THEOLOGY

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CHAPTER 8: JUDGES, KINGS, PROPHETS

I.

Pre-monarchic history

Promised Land Canaan; land flowing with milk and honey

fulfillment of Gods covenant with Abraham

Hero stories Israel folk history with theological message

1. JOSHUA AND THE CONQUEST OF THE PROMISED LAND

Joshua
- YHWH or God saves
- Savior of his people; instrument of Gods saving act
Talmud
- Discussions of jewish teachers
- Face of Moses = face of Sun
- Face of Joshua = face of moon
- Greatness of Joshua as leader and liberator
Joshua 3: CROSSING THE JORDAN

Jordan River crossed by Joshua

Red Sea crossed by Moses
Joshua 6: SIEGE OF JERICHO

Battle of Jericho most famous battle by Israel vs other people

7 days length of time the Isrraelites marched around the city
- The Israelites won because of YHWHs power
- Ark of the covenant Yahwehs dwelling and emblem of his presence
- Book of Joshua religious interpretation of history; more concerned about
showing how YHWH fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant
PART 1: Conquest of Canaan
PART 2 : Division of the Land
PART 3 : Joshuas final discourse
2 THEOLOGICAL THEMES:
God is a Warrior
- God saved His chosen people from being nomads
- Herem - exclusion, destruction of all living creatures that the Israelites
idolized
Land is a Gift
- perpetual memorial of the covenant
- Peace is more than just the absence of war
- Achievement of shalom
2.

JUDGES
- Hebrew. plural, SHOPETIM
- Their leadership: fusion of executive judicial religious military roles

BOOK OF JUDGES life of the Israelites in Canaan as they contended

kingdoms

Great Judges:

EHUD
Killed the king using a short 2-edged sword with his left hand and defeated the
Moabites; 30 yrs of peace
DEBORAH
only female judge; defeated the Canaanites; poet and prophetess, famous for
rendering her judgments under a palm tree in Ephraim; 40 years of peace
GIDEON
defeated the Midianites; only 300 men armed with trumpets, torches, and clay jars;
noise of weapons caused panic and confusion that made them vulnerable

JEPHTAH
defeated the Ammonites; burnt his daughter, mournful condition for Israelite
women

SAMSON
strength from his hair and love affair with Delilah; was a Nazirite and defeated the
Philistines by destroying their temple and died with them
THREEFOLD MESSAGE:
1. God is on the side of the politically oppressed
2. Gods love prevails yet He allows bad things to happen
3. Israel should never cease to see the importance of keeping the covenant
BAAL
spirit deity represented in carvings
false god recognized as source of good harvest and prosperity
3.

SAMUEL
- Last judge of Israel; prophet of God and a man of faith

Eli priest at the Shiloh Sanctuary; blessed the barren woman

Hannah barren woman, mother of prophet Samuel
King regarded as a visible sign of unity; status symbol
Rights of a king:
1. Sons of Israel should serve the king as his soldiers or servants
2. Daughters should serve the king as his ladies-in-waiting
3. King shall collect taxes and claim the best fruits
II. The United Monarchy
VICAR visible sign or representative
1. King Saul
- Tribe of Benjamin; tall and handsome
- lost YHWHs favor because of pride and disobedience
2. King David
- Son of Jesse, tribe of Judah
- Real founder of the monarchy

He killed Goliath
sweet psalmist of Israel; author of the book of Psalms

JERUSALEM

Canaanite tribe; Jesuites; neutral ground

- City of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
- new heavens and the new earth
BOOK OF PSALMS prayer book for Israelites
PSALMS religious poems intended to be sung
3.

King Solomon
- Davids son by Bathsheba; constructed numerous royal places
- Wise king
- Constructed the Temple of Jerusalem

HOLY OF HOLIES most inner chamber; where ark of the covenant is enshrined
DOME OF THE ROCK - where Mohammed ascended into heaven
WISDOM WRITINGS:
a. Proverbs collection of practical advice for successful living
b. Ecclesiates (Qoheleth) reflection of the preacher; human frustration in
the temporariness of mans success and happiness
c. Job mystery of evil; misfortunes are consequences of sin
d. Sirach Ecclesiasticus; collection of ethical teachings
e. Song of songs best one; depiction of human love
f. Wisdom philosophical and historical treatment of wisdom
III. THE SPLIT OF THE KINGDOM
THE GREEK AND ROMAN RULE
- Israel- Northern Kingdom (Jericho, Samaria, Sechem, Jabbok, Meggido)
- Judah Southern Kingdom (Jerusalem, Hebron, Beersheba)
THE PROPHETS OF ISRAEL
a. Prophetic Writings

Prophetic books: 4 MAJOR, 12 MINOR

Themes: JUSTICE, FAITHFULNESS TO THE COVENANT, MESSIANISM
b. Prophets of the Northern Kingdom
ELIJAH - YHWH is God; time of king; recorder of the book of Kings
- Stories: his struggle against the monarchs, the baals & priests, and
wonders
HOSEA AND AMOS writing prophets
- Hoseas message: There will be a war because of the peoples sins
c. Prophets of the Southern Kingdom
ISAIAH
- Prophet of advent

called for social justice

Babylonian captivity as a consequence of the peoples idolatry
- Book extends to the post exilic era
MICAH
- Told people that YHWH wanted people to treat their neighbors with mercy
ZEPHANIAH
- Coming of The Day of the Lord (day of punishment)
- Restoration of YHWHs kingdom
JEREMIAH
- Treated like a traitor; subjected to physical cruelty
- Books of Lamentations and Baruch
- Peoples lament and admission of guilt
NAHUM
- Rejoiced at the fall of Nineveh
- Signaled the end of the Assyrian empire
HABAKKUK
- Reflected on how YHWH allowed his people to be oppressed

IV. The Babylonian Exile

The Prophets:
EZEKIEL
- Temple priest; first batch of the Exiles
- Showed that the exile was a consequence of sinfulness
DANIEL
- Interpreted Nebuchadnezzars dreams
- Encouraged people to hold fast to their traditions
OBADIAH
- Predicted the fall of Edom because of their lack of sympathy
- Shortest book of the Bible
- Responsibility of nations towards each other
HEBREW from Shems great grandson (Eber); people and their language
ISRAELITE from Jacobs name; citizens of the breakaway Northern Kingdom
JEW from Judah; citizens of the Southern Kingdom; ethnicity and religion
SEMITE from Noahs son (Shem); equivalent to Jew
V.

The Return from the Exile

1. The Post exilic prophets
HAGGAI - influence people to rebuild the temple of Jerusalem
ZECHARIAH - predicted the destruction of Israel's enemies
JOEL - proclaimed the unstoppable wrath of YHWH and the coming of his judgment;

day
of darkness and destruction of things
MALACHI - prophesied God's coming to purify of his people
2. Ezra and Nehemiah
- they tell us of the rebuilding and reconsecrating of the Temple and of the
walls of Jerusalem

VI. The Greek and Roman Rule

Hellenization - Greek culture ; Hellas
Septuagint - Seventy; Greek translation of the Scriptures

CHAPTER 9: JESUS AND THE GOSPELS

Gospel

old English term godspel, which means good news

literal translation of the Greek euaggelion
form of literature; good news of salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ
the very person of Jesus is the Gospel.

Gospels
- are faith documents describing what the early Christians believe about Jesus
- not literal, chronological account of the words and deeds of Jesus
- written by evangelists
Several groups within Judaism:
a. Sadducees - descendants of the priest; religious conservatives; they did not believe in
angels
b. Pharisees - "separated ones"; strict observers of Torah; believed in the resurrection of
the dead
c. Essenes - responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls; practiced asceiticism
d. Zealots - revolutionaries; pitted against Roman rule
e. Anawims - untouchables; where the family of Jesus Christ came from
Titles of Jesus:
CHRIST/MESSIAH - "the anointed one"; chosen by God to save his chosen people
LORD - "Adonai"; Jesus is a divine person with divine authority
SON OF GOD - "true king of Israel"; divine person who shares the nature of his father
SON OF MAN - ruler and savior of the world
SON OF DAVID - eternal king who'll establish God's eternal kingdom
WORD OF GOD - "Logos"; fullness of God's self communication
LAMB OF GOD - sacrifice for our salvation
SUFFERING SERVANT - "servant of God"; fulfillment of the prophecy
ETERNAL HIGH PRIEST - mediator between God and man
1.
The Stages in the Formation of the gospels:
STAGE 1: Ministry of the historical Jesus
- actual life of Jesus in Palestine (33 yrs)
STAGE 2: Oral preaching of the apostles
- apostles were fired up by the Holy Spirit and preached the good news of Jesus' resurrection
- early church was a preaching church more than a writing church
STAGE 3: Actual writing of the gospels
- necessity of writing the gospels for the ff reasons:
1ST BIBLE - scroll; first document which the king wanted to burn
BIBLE - compilation of many books; basis of our faith
8 BEATITUDES - sermon on the mount
2. Order of the Gospels

Mark - earliest gospel

John - last place bc early tradition considered it as the last to be written in the order of time
James and Peter - first disciples of Christ
3. Classification of the Gospels
a. Synoptic gospels
- Mark, Matthew and Luke
- striking similarity; same storyline and remarkable convergence
- syn + optikos ; "to view with the same look"
b. The Gospel of John
- style, language and order of events is entirely different
GOSPEL OF MARK
- Gospel of miracle; shortest
- gospel of deeds; gospel of Messianic secret
- Jesus as Son of Man; human emotions and humanity
- Jesus as the Suffering servant who died on the cross
- Jesus as the son of God who revealed his true identity on the cross
GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
Levi, son of Alphaeus
tax collector
literary and theological dependence of the new Testament
ecclesiastical Gospel; only gospel that uses the word Church
Jesus as Emmanuel; God is with us
Jesus is the Messiah; fulfillment of all the messianic prophecies in the OT
Jesus is the Messianic King; true heir to david's throne
GOSPEL OF LUKE
wrote the Acts of the Apostles
compassion and mercy. role of the Holy Spirit, prayer, concern for the poor
GOSPEL OF JOHN
disciple whom Jesus loved
most theological of the gospels; spiritual gospel
Jesus as the eternal "word of God"
Jesus is the resurrection and the Life
Jesus as the Light of the World
INCARNATION
- Jesus Christ became man
RESURRECTION
- central truth of our Christian faith
- rise of Jesus from the dead
- Jesus' resurrection was, is, and will alaways be the most sensational event to take place
CATHECISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
a. To save us from sin by reconciling us with God
b. To make us know God's love
c. To become our model of holiness
d. To make us partakers of the Divine nature

INFANCY NARRATIVES
- The accounts of Jesus birth and early childhood
Jesus' birth:
- Jesus and Mary were His known parents
- An angel announced Jesus' birth
- He was virginally conceived by the Holy Spirit
- He was born in Bethlehem
- He gew up in Nazareth
Hidden Life of Jesus:
- growing up in a family
- allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus
MARY IN THE GOSPELS
Mary - exceptional daughter of the human race; extraodinary woman who became the
mother of Christ
1. as Mother of Jesus
- work of salvation; "favored one"
- acknowledged as the "graced" and "blessed" of God, blessed among all women
- Mary is a young Jewish woman betrothed to Joseph
- Mother who gave life to the Messiah
2. as Woman of Faith
- "to abandon oneself"
- Mary entrusted herself to God completely
- She accepted the word of God
- Magnificat - grateful praise to God; summary of Mary's faith and acknowledgement
of
God's greatness
3. as Evangelizer
- Mary set out in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth
- Mary as the bearer of the "gospel"
- first messenger of the gospel
4. as Associate of Jesus in Suffering
- Her faith was tested through sufferings and trials
- Mary shares in the death of her Son
5. as Intercessor
- showed a respectful and trusting request for Jesus to intervene
- believed and expected help from Jesus
- cared about others and their needs
- influenced others to believe, listen, and obey Jesus
6. as Mother of Jesus' disciples
- mother of believers in the community of Jesus' disciples
- spiritual mother of all

CHAPTER 10: THE PUBLIC MINISTRY OF JESUS

1. THE ROYAL MESSIANIC HOPE
- hope of the Israelites for someone to save them from their sins
Salvation - didn't mean going to heaven, but it was synonymous to political freedom

Messianic age:
1. The Transformation of the World
2. The Establishment of a Righteous community
Kingdom of God
- coming of their long awaited salvation
- synonym for salvation
- new world, new order
2. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
John
- For the Jews, preceded by the appearing prophet, to prepare the way of the messiah;
sign of restoration of the Kingdom
- For the Christians, John was the fulfillment of the precursor prophecy; he carried out
his prophetic ministry by baptizing people at river Jordan
REASON of Baptism:
- his baptism was public ministry
- Jesus did not do it for himself but for HUMANITY
- He was the NEW ADAM opted obedience
3. THE TEMPTATION OF JESUS

# 40 - probation of trial; indicates a time of testing

SYNOPTICS - after his baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit to the desert where he
fasted for forty days and was tempted by the devil, same with the forty years that
the Israelites spent in the desert where they were likewise tempted.
4. THE CALL OF THE TWELVE
- Jesus chose twelve men to accompany him in his Kingdom ministry
- Twelve is the number of the Kingdom of Israel
- Twelve apostles to baptize and teach
Simon (Peter) - fisherman, first bishop of Rome, suffered martyrdom through inverted
crucifixion
Andrew - brought others to Jesus
James - the Greater. first to be martyred in Jerusalem
John - beloved disciple; last of the twelve to die
Philip - asked the Lord, "Show us the Father"
Bartholomew - true Israelite, no duplicity in him
Thomas - "twin", he asked the Lord to show him the way
Matthew - Levi, gift of YHWH; tax collector
James, son of Alphaeus - head of the church in Jerusalem; brother of Jesus
Judas Thaddeus - "Judas, not Iscariot"
Simon the Zealot - understood zeal as willingness to kill in God's name
Judas Iscariot - betrayed Jesus and sold him for 30 pcs of silver; in charge of the funds,
"thief"

Kingdom of Heaven = Kingdom of God

Heaven - dwelling place of God
Kingdom - good news; salvation
For Jesus, the Kingdom of God was a condition or situation wherein the will of God
would be manifested.
The Beatitudes
- Beatitudo (Latin, blessedness)
- Makarios (Greek, sense of inner contentment)
- Jesus' great sermon
The Parables of the Kingdom
- Gk, Parabole - a ficitive illustration in narrative form
- narrative metaphors, picture stories
a. The Parables on the Good news of the Kingdom - value of the Kingdom, the good it
brings
b. The Parables on the Children of the Kingdom - how disciples should behave
c. The Parables on the Kingdom as Judgment - sad fate of those that reject the gift of
kingdom
5. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN THE WORKS OF JESUS
1. The Miracles
- most interesting details in the Gospel portraits of Jesus
- most immediate report about his reputation, Jesus the miracle worker
2. Table fellowship
- Jesus often likened the Kingdom of God to a banquet
- Food was a symbol of goodwill
In Jewish Culture, an offer of food meant an offer of friendship