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The Pentateuch (II). The Meaning of Torah. Individual Pronouncement Num 19:14; 31:21; Exod 12:49 Laws on Similar Subject Num 6:13, 21; Lev 6:9 Particular Collection of Laws Exod 20:1-17; 24:12; Deut 31:9 General Description for God’s Law Gen 26:5; Exod 18:16; Deut 4:8
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The Meaning of Torah • Individual Pronouncement • Num 19:14; 31:21; Exod 12:49 • Laws on Similar Subject • Num 6:13, 21; Lev 6:9 • Particular Collection of Laws • Exod 20:1-17; 24:12;Deut 31:9 • General Description for God’s Law • Gen 26:5; Exod 18:16; Deut 4:8 • Combination of Narrative and Law • Deut 1:5
The Mosaic Covenant: Law and Worship • Torah expresses the will of God • The law preserved the sense of God’s presence in 2 ways: • The Priestly law: dwelling of God among his people • Character of Yahweh pervades all the law collections • God’s redeeming grace as a foundation for living under the law
The Mosaic Covenant • The covenant was associated with God’s promise • To enable Israel to live as God’s people. E.g. Israel should imitate • God’s holiness (Lev 19:2) • compassion (Ex 22:26-27) • justice (Deut 16:18-20) • merciful to aliens (Lev 19:33-34), slaves (Deut 15:12-15)
Four main collections of laws • Decalogue (Exod 20:1-17; Deut 5:1-21; Exod 34:10-28) and the Book of the Covenant (aka the Covenant Code) in Exod 20-23. • Tabernacle Law (Exod 25-40) • The Laws of Leviticus (Lev 1-27) • The Laws of Deuteronomy or Deuteronomic Code (Deut 12-26)
Different ways of grouping laws • Division by content: • moral • civil • ceremonial • Division by form-critical method: • Apodictic • Casuistic
Alt’s categorization • Apodictic: unconditional, categorical assertion • Prohibitions in the Ten Commandments: “You shall not kill” (e.g. Exod 20:13) • Active participle laws (e.g. Exod 21:12) • Curses (e.g. Deut 27:24)
Alt’s categorization • Casuistic law: defines a specific case, e.g. Ex 21:18-19 • Twofold formulation: a protasiswith a “when” or “if” clauses, and an apodosis “then” stating the legal consequences of the case • Units of casuistic laws are logically ordered, similar cases are treated together and juxtaposed to cases with different rulings
The Uniqueness of the Decalogue • The Decalogue is the “foundation scroll of the Israelite community” • Special role within ancient Israel • Given directly by God (Exod 20:1, 18-19; Deut 4:12; 5:4, 21) • Written by the “Fingers of God” (Exod 31:18; 32:16; 34:1, 28; Deut 4:13; 5:19; 9:10), accompanied by theophany • Placed in the Ark of the Covenant (Deut 10:1-4)
Role of Decalogue in the Cult • A basic formal affirmation in the religion of Israel • Apply to all individual in Israel • Conditions for membership • Renewal of Obligation
Role of Decalogue • Each of the 10 Commandments (except the last one) appears in a similar form elsewhere in the Pentateuch
Parallels to the Decalogue in other parts of the Pentateuch • First 2 commandments: Exod 20:3-6 // Exod 34:14; Deut 5:9b; Exod 23:24; 34:17; Lev 19:4; 26:1; Mica 5:12 etc • 3rd (20:7)//Lev 19:12; 5:22 • 4th (20:8-11)//the Covenant Code (23:12; 34:21;; Deut 5:13-14) and the Priestly Code (Exod 31:12-17; 35:1-3; 16:29-30; Lev 19:3; 23:3; 26:2; Num 15:32-35; Jer 17:21-27)
Parallels to the Decalogue Cont. • 5th (20:12) //in the affirmative (Lev 19:4) as well as in the negative formulation: Exod 21:15; 21:17; Lev 20:9; Deut 27:16; 21:18-21 • 6th (20:13) cf. Exod 21:12; Lev 24:17; Num 35:30-34; Deut 19:11-13 • 7th (20:14) cf. Lev 18:20; 20:10; Deut 22:22; Num 5:11-30 • 8th (20:15) cf. Lev 19:11; Exod 22:1-12 (casuistic laws) • 9th (20:16) // Exod 23:1; Deut 19:16-19 (casuistic)
Other law collections that resemble the Decalogue • Lev 19 • Deut 27:15-26 • Ezek 18 and 22 • Psalms 15, 24 • Isa 33:14-15
Discussion on the ethical authority of the Old Testament • Luther • The dispensationalists • The theonomic approach • More comprehensive approaches: • Jubilee Centre • Key for Christians: Jesus’ relationship to the law • Wright’s concept
Wright’s Assumption of the Ethical Use of the OT • The authority and relevance of the OT for Christians • The unity of Scripture • The priority of grace • The mission and purpose of Israel • The function of the law in relation to the mission of Israel • Israel and its law as paradigmatic
Wright’s Method of appropriation of the OT laws for today • Distinguish the general categories of the OT law • Analyze the functions of particular laws and institutions • Define the objective(s) of particular laws • Preserve the objective but change the context
Case Study • Lev 19:18-19 • While moral relevancy of v.18 is clear, v.19 is puzzling, how do we appropriate that? • Deut 12:1-7 • How do we apply this law today?