Mid Term Flashcards
(150 cards)
1
Q
What story presented in the narratives of Israel’s scriptures provides the framework to rightly understand the gospel of Messiah?
A
The story of the kingdom, exile, and return (p.1)
2
Q
What is a narrative?
A
Refers to characters within a setting who overcome obstacles toward resolution (p.1)
3
Q
What analogy do ancient covenants operate by?
A
Two people who are not kin becoming kin (p.2).
4
Q
What is a “residing foreigner”?
A
Refers to one who sought refuge in Israel and who submitted to the covenant of Israel such as through circumcision (p.2).
5
Q
What is a “foreigner”?
A
Refers to ethnic others who did not seek to assimilate into Israel. They did not take covenantal circumcision and did not submit to Yahweh’s teachings. They may have been hostile, indifferent, or friendly toward Israel (p.2).
6
Q
What does torah mean?
A
With a lowercase t, it means instruction or teaching (p.3).
7
Q
What do we need to know about using BCE to date Old Testament events?
A
It means Before the Common Era, and they count down to the time of the Messiah (p.3).
8
Q
What is the Old Testament?
A
Refers to the first section of the Christian Bible. Referred to as Torah and Prophets or Torah, Prophets and Psalms (p.3).
9
Q
What is the Septuagint (LXX)?
A
The Greek translation of the Old Testament (p.3).
10
Q
How much time passed between an event and when an author wrote about it in a biblical narrative?
A
Dates of authorship of biblical narratives are often a long time after the events in the narratives (p.4).
11
Q
How is the Christian sequence of historical narrative books different from the Judaic sequence?
A
In the Christian sequence, most of the narratives were collected in more or less chronological order (p.5)
12
Q
What ancient version of Israel’s scriptures is the sequence apparently adopted by the Christian Old Testament?
A
The Septuagint (p.5).
13
Q
Which two biblical books in the Writings of the Judaic tradition appear among the prophetic books in the Christian tradition?
A
Lamentations and Daniel (p.5).
14
Q
Why were the narratives of Samuel, Kings, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles each broken into two parts?
A
The scrolls were long and difficult to use (p.5).
15
Q
What is the purpose of the four-part serial known as the Deuteronomistic narrative?
A
The serial narrates the rise and fall of the Hebrew kingdoms through the covenantal lens of Deut. (pg. 5-6).
16
Q
Why had exiles previously believed that the kingdom could not fall?
A
The kingdom could not fall because of God’s forever promises to Abraham and David (pg. 6).
17
Q
According to the Deuteronomistic narrative, why was exile necessary?
A
God’s faithfulness to the covenant with his people made exile necessary (pg. 6).
18
Q
What gap in the book of Joshua does the Judges story grow out of?
A
The gap between God’s fidelity to give the land and Israel’s failure to obey (pg 6).
19
Q
What is the centerpiece of God’s redemptive plan within the entirety of Israel’s scriptures?
What are the Old Testament narratives of exile and restoration?
A
The narrative spelled out in the books of 1-2 Samuel (David’s Kingship) (pg. 6).
20
Q
What is the focus of Chronicles?
A
Chronicles sets the story of the Davidic kingdom and its support for the temple within the entire Old Testament story line (pg. 7).
21
Q
What is a benefit of focusing on biblical connections?
A
These connections offer a concrete way to think with the biblical authors as well the people in their stories (pg. 7).
22
Q
According to Schnittjer, how should gospel connections be found in the Old Testament?
A
There is no need to “find Jesus in every verse” throughout the Old Testament. We want to think BIG PICTURE: Gospel connections must unfold from the redemptive structure of the narrative. (pg. 7).
23
Q
When studying the Bible, how do many important life connections begin?
A
Important life connections begin within the framework of the narrative of Israel’s Scriptures. The O.T. “was written for our instruction” (1 Cor. 10:11). (pg. 7).
24
Q
What is the purpose of the beginning of a biblical narrative?
A
Provides the framework to make sense of the entire story (pg. 8).
25
How does the ending of biblical narrative function?
The ending can be thought of as the goal or destiny of the narrative. From the very beginning everything within a narrative moves toward its ending. The ending places everything within the narrative in a new light. (Page 8)
26
What is the relationship between those whom biblical narratives are about and those for whom they are written?
They are never about who they are for (Page 9)
27
Why is the ending of a narrative critical to the meaning of the entire story?
The ending of a narrative is critical to the meaning of the entire story. Once readers arrive at the ending—its destiny—they have a new perspective by which to reevaluate every part of the narrative. (Page 10)
28
What is the meaning of the expression dischronological narrative?
When narrative sequence differs from chronological sequence it is called dischronological narrative. (Page 10)
29
What is the point of dischronological narrative?
Serves several purposes. Framing theology and similar narrative sequences together as well as sometimes placing causes and their effects side by side (Page 10).
30
How common is dischronological narrative in the Bible?
Dischronological Narrative is very common in the Bible (Page 10).
31
Why did authors use dischronological narration?
To frame theology to its best advantage (Page 10).
32
What is a “formula”?
Formula refers to repeated organizing phrases (Page 11).
33
What does “denotation” mean?
Denotation refers to that which is signified by a word or phrase (Page 11).
34
What is a “leading word”?
Refers to the abundant use of a term or set of terms for emphasis
35
What literary structure refers to an element that causes the story to move in a new direction?
Turning Point
36
What is meant by the term narrative shaping?
Refers to the activities of storymakers to present historical narrative to convey theological messages
37
What are synoptic narratives?
Synoptic narratives are two versions of the same story
38
What is the relationship between historical and ideological accounts?
All narratives are ideological. Biblical narratives have sophisticated literary artistry in rendering historical events.
39
What does the ancient context of the narratives of Israel’s scriptures include?
The ancient context of Israel’s scriptures include the lands and social realities in which they were set.
40
What should modern Bible readers keep in mind about time and antiquity?
That in antiquity 100 years ago was just as long and complicated as 100 years today even if the kind of complication differs.
41
Where is the Levant?
The Levant is the region running down the East side of the Mediterranean Sea
42
Who were the Canaanites?
Canaanites is an umbrella term for those descended from Canaan in Gen 10 and includes the Amorites, Girgashites, Jebusites, etc.
43
What distant relatives of Israel lived in or near the land of promise?
The Edomites
44
Once in the land of promise, what was the root of Israel’s troubles?
Intermarriage with the Canaanites and the failure to conquer the land as YHWH had commanded and drive out the Canaanites
45
Why were apostasy marriages attractive?
A desire of Israelite parents to secure marriages with established families of
Land for social and economic advantages. (p.16)
46
When did the long-running problem of apostasy marriages seem highest?
During times of economic hardship. (p.17)
47
Who is Asherah?
The false goddess consort of El who gave birth to other gods.( p.17-18)
48
Why did the majority of ancient Israelites worship the God of their ancestors as well as the regional gods of Canaan?
For hope of safety and prosperity. (p.19)
49
What was the religious norm for ancient Israel?
Mixing true and false religious devotion. (p. 19)
50
Why did Yahweh take away from David the honor of building a temple?
Because David was a man of war and had shed blood. (p.20)
51
How did David amass materials and wealth for the temple building project that Solomon would undertake?
Plundering regional rivals. (p.20)
52
What did the worship of other gods by Solomon’s treaty wives signify?
Peace between Solomon and the nations. (p.21)
53
How did Solomon relate to the religious devotion of his many treaty wives?
He built high places of worship for them. (p.21)
54
What happened to religious devotion in Israel after David and Solomon?
Israel split into two kingdoms.(North got much worse).( p.21)
55
Where were the worship centers in the northern kingdom of Israel?
Dan and Bethel (p.21)
56
Which of the Ten Commandments did Israel break because of their divided commitments despite Yahweh’s honoring his word and giving the people the land of promise?
The First Commandment. (p.22)
57
Where is Mesopotamia?
Between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. (p.22)
58
How did Hebrew prophets explain the significance of the rise of the Neo-Assyrian Empire
In relation to the Hebrew kingdoms
59
How did the prophets interpret the economic sanctions and military aggression of the Assyrians?
God’s own judgment against His people. (p.24)
60
How did the Assyrians interpret their acts of aggression?
Justified force to subjugate peoples from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. (p.24)
61
How do the scriptural narratives measure rulers?
By their commitment to God’s Torah. (p.25)
62
What is an example of the self-glorification of Assyrian rulers on their coins?
An Assyrian king stabbing an attacking lion.
63
What was a major innovation of Neo-Assyrian warfare?
Its extreme cruelty
64
What did a suzerain-vassal treaty guarantee to vassals who paid extremely high tribute to the suzerain?
Safety
65
What did the rise of the Chaldeans in the late seventh century BCE instigate?
Major power shifts across the Near East.
66
What is the most significant cause of change in ancient Israel and Judah?
Forced migration of the peoples from their homelands.
67
How many exiles does the Bible speak of?
10 Exiles
68
What is true of the ten tribes in Chronicles?
There are no 10 lost tribes in Chronicles
69
What happened to virtually all of the regional people groups around the Hebrew kingdoms when empires forcibly migrated them from their homelands?
Lost their national identity and assimilated.
70
What factor helped Judah retain its covenantal identity when forcibly migrated from its land?
Canonical Consciousness. The scrolls containing the Word of God.
71
Where were the Hebrews forcibly relocated in Babylonian exile ?
Villages in the lower Mesopotamia area.
72
What does the evidence tell us about Judean captives in exile?
They owned property, paid taxes, and participated in the economics of society.
73
What characterized the dynamics of the relationships between Judean exiles of 597 BCE and those of 586 BCE?
Strain and disharmony among the exiles.
74
What was one of the first things Cyrus did when Persia defeated and took over the empire formerly in the hands of the Chaldeans?
Grant limited privileges to many captives.
75
What significant innovation gave the Achaemenid empire of the Persians enduring stability in comparison to previous Near Eastern empires?
They moved the royal court routinely between four important capital cities: Babylon, Susa, Persepolis, and Parsarda.
76
How long did Jews remain in the diaspora?
Many remained forever and never returned . Centuries later , during the Messiah, 80% continued to remain in diaspora .
77
When did the Second Temple stand in Jerusalem?
515 BCE until 70 CE
78
What characterizes the returned Judean exiles in the days of the Persian Empire?
Faithful people who desired to reestablish a covenantal community in Judah.
79
How successful was the restoration?
It failed. The people fell into the same sins of their ancestors.
80
What was Judah’s experience under the Persians?
Limited, relative autonomy through suffering from Assyrian pressures.
81
What phrase in Joshua indicates the book was assembled long after the events it records?
“To this day” (Josh 4:9; 5:9; 6:25; 7:26; etc)
82
What was Jerusalem called in the days of Joshua?
Jebus
83
Which books are known as the Deuteronomistic narrative?
Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings
84
Which four themes run through Joshua?
Covenant, land, devoting, and fear.
85
What did God say to Joshua three times that he also told Moses?
Be strong and courageous.
86
What are characteristics of success and prosperity in Joshua 1?
Yahweh's presence and Torah obedience
87
What elements make up the rationale for the law of devoting the nations of Canaan in Torah?
1. Devoting the nations of Canaan was Israel’s idea, not Yahweh’s (Num 21:1-3; cf. Deut 7:1, 2).
2. The law of devoting the Canaanites was a temporary law for the initial invasion of the land (Deut 7:1a; 12:29a).
3. To protect Israel from sin and Yahweh’s wrath (Deut 7:3, 4).
4. The judgment against Canaan was deserved and God treated rebellious Israel in the same way (Deut 9:4-6; 29:22-25)
88
Why did Yahweh part the waters of the Jordan River?
Yahweh parted the waters for Israel to drive out the Canaanites from the promise land
89
What type of memorial was intended to prompt questions from children in years to come?
The 12 stone monument in Gilgal after crossing the Jordan (Josh 4:6, 21)
90
What served as a physical sign of Israelite faith and commitment to the covenant and its obligations?
Circumsicion
91
What ceased when Israel celebrated their first Passover in the land?
Manna
92
What did the three vignettes of Joshua 5 do?
established continuities with the generation of the redemption from Egypt.
93
Why did the judgment for Achan’s crime bring punishment on his family?
Since Achan’s individual crime brought collective judgment on Israel, the punishment fell collectively on Achan’s family.
94
What did the ceremony involving Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal demonstrate?
The conquest was covenantal, and it draws attention to Yahweh’s faithfulness to fulfill his word as well as Israel’s obligations to the covenant under the threat of curse and the hope of blessing.
95
What expression is used three times to show Israel’s failure in making a treaty with Gibeon and its quartet of towns in their midst?
Far away
96
True obedience can only happen in what context?
Within a relationship with Yahweh
97
What happened in the southern campaign?
Yahweh delivered several cosmic acts against the coalition of five southern kings who banded together against Gibeon. Yahweh fought for Israel.
98
What is the sixth memorial monument in Joshua?
large stones that were placed at the mouth of the cave where the five dead kings of the southern coalition were buried. (Jos. 10:27)
99
What note does the narrator include to explain God’s role in the entire era of Israel’s conquest of the land of promise?
Yahweh hardened the hearts of the Canaanites. Dt 7:2, Ex 4:21, Jhs 11:20
100
What is the purpose of the inclusio around Joshua 13–21?
To set the distribution of the land as background to the story proper.
101
Which outer contrastive frame is around the distribution of the land?
Israel’s almost obedience and Yahweh’s complete faithfullness (p. 56)
102
What is a surprising element found in Joshua 13–21?
Tribes named after Joseph’s two sons Ephraim and Manasseh treated as “Joseph” (p. 56).
103
Which tribes had a habit of taking actions that brought all of Israel to the brink of disaster?
The tribes of the Transjordan—Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh—had a habit of taking actions that brought all of Israel to the brink of disaster. (p. 56).
104
What traitorous action did the Transjordan tribes take after the tribal distribution of land?
They constructed a giant altar by the Jordan River (p. 56).
105
What signified the covenantal setting of Joshua’s final speech taking place at Shechem?
Joshua gives his final speech at Shechem nestled between two mountains, Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. (p. 58)
106
Why did Joshua add two elements not in the Torah, the idolatry of Abraham’s father’s family in Mesopotamia and the idolatry of the exodus generation in Egypt?
Joshua filled in this essential backstory to get to the point of his covenantal retrospective. (p. 59)
107
What law was a leading concern of the authors of the Torah and Deuteronomistic narrative
The laws about Canaanites (p. 60).
108
What allusions dominates the Joshua narrative?
The Joshua narrative is dominated by allusions to the law of devoting the nations of Canaan in Deut 7:1–5 and 20:16. (p. 41).
109
What connection does the narrator of Joshua make between hardness of heart of the nations of Canaan?
Joshua connects the law of devoting and the hardening of the hearts of the nations of Canaan (p. 61).
110
When was the earliest the book of Judges could have come into its present form?
722 BCE after the northern kingdom was taken into exile 18:30
111
What Hebrew root is used interchangeably with “judge”?
Deliver
112
What category of author is suggested by the dark, scornful humor used as a tool of covenantal narrative in Judges?
Prophetic author
113
What are examples of satirical humor in Judges?
maiming of Adoni-bezek the mutilator (1:6–7); Achsah’s bold demands of the mighty warriors Othniel and Caleb (1:14‒15); the left-handed savior from the tribe of Benjamin (“Son-of-the-right-hand”; 3:21); Eglon (“Little-calf”) the fat king of Moab (3:22); the toilet joke (3:24); the “fat” (shamen) Moabite army (3:29); the defeat of the Canaanites, who worshiped the storm god Baal by timid Barak (“Lightning”), apparently by means of a storm from Yahweh (4:8; 5:20‒21); Jael giving milk and covering to Sisera before driving a peg through his skull (5:24‒26); Deborah imagining Sisera’s women imagining two wombs (girls) for every guy (5:30); Gideon refusing kingship, then naming his son Abimelech (“My-father-is-king”; 8:23, 31); Abimelech worrying about being remembered as being killed by a woman (9:54, which is how Joab and maybe David remembers it; see 2 Sam 11:21); the illegitimate son and outlaw Jephthah ruling over the upstanding citizens who cast him out (11:1, 11); Jephthah’s errant “diplomacy” naming the wrong god in a message to the king of Ammon (11:24); the Ephraimites’ “speech impediment” (12:6); the powerful savior against the Philistines, Samson, repeatedly succumbing to Philistine females, especially the sequence of entrapments by Delilah (14:1, 17; 16:1, 4‒20); the once mighty Samson doing a lowly female job at the grinding mill (16:21); Micah’s mother dedicating silver to Yahweh for her son to disobey Yahweh and make an idol with the silver (17:3); the Levite refusing to stay with foreigners at Jebus but going on to stay with Sodom-like Israelites at Gibeah (19:12); expert left-handed slingers of the tribe of Benjamin (“Son-of-the-right-hand”; 20:16); and the formerly morally outraged opponents of the men of Gibeah for their treatment of a woman now advising them to take by force females from Shiloh (21:21).
114
What is a main feature of the storytelling in Judges?
Dischronological narration
115
What characterizes the epilogues of Judges?
Backward world
116
What is the message of Judges?
Israel had been in full rebellion from the beginning
117
Which earlier book can Judges be compared to for understanding tribal relations?
Genesis and Joshua
118
Which later realities shape the Judges narrative?
The later realities of the tribal fractures in the days of Israel’s first king, Saul of Gibeah (Benjamin), versus the second king, David of Bethlahem (Judah), shape the Judges narrative (p.69).
119
What would happen if everything in Judges were stacked end to end?
It would not fit between the exodus and the building of Solomon’s temple in 966 BCE (figure 2.1, p. 70).
120
What focus do the episodes in Judges maintain according to most scholars?
Most Scholars agree that the episodes maintain a regional focus (p.71).
121
Why are some judges considered “minor”?
Because the accounts are short (p.71).
122
What was the geographical sequence of the judges?
The geographical sequence moves from south to north except for the last judge (p.72).
123
What lines of evidence does eliminate the “problem” of too much time?
The evidence of regional focus, narrative sequence, geography, and timing elements. The major and minor judgeships relate to regional oppressions and tribal situations that could overlap chronologically with one or more of the others (p.72).
124
What does the narrative sequence move progressively toward?
Greater rebellion. Even while the last two episodes are flashbacks to a time immediately after the conquest (p.72).
125
How do the minor judges relate to the major themes and flow of Judges as a whole?
The minor judges serve to reinforce the major themes and flow of Judges as a whole. Most importantly, the regular appearance of other judges suggests the six major judges were merely representative of a larger set of rebellions and judgements (p.72).
126
Who was the real problem in the book of Judges?
Israel
127
How did the author of Judges use female characters?
The author used female characters to satirize and shame the patriarchal establishment of Israel’s tribal days (p.74).
128
Why did some of the tribes fail to drive out the Canaanites?
Some tribes could not drive out the Canaanites because of their military strength. Other tribes decided to enjoy economic advantages of enslaving the canaanites. The weakness and greed of the tribes provided two persistent reasons for the troubles of the tribes (p.74-75).
129
What does the second introduction of Judg 2:6-3:6 lay out?
It lays out the expected moral and social decline that played out in the six episodes of the major judges and the two epilogues (p.75).
130
What are main formulaic phrases that structure the storyline of Judges?
Rebellion - Yahweh gave over Israel to a military predator - Israel cried out (without repentance) - Yahweh raised a deliverer or judge - the land rested or the judge led (p.75).
131
What is the only formula to open every narrative cycle?
“Israel did evil in the eyes of Yahweh” (p.75).
132
According to the second introduction of Judges, what was the leading infraction when Israel disobeyed Torah?
Devotion to the false gods (p.75).
133
Who was the hero god of the Canaanite pantheon?
Baal
134
What did the gods and goddesses of Canaan primarily represent?
Fertility and prosperity.
135
What does the Judges story pivot on?
The story pivots on the covenantal relationship between Yahweh and the tribes of Israel (p.76).
136
Why did most Israelites worship the gods of Canaan?
For fertility and prosperity
137
Which cycle provides the ideal narrative prototype?
The Othniel cycle
138
Whose judgeship represents that last relatively good narrative cycle
Deborah
139
What does Yahweh’s use of a storm to defeat the Canaanites in Judges 4‒5 demonstrate?
YHWH’s sovereignty over the gods of the nations (79)
140
What do the narrative and poem of Judges 4‒5 do when read together?
Ridicules the males characters with sexual expressions used in nonsexual ways, underscoring the impotence of the male establishment (79)
141
What marks the personal turning point for Gideon in the Gideon narrative?
Gideon crossing the Jordan River (the Transjordan) (80)
142
What evils did Gideon commit?
Torture, personal vengeance, ephod idol worship (80)
143
What is the source of the most significant problems in Jephthah’s letter to the king of Ammon?
Jephthah’s bad theology, giving credit to other gods (81)
144
Which of the following did Samson need to refrain from as a lifelong Nazirite?
Wine, dead bodies, haircuts (83)
145
When did Samson kill the most Philistines?
At the Philistine temple (at his death) pushing over the support pillars (83
146
What book does the phrase “There was a man/young Levite/Levite” connect Judges to?
Samuel
147
Whose grandson was the young Levite who presided over the Danites’ traitorous shrine?
Moses
148
What story does the narrative of the Levite visiting Gibeah echo?
Sodom in Genesis 19
149
What is the only event in Judges that includes all Israel?
The divided parts of the concubine sent to all Israel (87)
150
What passage does the phrase “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes” makes an ironic allusion to?
Deuteronomy 12 (88)
