Theologically rich reading isn't easy

In particular, as these segments [Gen 38, 49; 1 Sam 13:7b–15a] appear to have been written with a knowledge of Judah’s and David’s future election, stemming from traditions that appeared later than those captured in the stories themselves, they may be seen as suggesting that one fruitful way of reading these complex stories is to read them, so to speak, backwards. More specifically, a reading that is attuned to the compositional depth of these narratives will combine a linear approach with a complementary method that rereads the narratives with an eye on their future denouement. Such a robust interpretation will not be simplistic—that is, reading the crucial stories of Israel’s religious and political life as developing only from beginning to end—nor will it overwhelm the earlier stories with their later progress. A theologically rich approach will benefit from a dialogue between both linear and backwards readings that mirrors the development of the texts themselves.—The Unfavored, page 204