Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2014 The Spirit of the Lord and Obedience to God's Law : an Exegetical, Intertextual, and Theological Study of Ezekiel 36:27 James Waita Mutua Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons Recommended Citation Mutua, James Waita, "The Spirit of the Lord and Obedience to God's Law : an Exegetical, Intertextual, and Theological Study of Ezekiel 36:27" (2014). Dissertations. 105. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/105 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW: AN EXEGETICAL, INTERTEXTUAL, AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 by James Waita Mutua Adviser: Jiøí Moskala ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW: AN EXEGETICAL, INTERTEXTUAL, AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 Name of researcher: James Waita Mutua Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jiøí Moskala, Ph.D., Th.D. Date completed: October 2014 Problem In Ezek 36:27, God foretells that he will put his Spirit within his people and he will “do” so that Israel will obey his laws. Ezekiel 36:27 indicates a close relationship between the Spirit of God and Israel in observing the statutes and judgments of God in the Babylonian exile among the nations and after the exile. In this text, every major phrase and clause has varied interpretations or calls for further investigation. Not only do scholars have different interpretations of the verse, but also the English Bible versions vary in their translations. This leads to the following questions: What is the identity of the Spirit of God? What is the nature of the statutes and judgments of God? What is the precise relationship between the Spirit of the Lord and the people in observing the divine laws? When is the bestowal of the Spirit of God and obedience to the laws of God realized by Israel? The purpose of this research was to conduct an exegetical, intratextual, intertextual, and theological study in order to investigate further the Spirit of God in relationship to Israel in keeping the laws of God in the context of restoration in Ezek 36. Methodology This study uses the final form and close reading of the MT in its canonical text. The method entails analytical, inductive, synchronic, and diachronic approaches to v. 27, involving OT canonical and extra-canonical Hebrew selected texts. In chapter 1, various interpretive views by scholars regarding v. 27 are presented. The views differ concerning the identity of the Spirit of God, the precise relationship between the Spirit of God and Israel in obeying the laws of God, the concept of “within,” what God “does,” the nature of the statutes and judgments of God, and the role of Israel as God puts his Spirit within them. In chapter 2, an exegetical investigation is undertaken for the purpose of examining the identity of the Spirit of God and the nature of the statutes and judgments of God and their relationship. The structure of v. 27 is studied in order to analyze the logical progression of the thought and intent of the author. A semantic study of the meaning of words and phrases as well as the syntax of the text is examined to explore their relationship and how their significance and implication affect the translation and interpretation of the text. Chapter 3 deals with the intratextual analysis in order to examine the connection between Ezek 36:27 and selected texts with similar vocabulary within the book of Ezekiel. In chapter 4, an intertextual study is undertaken to compare v. 27 with other selected texts in the OT with similar vocabulary for the purpose of exploring how the OT texts highlight Ezek 36:27. Chapter 5 deals with the intertextuality of Ezek 36:27 in selected extra-canonical Qumran Hebrew texts to investigate how the Spirit of God and obedience to the laws of God inform the concept of the Spirit of God and obedience to the laws of God in Ezek 36:27. In chapter 6, a theology of Ezek 36:27 is constructed based on the exegetical analysis and intratextual and intertextual investigation stated above. Conclusions The conclusions reached by exegeting Ezek 36:27 are that: 1. The Spirit of God is God’s Holy Spirit, a personal being, whom God gives to the Israelites so that they can have abundant life, for they lament that they have no life. The Spirit of God empowers or strengthens Israel to obey the laws of God of life and maintain the life they have received from the Spirit of God. 2. The statutes and judgments of God are the praxis or practical aspects of the principles of the ten words or commandments of God through which God made a covenant with Israel. As Israel obeys the laws of God, they fulfill the principle of the ten commandments of love to God and humanity. 3. God influences the mind and motivation of his people by his Spirit through the word of God as proclaimed by the prophet Ezekiel. By his Spirit, God wants to renew and soften their stony heart to be a heart of flesh in order for them to have new desires, motives, and purposes of observing his divine laws. 4. God “does” or acts through his Spirit for the sake of his holy name, characterized by grace, mercy, forbearance, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness, in renewing the mind of Israel and giving back their land in the process of restoration. 5. Israel plays an active role in the process of responding to the grace, mercy, forbearance, love, faithfulness, and forgiveness of God and their willingness to obey the word of God to return to their land. 6. The bestowal of the Spirit of God is realized by Israel while in exile among the nations but particularly when they are restored to their land. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW: AN EXEGETICAL, INTERTEXTUAL, AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by James Waita Mutua October 2014 © Copyright by James Waita Mutua 2014 All Rights Reserved THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD AND OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S LAW: AN EXEGETICAL, INTERTEXTUAL, AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 A dissertation presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy by James Waita Mutua APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: Faculty Adviser, Director, PhD in Religion Jiøí Moskala Thomas Shepherd Professor of Old Testament Exegesis and Theology Richard M. Davidson Dean, SDA Theological Seminary J. N. Andrews Professor of Old Testament Interpretation Jiøí Moskala Randall W. Younker Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Archaeology Darius W. Jankiewicz Professor of Theology Willem A. VanGemeren Date approved Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages Trinity Evangelical Divinity School TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES . vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . viii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 Background to the Problem .. 1 Statement of the Problem . 12 Statement of the Purpose . 13 Methodology . 13 Delimitation . 14 2. AN EXEGETICAL INVESTIGATION OF EZEKIEL 36:27 . 15 The Literary Structure . 15 The Larger Context . 15 The Immediate Context . 16 Textual Analysis . 19 Morphology . 23 The Identity and Significance of yxiÞWr .. 23 The Concept of !TEåa, . 28 The Meaning of ~k,_B.r>qiB. 32 The Identity of ~k,_- .. 40 The Concept of ytiyfiª['w> . 42 The Grammatical and Syntactical Use of rv,a] taeÛ . 60 The Clause Wrßm.v.Ti yj;îP'v.miW WkleêTe ‘yQ;xuB. .. 61 The Phrase ~t,(yfi[]w: . 71 Summary . 73 Conclusion . 74 3. INTRATEXTUALITY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 . 76 Ezekiel 11:19-20 . 76 Ezekiel 18:9 . 80 Ezekiel 18:31 . 81 iii Ezekiel 20:21 . 86 Ezekiel 36:26 . 88 Ezekiel 37:14, 24 . 96 Summary . 104 4. INTERTEXTUALITY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 IN OT SELECTED TEXTS . 105 Torah . 107 Genesis 6:3 .. 107 Genesis 41:28, 38-40, 55 . 116 Exodus 28:3, 30, 43; 31:3, 6 . 123 Numbers 27:18-22; Deuteronomy 34:9; Joshua 24:25, 31 . 128 Prophets . 134 Isaiah 42:1-4 .. 134 Isaiah 63:10-11, 14 .. 138 Micah 2:7; 3:8 . 142 Haggai 2:4, 5 . 147 Zechariah 4:6; 7:9, 12 . 151 Malachi 2:15, 17 . 154 Writings . 158 Psalms 51:6, 12-14 (Eng 4, 10-12) . 158 Job 32:8, 9 . 164 Nehemiah 9:13, 20, 30 .. 166 Evaluation of the Texts . 169 Conclusion . 170 5. EXTRA-CANONICAL INTERTEXTUALITY OF EZEKIEL 36:27 IN THE QUMRAN TEXTS . 171 The Rule of the Community .. 172 1QRule of the Community (1QS) . 172 The Damascus Document . 178 The Damascus Document (CD) .. 178 Liturgical Texts . ..