Monday, September 21, 2009 OT notes

Monday, September 21, 2009

1. Beginning with looking at pg. 2
1. Affirming Alexander
2. Alexander’s questionable Thesis with comment
2. Substantial Mosaic Authorship of Pentateuch
1. The Egyptian details int eh Joseph and Egyptian plague stories strongly suggests someone familiar with Egyptian culture.
1. plagues, egyptian, knew all these traditions
2. Suggests a 2mill origin.
1. table...
2. read the “love letter for kevin”
1. look at genres
2. “dear kevin”
3. letter
3. Similarly there were patterns of literature in the ancient world
4. they have striking differences.
5. For example: Title, witness, curses and then stipulations for first century.
6. Ex, Deut, Josh... Title Prologue, stipulations, deposit witnesses blessings, curses.
1. the historical prologue isn’t found in first mill treaties.
3. The clear awareness of political treaty patterns of the 2nd millennium suggests a 2nd millennium origin from someone acquainted with international affairs.
4. In Genesis, a sense of homelessness and alienation combined with an optimistic anticipation of entering the promised land suggests the wilderness wanderings...
5. Moses, the key human figure in the Pentateuch, is a perfect candidate for having penned most of the pentateuch,
1. only moses was there for some of these accounts.
2. Acts 7:22
6. Moses had a key hand: many passages
7. Many liguistic features point to a 2nd mill origin of the pentateuch.
1. see different grammar in it, like the poetic spots. it shows earlier authorship.
2. even with updated, doesn’t mean it’s a totally different author.
3. if it was written later, it would have all been unified in grammar.
8. Seems that there were written documents that Moses had access to and that he knew about.
1. Within a hundred years things would have been written down in someone’s lifetime, adam lived 820 years or something.
2. would have held fast to the promises given to them.
3. authenticity of adam is key
9. Conclusion: traditional view is a sound view.
1. So long as one approaches the text theistically, one can justifiably view the pentateuch as containing a historically accurate account of past events upon which faith can be based.
2. As long as one allows for earlier sources, later glosses, and later (though minimal) editorial elaboration and stitching, it is very possible to affirm the substantial Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.
3. I’ve learned to only say yes to ministry opportunities when i believe it is something that only i can do, uniquely suited to his gifts. J.I. Packer
1. and that i must make sure it helps the church.
4. Doxological Polemic of Genesis 2-3
1. Gen. 1:1-2:3 that isn’t something that someone witnessed, rather it is written with mankind as the audience.
2. What we are interpreting is Bible, Not ancient traditions.
1. not a history book
2. this is a selective history.
3. sermon in historical form.
4. why doesn’t Bible start with gen 2:4?
1. why is this text there?
2. to display his name/glory
3. He puts gen 1:1-2:3 for what?
1. if it is sermon material then it is polemical!
2. to alter mindsets of those who come after it, makes it polemical.
4. What was the first part of the Bible ever written?
1. Gen. 1:1 to start, when do you read something that talks about something that is actually written down?
2. The very first authoritative text being written down is at Sinai: covenant.
3. Then Moses is called to write more.
4. Covenant: two tablets: puts them in ark of the covenant
5. We reach Adam only through Moses, just like we only know Jesus through Matthew Mark Luke and John.
6. Covenant: have relationship with Word, personal, only through Word written.
1. Relationship is key
7. Who was this written to? What questions were they having?
8. Even though there were earlier accounts, source material, these books of genesis and exodus are the sermonized/canonized forms of these b/c the source material was from God and Moses’ words are from God as well.
1. Since it was then authoritative, it would not be changed like Moses changed and selected from the source materials.
9. When could this have been written?
1. From Sinai till his death.
2. So like 40 years.
3. Not allowed to go into the land, unbelief “numbers 14:11” Faith problem.
4. They are waiting and following, the amount of land they were “wandering” in was like a 30x30 square.
5. The entire generation are dying.
6. all are, 1.5 mill people die in this dessert, 60 people died per day on average.
7. Death all over the place, b/c of Sin.
8. To this audience they are being preached Genesis.
9. Growing out of the Egyptian Culture, some god was in everything.
1. in Gen 1, no god is seen anywhere in the rest of creation.
5. King Yahweh, His People, and His Property --- An Overview
1. Describe what gen 1:1-2:3 tell us about
1. God: Only Creator, In the beginning, creates through speech, personality, communication, pillar of fire: spirit of God seen in deut 13 only other place, the Spirit of God led them out of Egypt (Hosea), ezek. calls it the storm of God, the “glory cloud” taken up into it ezek., this is the same presence that was there in creation.
1. amazing power in creating through speech
2. God will continue creating, upholding, for an eternity.
3. “Us” unity in plurality. Is. 6 “who will go for Us” Elohim: used with singular verbs, expect that it is a plural. holy of holies is the superlative, this may be shorthand for “the God of gods”- plural majesties.
1. “us” heavenly counsel??? How does that fit into us being created in God’s image. Gen. 3: knowing good and evil? did the heavenly beings also have that knowledge?
2. 1 cor 11: gender distinction as the father head of the son... spouse imaged as how Christ relates to the Father.
3. “In the image of God” which is singular, so not the heavenly counsel.
4. Spirit is already present in the text.
1. seeds of a relational God are here
2. His World: started in the garden and we will end in the garden.
3. Us

An Overview of Jesus’ Bible

OT Background & Message: Law & Former Prophets

Dr. D

 

September 14, 2009    An overview of Jesus' Bible

1. Key Concerns
   
   1. Framework: what is the OT about? What is the overarching context within which everything else can be placed?
      
      1. Is there "a key theme" that any other theme in Bible would fit inside.
         
   2. Theological Focus: Center around which everything revolves.
      
      1. A lot of people see disparate themes.
         
   3. Structure: In what manner is everything presented? Is that significant?
      
2. Key Principle to Biblical Interpretation:
   
   1. Think like an Israelite.
      
3. Jesus' perspective on framework and focus?
   
   1. Luke 4:43 "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." Pretty clear.
      
      1. Jesus preached about the kingdom of God Matt. 4:17, 23
         
      2. Jesus prayed for the kingdom to come Luke 11:2 Mat 6:10
         
      3. Jesus called his disciples to seek first the kingdom Luke 12:31 Matt 6:33
         
      4. Jesus was the Davidic king who was to come whose kingdom would last forever Luke 1:33 Mat 1:1, 21:9
         
      5. Jesus said God's kingdom was his kingdom Luke 22:30 John 18:3
         
      6. Luke 4:43 I must…
         
      7. Acts 1:1-3 "[Jesus] also presented himself alive after his suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of thing concerning the kingdom of God."
         
         1. Some churches separated the kingdom and the church.
            
         2. Acts 1:1-3 really opposes that thought.
            
      8. Summary: framework the Kingdom of God
         
      9. Focus: Jesus the King
         
         1. On a wheel, kingdom on the outside: Jesus in center.
            
   2. Jesus' perspective on focus and structure?
      
      1. Luke 24:25-27 "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." John 5:39
         
      2. Luke 24:44 "Now [Jesus] said to them, 'These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."
         
         1. The Torah, the Prophets, the Writings
            
            1. Structure of Hebrew Bible (TaNaK)
               
   3. Ruth Discussion:
      
      1. Begins with the time of the Judges: happens before David which is why it is before the Psalms.
         
      2. Chronological Order: Challenges?
         
         1. Lose flow of the author's intention.
            
         2. Lose intentionality of order, larger meta-narrative.
            
         3. Cautions? Prov 31: wife of noble character, then you turn to Ruth, husband of noble character… why does dempster have a different order?
            
         4. Is this really enough historical justification? Not really, so we will follow Dempster.
            
         5. Oldest Textual evidence is the Jewish Talmud, so we will follow that.
            
         6. Challenge: don't have chronology for all the books, so that says that simple chronological order won't suffice.
            
         7. Hopeful or discouragement? Ebb and flow of mood. Ruth is positive, along with all the other writings that are all positive.
            
         8. Why does Ruth fit? Has an account of hope that was dawning. The three part structure is the real help, they go into the circle in the spoke spaces law, prophets and writings. Ruth is simply a brief introduction.
            
   4. Jesus' Perspective on Focus and Structure?
      
      1. Luke 11:49-51 ⁴⁹Therefore also^(A) the Wisdom of God said,^(B) 'I will send them^(C) prophets and apostles,^(D) some of whom they will^(E) kill and persecute,' ⁵⁰so that^(F) the blood of all the prophets, shed^(G) from the foundation of the world, may be^(H) charged against this generation, ⁵¹from the blood of^(I) Abel to the blood of^(J) Zechariah, who perished between^(K) the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be^(L) required of this generation.
         
         1. The OT's first martyr Able Gen 4:8 to it's last martyr Zechariah 2 Chr 24:20-21
            
         2. The OT begins with Genesis & end with 2 Chr.
            
   5. English vs. Hebrew Bibles
      
      1. English: Pentatuech, History, Poetry and Prophecy.
         
         1. Different problems: history is written in different ways with different moods, only half of the poetry is in the poetry section.
            
      2. Hebrew: Law, Prophets, Writings.
         
         1. Prophets: former and Latter. Jos-2Kings and Jer-Mal.
            
            1. We get the preaching from the Latter prophets about the history mentioned in the former prophets.
               
         2. Writings: Former and Latter. Pss-Sngs and Lam-Chr
            
            1. Former prophets see their history completed in latter prophets.
               
            2. Writings, the story comes after the preaching of the time. Eg. Chr. Leaves out David and Bathsheba. History of Hope. Story has been re-crafted from the former history. This gets peoples' eyes off of themselves and on a great redeemer.
               
         3. Moses: author of Pentatuech looks back from Sinai to write the account. So all is centered upon this Old Covenant from Sinai.
            
         4. The NT is also organized in this Covenant Established, History of Covenant and then what Covenant Life looks like.
            
         5. Paul approached it this way as well.
            
   6. Jesus' perspective on focus and Structure: Covenant Established, History of Covenant and then what Covenant Life looks like.
      
   7. Paul's Perspectiv:
      
      1. Acts 20:20-21, 25 and 27
         
      2. Acts 18:23, 31 ²³When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening^(A) he expounded to them, testifying to⁽B) the kingdom of God and^(C)trying to convince them about Jesus^(D) both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets… ^31(A) proclaiming^(B) the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ^(C) with all boldness and^(D) without hindrance.
         
   8. Summary
      
      1. Organizing Framework: the kingdom of God is the heart of what is preached.
         
      2. Theological Focus: the proclamation of the kingdom concerns the king Jesus Messiah.
         
      3. Canonical Structure: The kingdom concerning Jesus was taught through the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.
         

 

PENTATEUCH: BIB3231

1. Interpreting the Pentateuch
   
   1. The Pentateuch's Authorship, Composition and Historicity
      
   2. The Pentateuch's Makeup, Unity, Structure and Message.
      
2. Pentateuchal Authorship, Composition and Historicity.
   
   1. Intro to the Question of Authorship
      
      1. Pentateuch itself attests to Moses' composing at least some of its parts
         
      2. Divine promises to instill faith:
         
         1. Exodus 17:14 " ¹⁴Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of^(A)Joshua, that⁽B) I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
            
      3. Moses inscribed God's instructions to Israel as a lasting guide and warning:
         
         1. Exodus 24:4 And^(A) Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve⁽B) pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel
            
         2. Ex. 34:27 "²⁷And the LORD said to Moses, "Write these words, for in accordance with these words^(A) I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
            
         3. Deut. 31:24 "²⁴When Moses had finished^(A) writing the words of this law in a book to the very end,
            
      4. Moses Journalled Israel's Journey through the wilderness
         
         1. Num. 33:2 "Moses wrote down their starting
            
      5. Moses penned god's warning song against Israel
         
         1. Deut 31
            
      6. Later Biblical figures identify Moses withteh Pentateuch, some even noting his authorship.
         
         1. Titles given to Pentateuch:
            
            1. "the book of Moses" Ezra 6:18
               
            2. The book of the Law Deut 29:21
               
            3. The Law of Moses Josh 8:32
               
            4. Moses Luke 24:27
               
      7. Key Biblical Voices:
         
         1. The narrator of the Book of Joshua stresses Moses' hand in writing Josh 8:32 "And there, in the presence of the people of Israel, he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written."
            
         2. Genesis intros exodus through deut. Deut was to be taken into the land and was to be used to guide the life of Israelites.
            
         3. The Chronicler stresses Moses was the channel through which the Book of the Law came: 2 Chr. 34:14 "given through Moses."
            
         4. Jesus unequivocally speaks of the Pentateuch in connection to Moses: Luke 24:44 "written about me in the Law of Moses…"
            
         5. Jesus explicitly declares that Moses has writing (pl) that speak of him: John 5:46-47 "if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
            
            1. Narrator's voice: only 66 clauses that has the narrator's voice. Domain 1.
               
            2. Domain 2… Moses' voice. Narrator's intention is to have Moses' voice speak not his own.
               
      8. Editorial glosses from a time when:
         
         1. The Cannanites were no longer a threat: Gen 12:6 "at that time the Canaanites were in the land."
            
         2. Some would be ignorant of the origin of an Israelite practice: Gen 32:32
            
         3. The east side of the Jordan would be "beyond the Jordan" Deut 1:5. Whoever put final stamp on Deut. Used beyond the Jordan meaning Moab. As if writing from Canaan.
            
         4. Written when some would need historical-geographical commentary on the origin of a city. Deut 3:14
            
         5. Some would question the burial place of Moses. Deut. 34:6
            
         6. A comment about Moses' prophetic uniqueness would be significant: Deut 34:10 "And there has not arisen a prophet since in Israel like Moses…"
            
            1. Joshua? Ezra? Who would say something like that?
               
   2. 3 Presuppositions of Historical Criticism (E. Toreltsch, 1865-1923)
      
      1. Principle of Criticism: presupposed skepticism of sources.
         
         1. Guilty til proven innocent.
            
      2. Principle of Analogy: "present human experience limits what can qualify as 'historical' in the past"
         
      3. Principle of Correlation: "limiting potential historical causation to either natural forces or human agency"
         
         1. Do you know everything? How much do you know? Could God be known in the other parts of what you don't know?
            
      4. Significance of such presuppositions:
         
         1. No miracles or foretelling of the future: the supernatural realities expressed in the Pentateuch are beyond validation and therefore unhistorical
            
         2. The belief that God is the Lord of history is unscientific and thus unhistorical.
            
         3. Theology evolves from animism (belief that everything in nature has a spirit) to monotheism.
            
      5. Naturalistic animism > polytheism > henotheism > monotheism
         
         1. Henotheism: one of the many gods is my top god.
            
      6. Primitive, simple, spontaneous popular faith > ethical concerns and consciousness initiated by the prophets > ceremonial and ritual religion (law) influenced by the priests.
         
      7. J 900 > E 800 > JE 650 > D 621 > JED 550 >P 450 >JEDP 400
         
      8. So the argument stands upon this "progression" and calls for different authors.
         
      9. Theology evolves from animism to monotheism
         
         1. Result: The OT cannot speak for itself but is reconceptualized.
            
   3. Key Conclusions Related to the Pentateuch:
      
      1. Most reject Mosaic authorship.
         
      2. Most affirm that the stories in the Pentateuch likely differ radically from the early material behind the text.
         
      3. The text resulted from a long process of joining and editing material.
         
      4. Most see the tradition histories and treat the text as out-and-out fiction with little or no historical moorings and having a very late provenance in the history of Israel.
         
      5. Garret Rethinking Genesis: the Sources and Authorship of the First Book of the Pentateuch.
         
      6. Garret and Block were huge helps in their writings in how to see the holes in these other arguments like Thompson. What are the ramifications of these other views for real life, like preaching.
         
      7. Pray that God would give you eyes to see, the Shack, and observe the presuppositions. Go for the heart, I believe in inerrancy b/c of the fundamental nature of the Word itself.
         
3. Alexander's Arguments: Where did he focus and what was his conclusion?
   
   1. Accept what is good from the critical movement, but affirm the divine inspiration.
      
   2. Have our radar up and not be scared to look at data.
      
   3. Main Thesis: Probably not one author and post-exilic.
      

Affirms the historicity? He says authoritative… does that mean historical? 2 cor 4:2 "I will not peddle the word of God…" Be more clear Alexander.