The Law and the The Law and the ProphetsProphets

(and the Kings)(and the Kings)

MosesMoses

• Moses leads the people out of slavery in Moses leads the people out of slavery in Egypt (ten plagues, Angel of Death, doors Egypt (ten plagues, Angel of Death, doors marked with the blood of the lamb, marked with the blood of the lamb, parting of the Red Sea, etc.)parting of the Red Sea, etc.)

• God provides the people with help in the God provides the people with help in the desert (Manna from the heavens and desert (Manna from the heavens and water from rocks)water from rocks)

• Most importantly, God give Moses the Most importantly, God give Moses the Law Law

As Americans, we tend to see As Americans, we tend to see freedom as the greatest good and freedom as the greatest good and rules as an impediment to freedom.rules as an impediment to freedom.

Jews, however, believed in a God Jews, however, believed in a God who flooded the world, destroyed who flooded the world, destroyed Sodom and Gemorrah, wiped out Sodom and Gemorrah, wiped out pharaoh’s army, etc.pharaoh’s army, etc.So knowing what pisses God off, So knowing what pisses God off, and how to avoid that, is a blessing.and how to avoid that, is a blessing.

The LawThe Law

I I am the Lord your God: do not have any other gods I I am the Lord your God: do not have any other gods before me.before me.

• Do not worship other deities.Do not worship other deities.

• Do not put anything besides God first in Do not put anything besides God first in your life (i.e. money, pleasure, drugs, your life (i.e. money, pleasure, drugs, popularity, sex, etc.).popularity, sex, etc.).

• Do not believe anything besides God has Do not believe anything besides God has divine powers (i.e. astrology, palm divine powers (i.e. astrology, palm readings, tarot cards, etc.)readings, tarot cards, etc.)

II Do not take the name of the Lord, your God, in II Do not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain.vain.

• God’s name is not a curse, and should not God’s name is not a curse, and should not be used in place of one.be used in place of one.

III Remember to keep holy the Sabbath III Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.Day.

•Sunday is a day of worship, rest Sunday is a day of worship, rest and prayer.and prayer.

•Do no UNNECESSARY work.Do no UNNECESSARY work.

•Give time for your relationship with Give time for your relationship with God.God.

IV Honor your father and mother.IV Honor your father and mother.

• RESPECT your parents (and just RESPECT your parents (and just authorities).authorities).

• OBEY parents.OBEY parents.

• Care for them.Care for them.

V You shall not kill.V You shall not kill.

•Do not commit murder.Do not commit murder.

•Do not assault/insult.Do not assault/insult.

•Suicide.* * Most suicides are Suicide.* * Most suicides are insane.insane.

•PovertyPoverty– Hunger kills about 24,000 people Hunger kills about 24,000 people

EVERY DAY. (That’s one every 3 EVERY DAY. (That’s one every 3 seconds, or a 9/11 every 3 hours.)seconds, or a 9/11 every 3 hours.)

Don’t kill (cont’d)Don’t kill (cont’d)•WarWar

•Pacifism: Love your enemy, do Pacifism: Love your enemy, do good to those who persecute good to those who persecute you, forgive 70 x 7 times, if your you, forgive 70 x 7 times, if your enemy is hungry, feed him, etc.enemy is hungry, feed him, etc.

Just War TheoryJust War Theory

In order to fight, there must be:In order to fight, there must be:

• Just causeJust cause

• Comparative justiceComparative justice

• Right intentionRight intention

• Probability of successProbability of success

• Last resortLast resort

• ProportionalityProportionality

When fighting, you must keep in mind:When fighting, you must keep in mind:

• ProportionalityProportionality

• Noncombatant immunityNoncombatant immunity

Environmental-related Environmental-related deathsdeaths

• Destruction of Japan’s nuclear disaster, Destruction of Japan’s nuclear disaster, last year’s gulf spill, etc., can bring about last year’s gulf spill, etc., can bring about large scale deaths.large scale deaths.

• We extinct about 3 species/day, have We extinct about 3 species/day, have destroyed over half of the world’s destroyed over half of the world’s rainforests.rainforests.

• Recent study suggests ALL cancer is Recent study suggests ALL cancer is manmade.manmade.

• Danger of global warming could flood Danger of global warming could flood coastal cities, cause Katrina-like storms, coastal cities, cause Katrina-like storms, destroy ecosystems, etc.destroy ecosystems, etc.

AbortionAbortion• Abortion kills about 1.3 million people each Abortion kills about 1.3 million people each

year in this country, 55-60 million worldwide year in this country, 55-60 million worldwide (as many as WWII did in 6 years).(as many as WWII did in 6 years).

• The heart begins to beat at 21 days, the The heart begins to beat at 21 days, the earliest recorded brain waves are 40 days.earliest recorded brain waves are 40 days.

• Part of personality is there from conception.Part of personality is there from conception.

• CC sees unborn as the MOST innocent, MOST CC sees unborn as the MOST innocent, MOST defenseless, and those who lost the MOST of defenseless, and those who lost the MOST of their lives.their lives.

VI You shall not VI You shall not commit adultery.commit adultery.

• Be faithful to your wife/husband.Be faithful to your wife/husband.

• You can not fornicate.You can not fornicate.

VII. You shall not steal.VII. You shall not steal.

• This includes destruction of property, This includes destruction of property, plagiarism, fraud, identity theft, etc. plagiarism, fraud, identity theft, etc.

VIII. You shall not bare false witness VIII. You shall not bare false witness against your neighbor.against your neighbor.

• Don’t lie, testify falsely, spread rumors, Don’t lie, testify falsely, spread rumors, destroy someone’s reputation.destroy someone’s reputation.

IX. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. IX. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. X. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. X. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

• Coveting refers to an extreme Coveting refers to an extreme jealousy, being willing to do anything jealousy, being willing to do anything to get him/her/it.to get him/her/it.

603 other laws603 other laws

• Many involve ritual purity, cleanliness, Many involve ritual purity, cleanliness, Temple worship, etc., and have not been Temple worship, etc., and have not been followed by Christians (or Jews in the case followed by Christians (or Jews in the case of Temple worship) for millenia.of Temple worship) for millenia.

• Many involve basic fairness and morality: Many involve basic fairness and morality: lying cheating, stealing, making lying cheating, stealing, making restitution, etc.restitution, etc.

There are also many SOCIAL JUSTICE laws, in There are also many SOCIAL JUSTICE laws, in order to maintain justice for the poor, order to maintain justice for the poor, widows, orphans, slaves, etc. widows, orphans, slaves, etc.

– For example, USURY, lending money with For example, USURY, lending money with interest, is outlawed.interest, is outlawed.

– On the Sabbath Year (7On the Sabbath Year (7thth) debts are forgiven, ) debts are forgiven, debt slaves freed, land goes fallow (poor can debt slaves freed, land goes fallow (poor can take what grows).take what grows).

– On the Jubilee Year (50On the Jubilee Year (50thth), debts are forgiven ), debts are forgiven and land is redistributed to the family of and land is redistributed to the family of original owner.original owner.

The ProphetsThe Prophets

• Moses is the first Moses is the first of many Old of many Old Testament Testament prophets to speak prophets to speak for God. for God.

• Major prophetsMajor prophets• Isaiah • Jeremiah • Ezekiel • Daniel

• Minor prophetsMinor prophets• Hosea • Joel • Amos • Obadiah • Jonah • Micah • Nahum • Habakkuk Habakkuk • Zephaniah Zephaniah • Haggai Haggai • Zechariah Zechariah • Malachi Malachi

AmosAmos• Called to be a prophet as a teenager.Called to be a prophet as a teenager.

• Known as the prophet of social justice.Known as the prophet of social justice.

• Great defender of the poor.Great defender of the poor.

HoseaHosea• Married a temple prostitute.Married a temple prostitute.

• He loves her, she is repeatedly unfaithful.He loves her, she is repeatedly unfaithful.

• His relationship to his wife mirrors the His relationship to his wife mirrors the Jewish people’s relationship with Yahweh.Jewish people’s relationship with Yahweh.

IsaiahIsaiah

• This prophet told people they should This prophet told people they should “beat their swords into plowshares.”“beat their swords into plowshares.”

• He predicted the Messiah would hail He predicted the Messiah would hail from Galilee, be born of a virgin, from Galilee, be born of a virgin, suffer, and have someone prepare suffer, and have someone prepare the way for himthe way for him

The Message of ProphetsThe Message of Prophets• Be faithful to their ONE GOD, YAHWEH.Be faithful to their ONE GOD, YAHWEH.

• Prophets urge kings not to rely on Prophets urge kings not to rely on military strength, foreign alliances, etc.military strength, foreign alliances, etc.

• Prophets take the side of the poor, the Prophets take the side of the poor, the widow, the orphan, the oppressed, etc.widow, the orphan, the oppressed, etc.

The KingsThe Kings

• God did not want them to have a king, as God did not want them to have a king, as God was to be their king.God was to be their king.

• When the people begged, however, God When the people begged, however, God gave them what they wanted, warning of gave them what they wanted, warning of taxes, enslavement, wars, etc.taxes, enslavement, wars, etc.

• The first king was The first king was SaulSaul..

• Saul lost God’s favor and David, who had Saul lost God’s favor and David, who had killed Goliath, was the next to receive the killed Goliath, was the next to receive the throne.throne.

• Following David was Solomon. The rule of Following David was Solomon. The rule of David and Solomon is considered Israel’s David and Solomon is considered Israel’s Golden Age.Golden Age.

The TempleThe Temple

•As God did not want them to have a As God did not want them to have a king, He did not want them to have a king, He did not want them to have a Temple, because they should see Temple, because they should see God as being everywhere.God as being everywhere.

•The people begged and God The people begged and God relented. The Temple was built in relented. The Temple was built in Jerusalem under David and Solomon.Jerusalem under David and Solomon.

God’s Promises and the Dynasty of God’s Promises and the Dynasty of DavidDavid

• God promised David that his kingdom God promised David that his kingdom would stay united under Solomon and would stay united under Solomon and that his dynasty would last forever.that his dynasty would last forever.

• After Solomon (who was from the So. and After Solomon (who was from the So. and oppressed the No.), the kingdom split into oppressed the No.), the kingdom split into two, Israel (No.) and Judah (So.)two, Israel (No.) and Judah (So.)

• The North was conquered in 722 BC by The North was conquered in 722 BC by the Assyrians; the South in 586 BC by the the Assyrians; the South in 586 BC by the Babylonians (who destroyed the Temple).Babylonians (who destroyed the Temple).

• Each time, many people were exiled.Each time, many people were exiled.

EzekielEzekiel

• People lost hope that Israel could ever be People lost hope that Israel could ever be restored.restored.

• Ezekiel tells them that God could even Ezekiel tells them that God could even restore life to “dry bones”.restore life to “dry bones”.

Conquered Again and AgainConquered Again and Again

•After the Babylonians were After the Babylonians were overrun by the Persians (who overrun by the Persians (who returned those in exile), Israel had returned those in exile), Israel had some independence for a time.some independence for a time.

•The Greeks, led by Alexander the The Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered Israel in 333 BC. Great, conquered Israel in 333 BC. Around 164 BC, Jews expelled Around 164 BC, Jews expelled their Greek rulers, celebrated their Greek rulers, celebrated each year at Hannukah.each year at Hannukah.

RomeRome

• About a century after the Maccabean About a century after the Maccabean revolt, Rome conquers Israel in 63 BC.revolt, Rome conquers Israel in 63 BC.

• They killed Jesus at around 30 AD and They killed Jesus at around 30 AD and destroyed the Second Temple around 70 destroyed the Second Temple around 70 AD. AD.

• So what about the promise of a kingship So what about the promise of a kingship that will last forever?that will last forever?

• Does God lie, fail to make good on his Does God lie, fail to make good on his promises, or will someone restore the promises, or will someone restore the throne of David?throne of David?

• Believing the third, Jews expect a Believing the third, Jews expect a MESSIAH (MESSIAH ( in Greek) to restore the in Greek) to restore the throne of David.throne of David.

Better DaysBetter Days

• The difference between the traditional The difference between the traditional expectation of the Messiah and what we expectation of the Messiah and what we got is the time and place of the kingdom: got is the time and place of the kingdom: an eternal one in heaven.an eternal one in heaven.

• WE GOT SO MUCH MORE THAN WE GOT SO MUCH MORE THAN EXPECTED, BUT SOME REJECTED IT EXPECTED, BUT SOME REJECTED IT BECAUSE IT WAS UNEXPECTED, BECAUSE IT WAS UNEXPECTED, UNWORLDLY.UNWORLDLY.