Encountering the Old Testament - Assignment Example

God’s Mercy to Humanity Evidence for God’s mercy to humankind is interspersed across the Old Testament. However, it is the Books of Genesis and Jonah that present the clearest of it all. The Divine mercy is described in such a way so that to make clear that God the Almighty is willing to pardon former sinners and deliver them from the gravest perils, if they are able to repent their past transgressions. The stories of Cain and Noah are especially notable in this regard. The son of Adam and Eve, Cain slew his brother Abel, as he was indignant at God’s more favorable attitude to the latter’s burnt offering (Clowney, 1991, p.40). The crime committed by Cain enraged God the Almighty, and He forsook Cain, passing a judgment of eternal wanders for him (Genesis 4:12 The New International Version). Nonetheless, as Cain called on God to provide some protection for him, as he feared being slain in his journeys, God yielded to Cain’s prayers and granted that “anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over” (Genesis 4:15 The New International Version). The Divine protection of Cain enabled him to reside safely in the eastern land of Nod, and to build the first city on the Earth, named after his first-born son, Enoch. The mercy of God thus proved instrumental in the development of human civilization (Arnold & Beyer, 2008). The case of Cain demonstrated that Lord God is simultaneously wrathful and merciful, ready both to punish and to forgive. The story of the Ark of Noah that may be found in the selfsame Book of Genesis is further testimony to this capacity of God, and, therefore, it is necessary to dwell on it in detail. According to Genesis, the Flood was caused by especial depravity of humans then living on Earth, who went as far as entering into sexual relations with “sons of the God” (i.e. the fallen angels; Genesis 6:2 The New International Version). However, God chose Noah and his progeny as the righteous few that would continue the life on Earth (Clowney, 1991, pp. 40-42). Instructing Noah to build the Ark that would contain the seeds and paragons of all the plant and animal kingdom, God manifested His clemency to the world He had already found unworthy of His glory. Noah and his sons became the progenitors of the future peoples of Earth, continuing the line of humankind. The Covenant of God with Noah and his successors (Genesis 9:8-10 The New International Version) proved that Divine mercy is always quick to return to those who show their obedience to God’s will. The story of Jonah may likewise be invoked here. When Jonah declined God’s dictum to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against its residents’ wickedness, Lord God sent a great storm against the ship carrying him (Jonah 1:4 The New International Version). Eventually, Jonah was consumed by the belly of the “huge fish” sent by the Lord, and he was there for three days and three nights (Jonah 1:17 The New International Version). However, God’s mercy was still shown to Jonah, as, when he gave prayer to the Lord in hope of salvation, God commanded the fish to release Jonah, and he was able to continue his way, going to Nineveh to fulfill God’s will. 2. Hindrances in Lives of Moses and Joshua Moses and Joshua were some of the most prominent servants of Lord God in directing the Chosen people of Israel to His will. However, their life presents a picture of certain hindrances in fulfilling their mission. Moses may be best remembered for this, as his birth and early life was connected with immense difficulties and problems he had to face. He was born to a Jewish mother who feared for his life due to Pharaoh’s cruel edict on killing all Jewish male babies (Exodus 1:22 The New International Version) and sent him in a papyrus basket along the river Nile. Accidentally, the daughter of Pharaoh went to Nile to bathe at that time, and her servants found the basket with infant Moses, presenting it to her. She provided for Moses’ upbringing and education, as if he were son of hers (Exodus 2:10 The New International Version). Even the name of Moses was given to the boy by this Egyptian princess. When Moses grew a young man, he killed an Egyptian overseer who molested Jewish laborers at Pharaoh’s works and had to flee Egypt for Midian, where he married a daughter of local priest and became a member of Midianite society. It seemed as if Moses’ life was now settled. However, Lord God did not forget His covenant with progenitors of Israel and longed for the Israelites to be delivered from the Egyptian captivity. In His mercy, God chose Moses as a harbinger of Divine will, tasking him with manifesting God’s willingness to free the Israelites to Pharaoh himself. Initially Moses was taken aback and felt fear for being charged with such a daring mission, as he felt unworthy and unable to do this. However, God’s promise to be with him in all this endeavor made Moses brace himself and prepare for an encounter with Pharaoh (Clowney, 1991, p.87). As it is known, Moses managed to prevail against all odds and deliver the people of Israel from Egypt. His gift of the Prophet and Divine servant made him incredibly popular and influential among the Israelites. However, this also led to the emergence of those who envied Moses and tried to overthrow him. In addition, some Israelites betrayed God’s trust, starting to worship the Golden Calf (Exodus 32 The New International Version). Even Aaron, who used to be Moses’ best companion and the chief priest of Israel, fell prey to this transgression (Clowney, 1991, p.113). Such developments led Moses to become embittered. He even crushed the first Tablets that were given to him by Lord, and the new ones had to be given to Israel (Exodus 34:1-2 The New International Version). Eventually, though, Moses was not allowed by God to enter the Promised Land. He died on the Mount of Nebo, and Joshua son of Nun was selected by God to be his successor (Deuteronomy 34:1-10 The New International Version). This Joshua was the first of Israelite warriors and leaders who delivered the land of Canaan into the hands of the people of Israel. While the whole of Canaan was not conquered in Joshua’s life, the Israelite troops under him still managed to conquer the main territories of its central highlands (Arnold & Beyer, 2008, p.146). It seemed that a prosperous time for the sons of Israel had arrived. However, Joshua had to endure his own share of difficulties. He had to destroy the cities of Canaanites that were unwilling to make peace with the people of God, and to wage wars with the peoples across Canaan. While Moses’ problems were often of a spiritual and personal character, those of Joshua were necessarily military and political. Joshua was, first of all, a warrior. (Enter something about yourself and your circumstances, in comparison). 3. The Relevance of Book of Ruth Nowadays, our culture is characterized by the strong propensity for broken promises and cultural decadence. That is why the Book of Ruth may be relevant to our times, even though it deals with the period of early Israelite history. The narrative of the Book of Ruth is both simple and complicated. On the surface, the story is connected with the fate of Ruth the Moabite, the daughter-in-law of Naomi the Israelite, who had to leave the land of Moab, where she and her husband migrated to in the time of need, to return to Israel, the land of her ancestors, where she and her daughters-in-law face bleak future. It seems that Ruth’s best choice is to leave Israel and its God and return to the land of her heritage, Moab. However, despite any possible gain she might have from this, Ruth decides to stay with Naomi and tend for her, even though this means a possible life of poverty and servitude (Clowney, 1991, p.154). By putting her faithfulness to her mother-in-law above her self-interest, Ruth was destined to gain more than she might expect in the contrary case. Having settled in Bethlehem, Ruth had to work for the grain leftovers for those who would show mercy for her (Ruth 2:2 The New International Version). Nonetheless, this meager life was not to last long, for Ruth managed to find employment at Boaz from the clan of Elimelek, Naomi’s deceased husband, who exhibited his favor to Ruth and safeguarded her from any possible harm from the side of his workers (Ruth 2:9 The New International Version). When Naomi knew of this, she blessed Boaz, calling him “one of our guardian-redeemers”, i.e. the one who is obliged to support his relative in the times of need (Ruth 2:20 The New International Version). Later on, Naomi proposed that Ruth may try to present herself to Boaz as his future spouse, impressing him with her looks and kindness. Boaz was very glad to know that Ruth loves him, and he immediately sat about arranging for the legal marriage, including its sacral aspect, i.e. the ritual of transfer of the property so that the names of the dead – Ruth’s husband, son of Naomi – may be maintained (Ruth 4:5 The New International Version). Eventually, Ruth and Boaz became wife and husband, giving rise to the Davidic royal house that was to propel Israel to the path of greatness. Their marriage was thus truly blessed in heavens. The story of Ruth demonstrates the importance of oaths and the caring for relatives or those in guardianship for the Israelite society at that time. Even though Boaz at that time was clearly a rich man, he did not hesitate to support Naomi and Ruth against poverty and destitution, going as far as to make Ruth his wife, although she was not an Israelite, and he was under no legal obligation to do this. This gesture by Boaz showed his kindness and aptness for supporting those in need. In addition, his behavior demonstrates the importance of oaths and promises to ancient Israelites. The latter viewed them as their own duty before God, considering themselves obliged to fulfill them. Boaz’s position as Naomi’s guardian-redeemer undoubtedly had an impact on his decision to marry Ruth. This situation is drastically different from that of our times, when rampant individualism and raw pursuit of greed and ambition reign. That is why it is necessary to remember Boaz and Ruth’s example to avoid becoming heartless and self-centered in modern world. 4. Spiritual Condition at the Time of Captivity and That of the Return from Exile The Babylonian Captivity was brought about by the sins of the people of Judah, who shirked their duties before God the Almighty and turned to the worship of Canaanite and Mesopotamian false gods. As it is asserted in the Book of Isaiah, the wrath of God fell upon the now godless nations of Israel and Judah, with the kings of Assyria and Babylon being the pawns of justice in God’s Hands (Isaiah 10 The New International Version). The growing faithlessness of people of Judah and Israel were exemplified by their devotion to foreign gods, with often drunken and orgiastic rituals of worship, and by the growth in power of kings and nobles that had then become rather tyrannical. The faithlessness of Israel was condemned by Prophet Jeremiah, who compared the Israelites with the young bride that used to love and follow her groom through the wilderness, but later disavowed God and turned to “worthless idols” (Jeremiah 2:5 The New International Version). The disgrace of the people of Israel was ignoble indeed. As Jeremiah said, the kings, priests and officials of the Israelites said to wood, ‘You are my father’, and to stone, ‘You give me birth’ (Jeremiah 2: 27 The New International Version). Having followed idols, they became servile before the powers of Assyria and Egypt, seeking favor of their kings and disgracing themselves before them (Arnold & Beyer, 2008, pp.370-376). This loss of honor and spiritual servility had an impact upon the common folk as well. Ezekiel says that women of Jerusalem wept for Tammuz, a Babylonian god of fertility, at the North Gate of the Temple (Ezekiel 8:14 The New International Version), so that idolatry took strong roots among the people of Judah. It is thus easy to explain why God decided to deliver the people of Judah to the hands of the King of Babylon, and dispersed the Ten Tribes of Israel altogether. When in the Captivity, the Jews generally tried to blend with the Babylonian society, even though significant cultural resistance and maintenance of old faith in One God was still discernible (Arnold & Beyer, 2008, p. 427). The devotion demonstrated by the likes of Prophet Daniel, who was confined to lions’ pit, yet retained the faith in the coming assistance by God the Almighty may be paragon of such a spiritual attitude (Clowney, 1991, p.172). When King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem, they were now much more devoted and conscious of the possible consequences of shirking the will of God. Led by Ezra and Nehemiah, the Jews followed their faith’s precepts on not mixing with foreign peoples and retaining faith in God in all its purity and simplicity. As the Book of Nehemiah shows, the preoccupation with avoiding God’s ire was strong among the Jews that returned from the Exile to Jerusalem and its lands (Nehemiah 1:8 The New International Version). It was with this in mind that they entered the period of Hellenism. Nowadays, the Church in America experiences the same period of spiritual decline and apathy that the great Prophets of Israel and Judah bemoaned in their homelands. While the number of people entering the Church may be as high as always, their devotion is slackening, and they are preoccupied with more earthly deeds and pursuits, which play the role that idols of Ancient East played to the Israelites. It is thus instrumental that the devout of our times be able and ready to unearth the sins of our world and to contrast the prospects of Christian salvation to their godless fecundity. It is only in this way that the Church of God the Almighty may triumph over all the challenges that modern materialism counterpoises to God’s message. 5. The Concept of Resurrection in Old Testament The concept of resurrection is found in certain places of the Old Testament, even though conventional science purports to show that it was absent from it in entirety. While the Book of Genesis indeed emphasizes the corporeal and infirm nature of human existence (Genesis 3:19 The New International Version), existence of the soul was unambiguously recognized, and the concept of the resting peace of the dead was present in the Old Testament’s view of the universe (Psalm 16:10 The New International Version). The immortality of human soul is thus asserted, not denied. While the Sheol, or the place of the dead, was considered bleak and hopeless dwelling, the concept of God’s deliverance from misery was applied to this kind of afterlife as well. For instance, David calls for God’s assistance beyond the grave in one of his Psalms (Psalm 139:8 The New International Version). At the same time, Sheol was considered a synonym to destruction and doom, as Ezekiel’s grim prophecy on the future fate of Egypt, Assyria, Elam, and Edom demonstrates (Arnold & Beyer, 2008, p.489). Nonetheless, the belief in Divine ability to reverse the death of a physical body is likewise present in the Old Testament. For instance, the two Books of Kings include several stories on the miraculous resurrections that show God’s power to conquer physical death of a human body. The first of this story is connected with the tale of the widow of Zerephath, whose son was resurrected by God’s will (1 Kings 17:17-24 The New International Version). The other ones deal with the similar tales of the son of the Shumammite woman (1 Kings 4:18-37 The New International Version) and of a man thrust into Elisha’s grave (2 Kings 13:20-21 The New International Version). These stories testify to God’s ability to reverse the flow of life and death for a time being, with the recipients of God’s blessing still being mortal in the end of their story. On the other hand, the tales of Prophets Enoch and Elijah who were said to have been taken by God to Heavens represent another take on death and immortality, as these mortal men were effectively turned into immortals serving God Himself. The direct line of succession with the Christian idea of future communion of all the humankind with God the Almighty may be discerned here. Finally, the scattered insights in several books of the Old Testament may be taken as a proof of the existing belief on bodily resurrection after God’s final judgment. For instance, Job indicates that he is going to see God by his own eyes after his death (Job 19:25-27 The New International Version). While this passage may seem ambiguous, it is clearly something more than a mere rhetorical usage of some terms. In my opinion, the evidence of the Old Testament’s concurrence with the Christian belief on resurrection, however fragmentary, may give additional hope to the prospects of bodily resurrection and the future eternal life after the Day of Judgment by God the Almighty. References Arnold, B.T., & Beyer, B.E. (2008). Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian survey (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Clowney, E.P. (1991). The unfolding mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament (2nd ed.). Philipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing. Read More