In the Beginning Have you ever been in a room so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of you? The Bible describes: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Darkness. Nothing to see by. And even if there was light, there is nothing to see. Until God speaks. Everything changes when God speak
Who is the Deliverer? One of the fabulous things about the Bible is the varied genres it contains. The story of Deborah and Barak, Jael and Sisera, is told twice: once in narrative prose (Judges 4), and again in poetry (Judges 5). Following the death of Ehud, Israel fell into the hands of Jabin, king of Hazor. Judges 4 emphasizes that it was
Speech is a frequent act in biblical narratives. When we study a story, it is worth paying attention, not only to what is being communicated, but also to the intensity of communication and the way in which different protagonists engage in dialogue. We need to observe who speaks more, who talks less, and who is silent, as well as when the characters
Actions are the events that take place in a story, including the deeds of the actors and the natural processes. They are frequent and play a central role. The plot unifies all actions into a cohesive progression. J.P. Fokkelman suggests that we can “picture the plot as the course of the action, that is, the course of events in a story, as a traject
Indirect characterization is achieved through various story elements such as actions, speech, relational dynamics, figures of speech, and literary techniques. Thus, Gehazi’s run after Naaman to ask for money reveals his greed, Elijah’s fleeing discloses his fear, and Cornelius’ alms-giving habits portray him as generous. Elisha’s prayer depicts him
Many generations of Bible readers have found meaning through relating to Bible characters who share similar struggles and challenges, fight similar weaknesses, and fail and succeed time and time again in their own process of transformation. When we observe the Biblical characters closely, we gain a more intimate knowledge of them, and thus are able
“I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?” The question shocked me, as I awakened to the fact that I was not reading an eighteenth century inquiry, but an open letter to Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a radio talk show hostess who tries to give practi
