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9780310240372

Promise and the Blessing : A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780310240372

  • ISBN10:

    0310240379

  • Format: Hardcover
  • Copyright: 2005-06-01
  • Publisher: Zondervan

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Summary

Having taught Old and New Testament survey courses for over ten years, Michael A. Harbin has written a book to fill the need for a single text that overviews both testaments in a unifying manner. The Promise and the Blessing shows how the entire Bible fits into a historical continuum. It traces the writing of the Bible as part of the history of the Israelite people and the nation of Israel, showing how the New Testament naturally flows out of the Old, not only theologically, but historically. As such, it follows an historical order rather than a strict canonical one. Demonstrating the historical unity between the two testaments, the book traces God's working in history to provide salvation. It begins with God's creation of the cosmos and the initial problem of the fall of man. It then traces God's solution to that problem as he selects first a man, Abraham, his line, and then the nation of Israel to provide the Messiah. Finally, it focuses on identifying that Messiah in the person of Jesus Christ and how the message of the gospel was promulgated to the world.

Table of Contents

List of Maps and Charts
19(4)
Preface 23(2)
Abbreviations 25(2)
Introduction 27(1)
How Should I Interpret the Bible?
28(2)
The Traditional View
The Modern View
The Development of the Modern View
30(2)
The Traditional View of God
32(1)
Our Approach
32(1)
The Value and Limitations of Archaeology
33(6)
The Problem of Historical Losses
The Problem of Limited Excavation
The Problem of Nonwritten Sources
The Problem of Dating
The Problem of History
The Development of Writing
Looking Ahead
39(4)
PART ONE: THE PROMISE
The Origin of the Bible
43(14)
The Recording of God's Word
44(2)
The Idea of Canon
46(6)
The Accuracy of Our Modern Bible
52(3)
Looking Ahead
55(2)
This Is the Way the World Was
57(12)
The Structure of Genesis
58(1)
The Two Creation Accounts
59(2)
The Order and Structure of Creation
61(3)
The Relationships of Creation
64(2)
Looking Ahead
66(3)
Why the World Is Such a Mess
69(18)
Humanity's Relationship with God
70(3)
Humanity's Relationship with Humankind
73(1)
Humanity's Relationship with Self
74(1)
Humanity's Relationship with the World
75(1)
The Serpent
76(1)
God's Mercy
77(1)
Failure upon Failure
78(7)
Fratricide
False Pride
What Happened to Adam?
The Flood
Noah Falls off the Wagon, Followed by Ham's Faux Pas
The Befuddlement of Language
Looking Ahead
85(2)
Abraham and Son(s)
87(16)
The Toledot of Terah
88(2)
Abraham
90(8)
The Abrahamic Covenant
Abram's Ups and Downs
Reiteration of the Abrahamic Covenant
The Demise of Sodom and Gomorrah
The Birth of Isaac
Abraham's Test
Final Events in the Life of Abraham
Summary
Isaac
98(5)
Servant Sent to Haran to Get a Wife for Isaac
Isaac Passes His Wife Off as His Sister
Isaac and Rebekah Have Twins
Jacob and His Tribes
103(18)
The Case of the Birthright
104(1)
The Case of the Blessing
105(1)
Jacob Meets His Match
106(2)
Jacob Returns Home
108(2)
What Happened to Esau?
110(1)
Joseph and His Brothers
110(1)
The Strange Case of Judah
111(1)
Joseph in Egypt
112(1)
Joseph Meets His Brothers
113(1)
Incubating a Nation
114(1)
Interlude: Job
115(6)
Why Job?
Debating Pain
God Intervenes
Evaluation
Let My People Go!
121(18)
The Background to the Exodus
122(2)
The Call of Moses
124(3)
The Confrontations with Pharaoh
127(2)
The Passover Event
129(2)
Passage Out
131(2)
Looking Ahead
133(2)
The Date of the Exodus
135(4)
Making a Nation Out of a Mob
139(18)
God Visits the Nation at Sinai
140(1)
God's Covenant
141(3)
The Law as Covenant
The Law as Teaching
The Law Based on What God Had Done
The Law as a Socioeconomic-Judicial-Political-Religious System
144(3)
The Law as a Socioeconomic System
The Law as a Judicial-Political System
The Law as a Religious System
The People Grow Impatient
147(1)
God's Tabernacle
147(1)
The Scarificial System
148(3)
Consecratory Offerings
Expiatory Offerings
Communal Offerings
Guidelines for Priesthood
151(2)
Time to Celebrate
153(2)
The Sabbath
The Passover
Pentecost
Tabernacles
Looking Ahead
155(2)
Just a--Lookin' for a Home
157(20)
Taking Stock of the People
159(2)
Move 'Em Out
161(4)
Moving to the Transjordan
165(4)
Bypassing Edom
The Death of Aaron
The Bronze Serpent
Sihon and Og
Balak and Balaam
Rededication before Conquest
169(1)
Treaty Renewal
170(4)
A Perpetual Trust
The Succession of the Mediator
Looking Ahead
174(3)
Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho--and Hazor Too
177(18)
What Is a ``Ban''?
178(2)
Canaanite Religion
180(2)
Joshua Assumes Command
182(2)
Entering the Land
184(7)
The Battle of Jericho
The Battles of Ai
The Southern Campaign
The Northern Campaign
Division of the Land
191(1)
Joshua's Farewell
192(3)
The Best of Times, the Worst of Times
195(18)
A New Generation
196(1)
The Process Begins
197(2)
Deborah
199(2)
Gideon
201(3)
Several Minor Judges
204(1)
Samson
205(2)
Two Appendixes
207(2)
Interlude: Ruth
209(2)
Looking Ahead
211(2)
Give Us a King Like the Rest of the Nations
213(18)
The Last of the Judges
214(5)
The First King
219(2)
Saul's Character Flaws
221(3)
Preparing a New King
224(2)
Royal Rivalry
226(3)
Saul's Final Failure
229(2)
A Kingdom United
231(24)
David's Long March to the Throne
232(2)
David as Poet
234(1)
What Is Hebrew Poetry?
234(4)
Laments
Praise Psalms
Psalms as a Guide to Worship
King of Judah
238(2)
King of Israel
240(2)
A Hero with Feet of Clay
242(3)
Solomon as King
245(2)
Solomon as a Wise Man
247(3)
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Solomon as a Success
250(1)
Solomon's Temple
250(1)
Solomon as a Failure
251(1)
God's Judgment
252(3)
The Failure of the North
255(28)
The Two Kingdoms
257(1)
The Kingdom Splits
257(5)
The Dynasty of Baasha
262(1)
Zimri, Tibni, and Omri
263(1)
Ahab and Jezebel Meet the Prophets of YHWH
264(3)
Ahab (874-853 BCE)
Jezebel
The Prophets
267(7)
Elijah
Elisha
Micaiah
Obadiah
The Rest of Omri's Dynasty
274(1)
The Dynasty of Jehu
275(3)
Johoahaz (814--798 BCE)
Jehoash (798--782 BCE)
Jeroboam II (794--753 BCE)
Jonah the Prophet
Amos the Prophet
Zechariah (753 BCE)
The Dynasty of Shallum
278(1)
The Dynasty of Menahem
279(1)
The Dynasty of Pekah
279(1)
The Dynasty of Hoshea
279(2)
Hosea the Prophet
Hoshea the King
Epitaph of a Nation
281(2)
The Roller-Coaster South
283(32)
The Aftermath of Solomon
284(3)
Rehoboam (931--913 BCE)
Abijah (913--911 BCE)
Asa (911--870 BCE)
Intertwinings with the North
287(3)
Jehoshaphat (873--848 BCE)
Jehoram (848--841 BCE)
Ahaziah (841 BCE)
Athaliah (841--835 BCE)
Joel the Prophet (941--835 BCE)
A Time of Hope
290(3)
Joash (835--796 BCE)
Amaziah (796--767 BCE)
Uzziah (792--740 BCE)
Jotham (750--731 BCE)
A Time of Extremes
293(14)
Ahaz (731--715 BCE)
Hezekiah (715--686 BCE)
Isaiah the Prophet
Micah the Prophet
Manasseh (695--642 BCE)
Nahum the Prophet
Amon (642--640 BCE)
Josiah (640--609 BCE)
Zephaniah the Prophet
The End Is Nigh
307(5)
Jehoahaz (609 BCE)
Jehoiakim (609--597 BCE)
Habakkuk the Prophet
Jeremiah the Prophet
Jehoiachin (597 BCE)
Zedekiah (597--586 BCE)
Cry for the City
312(3)
The Nation in Exile
315(16)
Daniel, Prince and Prophet
317(3)
Apocalyptic Literature
320(3)
Jehoiachin, King in Exile
323(1)
Ezekiel, Priest and Prophet
324(2)
Esther, Queen and Servant
326(2)
Looking Ahead
328(3)
Home Again
331(18)
The First Wave of Returnees
332(4)
The Prophet Haggai
336(1)
Finishing the Job
336(1)
The Prophet Zechariah
337(3)
Ezra and the Law
340(1)
Nehemiah and the Walls
341(1)
Rededication and Backsliding
342(2)
Malachi: The Closing of the Book
344(3)
PART TWO: THE BLESSING
Introduction
347(2)
Bridges to the New Testament
349(24)
The Literary Bridge
351(4)
The Apocrypha
The Mishnah and Talmud
The Pseudepigrapha and Other Works
Summary
The Religious Bridge
355(4)
Sadducees
Pharisees
Essenes
Scribes
Zealots
Summary
The Political Bridge
359(14)
Alexander the Great
Rulers of Egypt (Kings of the South)
Rulers of Syria (Kings of the North)
The Maccabees
Rulers of Rome
Summary
Who Is Jesus the Messiah?
373(26)
The Gospel of Jesus the Messiah
375(5)
The Origin of the Gospel Accounts
380(3)
The Messiah Arrives
383(2)
The Birth of the Forerunner
The Birth of the Messiah
The Message of the Messiah
385(14)
The Ministry of John
The Temptation
An Expanding Ministry
The Peak of Popularity
An Empty Tomb
399(30)
A Summer of Hide-and-Seek
400(5)
Autumn in Jerusalem
405(5)
Winter in Judea and Galilee
410(2)
Preparing for Crucifixion
412(2)
The Day of the Week of the Crucifixion
The Day of the Month of the Crucifixion
The Year of the Crucifixion
The Triumphant Entry
414(2)
The Rest of the Week
416(1)
A Night of Betrayal
417(3)
A Mockery of Trials
420(1)
The Crucifixion
421(3)
The Resurrection
424(5)
The First Church Was Jewish
429(18)
Expecting the Kingdom
430(2)
Luke's Testimony in Acts
432(1)
Waiting for the Spirit
433(1)
The Founding of the Church
434(2)
The Church Grows
436(2)
Problems in the Church
438(3)
Ananias and Sapphira
The Apostles in Jail
Overlooking the Widows
Challenging the Priests
The Church Is Scattered
441(2)
The Conversion of Saul
443(4)
Reaching Out to Gentiles
447(16)
Peter and the Gentiles
449(1)
Reporting in Jerusalem
450(1)
The Church in Antioch
450(1)
The Arrest of Peter and James
451(1)
The Church Has Mail
452(2)
Wisdom in the Face of Persecution
454(1)
Famine and Relief
455(1)
Paul's First Missionary Journey
456(7)
Journey to Cyprus
Journey to Galatia
Return to Antioch
What about the Gentiles?
463(14)
The Letter to the Galatians
465(2)
The Jerusalem Council
467(5)
Paul's Second Missionary Journey
472(5)
Moving into Europe
477(16)
First Converts in Philippi
478(1)
Conflict with Pagans in Philippi
479(3)
Conflict with Jews in Thessalonica
482(1)
The Jews in Berea Check Paul's Story
482(1)
The Greeks in Athens Challenge Paul
483(2)
A New Ministry in Corinth
485(1)
Paul's First Letter to the Thessalonians
486(1)
Paul's Second Letter to the Thessalonians
487(1)
A Church Grows in Corinth
488(1)
Return to Antioch
489(4)
Tentmaker and Troubleshooter
493(18)
Return to Ephesus
494(3)
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians
497(8)
The Problem of Church Divisions
The Problem of Tolerating Immorality
Questions about Marriage
Rights and Responsibilities
Issues of Worship
The Question of the Resurrection
Collecting Money and Other Issues
Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians
505(2)
Paul's Change of Plans
Restoring the Repentant
Paul Explains the New Covenant
Preparing the Offering
Defending His Apostleship
Conclusion
Paul Returns to Corinth
507(4)
The Road to Rome
511(22)
The Letter to the Romans
512(8)
Who Was Jesus?
Sin Separates from God
Salvation Provides Access to God
What Does It Mean to Be Saved?
But What about Israel?
Then What about Lifestyles?
Conclusion
Paul's Return to Jerusalem
520(1)
Paul Causes a Riot in Jerusalem
521(4)
Paul Goes to Caesarea
525(1)
Paul Is Arraigned before Festus
526(1)
Paul Sails to Rome
527(3)
Paul's First Stay in Rome
530(3)
Rome and Beyond
533(18)
Paul's Letter to Philemon
535(2)
Paul's Letter to the Colossians
537(3)
Paul's Letter to the Ephesians
540(2)
Paul's Letter to the Philippians
542(2)
What Happened to the Apostles?
544(5)
Peter
James Son of Zebedee
John Son of Zebedee
Andrew
Philip
Bartholomew (Nathanael)
Thomas (Didymus)
Matthew (Levi)
James Son of Alpheus (James the Less)
Judas Thaddaeus
Simon the Zealot
Looking Ahead
549(2)
The End of the Apostolic Age
551(22)
The ``Catholic'' Letters and the Pastoral Letters
552(1)
Peter's First Letter
553(2)
Peter's Second Letter
555(3)
Paul's Fourth Missionary Journey
558(1)
Paul's First Letter to Timothy
559(3)
Paul's Letter to Titus
562(1)
Paul's Second Letter to Timothy
563(1)
The Letter to the Hebrews
563(5)
The End of the Apostolic Era
568(1)
The Letter of Jude
569(1)
Looking Head
570(3)
But What about John?
573(22)
John's Gospel
575(1)
Why John Wrote to the Churches
576(1)
The First Letter of John
577(1)
The Second Letter of John
578(1)
The Third Letter of John
578(1)
The Apocalypse (the Book of Revelation)
579(2)
Ways of Interpreting Revelation
581(6)
Idealist
Preterist
Historicist
Futurist
What Is the Millennium?
587(1)
The Visions of Revelation
588(4)
A Guiding Outline
The Vision of the Resurrected Jesus
The Vision of the Seven Churches
Visions into the Spiritual Realm
Ever After
The Finale
592(3)
Glossary 595(6)
Bibliography 601(6)
Credits and Permissions 607(2)
Notes 609(44)
Index 653

Supplemental Materials

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The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

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Excerpts

The Promise and the Blessing
Copyright © 2005 by Michael Harbin
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Cataloging-in-Publication Data available from the Library of Congress
ISBN-10: 0–310–24037–9
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-24037-2
This edition printed on acid-free paper.
Permissions and credits for photographs and other materials in this book are listed on pages 607–8,
which hereby become a part of this copyright page.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International
Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the New American Standard Bible, © copyright 1960,
1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright
1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in
the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any
other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Interior design by Sherri L. Hoffman
Composition by Sherri L. Hoffman and Tracey Walker
Printed in the United States of America
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 /?CTP/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
INTRODUCTION ? 27
STUDY GOALS
? Show the basic differences between the “traditional”
and “modern” ways of understanding the Bible.
? Propose the method of understanding that will be used
in this book.
? Give a brief overview of the value and limitations of
archaeology.
? Show the importance of written records.
This introductory chapter describes the two basic
schools of biblical interpretation. We then examine
what our approach should be and address the
role of archaeology in our understanding of biblical
history.
Introduction
OVERVIEW
There are a number of ways to study the Bible. We could work our way
through it book by book.We could take a thematic approach by following
key themes, such as prophecy or salvation or love, through both the OT and
the NT.We could look at major sections, such as the Pentateuch or the prophetic
literature or the Gospels. Each of these approaches is profitable.
In this book, which presents an overview, we will take a historical approach.
That is, we will follow the sequence of historical events portrayed in the Bible,
looking at the various biblical books within that context. In the process, we will
try to understand each book as it may have been understood by its original audience.
We use this method for several reasons. The Bible was certainly written
within a historical context as God dealt with individuals and groups. Some books
are records of events written shortly after the events occurred; Joshua and Philemon,
for example, seem to fit into this category.Other books, such as 1–2 Chronicles,
cover longer periods of time, even drawing on a number of sources. Still
others are not historical at all, such as Psalms and Proverbs; however, even though
these works are collections of material written at various stages, we can find convenient
slots in our survey to pause and note how that material fits in the historical
sequence.
HOW SHOULD I INTERPRET THE BIBLE?
There are two basic approaches to understanding the Bible that divide the entire
field. Because these approaches differ drastically, we need to describe them briefly
before beginning our study. The major distinction between the two is how they
view the origin and nature of the
biblical text.
The Traditional View
The first school of thought in biblical
interpretation may be labeled the
traditional view, often known as the
conservative view. This has been the
dominant position held throughout
the history of the church, at least up
to the last century or so. Basically, this
school accepts the biblical documents at
face value.1 Since the biblical documents
claim to record history, this
view begins by accepting that claim
as a working hypothesis. It assumes
that the documents are indeed historical,
even while carefully assessing
that claim. It then tries to correlate
how the various historical materials (biblical and extrabiblical) fit together, recognizing
that there are gaps in our understanding. In the process, the biblical documents
are weighed and evaluated, keeping in mind that they have been critically
appraised continually since their composition. Aware that there are problems in
the text we presently have, this view asserts that when we look at various periods
of history, we must include all the evidence before we come to a conclusion. If
there are conflicts in evidence (and our biggest problem is lack of evidence, not
conflicting evidence), we must weigh it and gauge the alternatives as in any other
area of history. Moreover, if there are records of divine intervention in human history,
these are viewed soberly as plausible, true accounts.
The Modern View
In distinction, the second school of interpretation is often called the modern view,
also known as the liberal or critical view (the latter term is unhelpful because it
could imply that the traditional view does not analyze issues critically).3 The modern
view approaches the biblical documents as suspect at best.While these documents
claim to be history, they are assumed to be late forgeries until conclusively proven
otherwise. This view gained dominance in scholarly circles during the latter part
of the nineteenth century. Its supporters continue to label the bulk of the Bible as
“myth,”4 though their position on certain matters has often changed as a result of
corroborating evidence. The real issue underlying the thinking of these scholars is
a set of philosophical assumptions rather than conflicting evidence. In general,
these conjectures reflect a spirit of naturalism, which can be simplistically reduced
to the idea that miracles cannot happen. The miraculous accounts that appear in
the Bible must therefore be regarded as, at best, “embellishments” of the text.
These two views actually represent a rather wide spectrum of interpretive
thought. There is also a problem in using labels not only because doing so immediately
seems to attach emotional nuances to the discussion, but also because individuals
will differ on particular issues while agreeing on broader principles.
Therefore, I will use these labels merely for convenience’ sake, recognizing the risk
of oversimplification. They should be understood as reflecting general trends.
INTRODUCTION ? 29
THE BASIC ISSUE IN BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION
When we speak of the two major approaches to biblical interpretation, we are talking


Excerpted from The Promise and the Blessing: A Historical Survey of the Old and New Testaments by Michael A. Harbin
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