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Session 1: Introductions to the Old Testament, Covenants, & Creation

Why Study the OT? 1. ______. Since the Old Testament is God’s Holy Word and since you are a servant of the Church which is divinely commissioned to proclaim “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), it is incumbent upon you as a leader of the Church to have a competent knowledge of the content and message of each book in the Pentateuch and historical books. See 2 Tim 3:16-17. 2. ______. As ministers of the Church, we are charged to “give the reason for the hope” that we have (1 Pet 3:15) and to “preach the Word” (2 Tim 4:1); therefore, we will learn the great themes and theological emphases of each book with the purpose of better equipping the saints for ministry. 3. ______. The purpose of the Old Testament is to encourage us so that we will live in obedience and with hope (Rom 15:4; 1 Cor 10:6). Therefore, you will discover and apply the message(s) of the Old Testament to your contemporary setting, both personally and corporately. 4. To better understand the ______. ❖ The apostles and Christ preached Christ and his salvation from the OT – Luke 24:27; 44-49; Mt 5:17-18; Acts 2:14-41; Romans 4 – the OT was the gospel before the Gospels ❖ 300 formal quotations of OT ❖ 1600 NT citations (rewording, paraphrasing, and allusions) of 1200 OT texts

What is the OT? 1. Old Testament/Covenant refers to the ______– the 10 commandments (Ex. 20:1-17; Dt. 5:1-21) and the laws given by Moses. These commandments were given that the people might live (Dt. 5:33) and pointed to their salvation/exodus (Dt. 6:20-25). The Old Covenant was perfect, but man was not and could not circumcise his own heart (Dt. 10:16), so a new covenant was necessary and announced in Jeremiah 31:31-34 ❖ Old Testament is a Christian term – Jews refer to the Old Testament as the Tanak or simply “Holy Scriptures” ❖ Tanak – Torah (Law); Nevi’im (Prophets); Kethu’bim (Writings) ❖ Torah (Moses) Prophets (Isaiah) Writings (David)

2. Books and Setting ❖ 39 books in the English Bible which number ______in the Hebrew ❖ Written over a period of at least 1000 years (1400-400 BC) – passed down in written (and oral) form – Cf. Dt. 31:9-13, 24-27; Prov. 29:18; 2 Kgs 22:8 ❖ At least 30 different human authors ❖ Language – written in ______and some ______; translated from ancient times into many languages (Greek (LXX - Septuagint), Aramaic (Targum), Peshitta/Syro-hexapla (Syriac), Vulgate (Latin)) – the Hebrew was preserved by a group called the Masoretes who preserved the reading tradition and 2

ultimately put vowels and punctuation into the text ❖ Important Manuscripts A. Masoretic Hebrew – Oldest complete is Leningrad Codex B19a which dates to 1008 BC; Aleppo Codex is missing most of the Pentateuch and dates to 925 AD; Masoretic families were most active from 500 AD on, but the tradition may go back to Ezra who skilled in the law of Moses (Ezra 7:6) and had his heart set on studying, doing, and teaching the law (7:10) B. Septuagint (LXX) – “Seventy” – Greek translation of the Bible from about 300 BC to 100 AD C. Dead Sea Scrolls – Manuscripts from 3rd century BC to 70 AD that were discovered in caves at Qumran – very close to Masoretic text and revealed no “leaps” in doctrine

Geography – Palestine is very small in relation to the ANE, but the Bible focuses on it • ______– Crescent moon shape of fertile lands around (north and west of) the desert • Palestine is a land bridge between the great empires of south and northeast; it is landlocked so they never developed a maritime presence; two rainy seasons – most arable land in center, north is rocky, south is wilderness • Palestine divided East to West into Coastal Plains (not much of their history because it is controlled by the Phoenicians and Philistines), Central Mountains (primary residence), Rift Valley (unique geographical region; very low; part of the Great Rift; Dead Sea is lowest part; Jordan river is 200 miles because of shape, only 60 straight miles between Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea, floods often), Transjordan Mountains; Desert; size of New Jersey • Palestine divided North to South into Cisjordan: Galilee (mountainous and rocky), Samaria (mountainous and rocky), Judah; Transjordan (Bashan, Gilead, Moab) • Significance ➢ Isolated - landlocked ➢ Geographically diverse makes communication difficult and keeps the tribes working in some isolation ➢ Many city-states ➢ Hebrew people took over mountainous regions and could see the valleys and rich fields around them – tempted them to look to the gods of those nations

The Covenants of the Bible

1. ______Covenant – Though we don’t know much about the covenantal nature of Eden, we do know that God did form a covenant with Adam and Eve from Hosea 6:5-7.

7 As at Adam, they have broken the covenant; they were unfaithful to me there. 3

• Comparison – The covenant is compared to the Mosaic covenant. Both are ones that were broken by a special people set aside by God and tasked with bearing his name. • Result – Like Israel, Adam and Eve’s Failure lead to a rejection of them as God’s people (see Hosea 1:9). • Promise – Also like Israel, Adam and Eve are given a promise of future renewal for their progeny (see Hosea 11, 14)

2. ______Covenant – The covenant with Adam begins in the Garden with Genesis 3:15 and 3:21. Adam and Eve are punished, but given future hope of redemption. • Continuity – The two are cast from the garden but they are expected to continue the terms of the Edenic covenant in the larger world as a whole. They are to be fruitful and multiply, subdue the earth and have dominion, and to follow the laws of God. Their only hope of salvation lies in believing the promises of God. • Hope – This is seen and expressed by Eve in her exclamation over Cain (Genesis 4:1). This is also seen in those individuals who in small ways follow after God and especially in Enoch from the line of Seth. He is close to God in such a way that the promise of redemption seems to come to him in an early, prefigurative way (Genesis 5:18-24). • Despair – The hope of Genesis 1-11 is tempered and seemingly destroyed by 3 major events: Cain & Abel; The Wicked Earth, and Babel. • Ultimate Salvation – The ultimate salvation of those who trust in God can be seen in 3 increasingly narrow bloodlines: Seth, Noah, and Shem.

3. ______Covenant – Though sometimes isolated from the other covenants, God’s covenant with Noah and all flesh is an important link in the history of the King’s Covenants with his people. It is a natural transition from the somewhat mysterious world of pre-flood times, to the narrowing of the line to Abraham • Requirements of the Covenant – don’t eat blood and don’t take life of man • The Sign of the Covenant – the Rainbow • The Covenant is everlasting (9:16) • This Covenant is with “Noah and his Seed” (9:9) and “All Flesh” (9:17)

4. ______Covenant (11:27-15:21; 17:1-14) • Three major promises are contained in 12:1-3: ______, ______, ______• The Sign of Circumcision (Genesis 17:1-14) 1) Sign of a chosen people to separate from the nations 2) Visible on each man, everyday 3) Loins – denoting the seed being set aside 4) Prefigures heart circumcision of new covenant (Dt. 10:12-21; Jer 31:31-34)

5. ______Covenant (Exodus 19-24) – The Mosaic covenant comes at a point when the promises to Abraham are physically being fulfilled in Egypt and Israel. Though there is a new King in Egypt who does not know Joseph (1:8) and who oppresses God’s 4

people, Yahweh still clearly reigns as king as can be seen in Moses’ life and interaction with Pharaoh. The Mosaic covenant will provide the laws and essentially the life desired by the king for the kingdom people.

6. ______Covenant (2 Samuel 7) This covenant amplifies and confirms the seed promises of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3). The Davidic Covenant promises David an eternal house, an eternal throne, and an eternal kingdom, and guarantees that the right to rule over Israel will always belong to one of David’s descendants (cf. Lk. 1:31-33).

7. ______Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-33) • New Covenant: Note the covenant formula: "I will be their God and they will be my people" (v. 33b) • Contrasts with Mosaic Covenant: ➢ Law is in the hearts, not just on Tablets: People will keep this covenant because the law will be written on the people's hearts (minds). ➢ Circumcision: Even under the Mosaic covenant Israel was to be circumcised of heart/mind not just flesh (Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). However, under the New Covenant, only those so circumcised will be part of the covenant. • Knowledge of God: Knowledge of God will now be Universal (34a) • Forgiveness of Sin: Forgiveness will now be universal (34b) • New Testament is derived from this term New Covenant.

Creation Issues

The Options 1. ______Evolution – Life evolved over billions of years by random chance; God is not involved. Is there evidence for the position?

2. ______Evolution – Evolution happened after initial creation; God superintended the process. ➢ Contradicts biblical record of instantaneous creation “out of nothing” (ex nihilo). ➢ Hard to reconcile with a real Adam and Eve. ➢ Can’t be reconciled with 2:7, 19, & 22.

3. ______Creation – Earth is millions or billions of years old. Evolution is rejected in favor of God creating over a long period of time, and the Earth is probably not created in 6 literal days.

4. ______Earth Creation – The Earth is only thousands of years old and was created in 6 literal days. However, there are gaps in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. Usually around 10-30 thousand years are added to square with archaeological finds and scientific data. This group usually agrees with the Young Earth position back to the time of 5

Abraham’s birth.

5. ______Creation – Earth created in 6 literal days at a time that can be at least approximated according to literal genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11. The age is somewhere around 6,000 years old.

Specific Theories

Old Earth Creation Theories (Gap, Framework, Day-Age, etc.) – See reasons.org. ➢ Pros 1. Commitment to biblical authority and a literal view of Genesis. 2. Commitment to making sense of scientific data. 3. Sometimes commitment to contextual definition of “day” (yōm) 4. Opposition to evolution

➢ Cons 5. Difficulty with many texts A. Genesis 1:1-2 does not provide for a gap without forcing the meaning of the Hebrew. A “Gap” translation is not supported by any ancient version of the Bible. B. Exodus 20:11 “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.” C. Old Earth Theories provide for death, disease, and suffering before the Fall. a) Rom 5:12 – There could not have been human sin or death before Adam. b) Adam was the first man (1 Cor 15), and as a result of his rebellion (sin), death and corruption (disease, bloodshed, and suffering) entered the universe. Before Adam sinned there could not have been any animal or human death, nor could there have been a race of men before Adam that died in “Lucifer's flood” because 1 Cor 15:45 tells us that Adam was the “first” man. c) Gen 1:2930: the animals and man were originally vegetarian. This is consistent with God's description of the creation as “very good.” d) Rom 8:22 “we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.” Clearly the whole of creation was, and is, subject to decay and corruption because of sin. 6. Does not deal with some scientific issues: the decay and rapid reversals of the earth's magnetic field; the quantity of helium in the earth's atmosphere; the amount of salt in the oceans; the windup of spiral galaxies; Niagra falls; etc. 7. Does not accomplish the goal of matching Scripture with scientific data. 8. This is a “new” theory. When something has never been seen in the whole history of the church or Judaism but appears in response to science, we must carefully examine it. It has proven to be a slippery slope that has led to the ruin of many people’s view 6

of Scripture.

Young Earth Creation ➢ Definition – The Earth was created in 6 literal days with no gaps. Its age can be measured in thousands or tens of thousands of years, not millions or billions.

➢ Best place to find information on the position: www.answersingenesis.org. The leading proponent of the theory is perhaps Ken Ham.

➢ Pros 9. Most literal reading of Genesis and the rest of Scripture. 10. Comports well with much archaeological, geological, and scientific data. 11. “Old” theory that was almost universally held among believers and most non- believers until the theories of evolution and an old Earth surfaced. 12. There is no slippery slope that leads to evolution.

➢ Cons 13. Difficulty with some scientific data. Not accepted by most scientists today as plausible. • Note: To counteract some of these scientific problems, two views are taken. The first is to say that we currently misunderstand scientific data and that things will all eventually be explained. The second is to say that God created the Earth with an “appearance of age.” 2. Genesis 2 and the naming of the animals – how can Adam name so many animals in one day and still have time to be created along with the animals, fall into a deep sleep and loose a rib, and wake up and rejoice at the sight of Woman? 3. The order of creation seems strange – How can there be night and day without the sun and moon?

Semi-Young Earth vs. Young Earth ➢ The Generations of Genesis vs. those of other parts of the Bible – must be clear that the generations in Genesis are different from those of other parts of the Bible. Do not use the argument that Matthew skips generations because of a numbering scheme, so Genesis does also because they are both genealogies. Other evidence must be found if one wants to diminish the tightly-woven generations of Genesis 5 and 11. ➢ The Problem of Kenan (Cainan) – Kenan is listed as the son of Arpaxad in Luke 3:36 and in the LXX, but not in any Hebrew manuscripts. How do we interpret this? There were generations skipped or there was a textual problem early on in the Hebrew that eliminated Kenan (perhaps because of the same name in chapter 5) from the Hebrew.

Conclusions – Christianity & Creation 1. ______in any form is not compatible with a biblical worldview. 2. Old and young earth creation are ______views for a Christian to hold. 7

3. Cannot use ______arguments for any position. Admit that Young Earth has problems with scientific thought and that Old Earth is difficult to square with many texts. 4. All ______views can be compatible with “young Adam”.

Questions for Next Week: 1. Look at the word “good” in Genesis 1-2. What does its use teach us about creation? 2. Look at Genesis 2. What does the content and placement of the chapter says about God’s design for marriage? 3. Look at the Noahic Covenant in Genesis 8:20-9:29. How is this covenant still in effect today? 4. As you read Genesis, notice the actions of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What would you consider the major character strength & flaw in each man? 5. Read Genesis 38. Why do you think the story of Judah and Tamar is put in the midst of the narrative about Joseph? What are the main lessons from Genesis 38? 8

Session 2: Introduction to the Pentateuch & Genesis

Outline Primeval Patriarchal 1:1 11:26|11:27 50:26

“These are the Generations of . . . ” – Tōledōt statements – 3 outcomes Creation (1:1-2:3) The Generations of … Heavens and Earth (2:4-4:26) Terah (11:27-25:11) Adam (5:1-6:8) Ishmael (25:12-18) Noah (6:9-9:29) Isaac (25:19-35:29) Noah’s Sons (10:1-11:9) Esau (36-37:1) Shem (11:10-26) Jacob (37:2-50:26)

In the Beginning (1:1-2) • In the beginning – The phrase is one word in Hebrew denoting the start of something – here it is the start of giving form and substance to the universe as we know it. • God – The plural Hebrew word Elohim is commonly used for both the God of the Bible and the individual gods of the nations. No distinction is usually made between one god and many gods. Though this possibly refers to the Trinity in a secondary way, the plural is probably used for two main reasons: 1) As a plural of majesty denoting the greatness of God, kind of like the “royal we.” 2) This is the proper way to denote the God of the universe without being a personal name which may be the case with El. Note that the shortened form is used in some place and with people and place names. • Created – The Hebrew bara denotes spontaneous generations. Only God truly creates – all of man’s creativity is derived from his relation to God. • Heavens and Earth – This merism denotes the totality of all physical existence that we know. The generation of the substance of all created order is generated in verse 1. • Without form and void – This phrase denotes the undefined, unfilled state of the earth before the 6 days of creation begin. The first three days of creation will reverse the issue of form, the last three days will address the issue of void.

Day 1 – Light Day 4 – Lights Day 2 – Sky/Water Day 5 – Birds/Fish Day 3 – Land/Plants Day 6 – Animals/Humans

• Darkness over the Deep – Along with “formless and void,” this phrase adds an ominous tone to the narrative. God has created, but thus far the result has no form, filling, or light. • The Spirit of God – The Spirit is pictured as a bird (cf. Dt. 32:11) hovering over the abyss to show that God is in control of the formless, dark void. The Spirit is pictured throughout Scripture as giving and taking life and filling temples with the presence of God (cf. Job 33:4; 9

Ps 104:30; Eccl 12:7; Lk 23:46 and Exodus 28:3; 35:31; Ps 104:1-4; Lk 1:35; John 2:19; 1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:22).

The Days of Creation

The Creation Formula • And God said, “Let there be …” • And there was … • And God saw that ______was good • God separates and specifies function • And there was evening and morning, the ______day

Light (3-5): How is there night and day (Day 1) before the Sun, Moon and Stars (Day 4)? • There can be light and darkness outside of the Sun, Moon, and Stars. Revelation 21:23 says one day the glory of God will be our light, and we know the wicked will spend eternity in a place of darkness from Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30. • There can be morning and evening without the Sun, Moon, and Stars. All that is needed is the rotation of the earth. • The creation of light and darkness on earth before the creation of the heavenly bodies strikes against those many civilizations that worshipped the Sun as a god (i.e., Egypt). • These verses teach that God, not the sun and stars, is the ultimate source of light.

Expanse (6-8): The meaning here is somewhat unclear but the expanse has to ultimately refer to at least part of the atmosphere. It is the space that separates all earthly water from heavenly water. Some take the waters above to refer to a radically different type of earth before the fall but this is no necessarily the case as it could refer simply to clouds and airborne moisture.

Earth and Vegetables (9-13): In preparation for animals and humans, God causes great shifts in the features of the earth to create the current land formations. To this he adds self-sustaining plants that have their own seeds in them. Both statements are powerful rebuttals to ancient cosmologies that depicts the earth and its fertility as results of favor of the gods in response to human activity.

The Ruling Lights (14-19): God next fills the heavens with the sun, moon, and stars. Far from being the deities of other nations, these are created things with the specific purpose of providing light and “ruling” over the day and night. The ruling seems to match the language of man ruling on earth and indicates that the moon and sun are to be the preeminent bodies during these times.

Fliers and Swimmers (20-23): God creates birds and fish with the express purpose filling their respective spheres. The creatures range in size and type but are each created according to their own kind.

Cattle, Creepers, and Beasts (24-25): Livestock refers to domesticated animals and the 10 creepers and beasts refer to the rest. It’s hard to tell what exactly is in view with the two designations, but probably animals that will eventually be carnivores are in view with beasts as in other places (Job 5:22; Ps 79:2; Ezek 29:5; 32:4; 34:28).

Mankind’s Commission (1:26-31)

Explicit: 1. Be Fruitful and Multiply – Fill the earth – procreation before the Fall 2. Subdue and have Dominion over the Earth 3. Don’t eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:16-17)

Implicit: 1. Bear the image of God 2. Elevate the Word of God over all other things 3. Watch over, care for, and protect your wife (to Man only).

What is the image of God? 1. It is not a physical image: God is spirit. 2. It is not sexual: Man and Woman are both made in the image of God 3. It is functional: What we do is a reflection of who God is and what he does. We are to fill the earth and have dominion over it. 4. It is atemporal: The image has to do with eternality of God and his imparting of this quality to man. It gives man a quality of eternality that will not be taken away. 5. It is moral: The image has to do with setting apart of man from rest of creatures by the performance of moral deeds based on the character of God.

Note: Man is still the image bearer after the fall (9:6) and in the NT (1 Cor 11; James 3:9).

Man’s NT Commission (Matthew 28:18-20): Jesus gives us the NT equivalent of the commission to Adam and Eve. His ability to do so is based on the fact that he has done what Adam was originally supposed to do and now has all power in heaven and earth. 1. Go and Make Disciples – the spiritual equivalent of be fruitful and multiply. Christians are to fill the earth with Christians not by physical reproduction (though this often leads to making disciples) but through the spread of the Gospel. 2. Baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit – This act pictures the transformation of a life from being at enmity with God to being like Christ. Thus, this pictures that the person is a new creation and now able to bear the image of God properly through as Adam and Eve were new creations and were to bear the image. 3. Teach them to Observe All I Have Commanded You – God still wants his people to obey him and choose life over death (the very choice that Adam and Eve did not make). 4. I Am With You Always – As Adam and Eve were in the Garden with God, so we can know that Christ is with us always. The manifestation is certainly different, but the power and person is the same. 11

Very Good – God departs from the typical formula of creation here to denote that his creation of man and woman was very good, an appropriate crown to creation.

Man and the Garden (2:1-25)

The Day of Rest (2:1-3) • Sabbath – The word Sabbath does not indicate cessation from labor due to difficulty or exhaustion. Rather, it points to cessation from labor to achieve a specific purpose: celebrating the completion of labor. • Pattern – God sets forth a pattern for mankind of rest from labor. He rested after completion of the 6-day creation so people should rest every seventh day to celebrate a successful week of work and remember God’s creation. • Is the Sabbath for today? Exod 31:17; Col 2:16-17; Heb 4:3-10

The Order of Creation: 1. Does the Creation Order of Genesis 2 contradict the creation order of Genesis 1? • In chapter 1, it is creation by fiat (God spoke...) but in chapter 2 it is by “forming” (see 2:19, “the Lord God formed every beast of the field”). ➢ Instead of contradicting each other, these chapters actually give the reader a wonderful picture of how creation took place. ➢ The Father, Son, and Spirit were each involved in creation. In chapter 1, we see the Father speaking and his Word becoming reality. The NT (see John 1:1-3; Eph 3:9; Col 1:16-17; Hebrew 1:1-4) present Jesus as the Word of God and Creator of the Universe. Thus, God forming in chapter 2 would be the Son forming man and breaking life into his nostrils. The Spirit is hovering over the face of the waters in 1:2 and is the breath that gives life to man in chapter 2 (see also Job 26:13; 33:4; Psalms 33:6; 104:30). • The sequence of presentation in chapter 1 is vegetation, birds and fish, animals, man and woman. The sequence in chapter 2 is man, vegetation, animals, and woman. ➢ There are many possible answers to this question, but one point to be made is that Moses is here presenting material in different ways to make different points about creation. ➢ The verbs can be taken as “pluperfects” in chapter 2. This would mean chapter 2 is not chronological but show what God had done previously. ➢ The order of events in chapter 1 is chronological; in chapter 2 it is logical and topical, from man to his environment. Most of chapter 2 is an expansion of chapter 1. Chapter 1 is concerned with world and the universe, while chapter 2 focuses on the garden. Chapter 1 is cosmic, while chapter 2 is localized.

Creation of Man: Man is made from the ground and has the breath of God. We know that animals also have the breath of God from passages like Psalm 104:28-30. 12

The Garden 1. God makes a special place for man to live: A Garden in the East. 2. The description of the Garden is such that it would be in Iraq by modern day standards. However, this is not sure because of the flood. 3. The Trees: God puts both the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden. This seems to be a test for man since the garden in Revelation only has a tree of life (Rev 22:2). 4. Work: Work is established before the Fall and even before the creation of Woman as a good thing. It is a gift of God to serve him by using the ability he has given us. Adam is given responsibility over the whole earth in chapter 1 but here is given responsibility specifically over the Garden. 5. The Command: God gives a simple command (thus law is before the Fall and good!) that Adam should eat of every tree except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eating this tree (disobeying God) will bring death.

The Creation of Woman • Chapter 1 builds to the creation of man and woman. Chapter 2 builds to the creation of woman (and marriage). The point of the perfect man on a perfect earth in a perfect garden not being yet “good” is that man needs woman. The two genders are created for each other. • “Not Good” – This break in the pattern of speech by God is startling. Something in a perfect creation is “not good.” By this, God doesn’t mean “not perfectly created”; he means “not completely created.” • A Helper Suitable – God starts to make a helper for man that is exactly like he needs. “Helper” implies someone to carry out the tasks that God has given Adam. • The Animals – God has created animals and brings them to Adam to name. This shows his dominion over them but also gives Adam a chance to realize that he has no helper that is fit for him. • The Rib – God causes a Deep Sleep to come over Adam and does some genetic engineering, making a woman out of man. Notice that woman is created from man but is still in the image of God.

Adam’s Response • Adam responds with joy and insight in response to God’s creation of woman. He is genuinely pleased with God’s gift of a helper. Here we find the first poem of the Bible and man’s only words spoken prior to the Fall. • Bone of My Bones and Flesh of My Flesh – Adam shows insight in understanding what God has done. Eve is like him and was made from his genetic material. • WOMAN! – Adam names Womankind (perhaps indicating what he does with the animals) according to her origin. She is ishsha because she was taken form ish.

A Statement about Marriage • Who wrote the last two verses? Probably Moses wrote the final two verses since Adam 13

would have no concept of leaving father and mother. God, through Moses, here elevates marriage as a sacred institution. • Leave and Cleave: Denotes that the marriage relationship is closer and more important than the parent-child relationship (basically, the fifth commandment!). Also shows how closely a man is to guard his wife – in a way that nothing can come between them. It is the husband’s primary responsibility to leave and cleave but the wife is to do the same (see Psalm 45). • One Flesh: This denotes several things: the reunion of two fleshes that were once one, the production of one flesh (a baby) from two, and the joining in the sexual act. The two are to live and act as one; indeed, God views them as one. This verse is what Jesus is thinking of when he is asked about divorce (see Mt 19). • Naked and Not Ashamed: Denotes the intended uniqueness and purity of the marriage relationship. The only see nakedness as the state of creation, not a situation that allows one person to exploit the body of another.

The Fall The Serpent – The serpent is a created beast and thus is good before the fall. Satan takes the form of the serpent or possesses a serpent. He deals with the woman first which seems to be connected to his craftiness. Satan speaks a mixture of lie and truth (3:22) and appeals to the woman’s “vanity” and “self-centeredness.”

Sin – must deal with what the sin is 1. Eve broke God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (1 Tim 2:13-14) in direct contradiction of God’s command and leads her husband to sin. 2. Adam broke the same command, but also failed at protecting his wife and letting her have lordship over him. He listened to wife over God. Note sin had to come to the whole human race through Adam, not Eve since he was the head of creation. This is why we are born sinful and why we must be reborn as the heir the man Jesus Christ in order to be forgiven of our sin. 3. They both tried to hide from God, lie to him, and deflect the blame

Curse 1. Curse on Serpent – The snake will crawl on its belly and eat dust. The seed of the serpent will be at enmity with man –both the physical seed of a snake & spiritual seed of Satan. 2. “Curse” on Woman – The woman will have pain in childbirth – both physical and emotional. The woman will also have seed that is in a battle with Satan. Finally, she will have a desire to rule over husband without ability to do so. 3. “Curse” on Man – Man’s curse is actually a curse on mankind since Adam represents all men and women. He will eat from the ground by sweat & pain and experience death & decay. 4. The Ground – Note that the ground is cursed on because of sin. The entrance of death, catastrophic events, and the decay of creation is due to man’s sin. Man’s sin still effect the world so that creation groans for the day of redemption when there will be no sin. 14

Grace 1. Genesis 3:15 – The seed of the woman will triumph over the seed of Satan which will set up an ability to return to fellowship with God. 2. Continued life, food, marriage 3. Genesis 3:21 – God provides a covering for man but note that the price is blood. God kills the first animal to cover our sin. 4. (Guards the garden with an sword-wielding being)

Jesus Christ as Second Adam 1. Roman 5:12ff. – Adam and Jesus Christ as proper representatives 2. 1 Cor. 15:22 – All die in Adam and live in Christ

The Flood

Events Introduction (6:9-10) Violence in God’s Creation (6:11-12) 1st Address: Resolution to Destroy (6:13-22) 2nd Address: Command to Enter Ark (7:1-10) Beginning of Flood (7:11-16) Rising of Waters (7:17-24) God Remembers Noah (8:1a) Receding of Waters (8:1b-5) Drying of the Earth (8:6-14) 3rd Address: Command to Leave Ark (8:15-19) 4th Address: Resolution to Preserve Order (8:20-22) 5th Address: Covenant Blessing and Peace (9:1-17) Conclusion (9:18-19)

Numbers 7 days of waiting for flood (7:4) 7 days of waiting for flood (7:10) 40 days of flood (7:17) 150 days of water triumphing (7:24) 150 days of water waning (8:3) 40 days of waiting to send bird (8:6) 7 days of waiting for dove (8:10) 7 days of waiting for dove (8:12)

The Ark: Is it feasible? • Dimensions: 450 ft. long, 75 wide, 45 high: These dimensions are about the maximum 15

dimensions that a wooden boat could be built and still be sea-worthy. Models made of boats of such dimensions do very well in test and would be able to withstand the tumultuous water conditions (waves up to 98 feet high) that would exist because of a catastrophic flood. • Building the Ark: The people of Noah’s time would certainly have the technology to build this size vessel. Noah and his sons (and their wives) alone could have done so with much time and patience or they could have hired others to help. • Rounding Up the Animals: Noah did not have to go get the animals – God brought them to him. The trip would be possible for the animals given what we know about modern migratory capabilities of animals. • Could the animals fit? Yes! Remember that there were fewer species then than now. Two dogs would be sufficient genetic material for all the dogs we have today. This is true for cats and elephants and all species. Noah also only need the land animals and birds – water animals, some amphibians, and some insects could have survived without being on the ark. This would put the total number of species at as low as two thousand which would comfortably fit on the first two levels the ark and left plenty of room for food and water. Noah would have taken juvenile animals which would be smaller and more capable of breading afterwards. • Can Noah care for all these animals? Yes! This is basically all he and his family had to do. Also, the task would have been easier with the building of feed bins and watering troughs (which these people certainly would have had) and with the facts that many of the animals could have been in a type of hibernation.

The Flood and Geological Science: Geological science is one of the main reasons used to justify an old earth. However, most geological strata are explained well by the flood. The flood was a catastrophic event that involved the release of great amounts of water from the atmosphere and the earth. It also involved earthquakes, volcanoes, and the reformation to a large degree of the earth’s surface. These events would naturally cause the strata to form. Such strata can even been seen since the flood in civilizations of the ancient near east.

Global vs. Local Flood • Many want to see a local flood but there is no hint of this in the Bible and no need for it in a Young Earth model. • Genesis 7:19-20 says that the flood prevailed 15 cubits upward and the mountains were covered. • God’s intention and action is to wipe out all men and creature of the earth not just some of them (Gen 6:7; 8:21). • Jesus likens the judgment on Noah’s day to the final judgment (Mt. 24:37-39). • If the flood was local, Noah and his family could have walked to safety and would not have needed to take the animals.

Where is Noah’s Ark Today?

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Symbolism of the Ark: One thing about the flood story that can’t be overlooked is the symbolism of the ark. The word for ark (tebah) is only used elsewhere in Scripture to describe the basket that saved Moses. The ark is clearly a vessel of salvation. Noah’s family is saved providentially – God even shuts the door behind them (Gen 7:16). The NT sees Jesus as our savior and 2 Peter 3:7 seems to relate his salvation to that of the ark.

The Covenant with Noah 8:20 Noah builds an altar – shows that a covenant was already in place or that man naturally knew to sacrifice; Blood was necessary for forgiveness

8:21 God’s response 1. Is pleased with the sacrifice 2. Will never again curse the ground 3. Acknowledges Man’s Evil 4. Will never again strike down every living creature as before 5. Time will not cease while the earth remains

9:1 God’s Blessing 1. Be fruitful and multiply – hearkens back to the Garden 2. Fear of man is upon all creatures 3. Animals, in addition to plants, are given as food

Requirements of the Covenant – don’t eat blood and don’t take life of man; will insure the prevention of the wickedness that prompted the flood; basis for the command is that men are made in God’s image – death penalty The Sign of the Covenant – the Rainbow ➢ Sign that would appear when the clouds came ➢ Outward sign for God and Man – not part of the person as circumcision; compare with other signs for covenants. ➢ The Covenant is everlasting (9:16) with “Noah and his Seed” (9:9) and “All Flesh” (9:17)

The Table of Nations The Generations of Noah’s Sons are known as the Table of Nations – this shows that the whole world is descended from Noah and matches the sons of Noah up with the peoples of the Earth. It also sets the stage for the Tower of Babel.

Division into People Groups - Though it is unknown where several of the descendants went, there is a general pattern as to where they how each son’s descendants went: 1. Ham – South and West and the land of Canaan 2. Japeth – North and West 3. Shem – North and East (and Arabia)

Division into Races – The division into races is a human category that is determined by three 17 main things. 1. Language 2. Hair and Facial Features (or other physical attributes) 3. Skin Color The first of these is determined by the Tower of Babel. The second is determined by genetic material that would be the result of a group of people with similar dominant traits congregating. The third is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. The genetics behind the last two are complicated and can’t be boiled down to simple statements.

The Patriarchal Narratives The Tower of Babel Story leaves the reader wondering, “What will happen next?” Man is once again very sinful. There doesn’t seem to be any hope, but the line of Shem provides for this.

The covenant with Abram 11:27-15:21 Technically, the covenant with Abram is not found in chapter 12, but in chapters 15 (verse 18) and 17 (verses 2,4,7,9,10,11,13,14,19,21) where the word covenant appears. There the specific details of the covenant are spelled out. In chapter 12 the general features of the covenant are introduced. 1. Land: The land is implied in verse 1. At the time of the call, Abram did not know where this land was. At Shechem, God promised to give “this land” to Abram (12:7). Not until chapter 15:18 was a full description of the land given. This land never belonged to Abram in his lifetime, even as God had said (15:13, 16). When Sarah died, he had to buy a portion of the land for a burial site (23:3ff.). Those who first read the book of Genesis were about to take possession of the land which was promised Abram. 2. Seed: The second promise of the Abrahamic Covenant was that of a great nation coming from Abram. Real blessing does not come from toil and agonizing hours of labor, but from the fruit of intimacy, namely children. Abraham's blessing was largely to be seen in his descendants. Here was the basis for the “great name” that God would give to Abram. 3. Blessing: The final promise was that of blessingblessing for him, and blessing through him. Much of Abram's blessing was to come in the form of his offspring, but there was also the blessing that would come in the form of the Messiah.

The “Lying Trilogy” (12:10-20; 20:1-18; 26:1-11) • Abram gives a foretaste of the Egyptian slavery and return to the promised land as he must journey to Egypt during a famine, is taken captive (Sarai, at least), and returns (13:1). • Here, Abram sets up a dishonest and unwise practice of making Sarai tell foreign leaders that she is his sister so that they will not harm him to get to her because of her 65-year old beauty. • Abram and Sarai are half-siblings but they are clearly telling half-truths to deceive. • Abram doesn’t learn his lesson and does the same thing with Abimelech in chapter 20, this time with even more disastrous (for Abimelech) results. Eventually, Isaac will tell an outright lie to Abimelech in chapter 26 about Rebekah. Isaac’s son, Jacob, will be named “Deceiver” and will continually practice deception. 18

Melchizedek – “King of Righteousness” (14:17-24) ➢ Abraham, teamed up with several kings, is returning from a defeat of the kings who captured Lot; he doesn’t desire to keep any spoil (14:22-24) ➢ He meets the Bible’s first priest: Melchizedek (Cf. Hebrews 7) ➢ He is an example of a righteous man from among the nations ➢ Pronounces a blessing on Abraham and receives a tenth (tithe) of all Abraham has (See Hebrews 7:1-3) ➢ This again previews the wickedness of Sodom/Gomorrah and the righteousness of Abraham

The provision of the promised seed for Abraham 16:1-22:19 ➢ Abraham is getting old (why is 86 all of a sudden old?) ➢ Abraham and Sarai take matters into their own hands – lack of faith in God ➢ Ishmael 1. Ishmael means “God hears” – answer to Hagar’s cries 2. He is to be marked by wildness and strife with everyone, especially his kin 3. Abraham seems happy with Ishmael and satisfied that he will be his heir (17:18) 4. Ishmael circumcised at the age of 13 (17:25) 5. Against Abraham’s wishes, he is forced into the wilderness 6. God provides for Hagar and Ishmael 7. Ishmael’s decendants give Abraham trouble even today but he partially fulfills God’s promise that Abraham will be father of many nations

The Covenant of Circumcision (Genesis 17:1-14) 1. Abraham is given a new name to denote that he will be the father of many nations 2. The covenant will be through Isaac, the seed of Sarah 3. The outward sign of circumcision is given ❖ Sign of a chosen people to separate from the nations (Gentiles – goyyim) ❖ Sign that is visible on each man, everyday ❖ Sign in the loins – denoting the seed being set aside ❖ Sign given to all the men of Abraham’s house ❖ Prefigured heart circumcision of new covenant (Dt. 10:12-21; Jer 31:31-34)

The Isaac Conversations (17:15-18:15) • Sarah’s New Name – Sarah receives a new name to denote that she is the wife of promise (as opposed to Hagar and Keturah). The meaning is difficult to see but it seems to have something to do with the fact that both names mean “princess.” Some speculate that Sarai looks back to her lineage and Sarah looks forward to her offspring. • It will be Sarah! God emphasizes that Sarah is the woman through whom the promised son will come. Nations and kings shall come from her. • Abraham’s Reaction 1. He falls on his face and laughs 19

2. He mocks – 100 year-old man and 90 year-old woman! 3. He wants to substitute Ishmael • God’s reaction 1. NO! He shall be called Isaac (“Laughter”) 2. He will be the son of the covenant 3. Ishmael will become great 4. The covenant is with Isaac, son of Sarah. 5. It will be next year. • Abraham’s Reaction – He circumcises his household. • Jesus Christ and 2 Angels visit Abraham (18:1-15) 1. Abraham sees what looks like 3 men in the heat of the day and serves them, acknowledging that he knows they are greater than he. 2. They reiterate the promise about Sarah giving birth in a year. 3. Sarah laughs to herself and mocks but The LORD reiterates his promise to her.

The Sacrifice of Isaac (22:1-24) • A test of faith – God tests Abraham (20:1) • Abraham demonstrates faith throughout: Rises Early (3); They will both come again (5); God will provide (8); Takes the act to its end (11); Substitutes a Sacrifice (13-14); Confident that God could raise him from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19) • Relevance – God provides a sacrifice for us as he did for Isaac • Covenant (15-19) – God reiterates his covenant with Abraham but this time the emphasis is on Abraham’s offspring (Isaac). Abraham returns and dwells in Beersheba as a symbol of his belief in God’s promise and provision. • A Wife (20-24) – The final verses of this chapter detail the line of Nahor for the purposes of showing how Isaac is to get a wife. Abraham sees the blessing of God on Nahor with children and sets himself soon afterward to get a wife for Isaac from his family (as opposed to Ishmael).

Transition 23:1-25:11 The transition of the promises to Isaac by faithful Abraham • Sarah’s Death and Abraham’s purchase (23:1-20) – an act of faith • Abraham’s Children and Death (25:1-11) – Abraham has other children through Keturah after Sarah’s death. He treats them well but the text makes clear that Isaac is the son of promise and inheritance. Abraham’s death and burial in the promised land looks forward to the fulfillment of God’s covenant with him.

Ishmael 25:12-18: This section explains what became of Ishmael since his was not the line God had chosen. The writer dealt with Ishmael's line before returning to the chosen line. Ishmael lives a long life and has many prominent descendants and much land at his death. God has been faithful to him.

Jacob and Esau ➢ To demonstrate God’s unconditional love, the LORD uses the example of Jacob and Esau 20

(Malachi1:2; Romans 9:13; cf. Ex 33:19). Esau and Jacob were twins, but God chose one brother over the other. One brother received the covenant of the father while the other received the covenant of destruction. ➢ Edom becomes the prime example of God’s wrath on a nation in the Old and New Testaments (Romans 9:13; Hebrews 12:15-17).

Jacob’s Prosperity in the House of Laban (29-31) Jacob’s Marriages and Family (29:1-30:24) • Deception – Laban’s deception of Jacob is a fitting payment for Jacob’s deception of his father. He deceived his father to get a blessing, but now his uncle would deceived him to benefit from Jacob’s blessing. • Leah and Rachel – Laban was probably truthful in his statement about giving the older daughter first. He wants Jacob to complete the week (of feasting) for Leah before he married Rachel and had another week of feasting. • The 7 Years – This is a steep price to pay, especially given the productivity of Jacob’s service. Note that the first 7 went by like a few days (as it does in the narrative) but the next 7 go by with much drama and seem like 7 years for sure.

Leah Rachel Reuben (1) “Look, a Son” 0.9 Joseph (11) “He added” 7.0 Simeon (2) “He Heard” 1.6 Ben-oni (12) “Son of My Sorrow/Strength” 13.0 Levi (3) “Attached” 2.3 *Benjamin “Son of My Right Hand” Judah (4) “Praise” 3.0 Issachar (9) “Wages/Hired” 4.9 Zebulun (10) “Honor” 5.6 Dinah (10.5) “Judge/Judgment” 6.3 (?)

Zilpah Bilhah Gad (7) “Good Fortune” 3.11 Dan (5) “He Judged” 3.1 Asher (8) “Happy” 4.8 Naphtali (6) “Wrestling” 3.10

The Dinah Incident (34) • The Setting – The setting of the story is unclear because of the implications of the timeline. If the incident takes place on Jacob’s journey back to his father at Mamre and Dinah was born last to Leah, then Dinah could be no older than 8 years (Simeon and Levi would be no older than 15. It is possible that that the incident is out of time sequence but grouped as it is because Dinah was taken and defiled in Shechem. However, this is not likely and Dinah’s age highlights the tragedy of the incident (see verse 7) • The Forfeit of Headship (25-29) – Though Reuben is oldest son and still holds the birthright, Simeon and Levi are next in line. By their brutal actions, they forfeit their place in the inheritance. Note that Levi’s future will be marked by blood as he becomes the nation’s official animal slaughterer. • The Purpose of Chapter 34 – This chapter serves to show the early interactions of the 21

Israelites with the Canaanites as a preview of battle to come.

Jacob’s New Name (35) • Rebekah’s Nurse (8) – This strange insertion is probably a rebuke to Rebekah’s deception and attitude in the Jacob-Esau narrative. It may connect to Jacob and Rachel somehow as she will soon die for lack of a good nurse. However, the main connection is probably the burial site. • The Covenant (9-15) – God reiterates and transfers the covenant to Jacob, renaming him Israel. The blessings are a new name, seed (nation, nations, and kings), and land. Jacob makes another memorial pillar and then renames the place to its old name of Bethel. • Death of Rachel (16-21) – Rachel gives Jacob one last son and dies in the process. Benjamin’s original name indicates the sorrow of death that was to take Rachel as she never made it to Jacob’s household in Hebron. Jacob’s naming indicates where Benjamin was born (in the south) and is a strange name for the “father of left-handers.” • Reuben’s Shame (22) – After the death of Rachel, Reuben goes to lay with her handmade and the concubine of his father, Bilhah. This incident is not addressed in the present narrative but Israel does hear of it and will later disqualify Reuben from head of the nation in his blessing (49:3; see Dt 22:30).

Genesis 36: Esau’s Genealogy • Esau’s line – Esau’s line is blessed by God in many ways. His family and possessions grow to the point that separation from Jacob is needed. This separation recalls that of Abraham and Lot and has some similar disastrous consequences as Esau combines with the Seirites. • The Purpose – Esau’s genealogy is included to show God’s blessing on the seed of Isaac and indicate the close ties of the futures of Israel and Edom.

The Generations of Jacob (The Story of Joseph) (37-50) • 37:1 contrasts Jacob with Esau. Jacob stays in Canaan and dwells where his father dwelt, indicating once again that he is the promised son. • Here begins the final toledot in Genesis. Jacob remains a major character throughout Genesis. Moses recorded his death in chapter 49. • Joseph replaces him as the focus of the writer's attention. These chapters are not entirely about Joseph, however. The writer showed interest in all the sons of Jacob and among them especially Judah.

Joseph Dreams and Goes into Slavery (37) The Story of Judah (38) 1. Judah’s Importance:

2. Corruption with the Canaanites: 38 showcases the corruption of Judah's family. This chapter records the compromise of the Israelites, specifically Judah, with the Canaanites, 22

Shua and Tamar, that resulted in the confusion of seed, the chosen with the condemned. Jacob alluded to this mixture in his prophecy (49). 3. A Reason to Move: This provides a reason for moving the sons of Jacob from Canaan to Egypt, since the sons of Jacob could well have completely assimilated to Canaanite culture, and thus religion. However, the Egyptians kept them separate in Goshen. Canaanites were very syncretistic, the Egyptians were not.

Joseph’s Rise to Power (39-41) Joseph and Potiphar (39) Joseph in Prison (40) Joseph and Pharaoh (41) The Move to Egypt (42-47) Joseph’s Tricks (42-44) Joseph Reveals Himself (45) The Famine (47) Continued Blessing (48-50) Jacob’s Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh (48) The Blessings of the Other Sons (49:1-27) Jacob’s Death and Burial (49:28-50:14) The Brothers and Joseph (50:15-21) Joseph Dies (50:22-26)

Theme of the Story: 50:20

Unfinished Business: Genesis leaves some unfinished business – The children of Israel numbered 70 when Jacob arrives in Egypt. Except for the burial plot and small parcel in Shechem, they own no piece of the Promised Land. They seem to be in a hopeless situation in relation to the blessing. However, God has begun blessing them & the world through them.

Questions for Next Week: 1. Look at Exodus 3-4 and the conversation between God and Moses. How would you characterize Moses’ attitude about obeying God? 2. Read Exodus 20 and think about the 10 commandments. Why does God chooses these as central commandments for his people? Are these still in effect today? 3. Look at the dates given in last chapter of Exodus and the first chapter of Numbers. How much time do the events of Leviticus occupy? Why is this important to know? 4. Read Numbers 3. What is the redemption of the firstborn and why is this important? 5. Read Numbers 21. What is so strange about the way God commands Moses to stop the plague of fiery snakes? Why does God choose this method? 23

Exodus (1-18) The oppression of Israel in Egypt – Israel became oppressed when Pharaoh arises who “knew not Joseph.” Concerned about the large number of Hebrews (from 70 to about ______cf. Numbers 2:32), he first put taskmasters over them and ruthlessly worked them in the construction of the store cities of Pithom and Ramses, and then he commands the slaughter of the Hebrew boy babies at birth, but the midwives Shiphrah and Puah refused to obey the order (1:17) and lie about the reason.

Exodus Outline: • ______• ______• ______

The date of the Exodus: • The early date. (______): Biblical support: 1 Kg 6:1, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign (966 B. C.) it is stated that the exodus occurred 480 years earlier, thus, the exodus happened in 1446 BC.; Jud. 11:26, in the time of Jepthah (ca. 1100 BC) Israel had been in the land for 300 years. Thus 300 years plus 40 years of wanderings and some time to conquer some places the Exodus in the middle of the 15th century. • The Late Date (______) Mainly based on Archaeological support and the assumption that 480 years is a round number (40 x 12) (Jepthah can’t be trusted).

Moses’ Early Life 1. 40 years in ______2:1-10 – Moses is saved in an ark (tevah) like Noah; He is of the tribe of Levi, but grows up in privilege in the Egyptian court 2. 40 years in the ______2:11-4:17 a) The call of Moses 3:1-4:17 1) The revelation of Yahweh to Moses 3:1-10 2) Moses' first objection to Yahweh 3:11: I am personally unfit. 3) Yahweh's first response 3:12: I will be with you and you shall serve God. 4) Moses' second objection 3:13: I do not know Your Name. 5) Yahweh's second response to Moses: The revelation of the Name 3:14-22 6) Moses’ third objection to Yahweh 4:1: I lack authority in their eyes. 7) Yahweh's third response 4:2-9: The Rod, Leprosy, Water to Blood. 8) Moses’ fourth objection 4:10: I am not eloquent 9) Yahweh’s fourth response 4:11-12: I will be with your mouth. 10) Moses’ fifth objection to Yahweh 4:13: I don’t want to do it! 11) Yahweh’s fifth response 4:14-17: Moses gets Aaron and the staff b) Signs Given to Moses – Water into Blood, Leprous Hand, Staff into a Snake 3. 40 Years in ______Exodus 4:18-Deuteronomy 34:7

To Harden the Heart 24

The verb that is translated “to harden” is used 390 times in Hebrew. It literally means “to strengthen.” In most contexts, it is a positive thing because God or a person is strengthening someone. For example, Jonathan strengthens David with encouragement (1 Sam 23:16). Even strengthening one’s heart can be a positive thing as in Psalm 27:14 where we are encouraged to “let your heart take courage.” However, strengthening (or hardening as it is almost always translated) the heart or face is usually an act of defiance in the OT.

The hardening of the heart is used in reference to Pharaoh 17x (Ex. 4:21; 7:3,13,22; 8:15,19,32; 9:12,34,35; 10:1,20,27; 11:10; 14:4,8; 1 Sam 6:6), his officials once (Ex. 9:34), the Egyptians in general 2x (Ex. 14:17; 1 Sam 6:6), the Canaanites once (Joshua 11:20), the Philistines once (1 Sam 6:6), Zedekiah once (2 Chron 26:13), Nebuchadnezzar once (Dan 5:20), and the Israelites or man in general 6x (Ps. 95:8; Prov. 28:14; Is. 63:17; Ezek. 3:7,8; Zech. 7:12). The phrase is used in the NT at least 13x and always refers to the people of the speaker’s time period in some way (Mt. 19:8; Mk. 6:52; 8:17; 10:5; Rom 9:15,18; 11:17,25; Eph 4:18; Heb 3:8,13,15; 4:7).

Note especially these verses: Is. 63:17 is a prayer of the people to Yahweh to not make them harden their hearts. Romans 9:15, 18, using Pharaoh as an example, says God will harden whomever he wills and will have mercy on whomever he wills. Hebrews 3-4 has 4 pleas to the reader that he will not harden his heart.

Clear Teaching about a Hard Heart:

The Passover • Date:14 Nisan (March/April = Easter) followed by 7 days of unleavened bread A. Symbolism: Relates to Exodus and plague on the firstborn sons. God’s passing over houses which had the blood of the lamb symbolizes his lack of judgment on those covered by the blood of a sacrifice. B. Substitution: Lamb serves substitute for firstborn who would be struck down (12:12). C. Blood on Doorframe (12:7): This showed that the household was obediently faithful. D. Bitter Herbs: Eaten (12:8) to symbolize how life had been bitter in Egypt. E. Unleavened Bread. Since there was no time to wait for bread to rise (Exod 12:39). Thus, in Exodus it is primarily a symbol of haste. • Purpose: Passover/Unleavened Bread became what later is part of the three pilgrim feasts, which was to remind of the deliverance from Egypt which marks Israel's national birthday. • The NT: Lord's Supper (Matt 26:17-30; Mark 14:16-26; Luke 22:13-20) was a part of the Passover celebration, following 1st century Jewish custom in its celebration. Jesus’ celebration of Passover as the Lord’s Supper changed Passover’s symbolisms (1 Cor 5:7; see also John 19:31-33, 36).

The Decalogue (10 Words) or Ten Commandments 20:1-17 Structure: 25

1 Have no other gods before me 2 Make no idols ______(Relation to God) 3 Don’t take God’s name in vain 4 Remember the Sabbath ------5 Honor your mother and father 6 Don’t murder 7 Don’t adulterize ______(Relation to Man) 8 Don’t steal 9 Don’t bear false witness 10 Don’t covet. The NT view of the commandments (Matthew 22:34-39; Mark 12:28-33): All of the commandments can be summed up in two – the two tables of the law.

Tabernacle (25-40) Pattern (25-27): Directions for Building the Tabernacle (Sanctuary, Tent of the Meeting) • Purpose of the Tabernacle 1. ______- The tabernacle was a movable Shrine, representing God’s presence among them. (Exod 25:8, “Let them make a sanctuary for me that I may dwell among them”). It was the living extension of Mt. Sinai, the symbol of the Covenant. Hence prayer addresses to Tabernacle. Even more importantly, this was the physical, visible place where one could go and be sure that God would be there. Note the description of the mercy seat at 25:17-22! Cf. John 1:14 2. ______: The Bronze Altar was where sacrifice would be offered, as will be elaborated upon in Leviticus. 3. A ______for Israel’s impurities when they enter the land. 4. The tabernacle gives a ______reflective of the heavenly sanctuary. It is symbolic of the passage to God (very difficult and treacherous). It contains a place of death, place of cleansing, holy place: outer room (Table – Provision, Menorah – Revelation, Altar of Incense – Prayer & Buffer) & inner room (Ark of Covenant – Footstool of God, not where he sits [Cf. Romans 3:25]) • The Golden Calf (32-33) 1. A warning that God almost wiped Israel out. Instructions for the tabernacle & its fulfillment bracket the golden calf incident, emphasizing how unholy that action was. 2. Yahweh and Moses at Horeb – It was only Moses’ intercessory prayer that prevented Yahweh from wiping Israel out completely (32:11-14), and when Moses returns, he in anger shatters the tablets of the Ten Commandments before them (32:19, cf. v. 15f), symbolic that the covenant had been broken. Moses goes on to take decisive steps to put an end to this idolatrous worship of Yahweh. He ground the golden calf into powder, mixed it with water, and made the people drink it (32:20); he rebukes Aaron (32:21-26), and he had about 3,000 of those who continued in the idolatry executed (32:27-29). 26

Questions for Next Week: 1. Look at the dates given in last chapter of Exodus and the first chapter of Numbers. How much time do the events of Leviticus occupy? Why is this important to know? 2. Read Numbers 3. What is the redemption of the firstborn and why is this important? 3. Read Numbers 21. What is so strange about the way God commands Moses to stop the plague of fiery snakes? Why does God choose this method? 4. Think about the fact that the 10 commandments and so many other laws are given a second time. Why do you think this happens? 5. Think about some of the strange laws in Deuteronomy 20-23. Do these apply to Christians today? Why or Why not? If they apply, how do they apply? 27

Leviticus Leviticus in Judaism 1. Nearly half of the 613 commandments and about the same proportion of the material of the Talmud are based upon Leviticus. 2. Leviticus was traditionally the first book taught to school children.

Outline Sacrifices (1-7) Priesthood (8-10) Purification (11-16) Holiness (17-26) Redemption of Vows (27)

Sacrifices (1-7) How a Holy God can dwell among a sinful people? The people’s sins are viewed as a noxious fume which builds up over time in the sanctuary and increasingly offend God. When it reaches a “critical mass" God breaks out in wrath against the people to punish. It was a dangerous thing to live too close to a Holy God. Sacrifices served to “disinfect“ the sanctuary and the people of their sin, the animal being a substitute for the offerer, and its blood a visible sign that the offerer repents of and renounces his sin. There were five types: Burnt, Grain, Peace, Sin, and Guilt.

______Offering (1; 6:8-13) What was offered? Male animal without blemish according to wealth Why? Propitiation of general sin; demonstrates dedication

The Entire animal burned to ashes on the altar. There was a daily burnt offering, and could be offered at will by individuals. Thus the burnt offering symbolizes total consecration of the worshiper to God. Compare NT usage: Rom 12:1 “Present your bodies a living sacrifice” is of this type. It was a way of expressing entire allegiance to the LORD and his service. The burnt offering was used to entreat God for favor and appeasement (1 Sam 7:9; 13:12), such as to stop divine wrath in the form of a plague (2 Sam 24:21-25), or to appease God after a defeat in battle (Judges 20:26).

Ritual Offering of animal (1:3-9) 1. Bring Offering (3) – there is a cost 2. Place hand on head (4) 3. Slaughter animal (5a) – moving experience 4. Priest catches blood and sprinkles on altar (5b) 5. Piece and wash (6, 9a) 6. Priest prepares altar and burns victim (7, 8, 9b)

______Offering/Firstfruits (2) – also called Meal and Tribute What was offered? Unleavened cakes or grains (salted) – only a token was offered and the rest 28 was eaten by the priests Why? Thankfulness for the Firstfruits

First fruits (Lev 2:14; cf. Num 18:12-13). Firstfruits are a token offering from the earliest ripening crop (grain or fruit) was given to Yahweh to acknowledge God’s bounty.

______Offering (Fellowship or Well-being) (3; 22:18-30) What was offered? Male or female without blemish according to wealth; Freewill – slight blemish was allowed; Fat was burned – rest was shared in a meal by priest and offerer 3 types: 1) Thank – for unexpected blessing 2) Vow – Deliverance when a vow was made on that condition 3) Freewill – general thankfulness

______Offering (Purification) (Lev 4-5:13; 6:24-30) What was offered? Bull (priest or congregation), he-goat (king), she-goat (individual); fat was burned and rest was eaten by priest Why? Situations where purification is needed. This offering purifies from both physical and cultic defilement.

______(Compensation, Reparation) Offering (Lev 5:14-6:7). What was offered? Ram without blemish; fat was burnt and rest was eaten by priests Why? Situations where there has been a desecration of something holy or where there is objective guilt

Covers “unwitting” offenses, which cannot be unknowing since theft is covered, but sins that are not committed with a high hand (arrogantly, without repentance). Payment is made for the offering and 20% is added for restitution. The Suffering Servant (Christ) is said to be this kind of offering (Isaiah 53:10).

Priesthood (8-10) • Duties of Priests: The “Priests’ Manual” of Leviticus focuses on the priests. Few laws however apply only to the priests. 1. The role of the priest in Israel: teaching the distinctions “between the holy and profane between the pure and impure” (10:10). 2. The role of the priests in Israel: Purgation (To free from moral or ceremonial defilement.) of the sanctuary. Leviticus 10:10 – differentiation between the clean (tame’) and unclean (tahor); holy (qodesh) and common (chol); cf. 1 Samuel 21 – David eats the holy bread; the men have to remain clean by not being with women A. Perform sacrifice and rituals (9) B. ______between God and man C. Convey the ______(9:23) – See Numbers 6:22-27 29

D. ______(10:11 Aaron to teach Israel; 2 Chr 17:7-9)

Priests must be Holy in Behavior A. Nadab and Abihu. Nadab and Abihu breached that requirement when they offered up “strange fire” (or perhaps “unauthorized coals/incense”) and were struck dead (chapter 10). The exact nature of the “strange fire” is disputed, but one wonders if they were drunk (see Lev 10:9 “You along with your sons must not drink wine or intoxicating drink.”). B. Lev 21-22. Other laws add to the need for priest to be ceremonially and otherwise holy: Lev 21-22. C. James. Compare James 3:1 that not many should presume to become teachers in the church, since those who teach will be judged more strictly. Those who seek leadership among God’s people must be careful to live a holy life.

Purification (11-16) 1. Animal impurities (11) (cf. Hill and Walton p. 23 for similar chart) Animal Scripture Permitted Forbidden 1. Herbivores 1. Carnivores 11:3-8 2. Cloven Hoof 2. Don't meet 2 & 3 Dt. 14:6-8 3. Chew the Cud 3. Rodents (11:29) 1. ______Don't meet 1 & 2 Water Animals 11:9-12 2. ______Dt. 14:9-10 All except for 1 & 2 1. ______Birds 11:13-19 2. ______Dt. 14:11-20 1. Winged 1. The Grasshopper quadrupeds ______11:20-23 Family

Reptiles 11:29-38 ______

30

The food prohibitions taken together with the blood prohibition form a united dietary code whereby man may indulge his lust for meat and not be brutalized in the process. Chapter 11 is the culmination of the system. It begins at Creation where man was meant to be a vegetarian (Gen. 1:28-30). The sons of Noah are permitted meat on the condition that they do not eat the blood (Gn. 9:3-4). The sons of Jacob, however, are directed to a higher rung in the level of holiness (Ex. 19:6a) by further narrowing their diet to a few living creatures, those of the tame, herbivorous species. Knowing that the taking of animal life is a divine concession, and the spilling of its lifeblood a divine prohibition, biblical man is thus disciplined to revere all of life. Why was this important? Because “life” is the area that the Lord Himself is in charge of! These laws prevented humans from degenerating into random killers. They ingrained a deep reverence for life by reducing the number of edible animals to a few, requiring humane slaughter and prohibiting the eating of blood. Though they were permitted to hunt for food, they were discouraged from hunting for the glory of killing game indiscriminately-the sport of many of Israel’s neighbors. The dietary laws teach a reverence for life.

Purpose of Dietary Laws 1. ______– certain animals are not fit for sacrifice or eating to show his character 2. Mark the Israel as ______. 3. Respect for Life – Men are not random killers but must respect life. 4. Health Benefits?

Holiness (17-26) Israel is to be holy because God is holy: this is the basis reason for all holiness (19:2).

Festivals – Holy Time (Exodus 23:14-17) 1. Sabbath (3) 2. ______(Passover) (4-8) 3. Firstfruits (9-14) 4. ______(Pentecost) (15-22) – Celebration of the Harvest 5. Trumpets (23-25) 6. Day of Atonement (26-32) 7. ______(Booths) (33-43) – God’s provision in the wilderness

Regulations concerning the Land (25) 1. The sabbatical year (1-7). Each seventh year a Sabbath of liberating rest for Israelite slaves (Ex. 21:2-6; Dt. 15:12-18), debtors (Dt. 15:1), and the land (Ex. 23:10-11). 2. The year of Jubilee (25:8-55) – All property returns to the original tribes and the wild plants are not eaten.

Leviticus and Hebrews 9-10 A. The Levitical system could not perfect the conscience. “Perfect” in the book of Hebrews has gained a technical meaning from the LXX in which it signifies an inward fitness to 31

approach to God. Because the old system was primarily ceremonial, could not permanently resolve the problem of a guilty conscience. B. According to Heb. 9:10, 13 the Levitical offerings were to sanctify and purify the flesh, removing ceremonial uncleanness for a time. Christ is superior, but the animal sacrifices did cleanse the flesh and remove outward (ceremonial) defilement. C. Christ’s death was efficacious in a different sphere from that of the animal sacrifices which were only for the ceremonial sphere. They were not efficacious for the conscience and thus salvation. Christ’s sacrifice cleanses the conscience and involves salvation in addition to physical and ceremonial cleanness.

Numbers Title: The Hebrew title of the fourth book of the Torah is called bemidbar, “In the Wilderness.” The English title, Numbers, goes back to the Latin Numeri which was copying the LXX.

Outline Numbers describes the journey from Mt. Sinai to the borders of Canaan in Moab. The 40-year trek comprises 40 Stations consisting of three main stages: Preparation for the Journey (Sinai) (1:1-10:10) 40 Year Journey to Kadesh (10:11-20:29) Journey to Transjordan (21-36)

The Numbering of the Israelites: Begins with 603,550 fighting men (not including Levi which had 22,000). Ended with 601,730 fighting men (not including 23,000 Levites). Both numbers imply a total population of about 2-2.5 million. During this period God did not bless Israel with increase in number due to the judgment on Israel's unbelief.

The journey, 40 years in the vicinity of Kadesh (10-20) A. The journey from Sinai to the wilderness of Paran 10:11-14:45 • The murmuring of Miriam and Aaron 12:1-16: This third complaint showed Miriam and Aaron’s confusion regarding Moses’ function as God’s spokesman and his position as a believer before God. All Israel was equally favored before God in His saving grace, but there are different functions for different believers. • The rebellion at Kadesh-Barnea 13:1-14:45. This is the key event in the book of Numbers. *Spies are sent into the land 13:1-25, their purpose is not to find out if conquest was possible, but to show the Israelites the bounty Yahweh had prepared for them. The report of the spies was accurate regarding the excellence of the land as well as the strength of its inhabitants 13:26-33. The unbelief of the people brought on a forty-year period of wandering in the desert along with great failure in battle. Figuring that at least 1.2 million people were to die in the next thirty-seven and a half years, there would be around eighty- five funerals a day, seven per waking hour. This would be a continuous reminder of their rebellion. • The Blue Cord: 32

• Death and Failure to enter the land 20:1-29 a) This chapter is bracketed by death: that of Miriam and Aaron. b) Moses is refused entrance into the land because of his sin. Not being allowed into the promised land because of striking a rock seems severe. What did he do? • Moses ascribes the miracle to Aaron and himself, not to God. • In the sight of the assembled throngs of Israel, Moses and Aaron muffed the opportunity to “sanctify” God “before the eyes of the Children of Israel” (Num. 20:12; 27:24; Deut 32:51). Instead they showed no trust (Num 20:12a), setting themselves up in God's place. c) Aaron’s dramatic and public death is symbolic of the passing on of the priesthood. It further illustrates that only Joshua & Caleb would enter the Promised Land.

The Bronze Serpent (21:4-9) - Symbolism 33

34 35

Deuteronomy

Title: Deuteronomy: From the LXX's mistranslation of Dt. 17:18, “this repetition of the Law” into deuteronomion (Lit., “second Law”). • The Hebrew title is 'elle haddebarim (“these are the words”) in keeping with the Hebrew custom of titling a work by its first words. Really, it is not a “second law” but a record of Moses's sermons on the Law.

Structure Introduction: The ______(1:1-5) Address of Moses #1: ______(1:6-4:43) Address of Moses #2: ______(4:44-26:19) Address of Moses #3: ______(27:1-29:1) Address of Moses #4: ______(29:2-30:20) Conclusion: Continuity of the ______(31:1-34:12)

Theology 1. Theme: “Love” (’avah) Love in Deuteronomy A. Election – 4:37; 10:15 (Love leads to election) B. Obedience – 5:10; 10:12; 11:13 (Love means obedience) C. Faithfulness – 6:5 D. Regeneration – 30:6 (will love God as a result of inner transformation) 2. Central Worship (ch. 12) – place and mode of worship; tabernacle was mobile, so there was not sole worship in one place only; sole woship in any place that Yahweh is worshiped authentically; central worship in Jerusalem is also important 3. Idealized Prophet (18:14-22) – Moses becomes the paradigm for what is a true/false prophet; will be a future prophet that will measure up (34:10-12) 4. Apostasy and Restoration – Deuteronomy describes how the people cannot obey and will fail; Gordon McConville (Grace in the End); cf. ch 29-30. 5. New Testament: Jesus and Moses (John 1:21; 6:14; 7:40; Acts 3:22; 7:37) – Jesus is the greater prophet that Moses spoke of; John contrasts them, but speaks of Jesus as the 2nd Moses – the embodiment of the Word of God and the perfect revealer of the Father; Moses provided the basis of guilt, shame, and judgment; Jesus provided the avenue of grace and truth; Jesus’ introduction is in the wilderness at the baptism of John the Baptist; Mount Sinai – Transfiguration; 10 words – Beattitudes

Covenant form. Deuteronomy is a covenant renewal event, which takes place on the plains of Moab (cf. Dt. 29:30). The review and supplement of laws at this time accounts for some differences between the laws of Deuteronomy and Exod.

Comparison to Other Treaties 36

• Similar in form to Hittite Treaties, Exodos/Levitcus & Joshua 24 • This puts the date of Biblical covenants squarely within the 2nd millennium • It contrasts with the Sefiré and Assyrian Covenants which are later (900-650)

Hittite Suzerainty Treaty (More than 50 such treaties) 1. Preamble – introduces speaker, usually the suzerain, and his authority in the treaty 2. Historical Prologue – Survey of past relationships between parties 3. Stipulations detailing what is expected of the vassal 4. Document Clause – Display, storage, and periodic recital 5. Witnesses – list of deities to witness the covenant 6. Curses/Blessings – to be effected by gods based on the keeping of the covenant

The Treaty of Deuteronomy (a sermon; but in the form of a treaty) 1. Preamble (1:1-5) 2. Historical prologue (1:6-3:29) 3. Introduction to Stipulations: Exhortation to obey the Law (4:1-43) 4. Stipulations (5:6-26:19) 5. Document Clause (27) (cf. Joshua 8:30-35) 6. Curses and Blessings (28) 7. Final Charge (29-30) 8. Last Words of Moses (31-34) *Witnesses: God’s Creation – Heaven and Earth 30:19-20 and God’s Word – Moses’ Song (31:19-22; 28 – chapter 32); The Book of the Law (31:26)

Conclusion: Continuity of the Covenant (31:1-34:12) Moses provided for the continuity of the covenant during the change in national leadership from himself to Joshua. Certain features of this section were also found in the vassal treaties of the ancient Near East: the depositing of the treaty document in a sacred place (31:24-26), provision or dynastic succession (31:7-8), and provision for future reading of the covenant and other covenant ceremonies (cf. 31:9-13). A. His charges (31:1-13) 1. To the people (31:1-6) 2. To Joshua (31:7-8) 3. To the priests (31:9-13) B. His song (31:14-32:47) – The song of Moses was to be taught to Israel for use in the covenant-renewal ceremony. Thus it is an integral part of Deuteronomy (the whole of which is centered on the renewal of the covenant on the plains of Moab). It is not just an appendix to Deuteronomy. The song sees Israel‘s future as rather gloomy, for her wealth could lead her away from the Lord. But after severe judgment from the Lord, He will deliver His people and destroy her enemies. By singing this song, Israel would acknowledge her obligation to obey the covenant as well as the righteous and certain judgment if they fell into apostasy. C. His blessing (32:48-33:29) – It was customary for a father to impart a blessing just before 37

his death (cp. Gen. 49). Moses, was, in a sense, Israel‘s “father.” Like the preceding song, the blessing is given in poetic form. D. His end (34:1-12)

Notes on the Law The Law in the OT • Not a means of Salvation – Abraham had faith that credited to him as righteousness before the giving of the Mosaic Law; Abraham was saved by faith (Rom. 4; Gal. 3:6) • The Law was the Standard of God for those who would adhere to his covenant. Strict obedience was expected, but not attainable. • This Law could be summed up in two main principles: Love the Lord your God with all your heart (Dt. 6:5) and love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18). • The OT always presents the heart obedience needed as something that only God can give (Dt. 10:16; Jer. 4:4)

The Idea of the Law as a Means of Salvation • This idea began in the OT as the people misunderstood and abused the idea of keeping the law and offering sacrifices (cf. the prophets) • The idea spread greatly in the Intertestamental Period as the Apocryphal writers made the law the basis of hope, justification, righteousness, salvation, resurrection, and life. • This led to the strict sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees of the NT times

The Law in the NT • The Law is still in effect and seen as holy, just, good, and spiritual in the NT (Mt. 5:17; Rom. 7) • Jews of the time saw salvation as the keeping of the law, but realized that it was impossible; thus, they mixed in the ideas of repentance and forgiveness • Paul states that to be righteous by the law, one has to keep it perfectly (Gal 3:10; 5:3) • Paul sees therefore the role of the law as teacher of what sin is (Rom 3:20; 5:13, 20; Gal 3:19) • The requirements of the law are fulfilled for believers in Christ did what the law could not do (Rom 8:3-4)

The Law Today – What are we to do? • Believers are commanded to obey the commandments (John 14:15; 15:14) • However, Paul teaches freedom from the law in Christ, now all things are lawful (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23) • This means that believers have a freedom that nonbelievers don’t – we’re not slaves to the law, but slaves to Christ; thus, we’re able to keep the law • Certain portions of the law are not incumbent on believers to keep: mainly ______(pertaining to OT Israel) and ______(pertaining to ceremonies dealing with food, days, and circumcision) – this includes the eating of certain foods (Rom. 14-15) and the keeping of the Sabbath as before (Col. 38

2:16-17; Rom. 14:5-6); these were fulfilled in Christ • NT believers must still observe God’s ______law (including the 10 Commandments; cf. Rom 2:21-22; 1 Tim. 1:9-10; Col. 3:5; Eph. 6:2-3 and many others) and the spirit of the civil and ceremonial law (there is application for our lives; Cf. Rom. 12:1-2) • ______– Living one’s life by God’s commands is not legalism; Legalism is “slavish following of the law in the belief that one thereby earns merit; it also entails a refusal to go beyond the formal or literal requirements of the law” (Erickson, 990). 39

Lecture 3: Historical Literature

Joshua Title Joshua is named for the principal character, Joshua, the son of Nun. Joshua's name was originally ______(“salvation”), but was changed to Joshua (“______”) by Moses before the conquest (Num. 13:16). Joshua in the Greek is the same name as “Jesus.”

Author The book is anonymous, but it is reasonable to conclude that ______wrote it. Editorial Work: Evidence of later editorial work: the inclusion of events which occurred after Joshua's death (24:29-31, 15:13-17, 19:47). Joshua wrote MOST of it. The supplementary material recording events after his death may have been added by ______the High Priest, or perhaps his son ______.

Outline Motif of the Land 1. Claiming the Land (1-5) 2. Conquering the Land (6-12) 3. Distributing the Land (13-21) 4. Living in the Land (22-24:28) 5. Resting in the Land (24:29-33)

Theology A. ______of the Land – God’s faithfulness to the Fathers; land is indicative of the covenant God made with his people; Hebrews 4:6-11 – reads the reward of the land as metaphorical for Christian salvation B. ______– Joshua as the new Moses – transitions from servant of Moses to servant of the LORD throughout the book; cf. Dt. 34:9 – receives the spirit of wisdom; many parallels between Joshua & Moses. God and his Word are constant, not human leaders or institutions. C. ______– people are unified in their devotion to the LORD; were able to maintain unity because of their fidelity to God in spite of differences; tabernacle was symbolic of this; the glue was “authentic Yahwistic faith”; same for Christian community today D. ______– Covenant reading (8); renewal (24); ark leading the way (3-4) E. God's ______: The holiness of God is revealed in God’s command that Israel completely exterminate the wicked Canaanites (6:21, 8:26, Dt. 20:16). This judgment was the natural expression of God's holiness contrasted with the wickedness of the Canaanites. The holiness of God is seen in his pronouncement of judgment on the sin of Achan (7:10-15). F. God’s ______1. Joshua is the fulfillment of the covenant promise to give Israel a land (Gen. 12:1, 17:8). 2. It is the record of the conquest of the land which Yahweh had promised to bring about (Dt. 7:1-2), and thus demonstrates God's faithfulness to His covenant promise to the patriarchs and nation by settling the tribes in the Promised Land (11:23, 21:43). 40

3. The victories of Israel are NOT attributed to their military skill and superiority, but to the power of God Himself. While Joshua was Israel's leader and was an influence upon the spiritual lives of the people (24:31), the book makes it clear that the credit for the conquest belongs to Yahweh alone (3:10, 4:23-24, 5:13-14, 6:16, 21:44, 23:3, 9-10).

Difficulties with Joshua ______– Holy War (Putting under the ______) 1. Problem: Involved complete annihilation of men, women, children, and beasts. That which cannot be destroyed goes to Lord's treasury, but none of it is for personal use (6:19, 21) 2. Toward a Solution to the Problem a. Limited to the Canaanites 1) Wars other than the Canaanites a) Israel Must Offer Terms of Peace (Deut 20:10-11). Israel must offer its enemies terms of peace before starting war. b) Killing was Limited to the Fighting Men (Deut 20:12-14). This text says if you do have to fight, you may kill any of the men, but not kill the women or the children. c) Destruction was to be Limited (Deut 20:19-20). Israel was not to be involved in indiscriminate destruction. 2) Inside Canaan: Complete Destruction b. Wickedness of the Canaanites: Human sacrifice were among the abominations they practiced which led God to spew them out of the land (Lev 18:21, 24-30). c. They had been given an opportunity to repent (Gen 15:16): God had in mind to destroy Canaanites because of their sins 400 years earlier. He was gracious for centuries before sending Joshua. d. Canaanites would lead Israel astray (Dt 20:18). e. There were exceptions – could have been a way out? 1) Rahab and her father's household (6:22) 2) The Gibeonites (9) through deception made a treaty

Rahab’s Lie (2:2-4). 1. The Problem: Rahab lied to save the Hebrew Spies (2:5) 2. Was she justified? a. Was the lie justified? 1) Was it the "lesser of evils" and thus forgivable? 2) Others say it is never right to lie, and condemn Rahab's act as sinful, saying she should have tried to protect the Israelites without lying. b. Scripture does not condone her lie. Note that Scripture commends Rahab's ______in the God of the Israelites (Heb 11:31) and her deed of acting on that faith by helping the spies (James 2:25), not her lying. c. Rahab lacked full revelation – doesn’t excuse d. Would we have done better? In the heat of the moment, how many of us would do better? But isn’t this kind of like situational ethics? e. A matter of confused speech. It sounds like she was speaking quickly and in a 41

confusing manner to confuse her listeners. Was this a deception?

Joshua’s Long Day (10:1-15) – Can the sun stand still?

The Text Claiming the Land (1-5) • Background: Thirty-eight years earlier Joshua had explored this land as one of the 12 spies (Num. 13:1-16). Now he was to lead the army to conquer it. The territory conquered and possessed in Joshua‘s time was less than what was promised in Gen 15:18-21. Even during the kingdoms of David and Solomon, the outlying areas were not under direct control. When will Israel fully possess the land? Only when Christ returns to reign over converted and redeemed Israel (Jer. 16:14-16; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 8:4-8). • The Crossing: Showed their complete commitment and dependence on Yahweh. The vocabulary here is reminiscent of the crossing of the Reed Sea when the Israelites left Egypt, and reaches back further to Creation in Genesis 1! Especially notice what they crossed over on-the “dry land.” At creation it was the creation of the material universe, in Exodus the creation of the nation of Israel.

Preparing to Conquer (4-5) • Memorial • Circumcision • Passover • The Lord’s Commander?

Conquering the Land (6-12) • The conquest of Northern Canaan (11:1-15): Here Joshua faced an even greater coalition of forces. Joshua‘s battles were all offensive. When he learned that an attack was impending, he preceded it by an attack of his own. He used the element of surprise (as against the five Amorite kings besieging Gibeon, 10:9; against the many kings at the Waters of Merom, 11:7; and against Ai when he staged a decoy-rout, 8:14-19). He sent his soldiers to harry the retreating enemy to prevent them from reaching their cities (10:19-20). Jabin organized a desperate attempt to stop the conquest of the land. Messengers fanned out to call all to arms. Having gathered, Joshua did not wait for them to attack. He was already marching toward Merom, a five-day march from his base. In the midst of this, God spoke encouragement to him. • Joshua subdued the whole land (11:23) in the sense that there were no more pitched battles by the combined Israelite tribal forces following Joshua's conquests. God expected individual tribes to subdue the remaining towns and pockets of resistance from then on (cf. 13:1; Judg. 1:1).

Distributing the Land (13-21): Very important to the Israelites 42

Living in the Land (22-24:28): Joshua’s Farwell Address 1. The first address: appeal to separation (23:1-16): An address was given by Joshua near the end of his life (Josh. 23). He commended Israel to have faith in God’s ability to drive out the rest of the nations still remaining in the land (23:1–5) and to faithfulness in serving God alone (23:6–11). Like Moses, Joshua emphasized the curses of the covenant that would fall upon the disobedient (23:12–16; cf. Lev. 23:14–33; Deut. 28:15–68). He ended this message by noting God’s unfailing consistency. God would bless obedience and punish disobedience. 2. The second address: appeal for dedication (24:1-28): Joshua’s final address to Israel (Josh. 24) took place at Shechem. It was a formal renewal of the covenant that God had made with Israel through Moses. The preamble of his address rehearsed God’s faithful election of Israel (24:1–2). The historical section told of God’s redemption in detail (24:3–13). The next section called upon Israel to witness and reconfirm her allegiance to God’s covenant (24:14–24).

Resting in the Land (24:29-33): The death and burial of Joshua and Eleazar (24:29-33)

Judges Title The Hebrew title of the book is shopatim, = “______,” from the title given the deliverers of Israel following the conquest until the monarchy. In Book of Judges it usually refers to a military hero or "______" (cf. 2:16) who saved Israel from foreign oppression. They also handled some internal matters (cf. Deborah).

Author There is no indication in the book. According to Talmudic tradition, Samuel was the author (Baba Bathra, 14b). Samuel was a writer (1 Sam. 10:25), and he may have authored the book. At the very least, Judges was written by a contemporary of Samuel.

Outline ______with the Canaanites: Failure and Judgment (1-2:5) ______in Canaan: The Cycles (2:6-16:31) ______like the Canaanites: The Consequences (17-21)

Thematic Verse – 21:25 (also 17:6)

The Cycles (2:6-16:31) Cycles of Judges (3:7-16:31) 12 Judges and 6 Cycles • Could have said more about minor judges, but chose the best examples of the period; Sampson is the best example • A diminishing of moral character with each cycle

Repeated Pattern (2:11-23): The Book follows a consistent pattern that has the following 43 elements:

Elements Sin (11-13) Servitude (14-15) Supplication (18) Salvation (16-19) Silence (16-19) 44

Samson • Maybe the judge with the most potential is the biggest failure. • Samson acts like Israel (cf. 2:3) • Comparison of Sampson and Israel – supernatural origin, set apart, breaks his religious vows, enamored of Philistine women, loses his identity and physical strength, becomes a slave and has his eyes gouged out – most tragic final failure shows that something else is needed. • Samson’s death honors God and he is remembered for his faithfulness.

The Consequences (17-21) Israel and the Lack of a King 17:6 No King/Right in his own eyes 18:1 No King 19:1 No King 21:25 No King/Right in his own eyes

The Bethlehem Trilogy: Part 1 – Idolatry – Micah’s gods (17-18) o 17:7, 9 – connection with Bethlehem by Micah’s Levite o the whole tribe of Dan becomes idolatrous o This is the priesthood and worship that results from Judges

The Bethlehem Trilogy: Part 2 – Infidelity, Murder, & War – Levite’s concubine (19-21) o 19:1-2, 18 – concubine is from Bethlehem; he is going there to recover his bride o The Canaanite center of Jebus (Jerusalem) is better than the Israelite City of Gibeah (19) o reminiscent of Sodom (Gen 19:4-9; Judg 19:22-25) o Precipitates a holy civil war – that almost destroys Benjamin o This is the Justice and the Redeemer that results from Judges

Ruth

Title: The book of Ruth is named after the principal character, Ruth, a ______who, after the death of her husband, journeyed to Bethlehem with her widowed mother-in-law.

Author According to the Talmud, ______(Baba Bathra 14b). Though this is possible, it is unlikely since the concluding genealogy implies that David was well known at the time the book was written. The book is anonymous and the author is unknown. The book of Ruth appears to have been written during David’s reign (1010-970 BC). It could not have been written earlier than the time of king David since he is mentioned by name (4:22), unless the genealogy was added later. Had the book been written later than the time of David, the name of his famous son Solomon would probably have been listed as one of Ruth’s descendants. 45

The Bethlehem Trilogy: Part 3 • Ruth is last of Bethlehem Trilogy; Finally, answers “What good thing can come out of ______?” • After a disastrous start (famine, marriage to foreigners, death, childlessness, abandonment), the last word of Ruth is “David”; explains David’s ancestry • Message – God graciously rewarded the ______of the widows Ruth and Naomi by superintending their preservation through their ______Boaz, who married Ruth and maintained the inheritance of Naomi’s family

Outline A. Family of Elimelech (1:1-6) B. The Women of Elimelech’s Family and the questioning of the Bethlehem Women before Naomi (1:7-23) – no men are present C. Barley Field Scene (2:1-22) – one day C1. Threshing Floor Scene (3:1-18) – one night 3 months later B1. The Men of Elimelech’s Family and the blessing of the Bethlehem women before Naomi (4:1-17) – the right Men are present A1. Family of Elimelech’s Kinsman (4:18-22)

The Narrator: Two places in Ruth where the Narrator comments (1:6 The LORD provides for Israel and Naomi hears in the field [can God provide for the barren womb like the barren land] and 4:13 the Lord brings about fertility of womb to produce the greatest king of Israel and eventually the LORD Jesus Christ)

Chief Theological Themes • ______– covenant loyalty; in actions of Ruth and Boaz – Ruth to Naomi (1:16-17; cf. 2:12); Boaz to Naomi (2:20) – picture of God’s hesed • Building of the ______o Ruth looks forward to David of Bethlehem (1 Sm 16:1), but also looks forward to the one who will sit on David’s throne forever: Jesus Christ of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2; Mt 2:1) o The Lord will build the house of Israel through Ruth’s Child (4:11 – as with Eve, Sarah, etc.) o Result is a ten name genealogy (cf. Gen 5:1-32 and 11:10-26) that stretches to the fathers o Perez is one of the twins born to Judah and Tamar -> David; implied comparison between Judah-Tamar and Boaz-Ruth incident; both are not Israelites and in need of a husband and children; Tamar is deceptive and immoral; Ruth maintain Hesed; both carry out family purposes of maintaining the name and providing for the widow; importance of threshing floor incident • The ______(go’el) 1) Redeemer of Family Property (Lev 25) – concern for the property, houses, or 46

those sold into slavery staying within the proper family – concern for covenant 2) Buying back of an offering to the Lord at interest (Lev 27) 3) Duty of avenging a murdered relative (Num 35; Josh 20) 4) Redemption of the people involved in a transaction (Ruth 4; cf. Jer 32) ➢ Boaz acts as a redeemer of the land and of the family (by raising up seed to a almost extinguished family line and taking care of the widows); may cross with the duties of the levirate system (Dt 25:5-10) 5) Yahweh as go’el ➢ In the Exodus (Exodus 6:6) ➢ Isaiah 40-66 – will take back his wife as a compassionate husband (54:5, 8; Cf. Hos 13:4 – from death) ➢ Ruth – Yahweh is the ultimate Redeemer as he is able to overcome a barren land and the lack of even husband to continue the line and fulfill his covenant promises ➢ Rom 11:26 (cf. Is 59:20-21) – Christ who preserves Israel from ultimately losing the eternal salvation that God has promised it 47

Session 7: Samuel-Kings-Chronicles Samuel Title The two books of Samuel were originally one book, designated by the Masoretes as the “Book of Samuel.” The Septuagint brought both Samuel and Kings together as a complete history of the monarchy and divided it into four sections called “Books of the ______.”

Author The books of Samuel are anonymous. According to the Talmud, Samuel was the author of the first part of the book (chapters 1-24) and the rest of first and second Samuel was composed by Nathan and Gad as suggested by 1 Chron. 29:29.

Date of writing Parts of the book would have been written after the death of Samuel (1 Sam. 25:1, 28:13) and even after the division of the kingdom (1 Sam. 27:6). The author does not mention the fall of Samaria, so it is reasonable to date the book between 970 and 722 BC. If Nathan and Gad are the final authors, the book date would have to be around 970.

Outline ______(1 Sam 1-7) ______(1 Sam 8-15) ______(1 Sam 16-2 Sam 24) Rise (1 Sam 16-31) Triumphs (2 Sam 1-10) Troubles (2 Sam 11-24)

The Major Kings of Samuel Saul 40 years (Acts 13:21) 1050-1010 BC David 40 years (2 Sam 5:4) 1010-970 BC Solomon 40 years (1 Kg 11:42) 970-931 BC

Saul (1 Sam 8-15) • The background for this section is found in Deuteronomy 17:14–20. In 1 Samuel 8 the surface reason for wanting a king was the failure of Samuel’s sons to judge rightly (8:5). • The difference in having a king as a leader was one of style, in this case, conformity to the nations around them (8:5). And therein lay the problem. The real reason was the people’s rejection of the invisible God as their King (8:7). They wanted an earthly king to fight their battles for them, just as if God did not already do that. • The Lord clearly chose Saul (9:15–17; 10:24). Saul had an initial victory over the Ammonites (11:1–13) that ended with a renewal of the kingdom celebration at Gilgal (11:14–15). Samuel spoke pointed remarks to the people concerning their wrong desire to have a king and, in spite of that desire, he also emphasized God’s unceasing commitment 48

to Israel (12:1–25). Saul disobeyed the Lord by not waiting for Samuel to offer the sacrifice (13:1–4). Then Saul acted foolishly concerning Jonathan and was contradicted by the people (14:1–52). Saul’s 2nd act of disobedience, concerning the spoils taken from the Amalekites, brought the final split and God’s regret for making Saul king (15:1–35). Excursus: Does God Repent? (נחם) Hebrew Verb – nacham

Verb (108x – Gen 5:29; 6:6, 7; 24:67; 27:42; 37:35 (2); 38:12; 50:21; Exod 13:17; 32:12, 14; Num 23:19; Deut 32:36; Jud 2:18; 21:6, 15; Ruth 2:13; 1 Sam 15:11, 29 (2), 35; 2 Sam 10:2, 3; 12:24; 13:39; 24:16; 1 Chr 7:22; 19:2 (2), 3; 21:15; Job 2:11; 7:13; 16:2; 21:34; 29:25; 42:6, 11; Ps 23:4; 69:21; 71:21; 77:3; 86:17; 90:13; 106:45; 110:4; 119:52, 76; 82; 135:14; Eccl 4:1(2); Isa 1:24; 12:1; 22:4; 40:1; 49:13; 51:3, 10, 12; 52:9; 54:11; 57:6; 61:2; 66:13 (3); Jer 4:28; 8:6; 15:6; 16:7; 18:8, 10: 20:16; 26:3, 13, 19; 31:13, 19; 42:10; Lam 1:2, 9, 16, 17, 21; 2:13; Ezek 5:13; 14:22, 23; 16:54; 24:14; 31:16; 32:31; Joel 2:13, 14; Amos 7:3, 6; Jon 3:9, 10; 4:2; Nah 3:7; Zech 1:17; 8:14; 10:2)

Related Nouns (18x - Gen 42:11; Exod 16:7, 8; Num 32:32; 1 Chr 4:19; Ezra 2:2; Neh 1:1; 3:16; 7:7 (2); 8:9; 10:2; 12:25; 12:47; Job 6:10; Ps 119:50; Lam 3:42; Hos 13:14)

Translated: repent, regret, relent, comfort, console (depending on Hebrew stem and context)

Man Man’s Repentance (Exod 13:17; Job 42:6; Jer 8:6; 31:19)

Characteristics of Man’s Repentance: May happen because he doesn’t know the future and involves acknowledgement of wrong choices on his part.

God God’s Repentance (Gen 4:6-9; Exod 32:9-14; Num 23:19; Jud 2:18-21; 1 Sam 15:11, 29 (2), 35; 1 Chr 21:15; Ps 90:13; 106:45; Jer 4:28; 15:6; 18:7-12; 20:16; 26:2-3, 13, 18; 42:10; Ezek 24:14; Joel 2:11-14; Amos 7:1-6; Jonah 3:6-4:2; Zech 8:14-15)

Characteristics of God’s Repentance: Not based on lack of knowledge of the future and does not involve acknowledgement of wrong on his part. Is based on God’s love for his creation and involves a desire for an action not to have happened in some form.

Does God Repent?

How do we reconcile the two? 1. Ultimately – we don’t. Must be careful when speaking of the feelings and mental actions of God because they are not the same as ours. They are similar in many ways, but God does all things perfectly – even repent. 49

2. God does not repent as a man (Num 23:19; 1 Sam 15:29) – he knows at all points what will happen and he does no wrong. We must acknowledge that ultimately, God does not change: “For I, Yahweh, do not change” (Malachi 3:6a). 3. God does genuinely love his creation and all of mankind. On one level, he wills that they never sin; however, on another he uses their sin as part of his perfect plan for mankind. God is still capable of feeling regret over an action and the result while still rejoicing and acknowledging that it is part of his perfect will.

The Rise of David (1 Sam 16-31) • David’s Anointing: David is anointed king after the Lord rejected Saul as King. David is not picked because of his ______, but because his ______(16:7). The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward (16:13) – this is contrasted with the evil spirit that is upon Saul (16:14). • David and Goliath: Shows that God would use David and not Saul to save Israel. Sets up David’s friendship with Jonathan (18:1) and Saul’s jealousy of David (18:8-9). Saul knew from the beginning that the Lord was with David and not with him (18:12). • God preserved David from attempts on his life by Saul and foreign leaders and how faithful David was in trusting God to vindicate and avenge the wrong that was done to him. That ______contrasts with Saul’s ______on his own wisdom and military might. David absolutely resisted taking the throne by his own scheming or according to his own schedule. He waited for the Lord even at the cost of exile, hardship, and personal loss. • Saul’s death is a tragic end to a tragic reign. His cowardice leads to suicide, the death of all of his sons but one, and the defeat of Israel by the Philistines.

The Triumphs of David (2 Sam 1-10) • The many events of this section make two central points: 1) David committed no deceit or treachery to gain his kingdom. He acted with compassion and justice. 2) God blessed David with loyal subjects and military victory. All of that provided the context for the establishment of God’s covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7. David dealt with attempts to overthrow his rule, defeated the Philistines, secured a place for the ark, and finally was given an eternal covenant of blessing. • The Establishment of the Davidic Covenant 7 1) Second Samuel 7 revolves around one main idea: the concept of “______.” David wanted to build God a house—the temple. God made a covenant to build the house of royal lineage for David. The emphasis is on what God already had done and would do in the future for David (note the “I will” statements in 7:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). The heart of the covenant was the promise of God’s loving-kindness that would never depart. Saul’s experience had illustrated what it meant for God to remove his loving-kindness (7:15). 2) David was not allowed to build the temple (7:5) because he had ______and ______(1 Chron. 22:8; 28:3). David wanted to build God a house, but God 50

told him that he would build a house or dynasty that would be a royal dynasty for him (2 Sam. 7:11–13). 3) The promise God made to David, known as the Davidic covenant (Ps. 89:20–37), was built upon the promise God made to Abraham regarding a future nation (Gen. 12:2). God promised David an eternal ______(2 Sam. 7:16). David’s house or dynasty would always be the royal line and would continue forever. The right to rule on the throne would always belong to David’s seed. 4) Finally, the right to a literal kingdom or dominion would never be taken from David’s ______. The rule of David’s dynasty was interrupted with the Babylonian exile, but the right to rule was never rescinded. The ultimate fulfillment of this promise will be realized in Jesus Christ (Luke 1:31–33). The Troubles of David (2 Sam 11-24) • David and Bathsheba 1. David's Sin Committed with Bathsheba and against Uriah: The deadly result of David’s actions regarding Bathsheba and Uriah is found in 2 Samuel 11:27, “the Lord was very displeased with what David had done” or his act “was evil in the Lord’s sight” (cf. Judg. 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1). 2. David’s Conviction – Nathan convicts David through the story of a rich man who steals the one lamb of a poor man. 3. David’s Punishment a) ______will not depart from your house b) ______will be given to a close relative in broad daylight c) ______will die • The Death of the Child: David’s child with Bathsheba does die. David seems to confirm an afterlife and child salvation with his words (11:23). God is gracious and gives David another child, Solomon (“______”) whom God calls Jedidiah (“______”). • Amnon and Absalom: David’s sin leads to the domestic problems of Amnon’s rape of Tamar, Abaslom's murder of Amnon, and Absalom's rebellion against David. David is driven from Jerusalem and mocked by his enemies. Absalom has sex with David’s concubines on the rooftop of the palace. David was eventually reinstated as king, but never again wielded the power as monarch that he had previously.

Kings

Title The Hebrew title melakim or “kings.” Like the books of Samuel, it was originally one book in Hebrew. The division into two books was first introduced in the LXX, where 1 and 2 Kings were titled “The third and fourth Books of the Kingdoms.”

Author: Anonymous, but Talmudic tradition says Jeremiah (Baba Bathra15a).

Date of Writing The sources the author relied on come from a period as early as the reign of Solomon. 51

The final composition took place after the fall of Jerusalem, probably early in the exilic period (c. 586-580 BC).

Outline ______(Solomon): 1 Kings 1-11 ______: 1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17 A. Conflict Between Israel and Judah (12:1-16:28) B. Alliance Between Israel and Judah (16:29-2 Kings 11:16) C. Political Independence (11:17-2-15:38) D. Assyrian Domination (16-17) ______: 2 Kings 18-25 A. Assyrian Domination (18-21) B. Egyptian Domination (22-23) C. Babylonian Domination (24-25)

Text Obedience: The United Kingdom under Solomon 1 Kings 1-11 First Kings 1–11 shows how Solomon overcame various threats to his reign, built the temple, and became the object of international respect. • The key phrase is “he was firmly established on the throne” (1 Kings 2:12), a fulfillment of the promise in 2 Samuel 7:12. The loving-kindness of the Davidic covenant was confirmed for Solomon (1 Kings 3:6) and illustrated in his great wisdom to rule with justice (3:28). • David’s Instructions for Solomon:

• Solomon’s prayer for wisdom:

• 1 Kings 4 a) Shows Israel at its greatest height and describes its greatness in the terms of the Abrahamic promise of land (cf. 4:21 with Gen. 15:18). b) Shows the extent of Solomon’s kingdom and peace c) Shows the extents of Solomon’s wisdom – greater than any man, led to many sayings and songs, covered all sphere’s of life, led others to come observe him • 1 Kings 5–10 details the temple’s completion and the kingdom’s impact on the nations. a) The temple is built in 7 years b) Solomon’s house is built in 13 years – several other building projects are mentioned in chapter 7, all adding to the splendor of his kingdom c) Temple dedication – at the dedication, the glory of the LORD fills the temple 52

(8:11) and Solomon blesses the LORD, makes a prayer of dedication, and makes sacrifice d) Solomon’s prayer includes a prayer that foreigner’s prayers would be heard (8:41-43) – this anticipates a fulfillment of the promises to Abraham • First Kings 11 shows the split in the kingdom brought on by Solomon’s sins (marrying strange women and worshipping strange gods). The great amount of detail used to describe the religious and international successes of Solomon’s rule illustrates to the suffering exiles how great all of their lives could be when the king obeyed God, and why blessing could so quickly turn to destruction when the king rebelled. It also presents a picture of the hope for the future restored kingdom of David when God will once again establish the Son of David on the throne in Israel.

Excursus – The Ministries of Elijah, Elisha, and Elijah

Chronology Israel Elijah Judah Ahab 874-853 | *Asa 911-870 ~874-~850 Elisha *Jehoshaphat 870-848 Ahaziah 853-852 | | Joram 852-841 | Assistant ~860s-~850 Jehoram 848-841 | Ahaziah 841 Jehu 841-814 | Athaliah 841-835 Prophet ~850-~798 *Joash 835-796 Jehoahaz 814-798 | Jehoash 798-782 | *Amaziah 796-767 Jeroboam II 782-753 Azariah 767-740

Isaiah ~700 Malachi ~430 John the Baptist ~30 AD

The Mixed-Up Family

Israel Judah Ahab – Jezebel Jehoshaphat | | / | \ | Jehoram Ahaziah Athaliah – Jehoram / \ Jehu Ahaziah Jehosheba | Joash 53

Josiah / | \ Jehoahaz (1) Jehoikim (2) Zedekiah(4) | Jehoichin (3)

Brief Timeline of Deportations under Nebuchadnezzar 605 1st Deportation (Jerusalem captured/Jehoiakim deported) 597 2nd Deportation (Jerusalem surrenders/Jehoiachin deported) 586 3rd Deportation (Destruction of Temple/Zedekiah deported) Gedeliah made Governor & Assasinated/Flee to Egypt w/ Jeremiah

• The release of Jehoiachin in 560 B.C. by the king of Babylon (2 Kings 25:27) was evidence that the line of David was still under God’s protective care (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12–16). The elevation of a king in captivity may not seem like much of an achievement, but to the captives it would be certain proof that God had not forgotten his people or his promises. That proof would encourage his people to get their lives squared away in order to honor God and prepare for his future acts of release and redemption.

Chronicles Title The Books of Chronicles comprised a single volume in the Hebrew Bible and were titled “the words of the days” or “events of past time”. In the Septuagint the book was divided into two parts and given the title “things omitted,” a reference to the material added to Samuel and Kings. Jerome suggested the title “a chronicle of the whole sacred history.” The title “Chronicles” used by modern English versions is taken from Jerome’s proposal.

Author Chronicles does not specify its author. Talmudic tradition, however, assigns the work to Ezra (Baba Bathra 15a) who is known to have been a scribe (Ezra 7:6).

The Sources of Chronicles A. Prophetic Works: History of Nathan the Prophet 2 Chron. 9:29, Prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite 2 Chron. 9:29, Visions of Iddo the Seer 2 Chron. 9:29, Histories of Shemaiah the Prophet and Iddo the Seer 2 Chron. 12:15, The commentary of the Prophet Iddo 2 Chron. 13:22, The History of Jehu the Son of Hanani 2 Chron. 20:34, The acts of Uzziah, by Isaiah 2 Chron. 26:22, The vision of Isaiah the Prophet in the Books of the Kings of Judah and Israel 2 Chron 32:39, The history of Hozai 2 Chron. 33:19 B. The Historical Works: The book of the Kings of Israel 1 Chron. 9:1, The book of the Kings of Judah and Israel 2 Chron.16:11, The book of the Kings of Israel and Judah 2 Chron 27:7, The acts of the Kings of Israel 2 Chron. 33:18 54

Outline Genealogy of a Chosen People (1 Chron. 1-9) Saul (10) David (11-29) Solomon (2 Chron 1-9) The Divided Kingdom (10-28) The Solitary Kingdom (29-36)

Purpose Chronicles is intended to show the history of Israel in light of God’s faithfulness to David and to give hope to the people returning from exile that God would restore Israel and the Davidic king.

Special Topics A. United monarchy. In 1 Chron. 10, Israel is in a state of defeat, Saul was unfaithful, failing to listen to the Word of God or seek Him. This resulted in death. 1. David is presented as a savior who reverses this situation. • He “enquires of (Heb. “seek”) the ark” that Saul had neglected (13:3). • Despite setbacks (13:9-14), his intentions are rewarded with blessing: a large family, success in battle, and respect in the sight of other nations. • The worship of God dominates David's reign. • David's victories provide wealth for the future temple (chs. 18-20; 2 Chron 5:1); the failure with regard to the census leads to the acquisition of the site for the future temple (1 Chron. 21:28-22:1) as well as materials, plans and personnel for the building. The writer is presenting David's reign as a paradigm for his own readers, an indication of how to move out of a state of EXILE. 2. Solomon is presented as equal to David, bringing to fruition David's plans for the temple and its worship (note their link in 2 Chron 3:1; 5:1; 7:10; etc).

B. Relation to Samuel and Kings • The Narrator: Chronicles is unique in the Bible in the extent to which the narrator plays such a prominent role. • The reader must realize that the narrator is writing after the exile and is selective in what he includes and omits from his sources. He purposely shaping the narrative to fit his OPTOMISTIC agenda. • He assumes his readers to be familiar with the earlier books. • The narrator does one of the following: 1. Follows Samuel and Kings Closely 2. Paraphrases Samuel and Kings (Usually shortens material) 3. Gives a Different Account (from a different perspective) 4. Adds Unique Material • Genealogies • Details of David's followers 55

• Rehoboam's fortified cities and family affairs with details concerning the Shishak invasion • Asa's military preparations and the invasion by Zerah, with numbers and dates • Jehoshaphat's military arrangements, with numbers • Jehoram's brothers and other details concerning him • Uzziah's army and his business enterprises 5. Omits Material • From the point where the history of David begins, he has OMITTED everything not strictly connected with David or his dynasty: The history of northern Israel; The long narratives concerning the prophets; The faithlessness of Solomon; The sin of David. • Shortens the passages which he does bring in.

The End of Chronicles: The end of the book of Chronicles takes the reader to the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia (538 B.C.). Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to their homeland, and that is the note upon which the book ends. The last verse (2 Chron. 36:23) is a positive call to all Jews to return to the land of God’s promises. The thrust was for them to be optimistic about the future. God’s disciplining punishment was past. It was now the time for them to regroup and to rebuild what had been destroyed. God had been faithful to his promises, and now the Jews were once more to receive their part in his blessings of redemption. In this way, Chronicles points to the coming of Christ and his ultimate kingship and provision for his people Chronicles was designed to retell Israel’s history by emphasizing the actions that brought God’s blessing. Those actions were to be models for Israel after she returned to the land. The time for chastisement and dwelling on failure was past. The book of Kings already had struck the notes of failure and its consequent judgment. Chronicles emphasizes the positive past as a basis for a positive future. Israel was to learn from the past and strive for a God-honoring future. Ezra-Nehemiah-Esther

Titles Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther are all titled for the principle characters of the 3 books. Ezra and Nehemiah led the people of Israel from Babylon on the second and third returns from exile, respectively.

Author A.______– theological interpretation of Jewish History; careful reconstruction and editing B.______the Chronicler – Jewish tradition identified Ezra as the chronicler of the post-exilic history, putting 5 strands (Chronicles, Sheshbazzar, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah) together (Baba Bathra 15a). Played a role similar to that of Luke in the NT. He had access to Persian state archives (Aramaic letters) and knew about Palestine events. C.Traditional Jewish View of Authorship:

D.About the Authors 56

1. Ezra the priest and co-worker of Nehemiah. • Family: The genealogy of Ezra is given in Ezr 7:1-6, which includes Hilkiah, Phinehas, and Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the high priest. Because of genealogical considerations, he would not be a high priest, though he was of priestly descent. • “Ezra” means “help” and is probably shortened for “Azariah,” (Neh 10:2) translated “Yahweh helps.” • Occupation: He is called "a ready scribe in the law of Moses," a "scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh, and of his statutes to Israel," "the scribe of the law of the God of heaven.” As early as the time of Jeremiah (Jer 8:8), "scribe" already held the meaning of a person trained in the Scriptures. • Ezra’s association with the Law is so important that Jewish tradition assigned him a place second only to Moses. Because of his focus on the Law and his role in promulgating it among the returned Israelites, Ezra is regarded as the father of Judaism. • The Talmud: “When the Torah was forgotten from Israel, Ezra came up from Babylon and established it” (Succoth 20a). His work is recognized as having a profound influence on the development of Judaism. • Perhaps the father of the Masoretic movement that added punctuation and vowels to the text. 2. Nehemiah • Nehemiah was the cup-bearer for Artaxerxes, king of Persia (464-424 BC), and received the king’s permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls (Neh. 2:1-8). • The third return of the exiles under Nehemiah took place in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes (Neh 2:1) or 444 BC. This led to the rebuilding of the walls and moral reform of the people. • Nehemiah left Jerusalem to visit Artaxerxes in Babylon during the thirty-second year of his reign (Neh 13:6) or 432 BC. • Closely associated with Malachi who probably prophesied during Nehemiah’s absence, for many of the evils he denounced are prominent in the later reforms of Nehemiah (13:4-31). 3. Mordecai/Esther • Mordecai is a faithful Jew living during the exile in Persia. He helps the king foil a plot against his life and is eventually rewarded with promotion to the second most powerful person in the Persian Empire. • Esther: The name ‘ester is apparently derived from the Persian word for star, stara. Esther’s Hebrew name was Hadassah, meaning “myrtle.” • Esther was the wife and queen of the Persian King Ahasueras (Xerxes)

1) The Books • The events of Ezra cover a period of about ______years, from 538 (the decree of Cyrus) to about 458 (the second return). These two main concerns are the temple (1-7) and reform according to the law (8-10). 57

• The events of Nehemiah cover a period of about ______years from 445 (the third return) to about 430 (Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem). These deal mainly with the walls (1-7) and moral reform (8-13). • The events of Esther cover period of about ______years from the Vashti incident (~483) to the rise of Mordecai (474)

Outlines Ezra-Nehemiah Rebuilding the Temple (Ezra 1-6): Sheshbazzar & Zerubbabel /Cyrus & Darius Reform under the Law (Ezra 7-10): Ezra/Artaxerxes Rebuilding the Walls (Neh 1-7): Nehemiah/Artaxerxes Reforming the People (Neh 8-13): Ezra & Nehemiah

Esther Vashti’s Demotion (1) King’s Decree to Destroy the Jews (2—3) Haman Threatens Mordecai (4—5) Mordecai Defeats Haman (6—7) King’s Decrees on the Jews’ Behalf (8—9) Mordecai’s Promotion (10) The Book of Ezra/Nehemiah

Theological Truths A. ______• The problem of the marriage to foreign women in Ezra 9-10 and Nehemiah13 resurfaced. The cleansing of this sin that reached all the way to the priesthood was a painful process that involved the separation of families. • This shows the seriousness of the effects of the intermarriage. However, it does not condone divorce. Intermarriage was a problem that was especially serious for the Jewish people because it threatened to wipe out their national identity. The unions are such that the normal words for “marriage” and “divorce” are not used. • Nehemiah 13:23-27:

B. ______– Theme of rebuilding moves from the center out – the temple, the city and people, the walls. God is wanting to rebuild all aspect of his people C. ______– Opposition to the work of the Lord’s people may be overcome (4:1-17). • The ridicule of the enemy was overcome by determination (4:1-6). • The conspiracy of the enemy was overcome by prayer and preparedness (4:7-9). • The discouragement among the people was overcome by the encouragement of Nehemiah and the preparedness of the people for attack (4:10-18). • The opposition of the enemy was overcome by faith and hard word (4:19-23). D. The Need for ______. 58

Esther

Background 1. Stirrings in the Pentateuch • Amalalekites and Agag • Exod 17:8-16 and Deut 25:17-19 (Israel defeats Amalekites and the LORD promises to blot their name out & wage war from generation-to-generation) • Haman is second in land (3:1-15; Num 24:7 – Jacob’s king shall be “higher than Agag”); Num 24:20 – Amalek is doomed to perish for ever 2. Rumblings in the early Historical Books • Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7) • Amalekites and Agag: The Persian king is a descendant of Agag, a notorious Amalekite king, whose life was spared by Saul from being destroyed in the ancient holy war (1 Sam 15:1-16); Note – David later defeats them: 1 Sam 30:16-20) 3. The Principle Characters • Mordecai is known as the son of Kish (2:5) which identifies him with Saul • Haman is known as the Agagite who is the Amalekite king 4. The Lesson: God is able to redeem is people throughout history at unbelievable odds – even the house of Saul.

The Reversing Book Esther is a book of reversal. The author uses this to contrast the plans of men with the plans of God. • Vashti/Esther • Haman hates Mordecai/parades him around the city and extols him • Haman hates Jews/Begs for his life from and Jewish woman • Haman almost eliminates the Jews/They rise up against their enemies • Gallows for Mordecai • Mordecai’s certain death to his certain promotion

The Unseen Hand of God Esther does not mention God; however, this absence leads to a memorable story through which the believer sees God at work behind the scenes. This makes it easier for us to relate to. • Message: God’s Method’s may vary, but his purposes do not. Outsiders may view God’s deliverance as chance; God is a work in many ways (Prov 16:33); bears witness more to God’s people than to the world (as in Daniel) • Some consider it a secular book – all is fake or coincidence • Evidence of God – allusions, coincidences, reversals, themes • Silence speaks loudly • Meinhold – author seeks to emphasize the responsibility of individual Jews and does no want to have God preempting human actions • God is hidden teaches that he is present, not “truly hidden” 59

The Banqueting Book: Esther is framed by 10 Banquets: 1. Ahasuerus' banquet for the nobility 1:2-4 2. Ahasuerus' Banquet for All the Men in Susa 1:5-8 3. Vashti's Banquet for the Women 1:9 4. Esther's Enthronement Banquet 2:18 5. Haman and Ahasuerus' Banquet 3:15 6. Esther's First Banquet with Ahasuerus and Haman 5:1-8 7. Esther's second Banquet with Ahasuerus and Haman 7:1-9 8. The Jews' Feasting in Celebration of Mordecai's Elevation and the Counter-decree 8:17 9. The First Feast of Purim: Adar 14 9:17, 19 10. The Second Feast of Purim: Adar 15 9:18

Questions for Next Week 1. Search the Bible and see if you can find a good definition for a prophet. What is a prophet’s main responsibility? 2. Read the Woe’s of Isaiah 5. How many are there? Now, read Isaiah 6 and find the final woe. Why is this significant? 3. Find at least 5 predictions of the Messiah in Isaiah. 4. Why do you think God includes so much material about the destruction of the nations in Isaiah (and the other prophetic books)?

Exilic/Post-Exilic Timeline Babylonian Kings Nabopolassar (626-605) Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562) 605 1st Deportation (Jerusalem captured/Jehoiakim deported) Daniel (~605-530) 597 2nd Deportation (Jerusalem surrenders/Jehoiachin deported) Ezekiel (~593-570) 586 3rd Deportation (Destruction of Temple/Zedekiah deported) Gedeliah made Governor & Assasinated/Flee to Egypt w/ Jeremiah Evil-Merodach (562-560) 560 Jehoiachin Released from prison Neriglissar (560-556) Labashi-Marduk (556) Nabonidus (555-539) Belshazzar (550-539) 539 Fall of Babylon to Cyrus/Darius the Mede, son of Xerxes

Persian Kings Cyrus the Great/II (559-530) 538 Edict of Cyrus/First return (Ezra 1:1) 60

537 Altar Rebuilt (Ezra 3:1-7) 536 Temple Work Begins (Ezra 3:8-13) Opposition to Temple Work (536-520) (Ezra 4; cf. vss. 1-5; 15-16; 24) Cambyses II (530-522) Gaumata (522) Darius (Hystaspes) the Great/I (522-486) 520 Temple Work Resumes (Ezra 5-6:12) Haggai (~520) Zechariah (~520-518) 516 Completion of Temple (Ezra 6:13-18) 515 Passover Celebrated (Ezra 6:19-22)

Xerxes/Ahasuerus (486-465) 483 Vashti Incident (Esther 1) 479 Esther becomes Queen (Esther 2) 474 Haman’s Plot & Mordecai’s Rise (Esther 3-10)

Artaxerxes I (464-424) 458 Second return (Ezra)/Repair & Reform (Ezra 7-10) Work stoppage and Demise (cf. Ezra 4:7-23; Neh 1:1-3) 445 Third Return (Nehemiah)/Walls (Neh 1-7) 443 Ezra Reads the Law (Neh 8-13:3) 433 Nehemiah Returns to Susa (Neh 13:6) Malachi (~433-425) ??? Nehemiah Returns to Jerusalem (Neh 13; cf. vs. 7)

Correct Chronological Order of Exilic/Post-Exilic Writings *Note that several Psalms are also Exilic/Post Exilic. Daniel 1-4 (2 Kgs 23:36-25:26/2 Chron 36:5-21/Habak./Ezek/Jer/Lam) (2 Kings 25:27-30) Daniel 7-8, 5, 9 Ezra 1-3 (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) Daniel 10-12, 6 Ezra 4-6 (Haggai/Zechariah) Esther Ezra 7-10 Nehemiah 1-13 (Malachi) 61

Session 9: Prophets

The can be Classified by Time Period 1. ______(Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings) vs. ______(Major + Minor) – Historical books are prophetic declarations of God’s perspective. OT is not a history book or a history of Israel; It is the proclamation of God’s word – his interpretation of the events he wants to reveal to us; Rabbis understood History and Prophecy as all a part of “thus saith the LORD”; biblical historiography is all “thus saith the LORD” 2. Premonarchial – leadership, spokesperson, oversees collective life of people; Moses 3. Preclassical – king and court – Samuel, Nathan, Gad, Elijah, etc. 4. Classical – more emphasis on nature of their message – the writing prophets, address north and south, bring an indictment against God’s people based on covenant obligations, curses and blessings – cf. handout on classical prophets

They can be Classified by their Works 1. Writing vs. Non-writing (Elijah, Elisha) 2. ______(Is, Jer(Lam), Ezek, sometimes Dan vs. ______(the 12) 3. True vs. False (Jer 23:9ff; cf. 30-32) – the tests of Dt. 13:1-5 (of prophet by people and of the people by God) Dt. 18:20-22

Gender – Prophet vs. Prophetess (Miriam, Deborah, Isaiah’s wife, Philip’s daughters of Acts 21:9)

______Broad Sense of Prophecy: Speaking the Word of God Accurately

______Narrow Sense of Prophecy: Foretelling and Forthtelling

OT’s Description: 1. Aaron for Moses – Ex 4:16; 7:1ff – shows what God’s prophet is: one who speaks the words that God gives him 2. Jer 1:7ff – Go where he sends and speaks what He commends, not his own words 3. Dt. 18:15ff – I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak unto them …”

Purpose of Prophecy – Not to satisfy curiosity about the future, but so we might live holy lives now & ultimately recognize God as the one ordering events as part of his plan. (Cf. 1 John 3:3)

Examples: 1. First Prophet – ______(Gen 20:7; cf. Ps 105:15) – opposition to him led to divine retribution (Jer11:21-22; Amos 2:12-13; 7:16-17) 2. ______as Paragon for Prophets (Dt. 18:15-19; 34:10) – every feature that characterized the true prophet of Yahweh was first found in Moses 62

Interpreting Prophecy: Jeremiah 18:1-10 and the Conditional Nature of Prophecy 1. ______2. ______3. ______

Introduction to Isaiah Heads the List of Prophets – theological contribution and majesty of its poetry are unmatched elsewhere.

Isaiah the Man

Dates: 740-700 B.C. • Isaiah 1:1--Isaiah lived and prophesied during the reigns of "Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." Thus the date of Isaiah's ministry would be on or shortly before the death of ______(c. 740 BC, though some date this a few years later) until some time after 701 BC before the death of Hezekiah (c. 687, though some place it a decade earlier). ______BC is a good round figure for his ministry, though he might have been active a few years before or after. • Isaiah 6 records a vision which occurs in the Year king Uzziah died, c. 740. • Isaiah 7 records events which occur at the beginning of King Ahaz's reign, c. 735 BC. • Isaiah 36-39 record events in the life of Hezekiah (716-687), especially the invasion by Sennacherib in 701 and a visit by the Babylonian Merodoch-Baladan which is probably out of chronological order before 701 BC, perhaps c. 710.

Life • Name: Isaiah means "YHWH gives ______." Appropriate for is book, though originally perhaps parents named him such after deliverance through (a difficult?) childbirth. • ______: Isaiah married “The Prophetess” and has 2 or 3 children at least. • Hometown. Jerusalem. A city dweller in contrast with Amos who was a herdsman. He does not seem to have addressed the N. Kingdom. • Contemporaries: ______(Probably), ______, and ______(Golden Age) – period of materialism, idolatry, and social injustice • Death? The Bible does not record Isaiah's death. A pseudopigraphic work, the Ascension of Isaiah, says that he was killed during the rule of Manasseh by being sawed in two, in which case he would be the one referred to in Hebrews 11:37. Manasseh was a wicked king, so perhaps, like John the Baptist, Isaiah suffered for condemning the king's sins. Against this, however is the superscript which does not record Manasseh's name, though the book may have been published before Hezekiah died. (Predicted 1:9; Account 5:1-11)

The Authorship and Unity of Isaiah 63

Standard Traditional View – Isaiah wrote all of Isaiah from 740-700/680.

Liberal View – Liberals say only part of the book written by Isaiah ben Amoz. Isaiah ben Amoz's prophecies are limited to the first part of the book, Isaiah 1-39. Not even all of Isaiah 1-39 is by Isaiah, but some of it too may be by secondary hands.

Isaiah 1: God’s Lawsuit Against Israel

Introduction to Isaiah (1) The ______(2-15) Offer ______(16-20) The ______(21-31)

Invocation and Historical Prologue (2) (Dt. 30:19; 31:28; 32:1) • ______as Witnesses ➢ In Deut 30:19, 31:28-29, and 32:1, Moses had called upon Heaven and Earth as witness of the covenant made between God and Israel. ➢ They are an appropriate witness because people are untrustworthy and temporary and other gods do not exist. So heaven and earth, which endure from generation to generation, were chosen to fill this role metaphorically. • What is the Nature of God's Complaint against Israel? To explain it, the analogies of child-father and donkey-owner are used before stating the matter outright. ➢ 1st Analogy: ______against Father God (2) Respect for parents was stressed much more in Ancient Israel than it has been in modern culture. 1) Rebellious Children: Deuteronomy 21:18-21 says that parents have the right in the case of a stubborn and rebellious son who after much admonition does not obey them to take him to the elders of the city, and upon confirmation, have him put to death by stoning. 2) Key point: Israel had been designated God's son (Exod 4:22). Israel owed its very existence to God's calling them from Egypt, and God's subsequent fatherly care and upbringing. Consequently, Israel's disobedience and disrespect for God is the height of ingratitude. Moreover, given the precept in Deuteronomy, such rebellion of sons against a father makes them subject to severe punishment. ➢ 2nd Analogy: Israel more stupid than a ______(3). Even a dumb animal will hear and follow it’s master’s voice. The Israelites were acting worse than a dumb animal.

The Complaint is Stated 1. They are ______2. They have ______3. They have become like ______64

• “Against the Holy One of Israel” denotes the extreme nature of what they had done – God had committed himself to a special relationship with Israel, but she had forsaken him (Cf. Jer 31:32)

Grounds for Condemnation (5-9) • Israel likened to a man beaten to a pulp: bruises, oozing sores, open wounds without bandages or treatment. Verse 5 "Where will you be smitten again" meaning you are so beaten by the rod of God's punishment that there is not a healthy spot to hit you again. Verses 7-9 give the meaning of the metaphor: the land has been invaded, cites burned and desolate in which Zion (or Jerusalem) alone remains. • The Note of Grace (9): City destroyed by God during time of Abraham and Lot due to its wickedness. They were guilty as Sodom and Gomorrah, yet by God's grace, not punished as much (3:9; 13:19; Cf. Jesus in Matthew 11:23-24)

Indictment (10-15) • God rejects their sacrifice: ➢ New Moons and Sabbaths--Last day of week and first day of every month set apart. New moon required special series of sacrifices to be made (Num 28:11-15), and were days of feasting (1 Sam 20:5, 18, 24, 27). Evidently it was a Sabbath in which the market was closed (Amos 8:5). Likewise Sabbath day set apart for rest and worship. ➢ Festivals--Especially the three pilgrim festivals: Passover, Weeks, and Booths. • Is God doing away with the sacrificial system? No, the point as it is many times in the prophets is that the sacrifices are to be accompanied by a right heart, otherwise they’re just a “butcher party” (Ps. 51:16-17).

Offer of Renewal (16-20) • Stipulations for Renewal (16-18): 9 imperatives as to what Israel must change – have to do with social justice (Dt. 10:18-29; James 1:27). These end with a gracious call to repentance in which pardon for sin is offered. • Curses and Blessings (1:19-20)

The Lawsuit Continues (21-31) • Indictment Continued (21-23): Faithful City has become a whore – everything in the city is switched. • Sentence (24-31): God’s wrath turns out to be his grace, but justice will be done. There is a lament over Jerusalem's Present State: She is in need of repentance and under God's wrath (21-26). A Future Redemption (1:27-31) is anticipated.

Six "Woes" and a Seventh “Woe” (5:8-30) • 1st Woe--Greed (Isa 5:8-10): Essentially a violation of the ______commandment against coveting (Exod 20:17). • 2nd Woe--______who Ignore God (5:11-12): Sensual Pleasures of drunkenness, carousing, and banqueting rather than spiritual ones in fore. 65

• 3rd Woe--Those that Sin ______(?) because they have no fear of God. (5:18-19). • 4th Woe--Distorted ______: reversing right and wrong (5:20) • 5th Woe--Arrogant human conceit which needs no ______. (5:21) • 6th Woe--______(Drunks and swindlers). (5:22-23). The leaders, who should be role models for the nation, do not care if drink or bribes impair their judgment.

Isaiah 6: Isaiah’s Call Outline ______(1-4) ______(5) ______(6-7) ______(8-9a) ______(9b-13)

The Vision (1-4) • King Uzziah had died, or at least the old king's death was imminent. Uzziah had been the greatest king since Solomon, overseeing the Silver Age of Israelite history. In contrast to the failing of the human king, here Isaiah sees the real king. Not Uzziah, but God the real king. • John 12:41 suggests Isaiah saw Christ here. • "Train (hem of garment) filled the temple.": Note how the description of God goes no farther than the feet. Cf. Exod 24:10 where the description of God does not go past the pavement. "Robes" symbolic for God filling the temple. Words cannot express what Isaiah saw. • "Seraphim" Angelic creatures that are associated with snakes and fire – usually acted as guardians and had human and animal characteristics (Num 21:6, Isa 14:29, 30:6; Ezek 1:10; 10:21; 41:18-19) ➢ Their 6 wings: Cover their faces (denoting fear to look into face of God), cover their feet (euphemism for genitals, meaning respect in the culture) and flew (normal use). • Calling out [in praise] "Holy, Holy, Holy": Why the threefold statement of "HOLY"? a. Trinity? Maybe, but only a hint. The Trinity is not explicitly taught in the OT b. Emphasis:______• "The earth is full of his glory": In other words, as Psalm 19 tells us, ______reveals the glory of God.

Isaiah’s Reaction (A ______Woe) (5) • Already Isaiah had six times pronounced woe on his people's sinful behavior (chapter 6). Now he pronounces the same on himself as a sinner. • Choice of "lips": Lips expresses the thoughts of the heart. Unclean lips reflects an unclean heart. Unclean lips cannot properly praise God (as Seraphim were doing). 66

Chapter 5 had declared his people "unclean" or sinful. Now he declares him along with his people unclean. • Moreover, Isaiah was (or was going to be) a prophet. For him to be effective in his service for God, his lips must speak out of a pure heart.

Isaiah's Cleansing (6-7): Coal from Altar. Incense altar in the Temple is beside the mercy seat which is the place of atonement. Bronze Altar place of atoning sacrifices. Atonement applied to his lips to cleanse the whole self.

Isaiah's Call (8-9a): 1) Who will go for "US"? ➢ Why "US"? (a) Trinity? (b) God and the Seraphim? (c) Plural of Majesty. Note contrast "I" and "us". This seems to eliminate plural of majesty. Makes Trinity problematic, though possible. Could be God as addressing the heavenly host. 2) Having just experienced the fullness of God's forgiveness, Isaiah shows a willingness to be God's agent.

Isaiah's Message (9b-13): • "Do a lot of hearing, but do not understand. Do a lot of seeing, but do not learn." Despite the prophetic word and presence, it will do them no good. • "Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and their eyes besmear." ➢ ______: Hebrew leb means "mind." A fat heart is a mind which is dull or unresponsive. They will become stupid to the Word of God. ➢ ______: idiom for ears which do not hear. Year symbol of Obedience. They will not obey the prophetic word. ➢ ______: Blind, metaphor for perception. to the truth of the prophetic word. • Why is Isaiah asked to do these things? He is asked to blind the eyes of his people. The time for repentance had passed, and now the time of judgment had come. This seems strange: He is not to preach that they may be saved, but to preach lest they be saved. The purpose of the preaching was judgment rather than salvation. • The limitation of the Judgment: How Long? Isaiah knows that judgment cannot last forever. Basic answer: Until the judgment is complete. Basically until 701 (Senecharib), though Babylonian Exile seemingly in view too. • A Concluding note of Grace: The Stump – The survival of the stump represents "remnant theology." God may punish, but he will never ultimately destroy his people.

Isaiah’s Sons • Sheer-Yashub (7:3): "A ______Shall Return." • Emmanuel (7:14): “______” (See Mattew 1:23) • Mahar-shalal-hash-baz (8:3) “Quick to the ______, Shift to the ______”

THE ORACLES AGAINST THE NATIONS: ISAIAH 13-23 67

Oracles Against the Nations are Common in the Prophets: 1. Isaiah 13-23 2. Jeremiah 46-51 3. Ezekiel 25-32 4. Amos 1-3 5. Obadiah (Edom) 6. Jonah (Nineveh) 7. Nahum (Niveveh) 8. Zephaniah 2

The Nations Prophesied about by Isaiah 1. Babylon (13:1-14:23) 2. Assyria (14:24-27) (Little here because it was already mentioned in 1-12; esp. 10) 3. The Philistines (14:28-32) 4. Moab (15-16) 5. Damsacus (and Israel) (17) 6. Cush (18:1-7) 7. Egypt (19:1-25) 8. Egypt and Cush (20) 9. Babylon (21:1-10) 10. Edom (21:11-12) 11. Arabia (21:13-17) 12. Jerusalem (22:1-25) 13. Tyre & Sidon (23)

Overall Theology of the Oracles 1. God is Sovereign. God is in control. He so works the events in history so that his will is accomplished among the nations. Nations may come and go. Some become powerful and proud, but the sovereign LORD at his pleasure crashes their greatness into the dust. Some have great kings, but the Lord alone is the universal sovereign over all the world at all times. "Surely as I have planned, so it will be....For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" (14:24, 27). "Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when he rebukes them, they flee away" (17:13). 2. God is the God of Predictive Prophecy. These oracles receive remarkable fulfillment, proof of the supernatural nature of Isaiah's prophecies. The fact that Isaiah foresees the time when Babylon will replace Assyria as the great power of the world, and then to be overthrown by the Medes are examples of startling predictions that are fulfilled. 3. Yahweh is Lord and Judge of the World. One world, one God. God is not just the God of Israel. All nations are answerable to Him: God is a Holy God who demands justice and decency, not only among his people Israel to whom he gave the Law, but also all the other nations who by natural revelation know and are accountable for their sins. Among them 68

are idolatry, oppression and cruelty, and pride. 4. The Nations: They ought to (and ultimately will) submit to God and his anointed King in Jerusalem, i.e., the Messiah of Chs 9 & 11. 5. Israel's Election. On the one hand, it does not exclude them from Divine judgment. The fact that there is pronouncements of judgment against both Israel and Judah is proof that the fact that they are God's chosen people does not make them automatically right with God. (Election of Israel does not equal salvation). In so far as they behave like the nations, they will be condemned with the nations. On the other, God has plans for Israel: "The LORD will have compassion on Jacob, once again he will choose Israel....And the house of Israel will possess the nations" (14:1-2). Israel may be punished, but God is not through with him. 6. Judah must Trust in God and not the nations: These oracles’ primary purpose is to tell Judah that salvation is available if they would only trust in God rather than the nations (20:5-6).

The Servant Songs

Introduction • Isaiah 49-57 concentrates on the Servant of the Lord, through whom Israel will be restored. This is appropriate in light of 40-48, which deals with the rise of Babylon and the Babylonian exile. • Certain key themes of the previous chapters now disappear: Cyrus, Babylon, polemics against idols.

Servant of Yahweh Passages: 1. 42:1-9 2. 49:1-12 3. 50:4-11 4. 52:13-53:12

The Identity of the Servant 1. The traditional Christian view: Messianic, referring to Jesus Christ. New Testament certainly applies Isaiah 53 to Jesus Christ. Cf. Acts 8:35. Ethiopian eunuch. 2. The traditional Jewish view is that the servant is Israel. As we have seen Israel has been called God's servant in several places in Isaiah 40-48. Can it be that the Servant of these passages are likewise Israel.

The Fourth Servant Song (52:13-53:12): The Suffering Servant Message: The Servant’s death is seen by God as a ______for others (“the many”). Though Israel sees him his death as punishment by God, he is ultimately vindicated.

Outline: 1. The Nations ______the Servant (13-15) 69

2. Israel Confesses ______of the Servant (1-9) 3. God Approves and ______the Servant (10-12)

NT Usage • Parts of this passage are quoted throughout the NT. Even more, the themes and ideas of this passage are used in reference to Christ. • Paul’s conversion – thought Jesus had been condemned and cursed by God because of blasphemy; then he met Jesus and went into the Arabian desert to rethink his theology; emerged realizing that God did kill him, but for our transgressions not his own; this is the way the Jews were truly saved • Philip and the ______(8:26-40) – quotes Isaiah 53:7-8. The eunuch as Philip who the prophet is talking about and Philip points him to Jesus. (Cf. Rev. 5:6) • Matthew 8:17 – quotes in relation to Christ’s healing ministry • Matthew 26:63; 27:12-14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9 speak of his silence before his oppressors

Jeremiah

Author • Liberal view: Deny to Jeremiah most of the book. They divide up the book into prophetic oracles (Source A), biographical accounts (Source B), and prosaic sermons (Source C). • Conservative View: Primarily Jeremiah with help from Baruch. Jeremiah's amanuensis, the scribe Baruch certainly played a major role in writing down Jeremiah's prophecies, and could in fact be the one who put Jeremiah's prophecies in their final form. This would explain having added some of the 3rd person narratives about Jeremiah.

Date • 627-585. Jeremiah was called to ministry in the 13th year of Josiah, 627 BC (Jer 1:2), and prophesied until after the exile about 585 (cf. 44:1-30 when he gives a speech to the exiles in Egypt). • Appendix: 560. The appendix mentions the release of Jehoiachin c. 560 (52:31-34). • Oracles almost all from 609-585. We seem to have relatively little material from the early ministry of Jeremiah recorded in his book, though some sections in chapters 1-18 without date formula may date to his early ministry.

The Man • Family. Jeremiah was born to the priestly family of Hilkiah (who is not the same Hilkiah who discovered the law in the Temple around 621) in the village of Anathoth, not far north of Jerusalem. • Marriage. Jeremiah Did Not Marry. In view of the coming judgment in which many children (and parents) would die, Jeremiah was told by God not to marry or have children. (Jer 16:1-4) • Name. His name mean something like, "Yahweh establishes.” 70

• Call. He was called as a prophet in 627 BC (Jer 1) in the reign of Josiah when he still regarded himself as a "youth" (perhaps a teenager). • Josiah’s Reforms: Jeremiah call to ministry corresponds with one of the great rulers of ancient Israel, Josiah. ➢ Manasseh's Idolatry. Josiah's grandfather Manasseh (696-642) had plunged Israel into gross idolatry, but during his reign, and during Manasseh's reign, Israel was subservient to Assyria. ➢ Josiah's Independence from Assyria (c. 629/8). However, by the time Jeremiah began his ministry in 627, Assyria was in decline and Josiah had gained independence from Assyrian domination. ➢ Josiah's Religious Reforms. Moreover, in 621 BC, the "Law of the LORD" was found in the temple, and Josiah introduced massive religious reforms and centralized the worship of the LORD in Jerusalem, putting down the high places. It was in this environment, of the Good King Josiah, that Jeremiah began his ministry. ➢ Jeremiah and Josiah. Scholars of Jeremiah often compare the message of Jeremiah with the reforms of Josiah, looking for similarities. Josiah's reforms emphasized the teachings of the book of Deuteronomy, and there are affinity of language between Jeremiah and Deuteronomy. The historical books record that Jeremiah lamented Josiah's death (2 Chr 35:25). • Opposition. Jeremiah, sometimes called the “Weeping Prophet,” was called to a ministry in which he would be opposed (1:19). He faithfully continued to preach the message of Josiah's reform and against abuse of royal power by Jehoiakim (Jer 22-23), but Jehoiakim (609-597) had little use for the things of God. Leaders who had previously gone along with Josiah's religious reforms now openly opposed him. Indeed, Jeremiah was opposed by all classes of society (26:8) and was in danger of death several times (11:18-23; 18:18; 26:8; 26:8; 36:19; 38:6). • Flight to Egypt. Gedaliah, the Governor, is assassinated. Those involved in the plot against Gedaliah asked Jeremiah what to do. Jeremiah, ten days later, received a revelation from God that they should remain in the land of Palestine, and not go to Egypt (42:1-22). But they rejected Jeremiah's message (43:1-8), and not only flee to Egypt, but carry Jeremiah, against his will, to Egypt too. Jeremiah probably died in Egypt, though we do not know the exact date.

Jeremiah’s Call and Message (1:4-19) The word (4-10) • Jeremiah’s Call is Prior to Birth (4-5)

• Jeremiah’s Call is from God (6-8) ➢ Jeremiah’s Youth is not a Problem

➢ Jeremiah Must be Obedient 71

➢ God is with Him (to Deliver?)

• Jeremiah’s Call is based on the Word (9-10)

➢ Word in Mouth Symbolism:

➢ Set you over nations and kingdoms for a 6-fold task: Negative: pluck, break, destroy, overthrow

Positive: build, plant

How would Jeremiah do this?

The visions (11-19) • Almond Branch ➢ Message: God is as a tree branch overhanging a place – all that goes on underneath will be seen by the branch. ➢ Why Almond – Almond in Hebrew is related to the word for “watch or oversee,” thus Jeremiah is really seeing a “Watch Branch” – a branch that will be vigilantly watching what goes on underneath. ➢ Message of Comfort or Judgment? Ultimately it is both – God’s watch over Israel (as over believers today) should be comforting and convicting. In the context, what God sees on his watch is condemning and will lead to destruction.

• Boiling Pot: The boiling pot is Babylon who will attack from the north. The picture is one of a pot that has become too hot causing the contents to overflow its bounds and flow out into the house. • Israel’s Offenses: Forsaking God and Idol Worship

Jeremiah’s Call: Be Ready, Be Courageous, Be Strong, Be Victorious

Jeremiah 30-33: The Book of Comfort and Hope This section is at the heart of the book and is arguably the central theme Jeremiah wants us to take away from the book. Whereas the dominant theme of the rest of the book is judgment, the dominant theme here is salvation. The difference is that the theme of judgment was for the immediate future, but salvation was the long term outlook.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 • New Covenant: Note the covenant formula: "I will be their God and they will be my 72

people" (v. 33b) • Contrasts with Mosaic Covenant: ➢ Law is in the hearts, not just on Tablets: People will keep this covenant because the law will be written on the people's hearts (minds). ➢ Circumcision: Even under the Mosaic covenant Israel was to be circumcised of heart/ mind not just flesh (Deut 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4). However, under the New Covenant, only those so circumcised will be part of the covenant. • Knowledge of God: Knowledge of God will now be Universal (34a) • Forgiveness of Sin: Forgiveness will now be universal (34b)

Lamentations Author • The book says anonymous, but Jewish and Christian tradition say Jeremiah. ➢ The LXX reads that it was Jeremiah who sat weeping in the first verse. The LXX also places the book with Jeremiah (after the Apocryphal book of Baruch). ➢ He certainly lived though the fall of Jerusalem which the book recounts, and was a man of much emotion and compassion. ➢ He is said to have written lamentations on other occasions (2 Chr 35:25)

Date: Exilic (586-539 BC): It was written by someone who experienced the events described.

Form: 1. Five Poems: Lamentations consists of five carefully structured poems unified by the common theme of lament over the destruction of Jerusalem in 586. 2. Each chapter is a separate poem. 3. Each poem, except for the last is written in the form of an alphabetic acrostic. 4. Dirge: The style of the poems 1-4 (5 is different) in the Hebrew are described as "dirges" with a 3:2 meter (three words/beats followed by a second line of two words/beats). Thus rather than parallelism, there is an intentional unbalanced lines. This is described by scholars as a qinah ("dirge") style (see Budde, 1882).

End of the Book: Lamentations ends with a call to God who is upon the throne. The author pours out his heart to God asking him to remember the people. God eventually answers this prayer in various ways and time. 73

Session 10: Ezekiel & Daniel

EZEKIEL

Author: • Ezekiel was the son of Buzi, a priest of the line of Zadok. However, Ezekiel was taken into ______before he could become a priest. • Name: “God ______” (cf. 3:8) • Family: Ezekiel was married (24:16-18) and his wife dies, though he is told not to mourn for her at her death, just as the exiles were not to mourn the loss of Jerusalem which had been prophetically foretold by the prophets. • Exile: Ezekiel was taken into Babylonian exile in 597, the year king Jehoiachin was taken into exile. • Jehoiachin dating system: Interestingly, although Zedekiah ruled the throne in Jerusalem, Ezekiel always dates his prophecy by the reign of the exiled king Jehoiachin (though whom Jesus Christ is physically descended). Perhaps he did not recognize Zedekiah as a legitimate ruler. • Home: Lived at Tel Abib on River Chebar (canal off the Euphrates). • Audience: Spoke primarily to the exiled Jews in Babylonia. • Method: Ezekiel is perhaps the most varied of the prophets in regard to method: the communicated through oracles, visions, symbolic acts (3:22-26; 4:1-14; 5:1-4; 12:10-20; 21:6-7, 18-24; 24:15-24; 27:15-28), proverbs (12:21-22; 16:44; 18:2-3), and parables (15-17, 19, 23).

Date: Ezekiel was a younger contemporary of Jeremiah. His prophecies date from ______BC. He was born around 623 BC, so was about 30 years old (1:1) when he began his ministry, the year he would have become active as a priest.

Selected Passages

Ezekiel’s Vision of God (1) • Ezekiel is known for his mysterious visions. Ezekiel begins his message of judgment with a vision of the sovereignty of God. • The last verse indicates that this is a vision of "______," God on his throne. • Theology ➢ ______: God is Sovereign over All the Earth (throne and mighty creatures). The vision shows those who thought God too small to save them from Babylon are wrong. ➢ God Omniscience & ______: eyes in all four directions, wheels in every direction. 74

➢ God was not a ______, but was with them in exile in Babylon.

Ezekiel’s Call (2-3) • Like Isaiah, the call follows the vision of God on his throne. • ______(2:1-5): Prophet to a stubborn people. He is promised no success. God says, "Join the prophets and be cast among the thorns, briars and scorpions! • ______. Isaiah eats a scroll that is full of “words of lamentation and mourning and woe” (2:10) and it is sweet to him (3:3).

Symbolic Acts of Chapter 4-5 • Attack the ______(4:1-8): Ezekiel besieged a brick to dramatize the coming besiegement of Jerusalem • Eating ______(4:9-17): Eating bread baked over dung symbolizes the future eating food unclean among the nations. • Cutting his ______(5:1-4): Isaiah divides his hair into 3 parts symbolizing that Jerusalem be burned, killed by the sword, and scattered.

Messiah and the New Heart (34, 36, 37) New Heart ______, not Stone (36:22-28) • God acts for his name’s sake to put his spirit and a new heart within the people. • Jesus probably alludes to this passage in ______, when he speaks of the New Birth. • Jeremiah 31:31-34 "I will put my law within them" relates to the New Covenant.

Ezekiel’s Temple (40-48) • If Gog and Magog refer to the same events as Revelation 20, Ezekiel's Temple corresponds with the ______of Revelation 21-22. • This temple has ______: The dimensions do not fit either Zerubbabel's or Herod's temple. • ______: The resuming of animal sacrifices is contrary to NT theology. Christ has put an end to animal sacrifices. (Eg. Hebrews 8:1-10:3) • Seems to be ______rather than literal: 47:1-12 where a trickle of water becomes a great river over the space of a few thousand yards seems impossible, if take literally. • Symbolism: The Return of ______(Ezek 43:1-7) In chapters 9-11, God's glory progressively left the Temple. Now God's glory returns to abide with God's people.

New Name of the City (48:35): “______” The events that happen in the city will be such that it will receive a new name indicating the presence of Yahweh in the city (in the new temple).

Daniel Authorship • Daniel along with Isaiah and the Pentateuch are the most disputed books of the Old Testament. 75

• Conservatives: View the book of Daniel as going back to the real historical person of Daniel of the 6th Century BC, and that the book contains his genuine prophecies, which have the most detailed specific fulfillments of all the prophecies in the Bible. • Liberals: See the book as a fictional story of Daniel containing "prophecy after the fact" rather than genuine predictions. They date the book to the 2nd Century BC, at the time of the Maccabees, when Antiochus IV tried to abolish the Jewish religion. • Cf. Matthew 24:15 where Jesus assumes that Daniel is a real prophet who made genuine predictions.

Historical Background 1. Exile: Daniel is taken as a young man into to Babylonian exile in 605 (after the Battle of Carchemish) along with his three friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. This was when Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon. 2. Babylonian names: Men were given new names to signify their new nationality and alliances. They were to reflect Babylonian culture and gods instead of Israelite culture and the Israelite God.

Hebrew/Meaning Babylonian/Meaning Daniel/Judge of God Belteshazzar/May the Lady (Istar) Protect the King Hananiah/Yahweh has Given Shadrach/Aku’s Command Mishael/Who is like God? Meshach/A Babylonian god? Azariah/ Yahweh Helps Abednego/Servant of Nabu

3. Training. They were trained to be officials in Nebuchadnezzar's court, and Daniel graduates to be among the "wise men" of Babylon. They are perhaps made into eunuchs.

Theology 1. Need for ______: a. Chapter 1: Daniel refuses to eat the king's food, either because it had been offered to idols or because it was not kosher, but remains faithful to God. b. Chapter 3: Daniel's three friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refuse to bow to the image put up by Nebuchadnezzar (symbolizing the personified State), and are therefore thrown in the fiery furnace. c. Chapter 6: Daniel (now an old man, having been in Babylon more than sixty years) refuses to quit praying, even though Darius (encouraged by Daniel's enemies) has decreed that anybody who prays to a god or man other than Darius would be thrown to the lion's den. Daniel, like his friends, would rather die than compromise his integrity with God. 2. God ______a. Chapter 4: Nebuchadnezzar's pride is revealed in a vision of a magnificent tree given to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. The tree is cut down, but it survives in the stump. So Nebuchadnezzar is cut down by a madness in which he acts like a beast--eating grass like cattle and being out of his right mind. But at the end of seven periods of time 76

(seven years) his right mind returns to him, and duly humbled, he acknowledged the God of Judah. b. Chapter 6: Belshazzar – Belshazzar took out the temple utensils brought to Babylon and profaned them by using them in a drunken party. Then a mysterious thing happens: a hand appears out of thin air and writes on the wall. The message is mysterious--referring to some units of money. [Part of the problem is that Aramaic lacks vowels, so without much context it is not possible to tell which words are there; and in addition the message is intentionally cryptic]. Daniel comes in and interprets the supernatural writing, and reveals it to be a pronouncement of the end of Belshazzar's kingdom. The next day the Persian army would come, and Belshazzar dies. 3. The Supernatural Character of God's ______. a. Foreknowledge: God is the supernatural revealer of mysteries, and Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar before explain his dream in Daniel 2. This theme is developed by all the supernatural predictions, such as Daniel 8 & 11 where God previews much of Intertestamental history from Persia through Alexander the Great, and then the break- up of Alexander's kingdom among the Seleucids (Syria) and Ptolemies (Egypt). If real prophecy, it is the most detailed fulfilled predictions in the Bible. b. Sovereignty: God controls history so as to bring about that which he has decreed concerning nations and peoples. 4. The Ultimate Victory of the Kingdom of ______. a. Chapter 2: Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream of the Statue and the Stone b. Chapter 7: Daniel’s Vision of the 4 Beasts and the Son of Man (with the Saints) c. Chapter 12: Resurrection 5. ______Warfare (Daniel 10:10-20): Daniel 10 describes the existence of protective and adversarial angels (Michael, the prince of Persia, the prince of Greece) who are engaged in unseen spiritual warfare in the supernatural realm. Note that there is no hint that human are involved in this warfare in any point in the Bible except through prayer. 6. ______: We have the example of Daniel's prayers of confession for his people, and the supernatural answer he receives (Daniel 9)

The Visions of Daniel • The Visions of Daniel are complicated and confusing to ALL readers. Many are sure they have them figured out but they disagree with each other. • Note Daniel’s Confusion: 8:27 and 12:8 • Must concentrate on the things that are sure: ➢ 4 Kingdom’s: There will be four kingdoms. Babylon is the first. The Medes, Persians, and Greeks must play some part. Rome is another good candidate. ➢ Chapters 2 and 7 must be referring to many of the same things. ➢ Chapter 8 must refer to the Medes, Persians, and Greeks. ➢ Chapter 11 must refer to the remnants of Alexander’s empire. ➢ Chapter 12 must refer to the resurrection. 77

➢ Matthew 24:15 – Jesus appropriates Daniel 9-12 as referring to destruction of Jerusalem (and end times?). ➢ There seem to be strong correlations with Revelation. • Must use caution in marking certain people for the horns ➢ Some things are told to us explicitly (2:38, 44). ➢ Some like Alexander, the Generals, and Antiochus seem fairly sure from history. ➢ Some like the 10 horns and 1 horn are hard to pinpoint. We may see resemblances in people or organizations – European nations, Roman Catholic Church, America – but this does not mean we have to be right. ➢ Daniel is jumping in time in two ways: the historical setting and the prophetical importance. This makes definitive interpretation of the people and times difficult.

The Minor Prophets Names: Minor Prophets, The Twelve – one book in the Hebrew Bible

Interpretation as One Book – Recently this has become a trend in research as many are trying to find common thread that unite the books, reasons for the Hebrew order, and a united message. The attempts thus far have yielded some good results but have failed in these three attempts.

Primary Audiences of the Minor Prophets Judah Israel Nineveh Edom Joel Hosea (+ Judah) Jonah Obadiah Micah (+ Israel) Amos Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

Chronology of the Writing Prophets Obadiah (~848-841 [or 586]) Joel (~825-800) Jonah (~800-750) ↓ Amos (~760-750) Hosea (~760-700) ↓ Isaiah (~740-700) ↓ ↓ Micah (~737-690) Nahum (~660-650) Zephaniah (~640-610) ↓ Habakkuk (~630-600) ↓ ↓ Jeremiah (~627-580) (Obadiah 586?) ↓ Daniel (~605-530) ↓ ↓ Ezekiel (~593-570) 78

Haggai (~520) Zechariah (~520-518) Malachi (~455-425)

Hosea

Author and Date Hoshea, “he causes salvation,” wrote the book. The root is the basis for several other names in Scripture (Isaiah, Elisha, Joshua) and is the former name of Joshua, son of Nun (Num. 13:16) and 3 other biblical persons. The book was written from 760-700. He seems to write before the fall of Samaria which would place the writing before 725. Thus, Hosea is an older contemporary of Isaiah.

Audience and Setting • ______: Hosea spoke primarily to the Israelites but Judah is also mentioned (1:11, 5:15). • ______: Hosea began his ministry during the good economic and political times of Jeroboam II (793-753). • Important Dates: 1. Tiglath-pileser (747-727) 2. Syro-Ephraimite War (735-732) 3. Fall of Samaria and Israel (722)

Outline ______(1-3) ______(4-14)

Hosea’s Marriage 1. The Children a. Jezreel ("______") • "God scatters" originally in the positive sense of God sows, but now of the scattering of the Northern Kingdom tribes. • "Blood of Jezreel" may refer to Jehu's bloody revolution (841 BC) that began there (cf. 2 Kgs 9:1-10:30) in which Jehu killed not only Jezebel, but also Ahaziah the king of Judah and everyone else in sight. This would be the beginning of similar such atrocities of the whole Jehu line. b. Lo-Ruhamah "______" • "She has not been shown compassion." Could be understood "no natural affection" because she was the product of immorality. • So God was no longer sparing Israel out of compassion. c. Lo-Ammi "______" • Could mean "no kin of mine" (illegitimate birth). • So God would forsake the ten northern tribes altogether d. Note the progression that gets ever more severe: 79

• Scattering and end of royal house • Lack of compassion • Lack of relationship.

The Symbols Explained (Hosea 2): Gomer's Adultery Symbolizes Israel's Baal Worship. 1. In Chapter 2 words seem to have a double meaning -- figuratively to Gomer, and literally to the land of Israel. 2. Thus ______(spiritual adultery) is the fundamental sin condemned here. 3. A Promise (1:10-2:1, 2:23): Promises restoration of Northern tribes under messiah so that those who were "not my people" would again be called by God his people. • The Problem: How is this possible, given the assimilation of the ten lost tribes among the Gentiles?

• The Solution: Romans 9:25 -- Paul indicates that God was calling Israel back to himself by calling the Gentiles into which they assimilated. It is not that Paul is giving a different application to Hosea's words, but is seeing the literal fulfillment!

Redemption (Hosea 3): Hosea buys back his wayward wife as an act of Grace. So God continues to love his people despite their sins, and is unwilling to give them up.

God’s Marriage (4-14): Hosea 1-3 describes Hosea’s marriage and children while explaining that the marriage is similar to God’s marriage to Israel. Hosea 4-14 turns solely to God’s relationship with Israel. The setting for these chapters is similar to that of a courtroom where Israel is tried, convicted, and sentenced.

Joel

Author & Date • We know little about the prophet Joel or his time. His message occurs sometime after the outbreak of a locus plague, but which one is completely uncertain. • The book is usually dated either early or late. ➢ Early Date (9th Century): Some opt for a date around the 9th century BC (825-800), based primarily on two things: (1) placement between two early prophets (Hosea and Amos) and (2) content. ➢ Late Date (Post-Exilic): Others, probably the majority, now date it in the post-exilic period (late 6th or 5th centuries). References to the Greeks (3:6) seems more appropriate after the exile. ➢ Only the period between the destruction of Solomon's temple and the rebuilding of the Temple by Zerubbabel (586-516) can safely be excluded, since the text assumes a functioning temple.

Outline The Day of the LORD: ______(1) 80

The Day of the LORD: ______(2) The Day of the LORD: ______(3)

Restoration (2) • ______(1-11): An initial warning about the great Day of the LORD is given to the people • Is this a ______? ➢ Many interpret this passage as simply a metaphorical description of the locusts that are compared to an army. ➢ Others (including Sprinkle, Wolff, and Craigie) take it to be an eschatological army. Revelation 9:3-11 arguably describe the same eschatological army as locus. ➢ The latter seems to be the case. The army that is coming will be so terrible and swift that they will be like a plague of locusts. • Call to ______(12-17): In light of the coming army, the people are called to repentance. • The ______of the LORD (18-27): God loves his people and will not ultimately destroy them. Not the reversal of the events of chapter 1. The people are now to rejoice – the threshing floor will be full of grain (as opposed to after a locust plague). Also note the reversal in 25. • The Spirit (28-32) ➢ ______of the Spirit: Joel Predicts as day when the LORD shall pour out his Spirit on all flesh. This day will be one in which all who call upon the name of the LORD will be saved. Some will survive the day of the LORD – these will be the ones whom the LORD calls. ➢ This passage finds fulfillment in the whole Church Age a) Day of ______. Spirit poured out on all flesh: Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Peter in his speech in Acts 2 refers to this passage as fulfilled in the Holy Spirit coming upon the church. b) Definition of ______: Spirit is given regardless of sex (sons and daughters), regardless of age (old men/young men), regardless of social status (includes male and female slaves. c) The Eschatological ______. Vv. 30-31 is quoted in Matthew 24:28-31 and there refers to cosmic phenomena surrounding the second coming of Jesus. Thus this passage includes matters at the beginning and the end of the Church Age.

Amos Author • Amos is not mentioned elsewhere in the Old Testament, so all we know comes from the book. • Home: ______of Judah. • Job: Herdsman and a sycamore fig (1:1, 7:14) farmer rather than a professional prophet. • Opposition: Opposed in his ministry because of who we was (or wasn’t) and because of his 81

message of destruction (7:10-17).

Date • First Half of ______. Amos 1:1 places the book in the first half of the 8th century BC, during the reigns of ______(792-740) of Judah and Jeroboam II (793-753) of Israel. • "Two Years before the ______" (1:1c): but the historical books do not happen to mention this earthquake. The event could have been part of the reason Amos wrote the book as it was a picture of the destruction that was coming. The earthquake may be referred to in Zechariah 14:5. • Which exact year or years within this period he was active is hard to pinpoint. Around 760-750 is a reasonable guess.

The Setting • ______: Though he is from Judah and mentions Judah in his prophecies, Amos is a prophet to the North. His main concern is the situation in Israel and the coming destruction by the Assyrians. • Contemporaries: The clearly 8th century prophets are: Isaiah, Hosea, Amos, Micah, and Jonah. • ______: The Silver Age under Jeroboam II of Israel was a time of great economic growth for the nation while Assyria was in a state of decline. • ______: For the most part, Israel and Judah are at peace with each other during this time period. • ______: Amos points out that it was also a time of great exploitation of socially vulnerable groups (widows, the fatherless, etc.).

Outline Eight Oracles Against the ______(1-2) Five Words Against ______(3-6) Five ______(7-9)

Five Prophetic Visions (7-9) 1) ______(7:1-3) 2) ______(7:4-6): Meant to show the devastation that God could send on the land but did not because of his compassion for Israel. 3) ______(7:7-9): Plumb line measures walls to see if they are straight. Israel is like a crooked wall. The only thing to do is tear it down. 4) Basket of ______(8:1-3): The fruit represents that the time for judgment had come like the time for the fruit had come. In other words, judgment was “ripe.” 5) ______beside the Alter (9:1-10): This vision shows the LORD in the temple getting ready to strike the temple’s supports and bring judgment on the people. There is no where they can go because the LORD has his eyes fixed on them (4). 82

A Promise (9:11-15) • Most of the book is gloomy, but it ends with a messianic promise. • David’s ______: The Davidic monarchy was not what it had been. It was now limited to the South (Judah), not the great empire of the United Monarchy. Even this was fallen. The house of David is now but a shack. • “______”: God will restore the Davidic dynasty under a fitting king who will rule all the nations. He will be such a king that he will ensure permanent placement in the land for his people. • Fulfillment: ______. The coming of Jesus to reestablish the Davidic rule, and the gospel going to the "nations" in the NT represents the preliminary fulfillment of this passage. 9:13-15 may refer to the Millennium.

Obadiah

Author Obadiah means “______.” It is clear that Obadiah wrote the book, but it is not at all clear when Obadiah lived. There are some twelve Obadiah's mentioned in the Old Testament, and none can be identified with the Obadiah of this book.

Date The date for Obadiah is disputed. It depends on the identification of the violence done to Israel by Edom described in vv. 10-15. Two main options. • Reign of Jehoram (c. 844 BC) 2 Chr 21:8-10, 16-17 & 2 Kgs 8:20-22. • Destruction of Jerusalem: (588-586 BC): Similar to Jeremiah 49:7-22. • Fulfillment: By Malachi 1:4 (c. 450 BC), they had been devastated. The "deliverers" (v. 19-21) could refer to Hasmoneans such as John Hyrcanus in the 2nd BC who forced the Edomites/Idumeans to convert to Judaism c. 105 BC.

“Minor Characters”: Esau/Edom in Scripture

Major Designations for Esau: Esau – 87x; Edom 121x; Seir 38x 1. Esau/Edom and Jacob/Israel in Genesis B. Israel’s closest relative C. At strife with Jacob from the start (25:22-34; 27:41) D. Rejects his parents (28:6-9) and his birthright (25:29-34) E. Blessed with an inferior blessing (27:39-40) F. Plans to Kill Jacob (27:41) G. Accepts his brother’s status and has affection for him (33:4, 15-16; 35:27-29) – perhaps in response to divine intervention (28:21; 32:9-12) H. Mixes with the descendants of Seir and becomes a nation of kings (36) – even more prosperous and free than Jacob by the end of Genesis a) Fulfills prediction to Rebekah (25:23) b) Partially fulfills promise to Abraham (12:3; 17:7) 83

2. Esau/Edom in the Old Testament Timeline A. Fears Israel and will not allow passage (Num 20:14-21; Dt. 2:4-8) B. Partially controlled by Amorites (Judg 1:35-36) C. ~1030: Saul takes some territory (1 Sam 14:47) D. Doeg kills the priests at Nob (1 Sam 21:7; 22:9-10, 18-19; 22) E. ~1000: David conquers Edom and incorporates them into the empire (2 Sam 8:13-14; 1 Chron 18:12-13) – fulfills prediction to Rebekah (Gen 25:23; cf. Num 24:17-19) F. Hadad as adversary to Solomon (1 Kings 8:14-22) G. 853: Edom revolts with Moab and Ammon, but is defeated (2 Chron 20:1) H. 845: Edom revolts and gains some measure of freedom (2 Kgs 8:22; 2 Chron 21:8-10) I. 794: Conquered by Amaziah (2 Chron 25:11-13) J. 735: Freedom from Ahaz (2 Chron 28:17) K. Assyrian and Babylonian Tributaries

Prophets A. Amos 1:11-12: Destroyed by fire; 2:1-3 Moab punished for his treatment of Edom; 9:12 possessed by Israel B. Isaiah 21:11-12; 34: Devastation, desolation, but faint possibility of return? C. Jeremiah 49:7-22: Flight, ruin, horror; like Sodom and Gomorrah D. Ezekiel 25:12-14: Laid waste E. Obadiah: Destruction, no survivors; perhaps some hope (21) F. Malachi 1:2-5: Hated, destroyed

Summary: Fierce wars (2 Sam 8:13-14; 1 Kgs 11:15-16; 2 Kgs 14:7; Amos 1:11-12) lead to bitter prayers by prophets because Edom gloats over Israel’s destruction (Obadiah; Lam 4:21-22; Ps 137:7-9). Nationally, they are rejected and destroyed by Yahweh forever (Malachi 1:2-5) and hated by virtually all of the nations. However, they seem to have hope of final inclusion in the people of God (Amos 9:12; Acts 15:17; Obadiah 21).

3. Esau in the New Testament A. Romans 9:10-13: A type of God’s free and unfettered choice to love and to hate – God may choose even the younger between twins; Paul is identifying most of ethnic Israel with Esau (and Ishmael); Reconciliation? (Rom 11:25-32) B. Hebrews 11:20: Isaac prophetically invoked his blessing. C. Hebrews 12:15-17: A type of the unholy who rejects the grace of God and found no chance to repent. D. Acts 15:17: Septuagint and NT take Edom to represent the Gentiles; conquest is no longer physical as in the time of David, but is now spiritual (“on whom my name is called”); promise to David will be fulfilled partially through the spiritual conquest of the Gentiles; now includes “all the Gentiles” 84

Outline Edom Brought Down (1-4) Edom Destroyed (5-10) Edom Warned (11-14) The Day of the LORD (15-21)

Edom Brought Down (1-4): Parallel with Jeremiah 49:14-16 • Call to Battle (1) – Obadiah begins with a call to battle in the plural. The words evoke the mental image of a rider going around to all the nations to gather warriors against Edom. • Made Small (2) – Though already small in size, Esau would become even smaller in significance due to the LORD’s punishment. Edom will be utterly despised. • Brought Down (3-4) – Both Edom’s pride and position are described in terms of height. Edom’s strongholds were high and in the midst of rugged terrain. They seem virtually unassailable from a human perspective.

The Day of the LORD (15-21) • Judgment on All Nations (15-16) – Edom had apparently been so bold as to drink (and perhaps worship) on the temple mount. Surprisingly, the focus shifts from Edom to all nations – they will all drink the wrath of God as Edom drank upon the temple mount. The end result of God’s wrath is total annihilation. • Jacob Delivered (17-18) – In contrast to the nations, some of the Jews will escape the atrocities of Mount Zion. The mount will again be holy and Jacob will regain his old possessions. Jacob and Joseph (used to represent his two children and thus the northern and southern kingdom) will retake their ancient borders (which includes Edom) like a fire consumes chaff. • Restoration of Israel (19-20) – These important verses show the retaking of Israelite borders from neighbors who had possessed parts of Israel and the return of Israelites from captivity to do the possessing. The verses point to a new (and complete) conquest like the one seen in the days of Joshua. • The Kingdom of the LORD (21) – The final verse gives the picture of a centralized government on Mount Zion that is ruling over the world & particularly Edom. In this government, saviors will rule over Mount Esau. How they are saviors is not known specifically, but the focus is on the fact that the overall kingdom will be the LORD’s. This points to the rule ushered in by Christ which will be culminated on the final day. Jonah Author and Date: The author is anonymous, but the traditional view is Jonah. Jonah means “dove.” Jonah was from Gath-Hepher in the territory of ______. • Date of Jonah the Person: Jonah the son of Amittai is mentioned in ______as giving a prophecy during the reign of Jeroboam II (792-767). Hence a date sometime in the first half of the 8th century for Jonah seems reasonable. • Date of Book: The date of Jonah is hard to ascertain for certain, but the most likely range is 800-750 BC. 85

Outline The ______(1) The ______(2) The ______(3) The ______(4)

God’s Command and Jonah’s Response (1) • Jonah runs from God (1:1-3): Called to go preach to Niveveh, a city in Assyria, Jonah goes instead on a boat headed for Tarshish. • Nineveh 1. Nineveh was the occasional capital of Assyria, the bully nation to the north that would soon destroy Israel. 2. Though it is impossible to know for sure, the King of Nineveh was probably Assuradan III. His reign was plagued by many omen and disasters (eclipse, earthquake, famine, rioting), and he briefly stepped down from the throne. 3. The cruelty of the Assyrians is well-documented. They were notoriously ruthless to their enemies. Ashurbanipal liked to tear off the lips and hands of his victims. Tiglath-Pileser flayed victims alive and made great piles of their skulls (see Smith and Page, 225). • Tarshish: Tarshish is probably the Phoenician colony of Tartessos in Spain, about as far in the opposite direction that a person could go. • The Sailors: God then hurls a storm-wind on the boat which is threatening to sink. The supernatural character of the storm makes the pagan sailors suspect that someone had offended the gods. Though they are apprehensive, they finally throw him off the ship. The encounter has an affect on them as they offer a sacrifice to the LORD and make vows (1:16). • The Fish: Jonah is eaten by a fish that God had appointed. God had a specific fish in mind to deal with the results of Jonah’s disobedience.

Jonah’s Song (2) • Gratitude: While in the fish, Jonah realizes that God is going to deliver him from death, and so sings a song of thanksgiving to God for deliverance from death. • Repentance: But there is no evidence that he had completely repented of his reluctance to preach to Nineveh. In fact his half-hearted message and reaction indicate that he still did not embrace God’s actions. • The Fish as Salvation:

The City (3) • Message: A Joyless, Hopeless Message. Jonah 3:4 "Forty days and Nineveh will be overturned." Nothing about repenting, or hope of deliverance. Only what Jonah wanted to happen! He probably said more, but we are only given his emphasis. When the king says "who knows, God may turn and relent" (3:9), it hints that Jonah's preaching had said nothing of repentance, but that this was the king's own speculation. • An Overwhelming Response (3:5-9): The whole city repents, starting with the King. Even the animals were in sackcloth and ashes, fasting and not drinking and bellowing to God. 86

• God Relents of Calamity (4:10). Just as the king suspected, if the people repented, God would relent of the promised judgment.

Jonah’s Complaint (4) • God is ______(4:2): Jonah, sitting on the hill looking over Nineveh, complains that God is such a "gracious and compassionate God" that he knew God would find some reason to forgive the Assyrians. That was, in fact, why Jonah refused to come in the first place. He goes on to say that he wished he would die. However, the technique employed by the author leads the reader to speculate as to the reason for his fleeing up to this point. • Lesson of the Plant (4:6-11a): On the hot day, God allowed a plant to grow rapidly and shade Jonah. Jonah loved the plant and felt sorry when it died. God indicated that if he could feel sorry for a plant, why could he not feel sorry for people! • The Ironic Ending (4:11)

Notes on Jonah • ______in the OT: Jonah demonstrates that the Gentiles are free to worship God even in the OT. • Nineveh’s ______– Nineveh truly does repent as seen by the response of God and by the statements by Jesus in the NT (Mt 12:41; Lk 11:32) • Nineveh’s ______– In 660-650, Nahum prophesies about the destruction of Nineveh. This takes place in 612 as the Medes and Babylonians destroy the city.

Micah

Author/Date • Micah is abbreviated form of Micayahu “______?” • Micah dates to approximately 737-722 during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, though the exact years are uncertain. From Micah 1 it appears the destruction of Samaria was yet future, and so a pre-722 date (fall of Samaria) seems warranted. He is thus a contemporary of Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and Jonah, all 8th century prophets. • Micah and Isaiah: Micah is a younger contemporary of Isaiah who overlaps with him at many points. Though their ministry is the same in many respects, they both fulfill different and necessary roles: Isaiah – Jerusalem, statesman and connected to the king, concerned with political issues Micah – rural, evangelist and “sociologist,” personal religion and social morality • From Moresheth Gath in Judah. • Prophesied to both ______, but is couched in a Judean context.

Outline (Micah arranges 19 prophecies into 3 Judgment/Salvation Cycles) ______/______(1-2) (2:11/12) ______/______(3-5) (3:12/4:1) ______/______(6-7) (7:7/8) 87

Destruction/Restoration (1-2) (2:11/12) – See Isaiah 1 Covenant Lawsuit (1:2-7) – Micah begins with a covenant lawsuit against the North and South. This one has the typical parts but also features a theophany. • Calling of the Witnesses (2) • Theophany (3-4) • Defendant and Charges (5) • Punishment (6-7)

A Lament over the Lawsuit (1:8-16) • Lament (8-9): Shame and Wounds – Micah’s lament parallels the shame that both nations will feel due to the Assyrian invasion. Micah will walk naked (or at least in only a loincloth) which is a common sign of mourning (1 Sam 19:24; 2 Sam 15:30; Isa 20:2-4). His misery is like that of the jackal and owl/ostrich/desert bird (Job 30:29). Verse 9 describes Sennacherib’s assault on Judah which ended at the gates of Jerusalem in 701. • Wordplays (10-15): The Appropriate Punishment – The main body of the text is a somewhat amusing mixture of puns to describe the terrible coming destruction. 10 Do not tell it in “Telling Town.” Do not weep in “Weeping Town.” In “Dust Town,” do not roll in the dust. 11 Go forth stripped down and in shame, inhabitant of “Fair Town.” Inhabitants of “Stir Town,” do not stir. The lamentation of “House of Protection” shall take the protected place from you. 12 For the inhabitants of “Bitterness” wait anxious for sweetness/good because evil has come down from Yahweh to the gate of Jerusalem. 13 Harness the horses to the chariots, inhabitants of “Horsetown” – it was the beginning of sin to the daughter of Zion for in you were found the transgressions of Israel. 14 Therefore you will give an inheritance to “The Telling of the Inheritance Town.” The “Houses of Deception” will be deceptive to the kings of Israel. 15 I will bring a conqueror to you, inhabitants of “Conquer Town.” The glory of Israel shall come to Adullam. Adullam was the cave where David hid (1 Sam 22:1; 2 Sam 23:13). • Conclusion: Join the Mourning House of David – Micah ends by encouraging the people of Judah to join in with the mourning by shaving their heads (Isa 3:17-24; 15:2; Jer 48:27; Amos 8:10) like the griffon vulture which has no feathers on its neck or head. The mourning is because their children will go into exile.

Future Restoration (4-5) • Zion’s Future Exaltation (4:1-5) • Restoration of the Remnant (4:6-8) • Defeat Turned into Victory (4:9-13) • Leadership Changed to Ideal Deliverer King (5:1-6) ➢ A Call to War – Judah was going to face Sennacherib and later Nebuchadnezzar. This call 88

is for the weak king to muster her troops because an invading army is ready to strike the judge of Israel (see Psalm 3:7). ➢ Bethlehem – Appropriately, through the armies are coming against the great city of Jerusalem, Micah turns his attention to the small city of Bethlehem Ephrathah (House of Bethlehem, Fruitfulness). Micah’s world play on the city is the first positive one in that the city will be fruitful since a ruler is coming from her. Bethlehem is doubly appropriate since it was the birthplace of David and will be the birthplace of Jesus Christ (Mt 2:6). ➢ The Ruler – This ruler will be no ordinary descendant of David as he will have an origin from ancient days (See Daniel 7:9). This denotes that the coming ruler is one which has an origin other than just an earthly one. ➢ Birth and Brothers – Though the ruler is more than just human, he will indeed have a human birth (see Isa 7:14). The birth of this ruler will signal the ultimate return of his brothers. This happens in Christ’s life, at Pentecost, and still today. ➢ Shepherd of Peace – As is presented in the NT (and other parts of the OT), Jesus will be a shepherd of peace for his people. He will not be as the current shepherds of Israel because he will have the strength of the LORD and rule in the name of the LORD. He will be able to establish a sure and strong peace. ➢ Assyria and Sennacherib – Once again, the time of Sennacherib is referenced as God promises a sure defeat through the power of an abundant number of shepherds. This incident points beyond to Jesus Christ and his ultimate victory and rule. • The Exaltation of the Remnant (5:7-15): End of the Nations and Their Idols – In a real sense, there will no longer be any nations or idols. The nations will have either become part of the people of God or will have been destroyed. The LORD will put an end to all of their evil and there will be no god but the LORD.

God’s Kingdom Will Triumph (7:8-20) – Micah ends with a hymn of four stanzas: 1) The Confession of Sin (8-10) 2) The Promise of Salvation (11-13) 3) Joy because of Steadfast Love (18-22)

Nahum

Author/Date • Nahum means “______.” This may seem strange given his uncomforting subject matter, but the destruction he spoke of would be comforting to many including the Jews. • Nahum was from Elkosh, whose location is uncertain. Nothing is known of Nahum as a person. • Nahum was a prophet of the 7th century BC. Probably from ______.

Background • An Oracle Against ______: Compare with Jonah. Nineveh averted the judgment of God in the 8th century when they repented at the preaching of Jonah. But now, more than a century later the judgment will actually fall. 89

• Fulfillment: 612 BC the Medes and Babylonians destroy the city. • From 735-629 or so, Judah had been a vassal of Assyria. The Assyrians were a war-like people known for their cruelty. ➢ Assurbanipal's relief enjoying a party while the head of the enemy king hangs in the tree. ➢ Impaling of enemies. ➢ Torture: flaying, burning alive, amputation of body parts, etc. ➢ Almost all their art work contains scenes of war. • Assyrian idolatry had influenced ______, the most wicked of Judah's kings (695-642).

Outline The ______(1) The ______(2) The ______(3)

The Character of God (1) • The God of Nineveh and Judah (2-8) – Verses 2-8 list personal attributes of through direct statement and through implication in his deeds. • God’s Judgment of Nineveh (a.k.a. – God’s Grace to Judah) (9-14) – God’s attributes inevitably lead him to the judgment of Nineveh. This judgment is also a grace to Israel. • The Result for Judah (15) – The end result of God’s character and actions is the gospel (“good news”). Behold the Feet – This common theme in Scripture (Isa 52:7; Rom 10:15; Eph 6:15) concentrates on those who bring good news. The good news is always of peace.

The Judgment of Nineveh (2) • The Call to War (1) – Nineveh is called to war against “The Scatterer.” This name for the LORD denotes his action among the nations (including Israel). He is able to scatter (Jezreel) and is about to do so with Assyria. This is appropriate since Assyria’s MO was scattering the people it conquered. • The Spoils of War (11-13) – The comparison God as a lion takes on new meaning as he sends Babylon (symbolized by the lion) to defeat Nineveh. This lion feasts and has enough for his little ones, his “women,” and to stuff his cave. It’s not just Babylon – it’s the LORD of Hosts that is against Nineveh. He will destroy the city completely.

The Woe over Nineveh (3) • Judgment Prophesied (1-7) – Nineveh is portrayed as a bloody city – a city characterized by bloodshed. The battle scene within Nineveh is intermingled with statements of her sin and failure. As a result, the LORD of Hosts is against her. He will treat her like shamefully like an unfaithful wife (like Israel should have been treated). All who look at her will cringe. • Judgment like Thebes (8-11) – Thebes is used as an example (often a technique of the prophets) to make Nineveh realize the truth of Nahum’s prophecy. Thebes was les likely 90

to be defeated than Assyria but she had a tragic end. In the same way, Nineveh will be drunk with the anger of the LORD. • Judgment is Near (12-18) – Just like with ripe fruit, Nineveh should know the harvest is near. Her situation is dire: Women as soldiers, gates wide open, fire and sword on the way, ineffective leaders who will flee, shepherds who are sleeping, and a people who will be scattered. • Judgment Brings Joy (19) – Nineveh’s wound will be deadly and final. Her distress will be the good news (gospel) for everyone who hears. Her evil against other means that the world applauds her awful fate.

Habakkuk Author/Date • Habakkuk’s name is uncommon. It may mean “______” or may refer to the Assryian plant, hambakuku. • Contemporary of Jeremiah. The book assumes the rise of the Chaldeans (Babylon) and warns of their coming invasion of Judah.The book must be between 625-598. • Probably in the time of Egyptian Domination: ______. The description in the first several verses suggests a date in the moral and political turmoil Egyptian period of domination, after Josiah was killed, Jehoahaz (Shallum) was exiled & while Jehoiakim ruled.

Outline (Form is 2 complaints and responses followed by a prayer) ______Between Habakkuk and God (1-2) ______(3)

Question 1 (1:2-5) • Habakkuk, standing on behalf of the remnant, asks how long he will cry out for help and not be heard. This is reminiscent of lament psalms (Ps 13:2; 62:3; Jer 47:6). • His cry is not over foreign oppression, but over the injustice in the land. Habakkuk must watch the poor be oppressed and justice fail as the wicked prosper. His cry is one for social justice.

Answer 1 (1:6-11) • The Nations – God tells Habakkuk to look to the nations for his answer. God has set in motion the answer to Habakkuk’s prayer. This answer comes in the form of Babylon. The Chaldeans are increasing in power and are getting ready to do God’s will in answering Habakkuk’s prayer. • Unstoppable – Much like the army of Joel, the Babylonian army is pictured as a mighty force that cannot be stopped. Describe in “superhero terms,” they present a formidable challenge to any who would oppose them. • Might is their god – Though they are sent by God, the Babylonians are described as a people who only respect power and the use thereof.

Question 2 (1:12-2:1) 91

• Confusion – Habakkuk does not get the answer that he wants. He desires social justice in the land but is astonished that God is going to use Babylon to punish the Jews. For Habakkuk, this is hard to reconcile with an everlasting, holy, pure God. • Catching Fish – Habakkuk’s description of Babylon is one of a fisherman catching helpless fish for his food. Babylon rejoices and worships his fishing tools. • Watchpost – Habakkuk is eager for the LORD’s answer. His words indicate that he wants a fast answer and will be waiting for one.

Answer 2 (2:2-5) • Let’s Be Clear – God wants to send a message that is so clear that the one who runs around and tells the people about it can read it as he runs. He wants to be absolutely clear in his answer to Habakkuk. • Patience – Though the answer seems slow, it is coming. Habakkuk’s human perspective doesn’t allow him to see all of God’s work and how justice will come. • Pride – Babylon is prideful and crooked, but he will fall. • The Key – The righteous shall live by faith. Habakkuk must trust in the LORD. Though he doesn’t understand, he must put his confidence in the LORD. Habakkuk will later display this type of faith in his prayer. In the NT, Paul takes this verse and the examples of the OT as a statement on salvation through faith alone (Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11). • Babylon’s False Hope – While Habakkuk has faith in the LORD, Babylon is like a drunken man thinking he can do anything. This is not the case, and the world will soon know this. Though it seems like Babylon is unstoppable, God is the one behind his power and current success.

Woes (2:6-20) – As in Isaiah, the nations whom Babylon destroys will take up taunts against it for Extortion (6-8), Greed/Arrogance (9-11), Bloodshed (12-14), Drunkenness/Violence (15-17), and Idolatry (18-20)

The Prayer (3:1-19) • Title/Confession/Petition (3:1-2) – Habakkuk begins with a confession of his faith in God’s person and work. He asks that God revive his work and remember his mercy. This is natural after a description of God’s wrath like that of the previous chapters. • Appearance of the LORD (3:3-15) ➢ Exodus 9:9; 16-19 is a theophany with many parallels to that of Habakkuk. ➢ Teman and Paran (3) – these areas are to the SE and SW of Judah respectively. They probably convey the faithfulness of God in the wilderness to give Israel the law and bring them to the Promised Land. Thus, it is appropriate that the journey of the LORD in Habakkuk’s vision should begin here. ➢ UNSTOPPABLE!!! (4-6) – In contrast to Babylon, the LORD is truly unstoppable. The images of light, pestilence and plague, and the cowering of the earth illustrate his complete power and domination of all things. ➢ Getting Closer (7-11) – The LORD continues to move through the land getting ever closer to his people and their salvation. The picture is of a mighty warrior who is poised 92

to effect salvation for his people. All of creation braces and the LORD released his arrows. Verse 11 ends with all the world in tension as the arrows are about to strike. ➢ Salvation Arrives (10-15) – The LORD destroys the nations for the salvation of his people, the anointed. Man and elements fall before him as he executes perfect justice. • Habakkuk’s Response (3:16-19) ➢ Shake and Shut Up – Habakkuk’s reaction to the vision is telling of one who gets a glimpse of the wrath and salvation of God. It is such a thing that he fears and knows that he dares not question God’s justice. ➢ Joy – This vision also produces great joy. Habakkuk now knows that no matter what the situation on earth, God is in control and is in the process of saving his people. He no longer fears his fellow countrymen or the Babylonians. ➢ Strength – In contrast to the weary, depressed Habakkuk of 1:2, this prophet is strengthened by the LORD and not weakened by the circumstances of the world. He thinks himself to be like the deer who runs without fault on the high places of the earth.

Zephaniah

Author/Date • Zephaniah means “______.” Perhaps this refers to the conditional promise of 2:3. • Royal: Member of royal family, descendant of ______(1:1) • Ethiopian ancestry: "Son of Cushi" would seem to mean someone from Cush (Ethiopia). He may be a produce of wife who married into Judah's royal family by a marriage alliance. This would explain his prophecy about Ethiopia (2:12) • Date: Reign of Josiah (______): Perhaps it was before Discovery of Law (622 BC). Scholars debate as to whether the book dates to before or after Josiah's reforms of 622 BC.

Outline The ______(1) The ______(2) ______after the Judgment (3)

Historical Situation No fear of God (1:12) Pride/disrespect for temple (3:11) Fraud/ill-gotten gain (1:9) Worship of Baal and planetary deities (1:4-5, 9) Corrupt civil and religious leaders (3:3-4)

Themes 1. The ______: Immediate Day of the LORD was the Babylonian Invasion; Future Day of the LORD will involve the eschatological promises of 3:9-20 that will revolve around the Messiah. 2. ______(Cf. 2:1-3): Individuals are called to repent 93

before the judgment arrives. If they do, there is the hope that they will “be hidden.” 3. ______: Having given the doom and gloom message of judgment for sin, Zephaniah moves to the future hope beyond the gloom. This hope involves the Gentiles (with Jews) having purified lips so they can praise God rightly.

The Great Day of Judgment (1) • Utter Judgment on Judah (1-6) • The DOTL is Near (7-13) • The DOTL is VERY Near (14-18)

Restoration after the Judgment (3) • Judgment on the Nations (1-8) • The Conversion of the Nations (9-13) • Restoration of God’s People (14-20) Haggai

Author: Haggai means “festal” perhaps referring to when the prophet was born or the feasts that will come as a result of God’s work in his ministry. • Haggai is one of 3 post-exilic prophets (Zechariah and Malachi). • Partnership with Zechariah: Historically and thematically, the books of Haggai and Zechariah are linked. They should be read and studied together. • From Ezra 5-6, we learn that he and Zechariah were influence in convincing Zerubbabel and Joshua to lead the people in the rebuilding of the temple.

Date August 29 through December 18 of 520 BC. Because of the exceptionally precise data, we can date this book's prophecies more precisely than any others in the prophets. Haggai 1:1. August 29, 520 BC. Haggai calls on Jews to rebuild Temple. Haggai 1:15. Work resumes on September 21, 520 BC. Haggai 2:1. Glory of the Temple oracle. October 17, 520. Haggai 2:10, 20. Cleansing and future hope in Zerubbabel's line. December 18, 520.

Outline Message 1: ______(1) Message 2: ______(2:1-9) Message 3: ______(2:10-19) Message 4: ______(2:20-23)

A Call to Rebuild the Temple (1:1-15) • ______: The people were mixed up when it came to where they spent their time. God says that they are more concerned about their own house than his (1:4). • Theology of ______(1:6-10): Because the people had not been obedient, God had not blessed (1:6-10). Though it is not always the case, God here withholds blessing 94

until the people bring their worship. • The Importance of ______: The prophet (Haggai), priest (Joshua) and governor (Zerubbabel) are instrumental in seeing this work to completion • Power of ______: Only by working together could the temple be completed. But when people work together under God's leadership, great things can be done.

Zerubbabel the LORD’s Signet Ring (2:20-23) • ______: A signet ring is a symbol of authority. It was given to a person to convey that he had the king’s authority to carry out a task (e.g., Mordecai in Esther 8:8). • ______: Zerubbabel as the rightful heir to the throne physically is representative of the great king that would come. He is the hope of Israel. Instead of receiving God’s signet ring, he will BE God’s signet ring. In him will be invest the power and authority of God.

Zechariah

Author: Zechariah means “Yahweh has remembered.” His name is applicable to the exiles as they experience hardship but are remembered by God. • Like Daniel, much of Zechariah consists of highly symbolic apocalyptic visions, which makes the book hard to interpret. Jerome said of it, "The most obscure book" of the twelve Minor Prophets.

Date • Zechariah’s prophecies can also be dated with much precision. ❖ Chapters 1-8 date to October/November 520 to ______, 518: o Zechariah 1:1-6 is dated to October/November of 520 BC. o The Night visions of 1:17-6:8 are dated to February 15, 519. o Chapters 7-8 date to December 7, 518. ❖ Zechariah 9-14 contains two undated oracles no later than c. 480.

Outline 8 Visions on the ______and Joshua the High Priest (1-6) ______(7-8) ______(9-14)

Zechariah 3: The Vision of Joshua • ______: Satan performs his normal role of accuser of the people of God. • God’s Rebuke: The LORD rebukes Satan because he has chosen Jerusalem and saved the people from certain destruction. • ______: Joshua is the High Priest and yet he is wrapped in filthy garments. The obvious question is, “If the High Priest is so filthy, how can there be any hope of cleansing for the priesthood and the people?” • ______: Joshua’s cleansing is symbolic of the cleansing of the nation and 95

points to the future cleansing of believers. People that are covered in unrighteousness become clothed with righteousness. • ______: Walk in the ways of the LORD and keep his charge. • ______: Joshua would rule and have charge of the courts. He will also have access to the heavenly court. • ______: Joshua & his friends are told that the LORD will bring forth his servant “Branch” who will bring peace so all will share their vines & figs with neighbors.

Zechariah 6:9-15: Crowing of Joshua the Priest • ______: The occasion was the visit of certain dignitaries from the Jews of Babylonia to present a gift to the temple in Jerusalem. • ______: Crown placed on Joshua's head from the the exiles. • Branch: A Messianic Title. This picks up on 3:8 where Messiah removes sin from the land in one day. • ______: This vision was meant to expand upon what has come before and portray that the priesthood and kingship were being combined. • ______: Those coming from far off shall come and build the temple. This could be literal or figurative.

Malachi

Author: Malachi means “______” (cf. 3:1). • Malachi was a bold prophet like the ______– idolatry (2:10-12), divorce (2:13-16), social injustice (3:5), upbraiding priestly class & social elite (1:1-14; 2:1-4; 3:2-4) • Jewish tradition: He was a member of the Great Synagogue with Haggai and Zechariah – help reorganize religious life and arrange the “Twelve.” Perhaps he was of the tribe of Zebulun and died young. • He is the last OT prophet. His message prepares the reader for the NT by predicting ______and ______. • Many similarities with Zechariah (cf. Zech. 9:1; 12:1). • There is some question as to where Malachi is a name or ______. The use of the phrase in 3:1 is to point to a future messenger. Some argue that Malachi is fulfilling this role through his message and so it is only a title.

Date: 455-425 BC due to parallel descriptions of religious and social decay (e.g., intermarriage with foreigners, divorce, priesthood, temple services, tithe, the Sabbath, oppression of the poor) of the postexilic community as in Ezra/Nehemiah.

Outline • ______(1) • ______(2) • ______(3:1-5) • ______(3:6-15) 96

• ______(3:16-4:6)

Yahweh’s Love for Israel (1:2-5) • ______: Malachi begins abruptly with love even before he chastises. God’s people often need to be reminded (Cf. Isa. 62:4) and chastened (Rev 3:19). He does not begin with what he’s done for them or why they naturally owe allegiance to him; he begins with his everlasting love towards them. • ______: Israel questions God’s love; This is not uncommon (Romans 8:31-39). Malachi introduces the men as an ungrateful stupid people who want to know how he has loved them. • Jacob and Esau ➢ To demonstrate God’s ______, the LORD uses the example of Jacob and Esau (Romans 9:13; cf. Ex 33:19). Esau and Jacob were twins, but God chose one brother over the other. One brother received the covenant of the father while the other received the covenant of destruction. ➢ Edom becomes the prime example of God’s ______in the Old and New Testaments (Romans 9:13; Hebrews 12:15-17). However, Acts 15:17 takes Amos 9:12 as a promise of restoration for the Gentiles. Also contrasted is how God deals with the two: chasten vs. lay desolate forever. ➢ Hated o Loved less Gen 29:31; Lk 14:26 o Hated – Ps 5:5; Is 61:8; Hos 9:15; Amos 5:21; Mal 2:16 o Context: The context indicates that the words hated and loved actually mean hated and loved. God is not a human with fickle emotions so we dare not think these emotions are strictly like what we feel. However, they are strong expressions of God’s choice and actions towards the two brothers. ➢ Israel will witness Edom’s destruction and know that God is at work in all places. The destruction of Edom will remind her of God’s love for her.

Chief Concern?

Malachi is Coming (3:1-5) • ______(1a): Malachi immediately addresses the previous question; Malachi is on his way: John the Baptist – foretold by Isaiah 40:3 – Malachi has come; cf. Mt 11:10; Mk 1:2; Lk 7:27. John prepares the way with his message of repentance • ______(1b-3): John will prepare the way for another: the Messiah. He will be superior to John the Baptist who only prepares his way. • ______: This messenger prepares the way for the new covenant by his life, death, and resurrection (Heb 9:15; 12:24). • ______(4-5): Offerings will once again be made. God will come near for judgment and as a swift witness against the people. This purification means that offerings will once again be accepted. 97

The Day of the LORD (3:16-4:6) • ______(16a): The conversation of those who fear the Lord is contrasted with the words of vs. 13. The faithful are awakened. • Yahweh ______(16b-18) (3x – paid attention, heard, book of remembrance). Yahweh affirms that the righteous are his special people and that there will be a visible manifestation of the difference between his people and those who reject him. • ______(4:1-3): A vivid picture of God’s judgment on the people mentioned in 3:15. Notice that God’s people will be “treading” on this day. • “______” = Christ (cf. Is 40:12, 19; John 8:12; Eph 5:14), the provider of spiritual light; wings = rays of the sun, a picture of warmth and healing • Calves ______: picture of joy of newborn as he goes forth from confinement, darkness, turmoil to the wide-open fields in the warmth of sunlight. • Remember the ______(4): Malachi, as the last prophet, calls the people back to the law which they will need in the coming time • Elijah (5-6): The people were to still look forward to Elijah and eventually the Day of the Lord. Jesus took to this to refer to John the Baptist (Mt. 11:7-15; Cf. Mt. 1:1-6; 3:1-12; Mark 1:2-8; Lk. 1:15-17). John the Baptist is Elijah (Mt 11:14) because he was to restore worship as Elijah had done through repentance. • Elijah’s Appropriateness 1. Boldly confronted religious and political leaders 2. Message of repentance in the face of judgment 3. Authenticated with miraculous signs 4. “In the wilderness” – outside the norms of Hebrew society • ______: The messenger will turn the hearts to their fathers – in view are the original fathers – they will unite in one faith and turn back the curse. 98

Session 14: Wisdom Literature

Wisdom Literature: Wisdom literature is simply that literature which seeks to pass down wisdom from one generation to the next. In some ways, all of Scripture is wisdom literature. Specifically, one could point to Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, SOS, and certain Psalms as specifically intended for wisdom. Wisdom literature was prevalent in the Ancient Near East (ANE), but biblical wisdom is different in that it involves the fear of the LORD.

Types of Wisdom 1. ______(didactic) – teaches a practical truth to aid reader in developing character or increasing potential for a happy life; Many Proverbs and SOS fit here. 2. ______wisdom – explores a philosophical question through life experience and speculation; Is there meaning to life (Ecclesiastes)? or How can a just God let the righteous suffer (Job)?

Interpretation – the nature of wisdom literature necessitates careful interpretation in at least two ways: 1. Wisdom literature sometimes ______. For example, Proverbs 22:16 relates that whoever oppresses the poor to increase wealth will come to poverty. Though in an ultimate sense this is true, we all know many people who this doesn’t apply to in an earthly sense. 2. The nature of wisdom demands it be interpreted in ______even more than other genres. Otherwise, Ecclesiastes at most points would advocate hedonism because there is no ultimate purpose in life. Also, we would go out and steal bear of her cubs rather than deal with foolish people (Prov 17:12).

Job Author: The author of the book is anonymous. The book does not even specify a time period or give many hints as to when the events took place or when they were written down. The traditional Jewish view is that Moses (or someone who preceded Moses) was the author.

Outline A Prologue (1-2) B Dialogue (3-27) C Hymn of Wisdom (28) B Discources (29-42:6) A Epilogue (42:7-17)

Job the Man A. Job is mentioned other places in the Bible: • ______14:14-20: Job is mentioned four times (2x by name) along with Noah and Daniel as examples of righteous men in contrast to the wicked that are now living in Jerusalem. 99

• ______5:11: James uses Job as an example of someone who is steadfast in times of suffering and how the Lord acted compassionately toward him. B. Job a perfect man? • Job is described as a man that was “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil” by the author (1:1) and by God himself (1:8; 2:3). Even in Job’s distress, he does not sin or charge God with wrong (1:22; 2:10) • Job is described in 1:1 as a) ______(tam) – best translated as “whole, complete, free of defect or lack”; this is applied to Noah, Abraham, Jacob and others and deals with being engaged in a right walk with God (Gen. 17:1); this is not sinless perfection (13:26; 14:4) b) ______(yashar) – best translated as “straight”; is combined with other righteous words and denotes a standard by which one is judged c) ______(yirah) – biblical term for religion; an awareness of God that affects our conduct and seeks God’s approval so that we do not think, feel, speak, or act without a profound sense and reverence of the divine majesty and a healthy dread of his judgment d) ______from evil (sur) – often comes with fear of God because it is the other side of the coin; fearing God leads to a turn from evil (cf. Prov 3:7; 4:27; 14:16; 16:6)

The Others 1. Job’s Wife – acts as an antagonist in the story, but is overly criticized today 2. Eliphaz – the mystic – gives traditional wisdom based on experience (5) 3. Bildad – the traditionalist par excellance – Job is guilty & must repent (8:3-8) 4. Zophar – rash dogmatist – increasingly vitriolic – takes on “voice of God” (11) 5. Elihu – assistant “wise man” who though not perfect, shows more understanding than his “bosses” 6. Satan (The Adversary) – difficult to know exactly what the Israelites knew of Satan, but it is clear from this and a few other passages (Gen 3; 1 Chron 21:1; Zech 3:1-2) that they would have known of a foe actively working against God’s people; The Satan of Job is the Satan of the NT (1 Pt 5:8; Rev 12:9-10)

Opening Scene • Job’s introduction: a blameless man that has been richly blessed by God and is very concerned about ______• The ______: All God’s heavenly court come to present themselves before the Lord (1:6; 2:1); God initiates the conversation about Job in both instances and grants Satan’s request (cf. Lk 22:31) • Satan’s challenge: The reason for Job’s (an all God’s followers’) fear of the Lord is the ______that God gives to him: this is a test in the book: Do people serve God only for reward? • The calamities: The same formula is used to describe each of the four calamities, as in a 100

folk-story. The supreme disaster is when there is no survivor (Ex. 14:28). In the epic tradition one refugee, called "the fugitive" (Gn. 14:13, Ezk. 24:26) is needed to convey the tidings. Each fresh report falls like a weight into Job's mind. The actual speeches are in verse, each with four lines except the last, the climax which has eight. The identical last line of each is particularly impressive. There is artistic symmetry in the agencies, the violence of men alternates with the violence of nature. There is progression to the climax, Job's dearest are destroyed last. It is even more effective, because the hand of God is concealed, and the hand of Satan is unsuspected. All of these things are natural. • Job is pronounced by the author to “not sin or charge God with wrong” (1:22) and to “not sin with his lips” (2:10). • Job’s three friends come to “show him sympathy and comfort him” (2:11). Though they fail in the long run, their dedication to their friend must be commended.

The Hymn of Wisdom (28) 1-11 Man Searches for ______12-22 Man Cannot ______23-28 God ______• Shows man’s search for material things is greater than his search for wisdom. Man cannot find wisdom and does not know its value. • Key Verse: 28 – God reveals to man that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and turning away from evil is understanding.

God from the Whirlwind • His message to Job ➢ Man is not ______to contend with God. ➢ Wisdom says to ______to God. ➢ Job has sinned in that he speaks ______(38:2) and has contended with God (40:2) • Job’s response: ______➢ This does not mean that all that befalls him is justified – would undercut the whole premise of the book. Job should have expressed greater humility and would like to take it back. ➢ So, Does Job prove Satan to be correct? ➢ No, Job’s sin here does not negate the earlier declarations that Job did not sin. These declarations came before his friends came. He passed the challenge put forth by Satan and never sinned in the way Satan said that he would. However, he overstepped his bounds. ➢ Also, it does not negate the witness that Job spoke of God rightly (42:7-8). Job sinned in his struggle to figure out God’s purpose but did not ascribe false words or actions to God like his comforters.

The Conclusion • The friends: The friends are criticized by God for speaking wrongly of him. They 101

misappropriated wise sayings, thus declaring that God was acting for a purpose that he was not. The declared as fact about God the things they had deduced from flawed logic. • Job’s restoration ➢ Job makes intercession for friends (show his elevated status) and forms an inclusio with the first of the book. This also compares him to the patriarchs who made intercession for others. ➢ Job’s is restored to health and regains double possessions and an equally large family. God shows that he is free to reward how he sees fit

Lessons from Job • God is just in his treatment of men. Though men may not understand his earthly or final justice, God is just. His wisdom is so high above that of creation that creation cannot even rightly question him. • Blessings are not necessarily a hindrance to righteousness. Job is proof that one who is blessed materially can truly be a follower of God. • True judgment of others (and ourselves) must not be based on material considerations first and foremost. Ultimately, only God can truly know the reason for blessings and curses. • Followers of God have a powerful foe who desires their destruction but have a more powerful God who is able to protect them (1:10) and sustain them in trouble.

Proverbs Title • “Proverbs of Solomon.” Hebrew mashlay (“proverbs of”) means “______” or “______,” thus representing a description by comparison. Instead of saying something directly in conversation, the author convinces the reader through showing both sides or degrees of one side. • Greek: Paroimai This word has the sense of “being like” or “similar”. These are clever sayings using similies and comparisons.

Author • ______: Solomon was said to have written more than three thousand proverbs (1 Ki 4:32). 1. 1:19:18 2. 10:122:16 3. 25:129:27 (these were selected by a committee appointed under king Hezekiah (726698 B.C.) • ______: Perhaps these were the ones who attended Solomon (cf. 1 Ki 4:31; 12:6). 1. 22:1724:22 2. 24:2334 • ______son of Jakeh We do not know who this was. This is found in 30:133 • ______He was a nonIsraelite who may have lived in the area of Uz 102

where people still believed in the true God. This is in 31:19 and perhaps 31:1031.

Date Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C.

Outline Introduction (1:1-7) Discourses on ______(1:8-9:18) The Proverbs of ______(10:1-22:16) The Words of the ______(22:17-24:34) The Proverbs of Solomon gathered by ______men (25:1-29:27) Appendix (30-31): The Words of ______(30) The Words of ______(31:1-9) Description of a Worthy Woman (31:10-31)

Purpose 1. To provide skill for living 2. To know wisdom and instruction (1:2) 3. To receive teaching in wise dealing, righteousness, justice and equity (1:3) 4. To help the simple gain prudence and the youth gain knowledge and discretion (1:4) 5. To increase learning and to acquire skill in understanding (1:5) 6. To understand proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles (1:6) 7. To learn the fear of the Lord (1:7)

Form • Sayings: two lines (or more) of Hebrew parallelism used for comparison. ➢ Proverbs 18:6; 25:4-5 – Synonymous ➢ Proverbs 10-15 is full of Antithetical. Cf. 13:3; 14:1-3 ➢ Proverbs 20:11, 13; 26:22 – Synthetic (not much true synthesis in Proverbs) • “Like One” Sayings: Effect is to show the appropriateness of a know commodity and compare this to a lesser known commodity to illustrate a point: 26:1-2, 7-11 • “Better Than” Sayings: Effect is to give a known commodity and then prove a point by saying something goes beyond the known commodity: 15:16-17; 21:9; 19; 25:24. • Numerical Sayings: Involves the use of lists of comparable items to comprehend the universe's order. Probably derived from games or riddles, these sayings follow an x, x+1 pattern: "Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand . . " Pr. 30:18. cp 30:15b-16, 21-23, 24-28, 29-31. The second number (x+1) determines the list's length and serves to spotlight the final item listed-the proverb cited (30:18f.). • Admonitions: In contrast to the sayings, the admonitions teach good behavior by commands and prohibitions. The grammar is imperative. ➢ The command is positive: "Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom for the future" Pr. 19:20. cp. 14:7, 19:27, 20:16, 22:6, 10, 17, 23:1f, 19, and many in Pr. 1-9. 103

➢ The prohibition is negative: "Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate: for the Lord will plead their cause and despoil of life those who despoil them" 22:22f. cp. 22:24f, 26f, 28f., 23:3, 4f, 6-8, 9, 10f, 13f, 17f, 20f, and many in Pr. 1-9. ➢ Typically admonitions conclude with a motivation for obeying them, usually introduced by "for" (Heb. __). The imperative was reinforced by a sound reason stating the results. The admonitions resemble certain apodictic laws where the command is followed by its reason e.g., Dt. 5:8-10, 11, 16. • Popular sentences: One line of a popular saying without parallelism. An example in the NT is "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" (Jn. 1:46). Not apparent in Proverbs.

Ecclesiastes

Authorship

Qoheleth (1:1-2; cf. 1:12; 7:27, 12:8-10). The OT uses this title of no other person. Nor is the form of the verb from which the title is derived used elsewhere. The author left no reason for choosing this enigmatic designation of himself rather than using his own name. The author identified himself as a "son of David" (1:1), a "king in Jerusalem" (1:1), and "king over Israel in Jerusalem" (1:12). Moreover, in the autobiographical section (1:12-2:26) he said he was wiser "than anyone who [had] ruled over Jerusalem before"him (1:16); that he was a builder of great projects (2:4-6); and that he possessed numerous slaves (2:7), incomparable herds of sheep and cattle (2:7), great wealth (2:8), and a large harem (2:8). In short he claimed to be greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before him (2:9). These descriptions have led many Jewish and Christian interpreters to identify the author as Solomon though his name is never explicitly used in the book.

Outline Introduction (1:1) Theme (1:2) Limits of ______and ______(1:3-3:8) Proper ______(3:9-6:7) Proper ______(6:8-12:7) Theme (12:8) Conclusion (12:9-14)

Theme: The futility of human effort (______) (1:2; 12:8). • ______: This is an emphatic way of saying that everything is futile. The term vanity (hebel) is used as a structural marker in the book, and refers to that which is without real substance, value, permanence, significance, or meaning. • Vanity is literally the ______. Labeling a pursuit as vanity is saying that the pursuit might as well not exist. ➢ This futility is demonstrated by nature (1:3-11), human achievement, human wisdom, 104

& human limitedness.

Message: The futility of life need not lead people to despair because God has given ______for them to enjoy as well as purpose in life through ______and ______him.

Enjoy life! (11:7-12:7): • ______(11:7-10): Solomon encourages the reader to enjoy life in his youth because the beauty, light, and strength of youth will soon end. One must be careful to put off bitterness and pursue the moments of life that are before him. • Consider God in ______(12:1-7): Solomon affirms that God is to be considered during the days of one's vitality or else one will find the evil before them to be too overwhelming to think clearly. If one does not consider God while one's strength is with them, the darkness before them will overwhelm them to conclude that life is empty.

Reiteration of the theme (12:8): Having demonstrated the limitations of all human efforts (1:12-6:9) and of all human wisdom (6:10-11:6), Solomon reiterates the theme from the opening of the book (1:2). The immediate context in chapter 1 (1:3-11) shows that this applies to all human endeavor. Here (12:8) it applies to ______, the futility of human efforts and human wisdom (1:12-11:6). Apart from enjoying one‘s lot in life in the fear of God, life is indeed meaningless.

The Authority of the Book (12:9-12): Solomon underlines the validity of the teaching in this book and the advice he offers by referring to its authority and by warning his readers about the futility of seeking answers from different kinds of books. • Personal ______: He is one of the three kinds of leaders (prophets, priests, teachers) through whom God revealed His will to Israel (cf. Jer. 18:18; Ezek 7:26). Solomon said he “was ...wise and imparted knowledge to the people.” He took thoughtful care in producing this book; he said “he pondered” (i.e., carefully weighed in his mind) “and searched out and set in order (i.e., carefully arranged) “many proverbs.” • ______of the Book: Like ox goads and firmly planted nails, Solomon‘s teaching, like the words of other wise people, provides a guide and stimulus to godly living and a secure basis for living. Like some other words of the wise these words have divine authority, they were given by one Shepherd. This refers to God and His care and concern (cf. Gen 49:24; Ps 80:1; in Ps 95:6-7 the concepts of Shepherd and Creator are combined as they are in Eccl. 12:1, 11).

Final Advice (12:13-14): These verses serve as an interpretational key to the entire book. Solomon’s exhaustive search for meaning in life has culminated in this advice. If one wants to find meaning in life then he must: • ______and Keep ______: Solomon summarizes the whole duty of man in two imperatives. If the reader lives his life in this fashion, he will be able to take pleasure in his life and know that he has a purpose. • ______: The fact that revering God is every person‘s responsibility is 105

underlined by the truth that God will bring every deed (every human act) into judgment (cf. 3:17; 11:9) including every hidden thing (cf. Matt. 10:26). Everyone is answerable to God for everything he does, whether obvious or concealed.

Song of Solomon (Songs)

Interpretation: SOS presents itself as if it were based on real, historical events in the life of Solomon. Thus, it is the story of Solomon and his young bride that can be used with profit by all who want to know more about passionate, biblical love.

Purpose: The purpose is certainly to extol ______and ______. God created man and woman (Gen 1:27; 2:20-23) and established and sanctioned marriage (Gen. 2:24). Since the world views sex so sordidly and perverts and exploits it so persistently and since so many marriages are crumbling because of lack of love, commitment, and devotion, it is advantageous to have a book in the Bible that gives God's endorsement of marital love as wholesome and pure.

Outline Introduction (1:1) ______of Love (1:2-2:7) Lost and Found (2:8-3:5) ______of Love (3:6-5:1) Lost and Found (5:2-8:4) ______of Love (8:5-14)

Imagery: SOS uses mixes metaphors with fact statements to present a passionate, erotic view of love. These images consist mainly of the Garden, Anatomy, and Exaggerated Statements.

The Wedding (3:6-5:1): In the ancient Near East, marriages were usually sealed with a ______contract rather than religious ceremonies. Also the marriage of Boaz & Ruth before a court of elders (Ruth 4:10-11) rather than priests illustrates this. Later Jewish weddings took place, not in the temple/synagogue, but in homes. • A central feature of a wedding ceremony was a procession to the bride’s home led by the groom, who then escorted her back to their new home. • A wedding feast was given which lasted up to ______or even longer. Though the feast was prolonged the couple consummated their marriage on the first night. The wedding feast is not described in the Song, but both the wedding procession (3:6-11) and the wedding night (4:1-5:1) are.

The Maturation of the Marriage (5:2-8:4) • This section deals with the ______of the marriage. The intimacy, joy and physical desire of their wedding night did not fade. They nourished their life together so that the joy of their married life increased rather than decreased. 106

• This does not suggest that they had no problems. It opens with the problem of ______and offers a paradigm for the successful resolution of a serious marital problem. The problem was the wife’s indifference and husband’s absence (5:2-8). In this case the problem is overcome by both the wife and the husband by ______, especially in verbal praise of both the husband and wife of their spouses’ physical charms which was attractive to them in the first place.

The Conclusion: The ______& ______of Love (8:5-7): Sums up the message of the book. Verse 5 places 2 images of love before us, and 6-7 explain love.

Application • ______: Marriage is monogamous, permanent, self-giving. The spouses are intensely devoted and committed to each other, and take delight in each other. • ______: Sex in marriage is not “dirty.” The physical attractiveness of a man and a woman for each other and the fulfillment of those longings in marriage are natural and honorable. It also honors the pleasing qualities in the lovers’ personalities. • ______: Moral purity before marriage is praised (4:12). Premarital sex has no place in God’s plans (2:7; 3:5). • ______: Before & after marriage is expected & honored (6:3; 7:10; 8:12). • ______: SOS as a whole presents love (before & during marriage) as something that is to be experienced in a vigorously emotional manner – not devoid of substance as the love has real basis & meaning. Indeed, this is the experience of most young couples & should be the experience of all married couples. Love your spouse in a vigorous, emotional way. Session 15: Psalms & Introduction to Poetry

Poetry: Hebrew Poetry is found throughout the Bible, not just in the Psalms 1. Pentateuch Narrative – Exodus 15; Numbers 21:27-30 2. Law – Deuteronomy 32 3. Historical Books – Judges 5; 2 Samuel 1:19-27 4. Poetic Books, Wisdom Literature, and Prophets – almost all is poetry

Characteristics: Parallelism, Shorter Sentences, Richer Language, Rare Vocabulary 1. Advantages a. Appeals to the whole person in a way prose cannot – Look at Judges 4-5 b. Aids the imagination and emotions - 2 Sam 12:13; Psalm 51

2. Disadvantages: A certain ambiguity so there is difficulty in pressing details – time sequence, expressions, etc.

Parallelism – the correspondence which occurs between lines of poetry 107

1. Synonymous – Parallelism in which the same thing is said in different ways to emphasize the same point.

Psalm 103:10 He does not deal with us according to our sins Nor require us according to our iniquities

2. Antithetical – Parallelism in which contrasting things are said to emphasize the same point. Presents two sides of the same coin.

Psalm 37:21 The wicked borrows and cannot pay back, But the righteous is generous and gives

3. Synthetic – A looser term denoting parallelism that doesn’t match the first two categories. Essentially, parallelism in which line builds upon another.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man Who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly Nor stand in the way of sinners Nor sit in the seat of the scoffers

Exercise: Look at Psalms 1:2; 6:2; 19:1; 93:3; 100:3; Proverbs 10:1; 13:7; 14:30 – identify the type of parallelism and the parts that are parallel

The Arrangement of Psalms: Psalms must be read in the light of the eschatological promises to Israel through David and his heirs. Additionally, they must be read with due consideration to their order and grouping. An editor, perhaps Ezra (For possible indicators of this, cf. Ezra 7:6, 10.), carefully arranged the Psalter around key psalms of David, “the man raised on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1).

Authorship and Date – Though there are many authors, there seems to be one final editor; This person is not specified, but historically, the person most commonly identified is Ezra. Due to the type of work, the dates vary more than any other book (perhaps from 1400-400 BC). If Ezra is the final compiler, then a date of compilation would have to be 458-400 BC.

Outline Introduction: The Two Ways (1-2) Book 1 (3-41) Book 2 (42-72) Book 3 (73-89) Book 4 (90-106) 108

Book 5 (107-145) Conclusion: The Hallelujah Psalms (146-150)

Title: Hebrew: Tehillim "praises." • Greek LXX: Psalmoi "songs accompanied by stringed instruments." • The Hebrew title at first does not seem entirely accurate, since not every Psalm is a Psalm of praise. Many are laments. Only one is called a praise by name (Psalm 145). Nonetheless, praise is one of the more prominent features of the Psalter and is the book's goal as a whole. Even laments often end with a word of praise, and the book ends with a series of psalms of praise, so in a sense the laments are swallowed up with praise. Perowne writes that “thankgiving is the very life of the Psalms, even of those in which there breathes most the language of complaint.” • The title and nature of the Psalms have led people to call them the “Hymnbook of the Second Temple and the Early Church.” No matter what other uses we conceive for the Psalter, we also must affirm this as the true original purpose. The praises of Israel through the Davidic king are now our praises through the Davidic king, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The Davidic king is at once the subject of and the mediator of the Psalter.

Historical Background (13-14 Titles) • All relate to the life of David. • Psalms 7(?), 18, 34, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 142 all seem to refer to the period of David's conflict with Saul. • Psalm 60 refers to David's Syro-Ammonite war after he became king. • Psalm 51 refers to his adultery with Bathsheba. • Psalm 3 and 63 refer to his flight from Absalom, when his son tried to dethrone his father. • Some also include Psalm 30 "A song at the dedication of the house." ➢ The house could refer to David's dedication of the Tabernacle in Jerusalem, or his own palace. The Tabernacle not normally called a house, and the house David wished to build for God was dedicated after David's death (II Sam 7). ➢ Others feel this historical note refers to the use of this Psalm in the Dedication of Zerubbabel's temple. This would not necessarily exclude David as the author, but would not make much sense given the context of the Psalm. ➢ A few think this refers to the rededication/purification of the palace after Absalom’s sin (2 Sam 20:3). This is a stretch for the Hebrew word for dedication, and the rededication is conjecture. ➢ Another good candidate is the dedication of the spot where the temple would stand after David purchased the land from Ornan/Araunah (2 Sam 24; 1 Chron 21). This makes the most sense of the historical context of a plague breaking out against the people. As the site of the future temple it could be called the house of the Lord (1 Chron 22:1). It is interesting to note that the Jews still use the Psalm today to celebrate Hanukah, the festival celebrating the rededication of the Temple after it had been defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes.

Psalms 1-2: The Two Ways 109

Reading Psalms 1-2 Together (Cf. Robert Cole, “An Integrated Reading of Psalms 1 and 2”)

Message Psalm 1-2 should be read together with the as a Royal Torah Psalm setting up the two main themes of the Psalter: the law of God and the Davidic King. This uniting of the Mosaic and Davidic Covenants sets the stage for our reading of the rest of the Psalter

Psalm 1 Outline: Torah and the Two Ways 1. The Righteous Man Live by Torah (1-3) 2. The Wicked Man Does Not Survive (4-5) 3. Yahweh Judges the Two Ways (6)

1-3 The Right Way of Living

Vs. 1 Blessed (’ashre not barak) – Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10:8) and sermon on the mount 27/45 times are in Psalms – a special reward of the righteous in relation to wisdom and God’s sovereign choice

Who is the man? Must be the referring to the anointed of chapter 2: Is this David, the reader of the Psalm, Jesus Christ?

2:12 – also identified as the one who takes refuge in the LORD’s Messiah

Progression of Sin Progression of acquaintance with sin – walk, stand, sit – shows that all of life is covered by sin Walk, stand, sit Counsel, way, seat Wicked, sinners, scoffers (farthest from repentance)

Vs. 2 Delight: Isaiah 58 – obedience is a delight brings joy • Ps. 34:11-14 – obedience as delight makes one love life • What is Law? Torah used to refer to more than just the law of Moses. In the OT and NT, it can refer to parts or the whole of scripture (Cf. Joshua 1:8; Matthew 5:17)

Day and Night: Denotes a totality – a Merism showing that we are to meditate all the time. The same charge is given to Joshua (1:8)

Meditate: sad cooing of a dove or growl of a lion; righteous meditate so that their lives may be conformed to the object of their mediation; contrasts to 2:1 and the nations’ mediation

Vs. 3 110

Tree • Allusion to garden of Eden • Trees in Ezekiel (47:1-12) and Rev. 22 (here leaves are for healing) • Planted securely, yields fruit • Leaf doesn’t wither • Prospers at all he does

5. The Wrong Way of Living

Vs. 4 Jeremiah 17:5-8: Wicked are compared to a tree elsewhere, but this tree passes away and is no more (Ps. 37:35) • Chaff – the opposite of the tree: rootless, weightless, useless (fruitless); cf. Mt. 3:12

Vs. 5 The Judgment • Wicked may be able to fool people, will not in the Judgment – God is the Judge (6) • Shows that the wicked are not happy because they are not a part of the happy congregation of the righteous • The wicked are as chaff which has no standing amongst the righteous who are as trees

Vs. 6 The LORD and the Ways of Living • Has an intimate knowledge of the way of the Righteous (& will bless it) • Way of the wicked shall perish • Should read Psalms in light of this “Proverb” – which way will you choose

Psalm 2 Outline: Royal Message A The Plans of the Nations are Futile (1-3) B Yahweh has installed His “Anointed One” (4-6) B’ The “Anointed One” Recounts Yahweh’s Decree (7-9) A’ The Nations Must Submit (10-12)

Vs. 1-3: The Rebellion of the Nations o The Nations are Stirred to Vanity (1) o The Nations Unite against the Messiah (2) o The Nations’ Resolve to Break Free (3)

Vs. 4-6: The Lord’s Response o The Lord Mocks their Puny Plans (4) o The Lord Rages at their Puny Plans (5) o The Lord Resolves to Establish His Plan (6)

Vs. 7-9: The Messiah Recounts Yahweh’s Decrees o Yahweh recognized him as Son (7) 111

o Yahweh recognized him as Sovereign (8) o Yahweh recognized him as Victor (9)

Vs. 10-12: The Psalmist Urges the Nations o Be Wise and Understand (10) o Serve and Worship (11) o Pay Homage or Perish (12)

• NT Usage (Mt 3:17; 17:5; Acts 4:25-27; 13:33; Rom 1:4; Heb 1:5; 5:5) • The Identity of the Lord and His Anointed: • The Occasion of the Psalm:

Lament Psalms: Most of the Laments contain the following parts. Sometimes there are fewer or more, and the order is not consistent. A. Introduction/Cry for Help B. Lament/Complaint (Against God, Self, or Enemy) C. Confession of Trust D. Petition E. Vow of Praise

Psalm 51: An Individual Lament of David

Title (Background): The background is David’s sin with Bathsheba. This may have been uttered between David’s confession and Nathan’s proclamation that Yahweh had put away David’s sin and he would not die. It could have been written after the fact as David reflected upon the situation and the emotions that it caused.

Outline Cry for Help (1-2) Complaint Against Self (3-6) Individual Petition (7-12) Vow (13-17) Communal Petition (18-19)

Cry for Help (1-2) Basis: David appeals to his mercy on the basis of God’s commitment to him (his covenant faithfulness – 2 Sam 7); vigorous type of washing (cabas); cleanse (tahar) – has to do with ritual purification (Lev 13:7 and the leper)

Complaint Against Self (3-6): This Complaint takes the form of a Confession of Sin • 3-4: Sins (Specific Sins) • 5-6: Sin (Moral Depravity) & Recognizes God’s Holy Demands 112

Individual Petition (7-12) • 7-9 Deals with his Sins • 10-12 Transformation of Spiritual Nature

Vow (13-17) • Teaching Others • Singing Praise • Sacrificing Himself (Cf. Romans 12:1-2)

Communal Petition (18-19) • Walls of Jerusalem/Zion • Sacrifice will be the outcome of, not the basis of his forgiveness

*Note: The confession of trust is not present as in most Psalms. David is not at all sure that God will forgive him and throws himself on God’s mercy. However, he does acknowledge his trust that God can save him and the city if he wills (7, 19). This is a type of confession of trust.

Imprecatory Psalms (35, 69, 109, 129; also 5, 6, 11, 12, 37, 40, 52, 54, 56, 58, 79, 83, 137, 139, 143) • To Imprecate – To invoke evil upon • Reflect God’s abhorrence of evil by showing the psalmist calling for God’s judgment on his enemies. • Often very graphic and difficult for modern audiences to understand in light of the NT and their view of God (Mt. 5:43-45). • How to Pray and Understand the “Imprecatories” ➢ The Psalms are in response to great evil (109:1-5). ➢ The Psalms recognize that the wicked deserve punishment (109:6-20; Witness of OT and NT; Cf. 1 Corinthians 16:22). ➢ The Psalms are prayed for the sake of the Lord’s name (109:21-25). ➢ The Psalms result in prayer and conversion (109:26-31; Cf. 83:16-17) • How not to Pray and Understand the “Imprecatories” ➢ The Psalms are not personal vengeance. ➢ The Psalms are not unjustified anger. ➢ The Psalms are not from a “better” to a “worse.” • The NT and the Psalms ➢ John 2:17 (Ps. 69:9) – Zeal of Jesus cleansing the temple ➢ John 15:25 (Ps. 35:19; 69:4) – Jesus of the world’s hatred ➢ Acts 1:20 (Ps. 69:25; 109:8) – Peter applies curses to Judas ➢ Romans 11:9-10 (Ps. 69:22-23) – Salvation to the Gentiles ➢ Romans 15:3 (Ps. 69:9) – Christ taking our reproach upon himself