Be Ready To Give An Answer Bible Class Sunday, November 19, 2017 What Roles Did God Give People in the Old Testament Church & Society? Guiding Questions: 1. How do we define Old Testament Church? 2. Was there a separation of Church and State in the Old Testament? 3. How do we determine if someone performing a function is doing so as God s desired role for him/her or whether they are an exception to God s rule, or that the Bible assumes their role has been given by God? 4. Can we interpret the Old Testament without New Testament commentary on the Old Testament? 5. Does Paul s statement in Romans 13:1 apply to Old Testament times? Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. First Question: What Roles Are Mentioned in the Old Testament? a. Father and mother b. King and Queen King Saul, King David, King Solomon Kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam, etc. Kings of the Southern Kingdom of Israel, Rehoboam, etc. Jewish Queens: Esther Role of the King Decreed in Deuteronomy 17:14-20 14 When you come to the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me, 15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the LORD your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. 16 Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, You shall never return that way again. 17 And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold. 18 And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. 1
2 c. Prophets and prophetesses (483 uses) Abraham Moses Miriam---Exodus 15:20--Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them: Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. Deborah Judges 4:4 (both prophetess & judge) Huldah II Kings 22:14---Prophecies disaster to King Josiah Noadiah Nehemiah 6:14 a false prophetess vs. Nehemiah Un-named prophetess Isaiah 8:3--And I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the LORD said to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hashbaz; 4 for before the boy knows how to cry My father or My mother, the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be carried away before the king of Assyria. Elijah Elisha Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel 12 Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi Joel 2:28--- your sons & daughters will prophesy in those days. QUESTION: How do you know if someone is a legitimate prophet? ANSWER: Deuteronomy 18: 17-22 17 And the LORD said to me, They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. 21 And if you say in your heart, How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. d. Judges Judges 1:16---Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them (the disobedient children of Israel) out of the hand of those who plundered them. Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar,
Deborah (the honey bee) Judges 4:9 4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to sit under the palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the people of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 She sent and summoned Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali and said to him, Has not the LORD, the God of Israel, commanded you, Go, gather your men at Mount Tabor, taking 10,000 from the people of Naphtali and the people of Zebulun. 7 And I will draw out Sisera, the general of Jabin s army, to meet you by the river Kishon with his chariots and his troops, and I will give him into your hand? 8 Barak said to her, If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go. 9 And she said, I will surely go with you. Nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. Then Deborah arose and went with Barak to Kedesh. Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Samuel e. HIGH PRIESTS, PRIESTS, LEVITES ELDERS High Priests from Family of Aaron, a descendant from Levi. Exodus 24:9-11---- 9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 And he did not lay His hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank. Exodus 28:1-- Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve Me as priests Aaron and Aaron s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. Exodus 29:7-9--- 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head (Aaron) and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. Psalm 99:6---Moses, Aaron & Samuel called priests 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. They called to the LORD, and he answered them. Execution for Deviation From Priestly Function: Leviticus 10:1-2--- Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. 2 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3
4 Role of the Levites: (297 uses) Numbers 1:50-51--- 50 But appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all its furnishings, and over all that belongs to it. They are to carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings, and they shall take care of it and shall camp around the tabernacle. 51 When the tabernacle is to set out, the Levites shall take it down, and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up. Duties of the Levites: (Each division served from 30-50 yr. old) Numbers 3:5-10--- 5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 6 Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister to him. 7 They shall keep guard over him and over the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, (temple police) as they minister at the tabernacle. 8 They shall guard all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and keep guard over the people of Israel as they minister at the tabernacle. 9 And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; (priestly assistants) they are wholly given to him from among the people of Israel. 10 And you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall guard their priesthood. But if any outsider comes near, he shall be put to death. Numbers 8:19--- 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel when the people of Israel come near the sanctuary. Term of Levite Service Expanded Under David: (Age 20-50) I Chronicles 23:27-32--- 27 For by the last words of David the sons of Levi were numbered from twenty years old and upward. 28 For their duty was to assist the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD, having the care of the courts and the chambers, the cleansing of all that is holy, and any work for the service of the house of God. Duties of Gershonite Levites: (7500 were a month old & older) Numbers 3:25-26--- 25 And the guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and its cords all the service connected with these. Duties of the Kohathite Levites: (8600 were a month old & older) Numbers 3:31-32--- the Kohathites. 31 And their guard duty involved the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and the screen; all the service connected with these. 32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.
No Non-Priests Saw Sanctuary Objects Numbers 4:2-20---Priests wrapped everything in blue cloth, then goat skin, and then called Kohathite Levites to come and carry it to next camping place. Duties of the Merarite Levites: (6200 were a month old & older) Numbers 3:36-37--- 36 And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the frames of the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these; 37 also the pillars around the court, with their bases and pegs and cords. QUESTIONS: Is cohen ( priest ) (941 uses) ever used of non-priest Levites? Which Levites were priests? Only descendants of Aaron? Are there any female priests, high priests, or Levites in the Old Testament? Exodus 2:1-Miriam= was a daughter of Levite mother & father, like Moses & Aaron, but is that the same as having the role of Levite? Elders & Their Duties: Numbers 11:16-17--- 16 Then the LORD said to Moses, Gather for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone. When Spirit rests on Elders they prophesy but do not continue Numbers 11:24-25-- 24 So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD. And he gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tent. 25 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the Spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders. And as soon as the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied. But they did not continue doing it. QUESTION: Are there any female elders in the Old Testament? (201 uses) f. WORKMEN FOR TABERNACLE CONSTRUCTION: Exodus 31:1-6--- The LORD said to Moses, 2 See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, 4 to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, 5 in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft. 6 And behold, I have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you: 5
6 g. SOLDIERS FOR ISRAEL: (Levites exempted as soldiers) Numbers 1:44-46--- 44 These are those who were listed, whom Moses and Aaron listed with the help of the chiefs of Israel, twelve men, each representing his fathers house. 45 So all those listed of the people of Israel, by their fathers houses, from twenty years old and upward, every man able to go to war in Israel 46 all those listed were 603,550. QUESTION: Are there any female soldiers/warriors for Israel in Old Testament? h. NAZIRITES, MALE & FEMALE & THEIR DUTIES Numbers 6:1-10--- And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the LORD, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar made from wine or strong drink and shall not drink any juice of grapes or eat grapes, fresh or dried. 4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, not even the seeds or the skins. 5 All the days of his vow of separation, no razor shall touch his head. Until the time is completed for which he separates himself to the LORD, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of hair of his head grow long. 6 All the days that he separates himself to the LORD he shall not go near a dead body. 7 Not even for his father or for his mother, for brother or sister, if they die, shall he make himself unclean, because his separation to God is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation he is holy to the LORD. i. IMPLIED ROLE FOR SONS AFTER FATHER S DEATH: Daughters May Receive Inheritance Property If No Sons Numbers 27:5-11--- 5 Moses brought their case before the LORD. 6 And the LORD said to Moses, 7 The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them. 8 And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter. 9 And if he has no daughter, then you shall give his inheritance to his brothers. 10 And if he has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to his father s brothers. 11 And if his father has no brothers, then you shall give his inheritance to the nearest kinsman of his clan, and he shall possess it. And it shall be for the people of Israel a statute and rule, as the LORD commanded Moses.