Old Testament Theology

Throughout the Pentateuch, God and Moses have done, before anyone else, what the scribes have always done: they have updated, amended, and supplemented. Through the projection of such characters in the narrated story, characters endowed with their own hermeneutical skill, the scribes have authorized – better, canonized – their own work, inscribing their practice in the texture of the founding events. They have cast God and his prophet as scribes in their own image, so as to become  scribes in Godʼs and Mosesʼs images.

Have you ever wondered...

Why does the Old Testament open with an account of the world's origins that appears to contradict science?

Why do its characters sometimes do terrible things?

Why is it so violent?

Why doesn't it treat women better?

Why does it contain so many weird commandments, many of which Christians don't follow?

Why does it appear to contradict itself?

Why do its prayers contain so much grief and anger?

Why is its God so angry?

How should the Old Testament guide Christian living?

In this book, I wrestle with these questions.

Throughout, I make the case that the Old Testament is best understood as a friend in faith.

This book works well in several settings:
    *Adult Christian Education Classes
    *OT Intro Classes at the College Level
    *OT Intro Classes at the Seminary Level

Among the many psalms that refer to creation, Pss 8 and 104 stand out in being entirely devoted to this theme. Whereas Ps 8 highlights the prominent, even exalted, human role in the created order, Ps 104 contextualizes humanity as but one creature among many in a complex intertwined cosmos. Nevertheless, upon closer study, it becomes evident that both psalms share elements of a common worldview, including a remarkably similar view of what constitutes being human, a conception of the world as a cosmic temple, and a rejection of the motif of creation-by-combat against primordial enemies. An exploration of the diversity-in-unity of Pss 8 and 104 yields insights into how their common theological vision may address the human vocation of the use of power in a world understood as a sacred realm over which God is enthroned, yet into which evil has intruded.

The theme of election is prominent, if not the central theme, in the Old Testament. Election is expressed in some particular terminologies, but very often mirrored otherwise through imageries and metaphors. The election metaphors cover several issues that present themselves in the daily lives of humankind. Metaphors such as parental adoption or father/son relationship, military recruitment, master/servant relationship, shepherd/flock relationship, farmer/plant relationship, potter/pottery relationship, and marital union are used by the Hebrew Bible writers to highlight the theme. This underscores the theological significance of election in the Old Testament. Looking at the different aspects of the election metaphors, it also appears as a concept contributing to the theological coherence of the Old Testament. Thus, the concept belongs to the very theological framework of the Old Testament.

Even a casual reading of the Old Testament demonstrates that the ancient Israelite writers clearly conceived of some kind of conceptual relationship between light and Yhwh.  Theologians disagree concerning its precise nature, however, advocating anything from a simple metaphorical relationship with no metaphysical meaning whatsoever to a full ontological equivalency of Yhwh (primitively, as a sun-god) and the sun.  The thesis applies the principles of cognitive semantics to the lexeme אור (light) in Biblical Hebrew and develops a working hypothesis of the conceptual relationship between light and Yhwh in the ancient Israelite cognitive environment. 
After constructing a cognitive model of the lexeme אור in Biblical Hebrew, the thesis then tests this model and its derived conclusions against theological writings concerning light in the interpretive history of the Old Testament, with special focus on contributions made in the last fifty years.  This comparative investigation seeks to determine how the recent developments of cognitive linguistic theory either confirm or possibly correct previous understandings of the theological significance of light in Old Testament literature.  On the basis of testing this cognitive model of light, the thesis proposes a working hypothesis concerning the relationship between light and Yhwh in the ancient Israelite conceptual world and delineates a set of methodological principles for a future study to develop a more precise and fully articulated theology of light in the Old Testament.  The concluding chapter explores the implications of both the cognitive model of light and the academic discipline of cognitive linguistics for Old Testament studies and the broader theological landscape.
This thesis was submitted for the Master of Theology degree in the Stellenbosch University Faculty of Theology, Dec 2016.

The primary concern of this study is to understand how curse affects the power of blessing in Genesis 1–11. First, we examine the semantics of blessing and curse in light of their history of interpretation. Second, each blessing (1:22, 28; 9:1–3, 7, 26, 27) and curse (3:14–15, 16, 17–19; 4:11–12; 9:25) that occurs within reported speech in Genesis 1–11 is categorized and examined according to its linguistic pattern and performative character. Third, the role of blessing and/or curse is determined in the development of narrative tension in the various discourse units of Genesis 1–11.
Blessing and curse are shown to be intimately connected to Creation theology: blessing is given to drive Creation toward its intended telos, while curse is pronounced when that telos is threatened. Both are a central part of Yahweh's upholding of the Order of Creation. Curse affects the power of blessing both negatively and positively in Genesis 1–11. Negatively, curse causes hostility and alienation, and can also be held partially responsible for the epidemic of death. But curse does not have the final word. Positively, curse mitigates rebellion by imposing restrictions on the transgressor. Furthermore, curse carries with it a way for life to continue.
The narrative of Genesis 1–11 bespeaks of the power words have in the world. Some create, some commission, some empower; while others punish, others alienate, and others cause death. From the beginning God has intended good for his Creation. Blessings and curses are one way of achieving that end.

This is an abridged version of my "Counting Stars with Abraham and the Prophets" (JETS 2015). Paul’s application of the “seed” designation to both Jews and Gentiles in Christ marks a redemptive-historical shift from an age of promise to an age of fulfillment. Both the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants initially restricted “seed” language to physical descent and marked covenant membership by physical birth. Nevertheless, they also pointed ahead to a day when covenantal, spiritual adoption would replace ethnicity and biology as the foundational mark of the patriarch’s “fatherhood.” The OT’s promised royal deliver would initiate this eschatological and ecclesiological development, which by its nature supports a progressive covenantal flavor of Baptistic new covenant ecclesiology.

A Pre-teaching Interpretation Paper:
Today, the word “Messiah” commonly incites George Handel’s renowned oratorio or the person of Jesus Christ, whose second name is a Greek translation of the word. This is understandable given the pervasiveness of Christianity as a religion in the world. However, not only has the word been understood differently in different circles, it has also been attributed to and claimed by different individuals throughout the history. This paper seeks to evaluate the claim made by third-century Rabbis Bar Kappara and Hillel II that King Hezekiah of Judah is the Messiah.  In order to do that, what the word means to Jews in Ancient Near Eastern and Rabbinical contexts needs to be considered.
Although Rabbi Joseph has refuted Hillel II’s claim,  it is still a worthy endeavor to give the claim a second hearing, especially as Mika Pajunen noted that “there was renewed interest in these traditions,” referring to Deuteronomistic and Chronistic traditions, “to highlight the unity of the people and hence also their common heritage” after the destruction of the second temple.  Therefore, the account of Hezekiah in Chronicles will be exegeted, highlighting its uniqueness from that in Kings and, by extension, Isaiah, and drawing implications if the thesis, “King Hezekiah is the fulfillment of Yahweh's promise for THE Messiah,” is supported by Chronistic perspective.

The books of 1 and 2 Samuel offer a three-fold thematic scheme that supports the central claim of the Pentateuch, the claim found in Deuteronomy 6:4 and known to the Jews as “the Shema,” a verse that declares the God of Israel is one, true and living God, a theme that undergirds all of the historical books as well. Thus, the foundational theme of 1 and 2 Samuel is the central claim of the Pentateuch, a theme shared by all books of the Holy Scriptures. The secondary, structural theme of the book of 1 Samuel supports the primary theme of the historical books by offering the testimony that God has called out David to establish the Davidic lineage to bring about Israel’s redemption as supporting evidence that YHWH is the true and living God. The secondary, structural theme of the book of 2 Samuel supports the primary theme of the historical books by offering the testimony that God has justified David in his role as king. The third, imperative theme of the books of 1 and 2 Samuel states that Israel loved the Lord their God with all of their strength by accepting the one whom God called and justified as their king and redeemer. The application of this third theme for today’s reader is to believe that God has called and justification the Lord Jesus Christ as King of Kings in the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven. The New Testament believer should trust in Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecies concerning the Messiah coming from the Davidic lineage who will reign eternally over all nations. As believers, we have been called to be a part of the Kingdom of Heaven, and we are justified as members of this Kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ.

This Survey Chart was created for Dr. Andreas Köstenberger and the biblical backgrounds Ph.D. seminar at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for Second Temple Jewish and Greco-Roman literature. This chart surveys the key literature, historical timeline, and information surrounding the Second Temple period as well as offers a select bibliography for each section for further research. This 234 page survey chart is divided into nine major sections: Second Temple History, Greek OT (LXX), OT Apocrypha, OT Pseudepigrapha, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo and Josephus, Targums and Rabbinical Literature, NT Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, and Greco-Roman literature.

Isaiah 6 is filled with brilliant imagery, passion, and religious depth that stir the calling of God in the souls of believers, especially in the first eight verses of the chapter.  But, the mood quickly changes, as Isaiah 6:9-13 records the Prophet Isaiah’s eighth century declaration of desolation for his homeland, with specific warnings of God’s intent to remove the spiritual awareness of His people. This deadening of spiritual realization becomes critical to first century Jews and Christians as the presence of Christ and His testimony establish the New Covenant of the LORD God with believers. Isaiah 6 clearly warns Judah of the coming desolation and records God's promotion of obduracy, which highlights the relationship between understanding and redemption in the salvation process.

Biblical scholars have long debated the identity of the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. Most Christians identify the servant as Jesus and interpret Isaiah 53 as a description of Jesus’ unique, substitutionary death. However, Isaiah 40–55 repeatedly identifies God's servant as Israel. Was Isaiah 53 about the unique experience of a future individual, or was the passage about what all of God’s people would experience? The aim of this paper is to determine how best to understand the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 from an exegetical (rather than a modern theological) standpoint. The thesis is that the suffering servant was to be both the forerunner to and the paradigmatic exemplar of the ideal people of God—a paradigm the people of God were called to conform to. Thus, in light of the ancient conception of corporate solidarity, the answer to the question of whether the servant was to be an individual or a group is: “both.”

The present thesis offers a reading of the book of Exodus as a literary artifact. This is accomplished through the investigation of its main literary characters Yhwh, Moses and Israel. The text is understood to be part of a communicative situation between author and reader. This hermeneutical claim and the nature of Exodus itself entail certain consequences with regard to the method of enquiry. The method applied is a modified form of rhetorical criticism, which is understood to provide an interpretive perspective on the text. The particular focus is on the functional aspects of the text which direct the reading process and thus guide the reader. Given the difficulties in determining the circumstances of the origin of Exodus and the paucity of secured knowledge about early Israelite history, the `implied reader' is introduced as a key-term. It is assumed that this implied reader informed the inventio and dispositio of the book. Because of the book's central themes - identity...

“The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts” (1 Sam 2:7).  How is this seen in the life of Saul in the book of 1 Samuel?
This essay seeks to use the life of Saul as seen in the book of 1 Samuel as an example of God’s sovereign rule and command over all mankind.  Based on the premise of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:7, “The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts”, the question of how this is evidenced in Saul’s life is explored.  The essay seeks to show that God’s hand is at work to exalt or humble not just individuals, but also nations.

Exodus is appealing on different levels. First, it is actively challenging its readers to adopt a specific world-view and life-style. Second, it is highly appealing to the aesthetic senses of its readers. Both strings sound together and help to appreciate the theological contribution of the book to the Hebrew canon.
The present thesis proposes a way of reading the book of Exodus as a literary artifact, as a whole in terms of its rhetorical aims. Key questions are: Was Exodus ever intended to be read or heard as a book? How can we, as late-modern readers, do justice to an ancient book composed against the background of a different world view, different literary conventions and general culture? This study attempts to grasp Exodus in its entirety.
The text is understood to be part of a communicative situation between author and reader. This hermeneutical claim and the nature of Exodus itself entail certain consequences with regard to the method of enquiry. Methodologically, the thesis uses ideas from literary criticism and a modified form of rhetorical criticism, which are understood to provide an interpretive perspective on the text. The particular focus is on the functional aspects of the text which direct the reading process and thus guide the reader in the perception of the ideas, concepts and stories presented. Given the difficulties in determining the circumstances of the origin of Exodus and the paucity of secured knowledge about early Israelite history, the ‘implied reader’ or ‘audience’ is introduced as a key term. It is assumed that this implied reader shaped the inventio and dispositio of the book.
This is accomplished through the investigation of its main literary characters Yhwh, Moses and Israel. Exodus is all about the definition of Israel’s identity in relation to Yhwh and presents the implications thereof for their practical behaviour. Thus already at the stage of the inventio of the book the subject of Exodus demands concentration on the characters. The study of these characters should then give insight into the ideational worlds of the author and of the readers for whom he wrote his book.
Three characters have been chosen on account of their continuous involvement in the plot. The introduction of each character into the plot receives special attention. The developing portrayal of each character is closely linked to its paradigmatic qualities and to its influence on the reader.
First discussed is the portrayal of God, particularly in relation to the contributions of the narrative, poetic and legal parts of Exodus. An initial focus is on the epithets placed at important junctures of the book. The first encounter between reader and character deserves close attention and the levels of interaction between the pharaoh and Israel will be examined. The poem of Exodus (Exod 15,1–18) serves as a hinge between the narrative characterisation and the legal characterisation of Yhwh. This lastly mentioned legal characterisation of Yhwh has been neglected to a large extent, but it is a topic of special interest for this present study. Although the legal collections say much about their recipients, they also reveal deep insights into the law-giver’s nature and concerns. Exodus identifies Yhwh as the king who justly claims obedience and service. A further focus is the possibility and the desirability of a relationship between Israel and their king, Yhwh. Second, with regard to Moses, a significant difference is detected between his first appearance in Exod 2–5 and his later development in the plot. Initially Moses is arguably portrayed as an anti-hero. However, later a much more positive picture unfolds. This remarkable tension in the Mosaic portrayal reveals interesting insights into the implied reader’s preconceptions. Here we trace closely the argumentative strategy of the author in his attempts to convince this reader. The later importance of Moses in Jewish thought makes it essential to discuss the description of Moses’ paradigmatic qualities.
In a third part the construction of the collective character Israel reader-identification is at the heart of the enquiry. In the construction of this literary character Exodus bridges the historical gulf between the ancient Israel of the exodus and the Israel as the implied reader experienced it. The complexity of Israel’s portrayal between realism and idealism is a central aspect of Exodus’ rhetoric, urging its readers to comply with the ideal which the author sought to communicate. In the end Exodus creates what Jan Assmann calls ‘cultural memory’, a memory which has shaped Israel’s identity ever since the book was written and maybe also the identity of the church, as it understands itself in continuity to the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
It can be concluded that the text of Exodus keeps an effect-oriented focus. Exodus does not merely satisfy the potential historical interests of its readers; there is more to it than this archival function. I propose that this piece of literature was composed specifically to convince the implied reader to adopt a certain theology, entailing implications for the ideational perception and practical fashioning of the reader’s situation. By concentration on the characters it is possible to put this abstract and general communicational purpose into more concrete terms.
The results of this study provide insights into the specific poetics of Exodus and its management of the reading process. Because of the proposed unity of form and content, it is possible to specify the message of the entire book by taking into account its intriguing mixture of different genres, its clever use of literary forms and skillful implementation of humour. Here the beauty and engagingness of the book as literature comes to the fore. It has been shown that this other aspect of the appeal of Exodus necessitates the abstraction from modern reading-conventions to do justice to this ancient Hebrew text.

Manzi Franco, Prove di Dio o tentazioni del diavolo? Itinerario biblico per non perdere la fede (= Le Àncore, s.n.), Milano, Àncora, 2015, 112 pp.

«Che cosa ho fatto di male per essere castigato così da Dio?»: si chie-dono scandalizzati tanti Giobbe dei nostri giorni. La verità di fede, atte-stata nella Lettera di Giacomo, secondo cui Dio non tenta né prova nes-suno dei suoi figli, è il punto di arrivo della progressiva rivelazione scrit-turistica portata a compimento da Cristo. L’attualità dell’indagine è evi-dente: riscoprire il vero volto del Dio-Abbà di Gesù Cristo è in grado di dissipare alcuni «spettri» di Dio, che, dai tempi del sacrificio di Abramo in poi, continuano a vagolare nella coscienza di numerosi credenti!
«Questo cammino di fede suppone
il superamento di un’idea di Dio originaria
per lo più sbagliata, almeno in parte,
e quindi da correggere…
E questa prova è terribile, è la prova fondamentale»
(CARLO MARIA MARTINI)

Gary McGee, long-time Professor of Church History and
Pentecostalism at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary,
Springfield, Missouri, has written the latest official history of this
American Pentecostal denomination. People of the Spirit is unlike most
denominational histories. The institutional and structural issues are
muted, and it is certainly not a detailed analysis of statistics and the
changing shape of the denomination. Although important events are
cited, it appears that such data are brought in as inconspicuously as
possible. Rather, McGee has sought to capture the ethos of this revival
movement

This article describes the cosmology in the Greek version of Job 38 in comparison with the Masoretic text. It interprets the special anthropological and cosmological profile of the Greek text in the contexts of the whole Greek book of Job and of selected early Jewish scriptures (Ben Sira; Wisdom of Solo-mon; Testament of Job). It thereby demonstrates how the Greek translators of Job transfer elements of Near Eastern cosmologies into the Greek world, and how Job 38 in its Greek form participates in the cosmological discourse of Hel-lenistic philosophy (Plato, Timaeus; Aratus, Phaenomena).

In His goodness and wisdom, God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the purpose of His will: that man may come to share in the divine nature (cf. DV 2). In the Old Testament, a central theme of this revelation is God’s desire for shalom. The covenant established between God and Israel highlights the desire of God to work with man to work for shalom, even despite the cycles of order and disorder that take place. The expectation for shalom culminates in the anticipation of “The Day of the Lord,” which the prophets speak of as a Day of Judgment and Salvation.

A 1700 word essay defending the employment of the lens of light, color, and image as a valid hermeneutic. With full respect for the historical-critical method, the essay asserts the need to move beyond its boundaries where additional insights are sure to be gleaned.

God’s good creation has something temporary, but at the same time it is more than ‘a waiting room for eternity’. In positive terms: “It is important to taste God's glory in creation in the present. This is part of the foretaste of eternal joy.” Enjoying a singing robin in the garden or a bike ride to Rome can be experienced in the perspective of faith. They are forms of lived faith. The same goes for enjoying a good meal. It is remarkable that the Book of Isaiah, when the future of the people of God is discussed, regularly speaks about food and drink. This article, written in Dutch, takes the invitation of Isaiah 55:1-3a as a starting point. In line with ancient Christian interpretation it is often argued that the invitation to an abundant life of eating and drinking is only a metaphor. The ‘actual salvation’ would only start in verse 3b, which mentions the everlasting covenant. Yet the question is whether imagery and reality can be so strictly distinguished from each other here. In the context of the Book of Isaiah it should be considered that the Kingdom of God also has to do with food and drink. The prospect of a good meal is part of God’s blessing and of the promised salvation.