And It Came To Pass, The Bible as God's Storybook

Judges 3:15-25

Focus on the Story of Ehud and Eglon

• Scripture Reading: Judges 3:15-25
  • Israel cried to the Lord, who raised up Ehud
  • Description of Eglon as a very fat man
  • Ehud’s assassination of Eglon

Purpose of the Sermon

• Highlighting the importance of narrative in the Bible
• Encouragement to read and preach Bible stories as stories

Literary Analysis of the Ehud Story

• Setting:
  • International conflict between Israel and Moab
  • Pagan idols at Gilgal
  • Detailed description of the palace and the assassination scene
• Characters:
  • King Eglon: Satiric portrayal, gluttony, luxury, and moral monstrosity
  • Ehud: Craftiness and resourcefulness, left-handedness, irony in his name and actions
• Plot:
  • Built around conflicts: holy war, international conflict, single combat
  • Structure: beginning, middle, end; rising and falling action
  • Dramatic irony and cleverness of Ehud

Interpretation of the Story

• Reliving the story as the Bible tells it
• Identifying themes and meanings:
  • Example story of God's deliverance using human abilities
  • Celebration of human giftedness and resourcefulness

Broader Literary Criticism of Biblical Narratives

• Simplicity and directness of Bible stories
• Comparison with modern literary criticism
• Importance of traditional literary elements: setting, plot, character, theme

The Narrative Shape of the Bible

• The Bible as a story with a central plot: conflict between good and evil
• Interaction among characters and the central protagonist: God
• Importance of storytelling in organizing and understanding the Bible

Distinctive Features of Biblical Narratives

• Mingling of historical, theological, and literary modes
• Unembellished style, dramatized scenes, direct narrative
• Repetition, irony, and the regular presence of God as a character

The Narrative Quality of the Christian Faith

• Christianity as a narrative faith: personal stories of faith and redemption
• Narrative theology: the story of God's acts in history
• Ethical choices and actions as part of the Christian story

Conclusion

• Encouragement to teach and preach the Bible’s narrative
• Viewing Christian life as a story
• Final prayer focusing on the redemptive story of Christ and the role of storytelling in faith

*The above summary is AI-generated, so discrepancies may exist. Please refer to the audio or video file to verify accuracy.