The whole bible is the working out of the relationship between God and man. God is not a dictator barking out orders and demanding silent obedience. Were it so, there would be no relationship at all. No real relationship goes just one way. There are always two active parties. We must have reverence and awe for God, and honor for the chain of tradition. But that doesn't mean we can't use new information to help us read the holy texts in new ways.

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible (ed. Simon and Schuster, 2007) - ISBN: 9781416553229