Making Sense of the

Old Testament

7 Key Moments

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Adult Faith Formation

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…”

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.”

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

Some Terms… • Old Testament / Hebrew Scriptures / First Testament??? • Testament = Covenant • Septuagint – Greek translation c. 3rd 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 (16th c.)

Canons of the Bible

• Hebrew – Law/Torah, Prophets, Writings – Torah, – Neviim, } TaNaK – Kethubim

• Protestant/Catholic – Pentateuch – Historical – Prophets – Wisdom

Differing Canons of the Old Testament

Hebrew - Torah

• Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy

Protestant + Catholic (*) Canon - Pentateuch • Genesis • Exodus • Leviticus • Numbers • Deuteronomy

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 *

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

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 (*)

Seven Key Moments

1. Exodus 2. Abraham 3. Creation 4. Monarchy 5. Prophets 6. Exile 7. Restoration

Israel’s History

1. Period of the Patriarchs / Ancestral Narratives – c. 1800 – 1700 BCE

- Abraham/Sarah/Hagar, Isaac/Rebecca, Jacob/Rachel/Leah/12 sons, Joseph

- Genesis 12-50 - Abraham promised: land, son, descendents,

God’s blessing - Promise/Fulfillment Theme

2. Exodus from Egypt – c. 1250 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

3. Joshua and Judges – 1200-1000 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

4. United Monarchy – 1020-922 BCE - Samuel – transition from Judges to

Monarchy - 1-2 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

5. Divided Kingdom – 922-721 BCE - 1-2 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 587

- Kings all struggle with fidelity to covenant - Prophets speak truth to power - Israel fails to heed words of the prophets

6. Exile – 587-537 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

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, …

8. Greek and Syrian Period – 334-63 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. 167-164 BCE - Book of Daniel – apocalyptic (end time) visions

offer consolation to persecuted Jews - Concept of afterlife develops

Seven Key Moments

1. Exodus 2. Abraham 3. Creation 4. Monarchy 5. Prophets 6. Exile 7. Restoration

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

1. The Exodus

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

– 14-15 – God leads Israel through the Red Sea • 16-18 – Difficulties in desert

– 19 – God appears to Moses atop Mt. Sinai • 20-23 – Covenant laws

– 24 – God seals the covenant atop Mt. Sinai • 25-31 – Ritual prescriptions

– 32-34 – God renews covenant atop Mt Sinai • 34-39 – Ritual prescriptions

– 40 – God fills the meeting tent with glory

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

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

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.”

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”

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

2. Abraham, Father of Faith

Genesis 12-50 • 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

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

“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

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

Creation Monarchy Prophets

Exile Restoration

Making Sense of the Old Testament 7 Key Moments

3. Creation

God’s Awesome Creation 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…

Genesis 1-11 • 4 basic stories: A/E, C/A, Noah,

Babel

• Each story has a) human sin, b) punishment, c) God’s grace

• Sin = overstepping human limits, playing God, brings chaos, death, brokenness, =/= God’s image, = life-giving, peace-making, justice-doing

• Grace – God brings order, life

Creation Account #1 Genesis 1:1-2:4a

• 6th century BC • 7 “days” • “God saw how good it was” • Liturgical, poetic hymn • God is transcendent • Humans are crown of creation • Institution of Sabbath

Creation Account #2 Genesis 2:4b – 3:24

• 10th century BC • Adam + Eve in Paradise • God is more immanent • Man created 1st - “breathed into” • Woman complements man • Institutes marriage

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

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

“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

Literary Forms in Genesis 1-11

• Myth – an imaginative and symbolic sacred story about a reality beyond human comprehension vs. something once believed to be true but now know is false

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

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

4. The Monarchy (c. 1020 – 587 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.”

Joseph Jensen

“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

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 …

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

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…”

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 …”

Saul – c. 1020-1000 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.”

David – c. 1000-961 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 (2 Sam 12:10)

Solomon – c. 961-922 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

Hezekiah – 715-687 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

Hezekiah – 715-687 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

Manasseh – c. 687-642 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

Jeremiah to Jehoiakim 609-598 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.”

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

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

• 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

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

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

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

6. The Exile - 587-537 BC

Why Exile?

• Detach from land Destroy spirit / resistance Suppress national identity

• Only political, ecclesiastical and intellectual leaders exiled – 4600?

• Diaspora

Jerusalem Attacked

• 2 Kings 24:8-16 - Nebuchadnezzar besieges city, deports king and elites

• 2 Kings 25:9 – Temple destroyed

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

Prophetic Comfort

• Deutero-Isaiah – ch. 40-55, is filled with images of comfort, hope, rebuilding, renewing, recreating – a new Exodus

• Ezekiel 37 – “dry bones”

• Jeremiah 31:31-34 – new covenant

Positive Developments in Exile

• Identification with covenant community is intensified – esp. Law + Tradition

• Monotheism + Torah + Sabbath emphasized

• Synagogues develop

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

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

Nehemiah

• “cupbearer to the king” of Persia – Neh 1:11 c. 445-417 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

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

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

This presentation is available at: www.rockforddiocese.org. Click on Education, then on

Adult Faith Formation