The Jewish Background of Christianity in God’s Plan of Salvation: A Catholic Approach to the Old Testament

By Marianne Ivany D. Min.

Modern Catholics may be dissuaded from reading or studying the Old Testament simply because the stories seem unusual or implausible and the language, foreign and confusing. Still, we must not neglect the inestimable value of God’s self-disclosure and the wealth of wisdom within the Hebrew scriptures, nor the Jewish prayers and traditions contained within, as many of them lie at the core of our faith and worship.

In a simple yet enlightening approach to scripture interpretation, Marianne Ivany provides a simplified overview of the major narratives that comprise the story of salvation history while offering appreciation for the role of Israel as God’s chosen nation. Throughout her study, Dr. Ivany invites spiritual seekers to explore the Old Testament, comprehend its continuum within the message of the New Testament, and reflect on its implications for understanding the life and teachings of Christ. By engaging with the text, Catholics will gain a new outlook on the depth of scripture as God’s personal revelation to humanity, enriched by the timelessness and wisdom of His word.

In this Catholic study, believers will gain a new appreciation for the Hebrew scriptures of Jesus and the way they serve as the background for the Catholic faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973654292

Marianne Ivany D. Min.

Marianne Ivany, D. Min. has been facilitating Catholic adult faith formation and bible study programs at both the parish level and Catholic institutes for higher learning for several years. She has the ability to explain complex theological concepts and scriptural themes in a clear, intriguing, and inspiring manner. Dr. Ivany currently resides in Aurora, Ohio. This is her first book.

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Copyright © 2019 Marianne Ivany, D. Min.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved.

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-5430-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5431-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-5429-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019902701

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/11/2019

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Why Should Catholics Study the Old Testament?

Chapter 2

Prehistory (Genesis 1-11)

Chapter 3

Patriarchs (Genesis 12–50)

Chapter 4

Escape from Egypt and Covenant (Exodus)

Chapter 5

Covenant and Desert Wanderings (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

Chapter 6

Conquest of the Promised Land and Judges (Joshua, Judges, Ruth)

Chapter 7

The Institution of the Monarchy (1 and 2 Samuel)

Chapter 8

Monarchy and Divided Kingdom (1 and 2 Kings)

Chapter 9

Fall of Northern Kingdom and Prophets (2 Kings, Amos, Hosea, Jonah)

Chapter 10

Fall of Southern Kingdom and Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Zephaniah, 2 Kings)

Chapter 11

Exile, Prophets (Ezekiel, Daniel, Second Isaiah)

Chapter 12

Post-Exile Restoration, Prophets, Maccabean Revolt (Lamentations, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Third Isaiah, Haggai, Zechariah, 1 and 2 Maccabees)

Epilogue—the Rise of Christianity

A Note to Readers

Introduction

Several years back, as a catechist for a middle school faith formation class, I was explaining to the students the significance of the Last Supper as a Passover celebration for Jesus and his disciples. I also offered a brief explanation of the significance of the Passover holiday for the Jewish people and how it was a commemoration of their liberation from slavery in Egypt. One eager student raised his hand and asked, Why would Jesus and his disciples celebrate a Jewish holiday like Passover?

I replied, Because Jesus and his disciples were Jewish.

This student, and many of his peers, were taken aback, conveying their perception that Jesus was a Christian, not a Jew. I knew then that I had my work cut out for me with these students. I wondered how they had made it all the way to middle school without an understanding of the Jewishness of Jesus and that his teachings and traditions, such as the celebration of Passover, were those of the Jewish nation and the Hebrew Scriptures.

I soon began to consider if, perhaps, the adult Catholics in our pews might have a similar lack of knowledge about the Old Testament and its relevance to Jesus and, in turn, our Catholic faith. I did find this to be the case a few years later, when I began to facilitate adult faith formation courses at my parish. There I did, indeed, notice a deficiency among Bible study participants in their understanding of the nature of the writings of the Old Testament and their enduring significance as sacred scripture, as well as the way in which they relate to the New Testament and the life and ministry of Jesus. I remember one participant, from an introductory scripture course, who seemed incredulous at the number of quotations from and allusions to the Old Testament as we studied the first few chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. At that time, I pointed out to this individual, along with the rest of the group, the large number of citations of the Old Testament found within certain portions of the New Testament, such as Matthew, evidenced simply by the numerous notations made in the cross-referenced footnotes.

I explained to them that much of the content of the New Testament is built upon the Hebrew Scriptures of Jesus, which Christians today have in the form of the Old Testament. Many of the participants were astounded and continued to question the reason for the frequency of these citations. I attempted to offer a short answer regarding the Jewish heritage of Jesus and his use of the Jewish Scriptures and, subsequently, the disciples and evangelists in the composition of the New Testament. This explanation prompted several additional questions and comments indicating the group’s lack of familiarity with the Old Testament. It was then that I began to consider the potential benefits of, in fact the need for, a Catholic study of the Jewish background of Christianity in the story of salvation history as revealed through the Old Testament. Before long I had the foundation of a Doctor of Ministry project, the design of a Bible study on the subject for adult Catholics, and the impetus for a subsequent text.

The issue that I address with this book is based upon both my observation of and scripture study participants’ admission to a lack of knowledge and understanding of the significance of the Old Testament. Many seem to be unaware of the permanent value of these writings as God’s Holy Word, not because the Old Testament is purposely disregarded or neglected, but because it is underexposed, marginally preached, and minimally taught. There exists a lack of awareness of the continuity of the Old Testament with the New Testament in the story of salvation history, and that a fuller understanding of the revelation of God contained within the New Testament can only be achieved when it is considered against the biblical background of the nation of Israel as God’s chosen people. There also exists a disassociation between these sacred scriptures and the way in which they serve as the context for the life and message of Christ and the Judaic background of the Catholic faith.

Perhaps this is because the designation Old Testament seems to convey the meaning that these books are outdated or obsolete, somehow replaced by the New Testament. The assumption Catholics often make is that the fulfillment of these scriptures by Jesus negates the intrinsic value of the Old Testament, thereby making the Hebrew Scriptures a relic of the past. But nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, reading the Old Testament discloses its inexhaustible timelessness and importance, as well as the way it serves as a precursor for the New Testament. We cannot, indeed must not, neglect the inestimable value of God’s self-disclosure and the wealth of truth and wisdom within the Hebrew Scriptures, nor the Jewish prayers and traditions contained within, as many of them lie at the very core of our faith and worship.

The Jewish writers of the New Testament depict the life and ministry of Jesus to be an extension of the promises made by God to Israel. In many cases, he is said to complete or fulfill what is taught in the writings of the Old Testament. Moreover, it is through Jesus that these promises are brought to every nation. Without the Old Testament, we cannot possibly understand the entire sequence of salvation history, which is completed through the Paschal Mystery and offered to the whole world through God’s chosen nation. By using a methodical analysis of carefully selected passages from the various periods of Israel’s history as depicted in the Old Testament, I aim to present the story of God’s chosen people in the history of salvation by disclosing crucial events and stages of development revealed through their Jewish faith. At the same time, the theological meanings conveyed by these writings and their use by Jesus will be examined to reveal Jewish teachings and practices, which serve to elucidate the Gospel message and reveal the foundation of the beliefs, faith lives, and worship of Catholics.

I would like to point out a few clarifications to readers before proceeding. When I use the word Church, I am referring to the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings, and when I use the word Christians, I am referring to Roman Catholic Christians. Also, when I use the descriptions Old Testament and Hebrew Scriptures, I am referencing the canon and book divisions, as well as the forty-six books, of the Catholic version of the Old Testament as found within the New American Bible, Revised Edition. This version contains the seven Deutero-canonical books (Greek for belonging to the second canon), not found within the Jewish or Protestant canons of the Old Testament (figure 1).

Each chapter will also include a short prayer from the Book of Psalms, appropriate to the theme or historical period being discussed, as well as a brief reflection and list of discussion questions on aspects of the material. Lastly, due to the extensive amount of material contained within the Old Testament, I have tried to limit the number of biblical passages selected for suggested reading in each chapter to those narratives with themes I consider to be necessary to achieve my objective. My goal is the enhancement of the faith lives of Catholics, by helping them come to consider the writings of the Old Testament as indispensable for proper Christian living as the revered scriptures of God’s chosen people, inherited through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Figure 1. Catholic Canon of the Old Testament.

Four Divisions of Books

CHAPTER 1

Why Should Catholics Study the Old Testament?

With all my heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. In your statutes I take delight; I will ponder your precepts and consider your paths. Be kind to your servant that I may live, that I may keep your word.

—Psalm 119:10, 15–17

The permanent value of the Word of God as found within the Old Testament cannot be overstated, as it is the fundamental source of information about God and how God relates to humanity in the process of salvation history. Without it, reading the New Testament would be akin to reading the middle chapters of a novel and trying to make sense of the conclusion without knowing the first part of the story. The Bible consists of what is known as progressive or cumulative revelation, whereby the entire truth or revelation of God is not necessarily found in the first or earliest events of scripture but is unfolded over the course of time and Israel’s biblical history. Without the Old Testament, our knowledge of God would be inaccurate and incomplete as it reveals God in ways the New Testament simply assumes and builds upon as one continuous story.

In addition, having been written for a largely Jewish audience, the semantics of the New Testament, along with the many teachings of Jesus, might be misinterpreted without an understanding of the themes, rituals, and terminology originating in the Old Testament. The need for a messiah would be unclear without the biblical history of Israel, and the qualifications for Jesus meeting this identity would be nonexistent without the Old Testament.

In fact, Jesus himself revealed the importance of studying the scriptures of the Old Testament for his disciples to completely understand the meaning of his life, death, and resurrection. In the story of the appearance on the road to Emmaus (Lk. 24:13–35), two disciples perplexed over the happenings of the crucifixion are met, unknowingly, by Jesus, who interprets for them the entire sequence of events in light of his Jewish scriptures. Once the Word of God enlightens their hearts and minds, their eyes become open, through the celebration of the Eucharist, to the saving mystery of the Son of God. We too enjoy this enlightenment when we delve into the law, prophets, and writings of the sacred scriptures of Jesus and come to a fuller understanding of God’s plan of salvation for all people.

Salvation History

For Christians to understand the significance of the Old Testament in God’s plan of salvation, it first becomes helpful to define what is meant by the term salvation history. Simply stated, salvation history consists of the gradual series of events of biblical history whereby God reveals his plan of salvation for humanity. This progressive revelation begins with the creation of the first human beings, through whom sin enters the world. It then unfolds throughout the history of Israel as told in the Hebrew Scriptures, which record the interaction between God and the Israelites, who later become known as the Jewish people. For Christians, the events of salvation history culminate in the life of Jesus Christ as chronicled within the New Testament, whereby the story of ancient Israel is told in reference to Jesus and is completed through his life, death, and resurrection. In the ensuing stage of this history, the birth of the Church, the sending of the Holy Spirit empowers the disciples to accomplish the mission of bringing the good news of salvation, first announced to the people of Israel, to all the nations of the world. It is in this stage that we, the people of the Church, live and work to continue the mission entrusted to the disciples as the Body of Christ awaiting his return.

Common Themes of the Old and New Testaments

In the Old Testament and New Testament, numerous common themes appear and then recur throughout the duration of the story of salvation, for Christians finding fulfillment in Christ. It is important to understand these themes as they progress throughout scripture in order to appreciate their true ramifications for the story of Jesus. In fact, the continuation of these themes from the Old Testament into the New Testament negates the common assumption that the New Testament replaces the Old Testament and that Christianity somehow supersedes Judaism. Instead, according to God’s plan, both Christians and Jews have been on the same path to salvation promised by our common Creator to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 12). We belong to the same people as Abraham, through Christ, and we worship the same God. So, when the Old Testament scriptures speak to the Israelites words of encouragement, blessing, promise, and hope—or reproach, challenge, and judgment—the same words are being spoken to us, as Christians, through a commonality of themes as preached by Jesus.

God as Liberator and Savior

One of the most prominent themes of the Old Testament that carries through to the New Testament is

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Through the book, I am able to connect some Christian beliefs with the Old Testament.