OT Survey Lecture 1: Order from Chaos… Ministry Training BtP 9.10.2024

OT Survey  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Let’s Just Talk about your business..

27 minutes…

1 Overview (9.10.2024)

1.1 We call the first “half” of our Bibles the Old Testament. This presumes the New Testament and the completion and fulfillment of what is traditionally called the Hebrew Bible, or the Hebrew Scriptures.

1.2 Theme verse: Ezra 7.10

Ezra 7:10 (ESV)
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

1.3 Over the next several weeks we are going to do a broad, generic study of the Hebrew Bible. Traditionally these kinds of introductory studies fall into two categories: Introductory and Survey. What are the differences and similarities?

1.3.1 Introductory

1.3.1.1 Critical investigation of the text and transmission. (Often called Lower or textual criticism)

1.3.1.2 Critical investigation of “Introductory Issues” (Often called Higher criticism )

1.3.1.2.1 Authorship
1.3.1.2.2 Audience
1.3.1.2.3 Date of writing and reception
1.3.1.2.4 Location of writer and reader
1.3.1.2.5 Source criticism
1.3.1.2.6 Broad structural issues
1.3.1.2.7 Background in the Ancient Near East
1.3.1.2.8 Parallel literatures
1.3.1.2.9 Chronology

1.3.1.3 The nature of this kind of work and why we are not doing it

1.3.1.3.1 Focuses necessarily on matters outside the text(s) under consideration.
1.3.1.3.2 The best Introductory literature assumes that the student/reader is well versed in the broader content issues.
1.3.1.3.3 Our task is to broadly investigate what is “inside the text.”
1.3.1.3.4 For preaching and teaching content is primary. As you gain in experience and grow more familiar with the available literature you are better equipped to address the “critical” issues.

Why the word “critical” is a good word.

We might substitute analytical for critical, but it is the accepted term.

In normal usage we confuse or substitute critical for criticize.

Like many English terms there are multiple of uses.

The negative connotation is only one understanding of critical.

The usage in most academic studies is

“characterized by careful evaluation and judgment;

"a critical reading"; "a critical dissertation"; "a critical analysis of Melville's writings””.
1.3.1.3.5 One of the tasks of this course is helping you to become familiar with the content of the Old Testament which is preliminary to being able to address and understand these critical issues (which is of vital importance when it comes to using the best available literature).

1.3.2 Survey

What we will do

Careful, critical examination of each book, using the primary interrogatories to determine the content, characters, and basic teaching of each book.

“Just the Facts Ma’am”

2 Objectives

A note on terminology.

In academic study what we call the Old Testament is commonly known as the Hebrew Bible.

The LXX (Septuagint) as it is often called is the Greek-translation of the Hebrew Bible.

I will use the terms OT and Hebrew Bible interchangeably to help you learn what may be a strange way of describing our Old Testament.

2.1 The student will learn a basic Christ-centered approach to understanding the whole Bible, particularly the OT.

2.2 The student will be introduced to rules, tools and methods for Old Testament study.

2.3 The student will be able to describe the broad structure and the key ideas of the divisions of the Hebrew Bible. The student will be able to differentiate between the “Hebrew Canonical Tradition” and the “LXX/Latin/English

2.4 The student will be able to relate the plots contained in the Hebrew Bible.

2.5 The student will be able to articulate the key idea of each OT Book

2.6 The student will encounter a Glossary of relevant terms for ongoing OT Study.

3 Glossary

3.1 Author: Responsible human agent in writing a text.

3.2 Covenant: A binding agreement between two parties. In Biblical studies primarily references the agreements between God and Noah, God and “Israel”, God and the Church.

3.3 Deuteronomistic/Deuteronomist: The large overarching history, or point of view, grounded in Deuteronomy, which runs coherently from Joshua through the end of 2 Kings.

3.4 Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP) The idea that all Biblical documents are composite, and that we can discern those underlying documents through careful linguistic analysis. To be contrasted with contemporary source analysis which follows the general contours and hints in the text.

3.5 Editor (Redactor) : Someone who “authors” a text primarily by bringing together separate, preexisting stories and weaving them into one.

3.6 Exegesis: The process of drawing out the information of a text by critical examination of the grammar of its words, clauses, and sentences along with other discourse and literary features.

3.7 Exposition: The process of teaching a text with primary emphasis on what the text says.

3.8 Hermeneutics: The art and science of interpretation.

3.9 Heuristic: Noun. A commonsense rule (or set of rules) intended to increase the probability of solving some problem. Adjective. Of or relating to or using a general formulation that serves to guide investigation.

3.10 Israel

3.10.1 Son’s of Israel

3.10.2 Land of Israel (Canaan)

3.10.3 Judah/Israel

3.10.4 Judea/Galilee/Samaria

3.11 Henotheism: Worship of one God among acknowledged others.

3.12 Monotheism: There is only one God.

3.13 Polytheism: There are multiple Gods.

3.14 Pentateuch: The five books of Moses which are first in the Hebrew Bible.

3.15 Canon/Canonical: The standard, according to the standard of what is authoritative.

3.16 LXX: The Septuagint. The greek textual and translation tradition which originated in 3rd Century B.C Alexandria.

3.17 Redactor: Editor/composer of a text.

3.18 Trajectory/ies: A conversational and documentary pathway tracing the historical interpretive process.

3.19 Inspiration:

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
2 Peter 1:19–21 ESV
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 ESV
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
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