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Excerpt 1 & 2 Samuel Annual Bible Study Chapter 1 Introducing the Tension Every great work of art conveys an element of tension. The sculptures of Michelangelo present creatures frozen in motion. The movement is implied but not complete. Muscles are flexed and etched in stone, creating a unique statuesque tension. In the paintings of Monet, a series of dotted colors collide to present the onlooker with an image of lilies and lakes and meadows. Close inspection, however, reveals a chaos of contrasting shades and colors held in tension by the artist’s patterns. The distinct dots of color give the impression of resolution only when viewed from a distance. This artistic tension is also an integral part of narrative literature. Stories are saturated with romantic, ethical, and spiritual tensions. These tense themes have found themselves embodied in the fictitious lives of Othello and Desdemona, Rhett and Scarlett, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Because art imitates life, we easily relate to the tensions contained in sculpture, painting, and story. The tensions expressed in these works of art reflect that which is indigenous to our own human experience. We have come to expect, even demand, this tension in our art. The absence of tension leaves the audience bored and unaffected. Any resolution of the tension renders the art cheap, empty, or at best sentimental. Why? Because the vast majority of the tensions we experience in our lives and in the world are unresolved. Like a classic Monet, they can only be understood from a distance. Long before Shakespeare, Margaret Mitchell, and George Lucas entertained the patrons of books and box office by exploiting the tragic and comedic tensions of their culture, the writer of 1 and 2 Samuel exposed the existence of these tensions in human life. The prophetic history of Hebrew Scripture does not dreamily begin with “Once upon a time,” nor does it sentimentally end with “and they lived happily ever after.” First and Second Samuel begin, end, and are filled with the political, theological, relational, and spiritual tensions that saturate and invigorate our existence. These four “life” tensions (political, theological, relational, and spiritual) will provide our framework for the study of 1 and 2 Samuel. Before addressing the specific tensions, however, there are other general tensions that provide the necessary context and background for our study. These tensions are produced by the history of the text and the characters within the text. |
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