theology: an introduction

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Highlights of our OT Discussions ('09/'10)

Below are links to summaries of much of what we discussed at our weekly get-togethers as we explored Jesus' Bible (aka the Old Testament) with the help of Professor Stephen Travis, The Bible in Time: An exploration of 130 passages providing an overview of the Bible as a whole (Toronto: Clements Publishing, 1994, 2004). Amazon   Biosketch
 
We began our exploration of Jesus' Bible last season. Our 2008-2009 discussion opened with a 4-week overview of the entire Bible, followed by a gentle stroll from Genesis 1 through Exodus 19. Highlights from our discussions can be found here.
 
The Old Testament: Exodus 19 through the Return from Exile
  • Our Opening Session. Luke 24 and Jesus' Bible
  • Deuteronomy 6: Love God with all you are and all you have
  • Topic: Deuteronomy: Remember who you are!
    • Special Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. David Ratcliff, Pastor, Shepherd of the Sierra Presbyterian Church, Loomis, CA
  • Judges 7 (pp. 53-54 in The Bible in Time).
    • Here we explored four differents modes of operation:
      • 1. God alone; 2. God as master, us as apprentice; 3. Us as master, God as apprentice; 4. Us alone. God prefers the second mode. Why? What kind of relationship does this foster? See how the Gideon episode unfolded. Why was God shifting away from the third mode?
  • 1 Samuel 8 (pp. 55-57)
    • This passage illustrates how easily our prayers can be misdirected, and sometimes getting what we want can be our own undoing. Fortunately, God is merciful and creatively adaptive and can incorporate even our missteps into his evolving story.
  • 1 Samuel 9-10 (pp. 57-58).
    • The story of the lost donkeys reminded us that the mundane can be infused with the mysterious. Even our frustrations can be taken up into God's larger agenda.
  • Creation and Evolution presentation. See outline here.
  • 1 Samuel 24 (pp. 59-60).
  • 2 Samuel 7 (Section 26, pp. 60-62).
    • Topics we discussed: Why kings (who are tempted to abuse power) especially need prophets (who are called to speak insightfully on God's behalf); God's promise to David and how that adds to the growing complexity of God's unfolding plan, which will include for the people of God a vocation to assume the integrated roles of Adam, Abraham, Israel, David, and Isaiah's Servant; the importance of the tabernacle as a place to connect with God and as a forerunner for Jesus and church as temple-equivalents; the value of rehearsing the works of God in the past as a means of bolstering our confidence of him in the present and for the future; and more.
  • 2 Samuel 9, 11-12 (Section 27, pp. 62-64). See also Psalm 51.
  • 1 Kings 8, parts 1-2 (Sections 28-29, pp. 64-68).
  • 1 Kings 11-12 (Section 30, pp. 68-70).
  • Read on your own about Elijah: 1 Kings 18, parts 1-2 (Section 31-32, pp. 70-74).
  • 2 Kings 5: An Enemy General is Healed (Section 33, pp. 74-76). 
    • Amos 7, 5: Uncomfortable Prophet and Let Justice Flow (Sections 34-35, pp. 76-80).
    • Hosea 1, 2, 11 (Sections 36-37, pp. 80-84). 
  • Given our time constraints, we'll have to read on our own sections 38-49, which cover the spiritual and social decline in both kingdoms and their respective exiles from the land. Also included here is the work of prominent southern prophets, both pre-exilic (Isaiah of Jerusalem and Jeremiah) and exilic (Ezekiel). This concludes the primary OT narrative from Genesis to 2 Kings, interspersed with some of the prophetic discourse. Next and last we turn to samplings of the remainder of the Hebrew Scriptures.
  • April 8. Lessons from the story of Job (Sections 52-55, pp. 113-121).
  • April 15. Friendship dinners. David and Brigitte in Wheaton for NT Wright Conference 
  • April 22. Psalms 44 and 73 (Sections 60-61, pp. 129-133). Read the first four paragraphs of section 58, p. 125, as an intro to the psalms.
  • Read on your own the forward-looking material on Second and Third Isaiah (Sections 65-69, pp. 139-149).
  • April 29. Jonah (Sections 74-75, pp. 157-161).
  • May 6. Daniel 7 (Section 77, pp. 163-165).
  • May 13. Closing meeting and dinner
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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