Old Testament Ethics: Principles of Living for the People of GodIntroduction and Hermeneutics

© 2010 David W. Opderbeck

Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution / Share-Alike

Introductions

•Getting to Know Each Other•Themes and Texts for our Study•Digging Deep: Some Additional

Resources

Some Theological and Methodological Presuppositions• The Biblical text is God’s text• God speaks incarnationally in the Biblical text in human words,

within the context of diverse times, cultures, literary forms, and language

• The Biblical narrative is particular, purposeful, and progressive• The Biblical text narrates, through its plurality of literary

forms, the unifying story of God’s redemption mission, which culminates in and through the person of Jesus Christ

• The Biblical text can only be truly understood and lived out as its meaning is made known to us by the Holy Spirit, drawing us into proper relationship with Christ, the community of the Church, and the world

• Good readings of the Biblical materials therefore are Trinitarian, theological, narratival and praxiological

A Brief General Timeline

Creation andProto-history

Flood Judgment and Scattering of Nations

Abraham – Joseph – Egyptian Sojourn

Moses – Exodus - Wandering

Conquest – Judges

United Kingdom – Saul, David, Solomon

Divided Kingdom

Exile Restoration of Jerusalem

Conflict, Revolt, Roman Rule

NT

Solomon’s Temple

Destruction of Temple and Jerusalem

Herod’s Temple (“Second Temple”)

c. 2200 B.C.

c. 1500 B.C.

c. 1400 B.C.

c. 1000 B.C.

c. 900 B.C.

c. 600 B.C.

c. 500 B.C.

c. 400 B.C.

A.D. 1

The OT Ethical TriangleGod

The Theological Angle

IsraelThe Social Angle

The LandThe Economic Angle

Source: Christopher J.H. Wright, “Old Testament Ethics for the People of God”

The OT Ethical Triangle

Source: Christopher J.H. Wright, “Old Testament Ethics for the People of God”

God

Israel

The Land

The Church koinonia

OT

NTTypological

Paradigmatic

Eschatological

Humanity(fallen)

Redeemed Humanity

The New Creation

The Earth(cursed)

Applying our Biblical Reading

•What are the central theological themes of Deuteronomy 4-6 and our other readings for the week?

•What are the central social themes?•What are the central economic themes?•What hints do these broad themes give us

about God’s purposes for the OT law? What about his purposes for us today?