Old Testament Midterm 2
How does the author of Chronicles portray David?
David is the brains behind both the temple building and Israel's ongoing worship life, and (we shall we) he is the nation's chief benefactor as well
The Book of Ruth repeatedly uses the word "hesed," or "loving-kindness" in the context of covenantal relationships. How is that theme expressed in the book of Ruth? Give Examples from the Book.
Fundamentally, "hesed" represents an action that delivers one from dire straits and a voluntary act of extraordinary mercy and generosity. There are many places in Ruth that display "hesed" being realized in the lives of those who need it. In the book of Ruth, Orpah and Ruth's husbands were killed. Their husband's mother, Naomi, gave them both a chance to return home, but Ruth chose to stay with Naomi. In this situation, Ruth shows hesed to Naomi, because she voluntarily chooses to not go back to her family in order to take care of her mother-in-law. Naomi and Ruth moved from Moab to Bethlehem and there Ruth found a job working in Boaz's (a relative of Naomi) field. He showed her hesed ("loving-kindness"), even though she was a Moabite, by making it easy for her to pick up the left over grain after the harvesters had went through and collected it. Typically, "hesed" would be shown as a loving commitment and faithfulness to family or clan. Since Boaz and Ruth were related through Naomi, Boaz took the role as Ruth's "guardian-redeemer," performing hesed by showing grace to a "weaker" person. In chapter 1 verse 8, there is a clear reference to Yahweh's hesed, as Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to go back home to their families. In Chapter 3 verse 10, after Ruth sleeps at Boaz's feet at the threshing floor, Boaz blesses Ruth for her kindness to him.
What is the cycle of Judges?
Oppression and Deliverance
Know the "non-heroes" of the book of Judges.
Micah the Ephraimite, a levite and his estranged concubine?
What are the parallels between Moses and Elijah
Moses: power symbol (Rod), eastbound crossing (Red Sea), dry land, death outside Canaan, unknown burial site Elijah: power symbol (Mantle), eastbound crossing (Jordan River), dry land, death outside Canaan, unknown burial site
Compare Saul and David as Israel's king ("Tale of Two Kings" handout)
Saul: - passive (as a leader of men) - clueless (about the things of God) - hard of hearing - rebellious (at authority) - reticent (about his call to be King) - erratic David: - a man after God's own heart
Be able to identify Israel's Two Great Histories
The Deuteronomistic History: - Beginning: Death of Moses - Conquest and Settlement, Judges - Saul as First King - David as installer of Ark in Jerusalem - Solomon as Temple Builder, Primacy of the Prophets - Ending: Release of Jehoiachin (560 BC) The Chronicler's History: - Beginning: Adam and Genealogies - Conquest and Settlement Omitted, Judges Omitted - Saul barley mentioned - David as Founder of Temple and Cult - Primacy of Priests and Levites - Ending: Decree of Cyrus (538 BC)
Understand the Deuteronomistic Indictment of Solomon
The king is not to: - Acquire great numbers of horses - Get more horses from Egypt - Marry many wives - Accumulate lots of silver and gold - Turn from the law in any way *Solomon does all of these things*
Be familiar with the rulers of the United and Divided Monarchies
United = David, Solomon Divided = Rehoboam (Judah), Jeroboam (Israel)
What is a "historical book"? (112)
a narrative book that intends to recount accurately the people and events from a specific time and place in the past
Understand what a Nazarite is.
an Israelite who is "consecrated" or "separated" to the service of God under vows to abstain from alcohol, let the hair grow, and avoid defilement by contact with corpses
What was the sin of Jeroboam?
he created an alternate worship system to Jerusalem's; it is unauthorized by the Torah, is centered around golden calves at Dan and Bethel, and is presided over by non-Levitical priests
According to Hubbard and Dearman, is the book of Esther historical?
it is historical in the fact that it passes on Jewish testimony of a remarkable moment of salvation back in history, albeit in a unique, novelistic form
What do Hubbard and Dearman say about the sun in Joshua 10:12-24? (128)
its cosmic terms rhetorically magnify the majestic power of God that won this great victory; the sun and the moon function as personifications of God's sovereignty over the cosmos
What kind of "royal grade book" do the Deuteronomist and Chronicler provide/assign to Judah's Kings?
page 222 Table 17.4; the Chronicler also portrays in a little better light some kings that DH deems "evil" (e.g. Jehoshaphat), downgrades Asa a notch, and heaps more criticism on Ahaz (he gives him an F-) than even DH does. He presents the David dynasty in as positive light as possible because apparently, in which the temple worship system and Yehud's future rest
Know the Hasmonean dynasty (Maccabees)
pg. 209 Table 16.4 - 3 brother, Judas Jonathan and Simon - Judas led struggles against Seleucid control - Jonathan was a priest - Simon served as high priest and prince of Israel
Be familiar with key dates of the Post-exilic Historical Books
pg. 210 - 538 = Cyrus issues his decree permitting exiled Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild their temple
What does it mean to be the "LORD's Anointed"?
special election by Yahweh
Why do we have the "second history" of the books of Chronicles? (214)
the Jews living in 4th century BCE Yehud no longer resonated with the old history; their life is radically different from that of the exilic audience two centuries earlier, whose past mistakes the DH detailed to prepare them to return to Judah
Know the story of Ruth
(1) the story of King David's ancestors (2) the King's genealogy
Understand the context of the time of the Judges (139)
- (1) the stories of the Heroes, (2) an epilogue of stories featuring non-Heroes - Judges picks up the storyline where Joshua leaves off— recounting the Israelites settled life Post-Joshua, especially the fate of the covenant made in Josh. 24. - Judges shows a candid, on the ground glimpse of daily life in latter period - Loose and locally based organization holds tribes together - Dark and dangerous time - Lack of central leadership leaves nation especially vulnerable to foreign invasions
Explain the function of the "herem" or "holy war"
- *to consecrate something or someone as a permanent and definite offering for the sanctuary; in war, to consecrate a city and its inhabitants to destruction* - Israel is commanded to "enter and possess" the land -- and to "destroy them totally" (not so much the devoting of them to Yahweh, as the utter renunciation of them for Yahweh's sake) - Political = make no treaty with them, Social = do not intermarry with them, Religious = break down their alters - Traditionally, biblical theologians have seen in the herem the eschatological judgement of God on the wicked; Nathan MacDonald sees it as a metaphor that was not intended to be taken literally, but as a description of how one is to love Yahweh with total commitment
Important dates on page 120.
- 722 = Ephraim falls to Assyria - 622 = Josiah's reformation - 587 = Judah falls to Babylon - 561 = the new Babylonian King, Amel-Marduk, releases Judah's King Jehoiachin from prison - ca. 550 = DH 2.0 appears in Babylon, its retrospective review of the monarchic period giving Judah clues about why its in exile and hope for a return home - 539 = Babylon falls to Persia - 538 = the decree of the Persian King Cyrus authorizes and funds the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem; many Israelites now return to resettle and rebuild Judah - 520-518 = Through the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, God Promises renewed greatness for Judah, inspiring the returnees to rebuild the temple - 515 = the finished temple in Jerusalem (the "Second Temple") is dedicated with appropriate ceremonies - 486-465 = King Xerxes (or Ahasuerus) rules the Persian Empire; taking big risks, Mordecai and Esther spare Jews empire-wide from annihilation by their enemies - 458 = The priest Ezra comes from Babylon to teach Torah-obedience as the sole basis for the success of Judah's new life - 445 = Nehemiah comes from Babylon to Jerusalem and spearheads the rebuilding of Jerusalem's ruined walls - ca. 400-350 = Writers in Jerusalem publish a new Israelite history, 1-2 Chronicles, to address the struggling community in post-exilic Yehud (i.e., the Babylonian and Persian provincial name for Judah) - 332 = Alexander the Great defeats the Persians and takes over their empire, including Yehud. Jews everywhere must now reckon with yet another foreign imperial overlord
Address the ambivilence of the OT toward the Kingship
- A mixed blessing - It can be really good (David = man after God's own heart) or really bad (Saul) - Unfavorable stories of David and Solomon, such as that of David's affair with Bathsheba, convey ambivalent feelings about kingship - Points to the fact that we need a better king, JESUS
History of Redemption from David to Christ
- Decline = Solomon reigns from 970-939 BC; Schism- Rehoboam forsakes the Lord - Division = Northern Kingdom- Israel (Follows other gods no matter how many times they were called to repentance); Southern Kingdom- Judah (2 good kings- Hezekiah and Josiah; All other kings did not walk in the way of David) - Disaster = In the North (722 BC Israel falls to Assyria); In the South (587 Judah falls to Babylon) - Deliverance= 400 'silent years' no prophets 432-5 BC - In the fullness of time- A Redeemer
What does the OT teach about economics and the poor?
- The law made the care of the poor the litmus test of covenant obedience - Israel had a healthy economic system, with terms that were unheard of in the ancient world (especially in response to the poor)
What does Deuteronomy teach about warfare?
- Encourage people before a battle - 1st offer peace, 2nd if it doesn't lay siege you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword. But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself, 3rd But of the cities of these peoples which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite - When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man's food. Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.
Be able to explain the rise of David (166)
- Executes man who boasted of killing Saul - David settles in Hebron and is anointed king of Judah - Battle of Gibeon, war between those loyal to Saul and those loyal to David - Judah and Israel unite under David and Solomon
How do recent interpreters treat the book of Esther?
- Feminists interpret the book as both sexist and racist: its plot features the violent oppression of women and Jews. - Some writers suggest that modern women honor and emulate her piety, beauty, and political intelligence; some esteem Esther as a hero like Deborah, whose seizure of leadership produces positive results - For others, Esther embodies a "good citizenship" model for women living under oppression--that they seek to get along with rather than to oppose present male power structures - the experience of the Holocaust has now made the book of Esther the most difficult biblical book for jews
What is the meaning of the word "Hesed" and how is it expressed in the book of Ruth?
- Hesed is a Hebrew word which embodies the notions of covenantal loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, love and compassion - fundamentally, it represents an action and is a voluntary act of extraordinary mercy and generosity - in divine human terms, it is most clearly expressed in God's love to lost sinners - Ruth 1:8 = a clear reference to Yahweh's hesed (though there is a reference to Orpah's hesed as well) - Ruth 3:10 = with reference to Ruth
According to Hubbard and Dearman, how does the Deuteronomist "grade" the Kings?
- Hezekiah and Josiah of Judah - A - Asa and Jehosaphat of Judah- B - Jehu of Israel - C+ - Joash and Amaziah of Judah - C - Everyone Else - F A "Good, though not perfect" B "Good, but.../except for..." [something serious] C+ "Bad but.../except for..." [something positive] C- "Good, but did evil at the end" F "Did nothing good"
What are the "wrinkles" with the historical books? (110-111)
- Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings tell a continuous story with a clear ending, but the four Historical Books that follow do not - the location of Chronicles - the location of the book of Ruth
Understand the extent of David's Empire (170)
- Mediterranean Coast - Transjordan (Dead Sea) - Eastern Lebanon, Syria - Southern Transjordan - Central Transjordan - Southern Negev (nomadic)
Understand the context of the period ca. 1500-1100 BCE (123)
- Momentous transitions for Canaan, the entire region would be in the process of redefining itself. A time of great transition but great possibilities - (1) the conquest of Canaan, (2) Joshua's distribution of tribal inheritances, (3) the early years of the settlement
Who was Ezra?
- Priest, scribe, governor for Persians in Jerusalem around 450 BC - Worked hard at keeping the Jewish people faithful to the law of Moses - Encouraged, pressured the Jewish men to divorce their pagan wives and only marry Jewish women - Some people see Ezra as someone who gave excessive attention to the letter of the law
Be able to explain what is happening when Elijah confronts Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 1
- Prophesied that Israel will suffer a severe drought until he says otherwise - Elijah flees from Ahab's anger - Jezebel threatens Elijah's life as revenge for clergy slaughter - Witnesses a scene of violent natural phenomena without Yahweh's doing - Condemns Ahab to a shameful death - Condemns Ahab's son and successor
Understand and be able to contrast the characters Rahab and Achan (131)
- Rahab = acknowledged and affirmed Yahweh's sovereignty - Achan = an Israelite who ignored Yahweh's expressed command
What is the book of Ezra about?
- Reports on the implementation of Cyrus's decree - Jews returning to Jerusalem after being released from exile
What are the different theological perspectives of the authors of Samuel/Kings and Chronicles?
- Samuel and Kings = describe how Israel and Judah end up in exile - Chronicles = Writes to restore hope to post exilic community
Who were Nehemiah's enemies, and what were their motives?
- Sanballat, Tobiah the Ammonite, Geshem the Arab - they may have resented Nehemiah's governorship over the province of Yehud as a royal intrusion into their exclusive, profitable domains - they may have also regarded the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls as a precursor to the reestablishment of the Davidic Monarchy, which in their view was a harbinger of a treasonous revolt against the king and a personal threat to their own wealthy, regional hegemonies - they probably feared the imperial fallout that might engulf them if their worst fears materialized
How does the author of Chronicles portray Solomon?
- The chronicler presents an idealized Solomon as a step forward from David, the high watermark of royal obedience to Yahweh and benefactor of a lasting legacy since Solomon builds the temple - The wealth theme echoes through the closing, detailed litany of Solomon's luxurious, expensive royal trappings, but strikingly, the Chronicler's very positive royal portrait omits DH's strong critique of Solomon for turning idolater because of his foreign wives
Know what the Tel Dan Stele is
- contains part of a victory inscription in Aramaic left by an unnamed king, most probably the important regional figure Hazael of Aram-Damascus - Hazael boasts of victories over the king of Israel and his ally the ruler of "the House of David" - this marks the earliest extrabiblical reference to the name David as the founder of a Judahite dynasty and the fourth inscription to mention the name Israel
How should we understand the violence of the book of Esther?
- it is recommended that readers take seriously how often in history Jews have faced just such death-threats from non-Jews; recognize also that the Jews only killed their enemies and took no plunder - the book actually narrates an act of justice in defense of a beleaguered Jewish community, an act rooted in the universal human right of and responsibility for endangered people to protect themselves - *it is suggested that readers interpret Esther within the context of ancient Persian society and from a Jewish perspective*
Understand what a "guardian-redeemer" (go 'el, "kinsman-redeemer") is
- technical term in Israelite family law for someone in the small circle of close relatives whose closeness obligates them to assist family members in difficulty - Obligated to assist family members in difficulty - goal to redeem them - pay off the debt or buy back the house in order to repair the family wholeness that has been broken by the trouble
Be able to explain the "herem" or holy war
- to devote something utterly to God - devoting of people to destruction - something irrevocably given to the Lord - Deut. 7 = separate yourselves and destroy their places of worship
Understand the story of Naboth's garden
1 Kings 21:1-16 states that Naboth owned a plot of land close to the palace of King Ahab in the city of Jezreel, who wished to acquire it for a vegetable or herb garden. Naboth, however, had inherited his land from his father, and he refused to sell it to the king. Since it was an inheritance, the law forbade him from selling it outright. Two witnesses, referred to as "scoundrels" by Jezebel, were then called forth to (falsely) accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. After that, they would take him outside the city and stone him to death. After Naboth was executed, the Queen told Ahab to take possession of the vineyard.
Know the "fabulous five" post-exile books, and what they each address (202-3)
1. 1 Chronicles: How David, during his reign, authorizes the temple's construction and selects all the personnel needed to staff its various activities 2. 2 Chronicles: How David's descendants from Solomon to Zedekiah rule Judah 3. Ezra: How God brings his people back from exile and provides the priest Ezra to lead them to renew their commitment to worship Yahweh alone 4. Nehemiah: How God sends Nehemiah from Persia as governor of Judah to rebuild it as a nation 5. Esther: How two clever, courageous Jews rescue their people from annihilation by enemies and institute a new annual festival to remember and celebrate the event
What are the seven parts of the book of Nehemiah?
1. Nehemiah's autobiographical report on how he receives imperial authority and funding to rebuild Jerusalem 2. a report about the rebuilding of the city's walls against strong local opposition 3. Nehemiah's autobiographical report that he ends oppressive profiteering by wealthy Jews 4. Nehemiah's autobiographical report of how he completes Jerusalem's walls 5. a report about the covenant-renewal ceremony 6. lists of Jerusalem's residents and returned priests and Levites, and the report on the wall's dedication 7. Nehemiah's autobiographical report about how he removes foreigners from Judah and other reforms
What are the three parts of the book of Ezra?
1. the historical prologue 2. the report of Ezra's royal commission and arrival in Jerusalem 3. the report about the controversy over mixed marriages between Jews and foreigners
Know the three parts of the book 1-2 Kings
1. the story of the united kingdom under Solomon 2. the story of the divided kingdom 3. the story of the Kingdom of Judah
In the light of Deuteronomy 6, what does it mean for the people of God to have one LORD, one love, and one loyalty'? a. What does it mean that "the LORD your God is one"? b. What does it mean to "love the LORD your God with all your..." heart, soul, and strength c. What are the three dangers that they faced in remained faithful to the LORD that are listed in Deuteronomy 6?
2. For the people of God, having one LORD, one love, and one loyalty means to believe in the one Yahweh that is faithful to all of us and has a plan for each and every one of us. a. According to the Shema, it is both an affirmation about God, and a call for commitment to God. By stating that the LORD is one, there is an emphasis on Yahweh's singularity, his unity, purpose, and integrity. This verse does not (by itself) deny the existence of other deities, but rather affirms that God was in covenantal relationship with Israel and that Yahweh had done what no other 'god' had done or could do. He is a personal God and has written our names on his hands. There is no one like Him. b. We are called to love him with all our heart, soul, and strength. By heart (leb), the Deuteronomist means the seat of intellect, will and intention; it is the center of the human being as a moral agent and is where you make your commitment. By Soul (nephesh), he means the whole inner self with all of its emotions, desires, personal characteristics that make us unique. By strength (meod), the author means that we should love God with all of our "muchness" and devote our time, energy, and talents in order to serve Him. c. The three dangers and threats that they faced in Deuteronomy 6 are affluence, idolatry, and hardship. We are to see that riches are a gift from God and use them to His glory, have no other gods before him, and persevere in our faith through hardship.
Know the major "heroes" of the book of Judges.
Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson
What is the story of Esther? Why is it in the Bible?
Esther reports how a remarkable escape from annihilation (mid-5th century BCE) leads Jews to celebrate a new festival, Purim. Its story is set in Susa, one of several capitals among which Persian emperors rotated their residences. A major theme of the book is role reversal (peripety): from domination to downfall and from certain doom to victory. Even though the book never mentions God, in our view the coincidences and reversals that drive the plot imply the hidden hand of divine providence at work.
Name the six "early" (former) prophets. (115)
Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings
Name the "Magnificent Seven" -- the Pre-exilic Historical Books.
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings
What are the parallels between Joshua and Elisha
Joshua: preappointment by God, power symbol (Ark of the Covenant), westbound crossing (Jordan River), dry land, acts confirming succession Elisha: preappointment by God, power symbol (Elijah's Mantle), westbound crossing (Jordan River), dry land, acts confirming succession
Be familiar with the Persian Kings and Hellenistic rulers
Persian Kings: Cyrus, Cambyses, Bardiya, Darius I, Xerxes, Artaxerxes, Xerxes II, Sogdinanus, Darius II, Artaxerxes II, Artaxerxes III, Artaxerxes IV, Darius III, Artaxerxes V Hellenistic Rulers: Alexander I (Great), Seleucus I (SYRIA), Antiochus I Soter, Antiochus II Theo, Seleucus II Kallinikos, Seleucus III, Antiochus III Megas, Seleucus IV Philopator, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Antiochus V Eupator, Demetrius I Soter
Who is Cyrus and why does he matter?
Persian monarch; in Cyrus's first year (538 BCE), the king issues a written proclamation throughout his Empire, an event that the Chronicler interprets theologically: by his own admission, Cyrus acts because of Yahweh's nudging; Israel's God ("The LORD") has also tasked Cyrus with building him a temple in Jerusalem; he permits "Yahweh's people" to go home whihc makes possible Jewish life in postexilic, Persian Yehud, where the Chronicler and his audience live
