Reflection
Deedee1
1GodsUniversalRedemptivePlaninTheOldTestament1.pptxGod’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
Module 2 MISS 500
Foundations for Biblical Mission
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in THE ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN HISTORICAL TEXTS
Israel’s confession of the uniqueness of YHWH causes judgment over the nations of Canaan in the context of the conquest of the promised land after the exodus from Egypt
Deut. 7:1-2
The book of Joshua relates the execution of this command. (Josh. 1:1-11)
In the history of Israel, the exodus and the conquest were the most significant events in God’s intervention since creation.
The eradication of the Canaanites was not the typical behavior of the Israelites in relation to pagans.
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN HISTORICAL TEXTS
There are two examples for aliens who join the nation and the community of Israel:
Rahab the prostitute, who asks for mercy (Josh 2:8-13)
The Gibeonites who want to escape the fate of the inhabitants of Jericho and of Ai and thus seek to be joined with Israel (Josh. 9)
In the book of Samuel: Uriah the Hittite fought in David’s army and followed purity laws during times of war. (2 Sam. 11:6-13)
Solomon mentions foreigners in his prayer on the occasion of the dedication of the temple. They come to the temple in Jerusalem because they have heard of the mighty acts of YHWH. (1 Kings 8:41-42)
Solomon expresses his hope that as foreigners come to the temple, all nations of the earth may see that YHWH is God and that there is no other besides him. (1 Kings 8:41-43)
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN HISTORICAL TEXTS
The narratives of the prophets Elijah and Elisha relate four visits to regions beyond Israel where they were active in the name of YHWH as well. (1 Kings 17-19; 2 Kings 8)
However, the narrator does not report that either of these prophets was sent to pagans with the assignment to preach repentance and conversion to YHWH.
A special case is the story of the Aramean general Naaman. (2 Kings 5:15)
Burnt offering 2 Kings 5:17
Asking forgiveness 2 Kings 5:18
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN HISTORICAL TEXTS
Two OT books deal with the subject of the admission of pagans into the people of God and the positive reaction of pagans to a message from Yahweh:
The book of Ruth and the book of Jonah
These short texts illustrate the conviction that Yahweh’s salvation and mercy are not limited to Israel
Tracing the ancestor of David to Moab (Ruth 4:17)
The foreign origins of Ruth are explicitly emphasized. (Ruth 2:6, 10)
In the context of the constitution of Judea after the Babylonian exile, foreigners are excluded for the sake of the purity of “true Israel.” (Ezra 10; Neh. 13:23-31; 9:2; 13:30)
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN THE PSALMS
Several psalms contain statements that have been linked with the concept of missions:
The nations are called upon to praise, serve and fear YHWH (Ps. 47:2; 66:8; 96:7; 117:1; 72:11; 102:16, 23)
The worship of YHWH by the nations is expected for the present and promised for the future (Ps. 67:2-7; 72:17; 86:9; 102:16, 23)
The Israelite worshiper “plans” to worship YHWH among the nations (Ps. 18:50; 57:10; 108:4)
Israel is challenged to proclaim the acts and the royal rule of YHWH among the nations. (Ps. 9:12; 96:3; 105:1 96:10)
The nations are described as belonging to Israel in the future. (Ps. 2:8; 111:6)
At the same time the Psalms speak of YHWH’s judgment of the nations. (2:9; 7:9; 9:20; 96:10)
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN PROPHETIC TEXTS
It Is not likely that the oracles against foreign nations are evidence for missionary ideas or missionary praxis in Israel.
Some scholars argue that these messages demonstrate YHWH’s claims upon the nations. This view is implausible, however.
There is no evidence that these prophetic oracles were ever “sent” to foreign nations. Thus, it not clear these oracles are “messages.”
The behavior of these surrounding nations that these oracles address characterized Israel or the people of Israel or Judah.
The oracles against foreign nations generally contain threat of judgment rather than promises of salvation. They can hardly be said to attempt to “win” the foreign nations.
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN PROPHETIC TEXTS
The missionary theology and praxis that we find in the NT is, in the OT, the subject of the eschatology of the prophets.
The promise concerns the gathering of the nations and their integration into God’s people on account of Yahweh's intervention in the history of humankind, in which the Lord of the nations who controls history achieves his goals, and their goals, in judgment and in gathering them.” (Margull 1960:974)
Johannes Hempel asserts in this context that “mission is the beginning of the end times.” (1954:270)
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN PROPHETIC TEXTS
John Oswalt suggests that the vision of the prophets concerning Israel’s mission to the nations did not change over the course of the four hundred years of “classical prophecy” and summarizes this vision as follows (1993) :
Israel was conscious of the fact that its “commission” included the nations as well: the prophets repeatedly envision a time when the nations will come to Jerusalem to worship YHWH as Israel worships YHWH.
Israel has the function of a witness: the people of God are called to testify to YHWH’s being and to YHWH’s acts through life and deed. However, the conversion of pagans is not Israel’s responsibility: God himself will cause the nations to come to Zion.
God’s redemptive plan for the gentiles in the ot: more biblical evidence
THE EVIDENCE IN PROPHETIC TEXTS
3. Even though Israel does not have the task of converting nations, its testimony is still normative: God is not one of many gods, but He reveals himself in and through Israel.
4. Israel’s testimony has a universal scope: since YHWH is the only God of creation, the truth that Israel lives and proclaims concerns “all flesh” (i.e., all nations).
5. Israel’s universal witness is not at the center of the prophet’s proclamation or ministry: their focus is on calling Israelites and Jews to be obedient to YHWH, the God of the covenant, and they remind Israel of the dire consequences that result from continuous disobedience.
God’s universal plan in Isaiah
Oracles of salvation for the nations are concentrated in Is. chapters 40-66
YHWH is the creator of the world, and he will return to Zion as Israel’s God. (Is. 52:7-10)
YHWH is the creator of humankind, and as the Lord of the nations he one day will remove the darkness that covers the nations, so that they will see the splendor of YHWH’s glory over Jerusalem (Is. 60:1-5) and serve Israel. (Is. 60:10-14)
The coming Davidic king will judge the godless; he will reestablish righteousness (Is. 11:3-5), create peace (Is. 11:6-9), fill the world with the knowledge of YHWH (Is. 11:9) and draw the pagan nations to himself. (Is. 11:10)
God’s universal plan in Isaiah
Oracles of salvation for the nations are concentrated in Is. chapters 40-66
4. The Servant of YHWH, mentioned repeatedly in Is. 42-53, can be identified with this coming king, but he has been given a different task.
On the one hand, he serves Israel “as a covenant to the people” (Is. 49:6a) by serving the original “servant Israel” (Is. 49:3), who is deaf and blind. (Is. 42:18-20)
On the other hand, he serves the world as a “light to the nations” (Is. 42:6) as he takes the justice of God to them with the result that even “the coastlands,” meaning the nations of the Mediterranean, wait for his instruction (Is. 42:1, 4; 49:1) so that his salvation reaches “to the end of the earth. (Is. 49:6b)
The servant will affect many nations with his suffering (Is. 52:15), atoning their sins.
God’s universal plan in isAiah
Oracles of salvation for the nations are concentrated in Is. chapters 40-66
5. There will come the day when the pagan nations will come to Mount Zion and
inquire after the instructions of YHWH. As nations come to Jerusalem, the promised
royal rule of YHWH is realized. The main impetus for the nations’ coming to Zion is
God’s redemptive acts (Is. 55:3-5; 56:6-8)
6. The admission of the nations to the salvation of Israel does not happen in a
wholesale arrangement: Isaiah’s visions remove the necessity for individuals
to acknowledge YHWH and his salvation. The prophets expect the conversion of
individuals. (Is. 44:3-5)
The promise is not limited to Jews or Gentiles; in the context of Is. 43:22-28 the prophet speaks of God’s future acts of salvation that result in people, whether Jews or Gentiles, regarding it as an honor to belong to Israel and to its God.
God’s universal plan in Isaiah
Oracles of salvation for the nations are concentrated in Is. chapters 40-66
7. The process that leads to the participation of the nations in YHWH’s salvation seems to be understood as primarily a “centripetal” process. (Is. 40:1-5; 42:18-25; 43:1-7, 8-13)
8. There is a twofold “centrifugal” movement originating in Israel.
The first movement emanates from the Servant of the Lord, who as light of the nations, carries YHWH’s will to the nations. (Is. 42;1, 6-7; 49:6; 51:4-5)
The second movement emanates from the survivors of Israel whom YHWH sends to the nations so that foreigners may become priests and Levites. (Is. 6619-21)
9. When the nations are gathered to Zion, they will proclaim the mighty deeds of YHWH. (Is.60:4-7)
God’s universal plan in prophetic texts
JOEL
The prophet Joel speaks of the nations coming to Zion, where they will be judged by YHWH. (3:9-16)
JONAH
The book of Jonah talks abut the possibility that foreign nations repent after listening to the proclamation of divine judgment and thus are spared. (Jonah 3:4-5; 10)
MICAH
The prophet Micah, like Joel before him, speaks of an attack against Zion by foreign nations who will be vanquished by YHWH. Israel will be victorious, and the nations will perish. (Mic. 4:11-13)
God’s universal plan in prophetic texts
MALACHI
An isolated, climatic statement even for the prophetic tradition is found in Malachi. (Mal. 1:5)
“Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, ‘Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel.’” (1:5)
“For from the rising the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, rom the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.” (1:11)
These prophecies seems to eliminate the dividing wall between Israel and the nations and the fundamental differentiation between the promised land and the whole earth.
God’s universal plan in prophetic texts
Israel’s designation as “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6) is correlated with the nations “from the rising of the sun to its settings”—that is, with the nations from the East to the West, from Persia and India to Spain.
The central location of worship, the temple in Jerusalem (Deut. 12) is expanded to include all locales of the earth.
Many scholars interpret the “nation in every place” that worship YHWH in terms of all the pagans who worship in their idols, unknowingly, the one true God—a notion that is called “absorptive monotheism.”
Friedrich Horst observes, “The author asserts…a universal monotheism, similar to the veneration of the ‘god of heaven’ which became popular during the Persian period.
This worship is claimed as worship of Yahweh, the only true God. (Zeph. 2:11; Ps. 65:3; 6; Jonah 1:16)
This interpretation is hardly plausible, since the sacrifices that Malachi refers to are offered to the name of YHWH. (Mal. 1:11)
God’s universal plan in the ot
Emphasis in the OT that are particularly significant:
God is the Creator of the world and therefore of the Lord of nations and of their history.
The nations will be admitted to God’s salvation in the eschaton, in Israel or in connection with Israel.
Israel is a passive witness of God’s acts of salvation.
In the “last days” the Servant of the Lord will have an active role, and “survivors of Israel” will be sent by YHWH to the nations.
It is in Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the Servant of the Lord that we find the breakthrough of missionary concepts. Isaiah unequivocally expresses a divine commission to “go” and to “witness.”
God’s universal plan in the ot
The Old Testament gave a twofold answer to the question of Israel’s relationship with the pagan nations:
Individual pagans could be integrated historically as proselytes.
The gathering of nations to Zion is eschatologically expected to happen on account of the activity of YHWH’s Servant or the “survivors” of Israel.
These eschatological promises integrate God’s concern for his people Israel in its historical dimension and his concern for humankind in its creational dimension.
