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Adam: Although the creation narrative does not use the word “covenant”, there are various implicit indicators that show a covenant is present between God and creation, mediated by Adam (Sabbath: Sign of the covenant). The Adamic covenant bound God with Adam, whose status was son of God and vice-regent of creation. The condition of the covenant was to refrain from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; the corresponding curse was death.
Noah : Adam and Eve’s subsequent breaking of the covenant introduces death into human history and begins a cycle of sin that ultimate necessitates the cleaning of the earth by the Flood. After the Flood, the original creation covenant is renewed with Noah, although with modifications: the once- peaceful relationship between man and nature has been marred.
The Patriarchs : In this period God made 3 covenants with Abram (later named Abraham):
- Nationhood: God promised to give him his own land. The sign of this covenant was the blood of the animals. It was later fulfilled by Moses.
- Kingship: Abraham would become the “Father of All Nations”. The sign of this covenant was the circumcision. It was later fulfilled by David.
- World blessing: The sign of this covenant was the binding of Isaac. It was later fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
Isaac was Abraham’s only begotten son. Jacob (later named Israel) was the second son of Isaac. The 12 tribes of Israel are the 12 sons of Jacob. Joseph was one of the sons but because of envy, his brothers sold him as a slave. He was raised in Egypt and later on his brothers went to Egypt; Joseph eventually forgave his brothers and asked his father, Jacob, to settle in Egypt.
Egypt and the Exodus: The Israelites, who had had a harmonious relationship with the Egyptians, were then enslaved by the Egyptians themselves. God called Moses to lead people out of slavery but the Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go away. Yahweh then proved his might over the Pharaoh by sending terrible plagues (10) upon the Egyptians. The Israelites escape from Egypt and the journey to the Holy Land is called the Exodus. On the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites stopped at Mount Sinai. There, the key event in Jewish salvation history occurs: God extends the Covenant he made with Abraham to all the Israelites. He gives Moses the Law (Ten Commandments – which people must obey as a sign of their commitment to the Covenant). During the Exodus the people lose their faith in God and they start worshiping Egyptian Gods (Apis Bull: golden calf). So the Lord makes the Levitical Covenant with Israel thru Moses (Many Laws written by Moses) As a consequence of their unfaith they must wander in the desert for forty years, and only their children will be able to enter the Promised Land. Before the Israelites took the Promised Land over, it took place another important event: God made a new covenant at the plains of Moab with not only Moses but with all the Israelites also; if Israel disregards Gods laws and worships other gods, God will exile them, but if Israel turns back to YHWH after they have been exiled, then Israel will be regathered into the land.
Settling to the Promised Land: Moses dies before the Israelites entered the Promised Land. It is then when God calls Moses’ right hand man, Joshua, to lead the people into the land. This land was inhabited by other people and they had to fight them to gain control of the land. When they trust
God, they are successful in their battles; when they do not trust God, they fail. Eventually they gain control of the land, and Joshua, who destroyed all the idols, the high places of these idols and took possession of the land, divides the land between the 12 tribes. New invaders tried to capture the land. At this time the Israelites have no king, because God is their ruler. A pattern develops: 1) the Israelites forget about God and are unfaithful to the Covenant, 2) they suffer at the hands of invaders, 3) they cry out to God for help, 4) God calls special leaders and warriors, called judges, to help deliver justice and defend the land against the invaders, 5) life is good for a while until the Israelites lapse into unfaithfulness and the cycle begins again. Deborah, Gideon, and Samson were some of the more famous judges.
Kingdoms: Eventually the Israelites want their own king. God reluctantly answers their plea. He has Samuel – the last of the judges – anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. Saul has many problems and is eventually killed in battle. David follows Saul as the second king; David means “The beloved one” and he was the 8 th^ son (#8 means new beginning). Politically, he stablished that Jerusalem was the capital (king); liturgically, he sang psalms (Organizes/Leads Priest); eschatologically, he was anointed. He was a suffering King (Relates to Jesus suffering). Davidic covenant: David will make a house of God / God has David fulfill the dynasty covenant made to Abraham. God promises that David’s son will build God’s Temple, be a son of God and rule Israel forever. After David’s death, one of his sons, Solomon, was named king. After his death the kingdom splits in two: Israel and Judah. Both reigns failed in following God’s plan and to reverse this situation God would send the prophets.
Exile and Return: Despite the prophets’ warnings, the people of Israel and Judah continued to turn away from God’s Covenant with. So God let their kingdoms be conquered and their rulers overthrown. Many of the people were taken into captivity, so this time was called the Exile. Prophets like Ezekiel and Second Isaiah comforted the Israelites with the promise that God was still with them. These great prophets also hinted at the future coming of a just, gentle, and suffering king/servant who would lead the people back to God. The Exile was a key event in Jewish salvation history. During and after the Exile, the Israelites rewrote much of their sacred scriptures. They now believed that their special relationship with God was not centered in being a nation with a king. Their identity was primarily a religious identity centered in following the Mosaic Law--with an emphasis in the offering of ritual sacrifice at the Temple.
Jesus Christ: God never abandoned his Chosen People, even though so often they did not keep their part of the Covenant. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, tell of how when the time was right, God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. This is the ultimate event in salvation history. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, the second person of the Trinity, is the complete and final revelation of God’s saving plan. All the previous covenants are fulfilled with Jesus Christ:
- Adamic: Jesus is a new Adam who makes us into a new creation.
- Abrahamic: He fulfills all the promises of the Abrahamic covenant, including great nationhood, kingship, the fatherhood of many nations and the “blessing to all nations” experienced in the outpouring of the Spirit on all people.
was brought to the temple, the glory of the Lord descended on it, Solomon prays a powerful prayer, and then sacrifices were offered. Despite their many positive accomplishments, both David and Solomon are guilty of many sins in building their empire, succumbing to the temptations of violence, sex, and power; specially Solomon, who multiplied war horses, wives and gold/silver falling to follow God’s plan. After Solomon’s death there is disagreement between the tribes, and the kingdom splits in two: Israel (North) and Judah (South). Many of the kings of Israel and Judah worshiped foreign gods and allowed injustice in the kingdom. So God called prophets to call the people to obey their Covenant with God. Prophets like Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah called the people to stop worshiping idols, to practice justice, to worship God with integrity, and to care for people in need.
Kings-2 narrates how God performs amazing miracles through his prophets as He sends these messengers to herald His messages. The prophet Elijah concludes his ministry and hands over the reins to another up and coming prophet who God will use named Elisha. Elisha follows Elijah as he follows God’s lead. In Elijah’s ministry he carries out twice as many miracles as Elijah. God does His will through his prophet. We also find details about kings and dynasties, which ultimately disobey and ignore God’s orders and provisions. Finally, during the reign of the last evil king, Hosea, the Assyrians take the Northern Kingdom into captivity (721BC). The Southern Kingdom is not doing much better, and soon would also face God’s judgment and be conquered by the Babylonians (587BC).
Chronicles: retell the history of Israel in such a way as to assure the Jews living in Judah after the Babylonian exile that God’s saving plan is still ongoing and they are part of it, that their national history provides reasons for pride and gratitude to God and that they may expect God’s support in their efforts to rebuild their national life around the worship of the Lord. Chronicles recasts the Kingdom of David as a liturgical empire, a union of the 12 Tribes of Israel and even other nations gathered around the Jerusalem Temple to celebrate the sacred liturgy revealed through Moses and reinvigorated by David. Chronicles’ vision of the people of God as “kingdom of the Lord” at worship under the leadership of the Son of David segues directly into Jesus’ proclamation and establishment of the “kingdom of God”, the qahal or ekklesia of the New Covenant.( Only book in the old testament that proclaims the Kingdom of God).
Ezra-Nehemiah: Ezra’s purpose was to accurately record the events of the return from the Babylonian exile, after a seventy-year period and the events that surround the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, the renewal of the Mosaic covenant and the separation of the Jews from the Gentile inhabitants of the land. God is faithful in fulfilling His promises and so the Jews return to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon. A relatively small number of Jews return to the city of Jerusalem and immediately prepare to construct the new temple. The building drags on because the surrounding enemies begin oppressing and frightening them. The second group of Jews returns to Israel. Ezra is included in this return. The Temple was finally built but there was no protection for Israel from further attack. Nehemiah travels to Jerusalem and uses his leadership skill to rally a citywide construction crew. Within a few weeks, the walls around Jerusalem were built and standing tall and their enemies lost their confidence. It is time for Israel to find and reestablish themselves again as a nation, after the long period of the exile in Babylon. Ezra leads all the Jews in a renewal ceremony. This incorporated a public teaching of the Law, in which it was read and explained. For example, the recognition of the Sabbath Day was reinstated.
Tobit: This book focuses attention on one northern family and their experiences of the earlier Assyrian exile. In this way, Tobit complements the books of Chronicles and Ezra-Nehemiah by providing the perspective of northern Israelites on the experiences of judgment and exile. As a Theological interpretation, Tobias is not just a “new Isaac” or “new Jacob”, but a new Adam, who, as a bridegroom figure, succeeds in protecting his bride from danger where Adam had failed. The book aims to encourage those who maintain fidelity to the Lord and his covenants. For those unable to participate in the Temple cult, Tobit recommends a lifestyle marked by what have become known as the corporal works of mercy and traditional practices of piety.
Judith: This book tells the story of a heroic Jewish widow who saved the people of her city and nation by her courage and cunning. Its purpose is to encourage the community of God’s people to maintain conscientious observance of their covenantal commitments to God and faith that God is able to deliver them despite the apparently limitless strength of their persecutors. Judith kind of relates to virgin Mary as to bring salvation for her people.
Esther: Its purpose is to demonstrate God’s love and sovereignty in all circumstances. It recounts the heroism of a Jewish orphan girl who raises to queenship during the reign of the Persian emperor Xerxes I and, together with her uncle Mordecai, exerts influences on the monarch to save and protect the Jewish people scattered throughout the Persian empire.
Maccabees 1: It’s a history of the Maccabean revolt, covering the period from 175 to 132 B.C. The Book contains important historical information about the time period it covers (Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, Judas leading the revolt…), but also a record of the Jews’ struggle against foreign pagan influences that threatened their faith. The Maccabeans were willing to fight and die for their faith. The message is to trust God entirely and be courageous in defending your faith.
Maccabees 2: Picks up Jewish history in the time of the Hasmoneans. There are 3 main sections:
- 2 letters sent to the Jews in Egypt from those in Jerusalem instructing them on how to celebrate the Tabernacles and Hanukkah.
- Glory stories of martyrdorm and purification of the Temple after Antiochus’ death.
- Many exploits of Judas and his ultimate defeat of Nicanor, the Seleucid general.
