By word and deed, God makes himself known to us. Divine Revelation is the story of Gods saving acts in human history. Salvation history is the story of.

By word and deed, God makes himself known to us. Divine

Revelation is the story of God’s saving acts in human history.

Salvation history is the story of God’s saving love for his people.

From the time of our creation, God has shown us his goodness and love

for us.

Ultimate Revelation is Jesus

•PATRIARCHS

Abraham• Name was Abram• Semitic nomad from near east• Wife-Sarai• God asks Abram to leave home and move• Promises to make a great nation of him• Abram moves with Lot (nephew) to Canaan• Abram and Sarai had no children

– Children were seen as a blessing• God reassured they would but Sarai is “old”• Hagar (servant of Sarai) bears a child with AbramIsmael• God speaks to Abram and Sarai-COVENANT

– Changes names to Abraham and Sarah– Promises Abraham he will be the Father of Nations– Promises Sarah a son

Isaac

• Wife is Rebekah • Have 2 sons: Esau and Jacob• Jacob steals the blessing of Isaac thus

becoming the next patriarch

Jacob

• Marries Leah and Rachel• Has 12 sons• God speaks in dreams– Renew the covenant– Changes his name to Israel• Israelites

Jacob’s sons• Favorite son is Joseph• Joseph can interpret dreams• His brothers are jealous• Sell him as a slave• He rises in power to become the 2nd in command

to Pharaoh• Brothers go to Egypt for food• Joseph tests and forgives them• Jacob moves to Egypt• Israelites are now in Egypt where Pharaoh

eventually enslaves them

Patriarchs continued

• Old testament patriarchs

• Apostles and Church Fathers

• Mistakes can be transformed• Embodiment of beauty and darkness of

humanity

EXODUS

The Story of Moses

Exodus

• Epic journey• Recalls the enslavement of Israelites• Answers the ultimate question: Who is God?• 4 Themes– Liberation– Law– Covenant– Presence

Exodus beginnings

• Pharaoh sees the number of Israelites increasing as a threat

• Orders enslavement—harsh and inhumane• Orders death of male Israelite babies• Moses- “Drawn from the water”• Raised by Pharaoh’s daughter as Egyptian

prince• But Moses is Israelite by birth

Moses –Early Adult

• Moses sees an Egyptian strike a slave• Moses strikes and kills the slave and hides

the body• Flees for Midian• Marries Zipporah (daughter of Revel)

Call of Moses• God calls from a burning bush he has

heard the cries of Israelites--Theophany• Identifies self as “I am who am”• Moses resists 5 times• Aaron assists Moses• Moses and Aaron go to pharaoh• “Let my people go”• Pharaoh is angry and orders harsher

treatment

Plagues• Moses confronts Pharaoh again• Turns his staff to a snake• Pharaoh will not give in• Plague begin– 10– 1st water to blood– Last death of first born

Plagues• Show the power of god• Each plague was connected with Egyptian

gods• Yahweh is only god• Water to blood -Boils• Frogs -Hail• Gnats -Locust• Flies -Darkness• Pestilence -Death

Passover• 1 year old lamb (passover/Pascal lamb)• Blood on doorposts and lintel• Roasted lamb + unleavened bread + bitter herbs• Angel of death passed over Israelites• Commanded to celebrate Passover every year as a

reminder• Jesus was celebrating Passover at Last Supper

Israel is saved from death Jesus sacrifices and saves us from eternal death

“Old” Pascal lamb “New” Pascal lambWe celebrate each week with Eucharist

10th Plague• Each house of Israel is marked• Pharaoh is grief-stricken• Relents and lets Israelites go• Changes his mind and pursues Israelites after he

lets them go• Moses stretches out his hand at the Red Sea for

Israelites to cross-water flows back on the Egyptians

• Story about God keeping promises even if all appears hopeless

Into the Desert

• Took with them only what they could carry• Took the bones of Joseph—to bury in the

promised land

• Led by– Pillar of cloud by day– Pillar of fire by night

In the Desert• Land of uncertainty• Food and water were scarce• Natives were unwelcomed• Israel forgot God’s liberation and promises• Question God and complain• Moses calls out• God sends manna and water• Israel still questions

10 commandments

• Mount Sinai--Decalogue• Pivotal scene in Exodus epic• Moses goes up the mountain• God declares he is their God—one of fidelity, justice and

love• God reminds Moses of the covenant of Abraham• God promises Israel will be God’s special possession—a

kingdom of priests, a holy nation• Israel must live according to the law• Inherit the promised land

10 commandments

• After 3 days Moses is given the 10 commandments• 10 norms to summarize the Law of the Torah• Commandments– Tell us how to live– Give a framework for a just society– Teach how to live with God– Heart of commandments is reverence (God, self and

neighbor)• Moses delivers 10 commandments/ Jesus gives a

new law with Sermon on the Mount

• Books of Wisdom– Proverbs– Job– Ecclesiastes (Qoheleth)– Sirach (Ecclesiasticus)– Wisdom of Solomon– Psalms– Song of Songs– Tobit– Baruch– (9 books total)

• Writing flourished• Contains maxims of good vs. evil/ virtues• Sages (wise teachers)-adapted, goal was to inspire moral

integrity• Promote obedience to the divinely established moral order

=Happiness• God is the source of all wisdom• Speaks of wholeness, integrity and sin as disintegration• Writing styles-different types of poetry• Most are attributed to Solomon (-psalms)

• Some were in Solomon’s monarchy—scribes in royal court collected and wrote down

• Most written after the B. exile• Intended to instruct the young• Taught a virtuous life= success and

prosperity / no hint of after life• Practical wisdom—wise sayings

The Story of JobWHY DO GOOD MEN SUFFER?

• Mentality of the Babylonian exile (reward if good) is being questioned

• Dilemma is known as “problem of evil”• Reasoned wasn’t always true: (good people get sick and are

in poverty, and evil people have lots)• No belief in after life: (Rewards and punishments were in this life)• Poetic style @ virtuous man—• Loses everything—asks Why? • His friends insist Job’s sin was the reasons for his misfortune,

that he must pray and repent and all would be well again.• Job defends his life—He feels the absence of God

The Story of Job• God is silent through Jobs questions (37 chapters)—• Satan (adversary) not devil, a heavenly prosecutor whose job is to test

the genuineness of human virtue• Discourse-- God reminds Job that God is creator and sustains

existence. Transformation takes place• Job is humbled and awed admits the mystery of life is too big to

understand God’s wisdom is far beyond him.• Book of Job did not answer why people suffer • Establishes that it is not a punishment, it leaves us with a sense

of humility: some things we just cannot grasp. • We cannot rationalize evil in the world, instead we must trust

God is in charge and loves and cares for us.• The ultimate message of this book is that even in the darkest

moments, God is in charge, loving and caring for us through it all

Ecclesiastes (or Qoheleth)Is Life lived in vain? Is there meaning to life?

• Written by a sage on the time of Greek rule of Jews• Questioned • no concept of after-life• Appears pessimistic—Why?• Could have written this way to challenge students• nothing makes a difference—we are born—we die and are

forgotten // then Eccl 3 is written there is a time…• Conclusion: All things are rewarded for the righteous and

punishment for the wicked will be accomplished but in God’s time and we cannot understand it.

• Trust in God/Enjoy what God gives in life/ Everything has a proper time

Wisdom (Wisdom of Solomon)

What is our Final Destiny?• Author-scholarly Jew in Alexandria, Egypt @ 100BCE -(most

recent writings of OT)• Written to preserve Jewish faith and heritage• Struggled with problem of evil• Refused to accept reward for good and punishment for evil

in this life (re: he lived in a time where virtuous Jews were tortured and put to death for refusing to give up their faith)

• Believed the answer was not in this life-death wasn’t end• Our destiny = life forever with God• Greek culture influenced this: Greeks believed in a soul • Jews believed the person was whole (inseparable) • Beginning of possibility of life beyond death• Message: keep faith

Psalms

• 1000-300 B.C.E• Attributed to David

(@1/2)but most likely not David

• Used in worship• Sung• Liturgy of the hours• Poetry-format• Concrete language• 150

• Very honest and trusting

• Told of Israel’s relationship with God

• About their sorrows and joys

• Types– Lament—need help or

disconnect with God– Thanksgiving—about

God’s amazing actions– Praise—God is creator

ProphetsWhat Is a Prophet?

• Have a special connection with God and understand his desire; crafted and proclaimed theirexhortations to their community

• Not necessarily someone who could tell the future

Prophets and God’s Covenant

• At the heart of the message of the biblical prophets is a return to following God’s Covenant. – It was not necessarily a return to the

“exact same” practices of the people as in prior days when they were faithful to the Covenant.

– The message included a continued honoring of the principles of the Covenant, which were laws that fostered communal identity and practices that brought about God’s desire for peace; justice; human dignity; respect for creation; love of God, neighbor, and self; liberation from sin and bondage; and much more.

– This was to be done in “new” ways based on the ways the community had grown and matured over time.

God creates or enters into a Covenant and it is good.

Humanity falls into idolatry, resulting in

disease, war, and grief.

God sends teachers, kings, prophets, or others who lead the

people to repentance.

The people return to following the Covenant.

Peace and God’s healing return to the people.

Prophets and the Cycle of Redemption

What Do Prophets Have in Common?

• They understood that God wanted his People to come back to him with their whole selves.

• They lived good, moral lives themselves.

• They obeyed God.• They knew that God wanted his

People to treat ALL people with justice.

How have modern prophets also shown these characteristics?

Prophetic Literature • Each book is story and speeches of prophet for

which it is named• Major/minor = is determined by length of boo• Uses anthologies of sayings/ sermons/ poetry/

and images (of good taste then, might not be now)

• Prophesy must be taken historically to understand its messages

• Written before, during and after the Exile• We are called to be prophets to one another –

challenge and encouragement

• Isaiah –has a messianic message– predicts the coming of another king to replace this current evil one

(Messiah)– A young woman (virgin) will bear a son named Immanuel (God with

us)– Called wonderful-counselor, God-Hero, Father-forever and Prince of

Peace – He will be the greatest of all kings from the stump of Jesse– He will lead the people to a time of peace symbolized by contented

friendship of natural enemies, like wolf and lamb, calf and lion– People are invited to prepare their hearts, where creation can bow to

Immanuel

The Book of Isaiah

• Message of Ezekiel– The Nature of God• God is glorious and awesome• God is Holy• God is powerful in every place, not just Jerusalem• God is powerful over all nations• God is just• God guides and directs his people• God acts in order that people might know him• God cares for his people like a good shepherd• God gives new life

The Persian Period

Israel’sRestoration

The Persian Period

• The Exile – Endings –

• The first Temple• The Davidic monarch• Idolatry

– Beginnings – • Oral tradition is written down • Rabbis (teachers) /Scribes (interpreters) • Aramaic –language• Second Temple built• New zeal from the people • greater emphasis on correct forms of worship • preservation of Jewish culture surfaced

The Persian Period

• The Babylonians – conquered by the Persians

• Cyrus the Great – proclamation in Babylon telling all the previously

conquered peoples by the Babylonians (including the Jews) to go home to their native lands in 538 B.C.

• Only 40,000 Jews returned to Jerusalem

The Persian Period

• Babylon – capital city – many amenities – Jews became quite wealthy, especially in banking– did not want to leave

• Egypt and Persia – doing well for themselves – most of them did not return to Jerusalem

• Jewish populace – not tied to a geographic place by their faith

• Synagogues (meeting houses) developed• --a place for the Diaspora (dispersed Jews) to gather for

worship, prayer, and study of the scriptures• Worship became codified (rules)

The Persian Period

• Three major events occurred during this time of restoration– The Temple was rebuilt– The walls around Jerusalem were rebuilt– The Mosaic covenant was renewed with such fervor

The Persian Period

Nehemiah and Ezra

• Renewal of Judah – Nehemiah a governor – Ezra a priest

• They gave a sense of boundaries of Judaism and therefore of the people’s own identity, who they were as Jews

• In Jerusalem, under the reign of the tolerant Persian empire

• He loans money and grain to the poor without charge

• He has the Temple rebuilt, not in its huge luxury during the time of Solomon, but respectable for the people

• He calls the priests and Levites to serve after its consecration

• He orders – keep the Sabbath– do no shopping or trade– city gates closed on the Sabbath

• He wanted the Jews to have a clear identity undivided hearts

The Greeks and Maccabean Period

• The identity of Judaism established with Ezra and Nehemiah’s reforms

• Persians supported• Greek ruler Alexander the Great conquered the

Persian Empire in 330 B.C.• Greek Empire dominated Judea • periods of persecution tested the faith of the Jews

• Greek domination problems– harsh and powerful– torture and death for Jews if practiced their religion– allure of Greek lifestyle and way of thinking

(belief that human reason is more important than religious faith, the emphasis on the individual over the community, and an appealing culture of philosophy, drama, literature, science, architecture, and athletic games)

Apostate-one who renounces their faith• Greek language • young people did not learn Hebrew anymore• some of the later books of the Bible were originally written in

Greek because so many Jews did not understand Hebrew

• In the Maccabean mind, violent resistance was the only way left to keep their Jewish faith alive under such an oppressive empire

• By 164 B.C. the Jews take back control of the Jerusalem Temple and push the Greeks out of Judea so that the Hasmoneans can rule as kings for a short while until 63 B.C. when General Pompey of the Roman Empire conquers Judea

• The Jewish Feast of Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Temple after the Greeks had defiled it