The Importance of Studying Character in Scripture

Part 21 of the David Pawson 'Unlocking the Bible' Podcast series 

David Pawson, in this 2nd talk on Samuel, points out that there are 6 different levels at which you can read Bible stories and it’s important that we should choose the right one. They are: 1. Anecdotal, just an interesting story; 2. Devotional, hoping to find a personal word; 3. Character Studies including the character of women, which can be inspirational (Hannah & Abigail for instance); 4. History of Israel – how it developed, and King David’s leadership is worth studying; 5. Critical – and higher critical study sadly has infected the whole world; 6. The Theological – finding out about God. He’s having an influence on history and is the major player in these stories. God is the living God. King David wanted to build a temple for God but was forbidden as he had blood on his hands. Jerusalem means city of peace and Solomon, a man of peace, did the building. But God made a covenant with David that his house (family line) and kingdom would endure forever. A thousand years later, this covenant was fulfilled, and the promise kept, and Jesus was born who was often called “Son of David” and was of his family line.