Introduction to Old Testament

This article provides an introduction to the Old Testament, its themes, genres, and prophets. It also discusses the major and minor prophets, themes during the exile, and questionable themes in the Old Testament. Desklib offers study material, solved assignments, essays, and dissertations related to the Old Testament.

Running head: an introduction to Old Testament
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During the early days in Canaan before the error of kings was ushered, judges were elected to
lead the people and to organize them so as to be in a position to fight their enemies in case of
attack, the people were not in a position to live without a particular form of leadership who
would help in settling disputes and other issues among the people. The chosen judges were
believed to rule by justice and protect the truth by declaring punishment to lawbreakers. Such
judges as indicated in the book of judges were both male and female. The female judge was
Deborah while the male judges were Gideon, Samson, and Elon among others. The judges were
chosen from time to time for the continuity of the leadership (Limburg, J., 1993).
1.1 Some of the judges were: Gideon, Samson, Elon and Deborah
1.2Samuel the judge provided the important bridge between the time of the judges and the time
the Kings of Israelites.
1.3 The chronicler is the name given to the final editor(s) who simply put together the works of 1
and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Some people believe that the final editor of these
traditions was possibly Ezra himself.

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1.4 After the epic of Israel, people had sinned and gone away from God by disobeying God
through their deeds. God used prophets to correct bad behaviors of people through indirect or
direct oral communication. The prophets, therefore, were focused on calling people back to their
covenant with Almighty God. For example, they could see unethical behaviors, injustice,
unfaithfulness of the people and speak about against it because they betrayed God’s covenant
with Israelites. The prophets could afflict the comfortable sinners and comfort the affiliated in
that, they could reprimand or impose God’s punishment to the sinners or those exercised
malpractices. The Israelites were called to account for their call in that when God called the
Israelites they made a covenant that no more sinning and that they should not worship any other
gods. The prophets were bold and courageous since they were chosen by God to speak his truth
and execute judgment to the Israelites. The main focus of the Israelites prophets was to ensure
that Israelites would always keep the Covent of God as it was according to the agreement during
the time of Moses.
1.5The important themes contained in the Old Testament
There are a divine meaning and purpose to life
The old testament dwells on assumption that the reality of God is a given. There is a meaning
of life since it is not by luck or accident for one to life but God always has a plan and a
purpose for why he keeps us alive. There is always intelligence that underlies reality. For the
Hebrew people they did not ask whether God is real or not but they could ask how God is
like. This is because all creations show the greatness of God and that it is a proof that God
lives and that there is a purpose for us only that we see his power and great works but we
have had not seen him.
Religion and ethics

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In the old testament, it is very clear that there is an interrelationship between ethics and
religion. This is evident in the happening that took place during the old religion such as
Canaanite region which probably encouraged temple prostitution and child sacrifice the child
sacrifice was being too middle gods these actions were inhumane and therefore, the prophets
could not attribute them. At the time of Elijah the prophet, the Israelites were worshiping idle
gods while persecuting God's prophets and that with cry Elijah prayed to God that there be a
famine for more than three years and it was. Until when God proved that he is the true God
and that man should worship him but not any other forged image. Our God did not give
human permission to persecute others nor have unethical treatments to his people but people
persecuted and killed other believers and also accredited their false religion of human
sacrifice which could not please God at all...
God is beyond images
In the time when God was issuing the ten commandments which were to guide the Israelites
to live well and maintain their covenant with God, God clearly commanded that they should
never be worshipped any forged image neither should they worship any other god but Him.
The essence of God giving the command that no image should be worshiped it meant he
himself is not an image and therefore cannot be compared to an image probably because he
made them all. God is somewhat indefinable and therefore we normally praise him for his
power and mightiness that can be accorded to any other image or creation. God is all-
powerful, omnipresent, all-knowing among other great personalities he is known by. He is a
mysterious God who is never defeated and helps his people who believe in he protects,
provides and cares for us. He is loving and works with the man something an image god
cannot do. God Anders our prayers which even a million of images cannot or never do. The

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idles are created by the man while God created man, therefore, the images come after man
meaning that images are men work while the man is God's work, therefore, therefore, they
cannot be compared under any circumstance. The prophet Elijah proved to the Israelites that
no image is greater than God. To achieve that he conducted a contest with the prophets of
Baal to prove who between Yahweh and gods of Baal is the true God and that Elijah won by
Yahweh answering his prayers to bring down the fire that consumed the sacrifice that had
been made as a content descriptor of the contest.
God is personal
According to Israelite’s religion, the word and all happenings convince us that God is
personal. God is a relational but not impersonal force. He also reveals that by calling the man
back after he had sinned and defiled by inquiries God went and searched the man's where
about in the garden of Eden this shown that he wants to keep in relationship with human
beings. The Devine heart and mind behind the universe finds a relationship with the human
being. Most of the Old Testament parts over-manifest the sense that God is personal making
him be seen in the level of man that he wants to be close to human beings. The tendency of
bringing God to the level of human being through his relationship with humanistic being is
referred to as anthropomorphizing, meaning the act of using human qualities to define the
infinite God.
A vision and Dream of a New Humanity and a new world
It is among the most powerful aspects of the Old Testament stories as it proves to be constant
hope, dream and promise that life should be different. Isaiah the prophet we are shown the
hope of a new creation where lion and lamb lie down together (Isaiah 65:21-25). Jeremiah

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reveals the hope new humanity where God’s law is written on human hearts and no longer on
paper.
God uses frail human beings as God’s partners
God uses weak, frail and sinful human beings as his partners. Despite that Jacob cheated
Esau his brother, out of his right as the first-born son(Gen.25:27). Moses also murdered and
God used him. David is also used despite is adultery and murder. Hannah is also used despite
her low esteem to sire Samuel an important savant of God.
God has a special concern for the poor and weak of society
It’s a very crucial theme that protrudes in a number of places in the Old Testament. It shows
concern for poor, downtrodden, weak, vulnerable and oppressed in the society. God used to
uplift the oppressed in the society. We see that when Joseph was sold by his brothers, God
had the concern with him and he made him a governor in a foreign land
1.6 Some questionable themes in the Old Testament
The essence of God using the frail human being ad his partners his questionable in that he
does not interact with sinners.
Takes 2 solution
2.1a) A biblical genre is the classification of the Bible literature according to literary genre. The
bible depend on some literature narratives. Such genres are identified by analysis of the
literature as used in the word such as the tone used to write the word among others.
2.1b) genres are; prophecy, wisdom, law and history among others.
2.1c) In Judges 9: 7-15, Botham gave a parable of speaking trees about the decision of choosing
a king according to him the trees spoke but practically they did not spoke.

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2.2 When King David had grown too old to rule, Adonijah decided to rule by himself. Adonijah
was withdrawn by the old king David and declared his son Solomon to be the king of Israel.
Solomon throne was established and he led with wisdom (1kings 4:29-34). Solomon ruled for 40
years and died. The Solomon’s son Rehoboam succeeded the kingdom. Israelites rebelled against
Rehoboam and they claimed that him and his father were hash and for them to serve him he
must withdraw the cruelty. Due to these wrangles the kingdom was divided into two northern
and south an part of the kingdom each with different king Jeroboam reigned for 22 years and
Nadab his son succeeded him. While on the other side of the kingdom, after the death of
Rehoboam his son Abijah succeeded the kingdom.Abijah who was as sinful as his father
continued with the same way of ruling. Asa ruled over Judah while Nadab ruled over Israel
followed by Baasha followed by Elah, followed by Zimri from zombie to Omri from Omri yo
Ahab.from Ahab to Ahaziah. Jehoram ruled Judah. Jehu became the Israelites king from Jehu to
Jeroboam 11. While Azariah became the king of Judah from Azariah to Botham from Botham
topaz. The in Israel it moved from Jeroboam 11 to Zechariah from Zachariah to Shallum from
Shallum to Menachem. From Menachem to pekahjah and from pahkajah to Pekah and from
Makah since the Israelites had become so evil they were exiled. Sin led Israelites to Babylon.
During this time events like war were there was that Israelites used to win but kart they could not
receive support from the almighty God.
2.3) Josiah became king at the age of 8 years. He reigned in Israel for 31 years. In the 18th year of
his reign, King Josiah sent some people to the temple of the Lord to prepare Hilkiah to get him
prepared and they went and bought the book of law from the temple of the lord. They Soult the
face of God to know what was written in the book of law and how it could affect the people and
the king. Josiah ruled by consulting God and , therefore, the king wanted to please God by doing

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his will and following his commandments written in the book of law. Josiah tended to be the
youngest king of Israel despite his young age he could value the will of God to him and his
people as a king of Israel and therefore God used to bless him. When Josiah chose to respect God
his men became faithful and also severe faithfully to his kingdom. Josiah worked to please God
and therefore he renewed God’s covenant with his people and removed all detestable idols from
the temple and he chose to please God by following God’s commandment. Since Josiah chose to
please God, his kingdom was rescued and God saved them. The efforts of king Josiah was more
powerful than the power of the former kings of Israel. Josiah also celebrated the passive as the
word says he celebrated the Passover as was used to be shard since it reminded people the events
which made them to have covenant with God that led to issuance of these commandments.
Task 3 solution
3.1 )a) major prophets, minor prophets, and cultic prophets.
b) Nehemiah, Joel Moses respectively.
3.2) The prophets before the exile focused on themes like
Social injustice, slavery, and oppression, bribery and fraud, luxury and self-indulgence in the
face of mass poverty (Jeremiah 2:34, Ezekiel 16-22)
They criticized the kings' allegiance on and reliance on other nations. (Jeremiah2)
They called Israelites away from the Canaanite fertility religion which they believed was
corrupting the peoples worship of God(Hosea 2-4)
Transgressing the 10 commandments. They calk people back once after they leave the 10
commandments (Jeremiah 7-27)

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3.3) prophets during exile. Jeremiah was called when he was very young, God revealed that he
had chosen him before he was born. He used symbolic means of preaching.
Isaiah was called to preach the gospel of repentance to people. He used direct reprimands to the
people sinned against God.
3.4) themes during the exile
Comfort for the afflicted. After the fall of Jerusalem, prophets began to preach the word of God
to comfort people that there is still hope for a tree that is cut to sprout. Jeremiah buys a plot of
land to build for the people showing them that he is sure they will once come out of the exile.
The promise of a new covenant(Sawyer, J.F., 1987). they began to focus Ob the promise of the
new covenant.
The return for the exiles. In Isaiah, there is a day when there would be a return of people from
Babylon to Jerusalem and Palestine.
A new temple and a new Jerusalem. Ezekiel hoped in the day that the Lord’s temple will be
rebuilt. He began to expound in precise how the new temple would be built.
The nations would come and worship at the mountain of God(Isaiah 56:1-8) He hoped that
people from exile would worship from the Jerusalem mountain of God.
The beginning of the Messianic Hope. The early forms of the hope would begin to be expressed
as a hope that God would intervene to bring healing to hearts of the people.
The servanthood. They looked on the defining day when God would restore Israel.
The day of Reckoning. They spoke the day of judgments and the consequences.

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Judgment on surrounding nations: the prophets of Israel did God's judgment simply for the
people of Israel but also spoke a word of judgment on the other nations.
A call to repent. The prophets called people to repentance so that God can have mercy on them.
4.1) characters
a) The characters here are; Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon, and Kilion. Orpah and Ruth and
residents of Bethlehem.
b) Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon, and Kilion were Ephrathites from Bethlehem. While Ruth and
Orpah were Moabites from the land of Moab.
C) The main characters are Ruth and Naomi. This is because Ruth tolerated the hard feeling that
her husband had died and that another son would take long before he becomes mature, unlike
Orpah who gave up immediately. Naomi a loving woman lived with Ruth until God could bless
them. The two women they are special also because they had a very strong faith and hope for
God’s will.
4.2) plot
a) Initially, Naomi her husband Naomi and his children were faring on well together with their
children’s wives. Naomi sons Mallon and kilion were very healthy before the death could attack
them.
b) Rising action: a death menace attacked and killed the two sons. Orpah began to give up and
whose intention was to go back and get married by another man. Ruth is left with Naomi
helplessly.

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C) Ruth chooses to remain with Naomi something that comforts Naomi so much. Naomi is
pleased by the promise given by Ruth her God be theirs and that she would like they die together
if it will mean death.
d) The tension was resolved in that God blessed Ruth and Naomi when they went back to their
matrimonial home.
4.3 setting
a)) the narrative took place in Bethlehem and Moab.
b))the setting involved both day and night since the consecutive deaths did not take place in one
day. The author has not mentioned whether it was night or daytime.
c) Naomi was not rich since her husband and sons had died. They did not even state in the same
place but began to move . they were poor and helpless.
d) Ruth and Naomi were not from the same place but used to live together. Loved one another
and willed to live with one another. They lived together after their husbands had died. They were
all widows
e) The narrative brings the feeling of compassion when Naomi proposes for two ladies to and
then they began to think who would go after which Ruth decides not to go. After a cry of a while.
4.4) During the time when the book of Ruth was written, the Jews and non -Jews were not
intermarrying. The book of Ruth breaks this belief by having Ruth married by Boaz who was not
a Jew and therefore things changed and life continued in the palace (Walvoord, J.F. and Zuck,
R.B. eds., 20
Task 5 Jonah

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God had chosen Jonah to preach his word and he sent him to go and preach in the land of
Nineveh but, Jonah was reluctant and therefore he did not want to go. Instead, he chose to escape
in which God was in his full view . He chose to flee to Tarsus hide from the word of God. God
did not let Jonah fail his mind but he gave him to enter into the ship and travel to his desired land
but God chose to divert him to his intended mission ground in that the vessel in which they were
traveling in began to be swayed by the wind. After a thorough research people found him and
threw him in the deep water where he was swallowed by a fish and was conveyed to God's
intended place of ministration. The word of God was upon him, therefore, he could not escape.
After he reached the place God re-inspired him and he spoke his word fearlessly (Vriezen,2018).
References
Papola, G., 2016. A Biblical Story of Conversion: the Book of Jonah. The Person and the
Challenges. The Journal of Theology, Education, Canon Law and Social Studies Inspired by
Pope John Paul II, 6(2), pp.153-174.
Limburg, J., 1993. Jonah: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press.
Bertman, S., 1965. Symmetrical design in the Book of Ruth. Journal of Biblical
Literature, 84(2), pp.165-168
Green, B., 1982. The Plot of the Biblical Story of Ruth. Journal for the Study of the Old
Testament, 7(23), pp.55-68.
Rauber, D.F., 1970. Literary Values in the Bible: The Book of Ruth. Journal of Biblical
Literature, 89(1), pp.27-37.

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Sasson, J.M., 1989. Ruth: a new translation with a philological commentary and a formalist-
folklorist interpretation (Vol. 10). Sheffield Academic Press.
Kates, J.A. and Reimer, G.T. eds., 1996. Reading Ruth: Contemporary Women Reclaim a Sacred
Story. Ballantine Books.
Hyman, N.M. ed., 1997. Biblical Women in the Midrash: A Sourcebook. Jason Aronson
Incorporated.
Sawyer, J.F., 1987. Prophecy and the Prophets of the Old Testament. Oxford University Press,
USA.
Hillers, D.R., 1964. Treaty-curses and the Old Testament prophets (Vol. 16). Pontifical Biblical
Institute.
Pfeiffer, R.H., 1941. Introduction to the Old Testament. Harper.
Harrison, R.K., 1970. Introduction to the Old Testament. Tyndale Press.
Archer, G.L., 1964. A survey of Old Testament introduction. Moody Press.
Walvoord, J.F. and Zuck, R.B. eds., 2018. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old
Testament (Vol. 2). David C Cook.
Vriezen, T.C., 2018. An outline of Old Testament theology. Wiley-Blackwell.