DOCSLIB.ORG

The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Kerux Conference Lecture August 28, 2001

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Kerux Conference Lecture August 28, 2001 The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Kerux Conference Lecture August 28, 2001 Lee Irons I have entitled my lecture this afternoon, “The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus.” Obviously I cannot do justice to the all of the contents of this marvelous book in the brief time allotted to me, but what I hope to do in this lecture is to give you a brief outline of the theology of atonement as taught in the Levitical sacrificial system. My hope is that this will in turn illumine the meaning of Christ’s work on our behalf. In order to set the context, we need to remind ourselves of the historical events narrated in the book of Exodus that set the stage for the book of Leviticus. Exodus records how God redeemed his people by blood from bondage in Egypt with a mighty hand, in order to fulfill the oath that he swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. At Mount Sinai that redemption event came to completion when the covenant was established and the Law was given. The Lord then commanded Moses to build a tabernacle to be the dwelling place for God in the midst of his people. In the final chapter of Exodus, after the tabernacle is finished, “the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exod. 40:34). Here is Immanuel, God with us, a holy God living and dwelling in the midst of his redeemed people. Leviticus picks up at this point. Chapter 1, verse 1: “Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying …” God speaks to Moses from the tabernacle, in order to give him instructions that he must then communicate to Israel. The Israelites must be instructed on how they are to live if God’s holy presence, which has The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Page 2 just taken up residence in the tabernacle, is to continue in their midst, for God cannot dwell among them unless they are holy as he is holy. But how can Israel know what God’s holiness is? The nature of God’s holiness is most clearly understood by way of contrast with sin and impurity. So God establishes an elaborate system of laws defining and illustrating sin. For example, the laws pertaining to uncleanness – whether unclean food, or the uncleanness of contamination with dead corpses or bodily emissions – all are illustrations of the defilement of sin, illustrations adapted to the covenant community in its spiritual infancy. These laws are what the author of Hebrews refers to as “fleshly regulations ( dikaiomata sarkos ), imposed until the time of the new order” (Heb. 9:10). Precept by precept, ritual by ritual, God, in the wisdom of his divine pedagogy, was inculcating a sense of the gravity of sin. Sin is something that makes you dirty, from which you need to be cleansed. It is something that leads to death, from which you need to be redeemed by a substitute who dies in your place. Sin is like leprosy; it makes you abhorrent and thus cuts you off from the fellowship of God and his people. By means of these external pictures of sin, Israel was like a child being instructed in the ABC’s of God’s kingdom, in order to form a clear conception of the nature of sin and, by contrast, of the nature of God’s holiness. It would be profitable to study Leviticus 11-15 in depth, since these are the chapters which define ritual uncleanness in its multifarious forms. But I am going to have to leave that to your own study. I would encourage you to read some of the materials I have listed in the bibliography in the handout. But all of this naturally raises an even more pressing question. And that is the question of atonement. Given the reality of man’s sinful condition, how can man be purified from sin and made acceptable in the sight of a holy God? Just as the nature of sin www.upper-register.com © 2007 Lee Irons The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Page 3 was depicted in various external ways, so the nature of atonement for sin was also explained by means of an elaborate system of sacrifices, which effected purification from sin. Let us therefore begin by looking at the first seven chapters of Leviticus which set forth the five types of sacrifices. The law of the offerings: Leviticus 1-7 Five offerings are the burnt offering, the grain offering, the peace offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering. It may seem to be a bewildering variety of sacrifices, each having a unique purpose and function. But in fact the sacrifices aren’t as difficult to keep straight as may at first appear, since there is a large degree of overlap. For example, the sin offering and the guilt offering are both offered to atone for specific sins, and correspond to two different ways of looking at all sin. The sin offering looks at sin using the analogy of impurity, and thus the sin offering is also called the purification offering. The chief characteristic of the sin offering is that it involves the sprinkling of blood on various articles of furniture in the tabernacle. The blood symbolizes that the sins of the offerer, which have defiled God’s sanctuary, and which thus threaten to bar him from communion with God, have been expiated in order that the offerer may now be readmitted to the congregation and the fellowship of God. There is an important scholarly debate between Jacob Milgrom and Nobuyashi Kiuchi on the subject of the sin offering. Milgrom is one of the major scholars working in the area of the Levitical sacrificial system. He has written a massive three volume www.upper-register.com © 2007 Lee Irons The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Page 4 commentary on Leviticus for the Anchor Bible commentary series. 1 The problem is that he is a Jewish scholar, and so his Jewish theological commitments have the effect of drastically skewing his exegesis. First, Milgrom rejects the term “sin offering,” because he believes that the notion of sin is “theologically foreign” ( Leviticus 1-16 , p. 254). Thus he calls it the “purification offering.” Second, Milgrom interprets the blood sprinkling ritual at the heart of this offering as a “ritual detergent” used to “decontaminate” the sanctuary. Thus, according to Milgrom, the blood of the purification offering has nothing to do with purifying the offerer, atoning for his personal guilt, but only with removing the consequences of the offerer’s actions which have caused the sanctuary to become contaminated. Milgrom’s interpretation has been decisively refuted by Kiuchi in his masterful work, The Purification Offering in the Priestly Literature .2 Kiuchi is a Japanese evangelical Christian who teaches Old Testament at Tokyo Christian University. Like Milgrom, his theological commitments play a significant role in his exegesis, but in a good way. His arguments are not at all forced, and are based on the Hebrew text of Leviticus itself. Kiuchi points out that in Lev. 10:17, the theological meaning of the sin offering is explicitly stated: God, we are told, gave the sin offering in order to “bear away the guilt of the congregation, thus making atonement for them before the Lord.” The key phrase is “to 1 Jacob Milgrom, Leviticus 1-16; Leviticus 17-22; Leviticus 23-27; The Anchor Bible (New York: Doubleday, 1991, 2000, 2001). 2 N. Kiuchi, The Purification Offering in the Priestly Literature: Its Meaning and Function (Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1987). www.upper-register.com © 2007 Lee Irons The Theology of Atonement in Leviticus Page 5 bear away the guilt.” Clearly, the notion of sin and guilt is very much involved in the sin offering. This interpretation is made all the more clear when we remember that in Lev. 17:11, the Lord says that the blood must not be eaten. And why is the blood prohibited? God says, because “I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls , for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” In other words, the blood of the sin offering signifies that the life of the sacrificial animal has been poured out in death, as a substitute for the offerer. The sin offering, then, is clearly typological of the substitutionary death of Christ who, in his passive obedience, laid down his life in our place, in order to satisfy the demand of the Law that the soul that sins must die. Closely related to the sin offering is the guilt offering. If the sin offering looks at sin under the metaphor of impurity, the guilt offering regards sin as a debt owed to God. Sin robs God of his rightful due. Debt requires payment or reparation, and so the guilt offering is also called the reparation offering. As offerings that involve restoration for sin, the sin offering and the guilt offering are very closely related in their meaning and purpose. They are therefore both types of the passive obedience of Christ. The burnt offering and the grain offering, likewise, can be dealt with together, since they are both consumed upon the altar in order to become “a soothing aroma to the Lord.” Fundamentally these two sacrifices signify one and the same principle of total consecration of life unto God. The burnt offering symbolizes consecration of life from the animal kingdom, and the grain offering, consecration of life from the vegetable kingdom.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • PROMOTIONAL ORIGINAL (Un-Lim & A/B)
    The Official TLG Redemption® CCG Price Guide AUGUST 2018 V1.0 Job $20.00 Stillness $2.50 PROMOTIONAL John $2.50 The Serpent $20.00 Year: N/A Cards: 96 Set: $875.00* Includes Product & Tournament cards Jonathan, son of Joiada $5.00 The Tabernacle $30.00 *Price does not include (’__ Nats) cards Joshua (District) $4.50 The Watchman $5.00 ______________________________________________________________________________________ A Child is Born $4.00 Joshua (Settlers) $7.25 Thorn in the Flesh $4.00 Abram’s Army $26.00 King David $16.50 Walking on Water $4.00 Adonijah $2.50 King Solomon $5.00 Water to Wine $2.00 Angel at Shur $4.00 Laban $5.00 Whirlwind/Everlasting Ground$30.00 Angel Food $2.00 Laban (2018) $15.00 Windows of Narrow Light $2.00 Angel of the Lord (‘16 Nats) $75.00 Lost Soul $2.00 Wings of Calamity $2.00 Angel of the Lord (‘17 Nats) $75.00 Lost Soul 2016 $15.00 Zerubbabel $4.00 Angel of the Lord (‘18 Nats) $75.00 Love $2.00 Authority of Christ $7.75 Majestic Heavens $15.00 ORIGINAL (un-lim & a/b) Mary (Chriatmas) $2.00 Year: ’95/’96 Cards: 170 Set: $65.00 Bartimaeus $2.50 Sealed Box: $40.50 Pack: $.90 Blank (both sides) $2.50 Mary's Prophetic Act $2.50 Sealed Deck: $25.00 ______________________________________________________________________________________ Meditiation $2.00 Blank (w/ Redemption back) $4.00 Aaron's Rod $0.50 Michael (‘17 Nats) $75.00 Boaz’s Sandal $5.00 Abaddon the Destroyer $0.75 Mighty Warrior $2.00 Book of the Covenant $5.00 Abandonment $0.50 New Jerusalem $9.75 Brass Serpent $5.25 Abihu $0.25 Nicanor $4.00 Burial
    [Show full text]
  • 26-30 Exodus
    ____________________________________________________ VANTAGE POINT: EXODUS INTRODUCTION: What is the difference between the Ark of the Testimony and the Ark of the Covenant? o It is referred to as the Ark of the Testimony while they were at Sinai o It is referred to as the Ark of the Covenant when they left Sinai o Joshua when he enters the promised land refers to it as the Ark of the Testimony once again o Testimony speaks of a witness / Covenant speaks of a relational pledge TODAY WE LOOK AT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE TABERNACLE o There were actually two tabernacles constructed o This first tabernacle is referred to as the Tabernacle of Moses or the Tabernacle in the Wilderness o The tabernacle was 45 x 15 ft and surrounded by a courtyard that was 150 x 75 ft with walls 7 ft. tall o The second tabernacle was constructed by King David at Mount Zion to house the ark of the Lord until Solomon built the temple o The word tabernacle means dwelling place o It was to be the dwelling place of God in the middle of the nation o But the tabernacle was more than just a dwelling place o Every part of the tabernacle was part of an intricate visual aid to illustrate God’s relationship with His people o As a result, God was very specific in how they were to build the tabernacle Exodus 25:8–9 (NKJV) 8 And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
    [Show full text]
  • The Temple Menorah: Where Is It? Dr
    The Temple Menorah: Where Is It? Dr. Steven Fine Professor of Jewish History, Director, Center for Israel Studies, Yeshiva University This article is based upon a piece that appeared in Biblical Archaeology Review 31, no. 4 (2005). The longer academic version appeared as: “’When I went to Rome, there I Saw the Menorah...’: The Jerusalem Temple Implements between 70 C.E. and the Fall of Rome,” in The Archaeology of Difference: Gender, Ethnicity, Class and the “Other” in Antiquity Studies in Honor of Eric M. Meyers, eds. D. R. Edwards and C. T. McCollough (Boston: American Schools Of Oriental Research, 2007), 1: 169-80. What is history and what is myth? What is true and what is legendary? These are questions that arise from time to time and specifically apply to the whereabouts of the Menorah. Reporting on his 1996 meeting with Pope John Paul II, Israel’s Minister of Religious Affairs Shimon Shetreet said, according to the Jerusalem Post, that “he had asked for Vatican cooperation in locating the gold menorah from the Second Temple that was brought to Rome by Titus in 70 C.E.” Shetreet claimed that recent research at the University of Florence indicated the Menorah might be among the hidden treasures in the Vatican’s storerooms. “I don’t say it’s there for sure,” he said, “but I asked the Pope to help in the search as a goodwill gesture in recognition of the improved relations between Catholics and Jews.” Witnesses to this conversation “tell that a tense silence hovered over the room after Shetreet’s request was heard.” I tried to research Shetreet’s reference at the University of Florence, but no one I contacted there had ever heard of it.
    [Show full text]
  • The High Priest's Relationship To
    The High Priest’s Relationship to God Rt. Ex. Thomas L. Varner Jr. October 4, 2016 Brethren, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to present a program about one of my favorite topics: The Book of the Law. Tonight, I would like to speak about the High Priest’s relationship to God, and what our Royal Arch Ritual says about it. Some of you may have heard me talk on or write about this subject before, so hopefully you hear something new. Do you remember these familiar words from the Royal Master Degree? They are from the Sixth Chapter of First Kings. Here the Shekinah or Divine Presence rested and was visible in the appearance of a cloud over it. From hence the Bathkoll issued, and gave answers when God was consulted. And hence it is that God is said in the Scriptures to dwell between the cherubim; that is, between the cherubim on the mercy seat, because there was the seat or throne of the visible presence of His Glory among them. We normally do not pay much attention to these words because that is when the human cherubim are standing at the front of the room, and the words are read as quickly as possible so that the tiring Companions can drop their hands and rest. But they are very profound and talk about how God interacted with the High Priest and guided him. There are three principal parts to this relationship: The High Priest, the Shekinah or Divine Presence, and the Bathkoll. First, the High Priest.
    [Show full text]
  • Sefer Chadesh Yameynu Kikedem
    Page 1 of 45 ֵס ֶפר ַח ֵּדׁש יָ ֵמינּו ְּכ ֶק ֶדם Table of Contents Introduction on Sheheheyanu Blessing......................................1 Mystical Unifications for the Blessings......................................3 Hanukah and Sukkot................................................................3 Zot Hanukah............................................................................5 Eight Garments of the Kohen Gadol..........................................5 The Garments Atone for Sins....................................................7 The Dressing of the High Priest.................................................8 Mystical Correspondence..........................................................9 Hassidic Perspective................................................................10 Other Mystical Views of the Garments......................................11 Our Daily Work During Hanukah..............................................15 --First Night: Ketonet Atones for Murder...................................15 --Second Night: Michnesayim Atone for Sexual Transgressions.....18 --Third Night: Mitznefet Atones for Haughtiness.........................21 --Fourth Night: Avnet Atones for Thoughts of the Heart..............26 --Fifth Night: Choshen Atones for Improper Judgment.................28 --Sixth Night: Ephod Atones for Idolatry.....................................32 --Seventh Night: Me'il atones for evil speech...............................37 --Zot Hanukah: Tzitz atones for audacity.....................................41
    [Show full text]
  • Visionary Ascents of Moses in Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum: Apocalyptic Motifs and the Growth of Visionary Moses Tradition
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Visionary Ascents of Moses in Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum: Apocalyptic Motifs and the Growth of Visionary Moses Tradition Kristine Johnson Ruffatto Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Ruffatto, Kristine Johnson, "Visionary Ascents of Moses in Pseudo-Philo's Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum: Apocalyptic Motifs and the Growth of Visionary Moses Tradition" (2010). Dissertations (1934 -). 84. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/84 VISIONARY ASCENTS OF MOSES IN PSEUDO-PHILO’S LIBER ANTIQUITATUM BIBLICARUM : APOCALYPTIC MOTIFS AND THE GROWTH OF VISIONARY MOSES TRADITION by Kristine J. Ruffatto, B.A., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin December 2010 ABSTRACT VISIONARY ASCENTS OF MOSES IN PSEUDO-PHILO’S LIBER ANTIQUITATUM BIBLICARUM : APOCALYPTIC MOTIFS AND THE GROWTH OF VISIONARY MOSES TRADITION Kristine J. Ruffatto, B.A., M.Div. Marquette University, 2010 This dissertation explores the development of visionary Moses tradition from its origins in the Hebrew Bible through pro-Mosaic Second Temple literature and rabbinic texts. It demonstrates that throughout this variegated literature, there is a developing tendency to portray Moses as an apocalyptic seer. In the non-biblical Mosaic texts that were analyzed, Moses’ revelation on Sinai and Nebo is increasingly invested with esoteric content, and Moses’ ascents are often depicted as heavenly journeys. These revelatory developments have conceptual roots in alternative visionary traditions, notably Enochic lore.
    [Show full text]
  • Narratology, Hermeneutics, and Midrash
    Poetik, Exegese und Narrative Studien zur jüdischen Literatur und Kunst Poetics, Exegesis and Narrative Studies in Jewish Literature and Art Band 2 / Volume 2 Herausgegeben von / edited by Gerhard Langer, Carol Bakhos, Klaus Davidowicz, Constanza Cordoni Constanza Cordoni / Gerhard Langer (eds.) Narratology, Hermeneutics, and Midrash Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Narratives from the Late Antique Period through to Modern Times With one figure V&R unipress Vienna University Press Bibliografische Information der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek verzeichnet diese Publikation in der Deutschen Nationalbibliografie; detaillierte bibliografische Daten sind im Internet über http://dnb.d-nb.de abrufbar. ISBN 978-3-8471-0308-0 ISBN 978-3-8470-0308-3 (E-Book) Veröffentlichungen der Vienna University Press erscheineN im Verlag V&R unipress GmbH. Gedruckt mit freundlicher Unterstützung des Rektorats der Universität Wien. © 2014, V&R unipress in Göttingen / www.vr-unipress.de Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Das Werk und seine Teile sind urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung in anderen als den gesetzlich zugelassenen Fällen bedarf der vorherigen schriftlichen Einwilligung des Verlages. Printed in Germany. Titelbild: „splatch yellow“ © Hazel Karr, Tochter der Malerin Lola Fuchs-Carr und des Journalisten und Schriftstellers Maurice Carr (Pseudonym von Maurice Kreitman); Enkelin der bekannten jiddischen Schriftstellerin Hinde-Esther Singer-Kreitman (Schwester von Israel Joshua Singer und Nobelpreisträger Isaac Bashevis Singer) und Abraham Mosche Fuchs. Druck und Bindung: CPI Buch Bücher.de GmbH, Birkach Gedruckt auf alterungsbeständigem Papier. Contents Constanza Cordoni / Gerhard Langer Introduction .................................. 7 Irmtraud Fischer Reception of Biblical texts within the Bible: A starting point of midrash? . 15 Ilse Muellner Celebration and Narration. Metaleptic features in Ex 12:1 – 13,16 .
    [Show full text]
  • Redemption® Dictionary of Identifiers and References
    Redemption® CCG Official Redemption® Dictionary of Identifiers and References By Cactus Game Design Version 3.1.0 Published 6/21/2021 Table of Contents Set Abbreviations Name Errata Reference Errata Identifier Errata Glossary of Terms Jump to letter (click the letter there to return): A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Set Abbreviations When a card appears in a list, the name will be followed by a set (or list of sets) in which cards with that name appear. If multiple cards in a set have the same name, there will be some identifying information in brackets after the name but before the set(s) to differentiate them. These are the set abbreviations: Abbreviation Set Abbreviation Set A, B, C, D, E, F Corresponding Starter Deck RA2 Rock of Ages (2011) G, H, I, J Corresponding Starter Deck RA3 Rock of Ages (2013) Or Original TP Thesaurus Ex Preteritus Pr Prophets Di Disciples Wo Women EC The Early Church Wa Warriors PC Persecuted Church Ap Apostles CW Cloud of Witnesses Pa Patriarchs RJ Revelation of John Ki Kings FM Fall of Man AW Angel Wars PoC Prophecies of Christ Pi Priests LC Lineage of Christ FF Faith of our Fathers (2007) LR Legacy Rare FF2 Faith of our Fathers (2011) P Promo RA Rock of Ages (2008) Some sets that have multiple releases may have cards that do not appear in all releases. These cards will be identified with the following abbreviations: Abbreviation Print Abbreviation Print L Limited Edition Main Main Print Ul Unlimited Edition Alt Alternate Border Print 1st 1st Print [Year] Promo Only – Year Distributed 2nd 2nd Print [Location] Promo Only – Initial Distribution Method 3 Name Errata Some cards have received errata to change or correct the name.
    [Show full text]
  • New Perspectives on 2 Enoch: No Longer Slavonic Only
    Studia Judaeoslavica Edited by Alexander Kulik (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) Editorial Board Israel Bartal, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Lazar Fleishman, Stanford University Heinz-Dietrich Löwe, University of Heidelberg Alexei Miller, Russian Academy of the Sciences/Central European University, Budapest Benjamin Nathans, University of Pennsylvania Yohanan Petrovsky-Shtern, Northwestern University Moshe Taube, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem VOLUME 4 Department of German, Russian, and East European Studies The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/sjs New Perspectives on 2 Enoch No Longer Slavonic Only Edited by Andrei A. Orlov and Gabriele Boccaccini Associate Editor Jason M. Zurawski LEIDEN • BOSTON 2012 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data New perspectives on 2 Enoch : no longer Slavonic only / edited by Andrei Orlov and Gabriele Boccaccini ; associate editor, Jason Zurawski. p. cm.—(Studia Judaeoslavica, ISSN 1876–6153 ; v. 4) Collection of papers from the fifth conference of the Enoch Seminar in Naples, Italy (June 14–18, 2009) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-23013-2 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Slavonic book of Enoch—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—Congresses. I. Orlov, A. (Andrei) II. Boccaccini, Gabriele, 1958– III. Zurawski, Jason. BS1830.E81N49 2012 229’.913—dc23 2012006306 This publication has been typeset in the multilingual “Brill” typeface. With over 5,100 characters covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see www.brill.nl/brill-typeface. ISSN 1876-6153 ISBN 978 90 04 23013 2 (hardback) ISBN 978 90 04 23014 9 (e-book) Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ark of the Covenant Keystone Chapter No
    The Ark of the Covenant Keystone Chapter No. 58 The Ark of the Covenant was housed in the Temple of Solomon. It is a common theme in Royal Arch Masonry. It appears as a symbol in a variety of Masonic art work. The Ark itself is never mentioned in Blue Lodge rit- ual. In the Bible it states that after Solomon's Temple was completed, as part of the dedication ceremony , the Ark was seated within the Kodesh Hako- dashim or Holy of Holies. Within the Holy of Holies two massive cheru- bim's, beings who attend to God in the Abrahamic tradition, stood over- looking the Ark. In the Bible a detailed description is given about what the Ark looked like. Most notably to Freemasons, the Ark in several descriptions is made with acacia wood. The wood was covered with gold and a lid was fashioned with Cherubim's on the lid. Despite the detailed descriptions in the Bible, the Ark is often drawn in a variety of ways and shapes. There are at least some who disagree with the idea that the Ark was a box or chest, instead saying it was more of a bowl shape, which would have fit in more commonly with other simi- lar objects of that time period. Some theologians believe that within the Bible there are multiple arks that are spoken of including the one in the story of Exodus. When Moses smashed the Ten Commandments he placed the broken pieces in the Ark of the Covenant. Also placed in the ark was Aaron's rod and a pot of manna.
    [Show full text]
  • Following Moses: an Investigation Into the Prophetic Discourse of the First Century C
    University of Pennsylvania ScholarlyCommons Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations 2017 Following Moses: An Investigation Into The Prophetic Discourse Of The First Century C. E Virginia L. Wayland University of Pennsylvania, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the History of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Wayland, Virginia L., "Following Moses: An Investigation Into The Prophetic Discourse Of The First Century C. E" (2017). Publicly Accessible Penn Dissertations. 2632. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2632 This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/2632 For more information, please contact [email protected]. Following Moses: An Investigation Into The Prophetic Discourse Of The First Century C. E Abstract ABSTRACT FOLLOWING MOSES: AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROPHETIC DISCOURSE OF THE FIRST CENTURY C.E. This dissertation informs current discussions of the apparent transformation of the concepts of prophets and prophecy within Judaism of the Second Temple period by examining the application of the Law of the Prophet (Deut 18:15-22) within two first century C.E. texts, the Testament of Moses and the Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum of Pseudo-Philo. Combining scholarly study of ancient Biblical interpretation and of legal and historical narrative, the study examines the successors of Moses as an umbrella concept in discursive competition between centers of human and textual authority. The study was designed to be comparative, identifying key intermediaries, settings, and audiences for divine communication and presence in two characteristic literary forms of the Second Temple - pseudepigraphy and rewritten Bible. Since the two texts in focus reflect significantly different pseudepigraphy and textual genre, I treat them separately, using Philo of Alexandria and Josephus' Antiquities as well as parallel canonical texts to establish a field of comparison.
    [Show full text]
  • The Royal Priest: Moses and Aaron Study Notes
    The Royal Priest: Moses and Aaron Study Notes The word priest means different things to different people, depending on your culture or religious context. But priests play a big role in the biblical story. In the Bible, priests represent God to the people and the people to God. Unfortunately throughout the Bible, those who are called to priestly duties often fail to live up to their calling. But all of these stories point to the ultimate royal priest, Jesus, the one who will restore the blessings of Eden so that all humanity can become the royal priests we were made to be. In the third episode of our series The Royal Priest, we’re looking at Moses and Aaron, two men called by God to lead the people of Israel and fulfill priestly duties. Use these study notes to dig deeper into the ideas introduced in our video The Royal Priest: Moses and Aaron. Contents The Fractured Priesthood 2 Aaron’s First Problematic Introduction 3 Aaron’s Second Problematic Introduction 4 Exodus 19-31: Moses Ascends to Heaven 5 The Ideal High Priest: A Shimmering Royal Priestly Humanity Re-entering Eden 6 The Failure of Israel’s First Priest: Aaron and the Golden Calf 7 The Failure of Israel’s Priesthood After Aaron 8 The Royal Priest: Moses and Aaron 1 The Fractured Priesthood In Exodus 3-4, the origins of Israel’s priesthood is portrayed as a divine concession to Moses’ stubbornness and unbelief. Literary Design 3:1: “Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law ..
    [Show full text]