Do you read “who-done-its” or watch detective shows? God Chooses Imperfect People: Tamar and Judah is tailor-made for you.

You can be a detective yourself as you read Bible stories. Look closely at the events, scenes, and characters to understand the whos, hows, and whys in the story. Detectives are taught to analyze without the overlay of preconceived notions. They conduct investigations into the people involved to discover their motivations and participation, while also examining their past experiences and personal interactions. In essence, detectives build character sketches in order to gain a greater understanding of events and the significant role each person played in a situation.

A character sketch illustrates the personality elements, flaws, relationships, and ultimate journey  of the characters in the story. A sketch it developed by asking questions such as:

• How is Judah described both in our study text and throughout the Bible?
• What kind of relationships does Judah have with the other characters in the story?
• What does Judah say and do, and how do these move the story forward?
• What struggles does Judah encounter?

When you approach a Bible story as a detective you get out your magnifying glass to study details that you glossed over with a simple read. This brings you to a deeper understanding of God’s words for you in the story. This is why we read the Bible.

Try your detective skills in a Bible study, follow the link to God Chooses Imperfect People: Tamar and Judah. Look through the sample chapters that combine character sketch detecting, historical context, Readers’ Theater, and historical fiction.

Go ahead. Be a detective.

Featured Photo by mari lezhava on Unsplash