Lecture 26.docx

All right, we turn now from the Torah to the next major division of the Old Testament. And no matter what tradition you follow, everyone sees in some way a break and a movement from what is in the beginning to now the continuation of the Old Testament. Now, as opposed to the charts that you received...

All right, we turn now from the Torah to the next major division of the Old Testament. And no matter what tradition you follow, everyone sees in some way a break and a movement from what is in the beginning to now the continuation of the Old Testament. Now, as opposed to the charts that you received, I'm going to discuss this introduction to this next section of the Old Testament, following a more historical approach, what came first and what has come last, as far as the discussion in the later tradition is concerned. Alright, we'll take these in historical order. Of course you can see from my heading that I am going to proceed with the discussion following the very first classification that I give you which follows the Jewish Bible. And Luke chapter 24 verse 44, we've already looked at that passage, where Christ talks about everything in the... the law, the prophets, and the Psalms. The Psalms is the first book standing for the writings. Has to be fulfilled. Has been fulfilled. And repentance, the message of repentance, is going to be preached beginning from Jerusalem to all nations. Now that threefold division was not only enunciated by Jesus Christ, was not only the predominant tradition at the time of the first century, but we can trace it back all the way to approximately 190 BC. And this is important because that's right around the same time when the Septuagint was being translated from the Hebrew into the Greek, and with that translation they also changed the order of the books. So we know what the first two traditions were, the tradition that we find today in our Jewish Bibles. Now, in every tradition, well I shouldn't say that because in the 19th century the Torah was changed and was changed again by liberal scholars in the 20th century, but at least in our translation traditions, the Torah, Genesis through Deuteronomy. has always been a whole. But as with the book of Joshua, that things change. Well, these earliest two traditions of the canon, the Jewish canon, now calls the next division of the Old Testament the prophets, and divides the prophets between the former prophets and the latter prophets. And I've listed for you on the chart the former prophets. They're Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Now it's against this backdrop that the when the Greek translators translated the Old Testament after the Torah and so we would again believe somewhere around 200 to 150 BC. Is when this translation of this next part of the Hebrew Bible was made in the Septuagint and then coming down in the English Bible that after Deuteronomy, after the Torah, which is now called the Pentateuch, so we're now using a Greek expression, we talked about that as we introduce ourselves to the Torah, to the Pentateuch, that after the Pentateuch was complete, they then beginning with Joshua referred to the next part of the canon as the historical books. Now we still follow the same basic order as the Jewish canon for Joshua, Judges, but between Judges and Samuel was added Ruth, and then Samuel, Kings, and after Kings was added Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. And we're going to find out later that those works Ruth, Esther, Ezra Nehemiah, and Chronicles are part of the writings, the writings within the Jewish canon. So as you read the Septuagint and read the English Bible, no longer does it follow the order of the Jewish canon. Now very close if you just put a parenthesis around Ruth and that's what we're doing We're going to go through the the next four books in the order of Joshua followed by judges followed by Samuel followed by Kings now don't be the student is always one student Who who gives me their Ruth reading assignment at the end of judges? But they give the chapter titles themes Purpose for judges and then they add Ruth to that assignment Which will show me you weren't listening and what what I just said in this class we're going to go Joshua judges Samuel Kings and then Ruth will come afterwards and Besides you you want Ruth to go with Esther because that's where the points go on the assignment, so Just the word for the wise now I'm usually very very gracious. I remember you did Ruth at Judges and Added, you know when I get to the Assignment on Esther, but the fall very carefully what is on Jewel and and don't be the one who slips up Because you're reading along in your English and you forget where Ruth is supposed to go All right, so this is the the Septuagint and obviously as I said through then the Vulgate into the English This is the order that is followed in our English Bibles the Pentateuch followed by the historical books now these were really the the competing traditions until you get to the to the 19th century that apart the 18th beginning of the 19th century, but particularly in the 19th century and when now skeptics come to the Old Testament and Start to deny Mosaic authorship and once Mosaic authorship of the Torah of the Pentateuch is dismissed. Basically at that point scholarly discussion goes goes hither and yon and part of that discussion saw Joshua as a legitimate conclusion of what began in Genesis. he was talking about. And so Joshua was taken away from the former prophets, even taken in our traditional way from the historical books, and put as the sixth book of the Torah, or to use the term in Greek, now we have a hexateuch, not a five volume book, but a six volume book. Now again if you're not taking the Bible authority as far as its history is concerned, as far as the Torah being mosaic, then then this has some insights. There really is a sense in which Joshua is a conclusion of the Torah. Because the Torah ends in Deuteronomy with Israel, latter part of the numbers in Deuteronomy, with the second generation of Israel poised to go into the Promised Land. And the history of that second generation does not come to an end until the narrative in Joshua. So, we've already talked about the fact that historically there's a sense in which Numbers 26 begins a historical narrative that really is not completed until the end of the book of Joshua. This is the second generation of Israel. Alright, and so if Moses' authorship and Moses' death is not... taken into the equations the Bible says, then you can realize where, alright, we've got the same sources, the same editors that are responsible for Joshua and saw Joshua as a legitimate conclusion of what began in Genesis. And in a sense, historically, as I said, Paul away Moses in his death and there is a chat, a line of truth that there is a sense in which the narrative begun in Genesis does not end until you get to the end of Joshua. And then of course we move to the historical books which in their thinking are judges through kings and then depending whether influenced by the Hebrew or the Greek tradition is whether they'll include Ruth within that or not as far as the historical books are concerned. Predominantly Those who proposed the Hexatooth theory held to the essential Jewish order of judges, Samuel, and Kings. Now this was the dominant critical theory until the beginning of the 20th century. This is what emerged out of 19th century liberal study. And then because of a man by the name of Martin Knott. and his last name is N-O-T-H. But he turned this theory of the liberals around and said really, Joshua and after Joshua, judges through kings, actually has more in common with what is Deuteronomy. So, rather than adding Joshua to the Torah, Hexateuch theory, he subtracts Deuteronomy from the Torah. So now instead of a Hexateuch, you have a Tetrateuch. You have a four-volumed book. It basically comes to an end, at the end of Numbers, Numbers chapter 36, and then you have Deuteronomy. see the end of Numbers chapter 36, and Deuteronomy was viewed by what he called the Deuteronomic historians by the D documents in the JEDP when you get there in OTI. Don't worry about it now, you'll have plenty to worry about when you get to it in OTI. But what he saw was Deuteronomy as an introduction to Joshua through Kings. And in the same way there is a line of truth in the Hexateuch theory, there is also a line of truth in this Deuteronomic history theory proposed by Knott, which is now more predominant in liberal circles than is the Hexateuch theory. By and large, as you read, non-evangelical commentaries of the 20th and in the 21st century. They're going to see Deuteronomy as an introduction to what we call the former prophets, or at least the beginning historical books as far as the English canon is concerned. And so he saw Deuteronomy to kings, in other words the same, and he did not see one author, but the same school, the Deuteronomic school that was responsible for Deuteronomy. It was also responsible for Joshua through Kings as well. And where he is true is that there are a lot of echoes in Deuteronomy in the former prophets. But as I've said in our induction, Deuteronomy, there's a lot of Deuteronomic echoes not only in the rest of the former prophets, but there's going to be a lot of Deuteronomic echoes in the latter prophets, and parts of the writings and on into the New Testament. That as we said, as contemporary scholarship, both Orthodox and liberal today would say that Deuteronomy is really the keystone. It is the most important part of Scripture, that your understanding of Deuteronomy is key to understanding the rest of the Bible. Now we see it as the culmination of Moses' final speeches that were given to Israel. It culminates at... And brings to an end the Torah. And then as the Torah as being the foundation, alright, then we see that the rest of Scripture goes back to the Torah. But particularly many of those echoes of Torah go back to Moses' speeches that are recorded in Deuteronomy. And so kind of circle this, if you're going to get into non-evangelical commentaries, by the way. lexicons and grammars that are also predominantly written by liberals, sad to say, that you're going to find in the later works, in fact it's interesting from BDB, who are more influenced by the Hexateuch theory or the classic documentary approach and Hexateuch. Now we'll have you use, you know, a holidays lexicon on the Hebrew. And that has been more influenced by the Deuronomic history theory than it is by the Hexateuch theory. So you're going to get in, you're going to run into this, so you better be aware of it. As you get into your Hebrew tools, some of this theory is going to enter into their discussions. You can't use theological workbook of the Old Testament or... or TDOT, not Theological Warp, as in evangelical, Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, TDOT, and TDNT, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Kittle. You can't get into those multi-volumes without running into these theories again and again and again in their discussion of Hebrew terms. So be aware, but don't worry about this point. OTI will fill in a lot more details. this is just introducing you to understanding even the reading of commentaries from an evangelical point of view as well. Now in the last generation there has been a new movement which again also emphasizes what is in the Hebrew text and that is that As we begin Joshua and go through Joshua to judges, to Samuel, to kings, we note that each one of these books links what came previously, beginning with Joshua itself. And it came about and it happened after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord. What's presupposed of this point is, is that this text is continuing a narrative that was already existent. And in other words, the Hebrew is very clear at this point that there is an implication as you read it that this is not the beginning of the story. The beginning of the story of Joshua is not in Joshua chapter 1, the beginning of the story of Joshua, the beginning of the narrative of Joshua. Joshua's linking to the narrative that preceded it, a narrative which culminated with what? The death of Moses. Now it happened. It came about. Vov consecutive. Some of you Hebrew professors call it a wow. Wow was consecutive, vov consecutive if you pronounce it the right way. All right. That's what I was taught. And it came about. All right, it links. All right, and so there is a very definite linkage that goes back to what is in the Torah. And so this is speaking about the primary history, the narrative of Israel's history that begins in Genesis. By the way, the narrative of Israel's history begins with creation. All right, we've already seen that. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. That's where Israel's history begins. Because again, you have a narrative continuation that begins with creation, and the end of the Torah ends with the death of Moses, and then begins with Joshua's leadership and Joshua's leading Israel in conquest and distribution of the land, etc. And it is a narrative that goes all the way to the end of Kings, culminating with Israel in exile in 2 Kings chapter 25. Now this is referred to as the primary history, that is the first narrative of Israel's history. All right, so now you're going to do some thinking. If Genesis to Kings and again take out Ruth, Genesis to Kings is the primary history, the first history. What is the secondary history? There's a secondary history in the Old Testament. What is not in Genesis to Kings? What comes after Kings in our English Bibles? Chronicles, and what is Chronicles? There's going to be a lot of repeats. Now. It's going to use the means of genealogy to get you from, you know, basically Adam to Saul, and the major narrative individuals in Chronicles are going to be David and Solomon and the Davidic line when we get there. But certainly Chronicles begins with Adam, begins with creation. And by the way, it goes all the way to the exile and the end of the exile with Cyrus issuing the decree that Israel can go back, the Israelites can go back and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. So the Chronicles is viewed as the secondary history, the later history, the primary history beginning with Genesis going through Kings and depending upon which more broadly orthodox scholar you're reading is you know whether whether Moses is and they would all see a mosaic a nucleus that is in the Torah but how much it all goes back to Moses but ultimately shaped and and concluded and seen as a total narrative when Israel was in exile, of course when we get to Chronicles, at the very end of this course we're going to see Chronicles as post-exilic. So that Genesis to Kings is the exile generation looking back and seeing what their history says and of course leading to the expectation of a king that is in and comes obviously from Adam and Eve. It goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 3, this anticipation of a king that is going to come through Israel, through the tribe of Judah, through the family of David. And of course, that prepares you for the secondary history when we get to Chronicles. But you're going to see in later writings on what we call the historical books or former prophets. You're going to see certain authors talking about how this is a continuation and culmination of the primary history. And that's the reason I have to introduce it to you, because you're going to read and say what's he talking about? But what does he mean the primary history? Well, this is the primary history. The primary history is the first narrative of Israel's history that is given to us, and they would blend together. say that not only in what we call the Torah, but also in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, that we have historical material that goes back to Moses, goes back to Joshua, goes back to the Judges, goes back to David, and goes back to the Kings, Israel, and Judah, that has all been shaped and molded by a prophetic voice sometime in the exile, and that's what gives this continuity. Now, I don't think we need a human prophet in the exile to bring this continuity. I think they're hitting right on the fact of this continuity. But the continuity doesn't come from a prophet in the exile. I think the continuity comes from an individual called the Holy Spirit, who so directed the human authors, first Moses, and then, by the way, I don't necessarily see Joshua as the author of Joshua. Don't throw stones yet. Joshua's death is narrated at the end of Joshua. And obviously I don't see a judge in and of himself as being the author of judges. I think that also could arise during the time of Samuel. And Samuel definitely was not the author of Samuel. Because he dies in 1 Samuel 25. Now, he's really a prophet. If two-thirds of his book was written after his death. But again, it's historical narrative as someone looking back. And we refer to it within tradition as Samuel, because obviously he is the first major character in the book. But I don't know who the authors of Joshua, and Judges, and Samuel, and then Kings. Now, definitely Kings is written by an exilic prophet. It has to be because the last narratives are Israel in exile. The very last narrative is Jehoiakim being raised after the death of Nebuchadnezzar to a place of honor at the table of the new Babylonian king, Evo-Meridich. So certainly as a narrative it has to emerge out of the exile. We'll talk about this obviously as we get to these individual books. But with this... The concept of the primary history brings a very important clue and that is as you begin Joshua, you're not beginning a new narrative. Joshua just now continues a narrative already begun in the Torah. It is post Moses, it continues the story of the second generation and then the third generation. That narrative begins with the third generation as we get to the book of judges and on down as far as history is concerned and certainly as they talk about the royal expectation or can we put it this way, the messianic promise. This viewpoint does have some very important things to add to our understanding theologically. Draw a solid line. you know, between the Torah and between the former prophets. The former prophets link back to what is in the Torah. So here, as you read, you're going to run into these books as the former prophets, which I think is the best way to take it biblically, or historical books, or hexatube historical books, tetratube, Deuteronomic history. Of course when you get the Deuteronomic history, realize that by and large that's dealing with Joshua through kings. And at times in some of the new evangelical literature, you're going to see this referred to as the latter part of the primary history. So there you go, you should be ready to deal with anybody's nomenclature when it comes to this part of the Old Testament. Now when we say former prophets, Former prophets in contrast to what? And that is to the latter prophets. Again, with the chart, alright, just as we have four former prophets, in the prophets we have four latter prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, no lamentations. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and then we have the latter prophets. Ezekiel, no Daniel, and the 12 are what we refer to as the minor prophets from Hosea through Malachi. And the providentially in our canon Hosea through Malachi, just like the Torah, is in the same order as the Jewish canon. So you can begin reading Hosea 1 all the way through Malachi 4, and you are reading the same text. and hearing the same text as a Jewish individual would, but they would call that not, you know, the 12 minor prophets, they would call that the book of the 12. And again, we're going to talk about that when we get to 502. But what is this distinction between the former prophets and the latter prophets? Stan from the Jewish canon, there is a important link. between the two, they're all part of the prophets. But the former prophets give a continuous history of Israel in the land through the eyes of the prophets. So God has chosen four anonymous prophets, I don't know who they are. To be the ones who compile and bring together in the way that we have these four books, they are prophets. and just like the Torah, there is a lot about Israel's history that is missing in the form of prophets. Everything you want to know about Israel and Judah's history is not in these books. Everything has been chosen by the Holy Spirit to not just give us an understanding of the flow of Israel's history, but more importantly, it's theological interpretation. It is interpreted history. And of course, there is no other kind of historical record. Only every historical record deletes certain events. No historical record can record everything that took place. And so an author has made decisions. you know, to highlight certain aspects of history and the prophets of Israel and Judah were no different. They highlight, directed by the Holy Spirit, certain key events and speeches that are vital for us not only to understand the events but also to understand the meaning of the events that have taken place. And particularly because their prophets... following in the train of Moses, they're going to have a basic mosaic understanding of the events that took place in Israel's history. And the former prophets, along with the Torah, then lay this foundation, this narrative foundation for the latter prophets, who are going to indict the law-breaking of Israel and Judah but also predict Yahweh's future restoration of Israel. And we'll look at that in 5.02. That you want to know well the Torah and know well the former prophets because through that you learn the history that is foundational to what the latter prophets are saying, but more importantly you also know the interpretation, the theological understanding of that history, which is vital to understand what the prophets are saying and why. So one of your greatest interpretive challenges in the Old Testament is interpreting the latter prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel the 12th, and to interpret them aright. It means a good understanding of Torah and the former prophets. So the former prophets, as it were, are the prophets looking back and explaining what has taken place in Israel's history from God's perspective. The latter prophets build upon that past and the present they are speaking concerning and will. latter prophets also look ahead to what God is going to do for his people in the future. So the importance of the former prophets. Once again gentlemen particularly the latter prophets and even into the New Testament that your understanding is key to understanding what is in these books. They're not quite as vital as the Torah, but almost. I guess I could put it this way, they are theologically secondary to the Torah. Because really everything you need to know for the rest of the scripture is in the Torah, but they add important details both historically and theologically that will start to fill in details that are in the Torah that prepare you for what is in the rest of the canon and particularly the latter prophets. Well, very, very quickly, because no one really disputes the themes. If we isolate these former prophets, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, and we read through them, what are some of the themes that emerge? Well, once again, the individual who is at the beginning of the former prophets and the end of the former prophets, just like the Torah, is Yahweh. Yahweh is the first one to speak. In Joshua the Lord spoke to Joshua saying, and so Moses is dead but Yahweh continues to speak. Just as in the the Thor, it is interesting that even the Thor began with God speaking in Genesis chapter 1. The former prophets begin with Yahweh speaking. God. And of course throughout the prophets Yahweh will continue to speak. And definitely as we get into Samuel and Kings he will speak specifically to Israel and Judah through his prophets just as he did with Moses previously. And he reinitiates that with Samuel in 1 Samuel particularly chapter 3. and then with his prophetic voices will continue to speak. But here he comes directly at the Joshua the same way that he did with Moses because Joshua is taking the place of Moses. Moses is dead. Now Joshua is going to fulfill what God had originally designated for Moses in Exodus chapter 3 to lead the people to the conquest of the land. So it just says He had spoken to Moses, he speaks to Joshua, but Yahweh is the presence throughout the former prophets. And I list as you go through the former prophets, you see particularly three attributes, three characteristics of Yahweh that are emphasized. First of all, he is the mighty warrior. He is the mighty warrior. And we're going to see this again and again. In fact, every victory of Israel is going to be attributed to whom? In the former prophets. Ultimately to Yahweh. Israel is victorious because Yahweh is with them. Yahweh gives them victory. And when Israel loses, it's because Yahweh is not with them. And Yahweh does not give them victory. So. You can chalk it up. If Israel wins, Yahweh is with them. If Israel loses, Yahweh is not. He is the mighty warrior. He is also the righteous judge. In fact, this emerges in Joshua chapter 7 with the sin of Achan. Yahweh gave them victory at Jericho chapter 6. He's the general who takes over at the end of chapter 5 of Joshua. And in chapter 7, Joshua just very quickly sends a meager force to go take Ahi. They are defeated, and they're defeated because they're sent into camp. So the mighty warrior is also the righteous judge. In fact, that becomes illustrative, paradigmic of what's going to take place in the form of prophets. And that is when God doesn't give victory, it's because he is righteously judging his people because of their sin. And so he is the Lord who blesses for obedience and brings curses when there is disobedience. This is the application of Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy chapter 28, seen in Israel's history. So, here is Yahweh, the supreme warrior, the supreme sovereign commander of the armies of Israel, but the one who is also the righteous judge, and as the righteous judge, the one who will bless for obedience because he knows the heart of his people and will bring calamity. Will bring curses when there is disobedience. And these too will be held in tension as you go through the former prophets. God is the mighty warrior, but he is also the righteous judge. Finally in the latter prophets we are introduced to the concept of kingship. We're introduced to a king, and Joshua too. It was told the king of Jericho saying, as Israel begins its experience in the land, it comes into contact with... Kings all right go back to Deuteronomy chapter 17 Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse 14 When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you and you possess it and live in it and you say I Will set a king over me like the nations who are around me. The Lord says that your desire for a king is going to come about because of all these nations that are around you that have kings. They have kings. We desire a king. And so as they begin the conquest Alright, and Joshua sends spies to Jericho Immediately the king of Jericho hears about it Go to Joshua chapter 12. It's interesting when we have a summarization of the conquest Joshua summarizes By speaking of 1224 the 31 kings that Israel defeated in the land All right, so in chapter 2 through chapter 12 we see how Israel keeps coming into contact with kings And what begins in chapter 2 obviously You Even during the book of Judges, the stable will be made at the end of the book. Every man did what was right in his own eyes. Why? Because there was no king in Israel. So this concept of kingship and the introduction of this... of this concept of kingship in Deuteronomy chapter 17. It's foundational then beginning in Joshua and Judges and into Samuel of Israel being and coming into contact with nations who have kings. And how this was of the Lord. That there be a king in Israel. Now it is significance. If you go back to Deuteronomy 17, that part of the responsibility of a king, when he, human king, when he rules in Israel, is to make a copy of the Torah and read it and meditate upon it day and night. It is significant that when Yahweh comes to Joshua, and instructs and exhorts him in his new role as leader replacing Moses. It is interesting that he tells him in verse 7 of Joshua chapter 1, be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you, do not turn from it to the right or to the left. You are to Act toward the Torah as a king. And verse 8, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night. So you're careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success. And as we think in terms of this book of the law, the law which Moses my servant commanded you. Don't turn away, obey, meditate upon it, follow it. Then you'll have a prosperous way, then you'll have success. You are hearing echoes of Deuteronomy 17 in those words that Yahweh is speaking to Joshua. Now this is not Yahweh installing Joshua as the king. He's in the wrong tribe. It's from the tribe of Ephraim. There's no way that Joshua is and... You know, we know from the Torah that he can't be the king. Wrong tribe. But significantly, as he becomes the leader of Israel, he is going to be king-like. He's going to be a general. He's going to lead Israel into battle. In fact, it's very, very interesting. He's going to be exactly what Israel is going to demand of the Lord when we get to 1 Samuel chapter 8. Joshua is already a prototype of what they were looking for as far as a king is concerned. So really, it is significant that in Joshua, as we begin the former prophets, we already have a prototype. We already have a model of what a king in Israel should look like as far as his theological foundation is concerned. He should be a king. He should be an individual who reflects a brother, who reflects a fellow Israelite, that is patterned after Deuteronomy chapter 17. But ultimately, though he is the model, God's choice is going to be David. And we're going to see how David, in just a few minutes, is front and center. His narrative is the heart of... the other former prophets. He is God's choice. And significantly there's particular emphasis given in the former prophets on the cities that are associated with the kings of Israel. Now before David, God gave to Israel Saul. And Saul comes from Gibeah. And David was born in Bethlehem. Both of these towns are introduced in Joshua. By the way, both play important roles in narratives in judges, particularly the narrative, as you can see, of Judges chapter 19. It's going to be significant that of all the stories the Holy Spirit could lead the author of Judges to write about, He's going to write about a man. Who interacts with Bethlehem and Gibeah. And that will give us some pre-Kingly, pre-Samuel book insight into those towns. Also a particular significant role is played by the ultimate city of David from which he is going to rule which is Jerusalem. And the Jerusalem is introduced to us again early in Joshua Joshua chapter 10 part of the Southern Confederacy and Again, we're going to find out about Jerusalem that ultimately is taken and becomes the city the city of God's choice of Deuteronomy chapter 12 Throughout these books too we're going to be looking at important characters who are referred to as servants of Yahweh, servants of the Lord. This is the way Moses is introduced in Joshua 1. It is the way Joshua is going to be referred to as he dies and as his legacy lives. in Israel in Judges chapter 2, verse 8. David will be a third servant of the Lord. And the nice thing is he doesn't have to die before he's referred to as a servant of the Lord. Moses had to die, then he's the servant of the Lord. Joshua dies, he's the servant of the Lord. David gets to be called servant of the Lord while he's still alive. And so the two of the prophets. Elijah. And Jonah, significantly both prophets from and to the north, the northern kingdom, after the split of the two. So, the centrality of Yahweh, the important theme of kingship, and then particularly the servants of the Lord. Moses, Joshua, David. And the prophets and by the way second Kings chapter 17 I didn't put it down there because it's no specific individual But it's it's where Yahweh speaks about the prophets the prophets who bring his message To Judah and Israel as being his servants my servants the prophets So so it's interesting who who is seen as servants. You know within the former prophets Moses Joshua David and the prophets. So this is already preparing us for the important role the prophets will play in the former prophets, particularly in the latter part of the former prophets, which gets us ready for the importance of the prophets in the latter prophets. The scholars have seen two basic purposes as far as the former prophets. We've already stated both. Number one, Israel received Yahweh's blessings as long and only as long as you remain faithful to the stipulation of the Mosaic covenant, echoing of Deuteronomy chapter 28. When they obeyed, God blessed. When they disobeyed, God brought. the curses of the covenants. And just as Moses had predicted, Israel failed to obey Yahweh both before the monarchy and under the monarchy. The monarchy made no difference. Yet Yahweh was a loyal covenant partner. He was faithful and provided for their every need, including leaders. Leaders that they ultimately failed to. obey but After deuteronomy 31 wouldn't you expect that? What did Moses say? This is you rebel while I've been with you once I'm gone You'll rebel even more And even though God would raise up other godly leaders and prophets Like unto Moses Israel would refuse to listen in fact that statement in 2nd Kings chapter 17 when we get there he sent them prophets, but But the people refused to listen to them, refused to hearken to them, to obey them. And so what Moses predicted is exactly what took place. Now we get a literary structure of the prophets. The first thing to notice is that every one of these books follows the same basic pattern. Each one of these books, these four books, begins with a notation or implication of death. In Joshua 1, Moses is dead. In Judges 1, Joshua is dead. In 1 Samuel 1, 1 implied, we'll see this in the terminology, Samson is dead. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. In the next video, we'll see how to write a new book. And when we get the first Kings 1 1 David is senile and dying And we see how David therefore makes preparations for the events that are going to take place after his death These books don't begin on a very positive note Each book reminds us of death and death reminds us of what? Disobedience. Moses was basically faithful, but he dies because of what? His rebellion against the Lord. Joshua, by and large, is faithful. But we still have Joshua 7, Joshua 9, and Joshua 9. Joshua does not act in complete obedience to Yahweh and pays the price. Samson, well he dies being used of the Lord, but what's his life like and that's the pattern of the judges. They're not models of consistent faithfulness and obedience to Yahweh. Now what about David? We get to David, yes he's going to be a man of Torah, he's going to be a man, he's going to be a servant of the Lord, he follows the Lord, but he's also a man of disobedience. Disobey is the very Torah that he loves. So each one of these books will end with a reminder. Of the best of men are men at best. They are not the Lord and ultimately none of these individuals are the ultimate Lord's anointed one. And so with this notation of death being the shadow hanging over these books, we have the extended narrative. And the narratives of all the books are going to be blends of success and failure, because they're blends of obedience and disobedience. Of Israel's leaders and the people, both at times following Yahweh and at other times. rebelling against him, disobeying him. And significantly each one of these books after the extended narrative of a blend of obedience and disobedience, failure, success and failure, each one will have an epilogue, last three chapters of Joshua, which predominantly are going to be a dialogue. In the event in chapter 22 basically is that what we're going to do about this. And then what was done? Judges 17 to 21 two great narratives Did emerge out of the third generation of Israel that shows that the very very early the tone was set For Israel's depravity and abominable behavior during the period of the judges idolatry and immorality Which should dominate the narrative are seen within these these two narratives. Second Samuel 21 to 24 is going to give narratives non- chronologically highlighting aspects insights into David's rule. And significantly the last narrative of second Samuel 24 is going to be David's sin of pride and numbering his army. By the way the only sin the chronicler is going to bring up. concerning David. That we think of what took place with Bathsheba as being, you know, an insight into David's character, and it was, but a greater insight into David's character in 2 Samuel 24, his pride, his hubris, his only not being willing to trust Yahweh, but in the numbers of his army. How does that compare to Deuteronomy chapter 17? And then 2 Kings 25, the continued rebellion of the Judeans left in the land, yet there is still hope because at the very end of the book the Davidic King, the Davidic dynasty lives and is honored. There is still future hope because the Davidic dynasty survives. By the way, that is a key echoing in our ears. because you go right from kings into Isaiah and the latter prophets. Now if we were to take the former prophets as a whole, and though I think there are four distinct books, we're not looking at a four volume book like the Torah, which was one literary whole, we do see as we talked about the Lincoln's. Not only the Lincoln's and Joshua back to the Torah, but the linkage that reminds us that even though we're reading four separate accounts, these four accounts are to be linked. You are reading one narrative. Now it is significance that this narrative begins with the conquest in 1406 BC and ends 820 years later, 586 BC. jump ahead a number of years past after the very end of the second kings but as far as as the the history of Israel the conquest and the loss of the land and you can see the book begins with taking the land and these four books and the former prophets with the exile from the land losing land gaining the land losing the land there it is that's the that's the narrative they got it they lost it And it took 820 years. By the way, that's God's grace. If you or I were God, they would have lost it a lot earlier than that. 820 years. And right in the midst of those 820 years, historically, is David, who reigns for 40 years from 1010 to 970 BC. So you you take those 410 years right in the middle All right, you had the 410 to 1406 BC and you come right into well Just when David is acclaimed king by all 12 tribes Then all three They say and early on takes to Jerusalem and establishes his capital right in the heart of the history is David and the beginning of David's kingship over all Israel. But not only is David in the heart of the chronology, David is in the heart of the book. For the midpoint of the former prophets when you chart it out as a narrative is what we call 2 Samuel 5 to 8. 2 Samuel 5 is when David's going to be king over all Israel. He's going to conquer Jerusalem. He's going to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He's going to desire to build the temple. David's going to say no. But because of that desire I will build your house. I'll make a covenant with you and in chapter 8 here is the summarization of the victories that God had as God's anointed God's chosen God's king within whom he is covenants the victories that he won but the heart of The former prophets is this is a way this way The highlights of David's rule as king Now the problem is beginning in second king's chat second Samuel chapter 9 Everything is going to turn We have this glorious narrative But is David or anyone in David's house the ultimate anointed one the answer is no You Now, as you plotted, and thinking in terms of what we had in the Torah, you know, 25%, 50%, 25% is very, very interesting, okay? What happens at the quarter point of the former prophets? Well, what happens at that point in Judges chapter 17 is the introduction of tribal sanctioned idolatry in Israel. And idolatry from that point on starts to become a major issue. First Saul, then David, deal with it. Remember, in the beginning, actually with Samuel, put away your idols. Even Saul did good in the fact he put away the sorcerers, the mediums. Of course, his problem was at the end of his life, he consulted one. But they're hard to find because he had been he had been dealing with idolatry David obviously And yet it is significant that the that the last quarter of the former prophets after the introduction of idolatry judges 17 and 18 into the lifeblood of Israel now we have to realize that this was this was only making overt in the third generation was already secret Joshua 24 in the second generation because even in Joshua 24 Joshua has to call upon the second generation to do what put a put away their Idols they weren't worshipping idols. They weren't going out of the field to the to the idols They'd learned that from the first generation, you know, don't overtly practice idolatry God is not happy with it And so they keep their idols hidden in their tents. Joshua knows, put away the idols. They don't. So what the second generation had in secret comes into force. Samuel, Saul, David, all have to deal with idolatry. And then Solomon shows his rebelling against the Lord by introducing in to Israel what? What had been secret now once again becomes overt idolatry it's the besetting sin Now obviously what we see in Joshua All the way through second Kings chapter 5 is a narrative that is pointing to the rise of David and David being the Lord's anointed and God entering into a covenant with him. And then as I said beginning in 2 Samuel 9 now we see David has reached the pinnacle and everything after that is a downward slide verse in David's life and then in Solomon and then in the Davidic house. So there's two ways you can look at the former prophets Israel gained the land Israel lost the land you another way to look at it is God raised up David and entered a covenant with him and after that covenant was made David and the rest of the Davidic line show that they were not that ultimate seed that was going to rule for Yahweh and basically you look back to Joshua through Kings and you say Israel's Messiah was not in the past therefore latter prophets Israel's Messiah must be where in the future. So these books play a very important role in the development of the messianic idea within the Old Testament as well. They are history but they are not merely history. And as far as some basic tools on this part and you gotta realize that all of this is based upon, you know, for English readers those all historical books. Chisholm, Howard, Hamilton, Sathaway, McConnell. But again, the preeminent book to have is the Dictionary of the Old Testament Historical Books. And again, realize that, well, that does concentrate in the dictionary on basically Joshua, the judges Samuel and Kings. that they put Ruth and Esther actually in in their dictionary on the writing so There there's some there's somewhat More Jewish and orientation the rest of the books and I would say if you get If you get one of those books I get the book by Howard jr. Introduction to the Old Testament historical books And I have to tell you that book came out after the essential organization and notes of this class were developed because you're going to read Howard and the way he approaches it with introduction, themes, purpose, structure, interpretive issues, you're going to think that I stole from him. And I didn't. My notes began before his book came out. Now, I don't think he stole from me either. It's just great minds think alike. No, I'm just joking. But certainly if you want to follow up in our discussion here in class with much more detail, the work by David Howard Jr. on an introduction to the Old Testament historical books. I didn't star it, but of those other books I've put there, that would be what I would see as preeminent once you have the dictionary.