by Kathy Brasby | May 17, 2013 | Bible
When we read biblical narratives, we need to pay close attention to the dialogue. That’s where the action is, so to speak.
Dialogue carries most of the punch of the story. Biblical narratives are tightly written with no extra words. Every sentence does heavy lifting in terms of the message.
Let’s take a look at some dialogue between two brothers. Here’s the piece we’ll examine:
Once, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!”
Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.”
“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
Gen 25:29-34 (NIV)
We almost have what writers call a “talking heads” situation with a little action and a lot of talking.
Because characters are developed through the dialogue, what does the dialogue tell us about Jacob and Esau?
Esau is dramatic and driven by his stomach. He overstates his situation. Is he really about to die?
He also doesn’t value his birthright compared to the immediate need: hunger. So he’s not a guy who looks ahead. Right now is what matters for Esau and his own desires trump anything noble.
Jacob, on the other hand, is a guy who sits at home while his brother is out in the field. Was Esau hunting? Working in the field? We’re not told but he was not sitting at the fire cooking stew.
Jacob’s greed keeps him from ladling up the stew for his hard-working brother? Instead, he proposes an unequal exchange: food for birthright.
Jacob’s conscience doesn’t weigh in, even when Esau agrees to the lopsided deal. In fact, Jacob wants the deal locked in with an oath. Jacob is not a man to be trusted.
In a short exchange between brothers, we get a vivid picture of the character of each man. As Genesis unfolds, we see the consequences of Jacob’s greed and craftiness. He becomes a deceiver, a man of lies and crooked deals. And his first deal comes when he swindles his brother.
Jacob’s transformation from deceiver to father of God’s nation is made more amazing in light of this early exchange between Jacob and Esau.
Biblical dialogue carries forward rich meaning and it’s important to read it carefully.
by Kathy Brasby | May 3, 2013 | Bible
One of the most common genres in the Bible is poetry. Poetry as an art form allows the writer to create meaning through repetition, comparison and substitution.
Poetry often conveys images, emotions and ideas better than prose.
Although poetry is scattered throughout the Bible, the most-read poems are probably found in Psalms. And perhaps the best-known is Psalm 23.
We won’t begin to plumb the depth of this psalm but let’s take a look at it to learn how meaning comes through form:
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house
of the Lord forever. Psalm 23 (NIV)
In the first stanza, the psalmist is writing about the Lord. Notice the pronouns: I, he, my, me, his. There is some distance implied here. The psalmist is talking about the Lord’s work.
In the second and third stanza, the distance dissolves. Notice the pronounce now: I, you, me, your. Now we see more intimacy. The psalmist is talking to the Lord, not about him.
The opening stanza centers on pastoral imagery: shepherd, green pastures, quiet waters, paths.
At the center of the Psalm is this statement: “I will fear no evil for you are with me.”
That statement summarizes the meaning of the Psalm and also serves as a hinge. Where the first part of the psalm dealt with the sheep/meadow images, the last part moves to a hospitality imagery.
In the third stanza, the psalmist talks about a table, anointing with oil (an act of hospitality in that day), an overflowing cup which would be another act of hospitality.
And the psalm closes with the image of dwelling in the house of the Lord forever, hospitality at its ultimate: inviting someone to not only come for dinner but to move in permanently. A guest couldn’t ask for more.
The first stanza describes how the needs and wants of a sheep are provided. The last stanza describes how the needs and wants of a guest are provided.
Through form such as repetition, imagery, word choices, the psalmist’s meaning comes through: I’m well taken care of. The Lord protects me. The Lord protects and provides security that endures.
Form created vivid meaning.
We’ll continue next Friday.
by Kathy Brasby | Apr 26, 2013 | Bible
The Bible is a massive collection of books written by many authors spanning hundreds of years. Because if this variety, we have to learn to recognize the many genres used in the Bible so that we can appreciate meaning as expressed through the writing style.
A genre is a class of writing having a particular content or technique.
Obvious ones in the Bible are poetry and narrative. But that just gets the pump started. The Bible also includes satire, prophecy, epic, oratory, drama, epistle, and much more.
Recognizing genre helps us recognize techniques of writing.
I directed a puppet team for several years and our favorite performances always included parodies. We thought we were clever with our spoof of the Ghostbusters theme song until we discovered lots of people spoofed Ghostbusters, including Apple in 1984.
But the parody can be an effective way to comment on an original work. The Bible uses parody to that end. Here’s an example.
Proverbs 23:29-35 includes an intriguing poem:
Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
Who has strife? Who has complaints?
Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?
Those who linger over wine,
who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.
Do not gaze at wine when it is red,
when it sparkles in the cup,
when it goes down smoothly!
In the end it bites like a snake
and poisons like a viper.
Your eyes will see strange sights,
and your mind will imagine confusing things.
You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,
lying on top of the rigging.
“They hit me,” you will say, “but I’m not hurt!
They beat me, but I don’t feel it!
When will I wake up
so I can find another drink?” NIV
First, we have to recognize that this is poetry and so the rules for history or epistles don’t really apply. Instead, we see repetition: woe, sorrow, strive, complaints, needless bruises, bloodshot eyes. As the words progress, the meaning emerges.
Notice how the lines move from woe to bloodshot eyes. That’s a nice segue to the observation about those who are drawn to drinking wine. Someone might come to wine because of woe but they depart with bloodshot eyes.
The wine sparkles at first but in the end bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. The similes (bites like a snake, poisons like a viper) help direct our understanding.
A description of drunkenness follows: your eyes will see strange sights and your mind will imagine confusing things.
By this point, the poem has also veered into humor: “when will I wake up so I can find another drink?” This idea comes after the snake and viper images and after the strange sights.
Ultimately, this poem teaches a lesson: too much drinking results in negative circumstances.
This poem also uses parody to make its point. It is modeled after an ancient drinking song, using parody effectively by employing a drinking song to reveal the downside of too much drinking.
The Bible uses genres expertly to reveal meaning in many ways.
More on genres next week.
