4 theo interp_israel (part 1)

THE THEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF SCRIPTURELECTURE FOUR: ISRAEL (PART 1)

Review

The Metanarrative:

Creation Fall Israel Jesus Church New Creation

Today’s Session

Israel:

Father Abraham: Blessed to be a blessing

Genesis 121The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you;I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him…

Contrast with Babel!


Chiasm:Hebrew Lit.

Device

A “blessing sandwich”—

the meat is in the middle…

Israel:

Father Abraham:

- Blessed to bless nations:

‣“Election” in the Scriptures—Not so much one person instead of another, but rather, one person for the sake of the others.

๏Abraham (Israel) >> Nations

๏ Jesus >> Israel

๏Church >> World

Israel:

Father Abraham:

- The relation between faith and obedience:


Obedience is the proof of

faith.In Genesis, Abraham is said to have

obeyed before he is said to believed

(chs. 12 / 15).

Israel:

Father Abraham:

- Chapter 12 — Blessed to be a blessing (Nations)

- Chapter 15 — Promise of Land / Descendants

Genesis 151 After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:

"Do not be afraid, Abram.

I am your shield, your very great reward. ”

2 But Abram said, "Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?" 3 And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."

4 Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”

s—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

Genesis 155 He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

8 But Abram said, "Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?”

9 So the LORD said to him, "Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon."

s—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. 7 He also said to him, "I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.”

Genesis 15 10 Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. 11 Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.

12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

Genesis 1515 You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age. 16 In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.”

17 When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.

18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, "To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates

Israel:

Father Abraham:


- Chapter 15 — Called a “Covenant” explicitly

‣Symbolism:

1.Stars = Descendants.

2.Animals Cut in Two = may this happen to me if I break this covenant.

๏Note: YHWH (not Abram) passes through

Israel:

Father Abraham:



‣Symbolism:



3.Birds of Prey?

Israel:

Father Abraham:



‣Symbolism:



3.Birds of Prey? Egyptians (Alexander) / Pagans?

Israel:

Father Abraham:



- Chapter 17 — Circumcision

Genesis 171When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram [exalted father]; your name will be Abraham,[father of many] for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”


3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram [exalted father]; your name will be Abraham,[father of many] for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Wenham:Meaning of the name…

“The blessed one for the peoples”

Genesis 177 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

9 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Genesis 1710 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.

14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Genesis 1714 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

We see now why Paul’s denial of mandatory circumcision for Gentiles was so inflammatory.

Genesis 1714 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

A Further (awkward…) Question:Why Circumcision!?

A ritual (symbolic) castration?A way of setting apart the “seed”?

Israel:

Father Abraham:



- Chapter 17 — Circumcision:

‣We see here some common features of an ANE covenant ceremony.

๏Some background on ANE covenants…

Israel:

Covenants in the ANE:

- Gordon Hugenberger’s Definition:

‣A covenant is an elective, as opposed to a natural [family-like], relationship of obligation established under Divine sanction.

- Covenant Components:

Covenant Components

Historical Prologue:What the great King has done / past benefactions

Example: Exodus 20.2 "I am the LORD your God, who

brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”

Covenant Components


Stipulations:Conditions of the Covenant

Examples: Exodus 20.3"You shall have no other gods before

Me”

Genesis 17.1: “walk before me faithfully and be blameless.”

Covenant Components



Sanctions: Blessings (if kept) / Curses (if broken)


…

Failure to circumcise means “cut off” from people(vs.14)

Covenant Components



Sanctions: Blessings (if kept) / Curses (if broken)

Ratifying Oath / Oath Sign:Spoken and/or “Acted Out” Sealing of the Covenant

E.g.,Marriage.

Israel:


- Covenant Components:

‣Caveat: All components may not always be present or in the same exact order.

Israel:


- The Dilemma: Seeing how all these covenants fit together quickly becomes complicated… (example).

Israel:


- The Dilemma: Seeing how all these covenants fit together quickly becomes complicated… (example).

Three Reasons for a covenant (Hafemann)

1.To start a relationship

2.To ratify an existing relationship

3.To restate an already ratified covenant relationship

Thus the multiple covenant ceremonies in the OT may pointtoward an overarching “Covenant” definition…

Israel:

“The Covenant” (as opposed to little covenants)

- N.T. Wright:

‣God’s single plan,

‣through Israel,

‣for the good of the world

Again, election =one,

for the sake of the others

Israel:

Father Abraham:



- Chapter 17 — Circumcision:

Three key “covenant” passages…

Israel:

Father Abraham:

- The sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22)

Genesis 221Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about…

Israel:

Father Abraham:

- The sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22):

‣This is the test of Abraham’s covenant loyalty.

‣Note the “only” / “beloved son” link to Christ…

‣James sees Gen. 22 as connected to Abraham’s justification (being considered righteous).

James 220 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[Gen. 15] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

James 220 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?

21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?

22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[Gen. 15] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

This raises the questionof how Abraham istreated in the NT.

Israel:

Abraham in the New Testament

- Paul:

‣Abraham justified by faith (citing Gen. 15), not works (e.g., Rom.4).

Romans 41What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.

3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”[Gen. 15.6]

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

Israel:

Abraham in the New Testament

- Paul:

‣Abraham justified by faith (Gen. 15), not works (e.g., Rom.4).

- James:

‣Abraham “considered righteous for what he did” (citing Gen. 22) …“not by faith alone” (Jms. 2).

While one is justified by “faith”, God’s final judgment will bein accordance with one’s life lived (“fruit”).

Israel:

Abraham in Conclusion:

- The call of Abraham is seen as the start of God’s rescue operation to deal with the problem of the fall.

‣Genesis Rabbah, 14.6 (a midrash):

๏ “I will send Adam first, and if he goes astray I will send Abraham to sort it out.”

Questions?Break.

Israel:

Moses and the Exodus

Exodus 16 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

Exodus 223…The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.

25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.

Israel:

Moses and the Exodus

- The Exodus is the central event of OT redemptive history.

- It is in the Exodus that we learn the NAME of God.

Exodus 314 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘YHWH [ הB EהDָו the God of your fathers—the God ,[ ְיof Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name forever the name you shall call me from generation to generation.

[ehyeh asher ehyeh]

[ehyeh]

Exodus 62 God also said to Moses, “I am YHWH. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, [El Shaddai] but by my name YHWH I did not make myself fully known to them.

4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

Deuteronomy 6.4 The Shema.

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

Israel:

YHWH, the Personal name of God- There are several words for “God” in Hebrew

‣Elohim (God); Adonai (Lord); El Shaddai (Provider)

‣These are: generic, or describing what God does.

- YHWH is His only Personal Name (in the OT).‣Q: Why describe it with: “I am who I am”?‣In the ANE to invoke the name of a deity was to have a certain power over them

- KEY: This is a God you can’t draw lines around, define, contain. He is utterly unique.

Israel:

YHWH, the Personal name of God- Pharoah’s response to the Name:

‣“I do not know this YHWH”

‣Thus the plagues are meant to “introduce” Him…

‣Interestingly, Exod. gives us the NAME of God, and of Egyptian midwives, but not Pharaoh.

Israel:

YHWH, the Personal name of God- The Divine Name and the NT

‣By the first century the Divine name is reverenced by paraphrases (replacing YHWH with other words).

๏ E.g., “Adonai”- LORD, without the def. article “the”

๏ Or, “The Name” - “Hallowed be thy Name” (Mt. 6.9).

‣It was also reverenced through nomina sacra

Nomina SacraThe use of special embellishments (e.g. lines or dots) or different colored ink in order to reverence divine name(s)

The practice started with YHWH (Adonai) and expanded to include: “Jesus,” “Son,” “Spirit,” “Christ,” “God,” “Lord,” etc.

Israel:


‣By the first century the Divine name is reverenced by paraphrases (replacing YHWH with other words).

๏ E.g., “Adonai”- LORD, without the def. article “the”

๏ Or, “The Name” - “Hallowed be thy Name” (Mt. 6.9).

‣It was also reverenced through nomina sacra

‣What is most fascinating is how Jesus comes to be included(!) in the use of the divine name. (examples?)

1 Cor. 8.5-6 Paul’s reworked “Shema”

We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”

5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),

6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.

Philippians 2 11…God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2 11…God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.A Reference to the Name of YHWH in Isa. 45:23"I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to

Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. 24"They will say of Me, 'Only in the LORD are righteousness

and strength.'

John 17.10-1110 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name,

the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

John 8 (and elsewhere-“I am” statements)

8.58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

8.24 You would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am.

Israel:


‣What is most fascinating is how Jesus comes to be included(!) in the use of the divine name. (examples)

‣Kendall Soulen: “Reverence for the Tetragrammaton is something like the matrix out of which the church’s trinitarian faith emerges.”

Israel:

Sinai, and the giving of the Law- A Helpful outline of the Torah

Israel:

Sinai, and the giving of the Law- A Helpful outline of the Torah (“As Journey”)

Genesis

Eden

Exodus

Egypt

Leviticus

Sinai

NumbersDeuteronomy

Plains of Moab

Israel:

Sinai, and the giving of the Law

Review

The Metanarrative:

Creation Fall Israel Jesus Church New Creation

Today’s Session

4 theo interp_israel (part 1)

Education

sovereign lord

great nation

father abraham

great reward

fathers household

blessing nations chapter

blessing sandwichthe

promise of land descendants