Have you ever wondered what the significance is of certain practices, customs, words, places, and more in Scripture? For example, what’s with Boaz and the sandal in the book of Ruth? Why was it such a big deal for Esther to approach her husband’s throne without being summoned first? Why do so many different passages talk about fig trees and grape vines?

Answers to these questions and many more like them can be found by studying the imagery of the Bible. God’s Word is living and powerful, there is no doubt. And it most certainly is the Holy Spirit that illuminates our understanding as we study the Scriptures. However, knowing the culture, spiritual climate, customs, languages, and historical context from which the writers came is so helpful in understanding the message that they delivered.

Imagine trying to decipher Ronald Reagan’s famous speech, “Tear Down That Wall!” without knowing anything about Berlin or communism. Or how powerful would Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” be if you knew nothing of the Civil War and slavery in the United States?

The same is true of the Bible. The more you understand the current situation of the writers, the better you will understand the spiritual lessons of the Word.

Dictionaries of Biblical imagery can be found in almost any Christian bookstore and from many retailers online.

Get one for yourself to enrich your study and comprehension of the Bible!