TANACH THEOLOGY

 TANACH THEOLOGY TODAY
Rabbi David L Kline, Shavuot 5783, CBE

    The presence of God is axiomatic throughout the books of Tanach. in a strange and threatening world we human beings want to feel in control. Religion seeks out the powers that be so as to stay on good terms. We’re joining the search.
    An ancient teaching holds that sacred scriptures–e.g Tanach–are the word of God telling us how to live and prosper. A contemporary teaching: Tanach is not by God but about God. Our ancestors wrote about God in an effort to make sense of the world as they experienced it. Theology, for them, explained history, human nature, and ethics.
    With today’s knowledge of the world we reconsider Tanach theology. We can no longer assume our forebears knew more about God than we do. The text–for those of us who do not  read it as God given–neither compels our behavior nor limits our thinking. Tanach is our locus classicus for Jewish theology and I am impressed by the scope and logic of what our ancestors wrote. For sure it is not a lineal, developing philosophical process, let alone a consistent system. Their statements and stories offer us the beginnings of a vocabulary with which to grasp and evaluate the world as we experience it.

Elohim   אֵל=power. “royal we” Generic god or proper noun God
Yahh       יהוה  Proper noun, personal name for god of our ancestors.  Adonay/Lord useful now but not in Tanach. PreIsraelite , depicted,

DEUTERONOMY
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶחָֽד׃  Dt 6:4

וְהָיָ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה לְמֶ֖לֶךְ עַל־כׇּל־הָאָ֑רֶץ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא יִהְיֶ֧ה יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶחָ֖ד וּשְׁמ֥וֹ אֶחָֽד׃ Ze 14:9 And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: on that day the Lord shall be one, and his name One.

וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ Dt 6:5

אֶת־יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ תִּירָ֖א וְאֹת֣וֹ תַעֲבֹ֑ד וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ תִּשָּׁבֵֽעַ׃ Dt 6:13-15 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people who are round about you; (for the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be inflamed against thee, and he destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

אֶת־יְהוָ֥ה הֶאֱמַ֖רְתָּ הַיּ֑וֹם לִהְיוֹת֩ לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֜ים וְלָלֶ֣כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֗יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֙ר חֻקָּ֧יו וּמִצְוֹתָ֛יו וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו וְלִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹלֽוֹ׃
YHWH you have declared today, to be for you a god, to walk in his ways and to keep his laws, his commandments and his regulations, and to hearken to his voice.. Dt. 26:17f

כִּ֚י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם ה֚וּא אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַאֲדֹנֵ֖י הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים הָאֵ֨ל הַגָּדֹ֤ל הַגִּבֹּר֙ וְהַנּוֹרָ֔א אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹא־יִשָּׂ֣א פָנִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יִקַּ֖ח שֹֽׁחַד׃
עֹשֶׂ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאֹהֵ֣ב גֵּ֔ר לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ לֶ֥חֶם וְשִׂמְלָֽה׃   Dt 10:17f for YHWH your God, he is the God of gods and the Lord of lords,  the God great, powerful, and awe-inspiring, he who lifts up no face [in favor] and takes no bribe, provides justice [for] orphan and widow, and loves the sojourner, by giving him food and clothing.

אַבֵּ֣ד תְּ֠אַבְּדוּן אֶֽת־כָּל־הַמְּקֹמ֞וֹת אֲשֶׁ֧ר עָֽבְדוּ־שָׁ֣ם הַגּוֹיִ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתֶּ֛ם יֹרְשִׁ֥ים אֹתָ֖ם אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם עַל־הֶהָרִ֤ים הָֽרָמִים֙      וְעַל־הַגְּבָע֔וֹת וְתַ֖חַת כָּל־עֵ֥ץ רַעֲנָן׃  Dt 12:2f You are to demolish, yes, demolish, all the [sacred] places
 where the nations that you are dispossessing served their gods,  on the high hills and on the mountains and beneath every luxuriant tree; you are to wreck their altars,  you are to smash their standing-pillars,  their Asherot/Sacred-Poles you are to burn with fire,  and the carved-images of their gods, you are to cut-to-shreds— so that you cause their name to perish from that place!

וַיִּזְעֲק֤וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־יְהֹוָ֔ה וַיָּ֨קֶם יְהֹוָ֥ה מוֹשִׁ֛יעַ לִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וַיֹּשִׁיעֵ֑ם  Ju 3:9 Otniel

1KINGS
הִנֵּ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֶעֱל֖וּךָ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃   Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Yerushalayim; behold thy gods, O Yisra᾽el, who brought thee up out of the land of Miżrayim.1K 12:28

AM0S
כִּ֣י אִם־תַּעֲלוּ־לִ֥י עֹל֛וֹת וּמִנְחֹתֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֣א אֶרְצֶ֑ה וְשֶׁ֥לֶם מְרִיאֵיכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א אַבִּֽיט׃. . .וְיִגַּ֥ל כַּמַּ֖יִם מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וּצְדָקָ֖ה כְּנַ֥חַל אֵיתָֽן Am 5:22,24 Though you offer me burnt offerings and your meal offerings, I will not accept them: neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts. . . But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

ISAIAH
וְקָרָ֨א זֶ֤ה אֶל־זֶה֙ וְאָמַ֔ר קָד֧וֹשׁ ׀ קָד֛וֹשׁ קָד֖וֹשׁ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת מְלֹ֥א כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ כְּבוֹדֽוֹ׃  Is 6:3 And one cried to another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

LEVITICUS
דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ Lev 19:2 Speak to the entire community of the Children of Israel, and say to them:  Holy are you to be,  for holy am I, YHWH your God!

DEUTERO ISAIAH
כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְגֹאֲל֖וֹ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אֲנִ֤י רִאשׁוֹן֙ וַאֲנִ֣י אַחֲר֔וֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדַ֖י אֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִֽים׃ Is 44:6 Thus says the Lord the King of Yisra᾽el, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

STORIES
The First Week  orderly world
The Garden  chaotic world

The Flood. attempt at eugenics, conscience
Tower of Bavel  Yahh feels threatened, institute’s misunderstanding, divisions, war

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לִרְאֹ֣ת אֶת־פָּנָ֑י כִּ֛י לֹֽא־יִרְאַ֥נִי הָאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי׃ Ex 33:20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face; for no man shall see me, and live.

וַֽיֶּחֱזוּ֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיֹּאכְל֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתּֽוּ׃ Ex 24:11 and they beheld God, and did eat and drink.

Lech l’cha  Avraham avinu and the promised land.  Blessing