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The American Mining Rights Association claims that in 1849 California had over 300,000 people exploring for mine.1 Actually James Wilson Marshall found gold in January 1848 while building a saw mill northeast of present day Sacramento along the American River. The San Francisco newspapers reported it, but with little interest. Few believed Marshall’s claim.
Sam Brannan, a local store keeper in Sutter’s Creek, ran around San Francisco waving a bottle filled with gold dust shouting, “Gold! Gold! Gold!” Proof now existed. The result? San Francisco’s harbor filled with abandoned ships as the crews fled for gold. The two newspapers of San Francisco closed due to a lack of staff. Even cities along the coast lost huge numbers of population for the gold fields.
In August of 1848 the New York Times printed a story about the gold finds and huge numbers from the east migrated to the area. Some crossed the mountains to California. One staging point witnessed 30,000 waiting to cross the mountains. Others sailed to Panama, caught another ship to the north along the Pacific coast to San Francisco. The population of San Francisco in 1847 consisted of 47 buildings including shacks, frame houses, and adobes. By December 1849 the town estimated the population to be near 100,000.2
Our study of the Old Testament, I opted to present the tools to help study the various genres towards the end of the blog. Beginning with the New Testament, I will list the tools first.
The rationale for such a change began with the idea that if we hoped to mine gold, we need to know the tools needed and gather them as well as learn to use them. Then, we would need to examine the history of mining, especially in the areas where we hope to mine. Then we would outline how we plan to begin digging. Thus, for the gospels, we will examine the tools, the history of our sight and outline the method.
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
TOOLS TO MINE THE GOLD OF THE GOSPELS –
The gold miner must know what tools he/she will need to extract the gold from the soil in which it is embedded. Gold found in the desert often lays where dried rivers flowed. Sometimes nuggets lay on the surface and prove easy to find. The would-be miner might use a metal detector, a shovel, picks, straining materials, and digging trowels. Deeper gold may require an excavator and bulldozers. Different sluicing methods are available depending on the soil conditions as well. Likewise, the miner for the gold of the Gospels needs to acquire proper tools.
NOTE:
The reader will do well to review each before purchasing one or more of the suggestions. These will often cover the entire New Testament rather than just the Gospels, but the gospel section is worth the price of the books for the background information. If you click on the highlighted links, you will be taken to the Amazon page for the reference and you can read the printed reviews as well as contributors when appropriate. Some may be found in ebook format as well as kindle.
HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS and A LIFE of CHRIST
(click on the titles and you will be taken to an Amazon description of the works included below):
Robert, Thomas L and Stanley N. Gundry. A Harmony of the Gospels: NASB. New York: HarperCollins, 1978. ISBN: 0-06-063524-X
Harrison, Everett E. A Short Life of Christ: Highlights in the Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. ISBN: 0-8028-1824-2.
THE USE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Without question, this area generates much discussion and debate. The suggestions below are just that – suggestions. There are numerous essays and articles that one can search out as well. The list is alphabetical and not necessarily any specific ranking.
NOTE:
The reader will do well to review each before purchasing one or more of the suggestions. These will often cover the entire New Testament rather than just the Gospels, but the gospel section is worth the price of the books for the background information. If you click on the highlighted links, you will be taken to the Amazon page for the reference and you can read the printed reviews as well as contributors when appropriate. Some may be found in ebook format as well as kindle.
Carson, D. A. and G. K. Beale, eds. Commentary on the Use of the Old Testament in the New. Grand Rapids: Baker. 2007. ISBN: 978-1-4412-1052-4
Carson, D. A. and H. G. M. Williamson. Eds. It is Written: Scripture Citing Scripture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988. Cambridge: Cambridge Press: 1988. ISBN: 978-0-521-32347-5
France, R. T. Jesus and the Old Testament. London. Tyndale Press. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1971. ISBN: 1-57383-006-2 .
Longnecker, R. N. Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. 1999. ISBN: 1-57383-074-7
GOSPEL BACKGROUNDS: CUSTOMS AND TIMES OF JESUS
Bruce. F. F. New Testament History. Garden City. NY: Doubleday, 1972. ISBN: 0-385-02533-5
Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of Early Christianity. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN: 0-8028-2221-5 paper
Witherington, Ben, III. New Testament History: A Narrative Account. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001. ISBN: 978-1-4412-0537-7
When surveying for gold, the location must be selected. The soil must be tested as to whether to dig or not to dig. This is where a metal detector may come in handy. Likewise, this is the place where the Harmony and the Life of Christ comes into use.
The gold miner will explore the surrounding literary context(s) of the passage. Click here to review this step.
The gold miner will remove all the rocks and boulders that may block his exploration for gold under such obstacles. The miner then grids out his claim to carefully survey the surface materials.
The miner will start with each individual square of his grid to systematically explore the entire site for his previous gold. Having already checked out the literary context, the Gospel miner must know how the passage understudy relates logically, chronologically, historically and theologically. Other tools can be suggested such as Bible Atlas, Bible Dictionaries, Bible Encyclopedias, New Testament Histories, New Testament Theologies and Dictionary of Theologies.
Below are suggested grids to survey:
The Historical grid – Summarize the ‘big’ picture. What is happening world-wide that might touch the passage under study?
The Cultural grid – what is happening in the culture during this passage? Are specific Jewish cultural aspects mentioned? Are there Gentile cultural aspects mentioned? Are there other aspects of culture touched upon?
The Religious grid – who is to be worshiped/ Why are they to be worshiped? In what manner is the person/god to be worshiped?
The Economic grid – what is the economic climate like in the passage? Who are contrasted or compared, if any? Are there rich and poor? Are there entitled over the weaker?
The Social grid – what is going on socially? How are people related to each other in work, housing, religion, etc.?
Maybe you can add other grids you check? Help me build a list of grids and what each grid should include. Include your suggestions in the comments box.
The October 9, 2018 CBS news webpage reported the FBI searched for Civil War treasure near Dents Run, Pennsylvania on March 13, 2017. Why search for treasure at Dents Run, Pa?
A father-son team, Dennis and Ken Parada, along with author and journalist Warren Getler, invested five years excavating in a cave on state land and an additional two years drilling on top of the cave before seeking the aid of the FBI. These three men anxiously waited for the FBI to begin digging.
Their wait ended within the month. Before the FBI commenced to dig, the FBI employed a consulting firm to scan the ground using a gravimeter. The scan revealed a “large metallic mass with the density of gold,” according to the three treasure hunters. They excitedly waited for the FBI to arrive and begin the dig.
Just how did this cache of gold make it to such a site? Legend reveals that the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg, the Union Army shipped between 26 and 52 bars of gold, each weighing about 50 pounds of 23 kilograms from Wheeling, West Virginia to Philadelphia. The Union Army routed the gold through this area to keep it away from the Confederate Army. The shipment was either lost or stolen. The lost shipment’s estimated worth in today’s money would be between $25 to $50 million dollars.
Enter the FBI. On March 13, 2017 the Parada’s and Getler understood they would be allowed to witness the unearthing of this large metal cache. But disappoint filled their lives. Instead of watching the metal excavated, the FBI forced them to stay in their car which was out of sight of the excavations. Six hours later the FBI escorted them up the hill and announced the FBI team was cold, tired, and hungry. Since it was getting dark, they would come back the next day.
However, the trio protested that three hours remained in that day and the team was only three feet from the cache of gold. Denny Parada recalled the agent told him, “Denny, we’re going, we’re going.”
No one knows if the FBI left that afternoon. But residents reported hearing sounds of machinery working in the area. The noise kept them from sleeping and the hillside was brightly lit. Other residents told of seeing several black SUV’s passing by their homes, backing down near the hole, and other ATV’s meeting the SUV’s. There appeared to be a transference of something. It was too dark to tell the exact items being moved. An additional witness observed several large vehicles coming from the area along with 2 large armored trucks.
The second day the Paradas sat in their car again for several hours until they were led to a sizable and empty hole. The FBI completed the excavations without the treasure hunters witnessing what had been in the hole – if anything. Was there a cache of treasure? Only the FBI knows.
As we turn to the New Testament, we discover a cache of treasure which the FBI cannot keep you from discovering. Our goal is to dig into the four major literary genres of the New Testament: Gospels, Acts, Epistles or Letters, and Revelation during the next few weeks.
“Gospel” means “good news.” Ancient literature employed the term when a successful military campaign had been conducted. In the New Testament context ‘gospel’ refers to the announcement of the message spoken by Jesus Christ. Mark used the term, ‘gospel,’ in 1:1, 1:14-15; 8:25, 10:29, 14:9. Mark may be the first to use the term, gospel, in this fashion.
Eventually the term referred to the written documents of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John with their narratives of the life of Christ. Each gospel bore the same message of Jesus but presented Jesus in four unique purposes or perspectives. Some scholars refer to the gospels as theological biographies.
When we study the Gospels, we must consider a central theological truth: The Kingdom of God and how it relates to the gospel message. Various forms clamor for attention: parables, miracle stories, pronouncement statements, woes, beatitudes, and nativity stories.
If a gospel is a theological biography, then Acts can be called a theological history. That is, a narrative of events related to one another from a given place and time which have been selected to teach certain theological truths.
Acts focuses on several characters, unlike the gospels. While the title is possibly a misnomer, the Acts of the Apostles, it might be better to call it, the Acts of the Holy Spirit, since He plays a role throughout the Acts while no single man plays a key role throughout the entire book.
The significance of Pentecost proves to be a major topic demanding attention. We must determine whether to read Acts as narrative or theology. The spread of the gospel ‘unhindered’ might prove to be a worthy exploration.
The amount of gold to be found in the epistles eludes the interpreter’s mind. The epistles contain creeds or hymns to be explored. The domestic codes deserve considerable mining as do slogans. Of course, the theology of Paul and the General Epistles demand the interpreter’s exploration.
The interpreter must open the cache of the epistle related to form of the ancient letter. In related fashion, the orientation of the parts of the sentences and clauses as they relate to one another hold rich deposits for the interpreter.
No genre has held more mystery for the interpreter across the centuries than that of the Revelation. Revelation’s cache of treasures includes a combination of three genres: epistles, prophecy, and apocalyptic. Each must be identified and mined.
The sifting of these three genres within the Revelation may help prevent the interpreter from making the text say more than it does or from claiming less than the text does. Each genre will reveal its deep deposits as the interpreter digs deep.
If you desire to review the articles related to the Old Testament, click on the links below:
THERE’S GOLD IN THEM, THERE BIBLICAL NARRATIVES
WANTED: Diamond Miners – apply inside
STRINGING PEARLS FROM POETRY – can it be done?
CAN YOUR GOD SAY MORE THAN ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’?
FOUR QUESTIONS TO REAPING THE WEALTH OF WISDOM
Do you believe that studying the various genres of the Scriptures will bear riches in our study of God’s Word? Why or why not?
A Miser had buried his gold in a secret place in his garden. Every day he went to the spot, dug up the treasure and counted it piece by piece to make sure it was all there. He made so many trips that a Thief, who had been observing him, guessed what it was the Miser had hidden, and one night quietly dug up the treasure and made off with it.
When the Miser discovered his loss, he was overcome with grief and despair. He groaned and cried and tore his hair. A passerby heard his cries and asked what had happened.
“My gold! O my gold!” cried the Miser, wildly, “someone has robbed me!”
“Your gold! There in that hole? Why did you put it there? Why did you not keep it in the house where you could easily get it when you had to buy things?”
“Buy!” screamed the Miser angrily. “Why, I never touched the gold. I couldn’t think of spending any of it.”
The stranger picked up a large stone and threw it into the hole. “If that is the case,” he said, “cover up that stone. It is worth just as much to you as the treasure you lost!” Wealth Without Value
I pray as we review the wealth of wisdom found in the Bible, we will do more than merely pull it out and gaze with fondness on the truths contained. May we be wise enough to apply the gnomic truths to our hearts and let the truths penetrate into the very fibers of our character.
INTRODUCTION TO THE WEALTH OF WISDOM
This blog post will limit itself to the discussion of Hebrew wisdom as found in the Bible. Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes make up the largest category called Hebrew Wisdom and some scholars included the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). Even some of the Psalms fall under this category. Not every verse of these books reflects ‘Hebrew wisdom.’
While many proverbs are found in the books mentioned above proverbs appear in many other books and even in the New Testament. Two examples suffice: Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels and the Book of James. Almost all books of the Bible contain these proverbial statements. Genesis 4:9 asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Psalm 334:8, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Even 1 Corinthians 13:13, “so faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love (RSV).
WHAT IS THE WEALTH OF WISDOM?
Wisdom is the ability to see our situations in life as God sees them. Or wisdom involves the skill to employ godly choices in life (Fee, How to Read the Bible, 225). The process is to apply God’s Word to our lives and thereby we make godly choices. If only it were that easy!
Proverbs are one of the most common forms of Wisdom literature. Robert H. Stein defines ‘proverb’ as “a pithy saying that expresses a general truth that has become common property whose authorship is generally unknown” (Stein, Playing by the Rules, 131).
Three categories capture our attention in the study of Proverbs.
1) Maxims or proverbs handing out advice on behavior,
2) axiom, or proverbs whose truth is assumed to be self-evident, and
3) aphorism, or a proverb which contains a concise statement of a principle or truth.
Remember the purpose of the wisdom books is the develop character into the reader. The collection of proverbs provides the reader with generalized insights into godly living. The literature is intended to guide the reader into making godly choices. R. B. Y Scott explains, “has to do how men (and women) ought to act in the workaday world, with personal character, and with a way of life that can be called good because it has coherence, value, and meaning.” (Scott, The Way of Wisdom in the Old Testament, 5).
HOW CAN THE WEALTH OF WISDOM CHARACTERIZED?
Leland Ryken highlights five essential characteristics of proverbs:
1) Proverbs are striking and memorable. The goal of a biblical proverb is to help us remember its gnomic truth.
2) Proverbs are both simple and profound. While a proverb may be short, the depth of truth contained in it may never be fully mined.
3) Proverbs are both specific and general. Proverbs highlight a universal bent in life.
4) Proverbs are often poetic in form. Many of the proverbs are presented in parallel statements. Metaphor and simile appear quite often among the proverbs. 5) Proverbs are observations about human experience. The writers of Hebrew Wisdom were the most observant of their day and were able to relate the truths observed into written form. (Leland Ryken, How to Read the Bible as Literature, 122-123.
A common feature demanding that it be kept in the mind when studying proverbs is that the Hebrew author was presenting general truths and did not worry about exceptions to the truth he expressed. The proverb writer believed his reader would employ common sense and recognize that the proverb might not apply to every situation.
HOW DO WE GAIN UNDERSTANDING FROM THE WEALTH OF WISDOM?
First, remember that the wisdom literature, in general, and the Proverbs, specifically, present probable truth and not absolute truth. These point out general patterns of behavior which provides the reader with potential success if followed. These are not “legal guarantees” from God. Their aim is to present a truth in a memorable manner without seeking to cover every conceivable life situation. Stated another way, the proverb does not concern itself with possible exceptions to its truth. The statement merely ignores it from thought.
Second, attempt to avoid placing modern, Western thoughts upon the statements. Most of the proverbial statements reflect a simply and content life. Any thoughts of affluence and abundance are generally imposed on these sayings. The life of the ancient Hebrew proverbial writers were simple: simple houses, a desire to have enough food to eat, and a general hope for a happy life.
Thirdly, the starting point is with the literary categories which make up the proverb. As stated earlier, we must ask does the proverb present itself in parallelism form, as simile, as metaphor, as a word play or even in narrative? Paying attention to these literary forms releases the potential for the reader to grasp the intended meaning of the original writer.
Finally, one handy method to study the proverbs comes when these are categorized according to topic: family, money, business dealings, etc. Or the proverbs may be examined according to character traits: the lazy man, the frugal man, the wicked man, etc.
ARE THERE RESOURCES TO HELP UNDERSTAND AND APPLY THE WEALTH OF WISDOM?
Alter, R. The Art of Biblical Poetry. New York: Basic Books, 1985.
Fee, Gorden D. and Douglass Stuart. How to Read the Bible for all its Worth. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003
Murphy, R. E. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s, 1996.
Ryken, L. How to Read the Bible as Literature. Grand Rapids: Zondervan/Academic Books, 1984.
Stein, Robert H. A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2001.
The ancient Greeks yearned for a single word from their gods. Fearing they may upset or displease their gods, some Greeks journeyed long distances and faced dangerous or rough terrain. Expending large sums of money for a simple, “yes” or “no ” from their god proved to be the experience of many Greeks.
The fickle nature of their gods might cause a god to hurl a lightning bolt from the sky or to turn the person into something like a tree. The Greeks thought, “How wonderful it would be to have a message from the gods.” Understanding that a few gods answered questions about life, some Greeks searched for oracles, that is, persons or places where the gods spoke to men.
The most important ancient oracle as Apollo’s at Delphi. The second most important was the oracle of Dodona. which worshiped the god, Zeus. This oracle held the unique distinction of being the oldest of all the oracles.
Greek tradition teaches that two black doves flew from Thebes and each place where the two doves landed, oracles were established.
Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian, recorded the tradition that the two doves were two women sold into slavery. Both women were worshipers of Zeus and established places of worship, hence the oracles originated.
More specifically, the black dove landed in an oak tree and spoke that the sanctuary of Zeus was to be built at Dodona in northwestern Greece.
(Zeus, the god, with lightening in his hand).
Many Greeks sought advice from Zeus expecting an answer to their questions. Your questions had to be asked with the expected answer of yes or no.
The worshiper journeyed to Dodona and wrote the question on a tablet. Zeus answered through the rustling of leaves or doves which the priests or preistess interpreted and delivered the message to the worshiper: a “yes” or a “no.”
As you read about this fascinating practice of pagan worship, you can hopefully see how desperate humanity was and is to hear from a god. Men willingly expended large sums of money to just get to the oracle. Imagine how long the Greeks waited for a simple, yes or no.
Aren’t you thankful our God, the God of the Old and New Testament, who clearly revealed Himself and His will in his word? Our God has spoken and recorded for us his Word and his will! We merely need to read and study His revealed Word which goes beyond a mere “yes” or “no.”
Let’s look at the jewel of prophecy this week.
When we speak of the prophetic books of the Old Testament, we note there are four “major” prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah-Lementations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
Twelve prophets are termed, “minor” prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. We need to notice that “major” and “minor” have nothing to do with importance of the messages but focuses on the length of the books. The “major” prophets writings contain more content.
While it might be hard to fathom, the Old Testament prophets by themselves claim as many pages in the Bible as the New Testament by itself.
WARNING! – When measuring the difficulty of understanding a biblical genre, the prophetic writings move to center stage. Understanding biblical prophecy proves problematic because no similar genre exists in English literature. While the language of the prophet may seem bizarre and strange, there are principles to help guide us through this genre.
TAKE NOTE: only a small percentage of the major and minor prophetic works focuses on the future. Most of the prophetic materials illustrate the disobedience and judgment falling upon Judah and/or Israel.
In their book, Fee and Stuart write that “Less than 2% of the Old Testament is messianic. Less than 5% specifically describes the new covenant age. Less than 1% concerns events yet to come in our time.” (Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth.” 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003).
The Old Testament uses prophet and prophecy in a broad sense. On the basic level – the prophet was one sent by God with a message or prophecy – that is, a word from God, Himself. Thus, the agent or messenger is the prophet and his message is the prophecy.
7 At one moment I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will uproot, tear down, and destroy it. 8 However, if that nation about which I have made the announcement turns from its evil, I will relent concerning the disaster I had planned to do to it. 9 At another time I might announce concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it. 10 However, if it does what is evil in my sight by not listening to me, I will relent concerning the good I had said I would do to it.
Archer, Gleason L . A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Rev. ed. Chicago: Moody
Press, 1994.
Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman. An Introduction to the Old Testament.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.
Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine. Grand
Rapids: Zondervan: Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
Harrison, R. K. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969,
reprint, Peabody, MA: Prince (Hendrickson), 1999.
Perterson, D. L. The Prophetic Literature: An Introduction (Louisville: Westminster John
Knox, 2002.
Sanday D. B. Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the language of Biblical
Prophecy and Apocalyptic. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2002.
Westernmann, C. Basic Form of Prophetic Speech. Louisville: Westminster John Knox,
1991.
Stringing Pearls From Poetry – can it be done?
Wanted: Diamond Miners – apply inside
There’s God in Them, There Biblical Narratives
If you find this information helpful, let me know how it helped. Thanks
Pearls, diamonds, and gold represent wealth and opulence. All three demand large amounts of money to be obtained. Only nobles and kings possessed such rare items. Today, a set of cultured pearls might set a husband back $500 to $5000 for a string of 50 pearls.
Pearls captured the imagination of ancient cultures. The Hindu holy books record that their god, Krishna, found a pearl in the sea and promptly surrendered the pearl to his daughter, Pandaia, on her wedding day. The Egyptians utilized mother-of-pearl as far back as 4200 B.C.
A pearl earring, once owned by the Roman General Vitellus (pictured), provided the general with enough funds to capitalize an entire military operation according to the first century Roman historian, Suetonius.
Enamored by pearls, Roman women even covered their furniture with pearls. Roman women sewed pearls onto their gowns and would walk upon the pearls in the hems of the gowns. Not to be outdone, the Romans Emperor Caligula, proclaimed his horse a proconsul and decorated the horse with pearls.
A pearl figured in what literature records as the most expensive dinner the world has witnessed. Cleopatra desperately needed to persuade Marc Antony the Egypt’s wealth and heritage that raised the country above conquest. While Marc Anthony lounged at the table with an unfilled plate and a goblet of vinegar (or wine), Cleopatra took a pearl earring, crushed it, liquified it, and then, drank it. Witnessing this, Marc Antony left his plate empty and the matching pearl earring. He conceded defeat.*
IDENTIFYING THE PEARLS OF POETRY
The richness of poetry is almost without end. Poetry is the second most occurring literary genre in the Bible behind narratives. Several features separate biblical poetry from prose. Parallelism or rhythmic balance stands as the most important feature. Terseness and shortness of lines provides a second feature. Third, Hebrew poetry leans towards the avoidance of conjunctions and particles. Finally, Hebrew poetry prefers to use simple, figurative language: (hyperbole, metaphor, personification, and analogy, etc.,) or extended (idioms, riddle, parable, or similitude etc.).
WHAT MOTIVATED BIBLICAL WRITERS TO EMPLOY POETRY?
Biblical writers employed the pearl of poetry because poetry expresses a richness which prose cannot. The ideas carried by poetry transmits more power than prose. Poetry possesses more emotional power than prose. Poetry may lead one to action, to change attitudes, or even comfort a grieving heart. Many of Jesus’ teachings gain a richness if the reader appreciates the poetry found in His words and teachings.
Biblical poetry adds beauty intending to increase the dramatic and emotional impact of the words upon its audience. These forms of parallelism fill the understanding in a greater way than a single sentence or phrase. Perhaps more important for an ancient culture was its adding to the ease of being memorized.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE PEARLS OF POETRY
Biblical poetry cannot be read like prose. The writer of biblical poetry concerned himself with arousing emotions and creating certain impressions rather than exact accounts and scientific definitions.
As a rule English poetry consists of rhyme and rhythm. Consider the poem:
“The Spider and the Fly” by Mary Howitt
“Will you walk into my parlour? Said the Spider to the Fly?
“Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy,
The way into my parlour is a winding stair,
And I’ve many curious things when you are there.”
The rhyme is seen in lines 1 and 2: fly – spy as well as lines 3 and 4: stair – there. Likewise, rhythm stands more important for English poetry. Lines 1 and 2 have 15 and 14 syllabus while lines 3 and 4 have 12 each to provide the rhythm.
In Hebrew poetry, the thing that is similar is parallelism. Some of the traditional terms to define this parallelism include:
The second and following lines of synonymous parallelism must duplicate the idea of the first line with a different, but similar idea.
Matt 7:7-8 –
Ask, and it will be given to you;
Seek, and you will find;
Knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives,
And the one who seeks finds,
And to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Asking, seeking, knocking are similar but different means of praying. Two lines are required for synonymous parallelism, but more can be included.
The interpretive principle for synonymous parallelism is that each line must stress the same truth.
Antithetical parallelism requires the second line to contrast the first line. This is the most common kind of parallelism in the Bible. Jesus’ teachings alone provide for over 130 examples. Entire chapters of Proverbs are antithetical parallelisms.
Proverbs 15:17 –
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is
Than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
Antithetical parallelisms are generally limited to two lines. Occasionally a third line may exist such as in Matthew 10: 32-33.
Remember that these are poetry and poetic license may be intended by the author. To interpret this poetry, understanding one line provides the key to understanding the second line.
Step Parallelism allows the second line to pick up the idea of the first line. The second line does not repeat the idea of the first line, but advances the thought or moves the thought of the first line to a higher plane with the intention of bringing the idea to a peak. This form is not as frequent as the first two pearls. An example is Matt 10:40 –
And whoever receives me receives him who sent me
Whoever receives you receives me,
The fourth parallelism found in Scripture is chiastic which reveals itself in a particular parallelism structure. Statement 1 has two elements: A and B. The second statement has two parts as well, but in reverse order. B and A. See Matthew 23:12
A. Whosoever exalts himself
B. Will be humble
B’ and whoever humbles himself
A’ will be exalted.
Interestingly the chiastic parallelism may be either synonymous or antithetical in meaning. Scholars have identified additional types of Hebrew poetry, but these are the major four found in the Old and New Testaments.
Would you be surprised that the recorded words of Jesus contain 220 examples of parallelism? Without a doubt, Jesus intended to impact the emotions of his audience. Jesus sought to evoke an emotional response with His words. Perhaps if a speaker, preacher, or teacher today wants his words remembered, he might consider using parallelism.
Share with me your favorite Psalm or Proverb and why it is your favorite. When you share with me, I will share mine with you on Monday, November 5, 2018 after everyone has had an opportunity to share this week.
Blessings and prayers!
*This feature originally appeared on the site for the NOVA program The Perfect Pearl.https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/history-pearls/
The Kimberly Diamond today.
Dr. Russell Herman Conwell tells about an African farmer who longed for release from his poverty and hard life. Stories of large diamond finds spread like wildfire. The farmer liquidated his farm and set out to search for diamonds. The farmer crisscrossed the African continent hoping to find diamonds. After years of unsuccessful searching, he stood broke. In desperation, the farmer threw himself into a river and drowned.
On the other hand, the new farm owner picked up a strange looking stone about the size of a country egg. He placed it on his mantle. A visitor saw the large rock and told the new owner that the rock on his mantle had to be the largest diamond he had ever seen. The new owner of the farm said, “Heck, the whole farm is covered with them.” And sure enough – it was – it turned out to be the Kimberly Diamond Mine – the richest diamond mine the world has known. Can you imagine? The original owner stood on “Acres of Diamonds.”*
What is our take away?
We need to look and see! Located in the Law of God are diamonds that we can discover should we decide to look and see. The Law of God contains “acres of diamonds” for the dedicated student of the Word
The Books of Genesis through Deuteronomy contain much of the “Law.” Some passages refer to the entire Old Testament as “Law” (John 10:34; 12:34; 15:25; 1 Cor 14:21). The Law exists mostly in Exodus 20-Deuteronomy 33 and other materials can be found in these chapters.
Many of the Laws presented in this section sounds weird to our ears.*
“Do not cook a young goat in his mother’s milk (Exodus 34:26)
“A man who has lost his hair and is bald is clean (Leviticus 13:40)
“Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear (Deuteronomy 22:12)
Have you broken any of these laws?*
“A woman mus not wear men’s cloting, nor a man wear woman’s clothing (Deuteronomy 22:5)
“Stand up in the aged of the presence of the aged” (Leviticus 19:32)
“Do not … put tattoo marks on yourselves (Leviticus 19:28).
Imagine the Jewish Rabbi’s claim that there are 613 commandments or laws contained in these chapters which are often referred to as “Law.” Genesis is included in the Law section because it introduces Exodus to Deuteronomy as well as the tradition that Moses authored these first five books, called the Pentateuch.
The first kind of Law reads, “If A happens, then B is the consequence.” This is called a caustic law. These laws normally involve civil or secular law.
The second kind of Law states, “You shall not murder.” These are called apodictic laws. They appear as commands, imperatives, instructions or prohibitions. Often these reflect Divine Law which are declared. The apodictic law lends itself to being more ‘religious.”
A third kind of Law is a legal series. Here several laws occur in a group and can almost appear to be poetic in form. Of course, the best example is the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 2-17/Deut 5:6-21). These tend to fall under the apodictic law form.
Finally, the Law contains two instruction genres: priestly and ritual. The priestly instruction constitutes laws designed to aid the priest in duties. These may be found in Leviticus 6-7 (about offerings) and 21 (priestly purity). The ritual laws directs laymen in their performance of worship tasks – Leviticus 1-5 (how to bring offering and what to offer).
The Law of the Old Testament does not represent a full legal system with crimes and punishments spelled out. Often, there is no stated penalty for failure to keep the Law and no one is especially tasked to enforce the Law. The Old Testament Law appears to promote a self-enforcement on the Israelites.
The purpose of the Law exists to educate the Israelites into how to live life in the presence of God – not to provide them a “How to do Law” handbook. The aim is never judicial, but educational.
Interpret the Law as guidelines that govern Israel’s ongoing life with their God, that is, how to maintain their relationship with God. Remember that the Law intends to create a distinctive people dedicated to living for their God.
God intends the Law to provide a model of timeless ethical and theological principle so His people develop or strengthen their relationship with God.
Always study the preceding and following literary context of any type or collection in which the “Law” code is found. Spot and study surrounding laws and see them as clues to interpretation.
Always strive to grasp the “Law” under study in its cultural context. Recommended tools include Bible Dictionaries, Bible Encyclopedias, commentaries and other background resources.
Always apply laws to the New Testament parallel of the original audience. If a Law speaks to the nation of Israel as a group, this can be applied to Christians in general.
Always keep in mind the genre of the Law as you interpret. Each section of the Law requires a different approach. For instance, poetic sections, like Deuteronomy 32-33, require an interpretation approach appropriate to poetry. In like manner, the application ought to follow the guidelines for poetry.
Always, and this is assumed, but we must always depend on the Holy Spirit to illumine our minds to the truths of God’s Word. Ask for His help as we begin.
Remember that much of the Law is set in a narrative context. Reviewing the principles of narrative interpretation might prove helpful. What are the literary and historical/ cultural contexts? What is going on with God’s people?
2. Ask, “How are the people in that Old Testament world where our passage is happening, like us or different from us?” How does the old covenant and the new covenant differ in application, purpose and impact on their lives and our lives?
3. Ask, “That theological principles are being taught in the passage?”
Seek to state the universal, gnomic truth of the passage in such a way that it would be true in the Old Testament period and in our present time. What principle stands taught in other places in the Bible?
4. Ask, “How should individual believers use this timeless and universal principle sin their lives?”
What specific situations can the truth be applied in the life of believers? What kinds of things should a believer do, think, say, or be?
What do you find the most difficult part of interpreting the Old Testament Law? What other suggestions do you have to help students correctly interpret the Old Testament Law? Post them and let’s discuss how to mine the diamonds from the Old Testament Law.
*The full story of the “Acres of Diamonds” can be found: http://www.agiftofinspiration.com.au/stories/achievement/Acres%20of%20Diamonds.shtml
*J. Scott Duvall and J.Daniel Hays. Grasping God’s Word. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishers, 2012. page 255.
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