People of the Book John Stevenson 2015

People of the Book © John Stevenson, 2015 Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permission

• Torah (Law) • Nabi’im (Prophets) • Kethuvim (Writings)

Written Law Oral Law

Mishnah Midrash (Studies) (Seekings) • Commentaries and rulings • Topical order • Commentaries and stories • Follows Torah

Mishnah Midrash (Studies) (Seekings) Gemara • Commentaries and stories • Follows Torah (Studies) • Babylonian • Palestinian

Mishnah Midrash (Studies) (Seekings) Gemara (Studies) Talmud

Six major divisions • Zeraim (seeds), 11 tractates or sections, generally on agriculture • Moed (Festivals), 12 tractates • Nashim (women) 7 tractates • Nezikin (damages) 10 tractates • Kodoshim (sacred things) 11 tractates • Tohorot (Purifications) 12 tractates

Moses Abraham 2000 David 1550 1000 Old Testament written Ezra 500 1 500 Mishnah written LXX Talmud

Toward God • No other Gods • No idols • God’s name is to be holy • The Sabbath Toward Men • • • Respect for parents No murder No adultery No stealing No false witness No coveting

Toward God Toward Men Reasons given for each command. No reasons needed. Completely unique to this constitution. No other society in the ancient world had similar laws. These laws were common to most of the ancient cultures of that day.

Leviticus 17: 10 And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 17: 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement. vp, (Nephesh) n<

11: 1 -8 11: 9 -12 11: 13 -23 11: 24 -40 11: 41 -47 Regulations for clean and unclean animals Land animals • You can eat that which splits the hoof and chews the cud

11: 1 -8 11: 9 -12 11: 13 -23 11: 24 -40 11: 41 -47 Regulations for clean and unclean animals Land Water • You can eat water animals that have fins animals and scales

11: 1 -8 11: 9 -12 11: 13 -23 11: 24 -40 11: 41 -47 Regulations for clean and unclean animals Flying • No meat eaters Land Water animals • No bats & animals • No walking insects winged insects • Locusts allowed

11: 1 -8 11: 9 -12 11: 13 -23 11: 24 -40 11: 41 -47 Regulations for clean and unclean animals Flying Land Water animals Dead & animals insects • Dead animals are unclean • Touching the dead makes you unclean

11: 1 -8 11: 9 -12 11: 13 -23 11: 24 -40 11: 41 -47 Regulations for clean and unclean animals Flying Animals Land Water animals Dead that & animals swarm insects

Reasons for the Dietary Laws of the Mosaic Covenant • Health Reasons

Reasons for the Dietary Laws of the Mosaic Covenant • Health Reasons • Symbolic Reasons – Animals that eat other animals are generally considered unclean – Scavengers are considered unclean • To make a Separated People • God’s Sovereign Choice

Leviticus 11: 44 -45 For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.

A Paradigm for a People

Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. (Numbers 15: 38). (Kanaph) @n"K

It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, 40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to your God (Numbers 15: 38 -40).

“May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge. ” (Ruth 2: 12). (Kanaph) @n"K

He said, “Who are you? ” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative. ” (Ruth 3: 9). (Kanaph) @n"K

He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave (1 Samuel 24: 3).

The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you. ’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe secretly. (1 Samuel 24: 4).

For the choir director; set to Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by (Psalm 57: 1).

Malachi 4: 2 But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! (Deuteronomy 6: 4).

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6: 5).

Deuteronomy 6: 6 -7 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6: 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

Deuteronomy 6: 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other (Genesis 15: 10). http: //andrewforrest. org/

It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. (Genesis 15: 17). http: //andrewforrest. org/

…a smoking oven and a flaming torch

Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. 7 Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” 8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words. ” (Exodus 24: 6 -8).

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us-- for it is written, “Cursed in everyone who hangs on a tree…” (Galatians 3: 13).

…in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith (Galatians 3: 14).

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him (Isaiah 53: 6).