THE SPIRITUAL HISTORY OF ISRAEL by Jakób Jocz First published in 1961 by Eyre & Spottiswoode London Digital edition 2019 !1 of 170! About this digital edition This book has been reformatted for digital publishing. It differs from the original printed text in the following areas: - Page numbering (page references to Dr Jocz’s own works refer to the original published versions) - No index of names or subjects (but it is word searchable) - Positioning of notes after each chapter - Minor editing of the text (punctuation, etc.) - Document scanning may have introduced undiscovered errors !2 of 170! CONTENTS About this digital edition 2 Author's Acknowledgements 5 FORWARD 6 INTRODUCTION 8 1. The Bible 9 2. Revelation 10 3. The Validity of a Theological Approach to the Canon 15 4. The Writer’s Position 15 Notes to Introduction 16 I. THE BIBLICAL PATTERN 18 1. The Creation Story 18 2. The Father-Creator 21 Notes to Chapter I 23 II. THE CREATION OF MAN 25 1. The Imagio Dei Concept 25 2. Man’s Sickness 27 Notes to Chapter II 30 III. Man in Society 32 1. The Nations 32 2. Human Inter-relatedness 33 3. Divided Humanity 34 4. Biblical Universalism 35 5. Human Destiny 38 Notes to Chapter III 40 IV. ISRAEL 41 1. Election 41 2. Election of the Individual: Abraham 42 3. Election Of The Community 45 4. The Law 48 Notes to Chapter IV 65 V. THE PROPHETS 68 1. The Meaning of the Term Prophet 68 2. The True and the False Prophets 69 3. The Secret of the Prophet 71 4. The Prophet’s Message 75 5. The Prophets' Position in History 83 !3 of 170! Notes to Chapter V 84 VI. PROPHETIC HISTORIOSOPHY 86 1. The Small Things 87 2. The Balance of Justice 88 3. The Interconnection Between the Individual and Society 90 Notes to Chapter VI 92 VII. HAGIOGRAPHA 93 Notes to Chapter VII 98 VIII. THE STORY BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS 100 Notes to Chapter VIII 103 IX. THE SYNAGOGUE 104 1. The Torah 104 2. The Literary Foundations 105 3. The Teaching Of Judaism8 105 4. Relations with Christianity 109 5. Judaism in Relation to the Prophets 111 Notes to Chapter IX 113 X. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 114 1. The Gospel 115 2. The Historic Church 129 3. The Church in History 139 Notes to Chapter X 147 XI. THE PROPHETIC NOW 151 1. The Conjunctive Now 151 2. The Now of Decision 153 3. The Now of Renewal 154 4. The Category of Suspense 156 Notes to Chapter XI 165 BIBLIOGRAPHY 167 !4 of 170! Author's Acknowledgements The theme: "the Spiritual History of Israel", was originally suggested by the Rev. L. S. Albright, D.D., Director of the Canadian School of Missions, Toronto, as a course of lectures. These were delivered at the School in the fall and winter of 1958. I am grateful to Dr Albright for the impulse which ultimately resulted in the publication of the present book. Prof. R. A. Ward of Wycliffe College, Toronto, kindly read the MS. and made valuable suggestions; in addition, he generously agreed to write the Foreword. To have his name associated with this book adds to it a good measure of theological respectability. My dear friend, E. P. E. Lipson, M.A., out of the goodness of his heart, has undertaken to read the proofs and to verify the biblical quotations. The author owes to him a great debt of gratitude for his valuable help. Amidst many duties, my wife has managed to find both patience and time to decipher my handwriting, to type the MS. and to compile the indices. To her goes the credit for performing the most tiresome task, with cheerfulness and devotion. Last, but not least, I am indebted to the Publishers for their painstaking care over the production of this work. !5 of 170! FORWARD by Professor R. A. Ward, M.A., B.D., Ph.D. I have been asked to write a Foreword to the book written by my friend and colleague, the Reverend Dr Jakob Jocz, Professor of Systematic Theology in Wycliffe College in the University of Toronto. To some extent his request is an embarrassing one. "I have need to be baptised of thee, and comest thou to me?" His profound scholarship and wide reputation need no comment of mine. But such is the persuasion of friendship that I have given way - with a good deal of pleasure. Dr. Jocz disclaims any party association, and this is characteristic of the man. At all times he remains himself, his unique, critical, believing and lovable self. He is not a liberal ("It is an aberration of theology . .") and he dislikes fundamentalism. I share his dislike of certain aspects of this movement, especially in some parts of the world where contending for the faith has become little more than virulent abuse. Indeed I deprecate the use of the term itself, as it has become a theological swear-word, not to be used in polite society. But I am entirely with him in his objection to what may be termed the 'mechanical' in our view of Holy Scripture. Fortunately evangelicals have long ago shifted from this position, though it is not always realized by their critics. It may indeed be questioned whether scholarly evangelicals have ever really believed in a mechanical theory of inspiration. The author, then, is repelled by the two extremes. Where are the readers to place this man who would elude the party whips? He believes in the catholicity of the Church but he does not place more weight on the word 'catholic' than it was meant to bear. There is reason to believe that the uncompromising rigidity of certain contributions to ecumenical discussion has shown him his true place. I believe that his place - and his heart - is with those Christians who stand under the Word of God and are skilled in what used to be called experimental "religion". That, ultimately, is the theme of this book. The prophets, says Dr Jocz, are a special case. Their secret is beyond our investigation and cannot be rationalized or explained. "But it is not the secret of the gnostic or the initiated who keeps his knowledge for the select few; it is rather the secret of the inner life of faith open to all who want to enter into its sanctuary." Those who have thus entered and enjoy that fellowship with God in Christ through the Spirit which is nowadays called experiential "religion" are at one with the prophets: there is a prophetic preaching and a prophetic hearing of the Word of God. This should be pondered by pulpit and pew alike. There are places in this book where our paths separate. I should wish to assign far more historicity to some passages in the Old Testament than Dr Jocz would allow; and I believe in election to salvation as well as election to service. How did I ever have the sense to believe in Christ unless He chose me before I chose Him? Without His effective call, should I ever have responded? Again, without this doctrine of 'unspeakable comfort', as Article XVII terms it, how would the preacher proclaim his message with the conviction that "I have much people in this city"? I see no reason to criticize the statement in the Athanasian Creed that our Lord Jesus Christ is one Christ, "not by conversion of Godhead into flesh, but by taking manhood into God", though I sympathize with the truth for which Dr Jocz is contending. Much !6 of 170! depends on the meaning of 'conversion' here. But these, and other such subjects have long been debated within the evangelical camp, just as in the days of Wesley and Whitefleld. These are not trivial matters. But they have not quite that centrality which we associate with St Paul's expression, 'the Word of the Cross'. What evangelical, then, could quarrel with a man whose theological thought converges on the Cross and whose personal life radiates from it? Consider these significant quotations: "The 'wrath of God' is not meant to be treated as a metaphor but as a terrifying fact. We will never understand the Gospel unless we grasp the seriousness of God's judgement upon sin. The Law speaks in no metaphors but in dead earnestness about God's displeasure with the sinner. The sacrifice on the Cross on the part of the Messiah is the means whereby atonement is achieved. God, though righteous and holy, accepts the Death of His Son in lieu of the death of the sinner and graciously forgives. What the Gospel offered was nothing less than salvation as a fact here and now." All this speaks for itself. Dr Jocz speaks from within, and as a hearer. He declines a label and will not attach himself to any particular school of thought. So be it. He retains his intellectual and theological freedom. But he will not complain if those who glory in the authentic New Testament Gospel and strengthen one another's hands in evangelical associations claim him as a brother. Deep called unto deep. The author is stimulating, even provocative at times. In his exposition he can criticize urban civilization and make the Tower of Babel relevant to our day and generation. He sees in the perspective of history that the encounter between Church and world has affected both parties, and he therefore draws a distinction between Christianity and the Gospel. All who love the Reformation - and Dr Jocz is a theologian in the reformed tradition - will welcome the statement that "there is probably a closer connection between primitive Christianity and the Old Testament, than there is between the former and historic Christianity".