Assignment 2: Early Old Testament Narrative And Biblical Interpretation

Understanding the what the bible is trying to convey to us is important. The reason why we should study and understand the Old Testament is because it is very influential in the formation of many nation, cultures, and civilizations along with helping to find how we can implement the teachings of social justice within our

When you read the Bible there are a lot of concepts to keep in mind to fully understand the message a certain passage is saying. Fully understanding and interpreting the true meaning is the most crucial aspect, and Duvall & Hays says that context determines meaning. Ignoring or not fully understanding the context will most likely lead to misinterpretation of a passage; this also relates to the historical-cultural context as well, because without these elements you could make a passage mean what you want it to. In doing so, could result in an improper meaning of a passage, and you may apply your interpretation in a situation that it’s not intended for.

Though approaching the Old Testament with sound mind and pure heart, the reader may inadvertently fall into "interpretive pitfalls". According to A Survey of the Old Testament, by Andrew E. Hill, some of these pitfalls include but aren't limited to: not understanding The Bible didn't come in English, or through Western culture (17), not allowing the Bible to speak for itself (26), not recognizing presuppositions (26), or even ignoring the author's message in favor of how the interpreter wants to use the text (27). Of these downfalls, ignoring the author's message must be the worst. To ignore the message of the author means you have studied and properly understood the meaning of what you've read; however, you've chosen to manipulate The Word

The bible is a unique book that describes God, His will, power, and qualities. It divided into two main parts which we call the Old and New Testaments. Even though they both reveal true knowledge about God and have much in common, there are plentiful differences between them like who are God’s people, the laws, and the sacrifices.

How To Read The Jewish Bible, authored by Biblical scholar, and professor, Marc Zvi Brettler, is an enlightening text, guiding people towards studying the Hebrew Scriptures purposefully. Brettler (2005) reveals his book provides a response to the frustration many readers hold towards the Hebrew Bible, with the conventional tendency of filtering it through the lens of present-day culture. Generally, he argues, as a result, this leads one to misconstrue passages or arrive at the definitive conclusion the Bible holds no relevant value within our contemporary era and therefore, should collect dust.

The relationship of the Old Testament and the New Testament has been the cause for a series of debates for many generations. In some cases, the Bible is believed to be just a random assortment of individual scrolls brought together in no precise fashion and for no particular reason, with the Old and New Testament being completely separated from one another, this is of course false. The Bible is, as a whole, the given Word of God brought together by a variety of human authors under the Divine Inspiration of the One True Divine Author, God Himself. Similarly, the Old Testament should not be neglected and replaced by the New Testament, as the New Testament is deeply-rooted within the Old Testament and the Old Testament is brought into full manifestation, through Jesus Christ, within the New Testament. Therefore, the New Testament cannot exist without the Old Testament and the Old Testament cannot become fulfilled without the New Testament.

Throughout human history, we have been faced with dilemmas that truly define who we are as a person, and the choices we make reveal who we are as a person. Even in the beginning of mankind, people have made many mistakes and the Hebrew Bible’s moral lessons are still valuable in today’s society. For example, in Genesis 21, the story about Abraham and Isaac, it’s still relevant because it teaches use about loyalty and obligations to our father. In The Parable of the Old Man and the Young, the story is similar to Abraham and Isaac, but the only difference is the outcome. Although the stories’ differences on how the order was given, Abraham’s response, and his choice that affects the young are told differently to teach a lesson, both still are related to the theme of obligations a son has to his father.

The book of Genesis relates significantly to the larger biblical narrative. Within the first three chapters the audience learns of the problem for mankind (broken covenant), and the solution for mankind (God’s promise of redemption). This begins a pattern that weaves throughout the bible: people sin; God’s holy and must judge the sin; God extends grace, redemption and restores man’s relationship to God. Furthermore, the covenants show that sin always leads to negative consequences. Understanding the various covenants in the Old testament and how they relate to each other is significant to understanding God’s promises to his chosen people, as well as his plan of redemption that is progressively revealed throughout scripture.

Objective- Students will be able to explain introductory issues of the Books of History, such as the process of Scripture’s development, the Deuteronomistic History theory, and the historiography of the Old Testament.

The interpretation of Old Testament narrative is important as is provides both background and history of the OT and conveys a message, or a story, to the reader. As Spencer notes in his lecture, “They are crafted in such a way that the story which is told has a certain force and effect upon the reader. Studying these narratives gives us insight into the way in which God works among His people and His creation in the form of a story.” Utilizing Spencer’s framework derives certain aspects of Genesis 22:1-24.

I feel that we have two different pieces of evidence that show a difference in how individuals interpret the intended message. However, I will say that this assignment makes one realize that a lot of time and hard work has been put into translating this information. I feel that we should give more time to come to our own personal conclusion about the actual meaning of each verse.

The Old Testament was written over a wide historical period, it describes the relationship of God and the people of Israel before the coming of Jesus. To make it easy to explain the history in the Old Testament, I have seen it best to look at it under the following periods:

The Old Testament was written over a wide historical period, it describes the relationship of God and the people of Israel before the coming of Jesus. To make it easy to explain the history in the Old Testament, I have seen it best to look at it under the following periods:

The Old Testament is one of the few religious books that over the centuries has not changed and been a central tool to the Christian. But what is it about? What are the fundamental teachings this amazing story explains. Well like any good story it is about unlikely heroes, kings, seers, nations rising up and falling. But though all the different turns it makes there is one key theme that can be seen throughout. Notably, it is that despite our many sins God 's desires a personal relationship with his people.

Analyzing how God interacts and relates to his people allows me to examine my own personal relationship with the Lord. I think there is a significant misconception regarding the value of the Old Testment in the modern-day believers life because there is so much content that appears in the text that is applicable to my own life. Nonetheless, it is also important to interpret the text by first knowing the contextual circumstance of each scripture and by reading the Word holistically in order to acquire a more comprehensive appreciation for what is being communicated. Reading through the Old Testament, I noticed various overarching themes that allowed me to better understand the interpretive meaning of the text. One underlying theme is the