The idea of the “Factual Data” sheet comes from reading that Warren W. Wiersbe’s homiletic teacher, Lloyd Perry used a generic “Factual Data” sheet for sermon preparation. I have adapted the “Factual Data” sheet to the different genres: Poetic (Psalms and Proverbs), Epistles (Romans and Ephesians), Narratives of Genesis, Joshua, Nehemiah, and Mark. I adapted the “Factual Data” sheet to the different genres of Scripture instead of the one-size-fits-all approach. See David Howard, Jr.’s An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books for more helpful background material for Joshua.
The “Factual Data” sheet helps an expositor be text-driven in preaching and teaching God’s Word.
First, the “Factual Data” sheet enables the Bible student to interpret a text in the context of the Biblical passage. It is like a big funnel at the top and narrows to the text. The interpreter starts with the remote context (context of the genre) and works his way to the immediate context (the book of the Bible in which the text is found).
Next, the “Factual Data” sheet helps the Bible student get inside the content of the text. This is where, in the case of narratives, the unique characteristics of this genre help interpret the text and also find the Main Point of the Sermon (MPS), and outline or develop the MPS. We begin with the context.
1. STUDY THE CONTEXT (Macro Hermeneutics)
A. Context of narratives
At the top of the funnel is the genre of narrative which is the most common genre in the Bible making up 75% of the Bible. Here are books of the Bible with narratives: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew, Acts, and even in the Epistles such as Romans 15:14-33.
1. The literary art of narrative or story is a means of communicating the author’s theological message which for Joshua is God keeps His promises.
2. The narratives were written not only to teach a message but to persuade the listeners to respond to the author’s message (Nathan used a story to persuade King David to repent in 2 Samuel 12:1-7).
B. Context of the book
The funnel narrows from the genre of narratives to one of the books in the genre of narratives.
1. What is the theme or theological message of the book? God keeps His promises. David Howard writes: “At least four important themes can be discerned as central to the book of Joshua (1) the land, (2) rest, (3) the covenant, and (4) purity of worship. Of these, the first three could be subsumed under the rubric of “A Promise-Keeping God.”[1] Howard adds, “The idea of God’s ‘giving’ the land to Israel is found more than fifty times in the book.”[2]
a. The land promised to Abraham in Genesis 12:7
b. The larger boundaries of the Nile to the Euphrates Rivers (Gen 15:18)
c. The smaller boundaries (Canaan) and the promise of forever occupying the land (Gen 17:8). This is the land promise referred to in Joshua 21:43.
2. How is the theme developed?
a. God kept His promise in enabling Israel to conquer the land (chapters one to twelve) and defeat 31 kings in seven years.
b. God kept His promises in dividing the land (chapters 13-24) to the twelve tribes in 18 years.
C. Who wrote the book?
1. Joshua wrote most the book of Joshua (24:26)
2. Someone else recorded his death (24:29-33)
D. When was the book written? (based on the time of the Exodus)
1. Late date of 1200 B.C. (based more on archaeology)
2. Early date of 1400 B. C. (based more on Scripture)
1) According to 1 Kings 6:1, Solomon began building the Temple in the 480th year after the Exodus, which was the fourth year of his reign, or 966 B.C.
2) This puts the Exodus at 1446 B.C. (Move forward from 1446 B.C. 480 years and you come to the year 966 B.C.) Solomon reigned from 971 to 931 B.C. So the fourth year was 966 B.C.
3) Back up another 40 years of wilderness wandering from the date of the Exodus in 1446 and you get the date of Joshua’s entrance into Canaan at 1406 B.C.
Thomas Constable has a good defense of the early date: Verse 1 [1 Kings 6:1] is one of the most important verses in the Old Testament chronologically. The dates of Solomon’s reign (971-931 B.C.) are quite certain. They rest on references that other ancient Near Eastern king’s lists corroborate. Solomon began temple construction in about 966 B.C. According to this verse the Exodus took place in 1445 or 1446 B.C. Most conservative scholars who take statements in Scripture like this verse seriously hold this date for the Exodus. The more popular date of about 1280 B.C. rests primarily on the assumption that Ramses II was the pharaoh of the Exodus. Those who hold this view believe historical similarities between conditions during Ramses’ reign and the biblical description of the Exodus support their theory. Some first-rate otherwise conservative scholars hold the later (1280) date.
Why did the writer of Kings tie the building of the temple to the Exodus? It was evidently for the reason explained above. With the building of the temple, Israel would have an opportunity as never before in her history to realize the purpose for which God had formed and freed the nation. That purpose was to draw all people to Himself. [3]
After the context is thoroughly researched, the interpreter moves inside to the content of the text itself. Macro hermeneutics looks at the trees. Micro hermeneutics focuses on the tree.
2. EXAMINE THE CONTENT OR THE DETAILS OF THE PASSAGE SELECTED TO PREACH (Micro Hermeneutics)
The funnel has narrowed down to the text itself. This step [Micro hermeneutics] studies what is unique to narratives: scenes, plot, scene depiction, characterization, dialogue, repetition (which is not unique to the narrative but is an important literary characteristic), and theologically significant words.
A. Identify the SCENES in the story
In the NT Epistles, the preaching or teaching unit is the paragraph, in Hebrew Poetry it is the stanza, and in narratives, it is the scene or combination of scenes. The following scenes become the main divisions in a sermon or Bible study on Rahab.
1. Scenes are identified by location changes (Joshua 2:1-3)
2. Scenes are identified by circumstance changes (Joshua 2:4-8)
3. Scenes are identified by content changes (Joshua 2:9-11)
4. Scenes are identified by key introductory words (Joshua 2:12-21) (Joshua 2:12 “therefore”)
5. Scenes are identified by time changes (Joshua 2:22-24).
Scenes or combinations of scenes can become the main divisions in sermons or Bible studies as demonstrated in the narrative of Rahab in Joshua 2:1-24:
Main Point of the Sermon: Faith must be demonstrated with works (Joshua 2:1-24)
Interrogative statement: HOW can faith be demonstrated with works?
Transitional sentence: BY following these steps
1. By preparing for the future (2:1-3) (identified by location changes)
2. By laboring for God (2:4-8) (identified by circumstance change)
3. By confessing to others (2:9-11) (identified by content change)
4. By rescuing the needy (2:12-21) (identified by a key introductory word “therefore”)
5. By glorifying God (2:22-24) (identified by a time change)
B. Identify the PLOT or the storyline. The plot is the organization of events or scenes to inform interestingly the author’s message to persuade the listener to respond. Leland Ryken states that “taken as a whole, the Bible tells a story that has a beginning, a middle, and an end.”[3]
The plot has a basic pattern (beginning, middle, and end).
1. The BEGINNING or background
a. There is a location change in 2:1
b. Here the main character or characters are introduced: their names, personality traits, position in life, and geographical or historical information (Joshua 2:1)
2. The MIDDLE of the story provides the crisis or complication and resolution as in
a. Scenes are identified by location changes (2:2)
b. Introduction of conflict (Joshua 2:2) (Will Rahab the Canaanite be killed for harboring Israelite spies?)
c. Scene change by location (2:3)
d. Scene change of circumstance: Rahab saves the spies by lying (2:4-7)
e. Scene change by location (2:8)
f. Scene change of content where Rahab shares her faith (2:9-11)
g. Scene change with the key introductory word “therefore.” Rahab and her family will be delivered from God’s judgment (2:12-21)
3. The END of the story which provides the conclusion in Joshua 2:22-24
(Scene change of location and time in 2:22) God is glorified.
C. Identify SCENE DEPICTION where the author speeds up and slows down the action to make his point. The author slows down the action in 2:6 to show the faith and works of Rahab and speeds up the action in 2:22 to cover what is less important to the plot i.e., three days of travel.
D. Identify CHARACTERIZATION of characters as heroes or villains.
1) Protagonist (the central character is Joshua, Moses’ servant. The central character in Joshua two is Rahab the Harlot.
2) The antagonist of the book of Joshua is the Canaanites (the King of Jericho is the antagonist in Joshua two).
3) Foils (characters who heighten the central character by providing a contrast occasionally such as the king’s men).
a) These characters are idealized (Joshua) or villainized as the king of Jericho in Joshua two and Achan in Joshua seven. Joshua is totally honest in his evaluations, he just doesn’t tell the whole story. Achan probably did good deeds as a father. But because he was part of the reason for Israel’s defeat, he is villainized.
b) These characters are sometimes given designations or titles that can reflect their character (Rahab the Harlot) (Goliath the uncircumcised Philistine) (Nehemiah the cupbearer).
c) These characters are rarely physically described but when they are, the description reflects their character as in Deut 34:7.
E. Identify the DIALOGUE (which is more important than the action in a story).
1) In narratives dialogue is compressed and precise.
2) In narratives dialogue sometimes communicates the theme (Joshua 1:2 “land” (mentioned over 50 times in Joshua); 2:1 “Rahab”; 1 Samuel 4:3 “ark”; Nehemiah 1:3 “wall of Jerusalem”).
3) In narratives dialogue provides insight into the character of the speaker (2:9-11).
4) Within the story look for Repetition of words, phrases, and sentences that create an atmosphere, and announce the theme or structure of the story (“the land” repeated in 1:2, 4, 6, 11, 13, 15; 2:1, etc.).
F. Identify THEOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT WORDS (“land” 1:2; 2:1 “rest” 1:13, promises which God “swore” 1:6).
The theme of Joshua: God Keeps His Promises
1) Securing the Land (Josh 1-12) In 7 years 31 kings were defeated with God’s help
2) Dividing the Land (Josh 13-24) In 18 years the land is partitioned into 12 tribes. These chapters read like real estate deeds which is boring unless it’s your real estate. In the future, the twelve tribes will occupy this land according to Matthew 19:27-28.
[1] David Howard, Jr., An Introduction to the OT Historical Books (Chicago: Moody Press, 1993), 90.
[2] Ibid., footnote 6 on page 61.
[3] (Thomas Constable, NetBible.org on 1 Kings 6:1.
[4] Leland Ryken, Words of Delight (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1992), 31.