A Ribband of Blue, and Other Bible Studies — Story, Setting & Ideas

The Logic of Sacrifice and Obedience

In the first study, Taylor dissects Numbers 15 to argue that acceptable worship must follow God's appointed pattern, not human invention. He writes that 'from beginning to end it must be, "Not my will, but Thine, be done."' The passage on firstfruits is used to critique modern priorities: 'How often we see the reverse of this in daily life!' Taylor insists that God's claim comes before personal consumption. He then contrasts sins of ignorance—which require confession and sacrifice—with presumptuous sin, for which 'no sacrifice was appointed.' The logic is forensic: ignorance does not nullify guilt, but God provides a remedy; presumption, however, cuts off the sinner. This section is less a study of ancient ritual than a moral lesson for Taylor's readers, urging self-examination and strict adherence to divine commands.

Blessed Adversity and Unseen Warfare

The second study, on Job, reframes suffering as a divine trust. Taylor notes that Job's later prosperity doubled his former wealth, but he adds that 'those who were dead were not lost, they had only gone before.' This reading emphasizes restoration over lament. Taylor then warns against forgetting 'unseen spiritual foes,' citing Ephesians 6:12. He argues that visible conflicts are secondary to invisible spiritual battles, and that God alone is 'Almighty.' The tone is pastoral but urgent: 'Let us not... lose sight of the precious truth that God alone is Almighty.' The excerpt shows Taylor weaving Old Testament narrative with New Testament theology, a pattern consistent throughout the book. Notably, the catalog subject 'education-teaching' is absent here; the text is exhortation, not instruction.

Approaching the King: The Queen of Sheba as Model

The third study uses 1 Kings 10 to present the Queen of Sheba as a type of the believer. Taylor highlights that she came with 'hard questions' and received 'all her desire.' He draws a parallel to Christ, 'as much greater than Solomon' as the antitype exceeds the type. The queen's satisfaction is described as complete: 'all her difficulties were removed, all her petitions were granted.' Taylor's method is typological, reading the Old Testament as foreshadowing Christian experience. He notes that the queen, 'though of royal birth,' was 'black, because the sun had looked upon her'—a reference to Song of Solomon that suggests humility. This section is the most explicitly devotional, urging readers to approach Christ with the same confidence. The catalog subject 'Bible -- Study and teaching' fits loosely; the text is closer to a sermon series than a scholarly guide.

Readers should approach A Ribband of Blue as a series of devotional meditations rather than a systematic Bible study. Taylor's method is typological and hortatory, not exegetical in the modern sense. The book's brevity—three studies in under 20,000 words—means each chapter covers considerable ground, often leaping from Old Testament narrative to New Testament application. Those seeking historical-critical analysis will not find it; those looking for a model of Victorian devotional reading will.

Flipping through A Ribband of Blue, I found myself lingering on Taylor’s quiet handling of suffering—how he let Job’s story breathe instead of forcing a lesson. That same unhurried trust came to mind later, thinking of his letters from Japan. There’s a gentleness in both, as if hope didn’t need shouting. It made me recall Japan Will Turn Ablaze! — Background and Themes and how its own pages hold that patient glow.