THY 501 – Module 4 AVP

Slide 1

Slide title: THY 501 Module 4

Narrator:

Welcome to THY 501 Hebrew Scripture, History, and Theology

Slide 2

Slide title: Deuteronomic History and Kingdom

Slide content:

  • A new understanding of God’s law
  • The law of love
  • Israel’s history: repent and be saved

Narrator:

Deuteronomy, second law, redefines from a post-kingdom, exilic perspective, the laws of the first four books of Torah, and the theology of Israel’s history, from the conquest of the land in Joshua and Judges, to its flourishing as a kingdom in Samuel and Kings.Deuteronomy interprets the Law of Sinai as a Law of Love written on the hearts of the people (following Jeremiah 31, and written in Deuteronomy 6:5). Ascribed to Moses, its style is distinctly sermonic, showing Priestly authorship informed by the northern prophets warning that the people can lose land and temple, but that a repentant Israel will be forgiven and enabled to return. God is the Savior and Redeemer of the people who do not merit God’s love, but can rely upon it.

Slide 3

Slide title: Laws of the Unconditional Covenant

Slide content:

  • Study the past to understand the present
  • Wandering in desert as paradigm
  • Entry into/return to the promised land

Narrator:

Deuteronomy reflects the period of the last kings of Judah in the seventh century, and is most likely the book of the law discovered by King Josiah in the temple. God tested Israel in its wanderings in the desert and did not destroy the people when it fell into idolatry with the golden calf. The people will continue to fail,but willbe forgiven when they repent and return to their divinely-promised course. The covenant has conditions and laws, which must be observed, but remains as promised to Abraham, unconditional.Moses, because of his failure of faith, may not enter the promised land, but the people will.

Slide 4

Slide title: Deuteronomy 12-26 parallels Exodus 20-23

Slide content:

  • Exodus rural tribal society
  • Deuteronomy urban society
  • Greater role for women

Narrator:

Deuteronomy presupposes the existence of kings and a central sanctuary (for example in Deuteronomy 12:5) rather than various local shrines.Exodus 23 commands farmers to leave the land unplanted every seventh sabbatical year during which the poor can harvest what they can. Deuteronomy 15 reflects anurban economy,adding regulations on forgiving debts and foreign borrowing and lending.Deuteronomy’s Decalogue separates the coveting of wives in a separate commandment, not including them, as does Exodus, among possessions.It also specifies the presence of women in assemblies of the people (qol Yisroel) rather than gatherings just of men as in Exodus.

Slide 5

Slide title: Deuteronomy 30

Slide content:

  • Obedience
  • Disobedience

Narrator:

Deuteronomy 30 states, “See, I place before you life and good, death and evil, if you keep the commands by loving the Lord your God and walking in God’s ways. Then the Lord shall bless you in the land you are about to occupy.If your heart turns away and you follow other gods, then I declare this day that you shall perish.You will not live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

Slide 6

Slide title: Book of Joshua

Slide content:

  • Jericho
  • Shofar
  • Herem

Narrator:

The Book of Joshua presents an idealized, swift, and decisive conquest of the land.Jericho falls to the power of God’s ark, circling the city seven times with the blowing of trumpets. To this day Jews blow the shofar (ram’s horn) on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.Chapter 12 lists conquests by including those of David’s time, about 1000 BCE (before the Common Era).God as the warrior-king of Israel demands the herem (“ban”) on defeated people, killing everyone including women and children.This assures that Israel fights for God alone, not for plunder, slaves, or rape, but was not the accepted practice in later biblical times.

Slide 7

Slide title: Book of Judges

Slide content:

  • Gradual settlement
  • Charismatic leaders
  • Theological pattern for each
  • Song of Deborah
  • Need for a king

Narrator:

Judges depicts a gradual occupation of the land, more realistically, with successes and failures over a long period (approximately 1250-1050 BCE (before the Common Era)).There are twelve judges, charismatic leaders called by God when the people repent.Various oral, tribal legends are brought together, following a theological pattern of sin/idolatry by the people, divine punishment, repentance, and deliverance.The Song of the prophet Deborah in Judges 5, and the rape of the Levite’s concubine by the Benjaminites (which all Israel comes together to punish) show dissension and even conflict between the tribes.Judges is ambivalent about strong leaders.Without them, the people are splintered, and everyone did what he thought best (Judges 17:6; 21:5). However they can, like Abimelech which means, “My Father is King” oppress the people.Like Sisera, Abimelech is killed, ignominiously, by a woman.

Slide 8

Slide title: 1-2 Samuel

Slide content:

  • Attraction of Canaaniteculture
  • Samuel’s warning

Narrator:

Canaanite culture and religion with its fertility rites, magic, and revelry at worship reflecting the sexual exploits of the gods and goddesses, was attractive to the tribe of Israel, whose prophets taught the social good of families, and concern for poor and the helpless. As the tribes coalesced and gained more territory in the promised land, they began to believe they should take the next step and become a kingdom rather than a collection of tribes.They wanted to be able to choose a king to lead them to greater glory.The last judge and first prophet, Samuel, initially refused. Then relented, anointing Saul as king, but warning that kings could lead them to defeat, because of their sins just as easily as to victory.1-2 Samueltraces the last days of Judges and the first of the monarchy under Saul and David when the people seek to have “a king like any other nation.”The irony is that Israel is not called by God to be “like any other nation,” and that the failed kingship of Saul and moral failures of David reflect the ongoing ambivalence of the prophets with the kingship. God alone is the true king of Israel.

Slide 9

Slide title: David and the Promise of a Messiah

Slide content:

  • David unites the tribes
  • Jerusalem as their capital
  • David’s sins and faithfulness
  • Origins of Messianism
  • Prepare the way for the Messiah

Narrator:

David captures Jerusalem, but because of his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11), Nathan prophesies he will not build the temple and will see dissension among his children (2 Samuel 12).Most dramatically in the death of his son Absolom (2 Samuel 19) and the revolt against him by his son Adonijah.Though imperfect, David is always loyal to God, who unconditionally promises him a dynasty that will not end (1 Samuel 7-16).David’s dynasty does last 400 years until destroyed by Babylon in 586 BCE (before the Common Era), but in the promise is the origin of the messianic promise, which can be seen in Psalms, such as 20, 21, 78, 89, 110, and 132. Catholics believe the beginning of the messianic age came with Christ, but no less than the Jews await its “perfect fulfillment” at the end of time. We are called by God to work with Jews to prepare the way for God’s kingdom.

Slide 10

Slide title: Major Themes of Deuteronomic Theology

Slide content:

  • Importance of the covenant
  • Torah as a way of life
  • God is consistent
  • God’s love is unconditional

Narrator:

The Reading Guide in the Catholic Study Bible summarizes the major themes of the Deuteronomic history as: The importance of the covenant is set in the form of an ancient vassal treaty in the book of Deuteronomy; it is envisioned as the love of a father or mother for their child, and the love between husband and wife.Breaking the fidelity of the covenant is adultery and, conversely, adultery is one of the ten covenant-breaking commandments, which the community as a whole must heal.Torah as a way of life requires total commitment.Fidelity to the covenant requires not just proper worship of the One God, but love of neighbor, and even the alien in one’s midst, care for the widows, orphans and the poor, fairness in the courts for all, not just the wealthy and powerful.Human justice must reflect divine justice.Even kings are punished for their sins, an emphasis on moral accountability virtually unique in the ancient Near East.God deals with Israel with consistency, unlike the vagaries and uncertainties of the gods and goddesses pursuing their own whims at human expense.There is a pattern to how God works in history.There is thus a clear choice set before Israel:Obey God and have prosperity in the land.On the other hand, follow the ways of the pagans and be punished, even to the loss of the promised land.

God’s love is unconditional, but there are conditions in the covenant.Sin, idolatry, failure to observe care for those in need, to work to create the just society, can result in the loss of the land, though hope in God’s mercy is justified and return from exile possible if the people repent.

Slide 11

Slide title:End of Presentation