Reading the Old Testament History Again... and Again 2011 Ryan Center Conference Taylor Worley, PhD Assistant Professor of Christian Thought & Tradition 1 Why re-read OT history? 2 Why re-read OT history? There’s so much more to discover there. It’s the key to reading the New Testament better. There’s transformation to pursue. 3 In both the domains of nature and faith, you will find the most excellent things are the deepest hidden. Erasmus, The Sages, 1515 4 “Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’” Luke 24:44 5 God wishes to move the will rather than the mind. Perfect clarity would help the mind and harm the will. Humble their pride. Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 1669 6 Familiar Approaches: Humanize the story to moralize the characters. Analyze the story to principalize the result. Allegorize the story to abstract its meaning. 7 Genesis 22: A Case Study 8 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 9 As Story; As Literature Question: “Did God inspire the forms of biblical literature or merely the content?” -Dr. Leland Ryken, Professor of English, Wheaton College 10 Epochs of Form: OT & NT History OT: Age of Story, Legend and Myth (Covenant orientation) NT: Age of Word and Spirit (Gospel orientation) 11 Navigating the Layers of the Stories Basic Narrative Timeline Salvation-Historical Frame Literary Character of OT History 12 Narrative Movements: 16 Major Episodes (from Graeme Goldsworthy’s According to Plan) 1. Creation by Word: Genesis 1 and 2 2. The Fall: Genesis 3 3. First Revelation of Redemption: Genesis 4–11 4. Abraham Our Father: Genesis 12–50 5. Exodus: Our Pattern of Redemption - Exodus 1–15 6. New Life: Gift and Task - Exodus 16–40; Leviticus 7. The Temptation in the Wilderness: Numbers; Deuteronomy 8. Into the Good Land: Joshua; Judges; Ruth 9. God’s Rule in God’s Land: 1 & 2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1–10; 1 Chronicles; 2 Chronicles 1–9 10. The Fading Shadow: 1 Kings 11–22; 2 Kings 11. There Is a New Creation: Jeremiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Esther 12. The Second Exodus: Ezra; Nehemiah; Haggai 13 Narrative Movements: 16 Major Episodes (from Graeme Goldsworthy’s According to Plan) 1. The New Creation for Us: Matthew; Mark; Luke; John 2. The New Creation in Us Initiated: Acts 3. The New Creation in Us Now: New Testament Epistles 4. The New Creation Consummated: The New Testament 14 Salvation-Historical Frame: Six Covenant Milestones 1. Adamic Covenant (Gen. 1.26-30, 2.15-17, 3.15) 2. Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9.1-17) 3. Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 15, 17, 22) 4. Israelite Covenant (Exodus 19-20, 34) 5. Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7) 6. New Covenant (Isaiah 65.17-25, Jer. 31.31-34, Ezekiel 36.22-28) 15 Literary Character of OT History English Bible: 5-12-5-5-12 Pentateuch History: Joshua – 1 & 2 Chronicles Hebrew Bible: TaNaK Theological History – TORAH (e.g. Genesis & Exodus) Prophetic History – Former Prophets (e.g. Judges) Pastoral History – Memorial Writings (e.g. 1 Chronicles) 16 Jacob wrestles the Angel. 17 18 19 20 21 Moses 22 King David 23 24 25 Two Examples: Jacob – Isaiah 2.1-5 Judah – Micah 5.1-5 26 Protecting the Mystery Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 27 Reading the Old Testament History Again... and Again 2011 Ryan Center Conference Taylor Worley, PhD Assistant Professor of Christian Thought & Tradition In both the domains of nature and faith, you will find the most excellent things are the deepest hidden. Erasmus, The Sages, 1515 God wishes to move the will rather than the mind. Perfect clarity would help the mind and harm the will. Humble their pride. Blaise Pascal, Pensées, 1669 1. INTRODUCTION: Letting the Story Live a. Why read the OT History again… and again? (Hans Holbein the Younger, An Allegory of the Old and New Testaments, 1532-5) i. There’s so much more to discover there. [Erasmus quote] ii. It’s the key to reading the New Testament better. Luke 24:44 – “Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’” iii. There’s transformation to pursue. [Pascal quote] b. Familiar Approaches to OT History: Character Studies and Moral Lessons i. Humanize the story to moralize the characters. ii. Analyze the story to principalize the result. iii. Allegorize the story to abstract its meaning. c. Case Study: Genesis 22 difficult to accommodate for a moral lesson. d. Reading the Bible as Story; Reading the Bible as Literature: i. Question: “Did God inspire the forms of biblical literature or merely the content?” – Dr. Leland Ryken, Professor of English, Wheaton College ii. Epochs of Form: OT and NT History 1. Old Testament: Age of Story, Legend and Myth (Covenant orientation) 2. New Testament: Age of Word and Spirit (Gospel orientation) 2. OLD TESTAMENT NARRATIVE: Navigating the Layers of the Story a. Narrative Movements: 16 Major Episodes (from Graeme Goldsworthy’s According to Plan) i. Creation by Word Genesis 1 and 2 ii. The Fall Genesis 3 iii. First Revelation of Redemption Genesis 4–11 iv. Abraham Our Father Genesis 12–50 v. Exodus: Our Pattern of Redemption Exodus 1–15 vi. New Life: Gift and Task Exodus 16–40; Leviticus vii. The Temptation in the Wilderness: Numbers; Deuteronomy viii. Into the Good Land Joshua; Judges; Ruth ix. God’s Rule in God’s Land: 1-2 Samuel; 1 Kings 1–10; 1 Chronicles; 2 Chronicles 1–9 x. The Fading Shadow: 1 Kings 11–22; 2 Kings xi. There Is a New Creation: Jeremiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Esther xii. The Second Exodus Ezra; Nehemiah; Haggai xiii. The New Creation for Us: Matthew; Mark; Luke; John xiv. The New Creation in Us Initiated: Acts xv. The New Creation in Us Now: New Testament Epistles xvi. The New Creation Consummated: The New Testament b. Salvation-Historical Frame: Six Covenant Milestones i. Adamic Covenant (Gen. 1.26-30, 2.15-17, 3.15) ii. Noahic Covenant (Gen. 9.1-17) iii. Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 15, 17, 22) iv. Israelite Covenant (Exodus 19-20, 34) v. Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7) vi. New Covenant (Isaiah 65.17-25, Jer. 31.31-34, Ezekiel 36.22-28) c. Literary Character of Old Testament History: Genres of History in the TaNaK i. English Bible: 5-12-5-5-12 1. Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy 2. History: Joshua – 1 & 2 Chronicles ii. Hebrew Bible: 1. Arrangement of the TaNaK: a. Torah (Law) – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy b. Nebi’im (Prophets) – i. Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings ii. Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Twelve c. Kethubim (Writings) – i. Poetry: Job, Psalms, Proverbs ii. Five Scrolls (Megillot): Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther iii. Historical Books: Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, 1 & 2 Chronicles 2. History in the TaNaK: a. Theological History – TORAH (e.g. Genesis & Exodus) b. Prophetic History – Former Prophets (e.g. Judges or 1 & 2 Samuel) c. Pastoral History – Memorial Writings (e.g. Esther or 1 & 2 Chronicles) 3. Timeless Stories from the Old Testament: Some Examples from artistic attempts a. The Lives of the Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – Gen. 12-50 b. The Exodus Event – Exodus c. The Failures of the Judges – Judges d. A Tale of Two Kings: Saul and David – 1 Sam. 9-15; 16-31 2 e. Faith in Exile – Daniel & Esther f. Faith among the Ruins – Ezra & Nehemiah 4. Two Examples: Jacob and Judah a. Jacob – Isaiah 2.1-5 2:1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, 3 and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.