Introduction to Deuteronomy

(Also from Dr Constable’s notes at http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/deuteronomy.pdf)

Deuteronomy: The title
– The English came from the Septuagint (Greek) version. Some debate about how the title actually came out of a mistranslation of a verse of the book, but somehow, God probably having a hand in the translation, it came out with a meaning that roughly accords with ’second law’, which is somewhat true to its contents because it is a repetition of the laws of Moses to the second generation of Israelites before they go into the promised land.

Authorship
– very easy to establish, lots of references to the author Moses in the book and out of it, as in other areas of the bible. Jesus himself attributed the book to Moses.
– structure of the book very similar to ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties (first two words, elleh haddebarim, exactly the first words of these treaties), therefore strongly suggesting an early authorial date for the work. Despite such conclusive evidence, some scholars choose to date the book to a later period, post-Mosaic, but pre-7th-century.
– conservative writers think that the record of Moses’ death and some editorial comments are the work of later writers.

Scope
– similar to Leviticus: both contain almost exclusively record of instructions and speeches
– more a book of law than of history, although it is addressed to the laity than to the priests and Levites, as Leviticus
– one of the more often cited OT books in the NT
– narrowed: concentrates on events in the run-up to the entry into Canaan, by the plains of Moab

Theology:
– the covenantal background cannot be separated from the central message of the book
– 3 elements: (1) Yahweh, the Great King and covenant initiator; (2) Israel, the vassal and covenant recipient; and (3)
the book itself, the covenant organ, complete with the essentials of standard treaty documents (Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, pp. 47-48)

Contents:
– general alternation between narrative and didactive (didactive parts are mainly where Moses gives general addresses), although in certain breakdown parts there is a mixture of the two.

Numbers

(From Dr Constable’s notes on Numbers, http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/numbers.pdf.)

Title:
– Hebrew: bemidbar, in the wilderness
– Numbers: from the Greek Arithmoi, referring to the two censuses that were taken of the Israeli population at the beginning and at the end of the book

Author:
– Moses, there are references in the book itself and cross-references elsewhere in the bible
– Moses apparently died about 1406 BC, because the time when the exodus started was around 1446 BC

Scope:
– book starts with the 2nd month of the 2nd year that they had left Egypt, after Moses had finished building the tabernacle on the 1st month of the 2nd year
– end period: the 10th month of the 40th year (see Deut 1:3), therefore
– time span: 39 years

Purpose:
– theological, not historical
– Israelites traveled from Sinai to Canaan but in a roundabout way: from Sinai to Kadesh Barnea on Canaan’s western border, back to Kadesh and then on to the plains of Moab on Canaan’s eastern border
– Moses chose to place the emphasis not on the 38 years of wandering in the desert but more on the first part, entering Kadesh, and on the latter part, preparing to enter Moab. The emphasis is to show how God prepared the nation to enter their promised land, not a record of major historical events of the period
– an ‘instruction manual for post-Sinai Israel’ (Eugene H. Merrill, “Numbers,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 215)? Deals with the sins of the parents which are the effective cause of their wanderings in the desert. Contains 3 areas of instruction: 1) how the nation was to order itself whilst it sojourned 2) what the priests’ function was in this period 3) how to prepare for their arrival and settlement at Canaan.

Theme:
– according to Dr Constable, obedience
– alternative 1: worship
– alternative 2: reciprocity – God’s covenant grace and the Israelite’s reciprocal, wholehearted devotion

Introduction to Leviticus

Following my bible plan mind-mapped out, I realised to my horror and shame that I haven’t got a very good understanding of what the OT is about. So I’m starting an online search into their content and trying to skim them through for their gist. This entry would be on Leviticus, I *think* I roughly get Genesis and Exodus.

These are summaries from Dr Constable’s notes on Leviticus, 2005 edition, http://www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/leviticus.pdf.

Title:
– Hebrews called it from the first word in it, wayyiqra’, translated “And He [the Lord] called” (Lev 1:1)
– “And” or “then” is a conjunction that shows that what follows in Leviticus is a continuation of the narrative of Exodus
– English title comes from the Vulgate which comes from the Septuagint – Leuitikon, meaning “relating to the Levites.”
– Rather appropriate because it contains laws relating to sacrifices etc. that are addressed to the priests, the Levites, but NOTE that most of these rites are for the laity.
– Leviticus is unique in that it is the book which probably contains the most of God’s instructions to Moses

Purpose:
– It is a continuation from Exodus: eg the tabernacle is built in Exodus, but it is in Leviticus that the priests are told how to take care of it
– The covenent agreement in Exodus is established, but in Leviticus the priests and general populace are taught ‘the nature of the tribute to be presented, the precise meaning and function of the priesthood, the definition of holiness and unholiness, and a more strict clarification of the places and times of pilgrimage to the dwelling place of the great King. This is the purpose of the book of Leviticus.” (Eugene H. Merrill, “A Theology of the Pentateuch,” in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 56.)
– “The central theme of the book is holiness.” (John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative, p. 323.)
– “the Levitical rituals are still of immense relevance. It was in terms of these sacrifices that Jesus himself and the early church understood his atoning death…in rediscovering the principles of OT worship written there, we may learn something of the way we should approach a holy God.” (Gordon J. Wenham, The Book of Leviticus)

Genre:
– most of its contents are legal, although Moses has written it in a way that it also contains some narrative
– Chapter 16, the hinge chapter, reads as narrative, even though it is legal material

Importance:
– it is arguably the book that has the most impact on Judaism!!!!!!
– it is the first book taught to Jewish children!!!!
– half the commentaries in the Talmud is devoted to understanding the contents of this book!!!!

Outline:
– a rough division would involve the first 16 chapters being devoted to the public worship of the israelites, and the remainder to the private worship
– the hinge chapter, chapter 16, deals with the day of atonement

Literary structure:
– not as haphazard as one might think on first glance
– certain chapters have their own literary style:
– eg Leviticus 1:3 – 7:37 – 38 is styled in the fashion of a mesopotamian tablet, with a title, textual content and colophon (end inscription bearing details relating to its production)
– triadic form of the laws relating to leprosy (Lev 13:1, 14:1, 33)
– concentric pattern of propositions (palistrophe) in Lev 24:16-22
– introverted (chiastic) passage in Lev 15:2-30
– most probably for aiding memorisation
– above paraphrased from a quote in Dr Constable’s notes by Harrison, Leviticus.

Studying the Bible

After some days of thinking and praying and some discussion with people, I was prompted to at last pick up the pen and paper and draw a mind map. I can’t scan the map into this blog, but I’ll summarise it anyway:

Why study the bible?
– see last entry on proofs from the bible itself
– application: use of biblical teachings in one’s daily life see 2 Tim 3:16-17
– knowledge (of the bible) so that one will not be a nominal christian
– correction of fallacies, false teachings, reproving attackers of the faith

How to study the bible?
– book by book: either chronological (genesis -> revelation), selected books, or New Testament (NT), then Old Testament (OT)
– thematically: through themes that have direct application to our lives: say, On faith, on charity, on the veracity of the bible, etc.

Approaches:
– Re-read entire bible first, then go into detail either chronologically, with select books, or NT then OT:
¬ pros: won’t miss out on anything
¬ cons: time-consuming
¬ my solution: not to read the entire bible because of personal reasons like limited time and my original purpose in embarking on bible study, which was more for direct application in my life than to increase my bible knowledge manifold, so where there are references in the books I’m reading to books that I have not included on the reading list, to use a good cross-reference bible study material to suss them out

– Go straight in: chronologically, into selected books, or NT then OT

– Re-read select books: (my selected approach), then read in detail:
¬ select books
¬ New Testament, then Old Testament
¬ I chose a mixture of both: I would read select books, starting with the NT first
¬ Purpose? To get a detailed understanding of the books, to jot down my questions during the first reading so that I can watch out for them when I do a second detailed reading or to get the gist of the books?
– arguably the gist, the overview, a clear overall picture of the content of the books so that I can keep this background knowledge in mind and use it as the context in which I interpret and understand the individual minutae of my 2nd reading. But I will also couple it with asking my own questions so that I can seek to find the answers in my 2nd reading. This is so that I will further my personal understanding of the bible and it will lead to better application than if I just received a commentary’s view of the bible in a vacuum.

– Flexibility (in switching methods anytime halfway through my selected approach): the underlying principle
¬ I will bear in mind that my plan is not cast in stone and that the overall purpose is to better understand the bible so that I can apply it to my life. If at any time I find that my plan is not exactly the best and needs modification I am ready to abandon it and change it for something else

Problems!
– Time!
¬ I seem to only have sundays free for this
¬ intended duration of project?
– this ties in with the question of intended purpose: is this for addressing the more pressing problems of my life which need biblical guidance, or is this a lifelong project that is aimed at thorough biblical knowledge? I realised that my long-term goal is undoubtedly to do the latter, but in the short-term, I need some guiding principles to live, so I would say that the emphases for this project, which is meant to be short-term, is 1. practical, 2. theoretical. So it’s about garnering life principles, esp. Jesus’ life principles, biblical knowledge relating to that and the fundamental tenets of the faith.

Why study the Bible – proof quotes from the Bible itself

Why study the bible?
– 2 Timothy 3:14-17 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
– Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”
– 1 Timothy 4:16 “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”
– Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”
– Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”
– Psalm 119:97 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”
– Psalm 119:104 “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”
– Psalm 119:111 “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.”
– Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”
– Psalm 119:142 “… thy law is the truth”

Notes on Genesis: 1

NAME
Hebrew name for the first book of the Torah: Beresit:
- Named after the first few words of the Hebrew bible: in the beginning
Genesis, however, comes from the Septuagint version of the bible which is a greek version of the bible that was written about 300 years before Jesus Christ. From the Greek ‘genesios’, which means ‘account’ or ‘generations’, translation of the Hebrew word ‘toledot’, meaning generations. Use of this term in the book of Genesis is generally relating to the generations of old testament figures (‘and these were the generations of Noah…’)
DATE
The events date back to the beginning of the world. ‘Most evangelicals who take the Scriptures seriously believe that the earth is not much older than 10,000 years. They base this on the genealogies in Scripture (Gen. 5; 10; 11; et al.), which they understand to be “open” (i.e., not complete).’

WRITER

Controversial ever since Spinoza introduced high criticism – redactor theory that several writers contributed to the Pentateuch – JEDP – Jehovah, Elohim, Deuteronomic and Priestly versions.

For a classic rebuttal of this position, see Oswald T. Allis’ The Five Books of Moses
However evidence is conclusive, according to Dr Constable, that Moses wrote the Pentateuch if one believes Jesus spoke the truth when he attributed authorship to Moses in his referrals to the books (Matt. 19:8; Mark 7:10; Luke 18:29-31; 20:37; 24:27; John 7:19, 22; cf. Acts 15:1). Although he did not directly acknowledge the authorship of Moses but as the people of the day assumed so, they would have understood that any referral to the Pentateuch meant that Jesus attributed authorship to him.

“The Old Testament in its Context” in Theological Students’ Fellowship Bulletin
(1971-72), especially the sixth article, refuted “the fashionable myth” (p. 9) of the evolution of Israel’s
religion as proposed by Julius Wellhausen and his followers.

SCOPE
Beginning of the world -> Joseph’s death (about 2500 years)
The first part of the book (chapters 1-11) is more difficult to date than the other half (12-50).
Scope narrows as the book advances, highlighting the purpose of the book which is to tell of the history and to show God’s relationship with his chosen people.
PURPOSE
Genesis provides the historical background for the rest of the Bible and the Pentateuch. Chapters 1-11 (to the tower of Babel and the genealogy to Abram) provide the background necessary to understanding the Abrahamic covenant, and the rest of Genesis show how the Abrahamic Covenant underscores God’s dealing with people.

“The real theme of the Pentateuch is the selection of Israel from the
nations and its consecration to the service of God and His Laws in a
divinely appointed land. The central event in the development of this
theme is the divine covenant with Abraham and its . . . promise to make
his offspring into the people of God and to give them the land of Canaan
as an everlasting inheritance.” (Moses H. Segal, The Pentateuch: Its Composition and Its Authorship and Other Biblical Studies, p. 23.)

THEOLOGY

Hero of Genesis = God

Stories deal with the beginning of God’s chosen people under his sovereignty.

“In the unfolding of this grand program of God, Genesis introduces the reader to the nature of God as the sovereign Lord over the universe who will move heaven and earth to establish His will.’ (Ross, “Genesis,” p. 21.)

Moses’ aims:

- Twofold
Firstly, the ‘author intends to draw a line connecting the God of the Fathers and the God of the Sinai covenant with the God who created the world.’ (Sailhamer, p. 19.)

Secondly, he intends to show that the aim of the patriarchs was to see that God’s original creation purpose was established in the world.

This mixture explains why Genesis is different from the creation myths of Egypt and Mesopotamia as these cultures also wished to account for the existence and history of the early world:
‘the combination of such accounts with narratives about more recent
times testifies to an additional motivation. The aim of such works was to
give their readers—or to strengthen—a sense of national or ethnic identity,
particularly at a time when there was for some reason a degree of uncertainty or hesitation about this.’ (Whybray, pp. 36-37)

NOTES ON THE CREATION

The creation narrative is theocentric, not creation-centric.

The beginning is the beginning of the cosmos, and not of all things, according to Dr Constable:
- 2 interpretations of Genesis 1:1
- 1. Refers to the original act of creation, with the rest of the events on the following days of creation completing it
- 2. As a summary of the whole creation account from verse 3 to 33
- The second view is preferred, because heaven did not exist until the second day of creation (v. 8) and earth, the third (v. 10)
- Taking the second view does not mean that Genesis denies creation ex nihilo as seen in John 1:3, it only means that it does not affirm it
- However, creation ex nihilo can be inferred from the fact that the earth was described as being ‘formless and void’

‘In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth’. (Genesis 1:1)
- ‘heaven and… earth’: there is no one word in Hebrew for ‘universe’. The Hebrew word that is translated meant totality – God created everything.
- This verse is important because it contradicts six popular philosophies: Atheism, Pantheism, Polytheism (‘created’ is singular in the text), Radical Materialism (matter had a supernatural origin – emphasis on origin), Evolutionism, Fatalism (a personal God freely chose to create).

Back again, hopefully for long

I think of my long absences from this blog with a tinge of pain. This is supposed to be a lifelong project. After all, it’s a learning journey. My second, subsidiary one, alongside my major, be it studies or, in future, work.

So I am glad that I’m attempting a comeback.

I say hopefully for long, because I don’t know how much energy and more importantly, willpower, I have to complete this project. I also doubt the urgency of it and may abandon or water it down as I see things more clearly in the future.

The project that I’m embarking on is one that I’ve been taking for a long time, which is to read the bible thoroughly. I mean critically. I return with renewed fervour because I think I have been shown a source that can supply me what will meet my needs.

Now I need sustenance.

Following I will endeavour to post whatever I have gleaned as a record for myself and for any who may wish to benefit from this experience. My next entry will deal with my notes on Dr Constable’s Notes on Genesis.