Review Lecture 10-5-09

Monday, October 5, 2009

Revisiting the Covenant Lecture

Dr. D

1. Why do we call it the Old Testament
1. Introduction: Scripture as canonical revelation
1. revelation? God’s disclosure of himself & his will in a way we can understand.
1. Though all the world has encountered the glory of God, this doesn’t mean that all can be saved, for only through Christ can it be saved. Rom 1 and Rom 10:faith comes by hearing.
2. 1 Cor 14:37
3. 2 Tim 3:16-17
4. 2 Pet 2:20-21
2. Since it is “from God” this makes it Canonical. God determines the canon, not the church. The church only recognizes the canon.
1. This is a debated matter, but at the core this is a recognition not a determination.
3. Canon: standard of measurement/authority - 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are revelation from God and thus authoritative.
2. Scripture as covenantal canonical revelation.
1. In what way did God choose to reveal himself???
1. International covenant administration: the Bible is created in the context of covenant.
1. Kings used covenant language all the time, and when the kings spoke these words their words became binding, they became canonical.
2. The Pentateuch is produced and done when the people are gearing up to go into the Land, Josh-Kings intends us to read the history of the covenant in light of the Pentateuch. It acts as the foundation.
3. What does the Bible itself testify was the first authoritative/canonical text written down?
1. Post-Sinai pentateuch creation.
2. the 10 words- the first authoritative/covenantal text mentioned in the Bible (Exod. 20:1-17)
3. “When I went up the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant that the LORD made with you, I remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water.” (Deuteronomy 9:9 ESV “And at the end of forty days and forty nights the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.” (Deuteronomy 9:11 ESV) “So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.”

(Deuteronomy 9:15 ESV)

1. The 10 Words of the “covenant” are placed in the “ark of the Covenant (ex 25:16); added instruction is specified as “covenantal” (34:27-28) and some is termed the “book of the Covenant” (24:27; cf 20:22-23:33)
1. all things grow up in the context of this covenant.
2. Sometime afterward the narrative portions and other legislation of Genesis-Numbers were added (Ex 17:14; Num 21:14; 33:2) along with Deuteronomy (Deut 28:58; 29:20, 21, 27; 30:10; 31:9, 19, 22, 24; Josh 1:8)
3. All the Bible grows out of Israel’s covenant with God and must be read in this light.
1. Covenants/Treaties in the ancient world
1. Background: made between two parties, big king is expanding his land, says to little king, surrender or die. Big king says i will provide and protect if you are loyal to me. A curse is the lack or removal of these two pieces. Enters the enemy who spreads lies, life with me will be more desirable. Will little king remain loyal to big king? Faith is what precedes all the obedience, there is no reason to stay in relationship with big king unless i believe that he is what he says he is and that life is most desirable with him. Believe that King exists and is a rewarder.
1. Alexander the Great sent a “preacher” kerus who would tell the little kings of the terms, of the Good News.
2. Covenant Defined: An elected relationship of obligation established under divine sanction.
3. Relationship: Big King: Father, Little King: Son, Other Kings: Brothers and relationship between them are loving. No higher allegiance in ancient world than children to parents. These kings are borrowing this form, and saying this is a relationship, this is a loyalty and a good level of intimacy.
4. Elected: Not biological relationship with the great King, then there is election, there is a choice.
5. Obligation: obligated to be loyal to the promises given in the covenant.
6. Divine Sanction: what the result will be depending on the keeping of the obligations. Divine Witness:: Suzerain:: Vassal. In other ANE the “gods” were the witnesses, not so for us. God:: Yahweh:: Israel.
2. The Bible a Covenantal Canon
1. Yahweh is the ultimate Great King
1. Secular use of the title 2 kgs 18:19 Then Rabshakeh said to them , ‘ say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria, ‘what is this confidence that you have?’”
2. Ps. 48:2 “great King” Ps. 95:3: For the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods.”
2. As the Great King, Yahweh gives a covenant document to his covenant partner and commissions prophets as covenant enforcers. Mal. 3:1 “the messenger of the covenant (namely Christ) in whom you delight, behold, he is coming.”
1. This is why we have so so so much language like this about the Kingdom in the Bible.
3. God Rules his Kingdom through Messiah Jesus
1. Jesus is the king of the Jews and proclaims the good news of the kingdom and so on.
4. Jesus’ final words instilled hope for the consummation of God’s Kingdom (Acts 1:3) and the NT is kingdom preaching centered on Christ. Acts 28:30-31
3. One flesh: verbal oath right there before God and the symbolic oath that occurs there with entering into sexual relationships is what consummates the marriage covenant. Mal.
1. Dispensationalism:
1. Law-Gospel ways to be saved. two ways.
2. Israel-Church. That there were an example given here.
3. now there are progressive dispensationalists who say that there is only one way, but they still maintain that Israel and Church are separate.
4. Covenant theologians would say that the Church/Israel would be made up remnant and rebel and that today there are both remnant and rebel.
1. Cov. say church is made of both jew and gentile alike. That God is fulfilling the promises made now to both.
2. Christ isn’t the perfect pharisee, not the super-hero, but the ultimate-depender and surrender. He is the ultimate imager of God and Glory giver. Obedience of Faith, if he was all about works then he wouldn’t be our perfect example.