Lecture on the Protestant Christian Bible and the Old Testament

Overview

The Old Testament in a Protestant Christian Bible comprises about 75% of the Bible and contains 39 books.
The books are divided into four sections: Pentateuch, Historical Books, Poetic Books, and Prophets.

The arrangement of these books as the "Old Testament" is a later Christian tradition.
In ancient Jewish tradition, these books were separate scrolls, forming a collection called Tanakh:
- Torah: "Instruction", aligns with the Pentateuch.
- Nevi'im: "Prophets", includes historical narrative books and prophetic works.
- Ketuvim: "Writings", a collection of poetic and narrative texts.
The Tanakh has the same books as the Protestant Old Testament but arranged differently.

Process involved generations of prophetic scribes who integrated earlier stories and poems into unified texts.
Authors included figures like Moses and David, but many remain anonymous.
Prophetic scribes believed God's Spirit guided this process.
The Tanakh was completed before Jesus' time and offers a prophetic perspective on Israel's history.

Begins with creation, where God gives humanity dominion over creation.
Human rebellion led by a snake symbolizes autonomy from God and results in exile.
Introduction of God's promise for a new kind of human who will overcome evil.
Story of Abraham and Sarah's lineage as a foundation of God's covenant.
Moses as a pivotal figure, leading to a covenant relationship with God.
Predictions of ongoing failure but future hope for redemption.

Former Prophets: Narrative works depicting Israel’s history in the Promised Land and leadership failures.
Latter Prophets: 15 works of specific prophets that link back to the Torah, pointing towards future hope.
Prophets’ role akin to Moses, highlighting failures and envisioning a purified Israel.

Diverse collection of scrolls linking back to Torah narratives.
Psalms: Introduces a righteous figure, aligned with the promised king from David's line.
Wisdom Books: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job form a dialogue on living wisely in a complex world.
Daniel: Envisions a future hope amidst Israel's failures and suffering.
Chronicles: Retells the Tanakh’s history, focusing on God's promises and future restoration.

The Tanakh is a unified story about God's covenant promise.
Designed for lifelong reflection, offering wisdom and hope still relevant today.