_{Handout 01}

Review – Observing and Interpreting OT Narratives

How Do We Go from the Story → to the Moral of the Story?

A. Features To Observe When Reading Narrative:

1. In general, Old Testament narrative is written in a straight-forward manner.

   So, in general, we should read it in a straight-forward manner

2. Pay attention to the details.

   Even though the Old Testament adds up to be rather large, the individual accounts are often rather brief; so the details count. If the writer slows down to give more detail, it’s important.

   _{To Note!}

   OT narrative often does not give you all of the info you might like to have. But it gives you enough for you to know what you need to know in order to assess the episode you are reading.

3. If something gets lengthy treatment, it is probably important.

4. Verses that Give Moral or Theological Evaluation are important.

   Note verses which give direct moral or theological evaluation, verses which offer a value judgment on what is happening in the story. I call these “editorial comments”. Such comments give us God’s perspective on the events recorded.

   The classic example is: “They did evil in the eyes of the Lord.”

   Other examples: Judges 9:56-57; 2 Kings 17:7–23; and 1 Chron 10:13-14.

5. 1. Pay attention to the dialogue.

      By “dialogue” we mean whenever someone is speaking, whether or not there is a back-and-forth conversation.

      The story as told by the narrator is sometimes called the "narrative proper."

      _{To Note}

      In OT narratives, the dialogue often carries the lesson = the main point of the passage. Example: Gen 22.

      In particular, pay attention to lengthy statements or speeches or prayers by people the OT presents positively.

      For example: Moses, Abraham, Joshua, David, Solomon [sometimes ☹️], king Josiah, Joseph, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah. Note, however: Just because a person is a main character in an episode does not guarantee that the OT is presenting them positively.

   2. Dialogue ← vs. → the Narrator

      We just mentioned that sometimes a statement in dialogue gives us the main point of the passage / the episode. However, the Bible also sometimes records people saying things that are not true. Also:

      Note carefully: When the narrator is speaking, what is said will always be true. But when a human being is speaking, sometimes what they say is not true.

      (1 Sam 31:1–6 ↔ 2 Sam 1:1–10; 1 Sam 23:7 ↔ 23:14, did God hand David over to Saul?)

B. Principles of Special Value for Interpreting Narrative:

1. Bear in mind the prior theological framework provided by Scripture, especially the foundation set by the Pentateuch. This is what the text ‘assumes’ you know.

   For example, Deut 18 sets the background for understanding 1 Sam 28; + see below.

2. What happens in narrative is to be judged by the general teaching and by the prophetic sections in the rest of the Old Testament.

   Pay attention to other Scriptures (especially in the OT) to see if they make it clear whether the action recorded is good or bad. Example: 1 Samuel 28 ↔ 1 Chron 10.

3. Read the passage and then keep reading.

   _Ask:

   What does the rest of Scripture do with this event or with the information given in the account? (Gen 35:22 ↔ Genesis 49:3,4)

4. Ask yourself: What is the point, the purpose, of this passage? Why is it recorded?

   A good way to find the purpose of the passage is to ask:

   If this passage was not in the Bible, what would we miss, what would we lose?

   The answer to that question may well be the point of the passage.

   _Examples:

   • The Joseph narrative (Gen 37–50).
   • The account of Rahab (Josh 2–6).

Do Not !! –

1. Do not ignore the larger context of a narrative account while trying to draw applications from a small detail in it.

2. Do not assume the that Bible recommends every act that it records.

3. Do not ‘overdrive’ your evidence. That is, do not draw a big conclusion or make a big application you cannot show clearly from the text.

   Often, the Bible itself draws conclusions

   But if the Bible itself does not draw any conclusions about an event, or does not focus on it think carefully before you do

4. Do not neglect what the passage actually said by typologizing it, by spiritualizing, or finding some secret meanings.