(Part 1)

JBTM Robert D. Bergen
17
presentation of accurate information gleaned through careful reading of the biblical text,
thoughtful, sympathetic reflection on it, investigative research from secondary sources,
and cogent integration of the assembled information in ways that are faithful to the intentions
of the author of the text.
I recommend that Christians who wish to prepare sermons, Bible studies, or devotionals
from Old Testament narratives carry out the steps listed below as part of their preparations.
Keep in mind that these steps constitute an ideal. Each step is helpful and, one could
argue, necessary; yet time or other limitations will likely prevent you from carrying them
out fully. No matter; whether you paint with a brush that looks like a fan or one with a tip
like a needle, paint with the skill and time you have.
1. Enjoy. Enjoy reading the Bible. Enjoy it enough to read it often. Sometimes, choose
to read it even when you could watch TV or spend time checking out your favorite Internet
sites. Enjoy it enough to read it slowly; relish and reread passages you already know so well
you can recite them from memory.
To preach Old Testament narratives effectively you also need to take another step: Fall
in love with the stories of the Old Testament. If you didn’t know it already, you’ll soon discover
that they’re about truly fascinating people—complex people whose relationships and
personal challenges intersect repeatedly with our own.
2. Connect. Walk carefully through the words that paint the stories of Old Testament
characters. Take the time to find the happinesses, challenges, threats, and possibilities woven
into their world. Uncover the motives that energized and guided their actions. Look
beyond peoples’ unpronounceable names to discover the relational dynamics that guided
the social interplay between them. Compare the ancient tools and technologies to modern
counterparts to understand how similar yet different even simple daily tasks were. Feel the
pressures, fears, and prizes of their very un-American social structures; learn to appreciate
the advantages and restrictions of their androcentric world, one balanced precariously on
a beam of honor and shame. In the end, know these people as well as you know your own
friends.
3. Select. Ask God to guide you in your selection of a text and the preparation of a sermon,
Bible study, or devotional. Then expect him to answer. The answer will likely come in
the form of a more-emotional-than-rational sense that a particular narrative (or narrative
book , if it is to be a series) is interesting to you and relevant to your life. Finding a passage
that speaks to you is vital, for you will inevitably preach that passage with deeper insight
and greater energy. When God’s Word speaks to you, it can speak through you; when it lives
for you, it lives for your listeners as well.
4. Analyze. Reread the selected text from your favorite version again to gain a clear
sense of what the passage is saying. Then check out how other versions handled key verses
or sections of the story. Keep several different English versions handy—either electronically
or in print form—and consult them as needed. I have found www.blueletterbible.org
to be an easy-to-use, free, and helpful site for viewing multiple versions.