Reserve Reading - How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth - OT Narrative

Written by S.G.R. Webster on October 9th, 2008

Ok, so no more paper projectiles tomorrow.

You have sufficiently pummeled me.

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Posted in An Introduction to the Old Testament |

28 Comments so far ↓

Oct
9
7:07
PM

Laura Kompara
Is decontextualizing or selectivity always a bad thing, or could it be okay in some cases if the verse’s original meaning does not change? (p. 103)
Oct
9
7:21
PM

Lisa Toth
On pg. 95 it says Mary’s story (Luke 1-2) is a clear echo of the story of Hannah (1 samuel 1-2). I went back & read in Luke and 1 Sam. and I’m wondering how it’s a clear echo b/c i found many differences. Hannah was not a virgin and the Lord closed her womb. She wanted a child so badly that she wept and prayed and prayed. The priest came to her & talked to her and said “may God grant you what you’ve asked of Him.” God then remembered her & gave her a son. Mary however was a virgin. She was not “wanting a child” like Hannah. She was living her life & all of a sudden an angel comes to her and tells her she will have a son. Also, Hannah named her own son. The angel told Mary what to name hers. Is the reason it says “clear echo” only b/c God intervened in both situations and gave each of them a son?
Oct
9
7:30
PM

Celeste Binkerd
why do people say that reading is a lost art. i mean i know our culture is very teck savy, but that doesnt mean we have lost it. i know many people as well as myself like to read something instead of watch it on tv or somethig.

Pg.97
Oct
9
7:43
PM

Jamie Restemayer
Why do they have implicit teaching as being majory important? pg. 99
Oct
9
7:45
PM

Hannah Giumento
In the protagonist, antogonist, agonist characters, where do non christians lie? pg 90
Oct
9
8:00
PM

Zach Figgins
On page 103 it says that a poor way of reading Bible narrative is moralizing it. And I understand that it was wriiten to show the progress of God’s history of redemption. However can’t we still with that in mind ask ourselves, what can we learn from this situation?
Oct
9
8:16
PM

Becca Howard
On pg. 99 it talks about discovering shared assumptions rather than finding the “hidden meaning.” It seems to me that you would go about doing this the same way, so how do I discover assumptions rather than finding the hidden meaning.
Oct
9
8:17
PM

Lydia Brauner
On page 90, it states that narratives are stories- purposeful stories retelling the historical events of the past that are intended to give meaning and direction for a given people in the present time. Yet on page 92 it says that the narratives in the Old Testament narratives are not to be understood and applied. Maybe I am missing something here, but it seems a little contradictory of itself.
Oct
9
8:18
PM

Jessie Maurizi
On page 93-94
I’m a bit confused about when it talks about the narrator. I’ll try to say this without sounding too cliche but wouldn’t God be the narrator. He inspires the writers to WRITE the story so wouldn’t they just be the author? It says that they are completely omniscient about the events surrounding the story but how can a human know everything about the whole situation? It just seems like God would be the ultimate narrator since its HIS story.
Oct
9
8:37
PM

Jordan Muntz
(Principles for Interpreting Narratives) Why is it important to know whether the meaning of the story is implicit or explicit? Doesn’t the meaning of the narrative normally easily present itself either way? Like when Jesus is teaching, he uses parables but most of them are easily understood or else he explains them afterward. It doesn’t seem like a big deal to me whether it is implicit or explicit as long as the message gets across correctly.
Oct
9
8:41
PM

Taylor Ruble
it is so common in our churches to use the OT stories to tell moral lessons or to show how one is to live, even in my own church, especially in my childhood. i thought it was interesting how the chapter pointed out that these stories are included in the bible to show who God is.
Oct
9
8:52
PM

Jake Stoller
on page 94, the book says the story is built around the scene rather than characters. However the next page says that the characters are “the absolutely central element”. Is this a contradiction?
Oct
9
8:57
PM

Bethany Whitcraft
In the text it talked about that fact that God is the ultimate character or protagonist, and it’s just a great reminder that He is what it’s all about and everyone else is brought into His story (90). Also many times I am aware of the explicit statements of God’s presence, but I read over the implicit ways God is present(99). Both of these were great to be reminded of.
Oct
9
9:12
PM

Wesley Deason
What is the best way to avoiding reading selectively? I mean it seems that is a very common problem with modern readers. (Selectivity page 103)
Oct
9
9:14
PM

Brittany King
On pages 93 and 94, it talks about the narrator and his point of view. Isn’t the point of view we are given in the bible the point of view God intended us to see? I don’t see a big difference between the narrator’s point of view as he is being inspired and God’s point of view.
Oct
9
9:21
PM

Hannah Wyall
I just really thought that the whole idea of our world and times as “God’s story” was really cool and I had never really thought of it that way. I have always wondered what it would be like to be part of a story or a book and I never really thought of my life as such. I was also just thinking about and imagining if when there’s a new heaven and a new earth that someone would write down the story of our times. It would be really interesting to see what would be said and who would be specifically recognized.
Oct
9
9:25
PM

Elizabeth Rhee
I feel like alot of the time churches use these stories as moral lessons. I know that the point of the story is the narrative, but is it really that bad to take a moral lesson from it? (page 103)
Oct
9
9:31
PM

Tianna
on page 104 the book talks about personalizing scripture. How does personalizing relate to picking a “best verse” or “life verse” or “favorite verse”? Is it wrong to pick a verse the you feel applies to you?
Oct
9
9:36
PM

Anne Bertles
I don’t understand what it is talking about for the “point of view” and/or narrator (page 93-94). I get everything that it talked about before about the purpose of a writer, but the “narrator” is inspired by the omniscient God, if it isn’t God, HImself. So the “point of view” really has no meaning. And the “point of view” of the story should be the same as the “divine point of view.”
Oct
9
9:44
PM

Annie Allison
On page 99, the authors talk about how to find implied meaning. Could you give some more details about this process?
Oct
9
9:49
PM

Jack Burch
On page 92 it says OT narratives are not intended to teach moral lessons, which i understand. But is it irresponsible to believe you have leanred a moral lesson after reading an OT narrative?
Oct
9
9:51
PM

Zachary DeWitt
Why do we, as christians, tend to take the text literaly, pg 103
Oct
9
10:21
PM

Brock Reilley
What is one of the worst incorrect interpretations or applications on narrative portions of the Bible that people believe now days? pg. 89
Oct
9
10:39
PM

Derek Johnson
How does God “write” us into the story?(90)
Oct
9
11:19
PM

Conner
wow RR #5! and i can actually post my question on it… well done.
On pg 92 when it talks about the moral application for our lives and such, it confused me on what is responsible for me to take away as applicable. So i guess my question would be could you UNconfuse me on what is intended to be taken away and applied/stored by me when I read the O.T.
Oct
10
6:01
AM

Sarah Barbieri
On page 92, it says that “The purpose of the various individual narratives is to tell what God did in the history of Israel, not to offer moral examples of right or wrong behavior.” I am not sure i quiet agree with his point of view. Why can’t we learn through the Bible’s teachings of right and wrong things to do?
Oct
10
7:03
AM

Kara Sipe
On page 103 it talks about all the ways that we misinterpret biblical narratives. How are we supposed to interpret them correctly? How are we supposed to know what God’s message to us really is? It scares me when i read the Bible that i’m misinterpreting what the story is really telling me.
Oct
10
7:46
PM

Dave Ferrier
My question is a lot like Wes’. How can I guard myself against selective reading?

Hello Intro. to OT class. This course is totally boss.

And I fully expect you to read this in class, Webster.