Old Testament 6

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Old Testament 6
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Tobit

• Written about 180-200BC
• Unknown location
• Hebrew romance
• Praises the virtuous Jew
• Gods mercy and benevolence
• Traditional forms of piety- prayer, fasting and
  almsgiving, burial of the dead
• Family life

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Tobit

• Tobit- devout and wealthy
• Lives among captives deported to Ninevah
• Suffers reversal of fortune and is blinded by
  bird doo.
• Begs the lord to let him die
• Remembers money saved- sends son Tobiah to get
  it- Chapter 4- instructions

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Tobit

• Sarah- prays for death since she has lost 7
  husbands- each killed on wedding night by demon
• God sends Raphael archangel to help them both
• Raphael goes to Media with Tobiah, attacked by
  large fish
• Take gall, heart and liver- discard entrails

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Tobit

• Tobiah eats fish, keeps rest
• Raphael tells him to marry Sarah
• Tobiah scared
• Use fish liver and heart to ward off evil spirit
  and pray
• Get married and pray 85-7
• Use gall to cure blindness
• God took care of the virtuous

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Tobit
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Judith

• Written around 100 BC-Judith- a generic name
• Holofernes- sent by Nebuchadnezzar to destroy
  nations who wouldnt help him
• Judith a widow- 87-8
• Goes to enemy camp- pretends to betray her people
• Holofernes wants her- allows her to pray to God
  for three nights
• 4th night- drunk- she beheads him
• Judith is small defenseless nation saved by God
  and Heroic Jewish woman
• For us, Mary like Judith- 159

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Judith beheading Holofernes-Caravaggio
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Esther

• 4th century BC
• Haman- advisor to Persian King Xerxes
• Hates all Jews- wants to kill them all in a day
• Hates Mordecai- Jewish servant of the King who
  would not bow to Haman
• Ms niece- Esther has become new queen
• Kings grants her wisHangs Haman
• E and M are classic pious Jews
• God tells Purim
• Deals with issue of whether Jews should be
  separate or integrated
• Courage and resourcefulness

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Esther and Haman- Rembrandt
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Daniel

• Included in prophets
• But is really apocalyptic
• Apocalyptic literature- greatest popularity
  200BC-100AD
• Time of persecution of Jews, later Christians
• Roots in prophetic literature
• Day of the Lord- God will vindicate

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Daniel

• Written during persecution by Antiochus IV
  (167-164 BC)
• Men of faith can resist temptation and conquer
  adversity
• Written to give comfort and courage during time
  of persecution
• Characterized by great visions promising
  deliverance and glory to Jews
• Arrival of the Kingdom of God
• Son of Man- chapter 7
• Also written to resist Hellenism

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Daniel

• Daniel- an exile
• Name means - my judge is God
• 3 Parts
• 1- six stories about Daniel and three companions
  at royal courst in Babylon
• 2- (chapters 7-12)- symbolic visions
• 4 kingdoms under which Jews will live from
  Babylonian conquest through Gods kingdom
• 3-13-14- three other stories- only in Greek

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Daniel- 1st Part

• Daniel has position of influence
• But keeps Jewish laws and customs
• Refuses to worship pagan idols
• Thrown into lions den- God intervenes
• Accusers meet fate instead
• Daniel predicts destruction of Babylon
• God protects those who remain faithful

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Daniel and the Lions Den-Rubens
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Daniel- 2nd part

• Heavenly destruction of Israels tormenters
• Addressing situation with Antiochus
• Using symbols- can hide message from authorities
• Apocalyse- revealing- to believers through
  symbols, numbers,etc
• Unveiling

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Daniel- Apocalyptic

• Author usually chooses a pseudonym holy or heroic
  figure from history
• Cosmic viewpoint- whole universe involved in
  conflict
• Day of Judgment- God will do the fighting
• The just must wait for Day of the Lord
• The just will rise from the dead 121-4
• Angels are messengers of God
• Expectation of Messiah- Son of Man 713-14

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Break
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Psalm with Commentary
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Psalms

• 150 psalms
• Called Psalter
• Hymns used in worship
• Arranged into 5 parts- like Pentateuch
• More laments in first half
• More songs of praise in second half

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Psalms

• Psalm 1- an intro to whole book
• Psalms2-41 ends with doxology 4114
• Psalms 42-72 ends with doxology 7218-20
• Psalms 73-89 ends with doxology 8953
• Psalms 90-106 ends with doxology 10648
• Psalms 107-150 -possible end at 119 with
  pilgrimage songs at end

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Psalms

• Origin in worship
• Very big in Temple worship
• Meant to be sung
• Many titles include instructions- ex. 4 and 6
• Written over a timespan of 1000 years
• 73 attributed to David
• Others may have been cantors attached to Temple

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David
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Types of Psalms

• Common classification- by literary type
• Hymns
• Enthronement - celebrate Gods kingship------93
• Songs of Zion- show devotion to Holy city of
  Jerusalem---46
• Psalm 100- general hymn
• An invitation to praise God
• Body- reasons for praising God
• Conclusion- repeats introduction or expresses a
  prayer
• Psalms 8, 19, 29, 33- examples
• Songs of Zion- 46, 48, 76, 84, 87
• Enthronement- 47, 93, 95-99

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Types of Psalms

• Supplications- Laments
• Largest number- about 40 individual laments and
  12 national or communal laments
• Ex 22-individual-freedom from false accusation
• EX 51- individual
• Ex 137- community
• Structure
• Calling on Gods name
• Description of the need
• Petition for deliverance
• Reasons why God should grant deliverance
• Expression of confidence in God- grateful praise
• Sudden shift from lament to praise

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Types of Laments

• Psalm of trust
• Emphasis on expressions of confidence
• Thanksgiving- ex 118
• Gratitude to God
• Communal and individual
• Structure similar to hymns

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Types of Psalms

• Royal Psalms
• Royal laments- 1441-11
• Royal Thanksgiving 18, 21, 118
• King is the speaker
• Wisdom Psalms
• Ex 1, 34, 37, 49, 112, 128
• Happy the one who
• A teacher speaking to a pupil
• Proverbs
• Righteous vs. wicked
• Advice on how to live
• Reward and punishment

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Types of Psalms

• Liturgical Psalms
• Entrance liturgies- 15, 243-6, 151, 243
• Ask who has right to enter Temple
• Response of the priests- 15 2-5

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Other types of Psalms

• Individual song of confidence- 23
• Wedding song- 45
• Coming messiah- 2, 72, 110
• Penetential Pslams- 51

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Types of Psalms

• Historical Psalms
• Contain accounts of Gods great works in history
  of Israel
• Ex. 78, 105-106, 135-136
• Salvation history
• 78 and 106 contrast Israels rebellion with Gods
  graciousness
• 105- praises Yahweh for faithfulness to covenant
• Creation Psalms- 74, 89, 104 ex
• Savior Psalms- 28, 42, 62 ex

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Attributes of God- Exercise

• 7122
• 13513
• 182
• 312-5
• 9014
• 1825-26
• 10841-42
• 334-5

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Major Themes in Psalms

• Sovereignty of God
• Power
• Creation
• Life- giver
• God is Savior
• God can never be fully known
• God is trustworthy and faithful
• God is a just God

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Major Themes in Psalms

• There is only 1 God
• He invites us to return friendship
• Loving God means loving your neighbor
• Loving God means a commitment to justice
• We are a people of hope
• The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord

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Psalms Today

• Used in Liturgical Worship
• Personal Prayer
• Liturgy of the Hours
• Responsorial Psalm
• Rosary a recognition of the Psalms