Fresh Ways to Enjoy Your BibleSample

First Impressions

A popular maxim goes like this: “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” First impressions are often etched into the mind and are hard to overcome with later interactions. Whenever someone encounters a new person, quick appraisals are formulated based on that individual’s behavior, appearance, and speech, which create an indelible impression. So it is with biblical authors. They give readers a literary snapshot, a first impression, that sets the tone for the rest of that character’s life.

Let’s look at how this plays out in the story of David:

FIRST ACTIONS: 1 Samuel 16–17 portrays David doing a number of actions, such as being obedient to his father, Jesse, shepherding the family’s flocks, playing the harp in King Saul’s court, and fighting Goliath as a warrior in the Valley of Elah.

FIRST WORDS: “And David said to the men who stood by him, ‘What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’” (1 Sam. 17:26).

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTORS: He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and was “ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome” (1 Sam. 16:11–12).

David is often labeled as a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14), which is expressly demonstrated by his first recorded words. His early recorded actions reveal him to be a shepherd (leader), a musician, and a warrior whose military skills will become more evident as the narrative proceeds. These first actions plant the seeds for the three major roles David will have throughout his life. Although embedded within this first impression are David’s many positive traits, there is also an introduction to a major character flaw in that he is somewhat self-interested as well. This is revealed by his own lips in the very first words we hear from him when he inquires about what the reward will be for killing Goliath. This focus on “what’s in it for him” later reveals itself when he takes a census of his own people and commits adultery with Bathsheba. Like most of us, he is a mixed bag—a man after God’s heart, but he can also pursue his own heart and interests as well. David’s physical attributes, especially his attractive outer appearance, add tension to the overall account of David’s life in that the Bible often depicts attractive people as experiencing more difficulties (Sarah, Joseph, Bathsheba, etc.).

The “First Impressions” technique is an easy way to increase the “wow” factor as you read your Bible. You are now able to detect how the biblical authors identify key positive and negative traits of Bible characters by reflecting on a character’s first words, first actions, and any physical descriptors. By focusing on these details, readers can not only increase their enjoyment but also gain an inside track into properly assessing an individual’s character by seeing how these early actions and speeches paint an accurate first impression that is further depicted later in the narrative.

Digging In:

1. Identify the first actions, words, and physical descriptors for Abraham in Genesis 12:1–13. What insights do you get from these descriptors about Abraham’s character?
2. Try this strategy on Moses as well in Exodus 2:1–13. What do his first actions, words, and physical descriptors tell you about his character? Can you think of any later incidents in his life that confirm these?