7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/royal-expectations-in-genesis-to-kings-their-importance-for-biblical-theology 1/23 ROYAL EXPECTATIONS IN GENESIS TO KINGS: THEIR IMPORTANCE FOR BIBLICAL THEOLOGY T. Desmond Alexander Summary This article explores two related issues in Biblical Theology: (a) the relationship between the testaments, and (b) the New Testament belief that Jesus Christ fulfils Old Testament expectations concerning a divinely appointed royal saviour or messiah. These issues are discussed from the perspective of the books of Genesis to Kings which, as a continuous narrative, form the backbone of the Old Testament. While many contemporary writers view these books as providing an account of Israels history (the reality of which is debated), a careful reading reveals that they are equally interested, if not more so, in the fulfilment of divine promises centred on a future king through whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. According to the New Testament, the realisation of these promises, foreshadowed in the Genesis-Kings narrative, comes through Jesus Christ. I. Introduction As an academic discipline Biblical Theology is especially interested in the organic unity of the writings which comprise the Old and New Testaments. This raises two important and closely related issues. First, there is the question of the relationship between the two testaments. David L. Baker outlines well the nature of this problem:
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7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
obsolete, or preserved as a relic from days of yore, or
treasured as a classic and read by scholars, or usedoccasionally as a change from the New Testament, or keptin a box in case it should be needed some day?Or is the OldTestament an essential part of the Christian Bible, withcontinuing validity and authority alongside the NewTestament?
1
Such questions highlight well the important and unresolved
issue of the relationship of the Old Testament to the NewTestament.
Second, fundamental to the New Testament
understanding of Jesus of Nazareth is the idea that he fulfils
Old Testament expectations regarding a divinely-appointed
royal saviour or messiah. While Christians, by definition, are
those who believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the messiah
predicted in the Old Testament, there has been a growingtendency since the eighteenth century to challenge the validity
of this claim. This trend, which may be traced back to the
writings of the Deist Anthony Collins,2
has depended heavily
on the observation that many of the supposedly messianic Old
Testament proof-texts quoted in the New Testament are not
messianic according to the 'plain meaning /
of the Hebrew text.
As a result there has arisen a substantial scholarly consensus (a)
that many Old Testament passages previously assumed to be
messianic actually relate to ordinary kings, and (b) that the
expectation of a future messiah originated first in the post-exilic
period, following the demise of the Davidic dynasty.3
In spite of these developments the Old Testament's
witness to the messiahship of Jesus continues to be an
important factor in defining the relationship between the
testaments. With some justification Baker includes 'Christology'
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
will be argued below that the content of these books is central
to understanding how the Old Testament witnesses to Christ.This also has important implications for the way in which we
should view the relationship between the testaments.
For the purpose of this study we shall adopt a
synchronic reading of Genesis to Kings. From the perspective of
their final redaction it is obvious that these books were
intended to be read as a unified narrative. This is apparent both
in terms of the overall picture provided, and of the way inwhich individual books are linked together. Viewed as a whole,
Genesis to Kings records selected events from the creation of
the earth to the demise of the Davidic monarchy at the time of
the Babylonian exile. Later books in the sequence presuppose
that the reader is already familiar with those that have gone
before. For example, the introductory verses of Exodus assume
that the reader is acquainted with the story of Joseph. Similarly,
references to the deaths of Moses and Joshua at the very start of
the books of Joshua and Judges respectively serve the purpose
of linking these books with those immediately preceding.5
Whatever the prior oral and/or literary history of these books
they have been deliberately linked together to form a
continuous narrative, and, on the basis of content and language,
we may with reasonable confidence assume that this material
was brought together in the exilic or early post-exilic period.6
For present purposes there is no need to determine a more
specific date for the final redaction of these books.
By adopting a synchronic reading of Genesis to Kings,
we avoid the necessity of unravelling the process by which
5To these examples many others could be added; see C. Houtman, 'The
Pentateuch', in A.S. van der Woude (ed.). TheWorld of theOld Testament BibleHandbook, Volume II (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989) 199.6F t d f f thi d ti b d li i ti id ti
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ALEXANDER: Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings 199
a general tendency to neglect the final form of Genesis in favour
of source- and form-critical approaches. When, however,Genesis is viewed as a literary unity, there can be little doubt
that it is especially interested in pointing towards the coming of
a unique king. Viewed against this background, the theme of
kingship in the books of Exodus to Kings takes on a new
dimension.
Although the promise of nationhood (i.e., land and
descendants) is a central feature of the patriarchal narratives in
Genesis, it is not the only promise highlighted. The Lord
instructs Abraham:
Leave your country, your people and your father'shousehold and go to the land I will show you, so that I maymake you into a great nation and bless you and make yourname great. Be a blessing, so that I may bless those whobless you, and curse the one who disdains you, and so thatall the families of the ground may be blessed through you(Gn. 12:1-3; my translation).
16
This statement falls naturally into two halves, each introduced
by an imperative. Whereas the first part focuses primarily on
the promise of nationhood, the second centres chiefly on the
blessing of others.17
The entire speech comes to a climax in the
16Two aspects of the translation adopted here require clarification. First,
the imperative form wehyeh ('be') in 12:2d is maintained. This is also theconclusion reached by L.A. Turner, Announcements of Plot in Genesis(JSOTSS 96; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1990) 53-55, who reviewsbriefly other possibilities. Second, special consideration has been given tothe fact that the imperatives 'go' and 'be a blessing' are both followed bycohortatives. In such contexts the cohortative normally expresses purpose
or result (cf. E. Kautzsch [ed.], Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar [Oxford:Clarendon, 1910] 320; S.R. Driver, A Treatise on the Use of the Tenses inHebrew [10th ed ; London: Methuen 1916] 64; P Joiion Grammaire de
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
statement: 'so that all the families of the ground may be blessed
through you/
18
The promise that Abraham will become a 'greatnation7 is probably best understood as part of God's plan to
bless all the families of the ground. The primary motive behind
the call of Abraham is God's intention to bless, rather than
curse, humanity.19 By commanding him to leave his homeland
and be a blessing, God places the onus on Abraham to obey in
order that the promises concerning nationhood and blessing
may be fulfilled.
As we have already observed the fulfilment of the
promise of nationhood is later guaranteed through the divine
covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 15. A further
covenant is introduced in Genesis 17.20 Most commentators,
unfortunately, tend to focus on the sign of the covenant,
circumcision, without noting that the essence of this covenant
lies in the promise that Abraham will be the 'father of many
nations' (17:4-5). Since this promise is later associated with
cursed. The priority of blessing over cursing is also underlined by the fivefold repetition of the verb 'to bless' in verses 2-3.18Wenham, Genesis 1-15, 278, comments, 'this clause brings the passage toa triumphant and universal conclusion'. There has been considerabledebate regarding the correct translation of the verb. Three possibilitiesexist: it may be translated as (a) a passive ('they will be blessed'); (b) amiddle ('they will find blessing'); or (c) a reflexive ('they will blessthemselves'). Since the earliest versions (LXX, Targum Onkelos, Vg; cf.Acts 3:25; Gal. 3:8) reflect the passive sense, that is the translation adoptedhere (cf. O.T. Allis, 'The Blessing of Abraham', PTR 25 [1927] 263-98; V.P.Hamilton, The Book of Genesis: Chapters 1-17 [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans1990]) 374-76.19On the importance of the promise of blessing, see V.P. Hamilton,'Genesis: Theology of, in W.A. VanGemeren (ed.). New International
Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1997) Vol. 4,667.20While the covenant of ch. 15 focuses primarily on nationhood (land anddescendants) the covenant in ch 17 highlights Abraham's special status as
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ALEXANDER: Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings 201
Sarah—'she will be the mother of nations' (17:16)—it is unlikely
that it includes the nations descended from Abraham throughhis relationships with Hagar (cf. 17:20) and Keturah (25:1-4).
The Old Testament, however, is remarkably silent concerning
the idea that Abraham would be the biological ancestor of
different nations. In the light of this, we should observe that the
word 'father' is sometimes 'used of a variety of social roles that
carried authority or exercised a protective or caring function. It
could be used of a prophet (2 Kgs 6:21), priest (Judg 18:19), king
(1 Sam 24:11), or governor (Isa 22:20-21).'21 By taking the word
in this non-biological sense, we may understand Genesis 17:4-5
as stating that Abraham will be the 'father of many nations' not
because these nations are his physical descendants but because
he will be for them a channel of divine blessing.22
As N.M.
Sarna observes, the phrase 'father of many nations' 'has a more
universal application in that a large segment of humanity looks
upon Abraham as its spiritual father.'23 In support of a non-biological understanding of 'father', it is noteworthy that
Abraham is instructed to circumcise those who are not his
offspring; this includes those born in his 'household or bought
with money from a foreigner' (Gn. 17:12-13). This suggests that
circumcision, and the covenant associated with it, was never
intended to be a sign of racial purity.24
Although all the male members of Abraham'shousehold are circumcised, including Ishmael, the Lord
emphasises that the covenant will be established with Isaac,
and him alone; Ishmael is specifically excluded in spite of being
21C.J.H. Wright, '3K', inNIDOTTE,Vol. 1,221.
22This understanding of 'father' is probably reflected in the unusual
comment that Joseph 'was father to Pharaoh' (45:8). Furthermore, whenGod blesses Jacob in 35:11, echoing an earlier blessing by Isaac upon Jacob(28 3) di ti ti i d b t ' ti ' d ' it f
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
circumcised.25 This introduces an important distinction
between those who may enjoy the benefits of this covenant andthose through whom the covenant will be established. Whereas
the former includes all who are circumcised, the latter appears
to be restricted to a single line of descendants. On this I shall
have more to say below.
The Abraham narrative moves towards an important
climax in Genesis 22. After testing Abraham's obedience by
demanding that he sacrifice his much loved son Isaac, the
episode concludes with a divine oath (Gn. 22:16-18). This
speech corresponds closely with the initial divine speech in
Genesis 12:1-3, and taken together they frame the main section
of the Abraham narrative.26 This oath possibly also marks the
ratification of the covenant announced in Genesis 17.27 As it
stands the Lord's proclamation to Abraham falls into two
distinctive parts; whereas the first half affirms that Abraham's
'seed' will become very numerous, the second half asserts thatAbraham's 'seed' will defeat his enemies and mediate blessing
to the nations of the earth. While each half of the oath refers to
'seed', syntactical considerations strongly suggest that in the
25Cf Gn. 21:12. A similar pattern may be observed concerning Esau and
Jacob. The covenant is established with Jacob, but not Esau. The
importance of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as successive recipients of thedivine promises is reflected in the way they are mentioned together inlater passages.26Three factors suggest that Gn. 22:20-29:11 forms an appendix to the mainAbraham narrative. First, genealogies are frequently used in Genesis toseparate narrative sections. Although 22:20-24 is short and does not followthe pattern of the main genealogies in Genesis, its contents are clearlygenealogical in nature. Second, the divine speeches in 12:1-3 and 22:15-18form an inclusio, framing chs. 12 to 22. While the speeches differ in their
terminology, they are remarkably similar in substance, and the divine oathin 22:15-18 forms a very fitting conclusion to the process started by the callof Abraham in 12:1 3 ( f R W L Moberly 'The Earliest Commentary on
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
ALEXANDER: Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings 203
second half, in contrast to the first, the term 'seed' denotes a
single descendant of Abraham.
28
In other words, God swearsthat the nations will be blessed through one of Abraham's
descendants rather than through all of them collectively.
Moreover, this individual descendant will be victorious over
his enemies.
This emphasis upon a single descendant takes on
special significance when viewed against the whole of Genesis.
As I have discussed elsewhere, several distinctive literary
features reveal that the book of Genesis traces the development
of a unique line of 'seed' beginning with Adam and ending
with Jacob/Israel and his twelve sons.29
One of these features is
the tôledôt formulae ('These are the generations of...')30
which,
in part, function like the lens on a zoom-camera by focusing
attention on a single individual and his immediate descendants.
Used in conjunction with the linear genealogies found in
Genesis 5 and 11, the tôledôt formulae enable the Genesisnarrative to follow the progress of a unique family line which
includes figures such as Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
Linked to the tôledôt formulae in terms of purpose is the
word 'seed' which is used in Genesis as a Leitwort', it occurs
throughout Genesis 59 times compared with 170 times in the
rest of the Old Testament. Genesis draws attention to theexistence of a distinctive line of 'seed' which begins with Seth,
the third born son to Adam and Eve (cf. Gn. 4:25), and
concludes with Perez, the son born as a result of Judah's
unusual relationship with Tamar (Gn. 38:27-29).31
Throughout
28C/. T.D. Alexander, 'Further Observations on the Term "Seed" in
Genesis', TynB 48 (1997) 363-67; this builds on J. Collins, Ά SyntacticalNote (Genesis 3:15): Is the Woman's Seed Singular or Plural?', TynB 48(1997) 139 48
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
Genesis, and especially in the patriarchal narratives, special
care is taken to establish the identity of the one through whom
this line of seed is traced; occasionally this results in the first
born son being passed over in favour of a younger sibling.32
When due attention is given to the tôledôt formulae and
the keyword 'seed', it becomes evident that the book of Genesis
in its final form anticipates the coming of a king through whom
God's blessing will be mediated to all the nations of the earth.
The coming of such an individual is first intimated in Genesis
3:14-15 when the Lord God says to the serpent:
Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wildanimals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dustall the days of your life. And I will put enmity between youand the woman, and between your offspring [seed] andhers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel(NIV).
Although modern trends in Old Testament scholarship have
led many writers to reject the idea that the 'seed of the woman'
refers to an individual, the case for such an interpretation
remains strong,33
especially if one takes into account J. Collin's
recent observations on the syntax of Genesis 3:15.34
9, and the subsequent account of Tamar's extraordinary actions in order tosecure the continuation of the line of 'seed', suggests that the birth of Perez is significant. This is possibly also indicated by the manner in whichPerez 'breaks out' of his mother's womb prior to his twin brother Zerah.32
Seth takes priority over Cain (Gn. 5:3), Isaac over Ishmael (Gn. 21:12);Jacob over Esau (Gn. 27:36).33
C/. T.D. Alexander, 'Messianic Ideology in the Book of Genesis', in P.E.Satterthwaite, R.S. Hess and G.J. Wenham (eds.), The Lord's Anointed:
Interpretation of Old Testament Messianic Texts (Grand Rapids/Carlisle:Baker/Paternoster, 1995) 27-32.34
Collins, Ά SyntacticalNote (Genesis 3:15)'. While Genesis 3:15 does not
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
testaments. This is especially so given its importance for the
concept of promise-fulfilment. Furthermore, by noting thecentrality of 'royal expectations' in Genesis to Kings, we are in amuch better position to understand how the Old Testamentfunctions as a witness to Christ.50
7/29/2019 Royal Expectations in Genesis to Kings: Their Importance for Biblical Theology
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