THEO I - Notes for Finals

F I N A L S 14

A. Genesis Beginning (Gen 1: 1 – “In the beginning…)
B. Exodus Centers on the Departure of the Jews from their captivity/slavery in Egypt).
C. Leviticus Is about the life of the Levites (priestly clan) &the Liturgical laws (worship). Levi – one of the sons of Jacob and leader of the priestly tribe.
D. Numbers Revolves more on number like census on the population (male only) and census on these for military purpose (soldiers).
E. Deuteronomy is more on the interpretation and deepening of the laws in Exodus and other books.
Deuteros – Nomos – means second law
(2nd) ( Law )

F. Joshua
A military man of the tribe of Benjamin and companion of Moses during the Exodus, Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Jewish people.

(from Yehoshua Joshua Jesus)
(savior)
YHWH is Salvation or YHWH saves or God saves

Joshua: Commissioned by God (through Moses) as the new leader
Assumed the title of Moses - “Servant of the Lord”
God’s assurance ----“I will be with you” (as I was with Moses)
YHWH – “Gods assurance that God will accompany you”


a. The Conquest of the Promised Land (Canaan)
Canaan is already occupied by the Canananites (e.g. Hittites, Amorites, Jebuzites, etc.)
1. Land of flowing milk and honey
2. Rolling Hills
3. Land of hope (hope for good life).

Baal: god of the Canaanites / god of fertility.

They crossed the Jordan River with the Ark of the Covenant (God’s help) and they reached Gilgal and they put 12 memorial stones to remember and tell the next generations that they crossed the Jordan River with God’s help. When the Ark entered the river the waters stopped running, and the people crossed as in dry land. Once the Ark passed to the other side the waters kept running as before.
They sent 2 spies to Jericho and they were saved by a prostitute called Rahab who hid them in her house. As a reward they spared Rahab’s family when they conquered the land of Jericho.
Rahab’s message: anyone can join (can become) the people of God If one believes in God / YHWH and follow God’s Law (not only the Jews).

After that Joshua attacked Jericho. The mighty wall collapsed at the sound of the priest’s trumpets, and the city wall was easily taken. Then he took one after the other all the other cities of Canaan. When the conquest was complete he divided the land among the 12 tribes of Israel. Here begins their nomadic life once again.
Message of a Nomadic Life – we are Nomadic if our mission from God demands
– put your trust in God and not in materials, riches.

They made Jericho an anathema for God. Joshua implemented anathema to preserve the faith of Israel from paganism (Believing/ worshiping other gods).
Anathema: sacrifice to God; Later on the meaning changed,
One who bears the curse of God
e.g. of Anathema: sacrifice – the killing and burning of Achan and his family.
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b. Renewal of the covenant at Shechem
Joshua reminded them of God’s fidelity (faithfulness) despite their infidelity (unfaithfulness).
Maintain your fidelity to God or else you will perish
e.g. defeated in war by enemies or eaten by the beasts

G. Judges (The Book)
This book follows that of Joshua and covers the same period of Jewish history, up to the establishment of the monarchy by Saul (1051 B.C.).
Throughout this book the Israelites are settled in villages, united only in a religious way, worshipping the one God. They were not troubled by the great powers to the east (Mesopotamia) or to the west (Egypt). There were, however, intermittent periods of oppression by neighboring tribes; when these came, God sent brave and talented leaders to vindicate the just claims of His people. From this judicial function (which they enforced militarily), the “judges” are so called.
The book relates the events surrounding the temporary leaders of Israel called “judges.” It recounts the history of Israel from the death of the Hebrew leader and prophet Joshua to the time just before the birth of the Hebrew prophet Samuel.
Judges has considerable historical value as a source, the only biblical one, for determining both the events and the social conditions of the period between the Israelite conquest of Canaan and the time of Samuel.

a. Pattern of life of the Israelites during the time of the judges:
1. Faith in God
2. Unfaithfulness (committing of sins)
3. They are punished (ex. defeated by enemies)
4. They cry to God for help / ask forgiveness
5. God saves them (through the leaders like the judges)
Greatest Sin: __________________.

Factors that Unite the Israelites:
1. Faith in God
2. Ark of the Covenant in Shiloh

b. Judges
The judges are: Othniel, Ehud, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Abimelech, Jephthah, Samson, Shamgar, Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon and Abdon.
1. Leaders from different tribes, instruments for justice
e.g. To settle disputes among the tribes
2. Charismatic Leaders (leadership)
e.g. To save Israelites from oppressors (enemies)
3. Gifted with wisdom and power – to rule/lead, to decide/judge

c. Gideon – The champion /Mighty/Valiant
Gideon (Hebrew, “hewer” or “warrior”), in the Old Testament, a hero of Israel. During Gideon's youth the people of Israel were oppressed by the Midianites, nomadic people who had invaded Palestine from the Arabian Desert.
Acting on a divine exhortation, Gideon summoned the Israelites and, with a small band of followers, attacked the Midianites at Mount Gilboa, pursuing them to the Jordan River. Following the victory, the Israelites offered Gideon a crown as a reward for his leadership, but he refused the symbol of power because of his belief that God was the king of Israel (see Judges 6-8).
Gideon asked only for the many golden earrings captured from the enemy. From them he made an ephod, or ceremonial garment. Under his rule Israel enjoyed 40 years of peace.
His error was: He asked for gold from the people instead of authority and power (to rule). He misguided the people. They were focused on materials (gold) instead of God. Like leading the people to sin.
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His initial response to God’s call – "But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."
He was called Jerubbaal, which means “let Baal take action against him.”
He destroyed the altar of Baal made by his father and built an altar for God
Sign that Gideon will win the war: a dream, and in it a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell; it turned upside down, and the tent collapsed.”
He defeated the enemies (thousands) with only 300 soldiers.

Abimelech (usurper, tyrant)
Gideon's son, who “ruled over Israel for three years” (9:22) and then was killed for “the crime ... he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers” (Jud 9:56).

The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, worshiping the Baals and the Astartes, the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. Thus they were delivered into the hand of the Philistines and into the hand of the Ammonites, and they crushed and oppressed the Israelites that year. So the Israelites cried to the Lord, saying, "We have sinned against you, because we have abandoned our God and have worshiped the Baals."
“I will deliver you no more. Go and cry to the gods whom you have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your distress." And the Israelites said to the Lord, "We have sinned; do to us whatever seems good to you; but deliver us this day!" So they put away the foreign gods from among them and worshiped the Lord; and he could no longer bear to see Israel suffer.

d. Samson
In the Old Testament, Hebrew hero and for 20 years 12th judge of ancient Israel (see Judges 13-16). It is stated that he was the son of Manoah of Zorah, of the tribe of Dan. Manoah's wife was barren, but an angel appeared to her and promised a son and said the boy should be a Nazarite, that is, a consecrated person. No razor was to touch the boy's head, and it was through the supernatural strength with which his hair endowed him that Samson performed his great feats, including the strangling of a lion and the slaying of a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of an ass.
Finally he was betrayed by a Philistine woman, Delilah, who had his head shaved and then handed him over to the Philistines. His eyes were put out, and he was forced to perform servile labor. Later, at a festival in honor of Dagon, the Philistine deity, Samson was exhibited as a public spectacle (see Judges 16:23-30). By this time, however, his hair had grown back; he exerted his great strength and pulled down the pillars of the house in which 3000 Philistines had assembled, burying the multitude and himself in the ruins.

- son of Manoah (sterile)
- reigned for 20 years
- his gift: exceptionally strong
- enemies: Philistines (Canaanites)
- he killed a lot of enemies and he killed more enemies before his death
- his downfall: he married a woman who betrayed him (he did not maintain his chastity or purity of life)

Nazarite – one who is consecrated to God (maintains his holiness of life)
– has vows like: not drink wine/liquor
– Not cut hair (e.g. Samson)
– No (illegal) sexual activity
– Usually isolated / separate from the community

“Samson” (light “the sunny one,” strength) ------- “Delilah” (darkness)

e. The establishment of the Kingdom of Israel 17
The Israelites were clamoring for a king to stand as a kingdom / Nation. They would like to have a Ruler-King just like their neighboring nations/tribes.
The Kingdom of Israel came into existence under King Saul in the 11th century BCE, and reached its height under his successors, David and Solomon. After Solomon's death in 922 BCE, the country was divided into two parts. The name Israel was retained by the northern kingdom, with its capital at Samaria. It was destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The southern kingdom, known as Judah, continued to exist until the 6th century BCE.
After the reign of Solomon, king of Israel and Judah, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin formed a separate, southern kingdom (1 Kings 12-2 Kings 25).

Mashiah – messiah: Anointed one of God.

King: the anointed one of God (one will become a king by being anointed).
So more of a savior – from the enemies,
more of a military leader.
King of Israel: His mission is to unite the Israelites as a Kingdom, or nation and as people of God – Maintain people’s faith to YHWH
Condition for a King: – he must acknowledge YHWH as the supreme King/ ruler (King of Kings) &
– be faithful to the covenant and the law

Kingdoms of Judah and Israel: Despite his desire to unify and improve the vast empire of his father, King David, King Solomon’s oppressive rule caused much dissension among the Israelites and eventually led to the division of the kingdom following his death. The northern part of his realm became the kingdom of Israel, while the southern became the kingdom of Judah.

H. Ruth
Ruth is an ancient Hebrew short story. The book tells of a family from the ancient town of Bethlehem in Judah that takes refuge in the country of Moab during a famine. While there, the sons of the Judean family marry Moabite women (Orpah and Ruth). When the father and the two sons die, Naomi, the bereaved mother, determines to return to her home in Bethlehem. She urges her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab with their own people, but one of them, Ruth, insists on returning with Naomi (1:16-17).
In Bethlehem, Ruth's devotion and kindliness soon attract the attention of Naomi's near kinsman Boaz (2:1-4:12). Despite the fact that Ruth is a foreigner, Boaz, a Jew, marries her, and she gave birth to Obed, the grandfather of David. Thus, she becomes the great grandmother of King David, of whose family Jesus Christ was born. This is noted in the genealogy given at the beginning of Saint Matthew's Gospel.

The book of Ruth has been variously interpreted. It has been regarded as: a. literary protest – against the restrictive marriage reforms instituted in the time of the postexilic Jewish leaders Ezra and Nehemiah;
b. pure entertainment – as an idyllic romance; as a retelling of an ancient fertility myth; and as an example of the ideal convert.

As a story, it provides an entertaining account of the series of events that led up to the inclusion of a Moabite in the ancestry of King David. The emphasis on the fact that Ruth is a foreigner, her acceptance by the people of Bethlehem despite this fact, her place in the genealogy of King David, and the acceptance of the book as part of the Hebrew canon all suggest a deeper and more complex purpose than entertainment or protest.
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I. 1st& 2nd Samuel
It contains the history of Samuel, the last judge of Israel and the first of the prophets after Moses, and the history of the two kings Saul and David.
The books of Samuel relate the history of the Israelite people from the end of the period of the Judges to the last years of King David's life and reign. This relatively short period is a significant one in Jewish history, for during it the first Hebrew monarchy was established & the Israelite tribes unified into one kingdom with its capital at Jerusalem.

a. Samuel: - parents of Samuel: Hannah (mother) + Elkana (father)
- Nazarite
- miraculously born
- last judge of Israel and the first of the prophets after Moses
- lived with the priest Eli
- spiritual leader
- mission: to look for a king of Israel

The Calling of Samuel
One day, in sorrow and distress, Hanna entered the Sanctuary of God in Shilo and made avow. She said: Yahweh! If you give me a child, I will offer him to you. She conceived and gave birth to Samuel.
Hanna brought Samuel to the Sanctuary in Shilo and offered him to the Lord. The priest Eli took Samuel under his care. Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
One night, Samuel was sleeping in the sanctuary, near the Ark of God, and for three times he heard a voice calling: Samuel, Samuel. Every time, he thought it was Eli’s voice and ran to him. Finally Eli understood that it was the voice of Yahweh, and instructed the boy how to answer the next time.
Again God called: Samuel, Samuel. This time he answered: Speak, Yahweh, your servant is listening. Thus Samuel became a great and holy prophet in the eyes of God and of all the people.
Sometime later, the people of Israel complained with Samuel because they had no king; so God told him to anoint Saul as king over his people.

End Notes:

1. Development of the Old Testament (as a book) – By no means did all the books of the Old Testament originate at the same time and in the same place; rather, they are the product of Israelite faith and culture over a thousand years or more. For most Old Testament books it was a long journey from the time the first words were spoken or written to the work in its final form. That journey usually involved many people, such as storytellers, authors, editors, listeners, and readers. Not only individuals but different communities of faith played their parts.
2. The Authorship of Pentateuch - According to Jewish and Christian tradition, Moses was the author of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. Nowhere in the books themselves, however, is this claim made; tradition stemmed in part from the Hebrew designation of them as the books of Moses, but that meant concerning Moses. As early as the Middle Ages, Jewish scholars recognized a problem with the tradition: Deuteronomy (the last book of the Pentateuch) reports the death of Moses. The books are actually anonymous and composite works. On the basis of numerous duplications and repetitions, including two different designations of the deity, two separate accounts of creation, two intertwined stories of the flood, two versions of the Egyptian plagues, and many others, modern scholars have concluded that the writers of the Pentateuch drew upon several different sources, each from a different writer and period.
3. Old Testament and History – On virtually all its pages the Old Testament calls attention to the reality and importance of history. The Pentateuch and the historical books contain salvation histories; the prophets constantly refer to events of the past, present, and future. As the history of Israel was told in the Old Testament, it came to be organized in a series of pivotal events or periods: the exodus (including the stories from the patriarchs to the conquest of Canaan), the monarchy, the exile in Babylon, and the return to Palestine with the restoration of the religious institutions.
4. Early History and Development of Israel ¬– A considerable body of information concerning the history of the ancient Near East is available from the 3rd millennium BC on, but a detailed history of Israel can begin only about the time of David (1000-961 BC). This does not mean that nothing at all can be said about the preceding eras, or that all the reports of events before David are inaccurate. Israel’s life was a part of the history of the ancient Near East. Like the other small nations of the eastern Mediterranean, Israel was at the mercy of the major powers of Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia and could prosper independently only when they were in decline or preoccupied with struggles among themselves.

KINGS OF ISRAEL 19

A. Saul - from the tribe of Benjamin – anointed by Samuel as the first “King”
- Not a king technically; more of a military leader
- was good in the beginning but a failure in the end – did not achieve his –
mission because he did not fulfill the condition, i.e., to be faithful
(he became unfaithful)
- he became self – centered
- he died in a war at Gilbaoh with his son Jonathan.

B. David: - a young shepherd (who killed a bear) with a sling shot
- harp player and psalmist
- killed Goliath, a giant Philistine (this raised his popularity)
- Jonathan (Son of Saul) - Best friend of David
- _____________ (daughter of Saul) - married David
- Saul wanted to kill David out of envy/jealousy but was not able to till his
death
- Saul died in a war with his son Jonathan

Why did David not kill Saul despite the many given chances?

- The people went to anoint David as their second king
- David was successful in his mission as a King
- He captured Jerusalem – and he made it: City of David
- City of God (Ark of the Covenant is put in Jerusalem)

David: “I will build a house for God”
God: “I will build a house for my faithful servant David

King = David
King = Son of David (Jesus :eternal King)

Sins of David:
1. Adultery – he married Batsheba, the wife of Uriah, an Israelite soldier.
2. Greed – was not contented with what he has.

The prophet Nathan – told David’s sin through a parable – man who owns many sheep taking away a poor man’s only sheep. (“Carabaos”)

David Repented and accepted the punishment – Death of the first son with Batsheba

Trouble in David’s Family:
- Ammon – raped his half sister (Tamar)
- Absalom – killed Ammon
- Absalom rebelled against David, his father
- Absalom wanted to be the king but was killed in the end

David + Batsheba = Solomon

C. Solomon
- anointed as the new King by:
Zadok - priest
Nathan - prophet
- man of wisdom:
- to judge /rule the people
- managed the economy
- engage in trade with other kingdoms
- has 700 wives and 300 concubines

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- applied forced labor
- he built the temple
for 7 years

Tempe - 90 ft. long
- 30’ wide - 45’ high

Parts of the Temple
Vestibule: Smallest area
Sanctuary: temple proper – holy place
Holy of Holiest: where the ark is - The high priest enters it once a year

Sin of Solomon:
- Idolatry - he built shrines (temples) for the Gods of his pagan wives.

Punishment of Solomon:
- The Kingdom will be divided

The Divided Kingdom
A. North - with 10 tribes (10 “lost tribes of Israel”)
- Ruled by Jeroboam – servant of Solomon
-Jeroboam: he built shrines in Bethel and in Dan for the northern people to
worship God so they will not go to the south (Jerusalem)
- he presented YHWH/God in the form of a bull -sacred animal of the Canaanites
- There was a religious syncretism (mixture of beliefs) of Israelites & pagan beliefs
- There was religious formalism (hypocrisy) - worship God but your life is sinful
e.g. - the rich cheating the poor, cruel treatment of servants,
selling the poor for slavery and prostitution,
politicians attend masses before election,
corrupt government employees, etc.

B. South - ruled by King Rehoboam: Son of Solomon
- with only two tribes - for the sake of David’s fidelity to God (dynasty)
- he increased the tax and forced labor (people hated him)
- The Kings of the south followed the lineage of David
- Later the South people will also follow the immorality, sinfulness and infidelity of
the North
- Even the monarchy were unjust and unfaithful


PROPHETS OF ISRAEL

Prophet – “Nabi” (Hebrew) – one called to be a speaker (of God), “mouth of God”
– not to predict the future nor fortune tellers

Introductory words of the prophet: “Thus says the Lord…”
– which means that the words they utter is not theirs but God’s.

A. North
1. Amos
- from the south but prophesied in the Northern kingdom.
- From Tekoa in Judah, a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores
- attacked the injustices of the rich to the poor, their hypocrisy, and infidelity.
- condemned also the immoralities of other kingdoms (accountable to God)
Which means all the nations are accountable to God. God is the God of all.

Message – Repent and reform – God will protect those who remain faithful
2. Hosea – Married Gomer (a prostitute) unfaithful to Hosea 21
“Drama”
Hosea ------------ loves ---------- Gomer
--cleansed---
God (gave you promise land) Israelites ( sinful, infidels)

Message – God is a loving and merciful father (Divine mercy) – so repent and change.

B. South
1. Isaiah
- from the royal/aristocratic family
- Attacked, Condemned the rich and monarchy without fear
- he prophesized the coming of the Messiah – “a virgin shall conceived and
have a son and call him Emmanuel means “God is with us.”
- he will restore the Kingdom of Israel (love, justice, peace, fidelity)
- King during his time was ____________

2. Jeremiah – from priestly family (Tribe of _____________)
Used Images:
a. husband and wife
God – loves (faithful) – Israelites(infidels)
b. Potter’s Vessel
Molder Potter
c. Temple Sermon (judgement of Israel)
- the temple will be destroyed because of your infidelity
- people’s belief : the temple will never be destroyed
- people wanted to kill Jeremiah

Assyrians Conquered the North (721 BC)
King Sargon II
Babylonians defeated Assyria and conquered the North and South
King Nebuchadnezzar
- destroyed the temple
- made the Israelites slaves in Babylon (Babylonian Exile/Captivity – 586/587 BC)

Israelites: “This is a punishment from God”
Their exile in Babylon transformed their pride into a total surrender to God
They longed for God (for a liberator like the patriarchs of old, they long for a Savior.

They worshipped God in places and houses. Beginning of Synagogues (like our chapels)
Jews of Diaspora (started in Babylonian exile)
Contribution of the Jews of Diaspora: Non-Jewish culture and practices.

Persia defeated Babylon
King Cyrus the Great freed the Israelites and allowed them to rebuild their
kingdom and also their temple

Ezra : prophet during and after the exile, he prophesied to the despaired Israelites
: he prophesied the return of God/YHWH to the temple,( temple will be reconstructed)
: he has a vision of dry bones rising from their graves and are enjoined together and
enfleshed and given the spirit if he prophesy to them.

Prophets during the reconstruction of Jerusalem /temple: Zechariah and Malachi

Greece defeated Persia (Time of helenization: language and philosophy)
Rome conquered Greece.
• God allowed the destruction of Jerusalem / Israel to build a new kingdom.
FINALS - GOD BLESS YOU!