GIBC
Trainer
Singapore
2013
I.
Brian
Summer
Abrahamic Covenant
A.
Parties Involved – Genesis 15:8; 17:4, 6-7, 19, 21; 28:13-17; 35:9-12; 48:3-4; 50:24-
25
1.
2.
3.
God
Abraham
Abraham’s physical seed
B.
Biblical Interpretation
Old Testament Covenants
C.
Promises Established
1.
Personal promises to Abraham – Gen 12:2-3; 13:14-17; 15:4-7; 17:4-8
2.
National promises a.
Nation – Gen 12:2
3.
b.
Land – 12:7; 13:14-15; 15:18-21; 17:8, 19
Universal Promises – Gen 12:3; 22:18; 28;14
Principle of the Covenant – Conditional or Unconditional?
*The conditionality of the covenant is settled in the making of the covenant in
Genesis 15. Upon what condition is the covenant made?
“Here it is to be noted that it is a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, representing
God, not Abraham, which passed through between the pieces. Such an act, it would seem, should be shared by both parties, but in this case it is doubtless to be explained by the fact that the covenant is principally a promise by Jehovah. He is the One who binds Himself.” (Berry)
Summary:
1.
The Abrahamic covenant was an unconditional promise from God to
Abraham and his physical seed.
The sins of the patriarchs did not annul God’s covenant with Abraham.
2.
3.
4.
The outworking of the covenant was understood to be literal not spiritual.
Aspects of the Abrahamic covenant have to date not been literally fulfilled.
(See 1 Chronicles 16:15-18)
Conclusions:
1.
Israel is guaranteed permanent existence as a nation. “everlasting covenant”
2.
Israel is guaranteed full possession of the Promised Land.
II.
Palestinian Covenant – Deut 29:1-13
A.
Parties Involved
1.
2.
3.
God
New generation of Israelites entering the Promised Land. (vs. 10-13)
Next generation of Israelites who will possess the land. (vs. 14-15)
B.
Promises Established
1.
2.
God will re-gather all of Israel to the promise land. (vs. 30:3-4)
God will cause Israel to possess all the land that was promised to the
3.
4.
patriarchs. (v.5)
God will regenerate the whole of Israel. (v.6)
God will completely judge Israel’s enemies. (v. 7)

5.
6.
God will cause national obedience. (v. 8)
God will cause national prosperity. (v. 9)
C.
Principle of the Covenant - Conditional or Unconditional?
*This covenant is conditional based upon a repentant response of the Israelites. That response is prophesied to take place at the second coming. Ezek 37:11-12, Zech
12:10, Romans 11:26-27
D.
Summary & Conclusion – A time of national revival in which each of these promises takes place has yet to be fulfilled. Thus, the fulfillment of this covenant is yet to take place.
III.
Davidic Covenant – 2 Samuel 7:1-17
A.
Parties Involved
1.
2.
3.
God
David
David’s physical seed
B.
Promises Established
1.
David’s lineage will never be cut off. (v. 16)
2.
3.
David’s kingdom will be established forever. (v. 16)
David’s throne will be established forever. (v.16)
See Luke 1:32-33
C.
D.
Principle of the Covenant - Conditional or Unconditional?
There is no indication that this covenant was conditional. God was making the statement to David as a Divine promise.
Summary and Conclusion – There will come a time when the Son of David will be placed upon the throne of David and will reign forever. This coming king was known to the Jews as Messiah.
IV.
The New Covenant – Jer 31:31-34; Eze 16:60-63; Rom 11:26-29
A.
Parties Involved
1.
2.
God
Israel
B.
Promises Established

The Lord will cause Israel to repent and to be obedient to Him.
C.
D.
1)
2)
By writing the Law on their heart
By creating in them a new heart
3) By granting them the knowledge of the Lord

God will cleanse and forgive Israel

The Holy Spirit will permanently indwell them

Israel will be permanently established as a nation in their land

God will be worshipped by Israel as their God and that He will fix His presence among them forever
Principle of the Covenant - Conditional or Unconditional?
There is no indication that this covenant was conditional. God was making the statement to Israel as a Divine promise.
Summary and Conclusion – There will come a time when ethnic Israel will all be saved.

Conclusion: At the end of the Old Testament the Jews were looking for the fulfillment of these three covenants. They desired:
1.
2.
The Promised Realm – The complete land as guaranteed by God to Abraham
The Promised Ruler – A king of the lineage of David who would politically overthrow their
3.
4.
enemies.
The Promised Reign – A position of world dominance when all Gentiles would acknowledge
Jerusalem was the capital for all eternity.
The Promised Regeneration – Every member of ethnic Israel will be converted

Biblical Interpretation
Old Testament Law
The Genre of Law
Introductory Comments:
1.
The OT contains over 600 commandments that the Israelites were expected to keep as evidence of the loyalty to God.
2.
The Law was written around 1440 BC.
3.
Our four of the thirty-nine books of the OT contain these laws: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
4.
The OT law is called by the Jews “The Torah.”
5.
The OT law is an unified whole.
I.
Form
A.
The Decalogue: The Ten Commandments are the crux of the law. They represent the heart of the content of the Law. Some suggest that all other elements of the law are an exposition of the Ten Commandments.
B.
Apodictic Law: These are direct commands that usually begin with, “Thou shall” or
“Thou shall not.”
C.
Casuistic Law: This is case law. These set a specific situation from which apodictic law proceeds. Many times casuistic law provides multiple scenarios and options for penalties. Many of these in the OT law have comparisons within other legislation of the era. But even amongst these, there are significant differences. Compare the following with Exodus 20:13; 21:12, 27; Deut 23:15-16; 24:16.
Laws of Eshunna, an Akkadian law code that is dated about 1800 B.C.:
If a free man has no claim against another free man, but seizes the other free man’s slave girl, detains the one seized in his house and causes her death, he must give two slave girls to the owner of the slave girl as a compensation. If he has no claim against him but seizes the wife or child of an upper class person and causes their death, it is a capital crime. The one who did the seizing must die
(Eshnunna, laws 23, 24, author’s translation; cf. J. B. Pritchard, ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. 3d ed.; Princeton: University Press, 1969, p. 162).
The Law Code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian king who “enacted the law of the land” in 1726 B.C.:
If a free nobleman hit another free nobleman’s daughter and caused her to have a miscarriage, he must pay ten shekels of silver for her fetus. If that woman died, they must put his daughter to death. If by a violent blow he caused a commoner’s daughter to have a miscarriage, he must pay five shekels of silver. If that woman died, he must pay ½ mina of silver. If he hit a free nobleman’s female slave and caused her to have a miscarriage, he must pay two shekels of silver. If that female slave died, he must pay 1/3 mina of silver.
II.
Function
A.
The Old Testament law is a covenant.

1.
2.
3.
A covenant is a means of establishing, expressing, and defining a relationship between two parties. The word occurs 238 times in the OT.
There are covenants established to protect water wells, boundaries, and legal negotiations.
An OT covenant had six parts to it: preamble, prologue, stipulations, witnesses, sanctions, and a document clause. i.
Preamble: identified the parties – “I am the Lord your God” (Exo.
20) ii.
Prologue: brief historical marker – “I brought you out of Egypt” iii.
Stipulation: individual laws iv.
Witnesses: God, Israel, nature (Exo 19; Deut 4:26, 30:19) v.
Sanction: blessings and curses (Deut 28-33) vi.
Documents Clause: regular review of stipulation (Deut 31:9-13)
The OT law provides the stipulations for the relationship between God and Israel.
B.
The Old Covenant is not the testament/covenant for believers today.
1.
The OT law was written for the contractual relationship between God and
2.
Israel.
The New Testament believer is never envisioned in the covenant, nor is he encouraged to live by it.
C.
Some stipulations of the Old Covenant have clearly not been renewed in the New
Covenant.
1.
All ritual law ended at the cross of Jesus Christ. God Himself tore the veil of the Holy of Holies to denote the ending of the priestly system.
2.
All civil law is restricted to the citizens of ancient Israel, of which no one currently included.
D.
Part of the Old Covenant is renewed in the New Testament.
1.
The moral law of God which predated the Mosaic covenant is still in effect post-Mosaic covenant.
2.
Many of these are heightened within the NT commands.
E.
All of the Old Testament law is still the Word of God for us even though it is not still the command of God to us.
F.
Only that which is explicitly renewed from the Old Testament law can be considered part of the New Testament “law of Christ”.
Case Study: Deut 15:12-17 - What can we learn?
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Do’s and Don’ts for Reading the OT Law:
1.
Do see the Old Testament law as God’s fully inspired word for you.
Don’t see the Old Testament law as God’s direct command to you.
2.
Do see the Old Testament law as the basis for the Old Covenant, and therefore for Israel’s history.
Don’t see the Old Testament law as binding on Christians in the New Testament except where specifically renewed.
3.
Do see God’s justice, love, and high standards revealed in the Old Testament law.
Don’t forget to see that God’s mercy is made equal to the severity of the standards.
4.
Don’t see the Old Testament law as complete. It is not technically comprehensive.
Do see the Old Testament law as a paradigm---providing examples for the full range of expected behavior.
5.
Don’t expect the Old Testament law to be cited frequently by the prophets or the New
Testament.
Do remember that the essence of the Law (Ten Commandments and the two chief laws) is repeated in the prophets and renewed in the New Testament.
6.
Do see the Old Testament law as a generous gift to Israel, bringing much blessing when obeyed.
Don’t see the Old Testament law as a grouping of arbitrary, annoying regulations limiting people’s freedom.

Biblical Interpretation
Old Testament Narrative
The Genre of Narrative
Introductory Comments:
 The Bible contains more of the type of literature called “narrative” than it does of any other literary type. For example over 40 percent of the Old Testament is narrative.

The following Old Testament books are largely or entirely composed of narrative material:
Genesis Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra,
Nehemiah, Daniel, Jonah, and Haggai. Moreover, Exodus, Numbers, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
Isaiah also contain substantial narrative portions.

In the New Testament, large portions of the four Gospels and almost all of the Acts are also narrative.
Definition:
Narratives are stories. Although from time to time we use the word story to describe them, we prefer the word narrative because story has come to mean something that is fictional. The Bible, on the other hand, contains what we often hear called God’s story
—a story that is utterly true, crucially important, and often complex.
I.
Form
A.
Development of Narrative
1.
Narrator/Point of View: Who is telling the story? Are they a participant? What is the bias of the narrator? What is the perspective of the narrator (the camera view)?
2.
Plot: What is the storyline? What starts the story? What are the elements of conflict? What is the climax? How does the story end?
3.
Characterization: Who are the characters? What is said about them? What details are given? Why are they important?
4.
Setting: What clues are given as to the importance of setting? What is the geographical background? What is the timeframe?
5.
Dialogue: Dialogue is the means in which OT stories develop characters and storyline. Who speaks? When do they speak? What do they say?
Climax
Problem/Conflict
Resolution
Background
B.
Types of Narratives
1.
Tragedy. A tragedy is a story of the decline of a person from verity to catastrophe.
Samson, Saul, and Solomon are examples of tragedy narrative.
2.
Epic. An epic is a long narrative with a series of episodes unified around an individual or group of people. An example of this is Israel’s wilderness wanderings.
3.
Romance. A romance is a narrative in which the romantic relationship between a man and a woman is narrated. The Books of Ruth and the Song of Songs are illustrations of this kind of narrative.

4.
Heroic. A heroic narrative is a story built around the life and exploits of a hero or a protagonist, an individual who sometimes is a representative of others or an example for others. Examples are Abraham, Gideon, David, Daniel, and Paul.
5.
Satire. A satirical narrative is an exposure of human vice or folly through ridicule or rebuke. The Book of Jonah is a satire because Jonah, as a representative of
Israel, is ridiculed for his refusal to accept God’s universal love.
6.
Polemic. A polemic narrative is an aggressive attack against or refuting of the views of others. Examples of this are Elijah’s “contest” with the 450 Baal prophets and the 10 plagues against the gods and goddesses of Egypt.
II.
Function
A.
The Structure of Narratives: Narratives are one story with one meaning, but have three levels of significance.
1.
The top level is that of the whole universal plan of God worked out through his creation.
2.
The middle level centers on the history of Israel.
3.
The bottom level is the hundreds of individual narratives themselves.
Note this carefully: every individual Old Testament narrative (bottom level) is at least a part of the greater narrative of Israel’s history in the world (the middle level), which in turn is a part of the ultimate narrative of God’s creation and his redemption o fit (the top level). What we have, then, are individual narratives (sometimes of a compound nature) within a major narrative within an ultimate compound nature within a major narrative within an ultimate narrative.
B.
Principles of Interpretation
1.
An Old Testament narrative usually does not directly teach a doctrine.
2.
An Old Testament narrative usually illustrates a doctrine or doctrines taught propositionally elsewhere. Although the Old Testament narratives do not necessarily teach directly, they often illustrate what is taught directly and categorically elsewhere. This represents an implicit kind of teaching, which in cooperation with the corresponding explicit teachings of Scripture, is highly effective in generating the sort of learning experience that the Holy Spirit can use positively.
3.
Narratives record what happened—not necessarily what should have happened or what ought to happen every time. Therefore, not every narrative has an individual identifiable moral of the story. Narratives cannot be interpreted atomistically, as if every statement, every event, every description could, independently of the others, have a special message for the reader.
4.
What people do in narratives is not necessarily a good example for us.
5.
Most of the characters in Old Testament narratives are far from perfect and their actions are, too.
6.
We are not always told at the end of a narrative whether what happened was good or bad. We are expected to be able to judge that on the basis of what God has taught us directly and categorically elsewhere in the Scripture.
7.
All narratives are selective and incomplete. Not all the relevant details are always given. What does appear in the narrative is everything that the inspired author thought important for us to know. Old Testament narratives are not allegories or stories filled with hidden meanings.

8.
Narratives are not written to answer all our theological questions. They have particular, specific limited purposes and deal with certain issues, leaving others to be dealt with elsewhere, in other ways.
9.
In the final analysis, God is the hero of all biblical narratives. Old Testament narratives are not just stories about people who lived in Old Testament times.
They are first and foremost stories about what God did to and through those people.
Where do we begin to interpret an Old Testament narrative?
A Case Study in Ruth:
1.
Historical Background: This includes any people, place, location, or timeframe that impacts the setting for the story. The original readers would have taken these things for granted when they read the story. It was intrinsic knowledge. The contemporary reader must recreate the setting. i.
People: ii.
Places: iii.
Timeframe: iv.
Geography:
How do these factors impact the reader’s expectation of the story?
2.
Plot Analysis: Follow the plot of the story with a focus on character development via their actions and dialogue. Look for the climax of the story. That is where the primary truth will be highlighted.
Primary Characters:
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Naomi:
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Ruth:
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Boaz:
Secondary Characters:
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Elimelech:
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Mahlon and Chilion:
Orpah:
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The women of Bethlehem:
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The workers in the field:
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The foreman:
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The elders at the gate:
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The nearer kinsman:
Plot: Mood, scene, conclusion
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Climax and Primary Truth:

The Exegetical Method within the Story:
To exegete a biblical narrative, we must first determine where the story begins and ends. This is not always easy to do. Narrative books are like novels. In each one there are several smaller books that make up one complete volume. For example, the Book of Genesis has included in it the book of
Abraham, the book of Isaac, and the book of Jacob. Within each of these books are chapters or narratives. These narratives may take in one, two, or three biblical chapters. That means that current chapter divisions are often meaningless in determining individual narratives. Therefore I must read several narratives a number of times, often in different translations, to determine where a particular story begins and ends. Once I have determined the beginning and the ending, I need to recognize that further exegesis may require later adjustments. I am now ready to begin to exegete the story.
We will use the story in 2 Samuel 11–12 to learn how to apply the exegetical method described below.
We know the story begins in 2 Samuel 11:1 because of the time marker, "In the spring, at the time when kings go to war." While a new scene begins at the beginning of chapter 12, there is no indicator that a new story begins. In fact, careful reading indicates the crisis in the story has not been resolved.
By the end of chapter 12, the crisis has been resolved, and the statement that "David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem" marks the ending. Biblical narrative often signals closure by noting that one or more of the characters returned home.
1. Design
My first responsibility is to determine the design of the story. Many stories are told in third person, while some are first-person accounts. Some stories begin at the beginning and continue on to the end, while others use flashback. Some stories place the emphasis on plot, while others focus on action or character development. As I note these observations, I am raising questions about why the story is designed as it is. However, these questions cannot be answered until the exegetical process is completed.
In my initial reading, I discover that the 2 Samuel 11–12 story is told in the third person. It appears to move from the beginning to end without any use of flashback. While the plot is intriguing, there seems to be an emphasis on character development. I will explore this further as the exegetical process continues.
2. Scenes
Next, I divide the story into scenes. It is helpful to imagine you are a movie director shooting a story.
Each scene is filmed in a certain way to tell a story, remembering the order of scenes is important.
Using these divisions, I end up with twelve scenes in 2 Samuel 11–12. The scenes include: 11:1, 11:2–
5, 11:6–13, 11:14–21, 11:22–25, 11:26–27, 12:1–6, 12:7–15a, 12:15b–20, 12:21–23, 12:24–25, and
12:26–31.
It is helpful to make a chart for each paragraph or scene using one large piece of blank paper.
Exegetical notes, observations, questions, and so on are then written in each section of the chart that corresponds to the appropriate scene. The design of the scenes is best understood through charting.
3. Characters
Next, develop a list of characters. Again, it is helpful to compare the characters in a story to actors in a drama: Who is the star? Who is the antagonist? Who is the protagonist? Who is the character actor crucial to the story's development? Who are the extras? Characters show us how life is lived out and managed in particular situations (the scenes). The living out of life is not announced but accomplished, sometimes successfully, sometimes unsuccessfully, in the conflict of the drama.
In 2 Samuel 11–12, David is clearly the protagonist or leading character. The surrounding chapters

confirm this. Obviously, Bathsheba plays a prominent role in the story. However, the narrator portrays her more as a character who is acted upon rather than as a character who acts. Her husband, Uriah, is the other major character in this story. He functions as a foil, that is, as a character who provides a contrast to another character, in this case, David.
Readers often refer to 2 Samuel 11–12 as the story of David and Bathsheba, but it is really the story of David and Uriah. As the story proceeds, Uriah turns out to be the hero. He models a blend of obedience and contentment that David, the leading character, lacks. Nathan emerges in chapter 12 as the antagonist, the character who functions as an opponent or adversary. In Nathan's case, he is an antagonist raised up by God to confront David. Other characters play an important role in the story, but they would be classified as extras. This includes Joab, David's child who dies, David's servants, and Solomon.
4. Action
Then note the action. As events unfold, characters respond and act, which produces further action. In a character study, that action may be thought or dialogue. But even the dialogue or thought is a reaction to events and produces further action that eventually leads to some kind of climax.
As noted above, 2 Samuel 11–12 builds on a contrast between David and Uriah. The actions and responses of these characters develop this contrast. David saw Bathsheba, took her, and lay with her.
Then, when Bathsheba ends up pregnant by David, he engages in a cover-up. He calls Uriah home from the battle with the Ammonites under the guise of getting information about the progress of the battle. He then sends Uriah to spend the night at home. But Uriah sleeps at the door of his house! He refuses to sleep with his wife. David responds by getting him drunk the next night, yet Uriah still does not sleep with his wife! The narrator is showing us through the action—rather than telling us directly—that Uriah has more honor in a drunken state than David has while sober! As the story proceeds, David ends up plotting to kill Uriah.
Some expositors end their analysis here, but there is still more action that leads the reader to the big idea of the story. The LORD sends Nathan to confront David. David finally admits his wrongdoing, and Nathan informs him of the consequences, including the loss of the child born to Bathsheba
(12:14). David's response is interesting. He prayed, fasted, and laid on the ground all night. But once the child died, David arose, washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, and worshiped. David's actions reveal a contrast with his former actions. He has now learned to accept what God has given him and what God has not given him.
5. Dialogue
The next step is to examine any dialogue. (Dialogue may actually be monologue; however, I am using the term dialogue in its broadest sense.) The major method for developing characterization in narrative is through the words spoken by the characters. The storyteller (in this case ultimately the
Holy Spirit) often communicates the major idea through the words uttered by the characters.
Many biblical stories are condensed, meaning the storyteller is functioning as an editor, which makes dialogue important. Note the dialogue to appear first in a story, or dialogue that is repeated, especially with minor variations. Such minor variations often have major significance.
Our story in 2 Samuel 11–12 contains a significant amount of dialogue. David's statements in chapter
11 show him to be a man of deceit and treachery at this point in his life (see 11:8, 15, 25). By contrast, Uriah's statement in 11:11 shows him to be a man of integrity. When David asks him why he did not go down to his house, Uriah replied, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing."

In 2 Samuel 12, the dialogue between Nathan and David helps me to zero in on the major idea of the story. One of the key statements occurs in verse 9 when Nathan says, "Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight?" In this statement and the ones that follow, Nathan did not separate the sins of murder and adultery and lying and treachery. He viewed them as one big package. The bottom line was that David despised the word of the LORD. Why? In verses 7–8,
Nathan recited a list of what the LORD had given to David. It's clear from this dialogue that David disobeyed God because he did not accept what God's grace gave him and what God's grace did not give him. In verses 22–23, David's statements reveal that he has now learned to accept God's grace, however God chooses to express it.
6. Language
It is at this point that the interpreter employs lexical or grammatical processes. However, in narrative exegesis these processes are usually not needed to determine the idea. Sometimes the idea is developed more through the design, plot, action, and so on, than through the dialogue.
This is the case with the story in 2 Samuel 11–12. The interpreter will need to do little, if any, word studies or grammatical layouts. This story turns on the dialogue, plot, and the development of characters.
What makes the interpretation of narratives difficult is the idea is seldom developed the same way in each narrative. The implementation of exegetical rules may require more artistic flair than needed for didactic materials.
7. Narration
The next step in the exegetical method is to list the statements made by the narrator. Without these statements the story would not make sense because specific motives, thoughts, hidden actions, and the like would not be known. As many have noted, the narrator is omniscient, knowing thoughts, intimate and private conversations, hidden events, and God's mind. These statements are God's entrance as the ultimate Storyteller into the story. Therefore, these comments become decisive in ultimately determining the meaning of the story.
Three such statements stand out in 2 Samuel 11-12:
* "But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD" (11:27).
* "Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David" (12:15).
* "Now the LORD loved him" [Solomon] (12:24).
8. Plot
Next, we must discover the plot. This is not always easy, especially if we know the story well. Look at the story and determine those events that create and intensify the disequalibrium, that is, the instability or imbalance. Then determine where reversal occurs, changing the course established by the disequalibrium. Finally, establish how the story is resolved.
In 2 Samuel 1112, David's act of adultery with Bathsheba creates disequalibrium, and his attempts to hide this sin intensity it. The process of reversal begins when God sends Nathan to confront David for his sin. The resolution takes place in two phases. First, David admits and confesses his sin. Second, the equalibrium (stability) is restored when he responds to a situation—in this case, the loss of his son born to Bathsheba—by accepting what God gives to him and withholds from him.
We must remember biblical stories are not morality plays where good and evil are obvious. Stories have the ability to handle well the ambiguities of life.

9. Tone
After this, examine the tone of the story. You are seeking the worldview being communicated. The way the story is told is often as important as the story itself in determining tone.
In 2 Samuel 11–12, the tone follows the progression of the story as a "comedy." The statement in
12:27 that "the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD" sounds an ominous note of displeasure. However, the statement in 12:24 that the LORD loves Solomon brings the tone back to one of acceptance and love. Here is an example of how the various elements of story—plot structure, dialogue, and so on—work together to establish the tone.
10. Rhetorical structures
The next step is to look for rhetorical structures. Such structures may include chiasm, repetition, contrasts, or a scene that seems out of place with other scenes. Often an anomaly in the pattern or structure points to the major idea being developed in the story. Again, just as certain scenes in movies are pivotal, so certain patterns or deviations from patterns are critical to the story's point.
As noted above, a significant feature of the story in 2 Samuel 11–12 is the contrast between David and
Uriah. This is a major key to understanding the story. This story also has a chiastic structure to it. In a chiasm, elements (like words or plot details) are repeated in reverse order. When diagrammed, the chiastic structure looks like this:
A–Israel besieges Rabbah without David (11:1)
B–David and Bathsheba conceive a child (11:1–5)
C–David covers up his guilt (11:6–27a)
D–God reveals and identifies David's sin (11:27b–12:12)
C'–David admits his guilt (12:13a)
B'–David and Bathsheba lose a child and conceive one who lives (12:13b–25)
A'–Israel besieges Rabbah with David (12:26–31)
The middle element of a chiasm—in this case letter D—functions as a turning point or the focus of the structure. From a literary standpoint, then, the turning point of the story is God's identification of
David's sin—the sin of David's despising God's grace or showing contempt for what God in his grace gave David and what God in his grace did not give David, namely Bathsheba!
11. Context
Finally, the interpreter gathers data from the context. The context is the stories that surround the narrative and create a section. Often, it is best to read the narratives on each side of the one being studied and write a single descriptive sentence title for each. If each story is described accurately in the sentence title, the interpreter begins to gain a sense of how the narrative being studied fits the context. It is crucial at this time to observe how the stories develop ideas rather than focusing on chronology. Remember, narratives are grouped together to create a theological argument.
The story in 2 Samuel 11–12 takes place in the context of David having consolidated his reign as
Israel's king (see 2 Samuel 8). The two stories immediately prior to this one show David reaching out in "loyal love" (Hebrew, hesed) to his enemies—first to Mephibosheth, a potential threat to the throne
(2 Samuel 9) and then to the Ammonites (2 Samuel 10). David's reign appears to be built on loyal love or covenant love. But then, out of the blue, the events in 2 Samuel 11–12 take place. David repents and learns a lesson, but chapters 13 and following show how the consequences of his sin play out in his family and his kingdom
12. Primary idea

Following these exegetical steps, write a single descriptive sentence title for each scene or paragraph.
This title should include no interpretation. Again, this is difficult, yet our inability to deal with story as story requires this step. We must force ourselves to learn what is in the story before we begin to ask why.
Once you have written these sentences, create a single descriptive title for the entire narrative. This sentence should accurately summarize and reflect the paragraph titles. Oftentimes the idea is missed because the major elements of the narrative are not precisely described.
For 2 Samuel 11–12, the title is, What David Learns about God's Grace.
Observe the sentences (paragraph titles and narrative titles) and ascertain the writer's emphasis. No two stories are the same in content and presentation. In each story certain literary aspects are emphasized at the expense of others to communicate the idea. Evidence must be weighed. Sometimes the storyteller may focus on characters, dialogue, and plot. Other times the focus may be design, scene, and the narrator's comments. The formula is never the same. Finding the meaning of stories is like being a detective with a myriad of clues. Only certain clues reveal the mystery while other clues, if pursued, lead to a false conclusion. However, if the correct clues are used to uncover the crime, all the other clues fit in place. Then and only then can the interpreter begin to know the truth communicated in a particular narrative.
Again, the writer of 2 Samuel 11–12 appears to be emphasizing the process through which David learned contentment with God's grace, that is, to accept what God graciously gives and graciously withholds.
After you discover the storyteller's emphasis, determine what the story is about. This determination provides the subject.
The subject of 2 Samuel 11–12 appears to be, What David learns about the grace of God.
Then decide what is being said about the subject, since this provides the complement for the idea.
Now you are ready to take the sentence descriptive title, if it has been stated accurately and precisely, and supply the interpretation. Add the interpretive elements in order to state the storyteller's idea.
State this idea in one sentence, and it becomes the exegetical idea of the story. When this idea is stated accurately and truthfully, it will fit this story alone and no other.
The exegetical idea for 2 Samuel 11–12 is: David learns to accept what the grace of God gives him and what the grace of God does not.
Once you have the exegetical idea, you have completed the exegesis of the narrative. This process, like all exegetical methods, is difficult. You also gain expertise in developing the exegetical idea as you find it, time after time. The important idea to remember is the exegetical method for narratives is different from the methods used to discover God's ideas in letters, poems, proverbs, or parables.