but a.

And this is why.

And let's talk about it.

All right.

Just take your time and open it up.

The closest thing we're going to talk about translations.

I know I'm.

Part of me is like, do I do translations first or not?

But let's just.

Just open a book.

And so next week we're going to talk about translations.

This is probably another part in how you approach scripture.

Do you do the King James?

That's very popular.

There's King James, there's new King James.

It's very.

How do I say it?

It's very.

Intelligent.

And the sad thing about it is, is King James was not written for the lame people.

King James did some great work, all right, Great mission, but the common person couldn't read it.

And interesting enough, a lot of us can't really digest King James today.

So there's King James, there's new King James.

I remember at one point Amplified was popular.

These days it's Niv in Elvy.

So there's the new.

The new international version, there's a living version, and then there's another popular one.

It's not as popular.

Oh, the Christian standard Bible.

That's a good one.

I enjoy that translation.

But anyways, here.

No, there.

We're going to talk about translations next time.

So this week you are going to pick up two books.

We're going to read two books.

Something that you like and something that you don't like.

Why?

This is going to be able to speak.

This is going to be able for you to learn about how you approach scripture and how you look at them.

So again, recap.

Genres.

The Bible is a genre.

You can got your documentary, you got your laws, you got your poetry.

And by looking at the Bible as genres and as a library for you to go for one section for, you know, a moment of what you're trying to learn and what God wants to show you.

You're gonna.

That book is gonna.

It's not gonna come down.

It's just not gonna come down.

And eventually you're going to be reading that book over and over again, and you.

You're just gonna have joy and you're just going to be fed in ways that you just didn't think that you could be fed.

And it's all from one book.

I mean, isn't it fascinating that a book has lasted this long?

No book has, can.

Can ever equate to the longevity of the Bible.

And by viewing the Bible differently, I pray that you will be able to see for yourself the longevity it is for your life.

So this is a short podcast this week, but we're gonna do this together.

I told you what I like and don't like, and I will go back to Proverbs, and I am going to confirm or deny whether Proverbs is not the book for me to continuously read.

I just refer to it differently.

I use Proverbs to confirm mother things, but you may.

You may get something else out of it as well.

So I know this is short, but we are doing this together.

Okay?

As always, remember that God is love, and God wants you to show it his love to the world.

Until next time.

Later.