Story Ripples of the Bible

The Bible is more into showing than telling. When it wants to teach important and prophetic truths, it takes its time telling (true) stories. And storytelling in Scripture works like a ripple effect. It sets off a current of events and experiences that repeat, expand, connect, develop, and slowly move toward something--or someone. Bible stories build Bible prophecy. The beloved stories readers grew up with, like David and Goliath, also contain frequent flashbacks to past stories so as to foreshadow the future. As the grand narrative progresses from the Old to the New Testament, these recycled stories and their developing patterns eventually shape into a silhouette ready for the Messiah to step into as the perfect match. So, like Jesus' disciples on the road to Emmaus, readers must take another listen to the biblical authors narrating their stories because, through them, they are making the greatest prophetic connections that will cause hearts to burn for truth. As people discover how the Bible's stories ripple toward Messiah, their own stories will, too.