This is a scene from our recent trip to Tahoe, CA. It’s going to be a record snow year for them.

What’s in a story? 

Discovering God’s Truth in Bible Narratives 

God is the original story teller. He loves a good story. About three years ago, after many years of focusing on the New Testament, I turned my attention to Old Testament narratives. It has been quite a rewarding journey and only makes me want to explore more. 

So, why, do you suppose, does God uses narrative to communicate us His truth? Why not just use precepts, epistles and law? In the link below is a video with a familiar Bible story. It’s a 60 second commercial that aired during the Superbowl many years ago. Take a minute to watch it.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_D4QN6y2Q0 

The impact of this commercial was because of the familiarity that the average person has of this Bible story. The same impact couldn’t happen with a biblical precept, epistle or law. Narratives (stories) comprise nearly half of the Old Testament. They are obviously an important literary style that God enjoys using. There are several reasons, I believe, that God chose to use narratives as a primary means of communicating His Story and key Theological truths. 

• Narratives are an interesting way to teach children and adults important truths about God. 
• Narratives draw us into the action and the plot. 
• Narratives depict real life and can heighten interest because the reader can relate to the characters. 
• Narratives are easy to remember and pass on. 
• God often includes himself in the story and thus can teach us how He views the issues of life. 
• Bible narratives aren’t like Facebook where the author only places forth positive stories. Bible narratives usually tell the ugly side of the situation as well as the triumphs. 
• Bible narratives are not random stories. There is something to learn from each story but they also fit perfectly together within the whole story of God. 

I know that my blog is not always simply ‘devotional,’ as many have come to believe ‘devotions’ should be. My purpose isn’t just to make you feel good and inspired, although I love it when that happens. Many other devotionals accomplish that purpose.

I’m taking a little extra time today to review these principles of reading biblical narratives because my goal is not just to tell you what I’m learning from the Bible but to encourage you to gain more from your own personal journey through the Bible. When we read and consider biblical narratives, we should not only enjoy the story but we should also be discerning in how we draw out the principles and the theological truth that God intended. 

As we approach the narrative, we should begin with understanding that there are always primary truths that are being taught in the narrative. There will always be secondary truths as well but part of the fun is to discover God’s main purpose for including each story and the details contained within the narrative. In order to gain the optimal blessings of God’s Word in our lives, there should be some commitment and diligence on our part to handle God’s word accurately.

When reading and studying the Bible, a verse that often floats into my consciousness is 2 Timothy 2:15: 

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 

Interesting that the context of this verse, before and after, tells the reader to not get involved in useless arguments and avoid ‘worldly and empty chatter.’ Instead, we give attention to accuracy and diligence in our handling of the Word, because after all, it is THE WORD OF GOD! 

Let’s not handle God’s Word the way I handle classic rock music. I especially love the Beatles. When I listen to the simple and enjoyable melody of With a Little Help from My Friends, I chose not to consider “friends” as drugs, which was most likely the original intent of the author. Instead, I consider it as a simple tribute to true friends. Or I just ignore the meaning completely and enjoy the melody. I suppose that is a little silly but I chose to listen to the Beatles, I choose NOT to give too much meaning to the original intent. 

Many choose to give little attention to the original intent of certain Bible passages and simply derive meaning according to how they want. This is biblical malpractice and instead, we should prayerfully and diligently discover the main point and purpose. So, the question is not ‘what does this passage mean to me?’ but rather ‘what does this is passage mean?’ Once we understand the original intent and main teaching, then we should ask ‘what does what it means mean to me?’ 

The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 is ahead of us. It is an amazing story with many twists and turns. Joseph is not perfect, by any means, but I trust that we will learn much from Joseph and much from how God works to accomplish His purposes. 

Dear Father, we love Your Word. Help us love it even more. We are so grateful that You didn’t leave us on our own to figure out how to live. We are grateful that You are a communicator and that you have chosen to give us great variety within Your Book to enjoy and discover. May we pursue You with passion, diligence and joy! All glory to You always. Amen