Tonight, we continued our discussion on “How to Read Your Bible.” The rainy weather that we had added to the tone in an interesting way in that we were discussing Poetry! We began our time by discussing creative descriptions. We talked about nicknames and weird sayings like “They gave me the cold shoulder. Lots of laughs as people gave weird names; people have been called at different times.
When we think of poetry, often we may think of things like “Roses are Red, Violets are Pink, I like you… I think?” or works like “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. Poetry can be beautiful, it can be thought-provoking, and it can simply be silly. Poetry, by nature, is meant to take a thought and enrich it in some form. There are many different forms of poetry that often include certain kinds of rhythm schemes, formats, and metaphors.
Kaikus are ancient Japanese poems that have a specific structure based on syllables. 5, 7, 5. An example is by a man named Matsu Basho back in the 1600’s
Come, investigate loneliness:
― Matsuo Basho, loose translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch
a solitary leaf
clings to the Kiri tree
Sometimes the rhymes are super simple like in Taylor Swift’s song “Holy Ground”
“Back to a first-glance feeling on New York Time
Back when you fit in my poems like a perfect rhyme”
But poetry in the scriptures operates differently.
Structure
Biblical poetry is generally done in a 2 to 3 line structure and is what we would generally call “free verse.” This is why in most Bibles, the Psalms, and Proverbs are written with a first line all the way against the margin and the second line indented a bit. This structure also helps you to identify poetry and songs amid narratives because the verses will suddenly be structured in this manner.
Typically, the first line acts as an opening to introduce the subject. The second line goes on to do various things.
What do these second lines do?
The second line could simply be completing an idea.
Example Psalm 51:1
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Here, the writer makes it clear what that mercy would look like.
The second line can summarize the first line but in a more dramatic way with imagery.
Example Psalm 51:2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
Here, the writer uses the imagery of a priest purifying himself or a tool for worship.
Sometimes it takes the idea of the first line and makes the idea even stronger.
Example Psalm 51:3
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Here, the writer makes it clear that they don’t just know what they’ve done wrong, but they are very aware of their failure; it’s something they think about often and can’t ignore.
These poetic stanzas don’t rhyme, but they help to paint a picture of the moment. Sometimes, these poetic stanzas reflect emotion; sometimes, they are prophetic, like the song of Zacharias in Luke 1:76-77, where he prophesies over his Son.
And you, my little son,
will be called the prophet of the Most High,
because you will prepare the way for the Lord.
You will tell his people how to find salvation
through forgiveness of their sins.
As we read through the poetry, we need to be mindful of the situation that’s taking place. Ask ourselves questions like, “Why is this song present?” Many of the Psalms have an intro that tells us when it was written and why. Some call them songs of rejoicing; others call them songs of lament. These are often designed to give us a creative look at the character and nature of God.
Sometimes, they follow events like the parting of the Sea in Exodus, which we talked about the last time we met. These songs are meant to give the reader a clearer picture of what took place to help put a person in that place. Then, as I said, sometimes they are prophetic in nature. In the case of Zacharias’ song, he was both speaking a blessing over his child, John, but also prophetically pointing to the future events that would take place.
As a type of exercise of reading through these poetic writings, we sat down and read through the rest of Psalm 51. This is a beautiful and heartbreaking Psalm of King David after he was confronted by Nathan, the Prophet, about his sin. The expression within the poem illustrates a broken individual who is passionately repenting and seeking the Lord. It illustrates how we should view our own sins and how to ask for forgiveness.
Adventures in Student Ministry 