It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, (A few words on reading Biblical narratives)

The book of Esther is written in the form of a narrative. I'm not convinced yet as to whether or not it should be categorized more as "Wisdom literature" or exclusively as "Narrative". That's a debate for another day and there have been some very compelling arguments on both sides that I've had the privilege of reading this week. Regardless of Esther's categorization in genre, it must be stated that there are principles of wisdom to be drawn from Esther in a way that is similar to other "Wisdom" books of the Bible like Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon and some of the Psalms. The fact that the wisdom offered is presented in a narrative shouldn't tempt us to ignore the wisdom presented. So, with that being said, I'd like to take a moment today to discuss a few words on reading Biblical narratives well. 

Once upon a time, in a far away place, there dwelt a king in a castle...

What does that make you think of? Hopefully, it sets the stage for a tale, a story. 

Roses are red, violets are blue, I like Esther, how about you?

What does that make you think of? Hopefully, it sets your mind up for some limerick or poetry. 

Dear Homeowner, I want to direct your attention to...

What does that make you think of? Hopefully, it gets you thinking about the business that the letter's author is writing you about.  

We read different things differently. We exist in a different head space when we read a fable or legend than when we read poetry. We understand the details differently when we engage with a piece of junk mail, and when we open a Christmas card from a beloved friend. The reality is that setting (What preachers often call context) directs and guides how a reader is intended to engage with a written communication. The intention of an author is for a message to be understood in a specific manner. While there may be a range of meaning(s) to be taken from a particular communique, there is (almost always) an intended meaning that an author aimed to share with the recipient of the message. With these patterns of communication in mind, lets have a few principles inform how we read Biblical narratives:

1. Pay Attention to References, Quotes, and Allusions.

The Bible frequently gives an explanation of the current events by referencing, quoting, or making allusion to other passages in the Bible. This means that some of the intended meaning of a particular book, letter, or passage is lost on an audience that cannot understand the object of a reference, a quote, or an allusion to another passage. This is something like the experience we have when we miss out on an inside joke. Have you ever been in a conversation and two other individuals began laughing, and you asked "could you explain what is so funny?" The reply that you get is often "You had to be there" or "oh, it's just an inside joke that we share" or "I'll explain it later". Without understanding the point of reference, you simply cannot participate in any meaningful way in the laughter and comradery of the joke. When the Bible makes a reference, quote, or allusion to another passage, there is often an invitation into understanding the original intended meaning of the message. 

A quick example of this is the classic advent passages from Micah 5:2 and Matthew 2:6. Both of these passages pertain to the promised deliverer of Israel. In Matthew we're told this passage was cited by the religious leaders in Herod's court when the Magi came inquiring as to the birth of the king of the Jews. If you only read Matthew 2:6, you will miss out on the reality that this child has been promised for generations. If you only read Micah 5:2 you will be wondering when this promised messiah will come. By reading Matthew 2:6 in light of Micah 5:2 we see that the long promised messiah of God from ages of old had been born. In this way Matthew, from very early on in his Gospel is making a claim about the baby born in Bethlehem named Jesus. Paying attention to references, quotes, and allusions helps us to understand the intended meaning of the narrative. 

2. The Narrative is NOT About You. 

While there is a very popular line of teaching and spiritualism that draws a direct line from a narrative to the audience, this is inappropriate for the VAST MAJORITY of Biblical narrative. There are observations, wisdom, and learning to be done from narratives, but in almost every case, those are lessons to be learned as people outside of the story, rather than as characters in the story. When you read Genesis 15-21 you are not Abraham, or Sarah. There may be lessons to learn from Abraham and Sarah, how they listened to God, how they placed their faith and trust in God, and how they repented from their many temptations to doubt God. While these are all applicable lessons to take as we live our lives, we are not to place ourselves as though our lives are replica's of Abraham and Sarah. We may be asked by a preacher or teacher to "put ourselves in their shoes", and to "imagine what it must have been like" in a particular situation. These are appropriate questions to try and understand the intended meaning of the narrative and glean life giving truth. 

An example of this is most famously preached by Matt Chandler which you can watch in this short clip. In this short clip a great many examples are given showing famous speakers displaying the above described ways of understanding the narratives of the Bible. 

We are NOT the characters in the story. Unless we as an audience are told we are like, akin, or in some way characters in the story, most notably Jesus did this quite often when teaching using parables. Even then, it is difficult and downright dangerous for us to place ourselves into the parables as Jesus often spoke in parables to condemn the religious leaders of his day. Sometimes, oftentimes, we should be glad that we are not in the narrative. The intended meaning of the narrative is most often revealed in the narrative, not in our personhood's involvement in the narrative. 

3. God's Word Includes Details

There is a great temptation when reading through narratives to do one of two things: ignore the details, or fixate on the details. 

It can be easy to gloss over huge swaths of books like Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Numbers, 1 & 2 Chronicles, sections of books like Ezra and Nehemiah, and even Matthew chapter 1. Details are given in lists of names, places, procedures, laws and the like. Sometimes reading these things is a challenge to our ability to focus. I've had some mentors in my life of faith encourage me to "suck it up", "just read it" or even "skip it". Some of these pieces of advice have been more helpful, some have been less than helpful. I'd like to encourage you, if you are struggling with reading through, or seeing any purpose in the details of a passage (or even a whole book!) to do two things: 

A) Discuss the details with another Christian. This may be your pastor, another Christian leader, your spouse, your children, or even post here on the blog! Often times I have found that by asking other believers about passages I am helped a great deal in my own faith in God's wisdom in preserving a seemingly boring amount of detail. These conversations are rarely fruitless and when two of us are stumped I usually find another person to strike up the conversation with. This can spark discussion which encourages and changes both myself as I ask questions and the person I'm conversing with.

B) Ask yourself while reading the passage and details "What does God reveal about himself from this passage?" This is NOT a "magic bullet" question and it will not always provide you with helpful guidance. This is however a question I will often ask when I find the details of a passage....less than engaging. God has kept, preserved this portion of the Bible for ages. God has inspired writers to care for and keep these details for the benefit of God's people throughout the ages. God has an intended meaning in this passage and that intended meaning is not for me to think God's Word is useless or boring. This question then puts me on a hunt, it sets before me a field and forest to begin searching and tracking, what is God doing overall in this passage? How do the details set a bigger picture about who God is and what God was and is doing? Again, this is no magic bullet, but I've found it helpful over the years. 

While sometimes we may be tempted to ignore the details, others of us will fixate on the details. I've sometimes found myself fixated on entire books for months at a time (The book of Jude is still a fascination of mine and I'm not sure if I'll ever get my head around all that's going on in that "little big" book.). Sometimes a particular verse, detail, word, or passage seems inescapable and occupies the otherwise empty moments in our minds. On the one hand I must confess there are periods of great delight with this sort of fixation, there can also be great periods of darkness that can accompany this sort of fixation. 

We may find ourselves reading and interpreting all sorts of meaning from a particular detail that was never intended to be read that way. In the worst moments when I've fixated on details in narratives I miss out on the big picture of the passage, the book, or even God's Word! A great many false teachings have arisen out of a fixation on details and extrapolation of those details without considering if that interpretation lines up with the rest of God's Word. So when you are fixated on the details in a narrative, don't forget the following: The narrative doesn't end there!

With the exception of Jonah (Which ends abruptly with some details in Jonah 4:11), no narrative in the Bible ends with the final detail being the key to unlocking the sum total of the narrative. Most details we fixate on are between the beginning and end of the narrative. So, unless your fixation is indeed on some final detail in the last few words of the narrative, upon which the entire passage hinges upon, keep reading! Most often narratives in the Bible build upon previous narratives. A detail which may seem strange may reveal a repeated theme, a repeated word, a contrast, a highlight, a lowlight, or a subtle nuance that is to be understood at another part of the passage, or book. So, if you find yourself fixated on a detail, keep reading! That detail is most likely not the key to understanding God's intended meaning in the passage and if it is then there will be clues to lead you to that key. 

With this in mind we can do a deep dive and appreciate rather than gloss over, and study without becoming overshadowed by the details in the Word of God in the book of Esther.