Old Testament Canon

1
Old Testament Canon

• Pentateuch/Torah
• Prophets
• Former Prophets Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel,
  1 and 2 Kings
• Latter Prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and
  the Twelve Minor Prophets
• Writings
• Psalms, Job, Proverbs
• Megilloth (Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes,
  Lamentations, and Esther)
• Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles

2
Prophecy in the Torah

• Individuals identified as prophets or in
  prophetic roles
• AbrahamGenesis 20prays for Abimelech
• MiriamExod 1520 music, dancing
• AaronExod 71 Moses like God to Pharaoh Aaron
  shall be your prophet

3
Prophetic activity

• 70 elders prophesied once Num 1125 (Yahweh
  took some of the spirit of Moses and put it on
  the elders)
• Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp
• Joshua My lord Moses, stop them!
• Moses Would that all Yahwehs people were
  prophets! (Num 1126-30).

4
Balaam Numbers 22-24

• Balak king of Moab hired him
• As a non Israelite, he nevertheless possessed
  Yahwehs word
• Blesses Israel though he had been hired to curse
  them
• A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter
  shall arise out of Israel 2417
• Counsels Israel at Baal Peor and is executed as
  a foreign diviner (Num 25 3116 Deut 233-6
  Josh 1322)
• Micah 65
• 2 Pet 215 Jude 11 Rev 214 all negative.

5
Eighth century inscription of Balaam, son of
Beor sees coming disaster and weeps. Balaam had a
vision of divine council, that had decided to
send a drought. Balaam prays to gods to reverse
their decision.
6
Moses in Numbers 12

• Aaron and Miriam complain about marriage of Moses
  to a Cushite
• Miriam and Aaron Has Yahweh spoken only through
  Moses?
• Yahweh I speak to prophets in a vision or
  dreams. With Moses I speak mouth to mouth.
• Why were you not afraid to speak against my
  servant Moses?

7
Moses as Prophet in Deuteronomy

• Yahweh will raise up a prophet (a line of
  prophets) like me. You shall listen to such
  prophets Deut 1815
• Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel
  like Moses, whom Yahweh knew face to face. He
  worked signs and wonders Deut 3410-12.

8
Eschatological prophet

• I will send you the prophet Elijah before the
  great and terrible day of Yahweh Mal 45

• Stones from contaminated altar stored until a
  prophet would arise 1 Macc 446
• Simon high priest forever or until a prophet
  would arise 1 Macc 1441
• Expected prophet at Qumran
• John the Baptist and Jesus as prophets

9
Moses in the Latter Prophets

• Hos 123 By a prophet Yahweh brought Israel up
  from Egypt
• Micah 64 I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and
  Miriam
• Jer 151 Though Moses and Samuel stand before me,
  yet my heart would not turn toward this people
  (prophet as intercessor)
• Isa 6311-12 The people remembered the days of
  Moses. Where is the one who caused his glorious
  arm to march at the right hand of Moses?
• Mal 44-5 Remember the teaching (Torah) of
  Moses.I will send you the prophet Elijah before
  the day of Yahweh comes.

10
Deuteronomistic History(Former Prophets)

• Deuteronomy 1-4, 29 30
• Joshua
• Judges
• 1 and 2 Samuel
• 1 and 2 Kings
• Final form mid sixth century during the exile
  (some also identify an earlier, pre-exilic
  edition)

11
Deuteronomistic Sermons

• Deuteronomy 4, 29
• Joshua 1 and 23 (24?)
• Judges 211-23 (introductory comments) 106-16
• 1 Samuel 12 (farewell speech)
• 1 Kings 8 (prayer of Solomon at the dedication of
  the temple)
• 2 Kings 17 (sermon on the fall of the Northern
  Kingdom)

12
Themes for this historian

• No other gods
• No sanctuary but the one in Jerusalem
• The promise to David in 2 Samuel 7
• A theodicy that explains why Jerusalem fell
• Yahweh will scatter you among the peoplesFrom
  there you will seek Yahweh and you will find him
  if you seek him with all your heart (Deut 427,
  29)
• The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but
  the revealed things belong to us and to our
  children forever, to observe all the words of the
  law. (Deut 2929)

13
Joshua

• All the promises about the land were fulfilled
  2143-45
• Joshua rehearses great events of the conquest
  233-5 248-13
• Joshua urged people to avoid worship of other
  gods 2316 2414, 20, 23
• Israel completely faithful during lifetime of
  Joshua Josh 2431 and Judg 27

14
Judges

• Israel sinned
• Was handed over to an enemy
• Cried to Yahweh
• Yahweh raised up a saving hero
• Land had rest
• Worship of other gods 212-13 106, 10, 13-14
• Climactic sin demanded king like the nations

15
Kingship and the Promise to David

• Saul rejected because of his own behavior (1
  Samuel 13 and 15) and because the people had
  chosen him 1 Sam 1219
• 2 Samuel 7 Oracle of Nathanunconditional promise
  to David. Conditional in 1 Kgs 23-4 825 94-5
• David a perfect man (only Moses, Joshua, and
  David are called Yahwehs servants) 1 Kgs 53-5
  (except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite!)
• 2 Kgs 2527-30 release of Jehoiachin from prison

16
North Israel

• Jeroboamsanctuaries at Bethel and Dan (1 Kgs
  1230 1334)
• The sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to sin
• AhabJezebel, prophets of Baal, built a temple
  for Baal
• Defeat by Assyria in 721 BCE
• Sermon on the fall of the north 2 Kgs 17

17
Southern Kingdom

• Rehoboam did more provocations than his fathers
  built high places
• Manasseh more evil than the Amorites built high
  places restored idolatrous practices after the
  reforms of his father Hezekiah altar for Baal
  and Asherah
• Good king Josiah who turned to Yahweh
• But after Manasseh it was too late 2 Kgs
  2326-27 243-4
• 597 and 587

18
Whispers of hope

• Turn! Deut 429-31 (a promise that Israel will
  turn/repent) and 301-10 (deliverance conditional
  upon turning/repenting) cycle in the book of
  Judges Solomons sermon at dedication of temple
  (1 Kgs 848-49)
• Promise to the ancestors Yahweh will not fail
  you or forget the covenant with your ancestors
  (Deut 431)
• Promise to David release of Jehoiachin
• The secret things and the things revealed