The Blessings of Binge Reading (and my ESV Study Bible)
Every year (minus one) the serving body of CFC must read through the whole Bible. Life at CFC is busy so it’s tough to find time to read the Bible (that or I just don’t love it enough). What happens pretty much every year is that I’m behind during Thanksgiving or Christmas break so I use the ‘free’ time to binge read and read books at a time. Many people criticize binge reading as just reading it for the sake of reading it; that you don’t get much out of it as if you were to slowly and methodically read the Bible. This view point reflects the benefits of reading the Bible deeply, such as quiet times, where you read a small portion and try to dig out the meaning. However there are many benefits to reading the book widely aka binge reading.
The main benefit I receive from binge reading is being able to see the Bible from a birds eye view. Instead of seeing snapshots, you see the whole timeline in one view. Some books, like the Pauline epistles were written in one sitting and meant to be read in one sitting. The Israelites also did it. Ezra read the Book of the Law from daybreak till noon (Neh 8:3) so the Bible was meant to be read in large portions at a time. Reading widely allows me to see it as it was meant to be seen, in large portions at a time.
Themes also become apparent when reading large portions at a time. My study Bible gives me the themes and examples of them in the text that I now look for as I read. It helps me to see the flow and the design of the scripture. Main recurring ideas become apparent when seen in its entirety. Authors intent become more prevalent as stories go from short lessons to links in a chain carefully placed and arranged to drive home the point.
Perhaps reading the Bible is like looking at painting. You can get a lot out of examining the work of art through a magnifying glass. Yet there is also much to be gained from stepping back and taking in the whole at one time. There are certain appreciations that come with each and I feel that reading widely can often be misunderstood or misapplied.