We all have real needs; and the Bible tells a story that meets them. This is a story about Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, David, and Jesus. It is also a story about Bethlehem, Shechem, Jericho, and Jerusalem. Does God expect us to pay attention to places like these as much as we pay attention to the people? Yes! These places do much more than provide a stage for God’s plan of salvation. Geography actively shapes the message of the Bible. If we ignore it, we will miss some of what God is anxious to share with us. If we engage it, we will discover new and exciting insights into stories we thought we already knew. For the story that addresses my deepest needs is a story intimately bound to place. That is why there is geography in the Bible.

John Beck