Bible Study Basics - Pt. 2

Law of first Mention, Word Definitions, & Marriage

The Stunt: In October 1958, pledges from MIT's Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity needed to measure the length of the Harvard Bridge connecting Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The Measuring Tape: They chose Oliver Smoot (the fraternity's shortest pledge) as their measuring tool. Smoot lay down on the bridge, his fraternity brothers marked his height in chalk, he stood up, lay down at the new mark, and the process was repeated hundreds of times.

The Unit: One "smoot" was officially defined as his height at the time: (5 ft 7in) (1.70 m). The bridge was measured to be 364.4 smoots plus or minus one ear.

The Legacy: The chalk marks were painted over, but the tradition persists. The students repaint the marks every year, and the measurements are even integrated into map platforms like Google Earth. In 2011, the "smoot" was added to the American Heritage Dictionary.

The Irony: In a bizarre twist of fate, Oliver Smoot later became the chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the president of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

In science, the person who describes and publishes a never-before described species in a peer-reviewed scientific journal usually has the honor of naming it.

Since God is the originator and creator of everything, He gets to define how everything works.

The Law (Principle) of First Mention generally states that the very first time an important word or concept of Scripture is mentioned in the Bible (usually, though not always, in the Book of Genesis), its usage in that passage provides the foundation for its full development in later parts of the Bible,

The Law (Principle) of First Mention must still fit within good application of the Context Principle or you can end up with some very weird doctrines!

An example of the Principle of First Mention is the first marriage seen in the Bible in the book of Genesis.

Genesis 2:22–25 NKJV

Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

We can see a few principles about Godly marriage that we might want to adopt as the best pattern for marriage even until today:

Marriage was God’s idea, not man’s.

Marriage is primarily a contract between a man, a woman, & God - not a social or legal construct not the government.

We can recognize the person that God brings to us and has created specifically for us to be joined to.

A Godly husband leaves his old life & family and is joined to and holds on tightly to his wife instead.

The Anatomy of a Strong’s Definition:

Original Language

Strong’s number

English Transliteration

Phonetic Pronunciation

Definition [ends with :-]

Other ways that same word was translated

A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible 1692. דָּבַק

1692. דָּבַק

dâbaq, daw-bak´; a prim. root; prop. to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; fig. to catch by pursuit:—abide fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard after),

be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take.

5. Supernaturally, 2 become 1 in marriage - there is a supernatural transition that must be made from living for oneself to living unified with someone else.

The Missing Key

I think that a lot of marriages & people trying to live the Christian life seriously struggle because they miss the foundational principles that God gave in Genesis.

Before someone enters the covenant of marriage & before someone chooses to enter into the covenant of salvation with Jesus, they live life for themself.

Deuteronomy 12:8 NKJV

“You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes—

God’s plan for the covenant of marriage and salvation is completely different than this way of living & takes a wholesale change to live in unity and oneness.

Ephesians 5:30–32 NKJV

For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

1 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV

But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

If we never shift from a single person’s mentality, heart, & lifestyle to a married one - we will, at best, live parallel lives when God’s plan is for us to live unified as one with one another and/or with Him!

Amos 3:3 NKJV

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

When we start to desire & demand agreement more than we want our own way, we really start to experience the beauty and the blessing of the covenant of marriage &/or the covenant of salvation.

We are not one another’s enemy.

When we are in agreement with one another and/or with Jesus, we begin looking at and facing challenges (like sin) as a common enemy together in unity.

Psalm 133:1–3 NKJV

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, Descending upon the mountains of Zion; For there the Lord commanded the blessing— Life forevermore.

Just One Thing:

Look at what God intends from the beginning and believe to do it His way right now.

Discussion Questions:

How much do you take care of your health?

What did you learn from today’s sermon that impacted you? Share a little.

Please read Psalm 133:1-3 and Deuteronomy 12:8 share what these verses mean to you, how important you think unity is between people, and what the biggest obstacles to unity are in your experience.

When it comes to your relationship with God and/or your spouse (if you’re married), what did you learn today about God’s intention, design, and instructions for those covenants that impacted you? Share a little of how you can apply that to your life.