Digging with Insight: 12 Great Study ideas

As eager students of the Bible, we are always encouraged to dive deep into the people and places in Bible times. It’s amazing how we can discover more about Jehovah, His promises, and how people in the past faithfully served Him.

One way to dig deeper is with the Insight book. Did you know that the Insight book is packed with information on over 800 Bible subjects? From locations to people, plants to animals, and so much more, it’s like having a gigantic encyclopedia right at your fingertips. It’s a treasure trove of knowledge that would take years to fully explore.

The Insight book is a labor of love that took many years to create. We’re incredibly grateful for the immense effort put into it by the brothers. That’s why so many of us choose to use it as a study guide. We take our time going through each topic, soaking up the wisdom and gaining a greater understanding of the Bible’s overall unity. It’s such a valuable tool!

There are so many great ways to study the Insight book:

1. Alphabetically

One way to approach it is to go through it alphabetically, taking each topic from A to Z. This way, you’ll cover all the important information in a systematic way.

2. Alphabetically by Topic

Another option is to follow an alphabetical approach, but focus on specific topics. For example, you can choose to research the people mentioned in the book in alphabetical order. Or if you’re more interested in plants and animals, you can study them as they appear in the book.

3. Geographical Study

You can study it based on location. By using the map index, you can quickly match the names of places like Jerusalem, Bethlehem, or the Sea of Galilee to their corresponding sections in the book. This will help you understand the significance of these places and how they relate to the events mentioned in the Bible.

4. Focus on Topics

You can also choose to focus your study on specific topics that interest you. For example, you can explore the Judges of Israel or delve deeper into The Tabernacle. If you’re looking for specific study topics, you can find some suggestions in the references section.

5. Chronological Order

Explore the topics in the book based on historical timelines, starting by exploring topics in the book in chronological order, going from the earliest mentions to different periods in history. It’s like taking a journey through time!

6. Themes and Ideas

We can also focus on specific themes and ideas. Maybe you’re interested in understanding more about faith, sacrifice, or leadership. By studying these concepts, we can see how they unfold throughout the Bible. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on the qualities we personally want to work on or improve.

7. Connections Between Topics

Explore how different topics in the book might relate to each other. We can look for links between people and the places they lived, or the objects they used. Connect the dots to create a bigger picture of how those topics relate.

8. Idioms and Cultural Phases

You can dive into the cultural phrases, sayings, and idioms that were commonly used during Bible times. It’s fascinating to see how they were used and how they relate to Jehovah’s views and different situations. For example, you could explore phrases like “Disgusting Thing” and “time indefinite.”

9. Symbolism

We can also use the Insight Book to focus on looking into the symbolic meanings associated with objects, animals, or plants in the Bible and understand their deeper significance.

10. Biblical Times Culture

Another interesting topic to study is the societal norms and practices of Bible times. You can explore how things like food, housing, clothing, measuring systems, and money systems influenced the lives and events in the Bible.

11. Family Trees

Using the information about people and families, you can create intricate family trees. This can help you visualize the characters better and even understand why they make certain decisions or have certain personality traits.

(For example, in my research, I found it quite amusing that both Rebekah and Esau were a tad dramatic in how they expressed themselves. Rebekah said “I am disgusted with my life because of the daughters of Heth,” while Esau exclaimed, “I’m literally about to die!” over some stew. It’s interesting to see how they, being mother and son, expressed themselves in similar ways! I also noticed that Solomon seemed to have inherited his father David’s fondness for women.)

12. Miracles and Wonders

Focus on the topics that talk about miracles or extraordinary events in the Bible. You can dive deeper to explore their meaning and the impact they had on the people in the Bible and the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose.

This amazing book, the Insight Book, was first released at the “Divine Justice” District Conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1988. It’s been around for many years and holds a wealth of knowledge for us all. It’s incredible to think that it has been with us for as long as some of us have been alive!

With its over 2,500 pages, there is so much we can learn from it. Have you ever thought about making it a goal to study what’s inside the Insight Book?

Well, that’s exactly what our family has decided to do this year! Our goal is to study the Insight Book and focus on the amazing people mentioned in it, starting with Aaron. We’re even putting together some family worship kits that include fun activities to help us dive deeper into the Insight Book. We hope you’ll join us and use these kits for your personal study or family worship too!

P.S. If you love reading old articles like I do, you might enjoy reading this article introducing the Insight book in 1989! “Insight on the Scriptures”​—A New Bible Encyclopedia