The approach of this article to the Scriptures is the conviction that they mean exactly what they say. However, it is not true that the Bible means nothing more than that. The author grapples with the divine as well as the human element in the Bible. It reflects on how readers can hear what God's timeless message is from any given passage. It is within this context that the article reflects on the idea of sensus plenior (the "fuller sense").

The discoveries at Tell Mardikh have significance for Biblical Studies. The author introduces these discoveries.