Frigges Ideas on the First Five Books of the Old Testament - Essay Example

Religion and Theology Introduction Chapter 5 gives an account of the first 5 books of the Bible’s Old Testament commonly termed as the Torah/Pentateuch. According to Frigge, these books date much later to the pre-exilic period, a period of the Jewish history before the Babylonian Exile-conventionally between 587-539 BC, that is, from Abraham’s time to the time of Babylonian exile that ended in the 539 B.C. This particular paper therefore intends to provide a review, a reaction to as well as a reflection on various selected ideas presented in Chapter 5 and the Bible. Moreover, it intends to offer an informal and critical inquiry of Frigge’s ideas by recording what is more interesting as well as what is not interesting as regards Frigge’s ideas, and finally providing reasons for this. According to Frigge, chapter 5 highlights the fact that the stories contained in the first 5 books of the Bible (also termed as Torah/Pentateuch) were written many years after the various events they recount. The first and most significant parts of these 5 books give an account of creation of the world as well as that of Israel. However, majority of the Pentateuch mainly focuses on the Israelites’ flee from the bondage of slavery during their stay in Egypt as well as their long journey to their promised land. It is therefore interesting that the writer gave a significant hindsight by evaluating and eventually providing an interpretation of the early events of the Bible taking into consideration the experiences of early times of the Bible. The stories contained in these books are therefore explained in their particular chronological contexts. The chronological description of the various events as revealed in these books of the Bible is considered by both the Jews and Christians as a major way through which God chooses to become present as well as known to those who see by faith. According to Frigge, these vital background elements prepares one to explore various biblical events, ideas and themes that are essential to the understanding not only of the Torah/Pentateuch but the all Bible in general. Genesis, which is the first book of the Torah/Pentateuch starts by giving the creation account as well as the earliest Hebrew folk stories and legends. As highlighted by Frigge, the book of Genesis focuses mainly on the great ancestors of the people of Israel who included Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Of all the greatest ancestors of the people of Israel, Abraham is portrayed as the first as well as the greatest of all of them, with present Jews still referring to themselves as the sons and daughters of Abraham. According to Frigge, God told Abraham to leave his homeland to go to another land with promises that that he would be a father of many descendants as well as giving his descendants the land of Canaan. An account of the story of these great ancestors of the Israelites continues with the stories of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The account of the story of these great ancestors ends with the story of Joseph (one of Israel’s 12 sons) being sold as a slave in Egypt, where his brothers and father follow him there. The story of Joseph being sold into slavery marks the end of the book of Genesis, as a result, laying the basis for the Exodus account. Exodus, the third book of the first five books of the Old Testament begins by arguing that despite the fact that the 12 sons of Israel were blessed with so many descendants, they were mistreated by their Egyptian lords, a factor that implied that God’s promises had very little chances of being fulfilled. Frigge’s ideas however do not mention the fact that Yahweh warned of the coming years of slavery that Abraham’s descendants would face during their journey to the Promised Land. An interesting fact, however, is that God triumphed over the powerful Pharaoh and his armies through Moses’ leadership, as he was eventually able to lead the Israelites out of slavery. After the Israelites had fled away from Egypt, they wandered for a long time in the wilderness. Moses became involved in covenant relationship with the descendants of Israel at Mount Sinai. The covenant contained instructions on how the relationship between them and God was expected to be. The book of Exodus highlights further that the Israelites finally arrived in Canaan. As highlighted by Frigge, this land that was promised to them many years ago when He told Abraham that his descendants would occupy it was already occupied. There were people already occupying the land of Canaan. As a result, the Israelites couldn’t form a state since they had no well-defined borders or even a king. The only thing that united them as Israelites was their belief in Yaweh and the fact that they were Yahweh’s chosen people. According to Frigge, this biblical story from the book of Exodus regarding the people of Israel’s deliverance from oppression in Egypt led the people of Israel’s arrival at a number of convictions including strengthening their faith in Yahweh as their redeemer and liberator; it proven to them that they were indeed God’s elected people, elected for a special relationship with their God and for a particular mission as well as giving Israelites an identity as a people. In general, the book of Exodus gives an account of the Israelites defining moment. According to Frigge, the accounts of this book has therefore generated various issues that have been handed over from one generation to another, giving rise to various oral as well as written traditions, some of which have attained the status of canonical scripture. However, Frigge’s ideas do not appear to inform readers as to whether the Israelites settled contentedly into the Yahweh religion especially when they found out that the land of Canaan had already been occupied prior to their arrival there. A significant and interesting thing from the Exodus account is that from the early stories, the Israelites began to appreciate both their earlier and present lives in new ways. Through their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph, they came to realize that God was indeed working to realize the promises he had promised them through their forefathers. Embedded in the whole account of the book of Exodus, therefore, is the foundational theology in which Yahweh reveals His name, his laws, attributes and how he ought to be worshipped by his chosen people. Conclusion In conclusion, and based on my own opinion, what is evident from this analysis is the fact that the working knowledge provided by the Torah/Pentateuch is very important for any serious reader. Even though Frigge argues that these books presents a number of challenges to first-time readers, I find his ideas engaging even as one digs into the difficult as well as the contentious issues revealed in his accounts. In my opinion, Frigge’s ideas on the account of the first five books of the Old Testament give a lot of emphasis on the content of each of the first books by itself, as a result, directing a reader to have a clear understanding of how these important books can help a reader understand the account of salvation. On the whole, Frigge’s ideas provide a refreshing approach to the Torah/Pentateuch as it has provided a model of how to read as well as understand clearly the salvation story. Frigge’s ideas regarding the accounts of the Torah/Pentateuch therefore leave us with no doubt regarding the unity revealed in his ideas and the composition of the Torah/Pentateuch. Read More