How to Read Narratives (Descriptive vs. Prescriptive)

Reading through the Old Testament can feel daunting because so much in the world has changed since the times of Moses, Joshua, Ruth, and Samuel. And because of the stark cultural differences, it is sometimes challenging to comprehend and even more challenging to apply, or know how Old Testament narratives are relevant to our lives today. But the key to properly engaging with Old Testament narratives is to first identify whether the text is descriptive or prescriptive. 

Prescriptive passages are those that advise or instruct what should happen. These passages provide explicit and specific instruction for the believer to live out. An example of prescriptive passages include the epistles. But descriptive passages are those that describe what has happened. 

So what determines whether a passage is descriptive or prescriptive?

Genre.

Genres are categories based on similar stylistic elements. The elements that distinguish genres from each other inform how we engage with an art form, whether it is music or literature. The same goes with Scripture.

When we analyze the whole of scripture, we see that the Bible consists of various genres and these genres possess unique elements that inform how they should be read and how we should interpret certain passages. They help us in determining whether a passage is descriptive or prescriptive.

A genre that falls into the descriptive category is narrative.

Narratives are simply written accounts describing a series of events that took place. This means that narratives are to be read literally. When we consider the Old Testament readings from our One Story reading plan, we must remember that these passages are communicating to us the story of God and His people. So when we are reading narratives, we must keep in mind that we are just simply being provided information and details about what has occurred, not necessarily commands we should live out.

If we fail to rightly identify the genre of a text, we run the risk of treating historical narratives as descriptive texts that aim to instruct us instead of texts meant to inform us. Properly discerning whether a passage is prescriptive or descriptive, helps us avoid the mistake of taking scriptures out of context. Misinterpreting scriptures can cause us to not only misapply scripture, but doing so can lead us to form inaccurate views of God and create a faulty understanding of His character.