OT Class for Nov 2 2010
EXPLORING A PROPHET
From OT Class Notes October 24, 2010
EZEKIEL
Dates 597 BCE
Setting He is a priest living in exile (Valley of dry bones) land of Chaldeans
by river Chebar
Major Theme God is at work through catastrophe to create a new people and hope.
Key Passage Ez 37:14; 36:23
Symbol Illustration of bones
ISAIAH
Dates 740 – 690
Setting Isaiah I – mainly Jerusalem, Chapters 1-39
Isaiah II – Babylon, Chapters 40-55
Isaiah III- Judah – Jerusalem, Chapters 56-60
Written by others in Isaiah’s school of thought
Composite of three different time periods
Major Theme To call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of God’s salvation through the Messiah. People could still have a relationship with God. Messages of Judgement, comfort and hope
Key Passage Is 9:6,7
Symbol Illustration of a cactus (prickly words)
JEREMIAH
Dates Later 7th early 6th (627 – 574 BC)
Setting Beginning Josiah – Zedekiah last king
Precaptivity till during captivity in Egypt
Major Theme -warning of God’s people of coming judgement for their idolatry
-hope of future restoration
Key Passage 29:10-13 *31:31-34 17:9,10
Symbol Illustration of teardrop w/the cross “new covenant”
JONAH
Dates 800 – 750 BCE
785 Preaching Nineveh (40 more days & Nineveh will fall)
Setting During Iron Age, Nineveh was eastern most part of Syria & as the known empire; very sinful city.
Major Theme Repent, God is in control
1. the storms
2. the vine
Key Passage Jonah 4:11
Symbol Illustration of a fish
MICAH
Dates 742 – 687 BCE
Setting The Assyrian empire was expanding westward when the northern kingdom of Israel rebelled; the Assyrians destroyed Samaria and took many Israelites into exile.
Major Theme His message predicted the fall of both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Micah wrote to the people of Judah to warn them that God’s judgement was approaching because they had rejected God and his law.
Key Passage “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks” (4:3)
“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (6:8)
Symbol Illustration of plow and tool for making plowshares on the anvil
AMOS
Dates 760 – 750 (10 yrs.)
Setting Economic prosperity & commercialism – greed
-lack of depth in religion – superficial devotion to God
-great wealth and much poverty
Major Theme Amos concentrates on injustice – particularly social injustice – suppression of poor
Key Passage Amos 5:21-24
Symbol Illustration of unbalanced scale
HOSEA
Dates 753 – 715 BC
Setting
Major Theme
Key Passage 3:1
Symbol
This Sunday, Nov 2,
we will study Chapter 7 in the Bible From Scratch, The Books of the Writings. We focus almost exclusively on the Psalms.
Be sure to read and reread pp 65-67 on the Psalms. Plus, how many of you got through the whole Psalter reading 5 psalms a day? Pay particular attention to the types of psalms:
Types of Psalms
· Salvation History psalms showed how the people of Israel were brought out of nothing into the existence as the chosen people of God and of their response to it.
· Psalms of “Lament” make up more than 1/3 of all psalms. The laments are very important in that they show us how even in distress the people can praise God in his absence with the anticipation of deliverance.
· Thanksgiving psalms – show that these people had similar distresses found in the laments, but God delivered them from their troubles and the people respond with testimony to the community.
· Some psalms are actually Hymns. There are three types:
v Hymns to God as creator of the universe;
v Hymns to God who created Israel and her history;
v Hymns to the Creator of universal history.
These types of psalm are called hymns because they exalt and glory Yahweh (God) through his Being and history and particularly through the history of Israel.
· Other forms of psalms, include: covenant renewal, Davidic covenant, royal, Zion, enthronement, trust, wisdom, and Torah psalms.