*Notes compiled and published by Jon Akin.

The Biblical Text

—Let’s walk through the biblical text with examples from different genres and see how to apply a Christ-centered hermeneutic and what questions to ask. Now remember:

The Bible is one big story. So first we want to walk through that story as it is laid out in the OT and see what kinds of questions to ask as a whole, then we will look at specific genres.

The Story:

-God creates the world good as a perfect home for humanity (creation).

-Humanity sins and rebels against God and the result is death (fall).

-But, in the midst of judgment through curses, God graciously promises a Savior and a return to the land (redemption).

-The story of Genesis is the story of God preserving the line as well as giving types and promises of the coming salvation.

-Exodus is about God rescuing and preserving the people through whom the Messiah will come and taking them back to the land.

-The Law is given as the way to distinguish God’s Son (Israel) from the nations in order to bring about Messiah.

-At Sinai, Israel enters into a covenant with Yahweh (i.e. Marriage) and then He moves in with them in the Tabernacle (which is a return to Eden).

-Leviticus answers the question “How can a holy God live with an unholy people?” The answer is that it requires sacrifice and a priesthood (both of which are fulfilled in Jesus according to Hebrews).

-Deuteronomy is foundational because it is the culmination of all that has come before and the set up for all that will come after. They are about to enter the land but do not have the heart necessary to live out the law. But, God will grant them that in the future (i.e. New Covenant [Jer. 31:31-34] inaugurated in the blood of Jesus).

-The Former prophets show the death of Israel for violating the law: enter the land, spiral down because there’s no king; then they get a monarchy, but it fails and they ultimately end up in exile.  *For his complete treatment, see Hamilton’s God’s Glory in Salvation Through Judgment. Grand Rapids: MI, Crossway, 2010

-The Latter prophets show the promise of resurrection after the death: New King, New Exodus, New Creation, etc.

-The Poetry and Writings are commentary on this storyline

Genres

• Narrative

Questions to ask of narrative texts:

-Where am I in the story? How is the kingdom of Christ prefigured in this specific time period? (i.e. the judges “There’s no king in Israel and everyone does what is right in their own eyes” signals the need of a rescuing king)

-Who am I / where do I fit in this story?

-Why is this story important? Why did God select this one to be in the Bible?

-What patterns do I see? What people, events, institutions, etc. do I see that point forward?

-Are there promises made?

-What does it tell me about Jesus, sin, judgment, mercy, etc.?

Some examples:

-In Genesis 3 we see human sin and we see judgment as a result (death, curse, cast out from paradise, separated from an intimate relationship with God, etc.), but we also see

God’s redemption in the promise of a Messiah and the animal skin that covers the shame of humanity (shedding of blood). Also, the Cherubs who block the way to Eden show up

again on the veil to the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31). Humanity is kept from the presence of God, but when Christ breathes his last, the veil is torn in two and humanity is again granted access to God (Matt. 27:50-53).

-Genesis 5: How do we interpret genealogies? You have to ask, “Why did God give us this genealogy? What is he trying to communicate?” Genesis 5 shows the curse of death for human sin, but it also shows that God is keeping his promise to bring about the seed of the Messiah. The seed keeps going. There continues to be life out of death. At some point the Messiah will come. When? Anticipation builds!

-Genesis 37-50: Joseph is betrayed and sold into captivity for silver by those closest to him, but in his suffering he forgives those who tried to kill him and ends up being exalted to save Israel and the world. Sound familiar?! Genesis 50:20 says that what they meant for evil, God meant for good to save lives (this points to the cross!).

-Joshua 7: Achan broke God’s command to not keep any of the devoted items of Jericho. As a result, Israel is judged. But, Achan from the tribe of Judah ultimately dies in order for Israel to live (sound familiar?). He suffers judgment so Israel can be saved and take the land. While Achan suffers for his own sins to save the people, Jesus suffers for others’ sins in order to save the world.

-Ruth: listen to the SEBTS chapel message by David Platt.

-Judges 16: You ask the question “Where am I?” This is during the period of the judges where there is a cycle of rebellion, judgment, and then rescue through a delivering judge as well as the refrain, “There was no king in Israel, every man did what was right in his own eyes.” The people of Israel need a rescuer because they are under the thumb of the Philistines. God shows that he can rescue his people through one Spirit-anointed man – Samson. His miraculous birth is foretold by an angel, he is betrayed for silver, he is arrested, blindfolded and mocked. Then, he gains a greater victory for his people in his death than he did in his life. Sound familiar? But, Samson is a sinner who himself needs a savior, so his life points forward to a greater deliverer.

-1 Samuel 16 -17: David and Goliath – see the manuscript and sermon on this text at www.danielakin.com.

• Law

The law must be interpreted in light of Christ (cf. Rom 10; Gal 3)

If you do not interpret it in light of Christ, then you will produce legalists, self-righteous Pharisees, or prosperity theologians.

Legalists: “do this and God will bless you; don’t do this and God will be mad at you.”

Prosperity: Deuteronomy 28 could be seen to say “If you obey God’s laws then you’ll have lots of kids, lots of money, etc., but if you disobey then He will curse you and you will lose your job, etc.”

The main question you have to ask of the Law is, “Who kept this law?” And the answer is NOT YOU!

Questions to ask of Law texts:

-Where am I in the storyline?

-Why did God give us this law? What is he trying to communicate to us? Why is this so important to God?

-Who is the law given to? (covenant people who have been redeemed)

-How do we break this law?

-What is the judgment for breaking this law?

-How is it fulfilled in Christ? How does Jesus keep this law?

-How does God provide mercy for his people when they break this law?

-Does the NT address this law or laws like it and how it applies to Christians?

Examples:

-Food Laws: Why did God give the food laws? He gave them to mark out the people of God as different from the pagans. They were defined by what they ate (i.e. the Lord’s Supper for us). It distinguished between the “clean” Israelites and the “unclean” Gentiles.

But, the NT tells us that was a provisional law for a time (Mark 7:19). Once Christ had come Jews and Gentiles were no longer separated on the basis of food because in the gospel all are made clean. Peter is told this in his vision before being sent to witness to Gentiles (Acts 10:15).

-Deuteronomy 21:18-23 and stoning the rebellious son: Why did God give this law? It may seem harsh to modern readers, but what is God trying to communicate with this law?

He is telling us that he takes obedience to parents very seriously and that the wages of rebellion against parents is death. How did Jesus keep this law? He was submissive to his parents (Luke 2:51), and he also obeyed the law to honor mother and father by making provision for the care of his mother at his death (John 19:26-27). But, even though Jesus never broke this command, he was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard (Luke 7:34; cf. Deut 21:20). He was taken outside of the city, executed and hung on a tree. He died to free us – those who have been disobedient to parents – from the curse of the law by becoming the curse for us (Deut 21:23; Gal 3:13).

– The law gives us God’s standard. We have fallen short of that standard, but Jesus kept it perfectly. This is often the way you will interpret the law. Even though Jesus was the perfect law-keeper, he died in the place of lawbreakers, so they could be forgiven. Upon faith, his perfect record of law-keeping is imputed to the believer and the Spirit is given to empower them to walk in holy obedience to God’s standard now. In fact, the law itself in the OT recognizes the need for a circumcised heart – and inward-out transformation – to carry this out. Jeremiah 31 reveals this happens only through the New Covenant, which is inaugurated in the blood of Jesus (cf. Matt 26:28).

• Poetry

There are many examples of poetry in the Bible, but the main book for this genre is Psalms.

• When interpreting poetry, keep in mind that it is affective language not just cognitive.

-This is often imaginative language meant to invoke worship.

-So, you need to interpret the feel of the passage not just the content.

• Also, when approaching poetry in a Christ-centered way, it is important to keep in mind that often the poems of the OT are retelling the mighty saving acts of God that point forward to Christ (i.e. the Exodus, the Red Sea, etc.).

Some other things to keep in mind especially with the Psalms

• Psalms is divided into 5 books

The 5 books tell the stories of:

1. David’s rise to power through suffering

2. The Davidic reign up to the time of Solomon

3. The Davidic monarchy from Solomon to exile

4. Exilic reflections on Yahweh’s past deliverance of Israel

5. A look beyond exile to Yahweh’s deliverance through the Messiah

• Psalms 1 and 2 are the introduction to the book that set up this storyline

The blessed man of Psalm 1 who delights in the law is the messianic king of Psalm 2 who establishes a global kingdom (cf. the kingly laws in Deut 17 where the king must be a man of the law in order for his dynasty to endure).

This is both the foundation and the expectation of the Psalms – a faithful Messiah who establishes a global dominion – and this is fulfilled in Christ.

Questions to ask of Poetry:

-Where am I in the storyline? (i.e. monarchy, exile, post-exile)

-Does the poem reference historical saving events that point to Christ? (i.e. Red Sea)

-Why did the author write this poem? What is he trying to communicate to us?

-What kind of Psalm is it? (i.e. lament, royal, wisdom, etc.)

-Does the NT quote this poem or a poem like this? (i.e. Psa 22, Psa 110, etc.)

Examples:

-Psalm 22-24: Psalm 22 shows the suffering and the figurative death and resurrection of David. Psalm 23 shows him walking through the valley of death, and Psalm 24 shows him ascending into the Holy Place. This is all fulfilled in the death, resurrection and ascension of David’s Son – Jesus of Nazareth.

-Psalm 73: This Psalm talks about how the righteous might doubt when they suffer and the wicked prosper. But, the way to battle this doubt is to see the end of the wicked when God finally holds them accountable and the vindication of the righteous. This points to the gospel. Judas and the Jewish leaders seem to prosper in the short run while the righteous one suffers, but on Easter Sunday the script is flipped. Judas is dead and undergoing judgment, and the Righteous One has walked away from death.

-Dennis Johnson points out in his book Him We Proclaim that if the NT interprets one lament Psalm as fulfilled in Jesus (i.e. Psalm 22), then you can approach all lament psalms in that way.2 This is a helpful paradigm for interpretation. We see each of the types of Psalms connected to Christ (i.e. royal, law, lament, etc.), so even ones that aren’t specifically referenced in the NT can be interpreted similarly.

2C.f. the section entitled “Song: ‘The Mystery and Misery of the Downcast Soul’” in Johnson, Dennis E. Him We Proclaim. Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2007 (pp. 313-20).

• Wisdom

It is all too common to read Proverbs like a Pharisee: i.e. do these things so that you have a blessed life. I think there are two ways to interpret Proverbs in a Christ-centered manner:

1. Jesus is the Davidic “son” of Solomon who grows in and fulfills this wisdom (Luke 2:52). Indeed, the Messiah is described as one who embodies the wisdom of Proverbs (cf. Isa 11) So, in many ways you should approach Proverbs like you would approach the law.

• Proverbs presents God’s standard for living and the result of falling short is an irreversible death.

• We fall short of that standard, but Jesus meets and fulfills it.

• However, even though Jesus lives this out perfectly, he dies in the place of fools and walks away from the irreversible death giving to those who believe in Him forgiveness for their foolishness and new life to walk in wisdom.

2. Wisdom isn’t a set of ideas; wisdom is a person (cf. Prov 1:20-33; 8:1-33; 9:1-6)

• Proverbs 1-9 presents rivals who compete for the son’s affection: Wisdom and Folly

• Wisdom ultimately refers to Jesus who is the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24, 30)

• Folly stands for idols and ultimately Satan

• The father wants his son to make a decision to embrace Wisdom and reject Folly.

That choice between two personal beings, Wisdom and Folly, determines if one can walk in the wisdom of Proverbs 10-31, and the stakes could not be higher—it’s the difference between both physical and eternal life or death. If you can’t walk in the wisdom of the book—if you can’t control your tongue, manage your money, finish your work—then it shows that you have a problem with Messiah (Jesus) and that you are following idols, which will ultimately lead to destruction.

Wisdom is also presented as the way the world works (i.e. something you can observe in nature) as well as a way that you walk. The Bible reveals that Jesus is the way (John 14:6) and he is the one who upholds creation, so you can’t see the order of the world apart from Him.

Questions to ask of Wisdom:

-What is the standard of ethics presented here?

-What is God / the sage attempting to communicate?

3 For a Christocentric approach to Song of Songs that also honors the historical-grammatical hermeneutic, see Daniel L. Akin, Song of Songs, in Christ-Centered Exposition. Each study concludes with the question, “How does this text point to Christ?”

-What’s the penalty for falling short?

-How has God made provision for our failures in Christ?

Examples:

-Proverbs 5-7: Sexual sin is described as predator hunting you down to kill you. Standing behind that predator is Folly (cf. Prov 9) who wants to drag you down to the grave. The way to be rescued is to embrace the gospel vertically (faith in Christ) and horizontally (as pictured in marriage; cf. Eph 5:22-33 and Prov 5:15-20). This points to Christ because even though he was pure and never sexually unfaithful, he went into the grave for you, crushed the head of the predator and came back alive on the other side.

-Prov 26:4-5: This proverb seems to be contradictory, but it’s not. The sage is saying that there are some types of fools and situations where you shouldn’t rebuke, correct, or confront because if you do then it will mean stooping to their level, but there are times when you should correct a fool because they might listen. The sage’s point is that wisdom is the discernment to know when to correct and when to remain silent. Jesus amazed people with this ability. He knew when to stay silent and when to rebuke (cf. Matt 15; 16; Matt 21:27; Matt 22:15-22, 46; Matt 27:14).

* A series of messages on Proverbs by Jon Akin is available online.

• Prophecy

The prophetic writings are commentary on the storyline of the OT

• Israel has fallen short of the Law (as detailed in Deuteronomy), so they face judgment from God

• The prophets call the people to repentance with warnings to turn back to the Law and God

• They foretell a sure punishment of exile because of the people’s failure

• However, they also promise restoration and new life after the judgment

Questions to ask of prophetic texts:

• Where am I in the storyline? (i.e. divided monarchy, exile, post-exile)

• Does this text draw on past events to describe how God is working now and will work in the future? (i.e. Exodus, Davidic dynasty, etc.)

• Does the text talk about God’s judgment of Israel for their sins? Does the text talk about God’s mercy toward Israel?

• Does the NT quote this text or a text like it?

Examples:

-Isaiah 25: This text describes a victory feast for all nations that will be eaten when death is overturned forever. This is partially fulfilled in the Lord’s Supper and the events symbolized in it—the broken body and spilt blood of Christ and the fellowship of his body around his sacrifice. The fullness of the Supper and the culmination of Isaiah 25 will be realized at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:6-9).

-Isaiah 35: This text describes the future salvation as an overturning of the curse of sin so that blind see, deaf hear, lame leap, etc. Jesus inaugurates this kingdom in his ministry. All of his miracles of healing are a proclamation that salvation has come through the Messiah and serve as a foretaste of the final realization in the New Creation (Rev. 21:3-4).

-Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – see the manuscript at www.danielakin.com

-Jeremiah 29: This text is commonly misunderstood. People claim Jeremiah 29:11 as their favorite verse and lean on it to give them confidence that God has a wonderful plan for them to be successful. The problem is this verse isn’t about them; it’s about Israel.

The promise of this verse is a restoration for Israel after the death of exile (cf. Ezek 37) where they will return to the land after judgment. Daniel 9-12 says this exile will ultimately end not with the physical return to the land, but instead with the execution and resurrection of the Messiah. So, while this text isn’t talking about God’s wonderful future for you as a doctor, or lawyer, or businessman, it is telling you something far greater. You have a future and a hope in Jesus Christ when you find the Lord with a transformed heart and live with Him forever.

-Amos 8: This text talks about God’s judgment falling on Israel for their violation of the law in mistreating the poor. This time of judgment will occur during a time of feasting (8:10) where God will make it dark in the middle of the day. When does this happen in history? Well, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, God pours out his judgment and makes it dark at noonday at the cross! (Matt. 27:45ff).

Resources on Christ Centered Hermeneutics

Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament (2nd ed.)

Graeme Goldsworthy, Christ-Centered Biblical Theology: Hermeneutical Foundations and Principles

______, Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation

______, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture: The Application of Biblical Theology to Expository Preaching

Sidney Greidanus, Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method

David Murray, Jesus on Every Page: 10 Simple Ways to See and Find Christ in the Old Testament

Ed Stetzer, Christ-Centered Preaching and Teaching

Trevin Wax, Gospel-Centered Teaching: Showing Christ in All the Scripture