The Bible, EXAM 2
Deborah
Female prophet/judge who helped end the rule of Sisera
"book of the law"
Found in a back of the temple in jerusalem by some workers. Demands exclusive allegiance to God, along with moral regulations & instructions about proper ritual.
What are the elements of Jeremiah's call theophany?
Four verbs are employed, all of which have "I" (God) as their subject and the suffix "you" (Jeremiah) as their object: Creation, Choice, Consecration and Commission.
What, according to Sumney, is the setting in which the final edited form of the book of Joshua emerged?
Israel has been in the wilderness for forty years. The renewal of the celebration of the mighty act of deliverance from Egypt, the Passover, is also displayed.
What is the subject matter of the final 9 chapters of the book of Ezekiel ?
It contains a vision of the new temple and the common wealth of God's people. The prophet goes into great detail describing the new temple and predicts and greater splendor than Judah has ever known.
How does Sumney see this setting as shaping the book's perspective?
It reminds both the readers and the characters in the narrative of God's earlier power acts on Israel's behalf. Thus it prepares us for the acts of God to come.
What symbolic action does he take as a sign of hope for the ultimate restoration of Judah and Jerusalem after the Babylonian sack of Jerusalem?
Jeremiah demonstrated his faith in God to restore the people to the land by buying a field affirming that the sovereign God will judge and restore.
How do his oracles come to be written down?
Jeremiah works with a secretary named Baruch, who transcribes his messages.
Ezekiel
Taken to Babylon in the first wave of exiles from Jerusalem in 597 B.C.E. There he has dramatic visions about the presence of God moving to be with the exiles. From an aristocratic family. He is In Babylon. He sees the throne chariot.
Medium at Endor (ch. 28)
Tells Saul he will die the next day
Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7)
That David's son will build the temple; God promises a dynasty
The remnant
refers to people who survived the exile and return to Jerusalem People that go into exile - identify themselves as the ones that will renew the covenant principle.
Jeroboam (11:26ff.)
successor to Solomon; took over the Israel part when kingdom divided; builds Dan and Bethel
Notice all the people who "clear the path" for David's consolidation of power through violent means and yet who are punished by him. What steps does David take to unite the tribes under his leadership? List three.
David succeeded in truly unifying the Israelite tribes, and set up a monarchical government. He embarked on successful military campaigns against Israel's enemies, and defeated nearby regional entities such as the Philistines, thus creating secure borders for Israel. Under David, Israel grew into a regional power. Under the House of David, the united Kingdom of Israel achieved prosperity and superiority over its neighbors.
What are David's strengths?
David was created a member of the Nine Worthies, a group of heroes encapsulating all the ideal qualities of chivalry. His life was thus proposed as a valuable subject for study by those aspiring to chivalric status. He has great faith and wisdom from his young age to his kingship.
How does Solomon succeed in gaining his father's throne? Who helps him?
David's successor had come to the front in Absalom's rebellion. That uprising had been crushed. As David was nearing his death, Adonijah, the next to the throne was prepared to take it, but passed over by some of the most influential friends and advisers of David, as well as his brother Solomon. Nathan, who so arranged that simultaneously with Adonijah's coronation the court advisers, by order of David, to crown Solomon the king of Israel. Adonijah fled in terror to the altar, promising not to kill Solomon.
Persian Empire
Defeats Babylonian Empire. Institute a policy of repatriation for many people. Allows the outlying states to live by their own laws as long as they remain related to the empire by supporting various requests and paying their taxes. Established by Cyrus.
Sack of Jerusalem (587/586)
Destroys the city 587/586. To end the unrest. This crushing defeat closes an era of independent Israelite political entities.
Why does Babylon eventually sack Jerusalem?
Dissatisfied with this state of affairs, the people in Jerusalem revolt several times between 604 and 587. In response to each, the Babylonians impose another wave of exile; take more and more leaders of Jerusalem to Babylon to try to assure peace. To end the unrest, they finally sack the city in 587/586.
What are the ways in which he fails to keep the Mosaic Covenant?
Due to the marriages, he needs to provide for the religious practices of these wives. So he builds their temples to their gods and supports the worship of those gods with government funds.
How does the Babylonian Exile officially end?
Ezekiel tells the people in exile that if they become close to God, he will reward them so the book ends with a great declaration of hope.
How does chapter 32 conjoin Jeremiah's messages of doom and hope?
God entrusted him to deliver to the people that he must foretell the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem for their sins. But, at the same time he must assure them that, though the destruction was total, it should not be final, but that at length their posterity should recover the peaceable possession of their own land.
What are the events that signal a transition for the people of Israel from "wilderness wandering" to "entry into the Promised Land"?
God prepared Joshua and His people for the conquest by restoring their spiritual vitality and unity through exhortations to prepare to take the land, a victorious reconnaissance mission which revealed the peoples fear of Israel, a miraculous crossing of the Jordan river, and the cultic preparation of the people to follow the Prince of the Lord's army into victory over the peoples of the land.
Describe the conquest of Jericho. Note its many ritual aspects.
God tells Joshua that all the warriors must circle the city for six days, with seven priest bearing seven trumpets of rams horns before the ark. On the seventh day, they will mark around the city seven times, the priest blowing the trumpets. When they make a long blast with trumpets, as soon as they hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people will shout with a 'great shout and the wall surrounding Jericho will fall.
How do prophecy and fulfillment play a significant role in these stories?
God would "establish the throne of his kingdom forever". This promise is repeated various times. God promises that if any descendants of David disobey Him, they will be punished, but "once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before me".
What is "the glory of the Lord"?
God's presence and beautiful spirit
What can you infer about life in Jerusalem in the late 6th century BCE from a careful reading of this prophetic book?
Haggai's questions affirms that seeds will beplanted and that vines and trees will yield fruit....the implication being that the 'shalom' foreseen in 2.9 ill include both the people and land.
What is David's final speech to Solomon about? What are its results?
Having described the breadth of people David assembled for Solomon's coronation, David turned to the activities of the assembly itself. This gathering of Israel's leaders finalized the transfer of temple responsibilities and royal power from David to Solomon.
When and where does Ezekiel prophesy?
He begins having visions in Babylon around 593, not long after arriving there,, and remains active as a prophet for at least twenty years.
How is David's response to Absalom's death characteristic of his behavior at the beginning of 2 Samuel?
He believed that since the Lord did not give him what he asked for, there is no use in praising him anymore unless the times are good.
How does David demonstrate his trust in the Lord in ch. 17?
He believes that since the Lord saved him from the paw of the lion and bear, that he can defeat the Philistine all the same.
What are his most notable reforming acts? List 4.
He burned vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the hosts of heaven outside the city of Jeruselum and then carried the ashes to Bethel. He deposed the idolatrous preist, burned an image of Asherah and destroyed house of the male temple prostitutes that were in the house of the Lord.
What prompts his religious reforms?
He destroys all the idols in the land after the book of the law is found in the house of God. It is interpreted by Huldah who says that God will place his wrath on the people of the land and wipe them out.
What are the main achievements of Solomon?
He eventually wins succession of David as king. He builds a temple to God that his father, David, had been forbidden to construct. He marries hundreds of women from surrounding kingdoms and powerful clans to solidify his place in the region and gain powerful allies.
Why is his interpretation of the fall of Jerusalem so significant for Judaism and Christianity?
He interprets the fall of Judah and finds God present among the exiles in ways that enable the people to maintain, and even strengthen, their faith in God.
How does his covenant renewal celebration resemble earlier ones?
He is described in a way like Moses and does so by bringing all the people together and asking them to follow the Lord and only the Lord, just like Moses did when he led the people out of Egypt.
What are the complications that stand between David's anointing by Samuel and David being acknowledged as king of all Israel?
He is the youngest and seems to be least likely among his father's eight sons to be a candidate for the next ruler of the nation- he is just a shepherd boy. But in earlier stories, God chooses against cultural expectations.
Achan
He stole from Jericho during the attack on the city so him and his family were stoned
Jephthah & his daughter
He vowed to sacrifice his first child that walked out of the house if God granted him victory; turns out it was his daughter. womp womp
How does Josiah die?
He was murdered by Pharaoh Neco when he went up to meet him at the Euphrates.
What makes Jeremiah's prophetic message so unpopular?
It contains words of hope. Though he predicts the fall of Judah, God tells Jeremiah to by a plot of farmland (Chapter 32). This investment makes no sense if the nation is about to fall, because he would lose the land. But Jeremiah's purchase of field signifies that God's punishment of Judah will not permanently remove them from their land. After the fall of the nation, God will restore them.
What are the theological emphases of the book?
It emphasizes God's grace by having God spare even the most wicked when the repent. So Jonah is another example of how central grace and mercy are in the understanding of God that we find the Hebrew Bible and Judaism
What are the elements of the covenant David receives from the Lord? How is it different from earlier covenants we have studied?
It is unconditional because God does not place any conditions of obedience upon its fulfillment. The surety of the promises made rests solely on God's faithfulness and does not depend at all on David or Israel's obedience.
What is the Deuteronomistic editorial emphasis in Kings?
It reports that most Israelite kings act in ways that make them unacceptable to God.
What attitudes does the book of Jonah lampoon and challenge?
It ridicules the words and actions of the earlier prophets, along with providing a critique of prophecy that Jonah offers concerns unfulfilled prophecy, while casting doubt on the validity of earlier prophets.
How does the final verse of the book encapsulate the challenges that face a "loose confederation of clans"?
Its support of the interpretation of Israel's history is the most important point the book want to make. This emphasizes the importance of faithful ness for Gods people, on the one hand, and the way they can rely on God's graciousness when they fail on the other.
Adonijah
Solomon's brother who tried to take the throne; later executed because he wanted to marry Abishag
How does the Lord interact with the judges in these stories?
Some ecstatic experience probably served as evidence of this communication and authorization from God.
Eglon
Stabbed in his fat stomach by Ehud; the guards think the stench is from the toilet
How are women portrayed in these stories? How does their status slip and their treatment degrade over the course of the book?
Stories of the women judges' show that they gave God the credit for their victories and that they held important positions in Israelite culture. Women are among the people to whom God speaks and through whom God acts. Women in the beginning of the book inspired men to great deeds, then they played the role of national deliverers—first from external oppressors and then from internal oppressors. Now they are being raped, kidnapped and slaughtered by their own countrymen. Compare the end of the story with the story of Sisera. In the beginning the threat to the women was from outside the land. It was Sisera's men who would have raped the women if they had won the battle, but now we see that the decline in male leadership is so bad that Israelite men are oppressing their own women.
What does the oracle in ch. 45 suggest about the broader implications of a monotheism for non-Israelites?
The LORD announces the plan to use Cyrus as the redeemer of Zion. The king grasps the hand of Marduk, the king of Babylon, and is granted the tablets of destiny as part of his authorization to rule. Cyrus was authorized to serve as king of Babylon when he participated in the Akitu festival in 539 BCE. The LORD here takes on the role of Marduk, is declared to be the only God and authorizes Cyrus to rule. The heavens celebrate Cyrus' role with showers and hymns of praise.
Why are his reforms not sufficient to avert national disaster, according to the DtrH (23:26-27)?
The Lord did not turn away from his fierceness of his great wrath on the city because all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him.
How does Sumney describe the postexilic experience of the people who return from Babylon to Judah during the Persian period?
The Persians institute a policy of repatriation for many peoples, including those of Judah. The new empire allows outlying states to live by their own laws, so long as they maintain their relatedness to the empire by supporting various requests and paying their taxes. This is a period of time where the returnees struggle to establish themselves politically and economically, as a society based on the books of the Law (i.e., The Torah)
Like the miracle at the Sea, the stories of Deborah & Barak & Sisera & Jael are first narrated in prose (ch. 4) and then celebrated and retold in poetic/song form. What aspects of this heroic tale get changed and amplified in the Song of Deborah & Barak?
The Song of Deborah & Barak is one of great celebration in which Deborah and Barak are held in high esteem--there is no festering wound about Barak's reluctance to enter into battle.
What closure does it provide? And, what does it anticipate?
The book concludes with a great meeting a Shechem, which functions as a summary conclusion to everything that took place and a call to follow God faithfully, just as God faithfully fulfilled a promise to hand over the Canaanite lands to the people.
How is the book very unlike the other prophetic texts that we have read so far? Be specific.
The book is a critique of the Israelite prophecy when it questions whether God's attention is focused narrowly on Israelites, along with emphasizing God's goodness and willingness to forgive. A second critique of prophecy that Jonah offers concerns unfulfilled prophecy, while casting doubt on the validity of earlier prophets. It entertains while making important contributions to the outlook of what is developing into the Judaism of later periods.
What is the central demand of Haggai's oracle to the exilic community of Judah & Jerusalem?
The central admonition to the exilic community is to build the temple
Why does Sumney identify the author of Isaiah 40-55 as "Second Isaiah," as distinct from the 8th century prophet Isaiah?
The context of his message is clearly Babylon rather than Jerusalem at the time when the Assyrian Empire is a threatening presence. THIS Isaiah mentions Babylonian deities rather than Assyrian or Canaanite gods and he seems familiar with some of the myths associated with those Babylonian divinities.
Assyrian Empire
The empire that arose in the eighth century. It's capital was Nineveh near today's Northern iraq. Israel falls to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E. Attribute this defeat to the unfaithfulness to the covenant.
What is the theological interpretation of exile by the Deuteronomistic History (DtrH)?
The exile posed an enormous challenge to their belief in God, but they remained confident in God and in God's faithfulness. Their faith let them to interpret their national disaster in light of their faith rather than allowing it to destroy their faith. If God is faithful, and yet the people have no enjoyed the fulfillment of God's promises for a kingdom and a land, then the explanation for their fate must rest in their own unfaithfulness to God and the covenant they had entered with God. Deuteronomistic writings are thoroughly theological and completely an act of faith. It is an act of faith because it assumes that God will remain committed to God's people and will respond to their repentance by remaining in covenant with them.
Saul
The first King of Israel; anointed by Samuel
Zerubbabel
The grandson of Jehoiachin thus a descendant of David who takes charge of Jerusalem after the exile. Governor of Judah. Judahs last reigning King. WIll achieve royal status.
What illustrations do you see in Joshua 5-7 of the "holy war" dimensions of this conflict?
The idea of war as an instrument in the service of a holy cause (including land) and of the Lord as the sacred warrior is not unique to the Old Testament.
How might these stories present a critique of later Israelite leaders?
The judges express great courage and bravery through their faith in the Lord. When they win a battle, they do it for the Lord. It sets a standard for later leaders of the Israelites.
List the animals in the book and notice their roles.
The large fish that swallows Jonah is a way to show Jonah that he cannot run from God, or the people, even animals of God. God's speaks directly to the fish showing his equality for love towards animals and humans. God also uses the worm to eat the Jonah's bush to show him that He is in control.
Samuel
The last judge; Prophet, Priest, Nazirite, King-Maker (selects kings by anointing them with oil)
What other evidence does the book of Kings present of Solomon's wisdom? (see esp. ch. 10)
The main wisdom of King Solomon was the wisdom of nature. However, he did not achieve the level of Torah wisdom which Moses achieved. God tells Moses that He will reveal the secret of unification exclusively to Moses. This secret was not revealed to King Solomon.
What factors within the book of Jonah cause Sumney to suggest that its genre is that of folktale?
The many things that happen in the book show that i uses ironic contrast and exaggeration to make its message entertaining.
How do the non-Israelites respond to his message (both on the boat and in Nineveh)?
The men on the boat can't believe that Jonah is ignorant enough to think he could run from the Lord. They ask the Lord to spare them and not have them pay for Jonah's stupidity, then throwing him overboard and offering God sacrifice and vows. The people in Nineveh make a vow not eat or drink and covered themselves in sackcloth, while crying out to the Lord (repentance).
What is the fate of the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel?
The ten tribes who were part of that kingdom are assimilated into other populations and never return as an identifiable people. They are now sometimes called the ten lost tribes.
Deportation of 597
The wealthy are forced to leave Jerusalem by the Babylonians
What horrifying elements of the experience of siege and military devastation does the poet highlight in chs. 1-2 & 4?
The writer often speaks often of the famine and lack of food within the city during and after the siege of the city, 'All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their valuables for food to restore life' The utter desolation and result of the destruction is also vividly pictured, 'Young and old lie On the ground in the streets; My virgins and my young men Have fallen by the sword' and 'Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of the heavens. They pursued us on the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness' .This would fit well in the life of the prophet Jeremiah, who was in Jerusalem during the siege and the destruction of Jerusalem.
What does David moving the ark to Jerusalem in grand, ceremonial style suggest about his understanding of its significance?
There was great celebration when the ark finally reached Jerusalem David gave all the people gifts of bread, meat and raisin cakes. Then priests were appointed so that sacrifices could be offered each morning and evening for the people, just as God had commanded in the law of Moses.
Bones of Joseph (24:32)
They are buried in the Promised Land
Read his Temple Sermon, ch. 7, carefully. Of what are the people guilty?
They are guilty of stealing, murder, committing adultery, swearing falsely, making offerings to Baal and other gods. The people didn't listen to the Lord's commandants but He asks them to repent and they will not feel his wrath.
According to Sumney, the books of Kings tell what story?
They tell the story of Israel's rulers from the death of David through the fall of the nation on Judah.
What are the three explanations (2:20-3:6) for why "the nations" remained among the Israelites after the conquest and settlement?
They took their own daughters as wives, and their own daughters gave them sons; and they worshiped their gods
What is the surprising element of 2nd Isaiah referring to Cyrus of Persia as "the messiah" in 45:1?
This Isaiah is giving God the credit for the Persians' success against the Babylonians and even calls the Persian king Cyrus God's anointed one. Isaiah is confident that God has selected Cyrus to bring benefits to God's people in exile
Haggai
a prophet(or book) who is all about building the temple. Prophet who encourages those who have returned to Judah from exile to rebuild the temple. Thinks that completion of the temple will usher in a restoration of an independent kingdom in Judah.
messiah
the anointed one; God's chosen king
Using the reading notes and/or headings in your Bible, make an outline of the narrative events in the book of Jonah.
• Jonah: God's Mercy on the Ninevites o Context and genre are classified as folktale. • The Perspective o God's mercy and actions are not limited to the Israelites, as some believe • Jonah Preaches o God asks Jonah to tell Nineveh they will be destroyed because they are wicked. Jonah doesn't deliver the message, boards a ship heading the other way, swallowed by a large fish and left there for 3 days, and reluctantly delivers message to Nineveh but gets mad because God revokes the decree when the people repent.
What are the darkly comic elements of the story of Ehud and Eglon?
Ehud was left handed and dirt came out of Elgon when Ehud stabbed him in the stomach.
Deuteronomistic History
Includes Joshua, Judges, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings; Takes place from conquest of Canaan to exile
Song of Deborah & Barak
Names of the tribes, no Jabin, song more enthusiastic
What are the many names by which the prophet/poet identifies God's people?
Ephraim, Jacob, Israel, Jerusalem, cities of Judah
Baals & Asherahs
A Canaanite god and the "sacred pole";
Gibeah
A city inhabited by the tribe of Benjamin
Levite & concubine
A mob in Gibeah, where they are staying, wants to rape the Levite. Instead he sends out the concubine, they rape her and she dies without uttering a word
How is Josiah evaluated in the DtrH, and on what basis?
A very young ruler (age 8), very faithful to God and listened to his father David, but was always neutral.
Abner
Accused of sleeping with Saul's concubines so he allies with David; is killed by Joab in revenge for him killing Joab's little brother
Edict of Cyrus (538 BCE)
Allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple
Edict of Cyrus
Allows the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple Let conquered peoples return to their homelands, like Jews back to Jerusalem
Cyrus cylinder
Ancient printing device that has the story of how Cyrus conquered Babylon Written in Babylonian (around 539-530 B.C.E.), tells of how King Cyrus the Persian defeated the Babylonians.
What are the characteristics of the heroic individuals in these chapters of the book of Judges?
Barak, attacks the enemy, but it is this female assassin named Jael who turns out to be the real hero in this battle. Samson's revenge—destroying the temple of the Philistine god Dagon—killed many Philistines, but did nothing to liberate his people. Gideon brought glory to God by winning a miraculous victory over the Midianites with only a small force.
Uriah
Bathsheba's husband who David plots to have killed in battle with Joab's help
What does Jeremiah foresee for Judah and Jerusalem? Why will these disasters come to pass?
Because the people of the north are wicked in God's eyes, he asks Jeremiah to tell them of their destruction that will come very soon. God tells him not to be afraid and do not break down in front of them or He will break him down.
Jerusalem
Becomes capital of Israel
Samson
Born from a old couple who were promised a son via an annunciation; Nazarite; Received his strength from hair; causes mass destruction to Philistines
What references to the Mosaic Covenant do you note in ch. 7?
Both Israel and Judah broke the Mosaic Covenant, and as a result they suffered the provisions of the promised curses. Israel was scattered in 722 B.C. and Judah was defeated, the Temple and Jerusalem destroyed in 587 B.C. They would again be scattered in 70 AD by the armies of Rome, but this would take place after book of Hebrews was written.
Sisera
Canaanite general who is killed by a tent peg
Nineveh
Capital of the Assyrian Empire. City to which Jonah was sent to preach.
What is the military significance of the ark of the covenant?
Carrying this religious symbol into battle exemplifies the connection the Israelites make between success in war and their relationship with the Lord.
Jericho
City where Joshua's army marched around the wall and it fell
Lamentations
Consists of mourning poetry that grieves over the fall of Judah and Jerusalem. Gives a glimpse of the devastation those in Jerusalem felt when their nation fell. Tradition says Jeremiah wrote it.
Read the story of David & Bathsheba & Uriah, and then the story of Amnon & Tamar & Absalom using the strategy of narrative criticism. What do you notice?
David makes his worst mistake yet. He takes his neighbor's wife, and tries to cover it up. He kills the woman's husband when he can't conceal the error. But God knew the truth. Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her.
Bathsheba
David spots her BATHing on a roof and lies with her though she is married to Uriah; mother of Solomon
Amnon
David's oldest son who rapes his half sister Tamar
Joab
David's right hand man who frequently carries out assassinations for him (Uriah, Bethsheba's husband)
Compare this covenant renewal ceremony to the original one in Exodus 24.
God called His people to assemble before him periodically throughout the Exodus. Following the giving of the Decalogue at Sinai, Moses led the people in covenantal worship
How is the prophet Jonah introduced?
God comes to him, telling Jonah to go to Nineveh and 'cry out against it for their wickedness has come up before me.' Instead, Jonah runs from the Lord and finds a ship going the opposite way of Nineveh.
How is God represented in the narrative?
God is represented as the overseer of everything (the land and sea) and that he knows where everyone and everything is all the time, along with knowing what they are doing.
What is the historical context for the prophecy of Haggai?
Haggai starts his prophetic ministry about 15 years after the first group of exiles returns to Jerusalem. He proclaims his message during the two years that follow the death of the Persian king, Cyrus, a period in which there was a struggle for succession in Babylon.
How is David introduced? What elements of his family story seem familiar from Genesis?
He is the youngest of eight, born of Saul, who goes to bring his brothers food on the battle field. It is here where he defeats the giant Philistine Goliath. He is small and young but still defeats the big and experienced, like the story of Joseph, overcoming his hardship eventually becoming the second most powerful man in Egypt, aside from the pharaoh.
What elements of the story of Saul's visit to the medium lend it a kind of pathos?
He puts on other clothes, as not to be recognized by his people. He promises in the name of God the medium have no harm, even though he casted them out previously.
How is Joshua portrayed as a second Moses in the book of Joshua? Be specific.
He repeats many of his actions throughout the Book. Joshua is a leader without hesitation, and is portrayed as the ideal leader of Israel, a prototype for the future Kings of Israel, one who keeps the teaching of Moses in its entirety. Joshua formalizes the Deuteronomic Covenant on Mount Ebai following the conquest of Jericho, and renews the Covenant.
How does ch. 15 depict the Lord's rejection of Saul as king?
He says 'I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands.'
The throne-chariot of ch. 10 is the same that Ezekiel envisioned in his call theophany (ch.1). What does he envision happening in this passage (ch. 10)?
He sees creatures with all kinds of wheels and eyes moving with amazing speed across the landscape,( sees fire, stormy wind, crystal, sapphire,) which is supposed to represent the chariot-throne of God that is coming to reside with the people in exile. Sees the Glory of the lord.
How does the final chapter of the book refer to the narratives of Exodus-Deuteronomy?
Joshua charges the leaders of the Israelites to remain faithful to the Lord and the covenant, warning of judgment should Israel leave the Lord and follow other gods. Joshua meets with all the people and reminds them of God's great works for them, and of the need to love God alone. Joshua performs the concluding covenant ceremony, and sends the people to their inheritance.
How does he differ from Moses?
Joshua didn't murder an Egyptian or lose his temper and disobey God by striking a rock to get water from it when God told Moses to speak to the rock. Joshua was about 40 years younger than Moses and he made it into the Promised Land unlike Moses whom God told that he couldn't go because of that act of striking the rock which scholars say was a representation of Jesus. Moses was of the tribe of Levi while Joshua was of the tribe of Joseph/Ephraim.
Josiah (reign: 640-609)
King of Judah; reform minded but still violently dies before 40 yr reign
Abishag
Last concubine of David who kept his bed warm but remained a virgin
judges
Leaders who brought the tribes together to fight off enemies with the power of God
What metaphors for Judah & Jerusalem does the poet use in ch. 1?
Lonely city full of people, women with many lovers but no one to comfort her, princes are stags with no pasture...
How do his visions and messages challenge previous assumptions about God/gods?
Many people thought of gods as linked to regions and particular functions and despite the Judah's crushing defeat, a consequence of their unfaithfulness, God has not left them.
Anointing ritual
Oil on forehead
Delilah
Philistine who married Samson; deceives him by cutting off his hair
Jael
Pretends to protect but Sisera but she actually kills him during the night with a tent peg
Eli
Priest, judge, prophet @ Shiloh where the Ark of the Covenant is
Nathan
Prohphet; Delivers Davidic covenant; helps manipulate Solomon to the throne
Jeremiah (prophetic career: 627-587)
Prophet whose message concern doom; faithfulness in adversity Prophet of Judah who lives through the various exiles in Jerusalem. Persecuted and rejected but faithful prophet. Warns the people that worshiping other gods will bring disaster.
Rahab
Prostitute from Jericho who helped the Israeli spies and is spared from the destruction
Tamar
Raped by Amnon
Jonah
Rebellious prophet. Reluctant. "Successful." Complaining - God makes him look like a false prophet since he gives the Ninevites mercy.
Cyrus II of Persia
Ruler of the Persian empire, allows Judahites to return to Judah. Isaiah calls him God's messiah (or anointed one), confident that God has selected Cyrus to bring benefits to God's people in exile.
Michal
Saul's daughter who David takes as a wife; He never sleeps with her because she was judgmental when he danced naked in the street and to prevent a Saul heir
David
Second King of Israel; defeated Goliath
Covenant renewal ceremony
Second circumcision; must do before Passover
Absalom
Second oldest son and actual sister of Tamar; Kills Amnon; Killed by Joab during the revolt he leads
What could be the significance of Rahab being the first person in the book of Joshua to make a confession of faith in the God of Israel?
She is one of the most unlikely characters, like Moses and Jacob, which make a confession of faith in the God of Israel. She is prostitute and promises to keep the spies safe as long as they spare her family during the battle.
What information in ch. 11 suggests the less-than-wonderful aspects of Solomon's rule?
Solomon loved many foreign women, even though God says he can't because they worship different God's. Twice he rejects following the Lord's covenant.
Joshua
Successor of Moses who brings Jews to promised land
Why do the Babylonians take leading citizens of Judah into exile?
The Babylonians take into exile ('protective custody') an initial group of leading citizens, mostly relatives of the royal family, as insurance against the rebellion. These exiles serve basically as hostages.
How does the opening of the book of Judges provide an alternate version of Israel's early experiences within Canaan/Israel?
The Israelites are not afraid and go out and take the land that has been taken from them, killing everyone.
What blessings does Haggai foretell after the Temple foundations are laid in 520?
The LORD promises that this temple will be even more glorious than the earlier one and will engender well-being in Yehud, reversing the conditions described in the beginning of the book.
Sumney goes to great lengths to contextualize the most brutal (genocidal) aspects of the book of Joshua. Evaluate his argument. To what extent do you find it persuasive? What broader interpretive issues does it raise for you? We will discuss this topic in class. (See esp. Joshua 10:40-11:23)
The book of Joshua moves from these initial stories to a series of accounts of the ways Israel defeated various cities of Canaan and often engaged in wholesale kill of the inhabitants, and even of their livestock. Israel must separate from the people around them! We will discover at the beginning of the next book (Judges) that there was less killing of prior inhabitants than Joshua suggests. Still, this book envisions mass killing as the will of God at that moment in time. This killing is seen as good not because it keeps Israel ethically pure, but because the writers of these stories think that the only way the people will be faithful to God and avoid the harmful behavior associated with worshiping other god is if the temptation to worship other gods is removed.
What editorial perspective does Sumney see in the book of Jeremiah?
The book seems to put together by a group with same views as we see in the DtrH. It was mostly complete just a couple of decades into exile, but as we noted in connection with formation of the cannon, different versions of Jeremiah existed into the second century.
How is he commissioned by God?
The first time God called him, he fled. The second time, God asks the large fish to spit him out on the shore after Jonah prayed and asked for forgiveness for 3 days. It is then that God asks him again to go deliver the message to Nineveh, since he fled from the Lord and his wishes the first time.
Barak
The general Deborah puts in charge to defeat Sisera's army
How does Jeremiah deride their ritual observances and their false sense of security based on proximity to the Temple?
The people have set their abominations in the Lord's temple and defiled it. They also built other temples higher than the Lord's temple.
What is the Deuteronomistic cycle that repeats 12 times during the narratives of this book?
The people would do evil by worshiping other gods, God would, hand the people over to their enemies, the people would groan and cry out to the Lord, and God would raise up a judge to save them. God delivered them; but it always seemed that when the rescuer died, the people returned to their evil ways.' Apostasy, hardship, crying out to the Lord, and rescue.'
How does the prophet proclaim that the wrathful punishment of Judah is complete and the process of restoration has begun?
The reassurance formula 'do not fear' emphasizes that Israel's punishment is now over and redemption is at hand
What is the Deuteronomistic History, and why is it so named?
The telling of a story of the life of the nations of Israelites from the perspectives of the paradigm set out in Deuteronomy (that is, faithfulness brings blessing to the nation and unfaithfulness will bring defeat and disaster.) The books of Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings are written from this perspective and are called deuteronomistic histories.
How is it ironic and entertaining?
To avoid delivering the message of destruction to Nineveh, Jonah boards a ship heading other direction. When God brings a storm to stop Jonah's flight, it is so powerful that it nearly sinks the ship. The sailors determine that Jonah is the problem and eventually throw him over the boat where he is swallowed by a large fish but does not die. He prays in the belly of the fish for three days until God asks the fish to vomit him on the shore. From here, he reluctantly gives the message to Nineveh and sits back to watch God destroy it. The people of Nineveh repent so God revokes the decree of destruction and making Jonah angry, even though he didn't want to deliver the message in the first place.
What does the book suggest about "unfulfilled" prophecies?
What does the book suggest about "unfulfilled" prophecies? Jonah insists that there is no irrevocable link between sin and punishment. In God's mercy, God can exercise a will to save that means some prophecies of destruction will not be fulfilled.
Babylon
Where Gods people are
Huldah
Woman recognized as a prophet who confirmed that the book found in the temple by workers during Josiah's reform was God's word. She verifies "the book of the law"
How does the oracle of ch. 40 recast the identity of Yahweh?
Yahweh becomes more than just the father of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now YHWH is seen as the creator of the entire universe, Redeemer, Holy One. God is now the first and the last (origin of Alpha/Omega)
Deuteronomistic pattern (found first in 2:11-19)
apostasy->oppression->resoration REPEAT; repeats 12 times in Judges
Solomon
builds the temple; succeeds David with the help of Bathsehba and Nathan
King Jehoiakim
burnt one of Baruch's scrolls (the scrolls of Jeremiah since Baruch is his secretary)
How does the prophet challenge polytheism with monotheism? How does he mock the use of religious images/idols (ch. 44)?
ch 9-20 are a lengthy and satirical promose polemic against idolatry, describing how artisans meticulously fashion idols out of metal and wood and then declare the idol to be a god. Cedar used as fuel; 'ah, I am warm, I can feel the fire!'
Hebron
city of Judah
Babylonian Empire
conquers of Judah. Empire that rises to regional dominance in 7th/6th century B.C.E. They replace the Assyrian Empire as the dominant power of the region. Babylonians take into exile an initial group of leading citizens.
Queen of Sheba
from Arabia; visited Solomon and bestowed riches
Ehud
warrior from the tribe of Benjamin who killed fat King Eglon
Second Isaiah
wrote Isaiah 40-55; called 2nd for convenience
Baruch
wrote down Jeremiah's messages. Secretary of Jeremiah that transcribes his messages. Goes to the temple to read the compilation of the first 20 years of Jeremiah's preaching's.