BGCT: DSM: Old Testament Text: Lecture 01: Why Study the Old Testament

Index/Table of Contents
Old Testament and New Testament
Credits and Copyright

BACKGROUND

LECTURE 1

WHY STUDY THE OLD TESTAMENT?

Students will be able to discuss five benefits of studying the Old Testament

Content of Lecture

The following are definitions of the Old Testament given by various scholars. Do any of these summarize your understanding of the Old Testament? (TN#1)

"This is what the Bible is about. It is about the personal relationships between man and man, between man and woman and, above all, between man and God and God and man..." (Barclay, Introducing the Bible, 16).

"The various writings bear witness to the unique historical experiences of a particular people, Israel, from the time of its beginning shortly after 2000 B.C. down to the period of the Maccabean Revolution which broke out slightly more than a century and a half before the Christian era" (Anderson, Understanding the Old Testament, 3).

"The Old Testament as we possess it,... is a carefully selected library of books, and its principle of selection was not mere literary excellence but the fact that, in the words of Josephus, these books were 'rightly accredited' or, as one manuscript tradition says, 'rightly accredited as divine'" (Davidson, The Old Testament, 13).

"The Old Testament is first and foremost a collection of religious books, created by faith and addressed to persons who share that faith. Its basic premise is the reality of the living God of creation and history, and its primary aim is to expose the active purpose of God at work within the world" (West, Introduction to the Old Testament, 3).

Having provided a better understanding of what is contained in the Old Testament, what are the values of studying its content?

1. It is an important part of Western culture.

The Western systems of law and social justice are rooted in Old Testament tradition. Western emphases in drama, art, literature and music carry many of the biblical themes (Steinbeck's East of Eden, Mendelssohn's oratorio "Elijah",and Handel's "Messiah" reflect Biblical ideas; and the folk song "Turn, Turn, Turn," is based on Ecclesiastes).

2. The Old Testament provides the background for three world religions. (2)

In addition to being considered sacred to Jews and Christians, the Old Testament is a source of information about four of Islam's six prophets (Adam, Noah, Abraham and Moses, Old Testament personalities, are combined with Jesus and Muhammad-who is viewed as the last and greatest).

No one can understand the New Testament apart from the Old. Just one example would be the message in Hebrews which compares the benefits of what Christ offers with the heroes of the Old Testament. Jesus' superiority is stressed in relationship to Jewish prophets, Moses, Joshua and the Levitical priesthood.

The New Testament identification of Jesus as the Lamb of God and Lion of Judah presuppose an understanding of the Old Testament message.

3. The Old Testament makes an important contribution to the historical record. Written against significant historical developments in the Middle East between 2000 and 200 B.C., the Old Testament amplifies our understanding of events in Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia and Greece.

William Barclay comments that the Jewish perspective on history was not always the same as that of other professional historians. "The one test of any figure in biblical history was his obedience or his disobedience to God" (Barclay,13). This principle leads the biblical writers to give considerable attention to prophets such as Elijah and Elisha while relegating a politically powerful ruler such as Omri to casual reference.Therefore, while secular world rulers contemporary to the Old Testament era may be mentioned, the servants of God's purpose are those receiving greatest attention.

Contemporary issues in the Middle East such as the Arab-Israeli conflict have historical origins which can be traced to biblical times.

4. The Old Testament has great value in its devotional material.

Perhaps for this reason more than anything else, the Psalms are some of the most widely read sections of the Bible. Here Jewish people have expressed "their despairs,their fears, their confessions, their aspirations, their sorrows, their joys, their thanksgiving. By these, their devotion has been kindled and their hearts comforted. The psalter has been, in the truest sense, the prayer book of Jews and Christians" (J.J.S.Perowne, Commentary on the Psalms, Vol. 1, 22).

5. The Old Testament is one of the great sources of theological material.

Many of the theological issues of the Western civilization originate with these documents. The doctrines of creation, the fall, and the nature of God and man have been greatly influenced by Old Testament writers.

6. The Old Testament could justifiably be studied as a source of ethics and morality.

Elton Trueblood argues that the "Ten Commandments" provide a highly relevant guide for dealing with social problems of the Twentieth Century. "The Decalogue serves, in a remarkable way, as a standard of moral reference" (Trueblood, Foundations for Reconstruction, 5).

The application of principles in the Hebrew Decalogue would provide an antidote to the further moral decline of Western civilization.

WHY STUDY THE OLD TESTAMENT?

Name one of the Patriarchs.

What is a Patriarch?

Which of the following was not a judge in Israel?

A. Deborah

B. Samuel

C. Gideon

D. Isaac

What period of time is covered in the Old Testament?

From ___________ to __________

In your opinion what are the major events of the Old Testament?

Who are major personalities of the Old Testament?

Can you give an example from the Old Testament of the following types of literature?

Law _______________________________

Poetry _____________________________

Apocalyptic Literature __________________

Prophet ____________________________

History _____________________________

What would be a value of studying the Old Testament?

Assignment

Read article on "Canon of the Old Testament" from Bible encyclopedia such as The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible

Discussion Questions:

#2 If Christianity, Judaism and Islam all trace their origins to the Old Testament, why is there rivalry among these three religions? How are the expressions "Law" and "Grace" crucial to an understanding of distinctions among these religions?

Why would the Christian community look upon the Old Testament as both a source of history and faith? is either history or faith a more important benefit of studying these documents?

Do any of the reasons for studying the Old Testament describe your interest? What would you like to gain from this course?

Teacher's Notes:

The first lecture might begin with a pretest to facilitate discussion. The following could be reproduced and attempted by students at the beginning of the first class:

Name one of the Patriarchs.

What is a Patriarch?

Which of the following was not a judge in Israel?

A. Deborah

B. Samuel

C. Gideon

D. Isaac

What period of time is covered in the Old Testament?

From __________ to __________

In your opinion, what are the major events of the Old Testament?

Who are major personalities of the Old Testament?

Can you give an example from the Old Testament of the following types of literature?

Law __________

Poetry _______

Apocalyptic literature _____

Prophet _____

History ______

What would be a value of studying the Old Testament?

#1 Note that the definitions characterize the Old Testament as a book of relationships, history, literature and faith.

See reproducible handout at the end of this lecture.

Resources:

Barclay, William. Introducing the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1972.
Jensen, Irving. Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1978.
Anderson, Bernhard W. Understanding the Old Testament. 3rd. ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall,Inc., 1975.
Barclay, William. Introducing The Bible Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1972.
Barrows, E.P. Companion to the Bible. New York: American Tract Society, 1867.
Davidson, Robert. The Old Testament. New York: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1964.
Jensen, Irving. Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1978.
Perowne, J. J. S. Commentary on the Psalms. Vol. 1. Andover: Warren Draper Publishing, 1976.
Trueblood, Elton. Foundations for Reconstruction. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1972.
West, James King. Introduction to the Old Testament 2nd. ed. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co.,1981.

Credits and Copyright This online text book is provided by the Division of Student Ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, 333 N. Washington Dallas, Texas 75246-1798 214.828.5100 Use the text to meet your academic needs. If you copy any part of this online text, please give credit to the Division of Student Ministry of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Any donations which you give will be used in the Division of Student Ministry Summer Missions Programs.