To which groups do you belong? How do you know you belong? How do others know you belong?
SALVATION HISTORY
COVENANT 2 Samuel 7:8-29 After defeating Goliath and the death of Saul, who had lost favour with God as the first Jewish monarch, David becomes King after initially rejecting the offer. He makes Jerusalem the capital and returns the Ark of the Covenant that held the Ten Commandments and was the place where it was believed God was spiritually present. In this passage, Yahweh tells the prophet Nathan to tell King David that he does not need to build a "house" for the Ark - this is later accomplished by David's son, King Solomon. Instead, Yahweh promises David a great "house", a dynasty that will follow after his death. If you read Matthew 1, you will see Jesus' geneaology which shows distant links to King David through both Joseph and Mary's ancestry. Where else is the term "tabernacle" used in the Christian Tradition? Does it have the same meaning? NEW COVENANT Jeremiah 31:31-34 Writing at the time of the Babylonian Exile, Jeremiah promises hope to those captured and taken to Babylon. The new covenant is founded on God' grace, a theme picked up in both Ezekiel's texts and St Paul's letters. The metaphor of Yahweh being "husband" to Israel gives what understanding of the covenant relationship? Matthew 12:15-21 The audience of the author of Matthew's Gospel, Jewish-Christians would have been familiar with the writings of Isaiah in the TaNaK (Written Torah, Nevium, Ketuvim). Jesus knows that the Pharisees are plotting against him but, in fulfilling Isaiah's words, he does not promote violence or public declarations of his divine power. Matthew's audience would have interpreted Isaiah's prophecy in the context of Jesus' death and resurrection; they knew of the inclusion of Gentiles in the new covenant. The quote from Isaiah is called "The Servant's Song" - what does the list that follows suggest about the type of servant Christians are called to be? Romans 1:1-7 St Paul is writing to Christians in Rome, a polytheistic city, in anticipation of meeting them for the first time. The opening of his letter, the longest of all his letters, outlines the authority on which he writes, as an apostle of the new covenant. Jesus' death through crucifixion is cursed ("because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse" - Deut 21:23) however Paul, who used to persecute followers of Christ, has come to understand the Torah in the context of Jesus' death and resurrection. Through the grace of God we can all experience peace, we are all called Payment is COD or contact the office to arrange payment by credit card – contact details below. Order by the 4th February saints in the heavenly sense. What beliefs does St Paul list as shared understandings with the Roman Christians? BAPTISM Galatians 3:27-29 Similar to his letter to the Romans, St Paul is stating that the Torah has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. By using the second person pronoun "you", he personalises the Good News that God's love is for all, regardless of poor choices and regardless of who you are. It is through baptism that they profess their faith in Christ. St Paul uses juxtapostion to identify differences that often keep people apart, sometimes even physically apart. What other juxtapositions can you think of that are irrelevant when it comes to God's love? Acts 2:38 The author of Acts is believed to be the author of Luke's Gospel. Here he recounts Peter speaking after the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples at Pentecost which led to many being baptised. The number 3000 symbolises many believed and that baptism is a communal experience as much as it is an individual one. What other sacraments are mentioned in this passage about baptism?
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS
Prophecy is not about fortune-telling as such but rather speaking to people about God's unconditional love and how a rejection of this leading to suffering and a sense of hopelessness is a logical conclusion. There are prophets in every generation. Those speaking out about the need to address environmental issues and social injustices in today's society are modern-day prophets. Prophets face many challenges with some people listening to their message whilst others reject it. Sometimes it is difficult to discern between social commentators and true prophets.
MIRIAM Exodus 15:19-20 The account of the Exodus out of Egypt is composed of the work of several authors: the Yahwist tradition in the 10th century Kingdom period; the Elohist tradition of the 8th and 9th century and the Priestly tradition, post Babylonian Exile of the 6th century. This passage is considered to be the earliest tradition about the crossing of the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), dated around 1100BC, it is in poetic form. It is based on an earlier Canaanite poem (around 1400BC) which describes Baal, the god of fertility overwhelming Yamm, god of the sea. The account of the Exodus reflects the accounts in Genesis of God creating order to "the formless void" when "darkness covered the face of the deep" when "a wind from God swept over the face of the waters." The new creation after the Exodus brings us into closer communion with God - which culminates in the death and resurrection of Jesus, who was baptised in water prior to beginning his 3 years of ministry. Miriam could mean "beloved" (Egyptian) or "gift" (Hebrew), here identified as Aaron rather than Moses' sister, performed a customary victory song sung by women for their heroes. Why is the Exodus such a significant narrative in Jewish perceptions of themselves? ISAIAH Isaiah 20:1-6 Isaiah lived in a tumultuous time:
735-733BC: Syria and Israel vs Assyria (King Ahaz of Judah did not want to support Israel with the capital Samaria submitting to Assyria in 733BC
722BC: Samaria destroyed by Assyria for rebelling; population deported and foreign settlers brought in
713BC: Philistine City of Ashdod rebels against the Assyrians but are defeated
701BC: Hezekiah of Judah revolted against Assyria and Judah was attacked but Jerusalem was not destroyed.
The Book of Isaiah is believed to be by at least three different authors with Isaiah 1-39 written around the 8th century BC and Isaiah 40-55 and Isaiah 40-55 written around the late 6th century. First Isaiah is now thought to be less than half the words of the prophet Isaiah. Christian Tradition identifies aspects of Isaiah that were fulfilled by Jesus, however it is important to focus on the context in which it was written. Walking naked for three years around the time of the Ashdod rebellion in 713BC signified that Egypt and Ethiopia would fall to Assyria and the captives be led away naked. What does this passage say about the alliance that the Jewish people of Judah had with Egypt and Ethiopia? MICAH Micah 6:8 Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah (around 727BC-701BC), however his text has been heavily edited by followers in the century after his life. Where Isaiah was concerned with Jerusalem and lives of the political and religious leaders, Micah is concerned with how decisions made by those in power affect the rural areas, especially the poor. In some translations this passage, which is in the form of courtroom statements from Yahweh the defendant, is addressed to "adam" instead of "mortal" which links again to the Genesis accounts of creation. The text following this passage lists consequences for those who have not acted justly, loved tenderly and walked humbly with God's covenant in the forefront of their mind. What is the difference between saying we should walk "humbly" or "mindfully" with God? EZEKIEL Ezekiel 3:1-3 Ezekiel 5:1-4 Ezekiel, meaning "God-strengthens", is thought to have been exiled from Judah to Babylon in 597BC where he had a vision of God calling him to speak as a prophet, symbollically eating a scroll with God's words of woe written on them, to remind those exiled that God is still with them and that the Covenant can be accomplished wherever they are. He had many visions over a period of 22 years, including ones warning of the downfall of Jerusalem as a consequence for the worship of foreign Gods, which culminated in the destruction of the Temple in 587BC. Like other prophets, Ezekiel's actions supported his words - chapters 4 and 5 describe four actions, including cutting his hair which represented the death and suffering of those besieged in Jerusalem. How does Ezekiel's actions with the three thirds of his hair suggest the fate of the Israelites beseiged in Jerusalem? JEREMIAH Jeremiah 19 Jeremiah 27:1-11 The prophet Jeremiah was active at the same time of Ezekiel. He too performed actions to convey God's message -the clay vessel represents Judah and its capital Jerusalem which, like the clay vessel will be destroyed. In both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, paganism had infiltrated Jewish life with some practising sacrifice of their firstborn to the god Baal (one of the Canaanite gods) to promote fertility. Jeremiah foretells of the hunger that will result from the siege that led to cannabalism. Find definitions for the different types of people listed in verse Jeremiah 27:9 who were trying to promote anti-Babylonian uprisings. Why would Jeremiah tell his listeners not to fall for their empty promises?
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
Who do you see as a modern-day prophet?
Does what you do match what you say?
How do you discern who is telling the truth and what is good?
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), to what extent do you think you can speak up for truth and justice?
PRAYER REFLECTIONS
Thank God for those who are prepared to speak up for truth and justice, even when they may face ridicule
Ask God to help you have the wisdom and courage to guide others to live loving lives
Pray for modern-day prophets that they may continue to speak the truth
COMPLEMENTARY SCRIPTURE
God’s saving for creation Luke 1:67-80; Luke 2:39-56; Luke: 2:22-38 Luke 24:44-49; Ephesians 1:4-11 Galatians 4:4-7; John 4:7-15; Ephesians 2:13-21; Hebrews 1:1-2 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Acts 1:1-12 The woman’s act of defiance to anoint Jesus - Luke 7:36-50 Paul's teachings on Baptism Romans 6:3-8 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 Galatians 3:26-29 Covenants The Eden covenant - Genesis 1:28-30 The Noah covenant - Genesis 9:1-17 The Abrahamic covenant - Genesis 12:1-9 The Mosaic covenant - Exodus 19:1-6; 22-25 The Canaanite covenant - Deuteronomy 30:1-10 The Davidic covenant - Psalm 89:3-4 The prophet Moses Moses tells God he has a speech problem - Exodus 4:10-17 Moses obeys God - Exodus 24:1-18 Moses’ anger when he finds the peoplehave built a golden calf - Exodus 32:1-26 The prophetess Deborah Deborah giving judgement - Judges 4:4-5 Deborah’s song - Judges 5 The prophetess Huldah Huldah is consulted- 2 Kings 22:14; 2 Chronicles 34:22 The prophet Isaiah God’s message is global - God will protect, renew and restore all people – Isaiah 43:1-13; We are called to bring good news of hope - Isaiah 52:4-7 God has chosen you, will help you and never forget you - Isaiah 49:1-16 The prophet Amos Let justice roll like the rivers - Amos 5:18-27 The prophet Jeremiah Jeremiah’s story of the loincloth - Jeremiah 13:1-11 Jeremiah tells the people that God is like a potter - Jeremiah 18:1-12 The prophet Ezekiel Ezekiel tells the people about the good that God will do - Ezekiel 36:22-28 Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets – Matthew 5:17
YOUCAT
#8 How does God reveal himself in the Old Testament? #12 How can we tell what belongs to the true faith? #116 What does it mean to say the Holy Spirit has spoken through the prophets? #135 What is the relation between the Church and Jewish people? #194-202 The Sacrament of Baptism