OTHCC Chapter 60: items 1181 - 1200

The Old Testament in the Heart of the Catholic Church < > All Chapters

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Creation is revealed [CCC 288] as

a.   a charming story told to satisfy curiosity about origins.
b.   the first and universal witness to God's all-powerful love.
c.   something of minor importance in God's plan.

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Genesis Exodus >> Leviticus << Numbers Deuteronomy || Joshua Judges Ruth 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 2 Kings || 1 Chronicles 2 Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah || Tobit* Judith* Esther 1 Maccabees* 2 Maccabees* Job

Psalms

Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Songs Wisdom* Sirach* || Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Baruch* Ezekiel Daniel || Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi

The Old Testament books with a star * are not any more or less important than the others. The star indicates that the Catholic Church definitively professes and knows these books to be part of the sacred writings, the inspired Word of God [cf. CCC 120], but that they are specifically rejected by the Jewish people, and called ''apocryphal'' (of doubtful inspiration) by Protestants.

The common title of the third book of Moses is Leviticus, a word

a.   indicating that this is the third book in the Pentateuch.
b.   referring to the Levites (priests) from the tribe of Levi.
c.   which means ''and he called'' in the original Hebrew.

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Leviticus consists of

a.   a history of the chosen people as they were led by the LORD in the desert of Sinai.
b.   detailed instructions on how the worship and life of the Jewish people can be holy.
c.   the wisdom of a famous teacher from a time after the Exile as presented by his student.

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Read Lev 19:1-18. Lev 19:2 and Lev 19:18 are the passages of Leviticus that have been most often quoted by later Christian saints and writers. For instance, read 1 Peter 1:13-16, which quotes Lev 19:2. Of course, Jesus himself quotes Lev 19:18. Read Mathew, Mt 22:37-39. <<

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The bodies of two Jews disobedient to the rituals have defiled the Temple. The original ''scapegoat'' was the live goat referred to in the following passage as having the people's sins put upon it, and then being cast out into the desert. Read Lev 16:1-34.

Though no longer celebrated precisely in the form given in Leviticus, the Day of Atonement remains one of the most solemn days of the Jewish year. Scholars often remark that ''at-one-ment'' gives a good part of the meaning of ''atonement'' - the restoration of covenantal relation between God and his people, which has been injured by sin. The Jewish name for Day of Atonement is

a.   Hanukkah.
b.   Rosh Hashanah.
c.   Yom Kippur.

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Some scholars have noted that what Leviticus is truly about is holiness. Read CCC 2013-2014. Holiness is ''ever more intimate union with Christ.'' St. Jerome considered that ''the whole order of Leviticus breathes holy mysteries.''

Of course in its literal sense Leviticus does not reveal the full meaning of holiness known to the Catholic Church. It nonetheless reveals many things about holiness.

Perhaps the most important is what St. Jerome noted, that the ''whole order'' of Leviticus breathes holiness. In other words, holiness is not a mood, a feeling, or a wish, but a ''whole order''; it always involves specific, real, and practical things - the right thing, done at the right time. >>

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Leviticus defines holiness as sharing the life of God. Read Lev 18:1-5. Leviticus also reveals that holiness is made possible by obedience and purity. The Catholic Church also professes that man can increase in holiness. He can come closer to Christ, or move away from him. Furthermore, the Church is very clear that there is a ''whole order'' to this journey in holiness. By his very specific own acts, ''in what I have done, and what I have failed to do,'' [Confiteor] man can quite definitely move farther from Christ, or closer to him.

The Church professes that man can not even begin his journey in holiness by himself, but only in relation to Christ, as a gift from Christ, and through the sacrifice of Christ. Read CCC 2007-2011. <<

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Read Isaiah, Is 5:1-7. Read Hosea, Hos 10:1-2. Read Jeremiah, Jer 2:20-21. Read Ezekiel, Ez 15. In the Old Testament, a vineyard or a vine is often a symbol of

a.   faithfulness.
b.   Israel.
c.   Sodom.

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Jesse was the father of David. Read Isaiah, Isa 11. The Catholic Church sees in the branch that comes forth from the stump (or root) of Jesse

a.   an ideal but unreal king.
b.   Christ.
c.   David.

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Jesse was the father of David. Read Isaiah, Isa 11. Many modern scholars who study the Bible for a living, including many Catholic scholars, would strongly protest if you saw anything in the branch that comes forth from the stump (or root) of Jesse except

a.   an ideal but unreal king.
b.   Christ.
c.   David.

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The patriarchs are

a.   Abraham, his son Isaac, Isaac's son Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons.
b.   Adam, his son Abel, Noah, his descendent Abraham, and Moses.
c.   Moses, his brother Aaron, and the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah.

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For the Catholic Church, the term ''prophets''

a.   has partly the same meaning as it has for Jews.
b.   has the opposite meaning as it has for Jews.
c.   has the same meaning as it has for Jews.

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CCC 702 makes a distinction between the meaning of the term ''Prophets'' as understood by Jewish tradition, and the ''prophets'' as understood by the faith of the Catholic Church:

''By 'prophets' the faith of the Church here understands all whom the Holy Spirit inspired in living proclamation and in the composition of the sacred books, both of the Old and the New Testaments. Jewish tradition distinguishes first the Law (the first five books or Pentateuch), then the Prophets (our historical and prophetic books) and finally the Writings (especially the wisdom literature, in particular the Psalms).'' <<

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By the faith of the Church, the term ''prophets'' includes

a.   only the inspired human authors of the Old Testament.
b.   only the inspired human authors of the Old and New Testaments.
c.   the inspired human authors of the Old and New Testaments.

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By the faith of the Church, the term ''prophets'' includes

a.   all those inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word during both Old and New Testament times.
b.   all those inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word in writing during both Old and New Testament times.
c.   only those inspired by the Holy Spirit to proclaim God's word during Old Testament times.

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In the Jewish tradition, ''the Prophets'' (capitalized) are particular writings in their Bible. (Remember that the Catholic Old Testament adds some writings specifically rejected by Jewish tradition as not part of their Bible, and so the Old Testament is almost but not quite the same writings as are contained in the Bible accepted by Jewish tradition). The following may help you see what Jewish tradition means by ''the Prophets.''

The three primary Jewish divisions of their scriptures:

The Law (Torah)
The Prophets
The Writings

''The Law'' (Torah):

The first five books in the Bible.
The Law is also known as ''Moses,'' or ''the book(s) of Moses,'' or the Pentateuch (PEN-ta-took) (''pentateuchos'' means ''composed of five books'' in Greek).

The Prophets:

Four writings in the Bible giving the history of the people of Israel after Moses's death (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings), along with the writings of prophets like Isaiah, etc.

The Writings:

Other books in the Bible, including Chronicles, but especially the wisdom literature of sayings, proverbs, etc., and in particular the Psalms. <<

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The patriarchs, the prophets of the Old Testament, and certain other Old Testament figures [CCC 61]

a.   have at times but not always been honored as saints in all the Catholic Church's liturgical traditions.
b.   have been and always will be honored as saints in all the Catholic Church's liturgical traditions.
c.   have never been and will never be honored as saints in all the Catholic Church's liturgical traditions.

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Read Gen 14:11-24. Scholars tell us that the name ''Melchizedek'' means ''Zedek [a god] is my king.'' The god Zedek was the highest god among the people of Canaan. Melchizedek would have been priest of that ''God Most High'' (Zedek).

However, notice that Abram himself (Gen 14:22 - read this verse now) is clear that ''God Most High'' is the LORD.

Is ''Zedek'' the true name of God Most High?

a.   Maybe.
b.   No.
c.   Partly.

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Read Ps 110:1-4 [Ps = Psalm]. Melchizedek, king of Salem (Jerusalem), was seen by the people of Israel to prefigure David, the ideal king, wholly devoted to ''God Most High.''

Who was right about the true name of God Most High, David or Melchizedek?

a.   David.
b.   Melchizedek.
c.   Partly both.

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CCC 1544 says, ''The Christian tradition considers Melchizedek, 'priest of God Most High,' as a prefiguration of the priesthood of Christ, the unique 'high priest after the order of Melchizedek'....'' Melchizedek is a type (prefiguration) of Christ. What he did is a pre-echo of Christ's salvific work.

So, here's the situation:

- Melchizedek, a priest of ''God Most High,'' offers Abram gifts of bread and wine, and blesses him.
- Abram sees God (the real one) working through Melchizedek.
- The people of Israel see God working through Melchizedek.
- The Catholic Church sees God working through Melchizedek.

What, pray tell, is the conclusion we can draw from all this?

a.   God really was working through Melchizedek.
b.   God was not really working through Melchizedek.
c.   Who knows if God was really working through Melchizedek?

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