We have been studying how to get more out of our favorite stories and songs by analyzing them in a literary fashion, using literary terms and noticing the piece's genre. Specifically, today, we looked at Genesis 1-3 and unlocked its structure and themes. We also noticed that it is a combination of genres: it begins with a creation poem and then (2:4) it breaks into a prose "account" of creation. We've discussed how the creation poem differs from the creation account, and how poetry asks for a different kind of reading than prose asks for. Your extra credit assignment is to identify a few more spots where the Genesis 1-3 narrator breaks into poetry - and tell me WHY you think this happens, how an elevated sense of emotion, imagery, or figurative language is called into play.
Isn't it interesting to see how a literary reading of God's word reveals so much?! I want you to learn this year that the Bible measures up, on the scale of great literature, to a level of artistry and complexity matched by no other work. The Bible is richer than Shakespeare - so, if you need a lot of expertise to read Shakespeare, you need at least as much to really appreciate the Bible. Enjoy the journey!
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