An Adult Introduction to the Old Testament

The Bible, properly speaking, is not a book – it is a library of books. Even if you do not count the books in the Apocrypha with the Old Testament, it is still the largest part of that library. (The NT is only about ⅕-⅙ the size of the OT.) Before the New Testament was being written and assembled, what we call the Old Testament was the Bible of Jesus himself as well as the apostles.

For these reasons, it is instructive to see what evaluations have been handed down to us from Jesus and by his apostles. In conversation with some of his fellow Jews, Jesus says in the gospel of John, “You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf” (5:39, NRSV). So the scriptures (and remember, in this context we are talking about the Old Testament), testify of Jesus. He, and not the scriptures it is implied, is the source of eternal life, but the scriptures are his witness.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the apostle gives Timothy this description and purpose: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be proficient, equipped for every good work” (emphasis mine, a mix of N/RSV). So he gives God as the source of scripture, and then goes on to note all the purposes that it is directed toward.

The BCP has throughout history contained a collect that we now number as proper 28:

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,

that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,

which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The prayer sums up the points I have made above, as well as praying for God’s help for us in hearing, reading, marking, learning, and inwardly digesting them for his saving purpose.

Fr. Martin Thornton picked up on this idea of Christian proficiency in his helpful book with that title. In a similar vein, I am proposing based on the above verses that an important part of Christian proficiency is becoming proficient in the Old Testament -- not in the sense of becoming Hebrew Bible scholars, but in the practical sense in which this large part of our foundational, God-given library “is able to make us wise unto salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15).

What makes up Christian proficiency of the Old Testament?

• First, it is the knowledge and skills that will allow us a basic grasp on what the OT is saying and doing.

• Second, it is cultivating a growth mindset that looks to enter more deeply into what God is teaching us through the OT. Wisdom and understanding derived from the scriptures by God’s grace will show us new and greater things.

• Third, it is putting the lessons learned into our living practice. We have not fully understood something as long as we don’t know how to apply it – especially when the purpose of the thing taught is for doing righteousness. As we continue our daily walk with God throughout our lives, the practice of reading scripture and the practice of living it out will be constantly energizing one another. This has many sides, but I will mention a couple: our prayer life with God, and the ability to reason together scripturally to discern God’s will in out life together as God’s people. After all, the scriptures are not an individual written-salvation plan, but the library of the people God is saving as a whole body.

So, if Christian proficiency is the goal, then what is the curriculum and course-of-study? Given the Old Testament’s vastness, we need a handle on it. Clearly, it is all important together, but that doesn’t mean that all parts of it are of equal importance – especially for one who wants to move from being a beginner to being a proficient. I am going to take my cue in this regard largely from Jewish scholar Richard Elliot Friedman, who argues that the core of the OT is something he calls the Primary Bible, a narrative that runs from Genesis through 2 Kings. We will be focusing our attention on selections from these books that carry the main plot of the history of God’s people Israel, with additions from some of the other prophets, psalms, and various books to fill out the picture a bit when needed.

There will be three levels of weekly reading on offer every week: The bare minimum (BM), the core readings (CR), and the expanded readings (XR) for those who want to take on a challenge (or just have a lot of reading time). So for example, the readings assigned for the week (due on the Sunday they are being discussed) might look like this:

BM: Usually book and a few chapters CR: Usually a book and a few more chapters. XR: Book and lots of chapters.

Because there will be little-to-no attempt to make the amount of the readings come out even in size from week-to-week, you might look at the reading options for the week before deciding what you want to commit to for your weekly reading. The BM will be shorter and sometimes the XR might include reading whole books, depending on the scope of the next session. The CR will try to strike a balance between the two extremes.

This class will start as an experiment, given the amount of time it would take to cover even the Primary Bible. So we will start with the Books of Moses. Here is the breakdown of Part I of our class, in hopes that there will be future installments to make up the whole. Subject to update.

Part I: The Books of Moses

A. Introductory Matters

B. The Myths

Readings due

BM: Genesis 1-3

CR: Genesis 1-3; 4:1-15; 6 - 9:17

XR: Genesis 1-11:26; Psalm 104 & 148

C. The Patriarchs

Readings due

BM: Vote! Abraham or Jacob

Abraham, Genesis 12:1-9; 15:1-21; 17; 18:1-5; 20 - 22

or Jacob, Genesis 25:19-34; 27; 28:10 - 32; 35:1-15

CR: Abraham, Genesis 12 - 23; 25:1-11

or Jacob, Genesis 25:19-34; 27 - 31

XR: Abraham, Genesis 11:26-32; 12 - 25 or Jacob, Genesis 25:19-34; 27 - 36

D. The Joseph Novella

Readings due

BM: Genesis 37; 39 – 45:20

CR: N/A

XR: Genesis 37-50

E. The Exodus

Readings due

BM: Exodus 6:28 – 13

CR: Exodus 1-13

XR: Exodus 1-17

F. Sinai and Torah

Readings due

BM: Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5

CR: Exodus 18 – 24; Leviticus 17 – 22; Deuteronomy 5; 26:16 – 28:68

XR: Exodus 18 – 24; Leviticus 17 – 22; Deuteronomy 5; 26:16 – 28:68

G. The Wilderness Wanderings

Readings due

BM: Numbers 11:1-15; 16; 20:1-13; 21:4-9

CR: Numbers 11:1-15; 12; 13-14; 16; 20:1-13; 21:4-9 XR: Numbers (entire book)

Possible Schedule for Future Installments

Part II: Israel in the Promised Land

Part III: The Fall of the Kingdoms and the Exiles Part IV: The Return

Part V: The Remnants as Requested

Terminology

Canon

Apocrypha

Septuagint (=LXX)

Tanakh

Torah

Pentateuch

Cosmology

Sheol

Election

The “scandal of particularity”

Historical critical method/historical criticism

Source criticism

The Documentary Hypothesis or JEDP theory

Myth

Tetragrammaton

Theophany

Endnotes

1. More on this phrase later. Spoiler alert: it is a phrase whose meaning depends on the OT!

2. That does not mean that scholarship isn’t helpful. Clergy and professional lay teachers should be able to help you connect with that scholarship when it is relevant.

3. In Matthew 13:52, Jesus “said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’” A scribe was an expert in the scriptures, with huge poritions of the OT committed to memory.

4. Contemporary American Jews, who feel no need for a “New” Testament, often prefer to call it TaNaKh, which is an acronym for Torah-Prophets-Writing in Hebrew.

This material is created for the Church of the Good Shepherd in Tomball, Texas. Ownership and all authorial rights are retained by Derek A. Neve, Copyright 2022.