IMPROVE YOUR STUDY HABITS - DEVELOP YOUR INTEREST

Suppose that at an upcoming congregation meeting we are scheduled to explore the writings of one of the so-called minor prophets, perhaps one with whom you are not very familiar.  The first step might be to develop an interest in what that prophet wrote. How might you accomplish that?

First, ask yourself: 'What do I know about the writer of the book? Who was he, where did he live, what was his occupation?  The background of the writer  may also explain his choice of words or the type of illustrations he used. As you read the Bible, look for phrases that reflect the  personality of the writer.

Next, you will find it helpful to place the writing of the book in the stream of time.  You can easily do that by checking the "Table of the Books Bible" in the back of the New World Translations of the Holy Scriptures.  In addition,  you could review the chart of prophets and kings in Appendix A6.  If the Bible book you are studying is prophetic, you would do well to find out about conditions that existed at the time of the writing. What bad attitudes or practices did the prophet hope to correct?  Who were his contemporaries?  To get a complete overview, you may need to consult  more than one source. For example, to understand more fully what was taking place when the prophet Amos lived, you will benefit by consulting passages in the books of 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, which are listed in the marginal references to Amos 1:1.  In addition, you might review the writing of Hosea, who may been a contemporary of Amos.  All these sources would help shed a light on the period in which Amos lived. - 2 KINGS 14:25-28; 2 CHRONICLES 26:11-15; HOSEA 1:1-11; AMOS 1:1. 

Next time: Improve Your Study Habits - PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL

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