Old Testament Canon
• Pentateuch/Torah
• Prophets
– Former Prophets: Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel,
1 and 2 Kings
– Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the
Twelve Minor Prophets
• Writings
– Psalms, Job, Proverbs
– Megilloth (Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes,
Lamentations, and Esther)
– Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles
Prophecy in the Torah
• Individuals identified
as prophets or in
prophetic roles
– Abraham—
Genesis 20—
prays for
Abimelech
– Miriam—Exod
15:20 music,
dancing
– Aaron—Exod 7:1:
Moses like God to
Pharaoh; Aaron
shall be your
prophet
Prophetic activity
• 70 elders “prophesied” once Num 11:25
(Yahweh took some of the spirit of Moses
and put it on the elders)
• Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp
• Joshua: “My lord Moses, stop them!”
• Moses: “Would that all Yahweh’s people
were prophets!” (Num 11:26-30).
Balaam: Numbers 22-24
• Balak king of Moab hired him
• As a non Israelite, he
nevertheless possessed
Yahweh’s word
• Blesses Israel though he had
been hired to curse them
• A star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall arise out of
Israel 24:17
• Counsels Israel at Baal Peor
and is executed as a foreign
diviner (Num 25; 31:16; Deut
23:3-6; Josh 13:22)
• Micah 6:5
• 2 Pet 2:15; Jude 11; Rev 2:14 =
all negative.
Eighth century inscription of Balaam,
son of Beor sees coming disaster and weeps.
Balaam had a vision of divine council, that had
decided to send a drought. Balaam prays
to gods to reverse their decision.
Moses in Numbers 12
• Aaron and Miriam complain about
marriage of Moses to a Cushite
• Miriam and Aaron: Has Yahweh spoken
only through Moses?
• Yahweh: I speak to prophets in a vision or
dreams. With Moses I speak mouth to
mouth.
• Why were you not afraid to speak against
my servant Moses?
Moses as Prophet in Deuteronomy
• Yahweh will raise up a
prophet (a line of
prophets) like me. You
shall listen to such
prophets Deut 18:15
• Never since has there
arisen a prophet in Israel
like Moses, whom
Yahweh knew face to
face. He worked signs
and wonders Deut 34:1012.
Eschatological prophet
• I will send you
the prophet
Elijah before the
great and
terrible day of
Yahweh Mal
4:5
•Stones from contaminated altar stored until a prophet
would arise 1 Macc 4:46
•Simon high priest forever or until a prophet would arise 1
Macc 14:41
•Expected prophet at Qumran
•John the Baptist and Jesus as prophets
Moses in the Latter Prophets
• Hos 12:3 By a prophet Yahweh brought Israel up from
Egypt
• Micah 6:4 I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam
• Jer 15:1 Though Moses and Samuel stand before me,
yet my heart would not turn toward this people (prophet
as intercessor)
• Isa 63:11-12 The people remembered the days of
Moses. Where is the one who caused his glorious arm
to march at the right hand of Moses?
• Mal 4:4-5 Remember the teaching (Torah) of Moses….I
will send you the prophet Elijah before the day of
Yahweh comes.
Deuteronomistic History
(Former Prophets)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Deuteronomy 1-4, 29 + 30
Joshua
Judges
1 and 2 Samuel
1 and 2 Kings
Final form: mid sixth century during the
exile (some also identify an earlier, preexilic edition)
Deuteronomistic “Sermons”
• Deuteronomy 4, 29
• Joshua 1 and 23 (24?)
• Judges 2:11-23 (introductory comments);
10:6-16
• 1 Samuel 12 (farewell speech)
• 1 Kings 8 (prayer of Solomon at the
dedication of the temple)
• 2 Kings 17 (sermon on the fall of the
Northern Kingdom)
Themes for this historian
•
•
•
•
•
No other gods
No sanctuary but the one in Jerusalem
The promise to David in 2 Samuel 7
A theodicy that explains why Jerusalem fell
Yahweh will scatter you among the
peoples…From there you will seek Yahweh and
you will find him if you seek him with all your
heart (Deut 4:27, 29)
• The secret things belong to Yahweh our God,
but the revealed things belong to us and to our
children forever, to observe all the words of the
law. (Deut 29:29)
Joshua
• All the promises about the land were
fulfilled 21:43-45
• Joshua rehearses great events of the
conquest 23:3-5; 24:8-13
• Joshua urged people to avoid worship of
other gods 23:16; 24:14, 20, 23
• Israel completely faithful during lifetime of
Joshua Josh 24:31 and Judg 2:7
Judges
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Israel sinned
Was handed over to an enemy
Cried to Yahweh
Yahweh raised up a saving hero
Land had rest
Worship of other gods 2:12-13; 10:6, 10, 13-14
Climactic sin: demanded king like the nations
Kingship and the Promise to David
• Saul rejected because of his own behavior (1
Samuel 13 and 15) and because the people had
chosen him 1 Sam 12:19
• 2 Samuel 7 Oracle of Nathan—unconditional
promise to David. Conditional in 1 Kgs 2:3-4;
8:25; 9:4-5
• David a perfect man (only Moses, Joshua, and
David are called Yahweh’s servants) 1 Kgs 5:3-5
(except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite!)
• 2 Kgs 25:27-30 release of Jehoiachin from
prison
North Israel
• Jeroboam—sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan
(1 Kgs 12:30; 13:34)
• The sins of Jeroboam who made Israel to
sin
• Ahab—Jezebel, prophets of Baal, built a
temple for Baal
• Defeat by Assyria in 721 BCE
• Sermon on the fall of the north 2 Kgs 17
Southern Kingdom
• Rehoboam did more provocations than his
fathers; built high places
• Manasseh more evil than the Amorites; built high
places; restored idolatrous practices after the
reforms of his father Hezekiah; altar for Baal and
Asherah
• Good king Josiah who turned to Yahweh
• But after Manasseh it was too late 2 Kgs 23:2627; 24:3-4
• 597 and 587
Whispers of hope
• Turn! Deut 4:29-31 (a promise that Israel will
turn/repent) and 30:1-10 (deliverance conditional
upon turning/repenting); cycle in the book of
Judges; Solomon’s sermon at dedication of
temple (1 Kgs 8:48-49)
• Promise to the ancestors: Yahweh will not fail
you or forget the covenant with your ancestors
(Deut 4:31)
• Promise to David; release of Jehoiachin
• The secret things and the things revealed