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15th November 2025
SaturdayReflection
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Pastor Thomas
privileged to serve as
Lead Pastor since the fall of 2016
"A look at Psalm 20:4"
and learning to study the Bible well.
I was having a conversation with a fellow believer who I admire and respect one morning about her recently adopted dog.
She had mentioned that her devotional was about God giving us the desires of our hearts on the morning that she got the call from the shelter to confirm her adoption of her dog.
They know that I am a pastor but both of them are equally unaware that I often struggle to know when to let a seemingly misunderstanding of Scripture slide and when to address it, even if the mistake is innocent.
However, while eternity doesn't hang in the balance with this misunderstanding of Scripture, I do believe this conversation is evidence of a greater and more serious problem within the Church today; that problem being, our approach to studying and applying the Bible being wrong for many.
When it comes to studying the Bible, there are two approaches that we can take.
Exegesis involves carefully analysing a text to explain its true meaning objectively.
The word "exegesis" means "to lead out of," showing that interpreters reach conclusions by following what the text says.
In contrast, eisegesis is a subjective approach where someone reads into a passage their own ideas.
The word "eisegesis" means "to lead into," because the interpreter injects personal thoughts into the text, making it mean what they want.
Second Timothy 2:15 advises us to use exegetical methods:
"Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth."
This means understanding the Bible correctly without twisting its message to fit personal beliefs.
In summary, exegesis helps us agree with the Bible, while eisegesis tries to make the Bible agree with us.
So do we study the Bible correctly?
What is God wanting to tell to us through verses like Psalm 20:4, 21:2, and 37:4 anyway, if it isn't a promise to grant us our heart's desires?
Here are steps for exegeting a passage of Scripture.
Pray to the Content Creator asking for help in understanding His Word.
This step will sound cliche to some but come as no surprise to others.
Depending on the passage's difficulty or our clarity of mind on a given day, we may need to read and reread the passage until we have an understanding of what the passage is talking about.
To help you understand the context of the passage or verse you are studying answer the following questions.
What does the chapter before and after the one I am reading say?
If you are studying a single verse, what do the verses before and after it say?
What does the entire chapter contain?
Who wrote the passage I am studying?
Who was the passage originally written for?
What was the author's purpose in writing?
Check Scriptures with the Bible as a whole.
By cross checking Scriptures with other Scriptures we can make sure that our interpretation of a certain passage or verse is in agreement with the whole of Scripture.
Scripture will not contradict other Scripture if understood correctly.
Thus, if we have come to a conclusion or a life application that is not supported by the whole of Scripture then we are wrong in our conclusion.
This step requires us to do some investigating but a good study Bible with references and study notes can make this a little easier and quicker for us.
The Bible is not a textbook to simply be read and studied but a manual for living.
Jesus said blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice (Luke 11:28).
James, Jesus' half-brother also wrote that God will bless you for being obedient to His Word (James 1:22-25).
Exegesis Bible Study using Psalm 20:4
Imagine seeing this image with Psalm 20:4 on your social media post!
This verse encourages you so much on the day that you see it that your wavering faith in God has suddenly become emboldened and unshakable.
After all, this verse is proof that God will grant you your heart's desires!
With a God like this, who can be against you?
I mean after all, this is what this verse says ... or does it?
As more and more time passes without seeing God fulfill your heart's desires your faith begins to waver at best and crumble at worse.
There are really only two things that can be true when it comes to understanding and applying this verse as God being our cosmic genie.
Either God is a liar and therefore no part of His Word can be trusted or we have misunderstood what God is communicating to us in this verse.
How do we know which statement is accurate? By doing exegetical Bible study!
With no additional insight found in the verse itself, I like to look at the same chapter that the verse is located.
Here the chapter is Psalm 20.
A reading of the entire chapter provides us the actual context for which verse four is spoken.
In Psalm 20, we see that the nation of Israel is facing troubled times.
The source of calamity seems to be an enemy threatening their sovereignty causing war to be inevitable (Psalm 20:5-9).
Psalm 20 describes a time where Israel's king, presumably David since he is the psalm's author, has called the people to assemble and pray for him as he seeks the LORD's direction and favour in the matter at hand.
The king goes into the tabernacle for prayer, offers gifts and a burnt offering, and then upon his exit, is greeted with a blessing from those who have gathered to pray for and encourage him.
Verse four is indeed a blessing, but, not for you and me, instead, it is for King David's heart and plans concerning the enemy's looming threat.
In 20:6, we see that David speaks (Now I know) now confident of God's both hearing and answering of his prayers for victory.
The Psalm finishes with the people voicing that their faith is in the LORD (20:7-9).
Within chapter twenty itself, without looking at Psalm 19 or 21, we learn that the verse's historical context is not a blanket blessing for any of us but spoken by citizen's of Israel on the behalf of King David, pertaining to a certain threat by and battle with a certain enemy at a specific time in history.
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This is an edited version.
The full article and Bible references are avaiable on request
'Cornerstone Baptist Church'
A word from Pastor Thomas
Thanks for stopping by our website and discovering a little more about Cornerstone!
I have been at Cornerstone since 2008.
I can honestly say that we are a group of believers, who fail at times, but genuinely have a desire to follow Jesus.
I spent my first several years serving Cornerstone as the Student Pastor and have been privileged to serve as Lead Pastor since the fall of 2016.
With humbleness and gratitude, I can say that God has put together an amazing staff to help in equipping and serving the body at Cornerstone.
I have seen God grow his family at Cornerstone during this time both physically and spiritually.
I still believe that the best is yet to come!
During the Interregnum
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