Validation

The second functional question focuses on validity. It asks, Is it true? In other words, Can I believe it? When directed to Old Testament narrative, this question asks, Did the biblical author tell this story to validate a particular idea or prove a point?

This second functional question lies behind the books of Kings. The writer of Kings crafts his account to argue that God's judgment is just. Israel and Judah got what they deserved. To an audience that thought, "I don't buy the idea that we deserved the destruction of Samaria and Jerusalem," the books of Kings argue, "Your history proves that you deserved this form of God's judgment."

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The section running from 1 Samuel 15 to 2 Samuel 8 resembles a dynastic defense which, in the ancient Near East, defended the replacement of one dynasty with another. The writer anticipates people saying, "I'm not sure I buy the idea of David replacing Saul as king. Prove to me that this was a legitimate move." This section of Samuel, then, validates David's fitness to be king as well as Saul's unworthiness to serve as Israel's king. Similarly, the story in 1 Kings 3:16-28 has a validating function. It tells of two prostitutes who came to King Solomon with a dispute over the maternity of a baby and proves that Solomon did receive wisdom from Yahweh as the previous narrative in 3:1-15 claims.

The second functional question should be directed to the audience as well as the text. Once listeners grasp the meaning of a text and its components, they may ask, Is it true? Can we believe this? Certainly, people who take the Bible seriously value an acceptance of its truth claims. We loudly affirm, "God says it, I believe it, that settles it." Still, we struggle with emotional and intellectual doubts. We want to believe, but we need reasons or proofs. Haddon Robinson contends that this second functional question concerning validation is the dominant question of modern audiences. I once heard him comment, "C. S. Lewis is still popular today because he is the master of the second functional question."

At first, the second functional question may intimidate preachers. Why stir up more controversy in your listeners' minds? Controversy creates tension, and tension creates an interest factor. Controversy forces people to wrestle with thought at a deeper level, beyond the pat answers. The second functional question, then, turns out to be a friend, not a foe.

Skilled preachers look for tension in a text and then use it to hold interest. Often, the more controversial passages are easier to preach, at least in terms of holding your listeners. For example, in a sermon on the book of Esther, you might raise a question that your audience is thinking: How can I really be sure that God is working in my life when 1 can't see or hear him? Suppose your big idea for Esther is, Even when you can't see or hear God, he is still in control of your destiny. When confronted with that idea, a listener might respond, "Is it true? Can I buy this?" Your answer to the listener's question comes right out of the text. From the story of Esther, you can show how God overcomes the poor spiritual climate around you, the impossible people, the unpredictable events of life, the circumstances you can't change. He does all of this in ways you won't recognize if you don't look closely.