Old Testament In A Nutshell Eric Hyche Filling in for Chris Heard

Questions You Asked Summarize OT in an hour Creation Days, Adam and Eve, Dinosaurs Noah and the Flood Tower of Babel Baalam and the Talking Donkey “Utter Destruction” of Canaanite Cities Ark of the Covenant

Questions You Asked (cont’d) Hosea marrying a prostitute Should Esther be in the Canon? Hebrew understanding of life after death Origins of baptism in the OT Do we have a “time to kill”? (Eccl. 3) God and the still small voice (I Kings 19) Plagues of Egypt

Outline Review of How We Got The OT Our OT Sources The OT in a Narrative Nutshell The OT in the Taxonomy Nutshell

“How We Got the Bible” Review Stuff Happened People sang and spoke about the stuff that happened People wrote down what others sang and spoke about the stuff that happened People worked earlier sources into longer documents The books reached canonical form

Our OT Sources Original Manuscripts Copies of Original Manuscripts Translations of Manuscripts Writings of ancient Jews and Christians

Our Oldest OT Sources Cairo Codex (Prophets) – 895 A.D. British Museum Codex (Pent.) – 10th cent. Leningrad Codex (whole OT) – 1008 A.D. More recent than NT documents (4th cent) Why? Jewish scribes treated worn-out copies of Scripture with utmost respect

How was OT preserved? Dedicated schools of Jewish scholars Massoretes Started around 500 A.D. Added vowel system to preserve pronunciation Intricate double-checking systems

Other OT sources Samaritan Pentateuch Septuagint (Greek translation of OT) Aramaic and Syrian translations Old Latin and Latin Vulgate Quotations in Talmud and other Jewish writings Dead Sea Scrolls

The OT in a Narrative Nutshell Promises Made (Abraham) Promises Fulfilled (Joshua) Promises Enjoyed (David) Promises Lost (Daniel) Promises Regained (Nehemiah)

OT In A Taxonomy Nutshell “The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings” Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy) Prophets (Isaiah through Malachi) Writings (everything else) Deuteronomistic History (Joshua – 2 Kings) Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah Wisdom Literature Apocalypses (Daniel)

An Outline of the Pentateuch Creation of World and Human Way of Life (Genesis 1-11) God’s Choice of the Patriarchs (Gen 12-50) Liberation from Egypt (Exodus 1-18) Formation of Israel through the Torah at Sinai (Exodus 19 – Leviticus 26) Formation of Israel through Wanderings (Numbers 1-36)

An Outline of the Pentateuch Formation of Israel on the Plains of Moab (Deuteronomy 1-30) Concluding Blessings and Transitions (Deuteronomy 31-34)

“Law” vs. “Torah” What does “Law” bring to mind today? “Torah” is translated “Law”, but had different connotation: Psalm 147:19-20, 119:1, 119:97 What are themes of these verses? Nobody else has Torah We’re lucky to have Torah Torah is the way to God

Themes of Prophets Not just predictions of what will be, but also exhortations to avoid what might be Three major themes of prophets Abuse of power by leaders (2 Samuel 12) Treatment of the poor (Amos 2:6-7) Idolatry

Themes of Deuteronomistic History God has chosen Israel to be a special people This choice leads to giving of a covenant in the Torah The Torah leads to life Sacrifice to God must occur in Jerusalem Ethics and Worship go hand-in-hand Sinful behavior of the people leads to divine punishment

Themes of Deuteronomistic History Repentance of the people leads to divine forgiveness God does not abandon Israel – even when they sin God raises up leaders (judges then kings) to bring about restoration Prophets call both rulers and subjects to be faithful to the covenant

Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah Duplicate some of Deuteronomistic History Glass is half-full (Deut Hist is half-empty) Focus on establishing ties between repatriated Jews and earlier times

Wisdom Literature Psalms (Laments, Praise, Histories) Proverbs (collection of pithy sayings) Song of Solomon (love poems) Job Ecclesiastes