How I Love Your Torah, O LORD!

How I Love Your Torah, O LORD!
Author: Daniel I. Block
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 270
Release: 2011-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1725246546

Like the book of Romans in the New Testament, the book of Deuteronomy provides the most systematic and sustained presentation of theology in the Old Testament. And like the Gospel of John, it represents mature theological reflection on God's great acts of salvation, in this case associated with the exodus of Israel from Egypt. Unfortunately, for many Christians, Deuteronomy is a dead book, either because its contents are unknown or because its message is misunderstood. The essays in this collection arise from a larger project driven by a passion to recover for Christians the life-giving message of the Old Testament in general and the gospel according to Moses in particular. The "meditations" cover a wide range of topics, from explorations into the meaning of specific texts to considerations of the ethical and homiletical relevance of the book for Christians today.

The Triumph of Grace

The Triumph of Grace
Author: Daniel I. Block
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 480
Release: 2017-11-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498292666

The Apostle Paul's negative statements about the law have deafened the ears of many to the grace that Moses proclaims in Deuteronomy. Most Christians have a dim view of this book, which they consider to be primarily a book of laws. However, when we read or hear it read orally without prejudice, we discover that rather than casting Moses as a legislator, he appears as Israel's first pastor, whose congregation has gathered before him to hear him preach his final sermons. Accordingly, Deuteronomy represents prophetic preaching at its finest, as Moses seeks to inspire the people of God to a life of faith and godliness in response to God's repeated demonstrations of grace. Deuteronomy is a dead book for many, because we have not recognized this gospel; we have heard only law. The essays in this collection arise from a larger project driven by a passion to recover for Christians the life-giving message of the Hebrew Scriptures in general, and to open their ears to God's amazing grace in Deuteronomy in particular. The wide-ranging "meditations" in this volume do not all focus equally on the topic of God's grace, but this theme undergirds them all.

Portraits of the Righteous in the Psalms

Portraits of the Righteous in the Psalms
Author: Daniel C. Owens
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 255
Release: 2013-08-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1620329689

What have the Psalms to do with ethics? Readers prize the Psalter for its richly theological prayers, but into these prayers are woven a variety of ethical issues. This book explores the ethics of the Psalter by examining the four portraits of the righteous person that punctuate Book I. It begins by studying these psalms as individual compositions and then employs both the canonical approach and dialogic criticism to identify the complex relationship between the portraits' vision of the righteous life and its outcome. Does the righteous person enjoy security and the good life? The answer may be surprising, but joining the psalmist on the rocky path of the interface of faith and experience is certain to prove a formative experience.

For Our Good Always

For Our Good Always
Author: Jason S. DeRouchie
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 609
Release: 2024-09-12
Genre: Religion
ISBN:

With a title adapted from Deuteronomy 6:24, For Our Good Always is a collection of 25 essays from evangelical scholars on the message of Deuteronomy and its inflence on Christian Scripture. No other book colors the tapestry of biblical thought quite like Deuteronomy. It synthesized the theology of the Pentateuch, provided Israel with a constitution for guiding their covenant relationship with Yahweh in the promised land, and served as a primary lens through which later biblical authors interpreted Israel’s covenant history. Recent advances in scholarship on Deuteronomy and developments in biblical interpretation are raising fresh questions and opening new paths for exploration. This collection of studies wrestles with Deuteronomy from historical, literary, theological, and canonical perspectives and offrs new questions, presents original discoveries, and makes innovative proposals. The volume is offred in honor of Daniel I. Block on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Few Old Testament scholars have worked so ably, carefully, and intentionally to help the church and the academy grasp the message of Deuteronomy. Block’s own studies always exhibit an admirable balance of exegetical rigor, literary and theological awareness, and pastoral care, and for well over a decade he has, like the priest-scribe Ezra, devoted himself to the study, practice, and teaching of the deuteronomic torah (Ezra 7:10), helping and urging others to hear the life-giving gospel of Moses in Deuteronomy. The international group of specialists that contributed to this volume consists of Daniel Block’s colleagues, friends, and former students. It is their hope that these studies will in various ways supplement Daniel Block’s work, serving the church and the academy and honoring the God of Israel.

Bearing Yhwh’s Name at Sinai

Bearing Yhwh’s Name at Sinai
Author: Carmen Joy Imes
Publisher: Penn State Press
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2023-06-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 164602267X

The Name Command (NC) is usually interpreted as a prohibition against speaking Yhwh’s name in a particular context: false oaths, wrongful pronunciation, irreverent worship, magical practices, cursing, false teaching, and the like. However, the NC lacks the contextual specification needed to support the command as speech related. Taking seriously the narrative context at Sinai and the closest lexical parallels, a different picture emerges—one animated by concrete rituals and their associated metaphorical concepts. The unique phrase ns' shm is one of several expressions arising from the conceptual metaphor, election as branding, that finds analogies in high-priest regalia as well as in various ways of claiming ownership in the Ancient Near East, such as inscribed monuments, the use of seals, and the branding of slaves. The NC presupposes that Yhwh has claimed Israel by placing Yhwh’s own name on her. In this light, the first two commands of the Decalogue reinforce the two sides of the covenant declaration: “I will be your God; you will be my people.” The first expresses the demand for exclusive worship and the second calls for proper representation. As a consequence, the NC invites a richer exploration of what it means to be a people in covenant with Yhwh—a people bearing his name among the nations. It also points to what is at stake when Israel carries that name “in vain.” The image of bearing Yhwh’s name offers a rich source for theological and ethical reflection that cannot be conveyed nonmetaphorically without distortion or loss of meaning.

The Testing of God's Sons

The Testing of God's Sons
Author: Gregory S. Smith
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2014-05-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1433683644

There exists a general lack of biblical understanding for the idea of “testing” that emerges in the Old Testament as a significant theological theme. The faithful from both Old Testament and New Testament times are tested for their faith. This kind of experience often involves enduring hardship and difficult times. While often confused with the biblical idea of “temptation,” the biblical idea of testing stems from a metallurgical background and carries a unique covenantal function. Testing will be at the center of how God responds to the rebellion of his people and reveals God’s primary concern for the faith of his saints. Our study will first focus on the language of testing and explore the semantic range for the idea of testing that draws from both the biblical context, as well as the world of the ancient Near East. This study will then focus on the often overlooked Joseph narrative and its unique contribution to the theology of testing that is presented by the rest of the Pentateuch. Finally, the remainder of the biblical texts will be investigated on the theme of testing. The last chapter will appreciate the fact that God tests His sons—Adam, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Job, Israel and even Christ. It is through the experience of God’s tested sons that believers are invited to more fully and deeply understand their own experience of testing.

The Gospel according to Moses

The Gospel according to Moses
Author: Daniel I. Block
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 394
Release: 2012-02-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 149827398X

To many people the law stands in opposition to the gospel. While it may be possible to read Paul's epistles this way, the book of Deuteronomy will not allow this reading. Like the book of Romans in the New Testament, Deuteronomy provides the most systematic and sustained presentation of theology in the Old Testament. And like the Gospel of John, it represents mature theological reflection on God's great acts of salvation, in this case associated with the exodus of Israel from Egypt. The gospel according to Moses begins and ends with the gracious work of God for undeserving subjects. In a book that consists largely of Moses' farewell sermons to his congregation, Israel's first pastor seeks to inspire his congregation to a life of faith and godliness in response to God's great mercy. Unfortunately, for many Christians, Deuteronomy is a dead book, because we have lost sight of the gospel. The essays in this collection arise from a larger project driven by a passion to recover for Christians the life-giving message of the Old Testament in general and the gospel according to Moses in particular. The "meditations" in this volume cover a wide range of topics, from explorations into the origins of Deuteronomy to considerations of the ethical and homiletical relevance of the book for Christians today.

Directions of a Pastoral Lifetime

Directions of a Pastoral Lifetime
Author: William Flewelling
Publisher: Author House
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2014-12-03
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1496955730

The Psalm Meditations take up my own translation of the selected psalms based on the Hebrew Masoretic Text and a meditative reflection addressed, for the most part, to God. All but the last of these are in prose; the reflection on Psalm 66 has its own pattern. The Regula Vitae (Rule of Life) arose in response to a particular reading and served to reflect over aspects and qualities of my life as a pastor.

Write That They May Read

Write That They May Read
Author: Daniel I. Block
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 364
Release: 2020-07-11
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1725252090

Write That They May Read is a collection of essays written in honor of our mentor, friend, and fellow scholar, Professor Alan R. Millard. Respectful of his contribution to our understanding of writing and literacy in the ancient biblical world, all the essays deal with some aspect of this issue, ranging in scope from archeological artifacts that need to be "read," to early evidence of writing in Israel's world, to the significance of reading and writing in the Bible, including God's own literacy, to the production of books in the ancient world, and the significance of metaphorical branding of God's people with his name. The contributors are distributed among Professor Millard's peers and colleagues in a variety of institutions, his own students, and students of his students. They represent a variety of disciplines including biblical archeology, Egyptology, Assyriology, Hebrew and other Northwest Semitic texts, and the literature of the Bible, and reside in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Germany. Write That They May Read contains contributions by: Section 1: Artifacts and Minimalist Literacy 1. "See That You May Understand": Artifact Literacy--The Twin-cup Libation Vessels from Khirbet Qeiyafa Gerald Klingbeil, Research Professor of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Andrews University Martin Klingbeil, Professor of Biblical Studies and Archaeology, and Associate Director, Institute of Archaeology Southern Adventist University 2. Ketiv-Qere: The Writing and Reading of EA 256 and Its Place in Reflecting the Realia of Power and Polity in the LBA-IA Golan and Peripheries Timothy M. Crow, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Akron; Professional Fellow Old Testament, Ashland Theological Seminary 3. Another Inscribed Arrowhead in the British Museum Terrence C. Mitchell†. Former Keeper of Western Asiatic Antiquities, The British Museum, London, England 4. Earliest Literary Allusions to Homer and the Pentateuch from Ischia in Italy and Jerusalem Paul J. N. Lawrence, Translation Consultant, Summer Institute of Linguistics International 5. The Etymology of Hebrew lōg and the Identity of Shavsha the Scribe Yoshiyuki Muchiki, Professor of Biblical Theology, Japan Bible Seminary, Tokyo Section 2: Artifacts and Official Literacy 6. The Writing/Reading of the Stone Tablet Covenant in the Light of the Writing/Reading/Hearing of the Silver Tablet Treaty Gordon Johnston, Professor of Old Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary 7. For Whose Eyes? The Divine Origins and Function of the Two Tablets of the Israelite Covenant Daniel I. Block, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Wheaton College 8. Write That They May Judge? Applying Written Law in Biblical Israel Jonathan Burnside, Professor of Biblical Law, Law School, University of Bristol. 9. "And Samuel Wrote in the Book" (1 Samuel 10:25) and His Apology in First Samuel 1-15 Wolfgang Ertl, Dozent am Bibelseminar Bonn, Bornheim/Germany; Associate Professor of Old Testament, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary 10. "For the one who will read it aloud will be able to run with it" (Habakkuk 2:2c) David Toshio Tsumura, Professor of Old Testament, Japan Bible Seminar Section 3: The Rise of Literary Literacy 11. The History and Pre-History of the Hebrew Language in the West Semitic Literary Tradition Richard E. Averbeck, Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School 12. Divine Action in the Hebrew Bible: "Borrowing" from Ancient Near Eastern Cultures and "Inspiration" C. John Collins, Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary 13. Encoding and Decoding Culture Jens Bruun Kofoed, Professor of Old Testament, Fjellhaug International University College, 14. No Books, No Authors: Literary Production in a Hearing-Dominant Culture John H. Walton, Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College 15. The Discovery of the Book of the Law in 2 Kings 22:8-10 in the Light of the Literary Renaissance of the Eighth to Seventh Centuries in the Ancient Near East James K. Hoffmeier, Emeritus Professor of Old Testament and Near Eastern Archaeology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School 16. "Read This Torah" (Deuteronomy 31:11): The Importance and Function of Israel's Primary Scripture in Early Spiritual Growth David C. Deuel, Academic Dean Emeritus, The Master's Academy International 17. What is a "Messianic Text"? The Uruk Prophecy and the Old Testament Ernest C. Lucas, Vice-Principal Emeritus, Bristol Baptist College, UK 18. "Joshua 24 and Psalm 81 as Intertexts" Cheryl Eaton, PhD Candidate, Trinity College, Bristol 19. "Much Study is a Weariness of the Flesh": To Read or not to Read in Ecclesiastes 12:11-12 Knut Heim, Professor of Old Testament, Denver Seminary Section 4: Metaphorical Literacy 20. Belonging to YHWH: Real and Imagined Inscribed Seals in Biblical Tradition Carmen Joy Imes, Associate Professor of Old Testament, Prairie College, Three Hills, Alberta 21. Reading the Eye: Optic Metaphorical Agency in Deuteronomic Law A. Rahel Wells, Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Andrews University 5. Epilogue 22. Literacy and Postmodern Fallacies Richard S. Hess, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Denver Seminary Abstract: 23. In Praise of a Venerable Scribe: A Tribute to Alan R. Millard Edwin M. Yamauchi, Professor of History Emeritus, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio [with contributions from Daniel I. Block and Paul J. N. Lawrence]

The Gospel according to Moses

The Gospel according to Moses
Author: Daniel I. Block
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 395
Release: 2012-02-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1610978633

These essays are concerned with broad hermeneutical and theological issues raised by the book of Deuteronomy.