Old Testament Theology

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Old Testament Theology</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="21"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id154.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Flood Narrative"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Article</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U>Biblical and Theological Studies</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U><B>Sermon Notes</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>An Outline of Old Testament Biblical Theology </B></div> <div> Stanley Baker </div> <div> <B>I. Introduction</B></div> <div> A. Approach </div> <div> This approach to Old Testament biblical theology will follow a roughly chronological framework, focusing on the various eras in which God's work played out in human history, especially related to his dealings with and through Israel. The canon of the Old Testament will be a secondary framework for this brief work, understanding that often the text follows a broad chronological structure. In addition, it is often difficult or impossible to determine exact chronology, at which point, the arrangement of the canon can be a guide. The purpose of this outline of Old Testament biblical theology is to briefly highlight and trace some of the major theological themes in the Old Testament, noting specifically what God was doing among people, particularly his own people Israel. </div> <div> B. Revelation: the canon of the Old Testament consists of God's special revelation of himself and his words to humans, written in human language. Often, the text records revelations of God to humans in personal encounters (the call of Abraham) and events (the Exodus). </div> <div> C. The Center of Old Testament Biblical Theology </div> <div> A center of Old Testament biblical theology as an organizing principle for the spectrum of themes is a probability. It seems that God revealed himself to humans with a particular plan for humankind. Such a plan should be evident in the revelation of God to humans. Thus, a theological center of the Old Testament would exist if the revealed plan itself has an organizing principle. There has been much disagreement over what the center is (for those who affirm the possibility of a center). It seems most likely that the center is the development and outworking of God's rule on earth. In brief, God made man to have dominion over the earth as a vice-regent. Man failed, yet God elected Israel to be his kingdom of priests on earth. Through Israel's Messiah, God brought about spiritual reconciliation between himself and humankind. God will eventually bring about worldwide reconciliation of all things through this Messiah, who will rule the earth and the universe forever. However, this paper will not specifically trace this theme. Instead, various themes will be examined, though this particular one will be prominent. As a first attempt at Old Testament biblical theology, I am seeking to outline what the text reveals about God and his dealings with humankind. This work will be the basis for future study, and as such needs to be undertaken with an allowance of the various themes to emerge on their own. Future study will have to reveal the tracing of the center through the whole after the various themes have been examined as a whole. In other words, I do not feel comfortable choosing one particular center in my first undertaking of Old Testament biblical theology, although my own presuppositions will be evident. </div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Beginnings of Israel and Her History</B></div> <div> A. Creation</div> <div> 1. Creation as a Universal Statement: Genesis assumes the existence and supreme power of God (Gen 1.1). It does not seek to prove it, only to reveal it for what it is. Creation as backdrop to the formation of a people </div> <div> 2. The creation story as a record was written after God had elected and delivered his covenant people Israel. Gen 1-11, human history before Abraham, is an introduction to God's actual choosing of Abraham to bless him and all the peoples of the earth through him. Genesis as a whole traces for an established people of God, Israel, the record of God's dealings with an increasingly more limited scope of humans, eventually focusing specifically on the family of Jacob (Israel). </div> <div> 3. Creation of Man and Woman</div> <div> a. The image of God in humanity: The image of God in man has something to do with man's responsibility to rule over the earth (Gen 1.26-27). The image seems to be that man is vice-ruler, functioning as an agent of God in exercising dominion over the earth, the creation of God. </div> <div> b. Responsibility: Not only was man responsible to rule, he was also responsible to work, to maintain the Garden of Eden. This responsibility to work was given before the Fall. </div> <div> c. Sin and the Fall: Adam chose to rebel against God in the Garden and thus introduced sin in the human race, directly to his children (Gen 3.6, 4.8). The introduction of sin led to the introduction of separation from God (Gen 3.8) and physical death (Gen 3.19). The introduction of sin disrupted the perfection of God's rule on earth. </div> <div> B. Noah, the new beginning: God chose to destroy all the earth and its people because of their wickedness, but he chose one person and his family through which he would begin again. God chose Noah as the one to whom he would show his grace (Gen 6.8), and through whom the filling and subduing of the earth would carry on. </div> <div> C. Covenant: Covenants are somewhat common in the Old Testament, given to Noah, Abraham, Israel through Moses, David, etc. Essentially, a covenant is a promise from one party to another. Sometimes the covenant is unconditional, depending only on the goodness of the maker of the covenant. Other times, the covenant is conditional, requiring some action on the part of the receiver of the covenant. </div> <div> D. The Covenant with Abraham </div> <div> Essentially, the nature of the covenant to Abraham was unconditional. It was the promise of God based on his own choosing of Abraham as the recipient. Abraham was required to respond appropriately to the covenant in order for him to personally receive blessing under the covenant. He so responded by believing God (Gen 15.6), and his trust was credited to him as righteousness. The covenant was unconditionally in force for his descendants, but the personal appropriation of blessing for each descendant in part depended on his proper response of faith to the promise. The covenant with Abraham (Gen 12, 15, 17) included a promise to bless his descendants and cause them to be numerous. Also, through Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed. </div> <div> E. Patriarchal History: Part of the point of the patriarchal narratives in Genesis was to demonstrate for Israel where she came from and who her ancestors were, and how they trusted in God and followed him, though imperfectly. The narratives outline the formation of the people of God, choosing first Abraham, then Isaac, then Jacob, the direct ancestor of the people of Israel. F. The Name of God </div> <div> The name of God may have been in use before God's presentation of his name to Moses. The biblical record includes the patriarchs and others using "Yahweh." The name is used throughout Genesis, beginning in chapter two. In Genesis 12.8, Abraham invoked the name of Yahweh. Its special connotation as presented to Moses in Exodus seems to involve covenant faithfulness and the power and authority that Yahweh has to redeem his people from bondage in Egypt (Ex 3.13-15, 6.2-8). </div> <div> G. The Exodus and the Election of Israel as a Nation </div> <div> Egypt had been a place of refuge for Jacob (Israel) and his family during a time of famine in their own land. But as his descendants radically multiplied in Egypt, they became enslaved. This set the stage for God to show his great deliverance of Israel by bringing them out of Egypt. After delivering the people of Israel out of Egypt, God made them his own special people (Ex 19.5). They were to be a priestly kingdom, and as a nation they were to be set apart especially to God (Ex 19.6). This was the formal establishment of them as the people God, especially as representatives of God and his rule on earth, as well as representatives of the peoples of the earth to God. The Exodus was a defining element in the life of Israel as the elected people of God. The event is recalled in later Israelite history as a concise statement of what God had done for them, and as a call for them to trust him God (e.g., Joshua 24). </div> <div> H. The Covenant at Sinai</div> <div> The Ten Commandments are the very basic requirements of Israel under the covenant (Ex 20). The covenant at Sinai was made with an already redeemed people. God called himself their own God who brought them out of Egypt (Ex 20.2), and they were his people. The Law was given to instruct Israel on how to live as God's people (Ex 20-23). Leviticus specifically includes instruction on Israel's worship of God, in large part related to how the people could deal with sin and their failure to keep the requirements of the covenant (e.g., Lev 4.2). It also specifies how Israel was to be different, distinct from the other nations (Lev 20.22-26). The practice of the rituals was a visible demonstration of her being set apart to God as a distinct people. Priests (Aaron and his sons) were commissioned to lead Israel in worship, and in dealing with the matter of sin (Ex 28.1). </div> <div> I. Blessing and Cursing</div> <div> Deuteronomy includes Moses' instructions to the new generation of Israel to prepare them for life in the land which God was giving them. Within the parameters of the covenant made at Sinai, Moses presented to the people a long list of blessings and curses. If they were faithful to the covenant, they would experience specific blessings; if they were unfaithful, they would experience specific punishments (Deut 28, 30.11-20). God made a covenant with Israel that he would bring them back to the land and cause them to prosper if they returned to him in faith and obedience (Deut 30.1-10). In summary, if Israel obeyed, she would remain safe and prosperous in the land; if she rebelled against God and his covenant stipulations, she would suffer difficulty in the land and eventually be removed from it. </div> <bR> <div> <B>III. Life in the Land</B></div> <div> A. Taking the Land: God decisively granted the land of Palestine to Israel; he allowed them to take it by driving out the inhabitants of the land who had been in rebellion to God (Joshua). </div> <div> B. Cycles of Failure: the book of Judges outlines cycles of failure (particularly idolatry), punishment, and deliverance. Israel demonstrated her inability to rule herself well, and as such was a poor representative for God and his rule. She was not an example for the nations to follow and to learn the worship of God from. Everyone did what he himself thought was right (Judg 21.25). She failed to be different, to be God's representative to the nations. </div> <div> C. The Kingdom in Israel: The conditions in Judges precipitated the need for a king in Israel. The book of Ruth highlights that God was at work in the faithful people of Israel, and that he was preparing them for a kingdom, as the marriage of Boaz and the foreigner Ruth led eventually to the life of David (Ruth 4.22). The people demanded a king (1 Sam 8.5, 19-20) like the other nations, though they were warned of the difficulties of having their own kind of king (1 Sam 8.10-18). Saul was the first king of Israel, but he was soon rejected by God as king (1 Sam 15.10). God chose a humble and faithful young man, David, to be the next king (1 Sam 16). The covenant with David: God made a covenant with David the king, that God would establish David's line as the kingly line forever (2 Sam 7.16). The rule of David's line will ultimately be the Lord himself ruling; the nations would be judged by the Lord as king (Ps 110). After the reign of Solomon, the kingdom of Israel was divided into two, Israel in the northern part of the land, and Judah in the southern part of the land.</div> <div> D. The Nations and Israel: Israel was to mediate God's kingdom to the nations (Ex 19.6), and as such she was supposed to be different morally and ritually, faithful to the one true God, Yahweh. However, as a divided monarchy, Israel and Judah failed at this responsibility, as it is outlined in the books of Kings and Chronicles. She continually sought after the gods of the nations, rather than standing firm in the worship of Yahweh. Elijah and Elisha and other spokesmen for God preached against idolatry in Israel and Judah during the divided monarchy. The people of God did not listen. </div> <div> E. Judgment</div> <div> 1. Israel and Judah were both overrun by foreign powers (2 Kg 17, 25), directly as a result of their unfaithfulness to their God, who had designed them to be his representatives on earth. This judgment was in fulfillment of the promise of God to them that if they rebelled against him and the covenant of Moses in idolatry and unfaithfulness, that he would remove them from the land he had promised to give them (Deut 29.28). </div> <div> 2. The New Covenant: A new covenant was given to Israel and Judah during the time of Judah's difficulty and impending doom. The covenant promised that the law would by within them, written on their hearts, and they all would know the Lord (Jer 31.31-34). Yahweh would be their God, and they would be his people. It was also prophesied that Jerusalem would be permanently reestablished and enlarged (Jer 31.38-40). </div> <div> F. Representative Writing prophets of the Pre-Exilic and Exilic Period </div> <div> 1. Isaiah preached prior to Israel's captivity to Assyria. He prophesied of a coming king and glorious kingdom (Isa 11). He preached of the Coming One who would rule on the throne of David forever (Isa 9.6-7). He also spoke of the Servant of the Lord, who would suffer (Isa 53) and would rule (Isa 42.1). </div> <div> 2. Ezekiel prophesied as an early captive to Babylon. He prophesied that Israel would be restored, and that they would worship him again in faithfulness. Again, it is stated that Yahweh would be their God and they would be his people (Ezek 11.16-21). </div> <div> 3. Daniel was also an early captive to Babylon. He prophesied regarding the kingdoms of the world, but he also spoke of the final kingdom, when rule will be given to the "one like the Son of Man" (Dan 7.9-14). In addition rule will be given to the people who are saints of God (Dan 7.22, 27). </div> <div> 4. Jeremiah's preaching during the demise and fall of Judah emphasized that God would restore his people to their land and blessing (Jer 16.14-15). The everlasting covenants to Abraham (blessing) and David (a kingdom) were still in force and would not be forgotten by God. </div> <div> 5. Joel called the people of God to repentance because of the impending "Day of the Lord," a day of judgment of sin (Joel 1.15). The Day also involves a restoration of Judah, along with righteousness and blessing and peace on the earth (Joel 3.17-21). It is not clear in what period Joel prophesied. </div> <bR> <div> <B>IV. After the Exile</B></div> <div> A. The Return to the Land Under Cyrus: God raised up King Cyrus and the Persians, and through them allowed the dispersed nations to return to their homelands and worship their own gods. This included Judah (and by implication those of Israel who had been scattered earlier). Judah was able to return and rebuild the temple (Ezra) and later to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah). God proved himself faithful to his promise to restore his people to their land. </div> <div> B. Writing Prophets of the Post-Exilic Period: Zechariah and Haggai prophesied to Judah after they returned to their land. Haggai challenged them to finish building the temple in Jerusalem (Hag 1.8). Zechariah spoke of the restoration of both Israel and Judah, and of the future worship of the King in Jerusalem during of time of peace and prosperity on the earth (Zech 14). Malachi, like many of the prophets, spoke of the coming "Day of the Lord," a time of righteousness and blessing on the earth (Mal 4). </div> <bR> <div> <B>V. Wisdom Literature</B></div> <div> The wisdom writings include instruction for wise and proper living (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs). Practical advice is given, particularly to the people of God, as to how they could best function as the covenant people of God, and how they could experience the maximum blessing of God upon their lives and society (e.g., Prov 3.1-2). The wisdom writings also include human responses to God and his dealings with humankind (Psalms, Job). Implicit in the responses to God, whether praise or lament, is an understanding of the control of God over the affairs of the earth (e.g., Ps 89, Ps 22.1-5). </div> <bR> <div> <B>VI. Looking Ahead</B></div> <div> The Old Testament contains an unfinished story. The Anointed One of Yahweh (Isa 61.1-2) was anticipated, who would once and for all deliver his people, establish his everlasting kingdom on David's throne, and exact judgment on the peoples of the earth who refuse to worship Yahweh. A forerunner ("Elijah") was expected before the coming of that Day (Mal 4.5-6). Thus the Old Testament ends on a note of anticipation of the great coming Day of the Lord. Conclusion: This study has developed a broad framework for further study of Old Testament biblical theology, as I continue to study the Old Testament exegetically. It has focused on God and his work in and through Israel as his chosen people who would be the vehicle of God's blessing of all the earth. The story of the outworking of God's purposes which was revealed in the Old Testament remains yet unfinished in human history. </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 1999, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>