I would like to make a few points this morning regarding our
readings from a literary perspective.
Did
you notice that the first reading and Responsorial Psalm had a similar rhythm
to them? In the section we heard
from Proverbs, each verse was one sentence long. The first half made a statement, and the second half either
strengthened or opposed the first.
This was a specific literary (which in Biblical scholarship is broken
down into different categories) device found in Wisdom Literature to teach
effectively.
Psalm
119 featured a similar structure.
Every verse (save two) in Psalm 119 features a synonym for law and
follows a similar one sentence in two-part structure.
I
mention this because Jesus taught us that, “My
mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” While it is important to interpret the
Bible first as it stands (the literal level of interpretation) the more we
learn about the background of the text—the time it was written, the original audience
and its society/cultural and literary devices—the deeper understanding we can
have.
Our
readings this morning included three different types of literature—proverbs,
poetry and narrative. In conveying
His Word, God used these and many more to speak to us in the Scriptures. The more we can learn about these
methods, the more we can grow in our knowledge and love of the Bible.
It
is for this reason that I am excited to begin our Bible study this
evening. I hope you can make it
and, please God, through this study I hope all who come will grow in their love
and knowledge of the Bible.
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