Setting in Biblical Narrative

Setting in Biblical Narrative Day 7: Setting in Biblical Narrative Devotional Every story has to take place somewhere, and very often, locations have a special meaning or significance evoked by events that already took place there. Biblical setting utilizes both place and time. As the biblical story develops, places begin to take on a symbolic/meaningful significance based on what has happened there. Example: Garden of Eden > the east > Babylon: The human spiral of sin and selfishness moves from the garden to Babylon, as we see in Genesis 1-11. – Adam and Eve are banished “to the east” (Genesis 3).– Cain is banished “to the east” (Genesis 4).– People move “to the east” to build Babylon (Genesis 11:1-2).– Babylon becomes a superpower in the story, eventually exiling the family of Abraham.– Egypt, Moab, the wilderness, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem all become loaded with more and more meaning as the biblical story develops. You can tell which events are most meaningful to the author’s message by what gets the most “air time.” For example, Mark chapters 1-10 cover around three years, and chapters 11-16 cover seven days in Jerusalem—30 percent of the story for just seven days! Additionally, there are other meaningful periods of time in the Bible. For example: – Increments of 40 represent periods of waiting and testing (e.g. Noah in the boat, Moses’ time on top of the mountain, the spies’ time scouting the promised land, years wandering in the desert, Elijah’s journey in the desert, and Jesus’ journey in the desert).– Three days and nights– 70 days/years In today’s video, we’ll explore how biblical authors use setting in the narrative to either meet the reader’s expectations or mess with them. Paying attention to location and time in biblical stories can unlock deeper layers of meaning. Bible Verses Genesis 3:23-24 Genesis 4:16 Genesis 7:12 Genesis 11:1-2 Reflect on a bible verse | To help build your understanding choose a verse or two to have memorized and bring it group. Example: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Matthew 7:1-2 🍳 🥞 Mens’s Breakfast on June 15th 🧇 ☕️ Hey guys, Beau wanted to let everyone know that – Saint Andrews at 4816 Glen St., La Mesa, CA 91941 – is having a Men’s Breakfast at 8:30 AM on Saturday, the 15th of June. 

Character in Biblical Narrative

Character in Biblical Narrative Week 6: Character in Biblical Narrative Read all the way to the bottom. Most of us think of characters in the Bible as either sinners or saints, good or bad. At least that’s how Bible stories are often presented to children. In today’s video, we’ll explore the ways biblical authors present characters as more complex and morally compromised than we usually imagine. Biblical authors use characters as vehicles for their message primarily through showing rather than telling. A narrator’s comments about a character are fairly rare in biblical narrative (such as physical appearance, as in Joseph’s looks, Saul’s stature, Esau’s hair, etc.). Additionally, direct characterization is extremely rare in the Bible (such as describing someone as evil, good, righteous, wise, foolish, etc.). Biblical authors give you the outline of a character, but you have to fill in the rest based on what you read in the text. For example:– Esau is hairy, meaning that he’s “outdoorsy,” primitive, and behaves like an animal.– Eli is old and blind, meaning he is literally and relationally blind, since he ignores the rebellion of his sons.– Saul is tall and David is short, emphasizing their contrasting characters. Saul imposes himself from above, and David humbly allows God to exalt him from below. Characters’ names also often indicate their role in the story.– Saul = “the one asked for”– Abram/Abraham = exalted father / father of a multitude– Israel = struggles with God– Adam = humanity Biblical narrators prefer to show people’s character rather than tell you an evaluation. Instead of moralizing about characters’ decisions, biblical narrators simply show you the decisions and consequences of characters’ decisions and allow you to ponder the significance. God is the only character who continues through every movement of the biblical narrative from beginning to end, and this tells us something about the purpose of these stories. The fundamental purpose is to reveal God’s character, identity, and purposes in history. Read and Review Genesis 12:10-20 Genesis 32:28 1 Samuel 9:1-2 Daniel 6 Memorize a verse ” Remember to come to the group with a verse you’ve memorized and reflected on for the week. It’s not enough to just read, but engrain the word in your heart (mind).

Plot in Biblical Narrative

Plot in Biblical Narrative Day 5: Plot in Biblical Narrative Nearly half of the Bible is written in narrative. So in order to understand the Bible more fully, it’s important that we learn how to read this style of writing. With biblical narrative, we are not watching security footage of these ancient events. We’re reading an artistic, literary representation of the story of Israel. The goal isn’t just to tell us about something that happened, it’s also to discern the meaning of these events. A key element in biblical narrative is the plot—the arrangement of characters and events to convey a message. The Bible uses plot embedding, meaning there are multi-layered biblical storylines. Level 1: One overall storyline of the Bible.Level 2: The multiple movements of that overall storyline.Level 3: The hundreds of individual narratives that make up each of these movements. All of these individual events are framed within a larger context that exists within an even larger context. All of this context gives these events deeper meaning. A single story’s meaning is only determined by the relationship of all its elements to the whole text. How the authors frame the story and what details they choose to emphasize all help to convey what they are trying to communicate to the reader. In today’s reading, pay attention to the plot of the story of Gideon. Notice how the short scenes, like Gideon and the fleece, are combined with other scenes to create a larger plotline. As you read, do your best to trace the conflict and resolution through the entire plot. How does this help you see the message the author is trying to get across? In today’s video, we’ll explore these concepts and more. Read and Review Judges 6 Judges 7 Judges 8

The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature

The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature New Meeting Location We’ve got a new meeting location starting next week during the summer months. We’re switching campuses and going down the street but still on Campo Road. We’ll be on the Faith Chapel campus located 9400 Campo Rd, Spring Valley, CA 91977 Week 4: The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature Devotional Each time period and culture produces its own unique kind of literature. In order to read the Bible well, we need to keep in mind the ancient Near Eastern context and the type of literature produced in this period of time. The Bible is written as ancient Jewish meditation literature, and it’s meant to draw readers into a lifelong journey of reading and meditation. The Bible is designed as a multi-layered work, offering new levels of insight as you reread it and allow each part to help you understand every other part. In Psalm 1, we read about the ideal Bible reader. It’s someone who meditates on the Scriptures day and night. In Hebrew, the word “meditate” means literally to mutter or speak quietly. The idea is that every day for the rest of your life you slowly, quietly read the Bible out loud to yourself. And then you go talk about it with your friends and family, pondering the puzzles, making connections, and discovering what it all means. And as you let the Bible interpret itself, something remarkable happens. The Bible starts to read you. Because ultimately, the writers of the Bible want you to adopt this story as your story. Reading for this week Psalms 1 Weekly Memorized Verse In your reading this week, find a verse that stands out to you and attempt to fortify it within by memorizing it and writing it down on a card. Then when we meet up in the group share why you chose the verse and how it brings glory to God (Elohim). 

Literary Styles in the Bible

The Bible is a collection of many books telling one unified story from beginning to end, but all those books were written in different literary styles.