How To Read Scripture, Part 13

When reading through Scripture, look for consistent themes, cause and effect relationships, and common denominators. These are very helpful in understanding the mind of God. One biblical pattern that I noticed a few years ago is what I call the saturation principle. In Genesis 15:16 we read, “…for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” I began to inquire if there were hints in other portions of Scripture that would indicate when the Lord would say, “Enough is enough.” In Genesis 6:13 the Lord tells us, “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth ” (Genesis 6:13). The fullness of man’s evil brought a deluge upon the world. We then read of the wickedness of Sodom. The immorality was from “every quarter” of the city (Genesis 19:4). There again we see fullness. Destruction was soon to follow. Daniel tells us in Daniel 8:23, “…when the transgressors are come to the full.…” Nineveh had reached a level of wickedness when God sent Jonah to warn them of impending doom.

God had a point of saturation for a city Sodom, a nation Israel, and the world. What might this say to us who live in present-day America? That's the way I see things.