So here's my take on what it would look like to understand the Bible as a piece of literature. I see the whole Bible as one Big Story with literary elements like plot, conflict, foreshadowing, etc. I read the Bible not as a random jumble of inconsistent works, but as a cohesive whole. It has a beginning and an end, an obvious story line that starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation. Like Professor Sexson said in class, the New Testament is a response to the Old Testament, so it is necessary to understand both pieces to understand the whole Bible. The Bible is a love story, one of redemption and forgiveness, and I’d like to try to summarize it.
I like the way Frye uses the seven words to divide the Bible into sections.
1. Creation: God created the heavens and the Earth, and it was very good (Genesis 1:23). He had a perfect relationship with Adam and Eve, walking with them in the garden. BUT, enter the serpent, Satan, and sin enters the perfect world. Adam and Eve choose to turn against God, and the result of their choice is a broken relationship with their Creator. Now there is separation between humans and God because God is perfect and humans are not.
2. Exodus: God makes a covenant with Israel, His Chosen People, inviting them to commit to him (Exodus 19:3-6). This nation plays an irreplaceable role in God’s overall plan for the world because through them, a Messiah will come who will bring freedom for all people. Again and again, the Israelites turn their backs on God, but He calls them back to himself and offers grace and forgiveness.
3. Law: The law is instruction given by God to his people for their protection. The law brings order and civility to the theocracy that has been set up.
4. Wisdom: The books of wisdom, like Psalm and Proverbs, are books of practical advice on what it looks like to live well, honoring God with our lives.
5. Prophesy: The prophets remind the Israelites of the Big Story, God’s big plan for the world. They remind Israel of where they are heading, often rebuking or warning them to return to the Lord.
6. Gospel: Here is the climax of the story. Jesus enters the world as a baby to live a sinless life and offer himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sin (1 Peter 3:18). He is fully human and fully God. Remember, there is still a separation between man and God (Romans 3:23). No matter what man does, he cannot reach perfection. However, Jesus comes into the world and offers to carry the weight of our sin as a way to bridge the gap that separates us from God. Jesus dies on the cross because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Not only that, but he rises from the dead, conquering the grave, something that no one has ever before achieved (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). Jesus is the hero; he saves the world from death and offers us the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).
7. Apocalypse: Revelation is a book of prophecy that unveils the spiritual war in which the church is engaged. Jesus already has the victory, but the church continues to be attacked by the enemy. Revelation gives us a glimpse of what the last days will look like, and confirms that God will win the battle for the world.
So there you go. Understanding the big story of the Bible has helped me get through some of the more difficult sections that seem so unimportant. I say this as I am struggling through the book of Joshua, trying to understand what is happening as the Israelites conquer people and lands with names that I cannot pronounce. However, there is a thread that ties it all together, bringing life to the most monotonous thee’s and thou’s of this ancient text. More on Joshua to come…
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