Proclaimer Blog
Why context matters…
If PT made rock, it would almost certainly contain the word CONTEXT.
You can't think about context enough if you want to handle the text faithfully. Here's a very brief example:
The priestly blessing of Numbers 6.22-27 asks for the Lord to bless and "be gracious."
OK. But what's the context? The context is LAW. Do this, do that. Don't do this. Don't do that. In fact, as one commentator puts it, the blessing ends the whole law section which began in another book – Leviticus 1 – Numbers 6.
So the context of a prayer for God's GRACE is LAW. See how the context shapes the text? Despite the setting, grace is still needed (a fact that the narrative of Numbers that is about to begin will bear out clearly). God's blessing cannot be earned by keeping the LAW. Hence, the prayer for GRACE.