Making Sense of the Old Testament. 7 Key Moments

Transcription

1 Making Sense of the Old Testament 7 Key Moments

2 This presentation is available at: Click on Education, then on Adult Faith Formation

3 Overview Holy People, Holy Land the biblical story reveals that human beings were created to dwell harmoniously with God. The story of Eden depicts holy people living in a holy land a harmony that is ruptured by sin. The rest of the Bible shows how God seeks, through a progression of covenants, to restore his created images to holiness. God calls Abraham and promises him land and descendants, a holy land and holy people

4 Holy People, Holy Land The covenant with Moses centers on the law to instill righteousness in the people and the tabernacle that is God s dwelling in the midst of the people during their journey. The covenant of David establishes his throne of kingship as the instrument for instilling righteousness among the people and for building the Temple in which God would make his name dwell.

5 Holy People, Holy Land The people of Israel, nonetheless, lose the throne of David and enter a period of exile. Even when they enter back into the physical holy land, there is no more Davidic king and the glory cloud never descends upon the reconstructed temple. The prophets not only foresee and explain the destruction of the kingdom of David, but they also promise a time when God will restore his blessings of holiness upon his chosen people. The long awaited restoration becomes a reality with the coming of Jesus Christ, the holy one of God. Dauphinais + Levering

6 Some Terms Old Testament / Hebrew Scriptures / First Testament??? Testament = Covenant Septuagint Greek translation c. 3 rd century BCE Deuterocanonical Books Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Tobit, 1,2 Maccabees, Baruch, Sirach, adds to Esther, Daniel Why? 1) Language + 2) Date written Apocrypha Translations formal vs. dynamic equivalence Chapter divisions (13th c.), verses (16 th c.)

7 Canons of the Bible Hebrew Law/Torah, Prophets, Writings Torah, Neviim, } TaNaK Kethubim Protestant/Catholic Pentateuch Historical Prophets Wisdom

8 Differing Canons of the Old Testament Hebrew - Torah Protestant + Catholic (*) Canon - Pentateuch Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

9 Hebrew - Former Prophets Joshua Judges 1, 2 Samuel 1,2 Kings Prot/Cath (*) Historical Books Joshua Judges Ruth 1, 2 Samuel 1,2 Kings 1.2 Chronicles Ezra + Nehemiah Judith * Esther (add ch. *) 1,2 Maccabees * Tobit *

10 Hebrew - Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Prot/Cath (*) Prophets Isaiah Jeremiah, Baruch* Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel (add ch. *) Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

11 Hebrew - Writings Psalms Proverbs Job Song of Songs Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Ezra-Nehemiah 1.2 Chronicles Prot/Cath (*) Wisdom Books Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom of Solomon (*) Sirach (*)

12 Seven Key Moments 1. Exodus 2. Abraham 3. Creation 4. Monarchy 5. Prophets 6. Exile 7. Restoration

13 Israel s History 1. Period of the Patriarchs / Ancestral Narratives c BCE - Abraham/Sarah/Hagar, Isaac/Rebecca, Jacob/Rachel/Leah/12 sons, Joseph - Genesis Abraham promised: land, son, descendents, God s blessing - Promise/Fulfillment Theme

14 2. Exodus from Egypt c BCE - Exodus-Leviticus-Numbers-Deuteronomy - God and Moses vs. Pharoah - Plagues - Sinai Covenant + 10 Commandments - I will be your God and you will be my people - Wilderness manna/quail etc. - Tent of Dwelling w/ Ark of the Covenant

15 3. Joshua and Judges BCE - Joshua is Moses successor, leads across the Jordan into Canaan - Conquest of Canaanite tribes, especially Philistines - Judges were military leaders inspired by God to lead Israel in battle - Fidelity Theme

16 4. United Monarchy BCE - Samuel transition from Judges to Monarchy Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles - Saul, David, Solomon - David makes Jerusalem his capital, Ark - Brings Philistines under control, expands kingdom - Solomon builds Temple - Written traditions begin (Bible) - Prophets begin to appear

17 5. Divided Kingdom BCE Kings, 1-2 Chronicles - Rehoboam in South (Judah) vs. Jeroboam in the North (Israel) - Assyria conquers Israel (North) in 721, Babylonians conquer Judah (South) in Kings all struggle with fidelity to covenant - Prophets speak truth to power - Israel fails to heed words of the prophets

18 6. Exile BCE - Babylonians destroy Temple - Learn to pray apart from Temple, Ark, sacrifice - Prophets continue to name covenant infidelity - Released by Cyrus of Persia after 50 years - Look to future messiah

19 7. Restoration 537-c. 300 BCE - Cyrus the Persian ends exile 537 BCE - Haggai and Zechariah prophets urging rebuilding of Temple, c. 520 BCE - Rebuild Temple by 515 BCE - Ezra + Nehemiah c. 450 BCE - Emphasis on Torah, Sabbath observance - Priestly editors finalize Pentateuch - Wisdom books: Job, Prvbs, Eccles,

20 8. Greek and Syrian Period BCE - Alexander the Great conquers Syria + Palestine in 333 BCE - Hellenization of Jewish life + thought - OT books translated into Greek - Septuagint - Temple profaned by Syrian King Antiochus Epiphanes IV - Maccabean Revolt c BCE - Book of Daniel apocalyptic (end time) visions offer consolation to persecuted Jews - Concept of afterlife develops

21 Seven Key Moments 1. Exodus 2. Abraham 3. Creation 4. Monarchy 5. Prophets 6. Exile 7. Restoration

22 Why Exodus first? Israel s history had its true beginning in [this] crucial historical experience an event so decisive that earlier happenings and subsequent experiences were seen in its light Bernhard Anderson

23 1. The Exodus

24 Exodus: Marvelous interventions by God 1-2 Israel oppressed in Egypt 3-4 God appears to Moses at burning bush 4-13 Moses vs. Pharoah God leads Israel through the Red Sea Difficulties in desert 19 God appears to Moses atop Mt. Sinai Covenant laws 24 God seals the covenant atop Mt. Sinai Ritual prescriptions God renews covenant atop Mt Sinai Ritual prescriptions 40 God fills the meeting tent with glory

25 The Exodus Event Cry of the people Ex 2:23-25 God s divine power mobilized Ex 4-14 Joy of liberation Ex 15:1-21 New Identity / Covenant Ex 19 New Responsibilities / Law Ex 20

26 Covenant Community In the Bible life means to be significantly involved in a community of caring, meaning and action. Death means to be excluded from such a community or denied access to its caring, meaning or action Life in the Bible means relatedness. Conversely death is to be unrelated. cf. Deut. 30:15-20 Walter Brueggemann

27 Covenant Identity Deut 9:4-6 not because of your merits Deut 7:6-8 not because your were the largest of nations but because the Lord loved you Ex 22:20-23 you shall not oppress any widow or orphan 1 John 4:19 We love because God loved us first.

28 God Who Liberates Joshua 4:22-24 crossing the Jordan and entering Canaan 1 Sam 4-6 freeing the Ark from the Philistines Isa 43:1-6 leaving exile in Babylon John 8:31-32 remain in my word, disciples, know the truth, truth will set you free

29 Conclusions God listens, cares passionately, responds cf. Ex 3:7-8 God is a freedom-giver, who liberates us from oppression cf. Isa 61:1-2, Lk 4:16-30 Covenant fidelity brings life Covenant identity demands outreach to poor and vulnerable cf. Deut 10:17-18, Psalm 112

30 2. Abraham, Father of Faith

31 Genesis The Story of the Patriarchs/Matriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob; Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel Abraham called, promises made Gen 12:1-5, 7 Gen 15 Covenant ritual Gen 15:6 Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness cf. Rom 4:1-25, Gal 3:6-9 Gen 17 Covenant of circumcision

32 Sacrificing Isaac Gen 22 God put Abraham to the test Gen 22:1 Do not do the least thing to him. I know how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son Gen 22:12 because Abraham obeyed me Gen 26:3-5

33 Abraham, the great model of faith, emerges as a curious mixture of faith and doubt, of certainty and confusion In the Bible, faith is not viewed in the sterile and rationalistic sense of assent of the mind to certain truths or propositions about God. It is not the mind that believes; it is rather the person Faith, in the Bible, is a loving trusting commitment of the whole self to God, a holding on securely to God in spite of everything. At times we are confused; we struggle and doubt. This is not opposed to faith; it is part of faith, the part that says we care enough about our relationship to God to question and argue (Gen 15:2-3) and even at times to laugh (Gen 17:17). Michael Guinan, The Pentateuch

34 Conclusions Faith involves forging a relationship with God built on trust God is trustworthy. Promises are honored Faith involves a journey Faith Includes Challenges / Uncertainty Hope Is Necessary / God has a Plan

35 Creation Monarchy Prophets Exile Restoration Making Sense of the Old Testament 7 Key Moments

36 3. Creation

37 Psalm 8 O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! You have exalted your majesty above the heavens What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him? You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned with glory and honor

38 Creation Account #1 Genesis 1:1-2:4a 6 th century BC 7 days God saw how good it was Liturgical, poetic hymn God is transcendent Humans are crown of creation Institution of Sabbath

39 Creation Account #2 Genesis 2:4b 3:24 10 th century BC Adam + Eve in Paradise God is more immanent Man created 1 st - breathed into Woman complements man Institutes marriage

40 Sin + Death in Account #2 Serpent you will be like gods Alienation results from God, from selves, from each other, from creation Sin stories Cain/Abel, Noah, Babel Sin as declaration of independence from God cf. Matt 5:3 poor in spirit

41 Sin + Death in Account #1 Gen 1:1 earth was a formless wasteland and darkness covered the abyss Gen 1:2 mighty wind swept over the waters Gen 7-9 the Flood and Noah / the waters of chaos cf. esp. 7:11-12

42 These two narratives together attest to the grandeur and preciousness of creation, to the well-ordered generativity of the world willed by God, and to the extreme vulnerability of that order, which can readily be put at risk. Walter Brueggemann

43 God s order vs. chaos Ps 74:12-17 dragons in the waters cf. Isa 51:9-10, Ps 89:9-11, Isa 45:18, Isa 27:1, Job 26:12-13, Ps 104:5-15 Jer 4:22-26 creation dismantled Isa 65:17-25 new heavens / new earth, cf. Rev 22 Rom 8:18-22 Christ inaugurates a new creation of the universe

44 Conclusions God is a life-giver, creation is good, God is to be praised, given thanks + obeyed God has created the world as a place of blessing, order, productivity + justice Sin / chaos is present in exploitation, disorder, abuse, oppression, etc. God has the power / will to turn chaos to new creation, death to life, esp. in Christ

45 Recommended Reading Exodus 1-24, Genesis 1-11 Psalms 8, 104 For next session: Psalms 2, 72, 89, Sam 8, 2 Sam 7-12, 1 Kgs 3, 11 Isa 6, Jer 1, 15, 20, Ezek 3, Hos 11, Amos 2

46 4. The Monarchy (c BC) The most important period of OT Israel is that of the monarchy the time of David and Solomon, the time in which prophecy developed and flourished. Fr. Joseph Jensen OSB

47 The Lord is King Ps 93 throne stands firm, trustworthy 96:10-13 governs with equity, justice 99:4 justice and judgment worship 146:3-10 raises up those bowed down

48 Israel Requests a King 1 Sam 8:6-22 He will take your sons and daughters He will take the best of your fields, vineyards He will tithe your crops He will take your servants You will complain

49 Israel s Request for a King Not so, there must be a king over us. We too must be like other nations, with a king to lead us in warfare and fight our battles. 1 Sam 8:19-20

50 Israel s Ideal King Deut. 17:14-20 He shall have a copy of this law [Torah] He shall keep it with him and read it all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord, his God, and to heed and fulfill all the words of this law

51 Israel s King - Psalms Ps 2 You are my son ask of me and I will give you the nations as an inheritance, you shall rule them with an iron rod Ps 72 he shall defend the afflicted the lives of the poor he shall save

52 Saul c BC Samuel to Saul (1 Sam 15:22): Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. For a sin like divination is rebellion, And presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he, too, has rejected you as ruler.

53 David c BC Consolidated tribes into united kingdom Brought Ark to Jerusalem became religious capitol Brought Israel to political, economic, religious prominence Was promised an eternal dynasty cf. 2 Sam 7:8-16, Ps 89:20-38, Ps 132:11-18 David s sin + consequences

54 Solomon c BC Known for his wisdom 1 Kgs 3 Built the Temple in Jerusalem 1 Kgs 6 Built a royal palace 1 Kgs 7 Built up army, ships for trade 1 Kgs 10 heavy taxes, forced labor married foreign wives, built temples for their gods 1 Kgs 11

55 Hezekiah BC He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel, and neither before him nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Loyal to the Lord, Hezekiah never turned away from him, but observed the commandments which the Lord had given to Moses. The Lord was with him and he prospered 2 Kings 18:5-7

56 Hezekiah BC He put his trust in the Lord, the God of Israel, and neither before him nor after him was there anyone like him among all the kings of Judah. Loyal to the Lord, Hezekiah never turned away from him, but observed the commandments which the Lord had given to Moses. The Lord was with him and he prospered 2 Kings 18:5-7

57 Manasseh c BC He did evil in the sight of the Lord Rebuilt pagan temples Worshiped and served a host of pagan deities Immolated his son by fire Practices soothsaying, divination, consulted ghosts and spirits Set up an idol in the Temple cf. 2 Kgs 21

58 Jeremiah to Jehoiakim BC Jer. 22:15-17 Must you prove your rank among kings by competing with them in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink? He did what was right and just, and it went well with him. Because he dispensed justice to the weak and the poor, it went well with him. Is this not true knowledge of me? says the Lord. But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing oppression and extortion.

59 Conclusions The king was to be God s anointed representative + mediator Monarchy, overall, failed because kings inattentiveness to Torah expectations Israel looked to a future messiah who would enact God s will + rule rightly cf. Isa 9:2-7, 11:1-9, Jer 23:5-6, Ezek 34:23-24, Amos 9:11-12

60 5. The Prophets The prophets proclaim a radical redemption of the People of God, purification from all their infidelities, a salvation which will include all the nations. CCC #64

61 Pro-phetes speaks for another Not fortune-tellers, but forth-tellers not a mouthpiece, but a partner, an associate with God lives not only his own personal life, but also the life of God Shares a fellowship with the feelings of God Abraham Heschel, The Prophets

62 Prophetic Task Criticize / Grieve - Dismantle the dominant consciousness - Penetrate the numbness of sin - Counter the politics of injustice + exploitation cf. Jer 8:18ff. Energize - Provide hope, assurance, consolation cf. Ezek 37, Isa 43:1-6

63 3 major targets for OT prophets Idolatry Jer 10:3-16, Hos 8:1-6 Religious Formalism Amos 5:21, Hos 6:6, Isa 1:11-17 Social Injustice Isa 58:1-9, Amos 2:6

64 Conclusions about the Prophets were attuned to God s will, and knowing God well, spoke for God warned of consequences for sin and offered consolation for fidelity were universally persecuted were people of hope! Not just doomsayers anticipated future messianic era cf. Jer 31:31ff., Ezek 36:24-28

65 6. The Exile BC

66 Why Exile? Detach from land Destroy spirit / resistance Suppress national identity Only political, ecclesiastical and intellectual leaders exiled 4600? Diaspora

67 Jerusalem Attacked 2 Kings 24: Nebuchadnezzar besieges city, deports king and elites 2 Kings 25:9 Temple destroyed

68 Life in Babylon Physical Jeremiah 29:4-7 Spiritual Temple, Holy of Holies, sacrifices, priests, kings, sacred city / land, national freedom are gone Davidic dynasty ends cf. 2 Sam 7???? Emotional Lamentations, Psalm 137, 74

69 Prophetic Comfort Deutero-Isaiah ch , is filled with images of comfort, hope, rebuilding, renewing, recreating a new Exodus Ezekiel 37 dry bones Jeremiah 31:31-34 new covenant

70 Positive Developments in Exile Identification with covenant community is intensified esp. Law + Tradition Monotheism + Torah + Sabbath emphasized Synagogues develop

71 Conclusions about Exile Was due to Israel s infidelity to the covenant Israel learned to pray / live differently: no Temple, no cultic sacrifice, no kings Torah-centered, priests-driven God was with them throughout

72 7. The Restoration 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah King Cyrus of Persia releases exiles Ezra 1:1-4, 6:3-5, Isaiah 44:28-45:1 a new Temple? Haggai 1:2-11 Beginning of modern Judaism: prayer, worship, ritual purity, cultic priests as leaders

73 Nehemiah cupbearer to the king of Persia Neh 1:11 c BC Rebuilt walls of Jerusalem in 445 BC Neh 2:17ff. Appointed governor of Judah fought off surrounding enemies + cancelled harsh debts Opposed marriages with foreigners

74 Ezra c. 458? 398? father of Judaism + a second Moses Jewish priest + scribe devoted to study of Torah Ezra 7:6 Regularized / reorganized religious practice within Jewish community Neh 8 Refused intermarriage Ezra 9-10

75 Conclusions from Exile and Restoration God is an Exile-ender + home-bringer Religious life of Jewish community was intensified Monotheistic faith celebrated in Torah/Law - replaces idolatry Synagogue complements Temple as place of worship + life Renewed interest in Sabbath observance

76 This presentation is available at: Click on Education, then on Adult Faith Formation