Analysing (exegeting) biblical texts asks many hours of
intense hard work. Getting to the bottom of what a text communicates does not
always come easy – and, as we have said before, because of all the issues to be
considered and the role of one’s own presuppositions, one can never really sit
back and say, “I’ve nailed it”. The question is, “Why bother?”
For a start, focusing on narratives, more than a third of
the Old Testament consists of stories, or narratives. According to Bar-Efrat (2004) the biblical narratives “are
of the highest artistic quality, ranking among the foremost literary treasures
of the world”. From a pure literary perspective, it make sense to make a study of
the Old Testament narratives for its “beauty, craftsmanship, and technique” (Ryken, 1992, p.
16).
For me, as a Christian, this means that we are not dealing with a dull book or
message communicated in a dull manner. The artistic nature of Scripture calls
for enjoyment, not only for what is communicated, but also the manner in which its
message is communicated (Ryken,
1992, p. 22).
For Christians and Jews alike, there is more to the study of
Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible) than for its aesthetic value. The Bible is a
faith book. The biblical narratives displays people’s lack of faith, the rich
dimensions of people’s faith in God and how God initiates faith in people (Human,
2011, p. 54).
In these stories, we discover something about who we are before God – with our
little or much faith. As we read about God’s journey with his people, we often stumble
on reflections of ourselves and what we are like – see ourselves in the story
and its characters. Exactly because narratives invite us to enter its world and
identify with its characters, we many times find ourselves confronted with our
own reflection in it. Thus, we do not only find comfort in how God deals with
those of little faith, but we are also challenged to put our trust in God alone.
In the third instance, the biblical narratives are about
God’s journey with his people. Through these stories, God reveals himself to us
– who he is and what he is like. Ryken (1990, p. 134) is correct in stating that
God is the protagonist of the biblical story and that “The characterization of
God is the main concern of the Bible, and it is pursued from beginning to end”.
Through these stories, we see how God deals with his people (and those who are
not his people). By studying and understanding biblical narratives, we come to
know the character of God better. After all, it is all about him.
Lastly, whatever ministry God calls us to, we are in the
first and the last place, Ministers of the Word of God. Whether one is a
pastor, a youth worker, a chaplain, a counsellor, or a witness in the workplace,
the pivot of your ministry is the Bible. As Ministers of the Word of God, we want
to deal with his Word in a responsible and accountable manner. This means that
we will take this major genre of his word serious – that we want to know how it
works and how we may understand it better. We also want to be able to give good
account of what we believe Scripture communicates based on a good understanding
of the text itself.
According to Mangina (2004, p.
4),
Karl Barth’s departing advice to his students when he was banned from Germany
was, “exegesis, exegesis and yet more exegesis! Keep to the Word, to the Scripture
that has been given to us”.
Bar-Efrat,
S. (2004). Narrative Art in the Bible. London, New York: T & T Clark
International.
Human, D. J. (2011). Die Uitdagings Van
Bybellees, in: Vos, C. and Human, D. J. (Eds.), Vaste rots op wie ek bou,
(pp. 53–78). Kaapstad: Lux Verbi.BM.
Mangina, J. L. (2004). Karl Barth: Theologian of Christian Witness.
Westminster John Knox Press.
Ryken, L. (1990). Part 2: “And It Came to Pass”: The Bible as God’s
Storybook. BSac, 147(586), 132–143.
Ryken, L. (1992). Words of Delight: a Literary Introduction to the
Bible, in: (p. 540 p.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House.
