Introduction to the Hebrew Bible (By: Dr. Tim Mackie)
(Course review paper)
By: Ralph Thoren
Dated: March 17, 2022
The profit Simeon and prophetess Anna lived in the time of the infant Jesus. Both of them were able to identify Jesus as the Messiah while he was an infant. Jesus had done no miracles (he was still an infant), yet they knew without a doubt that he was the Messiah. How could they have this ability and can we ever attain similar abilities? Will we be able to spot the returning Jesus and/or the signs of our Lord returning in our mortal lifetimes? Will we KNOW Jesus when we see him?
Let’s look at some of the clues that explain Simeon and Anna and how that relates to this course.
Luke tells us that Simeon was righteous and devout. Luke also tells us that Gods spirit was upon Simeon. A devout Jewish person from this time period would be expectantly looking for the Messiah. After all the scriptures (oral and written) had been forecasting the Messiah over and over for thousands of years. A righteous and devout Jewish person from this period would know the scriptures. Let’s say that again, would KNOW the scriptures. The scriptures would not be put away on scrolls to be pulled out and looked at just on religious holidays. The stories would have been told day and night from the time of birth to the present old age. All of the stories, all of the forecasts, all of the prophecies and signs would be in the mind. This devout Jewish person would be looking expectantly for the coming Messiah.
Luke also tells us about Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. (Luke 2:36-38) When Mary brought the child into the temple Anna came up to them at that very moment and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. Clearly recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.
How did Simeon and Anna possess this wisdom?
- They were well versed and knowledgeable in scripture. It was a mindset.
- They were focused on God and expectantly looking for the Messiah.
- They were both tuned into the Holy Spirit. They knew how to LISTEN.
In this paper we are only focusing on Old Testament scripture. What did they (Simeon and Anna) know that we could also learn? Let’s look at three areas of education in the Hebrew Bible that could be very helpful in our education.
- Where did the Hebrew Bible originate from in comparison to the Christian Old Testament?
- What are the styles of writings and structures of composition?
- How does it blend together to form the all?
“The Christian Old Testament” is a term that surfaced in the third or fourth century in the writings of Christian scholars. So, this could not be a term Jesus used as in Luke 24:44-47 “now he said to them, “These are my words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about me in the Torah of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” “
There was no “Old Testament “at that time. Since these writings were mostly on scrolls that were written in the Hebrew language. Can we agree to just refer to this collection as the Hebrew Bible? This seems much more fitting and will help clarify the next area of difference, which is the order of the writings. But first, let’s discuss the origin of the Hebrew Bible. To consider the origin, we also must accept some other pertinent factors:
We as Gentile Christians differ from Jesus, the apostles’ and the profits from the Hebrew Bible. What makes us different?
- Our culture
- Our understanding of the Old Testament.
- Our mindset based on the education
Culture: We live in a world of information. We have library’s, cellphones with internet capability, computers hooked up to the World wide web, televisions with myriads of news channels and opinion shows. We are bombarded with information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Now let’s look at the culture that the Hebrew Bible came from. The stories, lessons and wisdom were mostly spread by word of mouth originally. Held in family trust and passed on from generation to generation. The peoples were mostly a migrant group of tent dwellers. I am just old enough to remember life before television. The evenings were still filled with stories and song but mostly done within the family or listened to on the radio. It was similar with “The Hebrews” but no radio.
The stories, lessons and wisdom that were in the family vault were discussed often if not Dailey. When writing started, most people were illiterate. A special member of the family would help with the reading of the writings. Then came the scrolls, mostly done on animal hides sewn together. The scrolls could only be so large, so the writings on a new scroll would often start with the word “and”. Scrolls were the form of literature into the time of Jesus until the codex (first books started). We need to gain a mindset of scroll rather than scrolls. It was meant to be one continuous story. Now one continuous story has a particular order as did the Hebrew Bible. However, when the 3rd or 4th century Christian scholars started putting the codex into books, they changed the order, to what they thought was more convenient. Again, THE ORDER OF THE SCROLLS GOT CHANGED WHEN THEY WERE PUT INTO THE START OF OUR MODERN CHRISTIAN OLD TESTAMENT.
You could say yes, but it is all still there.
Let’s look at the Hebrew bible as a recipe for mans salvation and wellbeing. I believe we can all agree that recipes must be done in a particular order for success.
Can this be true? Are you saying that we have been reading the Christian Old Testament incorrectly for 2000 + years? Yes, that is exactly correct. This was one of the biggest ramifications of learning that occurred in this course.
STYLES AND STRUCTURES
Most of the Hebrew Bible is written in poem, song or poetic narrative. Remember most stories came from memory. Stop for a moment and try to remember childhood lessons that were learned and still remembered to this day: How about.
Jack and Jill, Mary Mary quite contrary, Humpty Dumpty , Little Bo Peep and many more. In either case it’s easier to memorize poetry, rhyme and song than unconnected narrative. Let’s remember many of these lessons and stories were carried on from generation to generation.
The biggest style noticed in the Hebrew Bible is the use of REPITITION. Repetition both micro and macro. Both words and narrative. Over and Over the use of repetition occurs. Our Lord certainly knows how hard headed a people we are. If you want to make a point, repeat it again and again and again.
So, we’ve learned that it is important to read the Hebrew Bible in the correct order. We have learned to appreciate poetry, music and poetic narrative. And lastly but mostly we have learned to look for the repeating patterns. These repeating patterns tell a story and are worth repeating.
SO HOW DOES IT BLEND TOGETHER TO FORM THE ALL
Up to now I have talked about tools. Tools of style and structure, tools of understanding, but what are the tools for. The author of this course did an excellent job of talking about the art of these writings.
The picture is of a quilt. Back in the day many mothers would make a quilt for a child or other. To do this they would save up scraps of material over the years. These scraps often represented particular times or stories in that child’s lifetime. The scraps would be connected when they were sewn on by their location (order) on the blanket and often one scrap would be sewn touching another scrap of significance telling the story. When the quilt was finished it became a treasured piece of art that also provided warmth and comfort. This course teaches us to look at the Hebrew Bible from that perspective.
We were also given the example of an Aspen Grove where all the trees are connected to the same root ball. The trees appear as separate but they are not. All the trees have the same basic growth compound and all are connected. So, it is with the Hebrew Bible
You can start in the New Testament and reverse engineer back in the Hebrew Bible. Checking out all the Prophecies that have been fulfilled by Jesus or. You can start in Genisis looking for the scraps to sew on the quilt. Look for those repeating words, phrases, stories and prophecies. By the time you get to Malachi, the piece of art starts filling a silhouette.
That picture is made up of hundreds of other pictures. That picture will be of a man with a crown of thorns. The spotlight is turned on and you realize that it’s all about Jesus.
Summary:
Simeon and Anna were paying attention. They recognized the time of the Messiah’s visitation when so many missed it. They knew the Messiah was coming because God had promised repeatedly, over and over, in the Hebrew Bible a Messiah was on the way. The Holy Spirit speaks to those who earnestly LISTEN and seek him with all their hearts. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:25)
Do we “long for his appearing” (2Timothy 4:7-8) Do we know what were looking for? We have a recipe, it’s offered in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Holy Spirit. Learn to watch and LISTEN. The joy of seeing the Lord will be inexpressible. Maranatha
Amen