Above is a great video called cardboard testimonies. I think it speaks for itself. It reminds me of the practice giving a baptismal testimony. I was a member of a small church that let people coming to be baptized to give their personal testimony. I really enjoyed hearing each testimony and how they all seemed to ring with such truth. There is something about a person explaining how the Lord has saved them, and worked in their life that often causes me to choke up and to feel a sense of kinship with them. I think this is because of the details that are often contained in personal testimonies. Whether it be a testimony of mercy (Mercy = not getting what you deserve) where someone turns from rebellion and sinning it up then bam it is all turned around, (all Paul on the road to Damascus style) Or a testimony of grace (Grace = getting what you don’t deserve). The story of someone following Christ at a young age never straying far from him. God spares such the people much pain and regret. With either story the emotional and historical details allow us to engage with the story-teller. We get hooked. We become emotionally invested. Scripture works in much the same way. Think about this - if it was just a matter of knowledge transfer--God could have simply tell us in his Word that, (1) “I exist”: (2) “You are rebelling against me and under my judgment”; (3) “You can be saved by repenting of your sin and trusting in the life, death, resurrection and reign of Jesus; and finally, (4) “I am coming!”
Nope, He did not give us a talking points bulletin nor did he give some well organized and practical “how to” manual. Those are not the way God chose to reveal himself; instead, he has given us a Bible full of not only stories, but also poetry, dramatic narratives, didactic teachings, personal letters, even emotionally stirring love songs. Understanding the tone and feel of Scripture will better allow us to understanding the meaning of the words by immersing us in text and arousing our imaginations and emotions. Leveraging the tone and feel tool to improve our Bible study is what we are going to look at today.
We will look at some examples and gain a feel for how this is done.
Example One: Mark 4.35-5.43
Questions:
Can you identify the author’s tone in any of the four stories in this passage? What tipped you off?
In what way does the tone of the passage influence our interpretation of the text?
Example Two: I Samuel 1
Questions:
How does the author help us to identify with Hannah’s situation?
Do you feel any relief on her behalf when God intervenes?
Example Three: Psalm 42. 1-3, 7, 10
Questions:
What strikes you about these passages?
How do you read passages like this?
Example Four: Isaiah 55.12
Questions:
What is the author trying to convey to the reader?
What is the purpose of such passages?
More than simply telling us the “facts,” the Bible--through the power of the Holy Spirit--reaches into our hearts and stirs us! Using language that is pregnant with meaning and emotion, God has given us his word so that it can be a comfort to us and a motivator towards faithfulness and obedience. In short, the Divine author knows his audience and has written a book that perfectly suites us.
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