I get the feeling that a non literal interpretation is being given in an dishonest way in regards to selectivity. Also, it seems that many don't want to put in the leg work, and instead form an interpretation from a sort of superficial knowledge, while often the interpreter finds excuses or reason's to reject the literal one, IMO.
Here's some examples that show that the Bible encourages a literal interpretation.
Creation of the universe....
Exodus 20:10-11
but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Creation of Adam and Eve....
Matthew 19:6
Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder.
Noah's flood
Matthew 24:38
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
Jonah's experience
Matthew 12:40-42
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.
Also, more than a hundred prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled literally. And although the Bible has the presence of parables or an allegory, the ordinary meaning is a literal one as Jesus provided the literal interpretations of His parables, and rejected those who did not interpret the resurrection literally.
These principles will lead us to being more accurately able to interpret the Bible:
- Seek the author's intended meaning instead of superimposing a meaning onto the text. The meaning of a passage is fixed by the author and is not subject to alteration by readers.
- When the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense. A literal hermeneutic is best.
- Pay close attention to the context. Individual verses are not isolated fragments, but parts of a whole. Interpreting them includes discovering their relationship to each other and to the entire passage.
- Make a correct genre judgment. The Bible contains a variety of literary genres: history, drama, poetry, wise sayings, apocalyptic writings, each of which has certain peculiar characteristics to consider when interpreting the text.
- Consult history and culture. Step our of a contemporary Western mind set and into first century Jewish mind set. What did the biblical words mean tot he original readers.
- Interpret the difficult verses in light of the clear verses.
- Interpret the Old Testament in light of the New Testament.
Last but not least, an Esoteric method of interpreting Scriptures seeks hidden or secondary meanings in Bible verses. This type of methodology is illegitimate for many reasons...
- Scriptures tells us not to distort its meaning.
- Each verse of Scripture has only one correct meaning, not multiple pliable meanings.
- The basic authority in esoteric interpretation is not Scripture, but the mind of the interpreter. Consequently, esoteric interpretations have irreconcilable contradictions.
- Esoteric interpretation relies on inner illumination, no the Holy Spirit.
- Esotericism super impose meanings on Bible verses instead of objectively seeking the biblical author's intended meaning. But the author's meaning is fixed and is not subject to alteration by readers.
- Esotericism ignores issues of context, grammar, history and culture.
- Jesus always interpreted the OT Scriptures literally.