LITERARY ANALYSIS PAPER Literary Analysis Paper on a Narrative in the Bible



Literary Analysis Paper on a Narrative in the Bible

Introduction

When you think of the life of David, one of two events probably come to your mind.  You either remember the time young David slew Goliath; or you remember when David committed adultery with Bathsheba.  Both events were monumental moments in the life of David.  In the first, David revealed fact of his humility.  In the second, David revealed the fact of his humanity.  In the first, David proved that he was a man of faith.  In the second, David proved that he was a man of flesh. When David met a giant named Goliath, we are privileged to witness his greatest victory.  When David met Bathsheba, we are forced to watch his greatest defeat.

We wish the wrong things we've done had not really happened. We don't want to suffer the consequences. So we try to hide our sin—but that's the trap of sin. Un-confessed sin will actually increase sin and pain. It is in confession that we find freedom, although that idea is counterintuitive. David's story in 2 Samuel 11 demonstrates this reality. However, there was a sad event that became a turning point in David's life as king and as a man. It is the pivotal point in 2 Samuel. When David committed his greatest sin, he was fifty years old, mature, a successful and good king for Israel (Michael, 2009).

At this point he had led Israel into victory over all of her greatest enemies, and Israel was at relative peace. David had restored the worship of God to his people Israel, and he was a well-loved and prosperous monarch.

Discussion

Confession and forgiveness

In David's story, what happened in Jerusalem didn't stay in Jerusalem. It's a great mercy it didn't, because when our sins are brought to the light, God can heal us and restore us to him and save us out of them. But hiding something from God just makes us get worse, not better. David's sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah has been recorded in God's word so that every generation may know that God will not tolerate sin, even in his dear King David. Why? Because God loved David too much to let his sin remain hidden, and he also loves us too much to let us get away with sin indefinitely.

God brought David's sin to light so that David might receive God's mercy and so that his life would not be destroyed by guilt. For un-confessed sin brings death physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Even worse, it separates us from God. It makes us smaller and less effective. Shamed people are not bold for God. It makes us hard and unusable. Our heart becomes like a little, hard, clenched fist. But sin confessed and forgiven releases God's people to live in freedom and joy. Forgiveness is available. This is the good news of the ...