(IV) Characters in Bible Stories

How does Moses look like? Is he tall or short?

(don’t know, leh)

How about Saul?

I know, tall and handsome.

Why does the narrator describe to us about Saul’s features but not Moses’?

Ya, lah! Not fair one.


The second characteristic that makes a Bible genre as a narrative is that it must have a character. It’s like in a movie, there must be actors, real or cartoons. But unlike movies, Bible stories do not tell us how the characters look like if they are not related to the plot of the story. So we are not told how Moses look like because his appearance has no relation to the story. As for Saul, his appearance is important because the narrator want us to know how God chooses leaders in contrast to how human choose leaders (1Sam 16:7).

Description of Characters
1. Physical description of character: by narrator or other characters
For example, in 2Sam 11:2, the narrator told us that the woman David saw is very beautiful. This is part of the plot of the story and we understand why a good man like David can fall into sin.

2. Inner qualities described by narrator or other characters
For example: In Job 1:8, God tell Satan the characters of Job – blameless, upright, fear God, turn away from evil. Right at the beginning of the Book of Job, the reader is informed of the character of Job so that he knows that the suffering of Job is not due his own doings.

3. Speech of characters – can be evasive, lying, politeness, remorseful…
For example: In Judges 8:22, the Israelites asked Gideon to be their ruler.

But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The LORD will rule over you."

This speech sound very honorable. But is it really so? The narrator later told us in verse 31 that Gideon named one of his sons Abimelech, which means “my father is king”. You could imagine each time some one calling your son, “my father is king”.

4. Actions and motives (especially repeated actions)
Reading through 1Sam 16 onwards and see the many repeated actions of Saul trying to kill David. Contrast this with the many action of David not wanting to take his hand on the Lord’s anointed. These repeated actions and motives show how the narrator ties his plot of leadership transition of God rejecting Saul and choosing David.

Important points about Characters
- Main characters are usually round/not flat, i.e. complex
Their behaviors can change. Example: Sarah may seem demure and submissive to Abram (Gen 12), but later her character is revealed more (Gen 16 – suggesting to Abram to get a concubine), and more (Gen 21:10 – drive away Hagar)

- God is an important Character in the Bible.
(Pay special attention what is said of God)

- Comparison to archetypes can be made without explicit mention.
E.g. first born son – Cain, Ishmael, Esau, … all have the same characteristics of first born.

Types of characters
Just like a movie where actors play different roles, each character in the story also has different role.

1. Main focus of narrative:
2. Agent to carry the theme: e.g. Cornelius in Acts (theme is salvation for Gentiles)
3. Foil: shed light on another character by contrast and comparison e.g. Abraham versus Lot; Isaac versus Ishmael; Jacob versus Esau; Abel versus Cain, etc
4. Plot carriers: carry the plot forward. E.g. Uriah 2Sam 11 on David’s adultery & murder
5. Setting Providers: People as part of the story to provide the setting of the story.

Example: In the Book of Jonah
- Main focus = Jonah
- Agent to carry the theme = Ninevah king (theme of the book is redemption)
- Foil = the sailors (they fear God) as contrast to Jonah
- Plot carrier = God, fish, Gourd
- Setting Providers = Ninevites


In Summary, when reading about individual characters, pay attention to what is being said. All information given to us is important, otherwise it will not be told.

Related to characters are dialogues, where characters speak to one another … (to be continued)

(IV) Scene and Setting of a Bible Stories

“Teacher, teacher; why can David kill Goliath?”

Your Sunday school student asks you this question after you relate the story to the class.

“God said, ‘You shall not kill’. So can disobeying God be a good person?”

As a Bible teacher, how would you answer her? If you say that Goliath is the enemy of Israel and need to be killed, does that mean that you can kill any evil person? Or did David killed Goliath because God tell him to do it (1Sam 17:45)? Would not that amount to say that God is the mastermind of taking away life?

We now look at the first characteristic of a Bible story, the scene and setting. Stories are usually depicted with certain scenes like times of war, destruction, famine, in a garden, agricultural background or even a normal lifestyle (including birth and death). As these stories are way beyond our time, cultural and historical background may influence our way of understanding the passage.

As such it may be good to read widely of these cultures from a Bible handbook.

1. Scene

Let’s look at some of the more common scene in Bible Stories.

War


Many passages like 1Sam 4, 15 & 17 are in the context of war. So David killing Goliath does not violate the 10 commandment, “You shall not kill”.

But killing your enemies in peace time is murder. Thus, Joab killing of Abner in Hebron (a city of refuge) during peace time is murder (2Sam 3). He does this in revenges of Abner killing of Joab’s brother, Asahel during the battle of Gibeon (2Sam 2)

In war time, warriors consult their gods through prophets, Urim & Thummim (1Sam 28:6), offer sacrifices and even bring there “gods” with them to war. We may read into them as superstitious, but that is not the point of view of the narrator.

Destruction

Passages like Gen 19 – destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah; Gen 7 – the Great Flood; 1Sam 15 - call for total destruction of Alamekites.

Such passages depict final judgment of that era for that situation and must be seen as God’s justice, exercising His Judgment.

Lifestyle

Many passages talk about the normal life of the people – Gen 18: Abraham welcoming strangers; Ruth gleening;

We can greatly appreciate the Bible stories when we know their cultures – e.g. role of women, birth-rights, marriages, etc.

2. Timing
There are two timing involved in a story (1) Narration Time & (2) Narrated Time
Narration Time is the time the narrator takes to tell the story
Narrated Time is the time depicted in the narrative

When the author stops at a point in time to tell a detail situation, the focus is there. Pay attention to what is narrated. The opposite is also true. When the narrator suddenly skip past narrated time, ask why he is doing that.

Example: Gen 1-2:4:

Narrated Time = 7days of creation
Narration Time = 34 verse, 3min to read

Gen 16:16 (last verse of Gen 16) and Gen 17:1
Narrated Time = 13 years
Narration Time = 2 verses, 10 sec to read

Implication:

In Genesis 1, the creation story is very important and all the detail of creation is captured in the passage. In Abraham case, after he married Hagar and have a son, Ishmael, nothing is deem important to narrate (for 13 years, nothing significant was told)

Another example: Gen 26:34,35 (last verses of Gen 26) and Gen 27:1
Gen 26:34 – Isaac is 100 years old
Gen 27:1 – Isaac is 137 years old (try to calculate this! Can be done)

What is the implication?
The author is telling the reader that life is bitter for Isaac & Rebekah (Gen 26:35, the verse in between this two timing) for 37 years, a very long time indeed.

3. Space
This is the Character’s movement in space (geographically)

Generally, when the narrator slow down and elaborate the story at that point, pay attention to that narration as the emphasis and important is in that passage. (Example: Gen 32 – a lot of movement at action, until v 24-32 when at night, Jacob is alone. Then, Gen 33 continues the movement).

By being aware of the scene and timing in the story, one can follow what the intention of the narrator is saying.

Heard of a Bible Reading Parrot?

Hi to all who care to read this blog!

I have been a bit tired this week to continue on the Bible Narrative, which may have bored you.

If you are still following this blog, just to share a light hearted moment:

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers and prospered. Some years later, they chatted after having dinner together. They discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother who lived far away in another city.

The first said, "I had a big house built for Mama."

The second said, "I had a hundred thousand dollar theater built in the house."

The third said, "I had my Mercedes dealer deliver an SL600 to her."

The fourth said, "You know how Mamma loved reading the Bible and you know she can't read anymore because she can't see very well. I met this preacher who told me about a parrot that can recite the entire Bible. It took twenty preachers and 12 years to teach him. I had to pledge to contribute $100,000 a year for twenty years to the church, but it was worth it. Mamma just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot will recite it."

The other brothers were impressed.

After the holidays Mom sent out her Thank You notes. She wrote:

"Milton , the house you built is so huge I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. Thanks anyway."

Marvin, I am too old to travel. I stay home, I have my groceries delivered, so I never use the Mercedes. The thought was good. Thanks."

Michael, you gave me an expensive theater with Dolby sound, it could hold 50 people but all of my friends are dead, I've lost my hearing and I'm nearly blind. I'll never use it. Thank you for the gesture just the same."

Dearest Melvin, you were the only son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken was delicious. Thank you."

-Luv Ya, Mama

(III) Narrator Point of View of God's Stories -

We know come to the most important step of reading God’s stories. That is to know the Narrator’s point of view.

Many people make the mistake of interpreting the Bible from what they think or see. Since it is the narrator who is telling us God’s stories, we then need to interpret it according to what he is telling us. Usually, he makes it very clear if we follow a few simple rules that he uses to write God’s stories.

The narrator is like a photographer who decides what will and will not be included in a picture, from what distance and angle, with what degree of sharpness and in what light. Just as the nature of a film is dependent on the position of the camera and the way it is operated, the nature of the narrative depends on the point of view from which the events are presented.
-Shimon Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible, p 15

Here are the methods the narrator uses to help us understand his point of view of God’s stories as he wrote them:

· Explicitly stating it, e.g. Joseph story (Gen 39:2,3,21,23)
· Comes from one of the character in the story (Gen 50:20)
· Summary statement from the narrative (Gen 2:24,25)
· His comments (2Sam 11:27b)
· Repetitions (1Sam 8:7, 9, 22)
· Slow pace of the story (Gen 32 – story of Jacob, slow down until v 22-32; after this encounter, Jacob is a changed person with a changed name, Gen 33 continue the action)

Let’s illustrate this with a passage that I heard being preached in Bethany PC.

Examples: 1Sam Chapter 8- Israel ask for a king

1 When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

The narrator immediately gives his point of view in the opening of chapter. Then he uses the character to substantiate his point.

4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, "You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have."


The word “so” indicates the elders agree with the narrator. Both the narrator and elders have the same point of view. In other words, the reader should be able to see that the fault of asking for a king is not the elders’ but Samuel’s sons.

To further prove his (narrator’s) point, he now make God speaks 3 times, (verses 7, 9, 21), indicating that the elders of Israel are not at fault.

"Listen to all that the people are saying to you;

By using God as a character to speak up 3 times, the narrator now make is very clear to the reader that his point of view is the same as the elders and as God’s.

The whole point that the narrator is telling his reader is this: When a leader is at fault or sinned or incompetence, he must listen to the follower. He loses the morale authority to lead.

So the next time you read a Bible story, do try to look out for the narrator’s point of view. That way, you will never be swayed by wrong teaching and wrong applications.

To help you understand God’s stories better, I will next talk about the characteristics of Biblical narratives – (1) Scenes & Setting, (2) Characters, (3) Plot & Structure.

Adios.

(III) Narrator of God’s stories

Every story that we read or hear has a writer or narrator.

We tend to unconsciously forget about him. But really, to benefit from Bible reading, we need to be keenly aware that he is there and wants to tell us what the meaning of the story in the Bible is all about.

In this part III of God’s stories, let’s discuss a bit about this narrator. Knowing how he presents God’s stories will help us to interpret Bible Narrative as according to what he wants us to understand.

1. He is omniscient & omnipresence
- He knows everything that the characters did in secret (e.g. the rape of Tamar 2Sam 13)
- He knows what is going on in heaven (Job 1:6-12)
- He shifted from one place to another in a flash (e.g. Gen 24 – one moment he is in Canaan with Abraham, the next moment he is in Mesopotamia with Abraham’s servant). He bounds freely to and fro.

2. Information present by him is of special importance
There is no precise, detail description of the physical appearance of the characters in biblical narratives. But when such information is revealed by the narrator, we need to pay special attention to them. They serve to advance the plot of the story. So when we read that Bathsheba is very beautiful (2Sam 11:2), Eli is fat (1Sam 4;18), David is ruddy and handsome (1Sam 16;12); Ehud is left handed (Jg 3:15); such information are all given by the narrator to help the readers understand and interpret the story.

3. He chooses/selects information to reveal
- Sometimes he tells you in advance. (e.g. Job 1 & 2 – the reader knows in advance why Job suffered while Job’s 3 friends do not)
- Sometime he delays information to create suspense. (e.g. Gideon’s story: Judge 6-8. Do you know who Gideon actually is?)
- Sometimes, he just tells the story as it is and leaves you to make your own evaluation. (e.g. Judges 18; 1King 13)

4. Sometimes, he speaks for God!
– Par excellence of narrator’s unlimited knowledge extent even to reporting about God

Gen 6:6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain
Ex 2:25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.
2Sam 11:27b But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.
2 Sam 17:14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel." For the LORD had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

The narrator does not often provide us with information about God’s inner feelings. In consequence, we can assume that when such information is given, the matter is of special importance. God is the absolute and supreme authority.

To be continued …

Reference: Shimon Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible, Sheffield Academic Press

(II) 3 levels of God’s stories

Some people get emotional when they hear a story or watch a show. They laugh when it is hilarious or shed tear when the story touches them. I am one such person. I shed tear easily and can be emotionally entwine and "get" into the story.

The same goes when reading God’s stories. I get emotional when Saul, who is a good king initially ended his life. I was fearful when King David made a heinous act of “borrow sword to kill people” (in Chinese).

Do you feel for the people in God’s stories?

If you are in God’s Kingdom, and want to learn as much as you can from HIS WORD, it would help you to “get” into God’s stories by knowing that actually God’s stories are on effect being told in 3 levels. Knowing these levels help you to integrate into their stories as we share the same heritage in God’s family.

Top Level: Universal plan of God
Each individual story is part of the complete redemption plan of God. This is God’s stories. From these individual stories, we learn of God and His works.

Middle Level: Israel in God’s plan
This level sees the story at the level of the nation of Israel (for OT) and the church (for NT), how the people constituted by a former covenant (OT), then a new covenant (NT), in fulfillment of the top level.

Bottom Level: Individual characters
At this level are the individual narratives that make up the previous two levels. They consist of individual stories and people, like Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jonah, Esther, etc.

When we read each narratives (bottom level), we must consciously ask ourselves how it is related to other levels. This will also help you to make correct applications and biblical principles.

Let me show some examples:

Example: 1Sam 9-10 Appointment of Saul and first King of Israel

(This message was preached by Pastor Chia Boon Beng on Aug 24 2008, Title: Donkey Work & Excess Baggage in Bethany PCES)

His Outline:
When God Chooses (Top Level Outline)
1. God moves ahead of you (v15-17)
2. God starts with a vision and a dream (v19)
3. God will speak personally to you (v27)
4. God will confirm the call (10:1)
5. God will anoint you ( )
6. There will be opposition ( 10:27 )

Notice here that he uses the top level as his outline, looking at the level to see how God is actually working to bring Saul as king. Using top level is good to understand how God is working in the lives of people. But it is difficult to see how the text can apply to us. That is God’s job, not ours.

By direct reading, my outline (using bottom level):

Title: How to produce a leader (1Sam 9-10)
A. Preparing a leader (9:1-10:2)
1. Testing and training of a person (9:1-4)
2. A teachable person (9:5-14)
3. Guidance from leader (9:15-21)
4. Exposing to leaders (9:22-27)
5. Affirm his leadership (10:1-2)

B. Transforming a leader (10:3-16)
1. Encounter with God (a spirit-filled Christian) (10:3-8)
2. Heart changed person (10:9-13)
3. Personal encounter, keep it to yourself (10:14-16)

C. Reaction to a leader (10:24-27)
1. Some will support and encourage you (10:24, 26).
2. Some will despise you. (10:27a)

By using the bottom level as outline, it is easier now to find the relevance of the passage and applications – how to prepare myself to be a leader.

Notice the difference:
Top level gives us a glimpse of what God is doing to prepare a leader (God’s job)
Bottom level helps me to prepare myself as a leader (my job)
So choosing and appointing Christian leader is both my job and God’s job

Practice Passages:
(1) Judges 16 – Samson & Delilah, (try this yourself)

(2) Jonah 1-4 Book of Jonah (try this yourself)

(3) Ruth 1-4: Story of Ruth - discuss the top level, middle level, bottom level

Ok, let me show you what I have for Ruth 1-4:

Top level: God redemption to all mankind (kinsman-redeemer)

Middle level: the ancestors of David, King of Israel (the Book of Ruth could be an official document in the courts of King David), it qualifies how David can be King and in the lineage of Judah

Bottom level: the righteousness of people of Bethlehem in the time of Judges (obedient to the Leviticus laws) when everyone does right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25)
The Book of Ruth is like a contrast appendix to the Book of Judges.

Reference: Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart; How to read the Bible for all its Worth; Chapter 5 – The Old Testament Narratives; Zondervan @2003

Note: Most of the time, we tend to ignore the top level. That is OK if we are just studying for ourselves. But when we are teaching Sunday school or leading BS, it is important to know that God is ultimately at work in the lives of the students and the members.