Essay on The Bible Story: The Old Testament

W. Randolph Tate points out three distinct authors, although multiple authors and editors were likely used in each section; the sections each expressed an individual and key theme the author or authors and editor or editors wish to make. To begin, the first author wrote the passages for historical value while the second set of revisers wished to touch on the topic of the importance of prophecies and “prophetic traditions” (Tate). The final set of revisers wished to address the importance of the Law and Israel’s “obedience or disobedience” to it (Tate). W. Randolph Tate emphasized the importance of Laws expressed in Deuteronomy and traditions established

In the Beginning: At the beginning of the universe. God created heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh. During those six days God spoke to the darkness and created the world, brought forth light, created the sky, land and animals and plants to inhabit them. However, even during this creation he was contemplating the creation of a being made in his own image.

Although it is argued that rabbis began work on compiling the oral histories prior to the fall of the Second Temple, there was a definite resurgence in documentation of the important history and moral laws of Judaism after the fall. The most important of these written documents in the Jewish faith is the Hebrew Bible. This bible is comprised of the Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, these three components combine to make up the Tanakh. The Torah is the core of the Hebrew Bible and contains the story of creation, as well as directions on daily conduct and religious rituals. The Nevi’im contains the stories of prophets. The prophets were people that spoke on behalf of God to the Jewish people. Lastly, the Ketuvim is comprised of mostly imaginative literature such as psalms, proverbs and poetry (Molloy, 294). Shifting the focus from priests and temple to a written work that is accessible to all regardless of location was the main adaptation of Judaism and certainly saved the faith. Although the historical accuracy of the Hebrew Bible is debatable, as some stories may have morphed from their origination to when they were assembled in writing, the bible still remains at the core of Judaism today.

Harris, R. L. (1999). 68 אָחַר. (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke, Eds.)Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press.

Similarities exist between Esarhaddon’s Covenant Tablet and Tablet of the Law as Jewish apocalyptic writers understood it. However, evidence suggests these similarities existed across the entire ANE. Next, the Tablet of Destinies read like the Heavenly Tablets in one perspective—they both record events, but the Heavenly Tablets also incorporated the Jewish Torah. Also, missing from the Jewish Heavenly Tablets concept is possession equaling divine supremacy and authority to assign offices. Instead, the Jubileen author grounds Heavenly Tablet authority in the Tablet of the Law, deriving authority from the historical (from the Second Temple author’s point of view) Sinai event. Therefore, it seems prudent to concede a general idea of tablet authority derived from Mosaic law, but Second Temple Judaism shaped it for the author, similar to the tablets in Qumran.

The book of Hebrews has long left readers with various unanswered questions. This is largely due to the fact that its origin is a mystery and has left readers to create multiple theories on how the book came into being. From the author to the intended audience, and from the land of its origin, to its travel across the ancient world, and its eventual acceptance into the compilation of scripture, much of what we know about the book of Hebrews is speculation. This article seeks to delve deeper into the questions regarding the book 's origin and to the overall purpose of the book which led to its inclusion in the New Testament.

In this paper, I will write a scriptural response to the assigned reading of the NIV Study Bible and the Wiersbe Bible Commentary. I will write my response to the reading from Deuteronomy in the NIV Study Bible and Wiersbe Bible Commentary.

How are we to approach Scripture? Are we to come without any preconceived ideas or notions? Or are we to approach Scripture with all tradition and experience? The truth is, everyone reads the Bible from a perspective; meaning everyone comes with preconceived ideas of what the Bible means—what they think it means. People cannot help but read their lives into the Scriptures. However, because the Bible is divinely inspired, God is able to overcome those ideas so that his truth is clearly seen. Therefore, is one approach to reading, interpreting and understanding the bible better than another? Can certain approaches to the Bible affect the Bible’s authority? Absolutely. Ultimately the Bible is the story of God, not the story of people. Therefore, what God (and Jesus) does and says, is of utmost important and everyone else in the Bible is a minor character that certainly brings understanding, but not the main point. Therefore, two examples come into view in their approach to Scripture; Phyllis Trible, a feminist theologian and N. T. Wright, an English New Testament scholar. In as much as they differ in their approach to Biblical authority and interpretation, they reveal the challenges of giving the Bible the authority it is due. Specifically, Trible approaches the Bible by focusing on all the unjust treatment of women; whereas, Wright focuses on what is missing from Scripture and the churches need to fill in the gaps. In each example, there are clearly strengths, that give the

What follows is a discussion about the types and characteristics of religious practices. In particular, the discussion hinges on establishing the point that there are reflections of wisdom in all knowledge. In these and other ways, comparative studies both challenged and enhanced biblical scholarship. Walton also discusses the reaction to comparative studies in confessional scholarship, which has not always been positive due to its implication "that the Old Testament is not unique" (p. 35). Walton concludes by envisioning an integrated role for comparative studies in which it assists in critical analysis, defense of the biblical text, and exegesis of the biblical text (pp. 38-40). In conclusion, Part 1 of Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament serve as an excellent introduction to comparative studies.

The Bible is Gods story. It is an account of His search for us. The story begins in Genesis at creation. Following creation we see the fall of Adam and Eve, which results in sin entering the world. Man was originally made to be fully dependant upon God however, now man comes under His judgement and have to live with the consequences of our rebellion. We lost understanding of God and began to create our own Gods, falling into idolatry and worshiping things of this world. However, God has always remained faithful and loving, despite our human brokenness. This paper will explore Ancient Israel’s journey throughout the Old Testament, exploring the themes of Gods faithfulness and power.

Many people today fail to delve into the historical, cultural and political background of the Old Testament and consider the Old Testament the bible of the Jewish faith and people. However, over time and through societal upheavals and clashes there have been individuals and groups that pick and choose

Understanding the Scriptures, especially those in the Old Testament can seem daunting. There is so much information in the Old Testament writings that deal with history and customs during that time period. “The storyline is comprised of the people, places, dates, and events. The Old Testament is full of such details, often to the extent that the reader can be overwhelmed trying to master them” (HW 27). Understanding the history of the time period when the Old Testament was written gives a broader view as to what was happening so we can better understand the Scriptures. This is important, but the most important part of the Scriptures is how God reveals himself to us. The Old Testament reveals God’s master plan for us and his loving nature

The warning passages of Hebrews (2:1-4; 3:7-4:11; 5:11-6:12; 10:19-39; 12:14-29) have become a debate of many scholars regarding their interpretations and their theological significance for Christians during the author’s era and the application of the message to Christians today. The heated debate has been the topic of this book as writers such as Grant R. Osborne, Buist M Fanning, Gareth Lee Cockerill, and Randall C. Gleason make attempts to exegete the scriptures to bring clarity to what its true meaning could imply. There are many unknowns regarding this book as it relates to author and audience. However, these four writers expounded on issues that are pertinent to understanding the author’s message as he warns, exhort, and encourage

Based upon Tim LaHaye’s numbers, the average amount of prophecy in the twelve “Historical” books of the Bible is 15.41%1., with the Book of II Chronicles having the most at 31% and the Book of Esther having the least at 1%. Regardless of how much prophecy is involved in these books, what is important is the history of people of Israel through the period of the Judges, the United Kingdom and the Divided Kingdom. Within that history, what is most important

It would be erroneous to assume that just one background fits the mold of Scripture, for a book with 3500 years of history, spanning many cultures and traditions, the Bible stands as a permanent record of God’s interaction with His creation. Taking no relevance of interpretation away from the Greek and Roman backgrounds, the Jewish or Hebrew background was most crucial to the understanding of doctrines such as law, faith, salvation, perseverance, and most importantly, love (E. Tolbert, personal communication, August 22, 2014). The Jewish background also gives way to understanding the work of the Great Advocate in both the Old and New Testament Times. In consideration of all these insights, the Jewish background garners most relevance as it draws clear connection between the Old and New Covenants (Hill, 2014, post 12). For without understanding of the old, there can be no understanding of the new (Sneed, 2014, post 9).