Fourth Class October 23, 2010 Pentateuch and Earlier Prophets Rev. Timothy M. Hayes – Deacon Class

Fourth Class October 23, 2010

Pentateuch and Earlier Prophets

Rev. Timothy M. Hayes – Deacon Class

Opening Prayer

Let Your Scriptures be my chaste delight…

O Lord, perfect me, and reveal those pages to me!

See, Your voice is my joy… Give me what I love…

May the inner secrets of Your Word be opened to me when I knock.

This I beg, by our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3) These are the treasures I seek in Your books.  

-- St. Augustine, The Confessions, Book 11, Chapter 2, Nos. 2-4

From the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults

The Scriptural Texts

The Pentateuch

--Genesis

--Exodus

--Leviticus

--Numbers

--Deuteronomy

Exodus

Question of Historicity

Meaning of Exodus

Liturgical Celebration

Prophetic Use of Exodus Story

Christian Transformation: Paschal Mystery

Session 7: Topics to be considered

Exodus

Question of Historicity

Meaning of Exodus

Prophetic Use of Exodus Story

Session 7: Topics to be considered

Exodus

Metaphors for the Spiritual Journey

Liturgical Celebration

Christian Transformation:

The Paschal Mystery

Session 7: Topics to be considered

The Documentary Hypothesis

Scholarly Study and Preaching

Session 7: Topics to be considered

The Book of Exodus: Select Passages

The Book of Leviticus: Ordination Rite

The Book of Numbers: Laws

Israel’s Ceremonies and Sacrifices

Deuteronomy: Sacred Time

[Israel’s Feasts and Holy Days]

Session 8: Topics to be considered

The Book of Deuteronomy

The Figure of Moses

Conclusion on the Pentateuch

The Deuteronomistic History

Presentations Oct. 23

Highlights of the Book of Numbers Jack Malone

[First up next class: Paul Sinsigalli

Israel’s Feasts and Holy Days]

The Figure of Moses Doug Saunders

and Rees Hauser

Presentations Nov. 6 & 13

Israel’s Feasts and Holy Days Paul Sinsigalli

Kingship in the Ancient Near East

Tom Maedke, Richard Adams, Mark Erste

King David, Solomon, The Temple Joe Knapke

The Divided Kingdom Tim Birie

The Rise of Prophecy in Israel Jeff Carpenter

Homilies by select members – last class

The Scriptural Texts

The Historical Writings “Earlier Prophets”

--Joshua

--Judges [Ruth]

--I & II Samuel

--I & II Kings

The Deuteronomistic History

Theory of Martin Noth

Origin: Pre-Exilic, Exilic, or Post-Exilic?

Purpose

Themes

The Deuteronomistic History

Dt. 11:26-28

"I set before you here, this day, a blessing and a curse: a blessing for obeying the commandments of the LORD, your God, which I enjoin on you today; a curse if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD, your God, but turn aside from the way I ordain for you today, to follow other gods, whom you have not known. "

The Deuteronomistic History

II Kings 27-30

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin, king of Judah, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, Evilmerodach, king of Babylon, in the inaugural year of his own reign, raised up Jehoiachin, king of Judah, from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a throne higher than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.

The Deuteronomistic History

II Kings 27-30

Jehoiachin took off his prison garb and ate at the king's table as long as he lived. The allowance granted him by the king was a perpetual allowance, in fixed daily amounts, for as long as he lived.

The Deuteronomistic History

II Kings 22-23

King Josiah

Finding of “The Book of the Law” in the Temple

Cross: Two Editions of Dtr

The Deuteronomistic History

TEN THEMES OF

THE DEUTERONOMISTIC HISTORY

(based on M. Weinfeld, Deuteronomy and the Deuteronomic School)

http://my.execpc.com/~stephwig/dtrnmst.html

The Deuteronomistic History

1) The struggle against idolatry. Images have no place in deuteronomistic religion, since they tempt their users to worship them. Ideal worship was iconoclastic.

2) One centralized cult. God chose Jerusalem as the place in which worship should take place. Practice of the cult anywhere else would lead to sin, thus all sacrifices should take place in the Temple.

The Deuteronomistic History

3) The election, exodus, conquest themes. God had chosen Abraham, Isaac, and Israel as the holy people. They were led out of Egypt to conquer and destroy the Canaanites.

4) The monotheistic ideal. There was only one God who deserved Israel's worship. Eventually this came to be fully developed monotheism which denied the existenceof other gods. For the DH, God was One.

The Deuteronomistic History

5) Observance of the law. God had designated the torah as the correct method of maintaining the divine-human relationship. Keeping the covenant ensured that this relationship would remain operative.

6) The inheritance of the land. The promises to the ancestors included many offspring and a land where they would be able to live. The specific territory outlined in the Deuteronomistic History was a divine gift to Israel.

The Deuteronomistic History

7) Material reward and retribution. Disobedience led to tangible punishment in this world, and obedience was rewarded with material goods and divine blessings.

8) The fulfillment of prophecy. The prophets were divinely chosen mouthpieces. They uttered the words of God and should be obeyed like God. If God declared something was going to happen, it did.

The Deuteronomistic History

9) The election of David and his dynasty. Monarchy was not the ideal, but if Israel had to have a king, it should be a king like David. No other king attained his reputation for a pure relationship with God. The divided monarchy, therefore, was a major sin.

10) Distrust of anything foreign. Foreign spouses would lead Israelites astray, foreign cultic objects would entice them to worship foreign gods. The safest approach to follow was to avoid foreign influence as much as possible.