Ruth’s Character in the Old Testament

There are a lot of stories in the Old Testament that chronicle the actions of God’s faithful servants. One of these is the story of Ruth. Loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience are some of the aspects displayed by the character of Ruth. Although Ruth is not an Israelite, her perseverance and persistence eventually, get her a place in the genealogy of Jesus.

This Old Testament character offers a lot of lessons to Bible scholars and Christians alike. Some of these include those of redemption and divinity. A review of her character will shed light on aspects that can be correlated to a Christian’s day-to-day life.

Ruth was a Moabite woman and Naomi’s daughter in law. Naomi was a woman who had escaped famine from Bethlehem with her husband and two sons. When in Moab her husband and two sons die leaving behind two young widows. One of these widows is Ruth. When the famine is over in Bethlehem and Naomi decides to go back, Ruth insists on following her. She declares her loyalty to Naomi by saying, “your people shall be my people, your God my God, and where you will die I will die”. (New Jerusalem Bible, Ruth. 1.16–17)

After both women return to Bethlehem, Ruth looks for her daily bread by gleaning in the fields of a man named Boaz. He shows a lot of kindness to Ruth and is very appreciative of her service to Naomi. Boaz’s kindness is partly due to the fact that he is Naomi’s relative. After a while, Ruth is advised by Naomi to seek marriage to Boaz. In doing so, Ruth would ensure her husband’s bloodline continues and be able to claim her inheritance.

Eventually, Boaz takes Ruth as his wife. The two of them bear a son and name him Obed. This son became David’s grandfather. Obed is also an ancestor of Jesus as detailed in the first chapter in the book of Matthew. This makes Ruth one of the few gentile characters in the Old Testament that were integrated with Jews and had great significance.

Ruth’s character is an exemplary one and is enviable in many ways. For instance, right from the beginning Ruth had the option of going back to her people and remarrying. However, her loyalty to her mother in law overcomes this urge. She was willing to follow Naomi to a foreign land.

By doing this, she forfeited her chance to get married again, her gods, her own people, and her position in this society, among other privileges. Because she was a gentile, she also risked being rejected by the Israelites. Her loyalty may have stemmed from the admiration she had for Naomi and her ways.

Ruth’s character also reveals the obedience she had for her mother in law. She trusted her advice and obeyed her orders. This included obeying the customs followed by the Israelites at that time. By doing so, Ruth might have found favor in God’s eyes. Her place as David and Messiah’s ancestor is testament to this. This obedience also appeals to Boaz the man who later marries her.

Another Godly character found in Ruth is love. The love she has for her mother in law is immense. This love is portrayed by Ruth’s care for Naomi. Even when she had the chance to pursue her own endeavors, she chose to care for Naomi. This fact was well known throughout the town as it was said Ruth gave Naomi the service of seven sons. It can also be assumed that she had the same love for Naomi’s God.

Her diligence and hard work paints a picture of a woman who took actions in the hope that God will bless her. Right from the start Ruth knew it was upon her to fend for her mother in law. Later her diligence pays off as God helps her out of her initial poverty. She also gains a piece of land as her inheritance (Nielsen 24).

There are many lessons that can be learnt from Ruth’s character. One of such is the fact that God rewards those who make great sacrifices. If one chooses to honor and follow the Lord, He in turn bestows great things to him/her. Ruth gave up a lot. In the end, her sacrifice is rewarded. Another lesson is that God’s blessings are not restricted to color and race. From the story of Ruth, it is clear that God blesses whomever he chooses to bless.

Personally, I can relate to Ruth’s character. It is only after I chose to give up worldly pleasures that I started witnessing good things in my personal life. In the beginning, it seemed like following in the Lord’s footsteps was an effort in futility. However, a few years down the line my education and personal life are better than they were before I made the sacrifice. One may be of the opinion that making sacrifices is a restraining endeavor. However, it has now become clear to me that making sacrifices may be a gateway to better things in life.

Works Cited

Nielsen, Kirsten. Ruth: A Commentary, Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997. Print.

The New Jerusalem Bible. Ed. Susan Jones. New York: Doubleday, 1985. Print.

Religious Studies: Women in the Old Testament

Summary of the Articles

Article 1

Ackerman, Susan. “Why is Miriam also Among the Prophets? (And Zipporah Among the Priests?)”. Journal of Biblical Literature 121.1 (2002): 47-80. Print.

This article examines the position of women in the Old Testament. The author begins by analyzing how the Feminist Revolution has reconsidered the role of women in the ancient Jewish culture. Religious analysts and scholars have described some of the roles played by women in the Old Testament. Many women, such as Deborah, Noadiah, Hulda, and Miriam, played many religious roles in the ancient Jewish society (Ackerman 50).

Some women, such as Isaiah’s wife, did not undertake various religious roles. Isaiah’s wife completed specific chores such as bearing children and supporting the family. The Holy Bible does not indicate the name of Isaiah’s wife. This is the case because she did not play a major role in the Jewish religion. Many Jewish texts have ignored the role of women in the community. However, the agreeable fact is that many women contributed a lot to the religious history of the Jews (Ackerman 50).

Miriam and other women were accepted in the Israelite religion. They became powerful prophets in a field that was dominated by men. According to different studies, many women managed to achieve high status in their respective communities. They completed several exercises and activities. This fact explains why “majority of these women were accorded prestige by many individuals in the society” (Ackerman 51). According to the Old Testament, some women, such as Zipporah, “took priest-like activities and functions” (Ackerman 80). Some texts show that women were required to meet certain conditions in order to participate in different religious activities. However, such issues have been debatable today. That being the case, women should be allowed to undertake various activities and roles in the Church. Women should preach and empower their fellow believers. Every believer should embrace these ideas in order to promote God’s work on earth.

Article 2

Parker, Julie. “Blaming Eve Alone: Translation, Omission, and Implications of עמה in Genesis 3:6b.” Journal of Biblical Literature 132.4 (2013): 729-747. Print.

The article “Blaming Eve Alone: Translation, Omission, and Implications of עמה in Genesis 3:6b” focuses on the story of Adam and Eve. According to the author, the interpretation and translation “of the book of Genesis have contributed a lot to the misconception regarding the role played by Eve in the garden” (Parker 729). To begin with, Adam was present in the garden when the devil lied to Eve. The author goes further to explain why Adam was part of this first sin. Many English translations of Genesis 3:6b tend to victimize women for this first sin. The Hebrew word “עמה” has been interpreted differently by many Bible translators. This fact explains why many translations fail to indicate that Adam was with Eve in the garden. The insignificance attached to the word “עמה” has transformed the intended meaning of this Biblical book (Parker 729).

Many Holy Bibles “that fail to indicate that Adam was with Eve makes it impossible for many individuals to interpret these verses effectively” (Parker 729). That being the case, many scholars of the Holy Bible use such interpretations to excuse men from the first sin. Such scholars condemn women for being tricked by the serpent. This weakness encourages more people to support the position of women in their respective communities.

This article clearly shows that women have been treated differently in many religious settings. The author argues that many Biblical texts have been misinterpreted in order to crucify women. The practice also excuses men from different sins. However, the article goes further to propose the need for accurate analyses and interpretations of the Holy Bible. This approach clearly shows that women might not be weak. This knowledge also goes further to support the role of women in society (Parker, 729). Women can be guided and empowered in order to achieve their religious goals. The translation of Genesis 3:6b should, therefore, be done correctly in order to blame both Adam and Eve.

Analyzing the Articles: Strengths and Weaknesses

Ackerman’s article presents numerous ideas and arguments to the reader. To begin with, the author draws a line between the role of prophets and women in the Old Testament. The article identifies the works and achievements of different women in the Holy Bible. The author uses the Old Testament to present useful insights that can guide modern scholars and women in the community. The article uses powerful verses and testimonies from different verses in the Old Testament. This discussion explains why women should be empowered in order to achieve their spiritual goals. Religious groups and families should also borrow numerous ideas from the above women. This practice will empower this discriminated gender. The article also highlights the role of women, such as Isaiah’s wife in the Church. Such women should focus o the needs of their families. This discussion goes further to confront the stereotypes and masculine views that affect many individuals in the society (Ackerman 67).

The author of the article uses meaningful examples in order to support the role of women in the modern Church. Christians should embrace most of these ideas in an attempt to support the religious needs of women. Such women can become great preachers and eventually bring more people to Christ. The Church should, therefore, empower, guide, and support women in order to promote God’s teachings on earth. The arguments are similar to those echoed in other works and articles. Men should not be opposed to women’s empowerment. The community “has a major role to play towards empowering more women” (Ackerman 79). The above strengths make this article admirable and relevant to many readers.

Ackerman’s article has several weaknesses. To begin with, the author uses a complex structure to deliver a simple message to the reader. The author also supports gender discrimination by portraying the stereotypic roles of certain women in the Holy Bible (Ackerman 67). The author should have offered more examples in order to support targeted themes and messages. The reader should, therefore, be aware of these issues in order to get the best message from this article.

Readers should interpret Parker’s article in a positive manner. This article has several strengths. The author begins by highlighting the position of women in different cultures. According to this article, societies should not treat or blame women for everything. This article also highlights the unique challenges facing women in different historical periods. The Old Testament presents numerous verses whereby women have been victimized and treated as second class citizens.

Men always try to excuse themselves using various stratagems. A good example occurs when different Bible translators excuse men from various sins and wrongdoings. The author offers powerful arguments that can encourage more readers to interpret the Holy Bible correctly. This approach will support more people in order to achieve their religious goals (Parker 730).

The decision to highlight this gap in different translations makes the article meaningful to many readers. It is agreeable that the above two articles are different. However, the agreeable fact is that they support the role and position of women in the modern Church. Believers should empower women in order to accomplish God’s work on earth. The author has placed the targeted ideas in their proper contexts. The emphasis of the article is that men should be ready to support the goals of women. They should also guide them because they are delicate and weak. The important goal is to promote God’s words and teachings on earth. This practice has the potential to support the religious needs of many people in the world (Parker, 736).

Some weaknesses are evident in the above article. For example, the author fails to offer more evidence to support the main message of the article. The topic is also shallow, thus making it impossible for different scholars to interpret the article effectively (Parker 729). In conclusion, these two articles present similar themes to the reader. In conclusion, these articles support the position of women in different churches. The important observation is that the authors have approached their themes from different perspectives. This approach makes it easier for every reader to get the best ideas and interpretations.

Works Cited

Ackerman, Susan. “Why is Miriam also Among the Prophets? (And Zipporah Among the Priests?).” Journal of Biblical Literature 121.1 (2002): 47-80. Print.

Parker, Julie. “Blaming Eve Alone: Translation, Omission, and Implications of עמה in Genesis 3:6b.” Journal of Biblical Literature 132.4 (2013): 729-747. Print.

The Prophets of the Old Testament

Introduction

Prophecy is one of the oldest historical and religious aspects that are considerably adored and paranormal aspects in entire human life. Stated as one of the main spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, which is believed to have a greater connection with holiness, beliefs strongly deem prophecy as the most strongest and existing manifestation of the spirit of God through human beings.1

Streaming from the biblical perspective, prophecy is a spiritual gift that involves divine inspiration and anointed utterance or even a paranormal proclamation by spiritually motivated individuals, seers, diviners, or prophet, with considerable impact on believers.

However, in the Old Testament (OT), a prophet was not someone who was capable of predicting the future, but someone who prophetically announced the message of God. They were simply spokespersons of God. The prophets of the OT are sometimes referred to as the “conscience of Israel” and “guardians of covenant.” In response to these ideas, this essay seeks to explore the role of OT prophets by addressing the following aspects as depicted biblically.

The relationship between the prophets and Mosaic Covenant

The theological basis of the prophets indicates that one aspect that remains fundamental to the biblical histories is the origins of OT prophecy that connects considerably with the Mosaic covenant. The mosaic convent (recognized after the biblical Moses), also the Sinai covenant (named after Mount Sinai), was the fourth covenant of Yahweh that engrossed a convention between God and the Israelites.

Mosaic covenants have been on record in the Hebrew Bible through the Pentateuch or Torah authorship. The Mosaic covenants possess the biblical laws of Moses or the Mosaic Law. One of the major characteristics of the OT prophets was their role as advocates of Mosaic covenant where prophets of Moses regime were to remain committed and possess forth faithfulness to protecting and implementing the Mosaic covenant and its law.

The main purpose of the prophets in their commitment to the laws of Moses was to straighten their efforts towards demanding impartiality and uprightness.The Mosaic Law demanded that the message passed across by the prophets would largely be a covenant enforcer between God and the nations, with the main aim resting upon reminding the populace about the Mosaic covenant.

The OT prophets, including Malachi among others would ensure that God’s people remained conservative and committed to the divine interventions made unequivocally in the Torah teachings.2 Malachi is one among the OT prophets with great relationship to Pentateuch, whose story connects directly well with the Mosaic covenant.

Malachi is the OT prophet whose teachings elaborate on Pentateuch curses and blessings to human beings on contravention of the Mosaic teachings. In addition, Malachi recurrently preached, discussed major aspects of the Mosaic covenant, and he was God’s spokesperson or mediator who enforced teachings of sanctions, which are mentioned as curses and blessings.

Curses and blessings upon human beings’ actions form part of the Mosaic covenant. Leaders constantly denounced bad leadership and expected that all leaders must remain just and righteous by providing good leadership or a decent government where religiously faithful people would leave peacefully in communally and compassionate social order.

Mosaic covenant and its laws protracted all through the prophetic stories including the story of Jeremiah, Hosea, Elisha, and Ezekiel who condemned evil deeds and preached the need for leaders to embrace justice and righteousness in their leadership practices. Amid the rich multiplicity of OT theology, Jeremiah and Ezekiel as articulated in the bible (Exodus 32-34) had been prophets committed to Mosaic covenant.

The prophets believed and passed the message that all leaders practicing prejudice and mistreatment against humankind especially practicing injustice to the powerless and poor people will receive punishment from God, following breaching of Mosaic covenant. God would send harsh punishment including cursing those who mistreat others.

The prophets began passing salvation messages only after the termination of the covenant. The Mosaic covenant established between humankind and God through Moses demanded that the OT prophets should disapprove idolatry as part of their commitment apart from discussing righteousness and justice.

Being mediators between God and humankind, the OT prophets passed the message of true worship that involved believing and adoring single God, whom Christians believe is the only righteous prophet among all prophets.3 The Mosaic covenant emerged after God noticed the idolatry worship by Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai and decided to present the Mosaic laws with one stating that human being should worship no other than the true God.

Prophet Elijah was one of the OT prophets who actively condemned the worship of idols, with his story involving supremacy encounter between the power of God and false prophets. The Baal prophets, mentioned as false prophets in the bible, were the idol gods and lords that that other prophets condemned with greatest prophetic wrath.

Key aspects of prophetic speech and literature

The prophetic utterances and establishments between God and his people across nations involved important prophetic speech and literature. Prophets of the Mosaic regime whose role principally entailed passing God’s massage through mediation or intercession traditionally contribute to the development of Mosaic authorship.

Mediated message from Yahweh reached humankind through a series of literal means including the use of call narratives, visionary reports, prophetic oracles, poetry, and judgment oracles, covenant lawsuits, as well as salvation oracles.4 In the midst of prophetic encounters that often demanded prophetic judgments and interpretation to complete the communication between God and humanity, prophets played a significant role as guardians of the covenant.

The mentioned call narratives were important literature tools that passed prophetic message from God to His people as through notions that God appears and speaks to prophets, and that God commissioned prophets and expressed resistance to certain issues. Call narratives acted as persuasive credentials that depicted prophets as divine massagers of God.

Jeremiah, Amos, and Isaiah claimed that God used prophetic calls to deliver his message to humankind. The prophets communicated to Yahweh through visions and reports inform of delusional communication that was spiritual and passed the information to the people (For instance, God communicated with Amos through the vision that revealed invasion of locusts on crops).

Symbols also formed part of narratives that prophets used to interpreted the occurrence of certain catastrophic events including landscape fire, thunderstorms, floods, droughts, and feminine that associated with Godly actions that involve supernatural abilities over nature.5 Kings in the Mosaic regime had great influence to peoples living and prophet’s ability to condemn their ill deeds made people believe prophets’ power and their mediation with God.

The prophets also proclaimed publicly about the future betrayal and prosecution of the God’s prophets by opponents, with exact example being the case of Jeremiah when he was imprisoned. Poetry forms part of the prophetic speech and literature that biblical prophets used to pass God’s message across nations.

Poetry is part of the Mosaic authorship that streamed from the prophets’ ability to deliver God’s message inform of brief utterances to long prayers, poems, or songs that followed Mosaic authorship. As a guardian of the covenant, prophet Isaiah used the poetry technique to pass God’s message of the coming of savior, son of God (Jesus), and his intent to the nations.

The books of Hebrews, Psalms, and Job, also possess part of poetic literature used by prophets to communicate God’s message, with poetic alliterations and assonances articulated in many prophetic ways. Oracles formed part of important communication tools that prophets used to communicate the message of Yahweh to believers. Judgment oracles communicated about God’s judgment on breach of covenantal agreements, repentance oracles communicated about why Israelites should repent after contravening covenantal agreements.

An analysis of two of the Latter Major Prophets in ancient Israel

Prophetic writing went although from OT prophecies to the New Testament prophecies, with the bible teachings acknowledging major and minor prophetic groups. After the era of Elijah and Elisha in the 9th century BCE, another significant prophetic regime that dominated the literature was that of Amos, Ezekiel, Obadiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Micah, and others.6

Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel possessed the general name of Major Prophets and the other group that includes twelve Minor Prophets. However, two Major Prophets are the interest to this analysis, viz. Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Perhaps the most devastating moment in the Judean history is the reign of Jeremiah as a prophet of God before the accession to the Christian regime.

Josiah’s death marked the beginning of another battle between evil and Gods power, with human forgetting the covenantal agreements reached during Moses regime. Jeremiah was a great actor in spanning back Deuteronomy reforms in the Judean history. Jeremiah found Israelites still breaching covenantal agreements and this aspect was part of his condemnation akin to prior seers.

Jeremiah constantly rebuked prophets and priests and forcefully denounced harsh prophetic judgments against their immoral practices. Through his prophetic powers, Jeremiah proclaimed disaster and destruction over Israelites who practiced immoral activities. Ezekiel was another important figure in the latter prophetic literature as a prophet who appears as a priest who survived through the exiles of the Babylonian in the 597 BCE.

Ezekiel demonstrates prophetic literature that emphasized on the use of symbolic actions that aimed at condemning the ethical transgressions of Israel community. The Israelites had already forgotten the covenantal agreements and began ill practices of corruption, killings, and violence that were dominating Judea. Nonetheless, greater concerns that needed attention from Ezekiel included idolatry activities and religious unfaithfulness that caused serious transgressions.

Conclusion

Conclusively, it is clear that prophetic proclamations have been key aspects in the historical life of believers. From successive prophetic regimes, a great eschatological connection seems to exist between the OT prophets and the advent of Christianity and the writings of the New Testament. The fulfillment of the biblical proclamation stated by prophets in the OT is becoming clearer in the events that protract in the New Testament writings and modern Christianity.7

Isaiah prophecies include the coming of Jesus as the savior of the world, which forms major discussions in the New Testament teachings and typically part of Christian’s major beliefs. Mosaic covenants that involve commandments articulated in the new testaments are becoming more active with successive prophetic regimes.

Bibliography

Calvert, John. The Prophet as Guardian of the Theocracy. Adelaide, South Australia: New Creation Publications Inc, 1983.

Footnotes

1John Calvert, The Prophet as Guardian of the Theocracy (Adelaide, South Australia: New Creation Publications Inc, 1983), 5.

2Ibid, 3.

3Ibid, 8.

4Ibid, 7.

5Ibid, 4.

6Ibid, 10.

7 Ibid, 6.

Perception of Women in the Old Testament

Humanity, dignity, authority, role, and the position of women in society have always been controversial. Some communities and cultures across the globe have cultural practices and norms that look down upon women, portraying them as the weaker sex whose opinion is of no value in decision-making. Other religions represent women as the ultimate source of evil and even forbidden from serving in the house of worship or mixing with men during the worship programs.

On the contrary, women activists have emerged to defend the position of women and their role in priestly ministries. Therefore, there is a need to revisit the Bible and critically analyze these different views with the sole purpose of coming up with a common understanding of the position of women, as depicted in the Old Testament. This paper aims to analyze two different articles that portray two different attributes of women, as portrayed in the Old Testament. The aim is to develop a common understanding of the position of women in the Old Testament. The two articles are:

  1. Rooke, Deborah W. “Feminist Criticism of the Old Testament: Why Bother?” Feminist Theology 15.2 (2007): 160-174. Print.
  2. Everhart, Janet S. “Serving Women and the Their Mirrors: A Feminist Reading of Exodus 38:8b.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 1.66 (2004): 44-54. Print.

Rooke D.W. Perspective of Women

Summary

Rooke’s argument on the position of women in society is mainly based on the story of creation and the fall of man, as presented in the book of Genesis Chapters 2 and 3. In establishing the background for her argument, Rooke argues that texts are always subjected to multiple interpretations, and the analysis is predominantly determined by the reader, who is always guided by cultural and personal standards.

She argues that an analysis that finally appears convincing to us is guided by our preconceptions, life experiences, and our cultural conditioning (Rooke 161). Based on this, Rooke argues that Genesis chapters 2 and 3 will undoubtedly appear to support the subordination of women for those who have been brought up believing that women are inferior to men. However, if one refuses to follow the traditional way of thinking and seeks to analyze the chapters from a feminine point of view, they will get a new light from these passages and eventually have a different perspective of women (Rooke 162).

According to Genesis chapters 2 and 3, sin enters the world through a woman. Therefore, a woman is commonly considered to be a vessel through which sin gained access to the world. In some arguments, it is argued that the snake chose a woman because it knew that the woman was weak and could easily succumb to lies. Rooke, on the other hand, rubbishes this claim and argues that the woman is not responsible for the sin problem, but God is. Rather than blaming the woman, Rooke puts the responsibility to God for two reasons: God lied to humanity that the day they will eat of the fruit, they will die. Secondly, God wrongly punished the snake for telling the truth and unmasking the hidden character of God.

She argues that the assumption that God is always right is wrong, and just like the subordination of women, the assumption is also culturally conditioned (Rooke 163). Resultantly, Rooke explains that rather than blaming the woman, people should blame God for being such a deceitful and possessive deity who demands complete and unquestionable obedience and always ready to punish anyone who contradicts his rules (Rooke 163).

To further cleanse the woman from the sin problem, Rooke argues that God and man crafted the sin issue. She explains that the snake was created by God, and the man who named the snake determined its character. Furthermore, man was given dominion over all the animals; as such, he ought to have controlled the behavior of the snake rather than allowing it to deceive the woman. The act of God creating the snake meant that man determined its character; the two crafted their source of fall into sin. In retaliation, God is portrayed to have unjustly punished the snake for unveiling His hidden character. From this explanation, Rooke argues that man and God should take full responsibility for the sin problem and leave the woman out of the self-inflicted pain of the sin problem (Rooke 164).

The question of the tree of knowledge is used as the final point to vindicate the woman as the source of the sin problem. Rooke argues that there was no point in God creating the tree of knowledge and making it useful, attractive, and tempting. In so doing, Rooke claims that God intentionally crafted a trap through which the woman was to fall into sin and make God pass unjust punishment to her and the snake. God should, therefore, take responsibility for the sin problem and stop blaming the woman in whichever way (Rooke 165).

Based on these three points of argument, Rooke dismisses claims that the woman was responsible for the entry of sin into the world; instead, the larger responsibility lies with God Himself and man. She argues that people should depart from the traditional, culturally conditioned thinking and approach the issue from a feminist point of view (Rooke 166).

Analysis

From her account, several weaknesses and strengths can be seen. The major strength of the account is that Rooke creates a comprehensive background for her study. Before giving her account of the story, she first explains what is traditionally known and believed. Also, Rooke satisfactorily substantiates the blame that she transfers from the woman to God and man. However, her arguments are full of faults. First, her perspective is highly feministic. As she puts it, it highly culturally conditioned. It is, therefore, impossible to justify her claims from a neutral point of view. Also, her contrast is seemingly arising from the negative feelings she has towards those who subordinate women, rather than well-established facts. Most of her arguments are mostly based on emotions rather than facts from the same Bible she uses. Therefore, her postulates can hardly be accepted and believed to be the truth.

Everhart Account on Women in the Old Testament

Summary

Everhart’s point of focus is to create a different picture of the roles of women in the Old Testament. Traditionally, as Rooke explained, women were remembered for their role in the fall of man and never known to have played significant roles in the priestly work in the Old Testament. These two accounts are closely related and ideal for a comprehensive understanding of the perception of women in the Old Testament. Just after Rooke has vindicated women from being responsible for the sin problem, Everhart takes charge and provides evidence that women played a significant role in religious and Godly duties. Her argument is based on the book of Exodus 38:8 and other scriptures from the Old Testament.

According to Everhart, the role of women in priestly work has been shortchanged; women have been portrayed as having done nothing as far as religious duties are concerned. However, Everhart proves that, indeed, women were serving in the Lord’s house. According to Everhart, the women portrayed at the tent of meeting, as explained in Exodus 38:8, were engaged in the form of religious or cultic duties. Another account of women doing religious duties is captured in 1Sam 4:5, where the ark was carried into wars. Since this ark was housed in the tent of meeting and women were always present at the entrance of the tent, it is just literal for one to know that women were involved in waging war, as well as performing cultic services (Everhart 47).

Serving women are also depicted in the book of 1 Samuel 2:22b. Although most scholars have argued that these women were cultic prostitutes, there is no basis for such an argument. Therefore, these women must have been performing religious roles (Everhart, 49).

Everhart further argues, just like Rooke, that if one rereads Exodus 38 from a feminist perspective, then one will notice the services of women not only in that book but also in other Hebrew Bible books. Everhart mentions other important women in the Old Testament, in addition to the women of Exodus 38. She argues that from the women found in Exodus 1-2, the act of Zipporah performing a circumcision ritual in Exodus 4, Miriam singing a song of victory in Exodus 15, the donor and worker women of Exodus 35, and finally the serving women of Exodus 38, it is undoubtedly clear that women performed vital religious roles in the Old Testament (Everhart 54).

Analysis

Everhart’s account has strengths and weaknesses. Her major strength is that she bases her argument fully on the Bible, quoting the exact verses where the argument is derived from. It is, therefore, easy to follow and justify her arguments as none appears to be based on feelings. Even though she requests reading of the verses from a feminist perspective, her points can be clearly understood and proved by a neutral person. She also provides a comprehensive explanation of each point after providing sufficient background information for each. Her only weakness is the language used. The English language used appears to be somehow profound. Moreover, other languages are used without providing a clear interpretation as if she is targeting theologians alone.

Conclusion

From the two accounts, it is clear that the woman played a role in the fall of mankind. From the passages quoted by Rooke, it is through a woman that finally sin entered into the world. However, placing the responsibility for the sin problem onto a woman and using it to look down upon women is wrong and unacceptable. The man, too, had his role to play in the sin problem. In assigning responsibility for this problem, man and woman should be handled as a single entity, who jointly allowed themselves to be deceived and fall into sin.

However, blaming God for the fall is unsubstantiated and an act of running away from responsibility by feminists. Women also played vital religious duties, as shown by the Everhart account. Although their duties are not conspicuously mentioned like those of men, it is true that they play important roles in accomplishing priestly functions. As such, no one should undermine the role of women in Godly work; neither should one look down upon women because of the same. Just like today, the Old Testament women were central to the work of God, and their role should be appreciated by all.

Works Cited

Everhart, Janet S. “Serving Women and the Their Mirrors: A Feminist Reading of Exodus 38:8b.” The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 1.66 (2004): 44-54. Print.

Rooke, Deborah W. “Feminist Criticism of the Old Testament: Why Bother?” Feminist Theology 15.2 (2007): 160-174. Print.

Literary Structure of the Old Testament

Summary of the Books of Genesis to Joshua

Genesis follows the stories of The Creation, the Garden of Eden, Cain, and Abel, Noah’s Ark, and the Babel Tower. Exodus focuses on the freedom of Israel’s people from Egyptian enslavement due to Moses’ leadership. Throughout the book of Leviticus, Israel is encamped at Mount Sinai, and God appears to Moses in the Tent of Meeting, giving him instructions on Jewish ceremonial regulations. The regulations are incredibly thorough, laying out every detail of how and when religious gifts should be sent to God.

The book of Numbers is essentially the holy narrative of the Israelites while they wandered in the desert after leaving Sinai and before settling in Canaan, the Promised Land. It details their sufferings as well as their countless grievances against God. Deuteronomy emphasizes God’s singularity, the necessity for radical centralization of worship, and compassion for the poor and disadvantaged. Its various themes revolve around three poles: Israel, Yahweh, and the covenant that links them all together. The book of Joshua tells the story of Israel’s arrival in the promised land and serves as a reminder of God’s faithfulness and covenant stipulations.

Literary Structure of the Old Testament

The literary structure of the Old Testament, as analyzed by Dorsey, offers interesting ways in which it is utilized to deliver a message. An example of such would be the implementation of the symmetric scheme in the treaty of Sinai. According to Dorsey, this is the central point in the entire Book of Law, and the symmetrical framework galvanizes the event of Yahweh taking residence among the Israeli people as the central truth from which their history will be derived from now on.

The first five chapters of Dorsey’s book provide a good overview of structural analysis and its relationship to meaning. He provides really simple descriptions and examples, and they don’t require any technical expertise to understand 4. He looks at beginning markers, end markers, and other approaches for generating internal cohesiveness to show how to identify the component sections of an Old Testament book 4. He next goes over how the units may be put together. Various linear and symmetric designs, as well as the methods in which the units might be joined, are discussed and shown.

Pentateuch and the Old Testament World of Composition and Communication

The article on the “Pentateuch” and the beginning sections in The Lost World of Scripture address the message in the Old Testament and how it was described to achieve a certain effect on the reader. One particular issue with the texts involves the room for interpretation in the Old Testament, especially in regard to various atrocities committed either by God or in the name of God. The ongoing debate on interpretations, as Walton and Sandy pointed out, is whether these atrocities are to be taken literally or interpretively to describe a moral lesson. The Pentateuch answers these issues by stating that while the original scripture, infused with divine knowledge, left no doubts in the mind of those who read it, the need for copies placed a human factor in the texts, depriving them of clarity and allowing personal interpretations to affect the scripture. It makes one wonder how different the original events as described are different from what actually happened.

Bibliography

Stine, Philip C. “Review: The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis-Malachi.” The Bible Translator 51, no. 3 (2000): 352–54.

Dorsey, David A. The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis-Malachi. Michigan, Grand Rapids: 1999.

Maps, Bible, et al. “International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.”

Walton, John H., and Brent Sandy. The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority. New York: InterVarsity Press, 2013.

Importance of the Old Testament

The Old Testament spirituality is significant to the Christian faith today as it was in the past. However, some of the New Testaments proponents/churches have argued that it is not important since it is outmoded. According to Gołębiewski (2020), the Old Testament has less significance in the study and practice of spirituality than claimed by the Bible. The “New Testament” believers often cite how infrequently Old Testament is referenced by the New Testament in references to spiritual exegesis or they completely ignore any mention of the latter. Nevertheless, the relevance of the Old Testament to the Christian faith is not based on the New Testament referencing, rather, it stems from the Christian faith and its origin in Judaism. The Old Testament is important today because it is impossible to alienate it from the New Testament without violating the message brought by the two sections of the Bible.

The Old Testament is crucial because it is an introduction to God and his plans for mankind. It helps Christians to have a deeper understanding of the Bible and God’s unfolding love and spirituality. The OT, which is made up of the Pentateuch, poetry, wisdom, and prophetic books, is full of stories and characters who journeyed with God (Gołębiewski, 2020). Additionally, it contains wonderful stories of how God gave prophecies and fulfilled them. However, some of the prophecies that God gave in the Old Testament were later fulfilled in the New Testament, such as the coming of the Messiah. Hence, for anyone seeking to understand God and the creation of the universe, the Old Testament has the answers.

Old Testament helps to elucidate the fundamental questions of life, death, and understanding of the incomprehensible. Thus, separating the OT from the NT would render the latter meaningless since spirituality is a life that has been lived within the structure defined by God through the saving grace of his people (Gołębiewski, 2020). The sacred history of the Israelites is reflected and defined by the faith of the community, its beliefs, and rituals, especially in the yearly commemorations of past events such as Passover (Gołębiewski, 2020). Therefore, the Old Testament is important as it is a record of God’s interaction with his people and how he saved them from their enemies.

Christians agree that the Temple in the Old Testament was replaced by Jesus in the New Testament, while the Church in the New Testament replaced Israel from the Old Testament. As such, from that perspective, Christians perceive the Jews as their spiritual ancestors, and to understand the New Covenant that was made through Jesus, the Old Testament acts as the link between the New Covenant through Jesus, and the Old Covenant that was made with Moses (Gołębiewski, 2020). For example, by separating the Old from the New Testament, the modern Christian would miss the significance of the genealogy of Jesus from Chapter 1 of the four Gospels. Gaps would exist in who Jesus was, his ancestors, and their association with the gentile communities.

The Old Testament has relevance because it prophesied the coming of the Messiah. Parts of the Old Testament are best understood if they are read concerning understanding Jesus. Reading the old text as referring forward to Jesus despite the author not knowing that their writing did not know their work would have a second meaning, is referred to as a Christological interpretation of the Old Testament. Therefore, it is the spiritual rereading of the Old Testament. For example, “On the third day, he rose again following the scriptures.” The phrase was borrowed from 1 Cor 15:3-4 which states that Jesus died for our sins as prophesied by the scriptures and that he was buried and rose on the third day. Hence, the early Christians referred to the Old Testament for references to Jesus and read it as the fulfillment of the prophecies.

Additionally, Jesus himself recognized the connection of himself in the Old Testament which he came to fulfill in the New Testament. For example, in Luke 24:27 (New International Version, 2021), on the road to Emmaus, Jesus told the men that, “starting with Moses and going through all the prophets, he explained to them the passages throughout the scriptures that were about himself.” On the other hand, in Luke 18:31-32 (New International Version, 2021), Jesus perceived his birth, death, and resurrection as being predicted in the Old Testament when he said that everything that is written about the son of man had come true.

Rejecting the Old Testament is the same as saying that the God of the Old Testament is different from that of the New Testament. However, the Bible records and reckons that it is the same God in both Testaments. Yahweh in the Old Testament is the Father of Jesus, whom he called Abba. Additionally, in Yahweh’s justice in the Old Testament, one can see his love, particularly in the marriage imagery in the prophets. The imagery of marriage is used to show God’s love for his people. In the same fashion, Jesus is depicted cleansing the Temple and in his interactions with the Pharisees. Therefore, if the God of the Old Testament does not arouse feelings of humility, it is because he was working with the tools of the time, human authors were influenced by their cultures and customs (Gołębiewski, 2020). Christians and individuals, have to accept the Old Testament thinking, which permitted battles to integrate it into the New Testament thinking of loving even our enemies.

Old Testament calls for people to love one another as they would like to be loved. Both the Old and the New Testaments command people to live in harmony with each other. In the Old Testament, God calls Israel to show love. For example, in Deut 6:5, and 10:19 (New International Version, 2021), God asked Israelites to show love and live by it. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” is the greatest commandment while the second calls for people to love their neighbors. The above two commandments depend on the law and the prophets. On the other hand, Jesus emphasized that people should do to others what they would like to be done to them (Gołębiewski, 2020). Additionally, Paul also remarked that in Gal.5:14 and Romans 13:8,10 (New International Version, 2021), the law is fulfilled in one word, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Just like he called Jews, the Lord calls Christians to live by love.

Jesus did not come to destroy the Old Testament, or the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill them. Rather than doing away with the OT, Jesus came to fulfill it, and in so doing, he validated the lasting relevance of the OT to Christians. For example, in Matt.5:17-19 (New International Version, 2021), Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, rather he came to fulfill them. He said, for truly, I say to you until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished (Gołębiewski, 2020). Therefore, it is important to note that although the age of OT has come, it maintained its relevance by how it depicts God, and the excellence of Christ, and shows how Christians should live.

The New Testament author emphasized that God gave the OT to Christians. Paul told his followers that the OT prophets, “It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you” (New International Version, 2021, 1 Pet.1:12). Therefore, the authors understood that they were writing for the future audience and not just the Jews. Additionally, Paul was aware that the OT authors were divinely inspired and wrote it for the NT believers. According to Romans 15:4, Paul says “for whatever was written in former days was written for your instruction, that through endurance and encouragement of the scriptures, we might hope.” Similarly, Paul told Timothy, who was brought up by his Jewish mother, that the “sacred writings” of his youth can bring him salvation through Jesus Christ (New International Version, 2021, 2 Tim. 3:15). In the same regard, people today can get saved from the wrath of God and enslavement of sin by reading the OT from the perspective of Christ.

Apostle Paul recognized the importance of OT and commanded Church leaders to preach it. According to the apostle, Christian preachers such as Timothy, need to preach the OT to protect the church from apostasy. Therefore, although we have the NT, modern preachers should emulate Jesus and his disciples by referring to the OT for the benefit of the church. Thus, Paul warned that those who alienate themselves from the OT put themselves at risk of deviating from God. Thus, to modern Christians, the OT is good for teaching reproofing, correction, and training people on the righteous ways (Gołębiewski, 2020). New Testament believers can reprove, teach and correct one another through the scriptures of the OT. Based on the above, the NT authors regularly used the OT as the basis for the exhortation of Christians which the OT relevant.

In conclusion, separating the NT from the OT would be catastrophic to the modern Christian. The alienation of the two Testaments means that people would miss important pieces of literature and history. People would miss the importance of the genealogy of Jesus and his relation to gentiles. The Old Testament contains prophesies and covenants that came to be fulfilled in the New Testament. Additionally, Jesus himself approved of the OT and recognized that his coming was already foretold in the OT. In his teachings, Jesus regularly quoted from the OT verses that foretold his coming and commented how they were fulfilled by his coming. Moreover, Apostle Paul recognized the importance of the OT to the NT believers. He told Timothy that the “sacred teachings” of his upbringing had the potential of saving him through faith in Jesus Christ. Therefore, Paul was stamping the relevance of the OT to the NT which makes it indispensable to Christian spirituality.

Reference

Gołębiewski, M. (2020). The theological importance of creation in the Old Testament. Studia Theologica Varsaviensia, 239-252. doi.org/10.21697/stv.7772

. (2021). New International Bible online.

Israelite Women in Old Testament

For such specialists in the humanities as historians, theologians, and experts in social and gender disciplines, the topic of social relations between men and women in pre-Christian times has always been intriguing and relevant. Unfortunately, the only reliable sources of such qualitative gender data are the surviving recorded ancient myths and socio-religious documents. For Jewish society, such a source containing gender information about their centuries-old civilization is the Old Testament.

Miriam

One of the many good things about the Old Testament is that it contains many female figures whose role is active and meaningful, and Miriam is one of them. She plays a leading and critical role in early Jewish rituals; “then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing” (The NIV Bible, 1973, Exodus 15:19). After that, Miriam begins to sing to the other Israelite women about the greatness and power of God (The NIV Bible, 1973). Before all these celebrations, all Jews sang together, and such particular female representation in this passage is evidence of the simultaneous existence of social status close to gender equality and separated gender-based roles in ancient Judaism.

Devorah

Another fascinating female figure in the history and mythology of Judaism is Devorah. The religious document presents her as a prophet, a judge, a ruler, and a warlord (The NIV Bible, 1973). As the text says, “now Devorah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time” (The NIV Bible, 1973, Judges 4:4). In Judges 4 and 5, she is the leader and chief strategist in the Israelite people’s war of liberation against the Canaanite king (The NIV Bible, 1973). Both then and now, these chapters describing the military conflict of Devorah and Barak versus Sisera are very inspiring.

Jael

Jael is another notable woman in the story about Deborah quickly described above. As predicted by the ruling figure of the Israelite nation, Jael became the one who got the part to finish off Sisera (The NIV Bible, 1973). One can say that the murder of Sisera was carried out in a very feminine manner as it was done very calmly, quietly, and quickly for him. Deborah and Jael symbolize the two ways in which the Jewish people resist, the first one is war, and the second is assassination.

Judith

Judith is similar to Jael in terms of actions, behavior, and related plot. They both successfully kill the ruling men through feigned service, deceit, and surprise to free their people (New American Bible, 2011). Their difference lies in the fact that while Jael represents resistance, Judith symbolizes courage. Holofernes, her victim, addressing her with “take courage, woman!” sounds too ironic (New American Bible, 2011, Judith 11:1). With her courage and femininity, she was able to pass through both the troops and the vigilance of the Holofernes without sacrificing anything.

Huldah

Huldah is another female Jewish prophet in the Old Testament. However, unlike the four historical and mythological figures described above, her role is not directly related to ancient Jewish society’s military and religious aspects. Huldah is the mouthpiece of God’s wrath, but her primary role in this story is to be a critic and arbitrator (The NIV Bible, 1973). Her words that the Jerusalemites became heretics, with the king Josiah being the only virtuous person, is social criticism of those times’ prevailing ethics and morals.

Hadassah

Hadassah, just like Deborah and Judith, is the central character of her book in the Old Testament. The stakes in this story are similar to those in the previous two stories, which is the existence of the very Jewish people in the Persian Empire (The NIV Bible, 1973). As two Jewish siblings defeat Haman, who wanted to annihilate her people, Hadassah, or Esther, becomes a symbol of revenge against maliciousness and unfair treatment (The NIV Bible, 1973). Moreover, Hadassah not only succeeds in saving the Hebrews, but she also commemorates her nation’s victory by making their revenge an official holiday.

Replacement Theology

Such philosophically and theologically complex religions as Judaism and Christianity give rise to many inconsistencies and, as a result, disputes, one of which is replacement theology. From my perspective, this is justification for the desire of one group of religious interpreters to be true chosen followers. Simply put, they want to be “a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin” (The NIV Bible, 1973, Romans 11:1). Supersessionism is a combination of resentment of religious successors to predecessors, misunderstandings or misinterpretation of archaic terminology in sacred texts, and conflicting characters of God in the Old and New Testaments. From a philosophical perspective, this rejection of orthodoxy in favor of reformation is what makes a paradoxical mechanism for the relative evolution of the Abrahamic religions through which new religious movements emerge. The thing that gives rise to this false theological viewpoint is the critical, ontological, and eschatological meaning of God’s chosen status in Judaism and Christianity.

On Rabbi Zimmerman’s Video

Zimmerman succinctly explains why Supersessionism is a false religious perspective by design. According to him, replacement theologians miss the everlasting aspect of the Covenant and the sinfulness of all humankind (Jewish Voice, 2019). I think that the resentment that reinforces Supersessionism in adherents comes from the false logical equality that unchosen means inferior. They learn about the civilizational successes and failures of the Jewish nation and God’s contribution to these via Bible and subconsciously begin to consider themselves less worthy and successful.

References

Jewish Voice. (2019). [Video]. YouTube. Web.

New American Bible. (2011). BibleGateway. Web.

The NIV Bible. (1973). BibleGateway. Web.

Old Testament: Biblical Interpretation

Definitions of terms as used in Biblical interpretation

The word revelation, as used in the Bible signifies prophetic experiences that prophets underwent based on what would happen in future. For instance, their suffering would either signify the end of the world or give an indication of the final destination of the world was fast approaching. Within the Biblical context, there were many acts of prophetic revelations as frequently noted in the New Testament book of Revelations.

In this context, Biblical interpretation of some verses in the Bible should assume the revelation approach since prophetic experiences were meant to give signals of the future. For example, a look at chapters 15-16 of the book of Revelations in the Bible presents the last plagues which give an indication of either cancelled conclusions or simply the end of the world. Inspiration has been used in hermeneutics and Biblical interpretations. The whole interpretation which can be given out of this book chapter is that in spite of the nearing end of the world, people need t to be motivated so that they may continue living with a promise of a better future life (Boring 171).

As indicated in the Bible, the story of death and resurrection of Jesus is aimed at providing Christians with inspiration to overcome temptations in their daily lives. Usually, these temptations manifest themselves in the form of the daily challenges of a believer. When Christians resist temptations, they are able to live a life full of self-fulfilment. Biblical ly, this can be interpreted as everlasting life which will come after physical death.

Similarly, the word canon carries significant heavy meaning in hermeneutics as used in the Bible. In the Bible, canonical presentations are regarded as symbolic of events that would happen and thus representative of future great events as presented in canonical signs. Therefore hermeneutics insist on the interpretation of symbols of canons to get intended meanings implied in the canons. This is its right application in the Bible (Boring 172).

The basic rules of Biblical interpretation

The first rule emphasizes that Biblical interpretation be approached from the principle of census literalis (Sproul 72). In simpler terms, it states that while a Biblical reading approach should not take Holy book as a piece of work like other numerous published books -following its inspirational and infallibility, the words used in the Bible are present in the world of print, and thus its reading should be literal. Secondly, the Bible should be read existentially, not to mistake it with historical existentialism but rather contextual existentialism.

This rule emphasizes that Biblical contexts are timeless and thus, what is read conversantly applies to the present. Thirdly, Biblical teachings are aimed at putting forth some heavy message to teach humanity of some context of requirement. By this, then the Biblical interpretations are supposed to take a didactic approach (Sproul 78). This approach should not be confused with direct limitations by rather understandings of the teachings and following of the word. The fourth basic rule that guides the interpretation of the Bible is the rule of the relationship between the implicit and the explicit. This rule directs that the implicit be interpreted by use of explicit.

While there might be a statement in the Bible putting forward some message, it might as well have left out a significant message. In order to decipher this, then this rule applies, and thus an implied message would be understood by a careful examination of the explicitly stated message. The last principle to be considered in this text is the rule of understanding the words used in the Bible. Since the Bible aims at communicating, careful interpretations are critical in the avoidance of ambiguity and thus present clarity all people to understand (Sproul 78).

Jesus’ response to the Old Testament

Although the New Testament concentrates on the life of Jesus and his works here on earth, there is confirmation of Jesus acknowledging the Old Testament. This implies that both the Old and New Testament versions of the Bible cannot be separated either in terms of spiritual interpretations or real-life applications. For example, several aspects have given a clear indication of some of the responses made by Jesus that are either partially or fully linked to the Old Testament especially in the book of Luke, while undergoing temptations from the devil.

The mentions of the Old Testament in the New Testament appear in Luke Chapter three, whereby there are direct quotations of the Old Testament in the book of Isaiah. Subsequent references are seen in the book of Luke Chapters 6-8 where He undergoes temptations from the devil. He voices strong sentiments that Biblical writings should be taken Holy and never broken. When He dismisses the devil that no one should try God in His abilities, he makes reference to the Old Testament (Porter 109).

These are clear and succinct indications that while events on the New Testament times sometimes seem to ‘contradict’ those of the Old Testament, the fact remains that none of the versions fails to address the importance of spiritual life and the destiny of mankind.

Geographical relevance to the Old Testament

There is a lot of geographical relevance of the Fertile Crescent to the Old Testament. To begin with, it is imperative to note that this is the land where the story of the Bible is based, from stories after creation to the exodus of Israelites from the land of captivity; Egypt. Therefore a great part of the Old Testament is based on this region and thus presents great significances to the Bible. Descriptively, this region encompassed the Nile River Valley, part of the Mediterranean coast’s narrow plains, the valleys of rivers Euphrates and Tigris and the delta (Merrill 39).

This region was characterized with the adequacy of rainfall and availability of enough water to support agricultural activities with areas receiving less rainfall undertaking irrigational activities thus enabled settlements of life and thus the earliest form of civilizations as evident from the Bible. The Near East, as it is known, contains the story of the exodus of the Jews from Egypt to total freedom beyond the Mediterranean Sea. This highly helps us to understand the book of Exodus and the story of Israelites from the land of captivity.

The role of archaeology in understanding the Old Testament

Archaeology is mainly concerned with the determination of timing of events and especially of given materials. In this context, it plays a great role in understanding the Old Testament. Ancient Biblical manuscripts obtained from records indicate the correct transmission of the Bible. Archaeology has also helped in the verification of ancient events including Biblical characters and other civilizations depicted in the Bible. Since passages in the Bible were written at specific times under the influence of certain social and political organizations, archaeology becomes of great help in determination of correct illustrations and explanations of passages therein (Merrill 42).

The role of a prophet

According to Dearman (58), prophets are of great importance in connecting humanity with God as well as the future. Since a prophet knows what is in the mind of the Lord, he becomes essential in providing effective prayers. This is possible since his prayers are unceasing directed at a specific and accurate event, either in its prevention or occurrence. This role is essential as it can prevent future calamities fro happening if the prayers become successful.

Secondly, a prophet acts as the Link between Christians and the Lord. By this he becomes a messenger of the Lord and thus passes messages from the Lord to Christians. This role is essential for Christians in understanding what the Lord wants. Without prophetic links, Christians would not know want the Lord wants. A prophet also plays a role in initiating God’s action. This role is crucial for Christians to know God’s impending action and thus avoid behavior that might continue to provoke the Lord to initiate His action on Christian or non-Christians.

This also alerts Christians on God’s intention with the world or Christians in general and thus prepares them for such future actions. However it is not possible to know the exact timing of the predicted or prophesized events and thus Christians will have to be more careful in reading signs that show the nearing of the prophesies.

Truths about worship

From extensive Biblical studies, Sproul (103) has deeply emphasized that the term prayer is a verb and not as it may have been approached from the dimension of a noun. This implies that Christians should always do worship services together either by carrying it out as an event or through the use of music and other accompaniments such as emotions. This way, prayer becomes valid and is thus likely to achieve its goal.

More importantly, prayer has been shown as insistent truth of reality or experiences. Therefore, in order to materialize prayer, there must be whole truth in it. Secondly, worship should not be centered on the needs of Christians. There is a reminder that worship is not about humans but rather about Lord God and thus accuracy should be observed during prayer sessions. All worship attentions should be directed to God.

However, Christians might also include their own experiences in worship such as repentance and prayer for blessing and defeat of the enemy. Thirdly, worship should be direct to the Almighty God through two stages as directed by documents in Christianity. This worship should pass through His son and also through the Holy Spirit. Worship whereby the two intermediates are not present is not considered valid and thus impartial (Sproul 105). However, this truth is almost forgotten by many Christians since they make direct worship sessions and forget either one of the intermediates.

Prophecy

Biblical prophesies have been directly associated with dramatic events and thus have been largely considered to be dramatic. To begin with, Hosea, as a prophet of love, is depicted as portraying dramatic love poems that are set to inspire people to continue to live for tomorrow. The first three chapters of the book of Hosea dwell on God’s intention of winning back the Israelites through an approach of rebuking their behaviors which He apparently disliked.

The portrayal of the offense committed by marrying Harlot by Gomer is shown as quite offensive in the eyes of Hosea and thus the Lord. This is a great piece of dramatic event aimed at showing Israelites that God’s intentions are beside their actions. By transformation, the Lord shows that there is possibility of acceptance hence is used as a tool for winning them back. This dramatic approach greatly works since many at times; the Israelites respond by showing change in their habits and thus are accepted back (Dearman 88).

The ministry of prophet Amos

Like many prophets, Amos developed his own ministry during his time. Dearman (120) depicts that Amos’ ministry, which was located to the north of Israel as shown in the Bible, never lasted long enough. This ministry coincided with the great earthquake and is thought to have lasted for approximately fifteen years, from 767-753 B.C during the reign of Jeroboam. This time is also associated with Israel prosperity and luxury which automatically led to sin.

Although he worked most of time alone in his ministry, he involved himself in sheep breeding and fruit tendering as a source of living but was dedicated and spiritual mature prophet who knew God’s ways. His audience comprised of the Israelites although his messages were critically against their practices. He prophesized in many themes theologically which include the Covenant and the Remnant, Social Injustice and Idolatry and God’s word. These themes brought to light many wishes of the Lord to the people of Israel during the reign of his ministry. After his work, it is believed that God let him go back to his former duties.

Works Cited

Boring, Eugene. Revelation: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. Print.

Dearman, Andrew. The Book of Hosea. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Pub, 2010. Print.

Merrill, Eugene. An historical survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1991. Print.

Porter, Stanley. Hearing the Old Testament in the New Testament. New York: Wiley &sons, 2007. Print.

Sproul, Robert. Knowing Scripture. Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2009. Print.

A Survey of the Old Testament

Be fruitful and multiply

The command to be fruitful and multiply was given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God wanted man and woman to reproduce and fill the earth with humanity. However, God’s plan was that the earth would be filled with people who lived in righteousness. The world was to be filled with people in the same spiritual condition as that of Adam and Eve before their fall. However, sin entered the world. Therefore, the multiplication of people led to the multiplication of their sins.

One example of how this population increase led to an increase in sin was during the time when the tower of Babel was being built. The people came together, determined to build a tower that would reach the heavens. They claimed that, in building this tower, they would not be scattered all over the earth. Instead, they would build a name for themselves in that single place. This, of course, was in direct contradiction to God’s plan that people should multiply and spread throughout all the earth. This is why God confused their languages and caused chaos that ended up halting the building project (Dillard and Tremper 55).

The second instance was when Pharaoh tried to destroy the Hebrew male babies. Pharaoh had noticed that the Israelite slaves were rapidly growing both in numbers and might. Afraid that they would take over the rulership of Egypt, he ordered that all the male newborn babies be killed. His plan was to prevent the Israelites from multiplying. This was in direct contradiction to God’s initial command. Therefore, in an effort to preserve His covenant people, God saved the life of Moses. Moses would later grow up to be the liberator of the Israelite people from their bondage in Egypt.

Responsibilities of Israel’s and Judah’s Kings

Initially, it was not God’s desire that the Israelites be ruled by Kings. But God knew that they would demand a king, and He set provisions in the law for a king. There were very high responsibilities that God set for the kings in order to set an example for the people. For example, through King David, God demanded that the King be accountable and a person of unquestionable character. This was clearly brought out when he sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and tried to hide his sins. God sent the Prophet Nathan to deal with the issue. This was a lesson to the people that not even kings were above God’s law.

Through King Solomon, the people learned the responsibilities of a king in ensuring that people worshiped the one true God. Solomon had the responsibility of building God’s temple according to the specifications that God himself had given. The king was thus supposed to display an attitude of service and total submission and obedience to God, setting an example for all (Williams and Stanley 501).

King Uziah was a king of Judah. He was a great warrior and is remembered for the many fortifications he put around Judah. However, he grew proud and corrupt. He also defiled the temple and sinned before God when he went to burn incense upon the altar. This showed that even kings were to adhere to God’s law and could not overrule the role of the high priest. They had to obey and live by the law, just like everyone else. God punished Uziah by striking him with leprosy. Throughout the history of Israel and Judah, God displayed His high standards and expectations for the kings. The kings served as a lesson to the people when God rewarded their obedience and punished their disobedience.

True Worship is a Dangerous Thing

“True worship is a dangerous thing because, in it, we are required to bring our personal failings face-to-face with a holy, righteous, and just God.”

Worship refers to the different attitudes of service, submission, and reverence towards God. In other words, it refers to the obedience of God, keeping His commands, and pleasing Him. The author of the above statement is right in terming worship as a dangerous thing. This is because man’s nature is fallen, and he is, therefore, incapable of exhibiting the perfection that God demands. For a man to truly worship God, he must display perfect obedience.

Since this is not possible due to sin, there are sacrifices that must be made to atone for man’s failings. These sacrifices also have to be made in accordance with God’s requirements. Failure to meet any one of the requirement puts the person’s own life in danger.

In the Old Testament, people worshipped God by keeping the commandments given through Moses. Failure to keep any of the many laws required sacrifices to be made. There were also many other sacrifices that had to be made at certain times and in a certain specific way. The people who failed in one way or another were either stricken by a horrible disease, or they were killed (Arnold and Bryan 46). This clearly shows just how dangerous true worship was. A pure and perfect God demands the same of us. However, humanity is made up of imperfect and sinful people. Also, since God is just, He must punish our failings. This is what makes worship dangerous, especially in the Old Testament. However, in the New Testament, Jesus bore these punishments and justified believers.

Importance of Job’s Vulnerability

The story of Job clearly revealed the various ways and instances in which Job’s vulnerability was present. First of all, even though Job was wealthy, and he lived a life of obedience to God, he still ended up losing everything. This illustrates man’s vulnerability. It shows that no amount of wealth or righteousness can make us not become vulnerable to disaster. Job’s vulnerability to the calamities that befell him provides an important lesson to believers. First of all, it shows that all men are vulnerable to disaster. It is not just a great sinner that is vulnerable. Even the strongest and most mature believer is vulnerable (Archer, 402).

Job’s vulnerability was further displayed in God’s description of the Leviathan in Job 41. In this chapter, God described the strength and might of the Leviathan and how Job was helpless against it. God conveniently showed that Job had no hope of standing against the Leviathan, which in essence represented Satan. God showed that even so, He was stronger than the Leviathan. This chapter gives insight to believers concerning vulnerability.

It shows that even though man is vulnerable and totally helpless against Satan’s schemes, God is still stronger than Satan. God still triumphs over evil, despite our own vulnerabilities. These examples clearly show that people misunderstand the way people feel vulnerable to life’s stresses. People always see the stresses as too big, forgetting that God is actually bigger and in control.

Works Cited

Archer, Gleason L. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, 3rd Ed. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.

Arnold, Bill T and Bryan E. Beyer. Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1999.

Dillard Raymond B. and Tremper Longman III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Williams, William C. and Stanley Horton. They Spoke from God: A Survey of the Old Testament. Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2003.