When one reads the Bible, it becomes clear how geography is the stage on which the redemptive narrative takes place. The land God chose was not arbitrary, for he designed even the land itself to develop the spiritual lives of his people. One of God’s stated purposes in bringing the Hebrews from Egypt was to give them a land that fostered faith (Deuteronomy 11:10-15). The land was never intended to be just a place to live. – Wayne Stiles
Studying the historical geography of the Bible adds a deep and rich dimension to our understanding of Scripture. So much of the biblical story is a story of “place.” From the very beginning, we see a depiction of the newly created earth as a place where God’s image rests. We see the call upon Abraham and his family to leave their own land and to relocate to a new and unknown one, and we see the movement of God’s people from the land of slavery (Egypt) to a land of promise (Canaan). The importance of “place” takes hold from the very start of Scripture’s story. The Bible itself invites us to consider the role that geography plays in the greater narrative of what God is doing in the world.
Let’s begin to appreciate the geographical context that the land gives to the stories we read. The Holy Land is more than just the place where things happened—as meaningful as that connection to the Bible’s story is to us. The land is integral to the story itself and often contributes directly to our spiritual understanding of the text. When we know to be on the lookout for the spacial features of what we read and to be attentive to how those features function, we exercise a discipline that can enhance our understanding. Our spiritual lives and ministries benefit when our understanding of Scripture grows. This is axiomatic in Christian discipleship because we believe that Scripture as a whole ultimately reveals God’s love to us perfectly in Jesus. Our spiritual lives are richer and our ministry is deeper the more we know of this love.
Look at Matthew 5:23-24 as a simple example: “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Jesus spoke these words in Galilee to Galileans who would need three days or more to travel south to Jerusalem in order to offer sacrifices and gifts at the “altar” (Temple). Jesus’ home base of Capernaum on the north side of the Sea of Galilee was roughly 75 miles from Jerusalem, as the crow flies. When he says that one should leave and return, we understand that he is calling them to add a week of hard travel to an already long and difficult journey.
This spatial, geographical awareness invites us to read these two verses from the Sermon on the Mount differently. We see the intensity, the gravity, and the priority that Jesus gives to our relationships with one another. And we see the sacrifices that we are to make toward reconciliation among ourselves. To offer “gifts at the altar” while failing to do everything we can to reconcile with and to love our neighbor neglects the fundamental relationship between loving God and loving neighbor that God’s people are to recognize in our lives. God does not want one or the other. They are inseparable, and we are to give our all to both. Jesus drives this home, and we hear the urgency and depth of his message even more clearly when we listen with our geography-tuned ears and hearts.
