Abstract:
This essay discusses the relationship
between Israel and the nations in the Pentateuch. In examining the background
of how the nations came about, we see that all nations came from one people. In
the Abrahamic Covenant, Abraham is promised a nation and he will become a
channel of blessing for all peoples on earth. In the Sinaitic Covenant, Israel
is assigned the role of being an exemplary “kingdom of priests and a holy
nation” for the nations to witness. Herem
had to be carried out to bring about the blessings in Genesis12. Israel’s election
involves responsibility, and Moses warned that they too will be “vomited out”
of the land if they are disobedient to God. I believe God’s principal desire is
to bless all the nations: The very reason why God made the covenant with
Abraham is so Israel will serve as a channel of blessing for all the nations.
____
This essay discusses the relationship
between Israel and the nations in the Pentateuch. In particular, I will examine
the background of how the nations came about, and the Abrahamic Covenant, the
Sinaitic Covenant, and the herem
command.
In Genesis, we see Adam (man) being created
out of the dust of the adamah (ground)[1]
and commanded by God to work on (avad) and guard over (shema) the
grounds of Eden (Genesis2:15). After the Fall, the relationship between man and
ground was disrupted (Genesis3:19). Eventually all the earth became so polluted
by sin that God decided to wipe out the adamah and the adam by a flood (Genesis7)! Noah and his family were the only ones saved, so all nations on
earth originated from this one family unit (Genesis10).[2]
The Hebrew goy “nation” denotes people inhabiting a specific
geographical location forming a political unit.[3]
The 70 nations were listed[4]
were initially one people (am) speaking the same language (Genesis11)
working together to build a tower that reaches the heavens to make a name for
themselves[5].
God punished this act of self-exaltation by mixing up the people’s languages
and scattering them over the earth, so that the family become the competing
nations of the world.[6]
The introduction of Abraham (Genesis11:27) was
a turning point where we see God’s desire to bless humanity and so reverse the
divine curses. Abraham was called to “go to the land that I will show you” to become
the father of a great nation and the channel of blessing for all peoples on
earth (Genesis12:1-3).[7] Genesis13:14-17
introduces the idea that the land of Canaan is promised to Abraham and his
descendants.[8] Scholars
debate about whether the promise of blessing to all peoples is more important
or God’s personal promise to Abraham regarding zara (offspring/seed) and
land. Abraham, who had no offspring or land to begin with, eventually gets his
offspring. However, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived as sojourners and only had
a burial plot as their permanent possession in Canaan (Genesis23).[9]
Gorman believes God’s principal desire is
to bless all peoples on earth, and the promise of offspring and land is
subservient to this because of the fivefold repetition of the Hebrew root brk
“to bless” in Genesis12:2-3.[10]
The theme of blessing continued to play a key role in the remaining chapters of
Genesis. In addition to the ability to impart God’s blessings to others, Abraham
served as a prophet and intercessor for the nations he encountered. For
example, Abimelech responds appropriately and receives a blessing. The sins of Sodom
were so great that Abraham’s intercession could not save them.[11]
The power to mediate God’s blessing to others is passed on through the chosen
line of patriarchs.[12]
For example, Laban became blessed because of Jacob. Jacob’s favourite son
Joseph, who was sold as a slave by his jealous brothers to Egypt, made Potiphar
and Egypt prosperous.[13]
Through the offspring of Abraham, “all nations on earth will be blessed”
(Genesis22:18). All the emphasis on blessing in the narratives lead me to agree
with Gorman.
In Exodus, we are introduced to the
Israelites. The “children of Israel” (bene-yisrael)[14]
are the descendants of Jacob, whose name got changed to Israel by God (Genesis32:28).
They were enslaved in Egypt as refugees from famine and had already grown to
national proportions before their miraculous escape led by Moses.[15]
The new Pharaoh, who did not know about Joseph, became fearful that the
numerous people will overtake them, and oppressed the Israelites (Exodus1). The
Pharaoh responded with contempt when Moses requested him to “let my people go”
(Exodus5:1-2), so God caused a series of disasters to fall upon Egypt. The Pharaoh
finally lets the Israelites go, but then changed his mind and sent his army
after them. There was the miraculous parting of the Sea and the wiping out of
the entire army of Pharaoh (Exodus14). The Israelites then endured a generation
of harsh nomadism in the desert before taking over a substantial territory
among the Canaanites.[16]
Moses was given the Sinaitic Covenant in
Exodus19-24. Israel is God’s “treasured possession” and God assigns Israel the
role of being a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus19:5-6). The
setting apart of Israel as a nation distinct from all others dominates the
books of Exodus to Deuteronomy. Israel will experience the unique presence of
God as He takes up residence among them.[17]
Israel’s election involves responsibility and obedience to the God who chose
Israel.[18]
Through Moses, God gave Israel the Torah. The term Torah has a
broader meaning than the English concept of law.[19]
The three main aspects to this word are: teaching to be learned, commands to be
obeyed, and guidance about how to live in specific situations.[20]
From the time God curses the ground, people
long for rest. If the Israelites obey the Lord their God, then they will take
possession of the Land of Canaan (Exodus23:22-23). God’s blessing will ensure
their future comfort (Exodus23:25-26) and security (Exodus23:27-28). There is
divine intention and authorisation for Israel to possess this land and find
rest in it (Exodus33:14; Deuteronomy3:20).[21]
The rest is not just understood in the negative sense of no longer needing to
wander but also denotes security and safety from one’s enemies
(Deuteuteronomy25:19).[22]
To be obedient, the Israelites must distance themselves from the worship of
other gods by destroying all pagan images and places of worship and not enter
into any treaty with the inhabitants of Canaan, otherwise this will cause them
to compromise their exclusive allegiance to the Lord (Exodus23:24,32-33).[23]
God had “brought [Israel] out of the land
of Egypt in the sight of the nations” (Leviticus26:45) and assigned Israel the
role of being an example for the nations to emulate (Deuteronomy4:6-8). In
having God’s presence and keeping all the demands of the Torah, the nations
will praise the Torah.[24]
We see that the covenant community was open to non-Israelites from the start:
Resident alien (ger) participated in the covenant ceremony concluded
before Moses’ death (Deuteronomy29:10). The whole population of Israel including
their ger are to follow carefully all the words of the Torah (Deuteronomy31:12).[25]
Israel’s identity as slaves redeemed by God out of Egypt means that Israelites
should show generosity towards the poor and unfortunate among them (Deuteronomy15:18).[26]
So they ought to treat their ger with mercy (Leviticus19:33-34).[27],[28]
However, if you adopt the point of view of
the Egyptians or Canaanites, God is not experienced as a saving God. God
favours a national people, Israel, and this is at the cost of the other nations
for they are not valued in the same way.[29]
God’s command to herem the seven peoples who inhabit the land of Canaan is
especially difficult to explain (Deuteronomy7:1-7:2).[30]
The term herem mean “exterminate,” “utterly destroy,” “utterly devote,”
and “annihilate.” As a noun, it is translated as “ban, devoted thing,” which
meant the object of extermination.[31]
If these nations were only objects to conquer and destroy with the help of
Yahweh, how can Israel be a positive witness of Yahweh to the nations?[32]
Scholars debates on this. Goldingay
suggests that it was never commended by God and was largely a human
institution, devised by people.[33]
However, the speech form in Deuteronomy7:4 uses the divine “me”, so it was
commanded by God.[34]
Others argued that it never happened[35],
that the herem was a metaphor for religious fidelity “which demonstrates
and enables Israel’s unreserved love for Yahweh”.[36]
Some believe that it happened, with the Israelites acting as God’s instrument
in judging the wicked and cursed Canaanites, who were unworthy occupants.[37]
However, there is little reason to believe that the nations of Canaan were much
more wicked than other surrounding nations.[38]
In the view of the Abrahamic covenant, I think the inhabitants were just in the
“wrong place at the wrong time”[39]
and treated Israel lightly, so the curse of herem came upon them.[40]
I agree with scholars who believe the reason for the herem was because
the inhabitants will tempt the disobedient Israelites to “imitate the abhorrent
practices of those nations” (Deuteronomy18:9).[41]
I agree with the view that the herem
ultimately serves as a blessing to the nations, because Israel must be set up
and established in the land in order to bring about the blessings in Genesis12.
To be properly established, Israel must be separate from the nations. Therefore,
temporary sacrifices were made to bring about a larger plan for the better
good.[42]
However, the Israelites never completed the herem, and continued to be
“snared into imitating” those inhabitants (Deuteronomy12:30). In failing to trust
and obey God completely, the Israelites failed to obtain rest when they took
possession of the land of Canaan.[43]
Moses warned, “… the land will vomit you out for defiling it, as it vomited out
the nation that was before you” (Leviticus18:28). “The Lord will scatter you
among the peoples…” (Deuteronomy4:25-27).
To summarise, we see that all the nations
came from one people. Abraham is promised the nation of Israel and acts as the
channel of blessing for all peoples on earth. This will eventually reverse the
divine curses described in Genesis. In the Sinaitic Covenant, Israel is
assigned the role of being an exemplary “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”
for the nations to witness. However, Israel must be established in the land in
order to bring about the blessings in Genesis12. Therefore, Israel had to herem the inhabitants of Canaan so they
cannot “snare” Israel into imitating them. Israel’s election involves
responsibility[44],
and Moses warned the Israelites that they too will be “vomited out” of the land
if they are disobedient to God. Ultimately, I believe God’s principal desire is
to bless all the nations and the very reason why God gave Abraham the promise
of offspring and land is for Israel to serve as an example for all the nations
so that all peoples can be blessed.
Bibliography:
Alexander, T. D. From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch.
Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012.
Christensen, Duane L. “Nations.” In The
Anchor Bible Dictionary Volume 4 K-N, edited by Freedman D. N. et al,
1037-1049. New York: Doubleday, 1992.
Goldingay, John. Theological Diversity
and the Authority of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987.
Goldingay, John. Old Testament Theology:
Israel’s Gospel. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003.
Janzen, W. “Land.” In The Anchor Bible
Dictionary Volume 4 K-N, edited by Freedman D. N. et al, 143-154. New York:
Doubleday, 1992.
Kaminsky, Joel S. “Did Election Imply the
Mistreatment of Non-Israelites?” Harvard Theological Review 96 (2003):
397-425.
Knauth, R. J. D. “Israelites.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch,
edited by T. D. Alexander and D. W. Baker, 452-458. Downers Grove:
InterVarsity, 2003.
Lohr, Joel N. Chosen and Unchosen:
Conceptions of Election in the Pentateuch and Jewish-Christian interpretation.
Linona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 2009.
McKeown, J. “Land.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, edited by T. D.
Alexander and D. W. Baker, 487-491. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003.
Osborne, W. “Nations, table of.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch,
edited by T. D. Alexander and D. W. Baker, 588-596. Downers Grove:
InterVarsity, 2003.
Scobie, C. H. H. The Ways of Our God: An
Approach to Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003.
Selman, M. J. “Law.” In Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch,
edited by T. D. Alexander and D. W. Baker, 497-514. Downers Grove:
InterVarsity, 2003.
Wenham, G. J. “Sanctuary Symbolism in the
Garden of Eden Story.” PWCJS 9 (1986): 19-25.
Wright, Christopher. Deuteronomy: New
International Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament 4. Peabody:
Hendrickson, 1996.
[1] G. J. Wenham, “Sanctuary Symbolism in the Garden of Eden Story,” PWCJS 9 (1986): 162. The Hebrew terms adam (man) and adamah (ground) are
very similar.
[2] W. Osborne, “Nations, table of” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, ed. T. D. Alexander
and D. W. Baker (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 588.
[3] Wenham, “Sanctuary Symbolism,” 174.
[4] Duane L. Christensen, “Nations,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary
Volume 4 K-N, ed. Freedman D. N. et al. (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1037.
[5] T. D. Alexander, From
Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch (Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2012), 114.
[6] Osborne, “Nations,” 589.
[7] Alexander, From Paradise to
the Promised Land, 101.
[8] Alexander, From Paradise to
the Promised Land, 113.
[9] W. Janzen, “Land,” in The Anchor Bible Dictionary Volume 4 K-N,
ed. by Freedman D. N. et al. (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 148.
[10] Wenham, “Sanctuary Symbolism,” 176.
[11] Joel N. Lohr, Chosen and Unchosen: Conceptions of Election in
the Pentateuch and Jewish-Christian interpretation (Linona Lake:
Eisenbrauns, 2009),112.
[12] Alexander, From Paradise to
the Promised Land, 155.
[13] Alexander, From Paradise to
the Promised Land, 157.
[14] R. J. D. Knauth, “Israelites,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, ed. T. D. Alexander
and D. W. Baker (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 452.
[15] Knauth, “Israelites,” 457.
[16] Knauth, “Israelites,” 457.
[17] Alexander, From Paradise to the
Promised Land, 116.
[18] Lohr, Chosen and Unchosen, 10.
[19] M. J. Selman, “Law,” in Dictionary
of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, ed. T. D. Alexander and D. W. Baker (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 497.
[20] Selman, “Law,” 498. A survey of the 220 occurrences of Torah
throughout the OT revealed these three aspects.
[21] Janzen, “Land,” 146. There is a strong connection between the
concepts of inheritance (nahala, Deut 4:20), possession (ahuzza,
Deut 32:49), and rest (nuah, Deut 12:9).
[22] J. McKeown, “Land,” in Dictionary
of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, ed. T. D. Alexander and D. W. Baker (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 489.
[23] Alexander, From Paradise to
the Promised Land, 218.
[24] Alexander, From Paradise to
the Promised Land, 301.
[25] Selman, “Law,” 511.
[26] G. H. Haas, “Slave, Slavery,” in Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, ed. T. D. Alexander
and D. W. Baker (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 780-781.
[28] Selman, “Law,” 512.
[29] Lohr, Chosen and Unchosen, ix.
[30] Christensen, “Nations,” 1038.
[31] Walter Brueggemann, Reverberations of Faith: A Theological
Handbook of Old Testament Themes. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox,
2002), 91.
[32] Seock-Tae Sohn, Divine Election of Israel (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1991), 197-198.
[33] John Goldingay, Old Testament Theology: Israel’s Gospel (Downers
Grove: InterVarsity, 2003), 500.
[34] Lohr, Chosen and Unchosen, 216.
[35] Joel S. Kaminsky, “Did Election Imply the Mistreatment of
Non-Israelites?” Harvard Theological Review 96 (2003): 404.
[36] R. W. L. Moberly, “Toward an Interpretation of the Shema,” in Theological
Exegesis: Essays in Honour of Brevard S. Childs, ed. C. Seitz and K.
Greene-McCreight (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), 133-137.
[37] Wenham, “Sanctuary Symbolism,” 167.
[38] John Goldingay, “Justice and Salvation for Israel and Canaan,” in Reading
the Hebrew Bible for a New Millennium: Form, Concept, and Theological
Perspective, edited by Wonil Kim et al. (Harrisburg: Trinity Press
International, 2000), 183-184.
[39] Goldingay, “Justice and Salvation,” 183-184. Note that Genesis 15:16 anticipates the conquest specifically as God's judgment. I am not saying they are not under judgment, but in the view that all humanity is under judgment, there are many other nations just as deserving of God’s judgments but they did not come in the way of the land.
[40] Christopher Wright, Deuteronomy: New International Biblical
Commentary on the Old Testament 4 (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996), 113.
[41] Joel S. Kaminsky, “Wrestling with Israel’s Election: A Jewish
Reaction to Rolf Knierim’s Biblical Theology,” in Reading the Hebrew Bible
for a New Millennium: Form, Concept, and Theological Perspective, ed. Wonil
Kim et al. (Harrisburg: Trinity Press International, 2000), 256.
[42] John Goldingay, Theological Diversity and the Authority of the
Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), 152.
[43] Wenham, “Sanctuary Symbolism,” 171.
[44] Lohr, Chosen and Unchosen, 10.
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