Small Group Week 5
The Framework View
Literalism in interpretation is actually a tricky concept. We know that some parts of the Bible are meant to be understood as a literal factual account. Moses goes up to Mount Sinai and receives the 10 commandments and then the Israelites build a tabernacle and an ark of the covenant.
However, other parts of the BIble are not meant to be taken literally. The following two verse are obviously not literal:
1. Psalms 114:4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs
2. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.
Not only that some passages are meant to be read literally but have an abstract meaning. For example the parable of the sower is clearly meant to be understood literally, yet its meaning is not about how seeds grow in various soil types.
Interpreting the Bible is much more difficult than simply taking a literal approach or allegorical approach. The Bible demands different readings in different parts.
Q. How do we know when to read a passage literally or figuratively?
- Often we can tell by identifying the genre. Poetry and apocalyptic literature is obviously meant to read metaphorically. Narrative is often read literally as referring to a concrete, historical event, but in some case it to can refer to something abstract. So even with narrative we have to distinguish between historical narrative like the siege of Jericho and a narrative story like the one Nathan tells to David about the poor man and the lamb.
Q. What is the genre of Genesis 1?
- It is very difficult to say. There are elements that read like poetry. For example there are lots of phrases that are repeated. The structure demonstrates parallelism.
- At the same time, the account is written in what in Hebrew is known as the vav consecutive. The use of the vav consecutive is always used in a narrative. The narrative could have an abstract meaning.
- Clearly there are figures of speech used which are clearly not meant to be taken literally. God does not speak in the way we understand speech. Many of the acts of creation are described using verbs reminiscent of a craftsman or potter. God is described as walking in the garden but clearly God does not walk the way we understand it. The spirit hovers over the deep like a bird. The language is concrete and helps us understand, but it refers to something abstract.
- However, figures of speech can be embedded in a narrative that is overall historical.
- The genre of Genesis 1 is not all that clear and hence the debate over how to interpret this passage.
- The Genesis account does use lots of language and concepts reminiscent of other ancient near eastern creation narratives. However, the Genesis account seems to be mostly concerned with challenging the underlying concepts of those stories.
- In the Ancient Near East the god created everything after a battle. Genesis seems to go to great lengths to show God effortlessly commanding everything into existence.
- Everything including chaos is created by God. In the ancient world chaos was an independent force and typically a god prevailed over it or other preexistent gods.
- The God of Genesis consults his council but is all powerful over them. In the ancient near east the gods would debate amongst themselves. If you remember the Illiad and the Odyssey you are familiar with this concept. God says “Let us create..” There is no debate.
- The created world was represented by different gods. Here god creates everything. The Sun and Moon which are powerful deities in the Ancient Near East are not even called by their proper names, but called the greater light and the lesser light.
- It seems Genesis is using Ancient Near East stories and changing them in order to communicate the truth about the actual Creator of the universe.
- The days of Genesis 1 are actual days. The word yom can refer to an age but it clear from the refrain “and there was evening and there was morning the x day”
- The day age view would say that the days are really long time periods, however, this view would still preserve the order of creation which seems to satisfy no one since you have things like plants being created before the sun and moon.
Q. There are three clues in the text that the days are not literal, what are they?
1. Day and night is created on day one but the sun and moon which is ordered to rule over day and night and to serve as signs for the season and the days and years is not created until day 4.
2. The seventh day is ongoing. Hebrews 4 says there still remains a sabbath rest for the people of God. So if the seventh day is not literal why are should we take the other days as literal.
- The purpose of the day framework is not give an accurate description of the creation process but rather to communicate the concept of kingdom and dominion.
- This is emphasized by the parallels between day 1 and day 4, day 2 and day 5, and day 3 and day 6. Genesis wants us to understand man’s role of king over creation in God’s image.
- God however has ascended the throne of heaven but holds out the possibility of man joining God in His sabbath rest after the successful completion of man’s task. This is symbolized in the structure of the work week.
- God also uses ideas and stories familiar to the people to communicate the truth of Himself as the creator as opposed to other ideas of creation.
3. A phrase repeated throughout Genesis 1, “and there was evening and there was morning, the nth day.” This phrase occurs after the creation act and the judgment that the creation was good. Why does the phrase start with evening and move to morning?
- It occurs after the creation act because God has finished his work for the day and now waits until morning to begin a new day of work. God is being pictured as a workman. Obviously God does not have the limitations and habits of a workman, so this must again be a figurative illustration.
Q. If the days are meant to be literal then a lot of how we know the world works does not make sense. How can there be light without the sun? How can plants grow without photosynthesis?
- The answer you are forced to come up with is that at this time in history God is operating the universe by supernatural means. The laws of nature as we know them are not operating.
- That is absolutely possible, but there is a problem with that.
Genesis 2:5-6
- Genesis says that there was no bush land or plant in the field for what reason?
1. The Lord God had not caused it to rain.
2. There was no man to work the ground.
Q. What does this tell us about the creation state?
- If we assume literal days then we must assume that the laws of nature are suspended and that the universe is operating according to supernatural means.
- Here we are told that the reason there was no bush or plants is for natural reasons. This only makes sense if the universe is operating under the normal laws of nature.
- Why would God’s work suddenly be constrained by natural law in this instance and not others.
- God does what He always does - He condescends to man in order to make Himself known to man.
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