OTHCC Chapter 74: items 1461 - 1480

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

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Wait a minute. Do the Holy Father and bishops in communion with him understand that, from time immemorial, there have been many other stories about the universe's origins, including the one told by modern science, many of which flatly contradict the Bible's account? [CCC 283-285]

a.   Maybe.
b.   No.
c.   Yes.

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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.

Read Ezekiel, Ezek 1:1. Ezekiel is the first Old Testament prophet to prophesy

a.   after having a vision from God.
b.   in vivid and highly poetic language.
c.   outside of the land of the Jewish people.

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The ''glory of the LORD'' is the luminous cloud, God's presence, that normally dwelt in the Temple. Read Ezek 1:26-29. Most scholars agree that, whatever the full meaning of the awesome vision Ezekiel had when God called him, it does confirm that

a.   the LORD is not tied to Jerusalem and could follow his people into exile.
b.   the LORD is pleased with his people and knows that they will listen to him.
c.   the time spent in exile in Babylon will be of a very short duration.

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A prophet would say, ''Thus says the LORD'' the way that a king's messenger would say, ''Thus says the King.'' Read Ezek 2, 3:1-11 (all of chapter two, then 3:1-11). Ezekiel is commanded by God to make certain that at least the people

a.   know that a prophet is among them.
b.   repent of their sins and see their failings.
c.   share their bread with the needy.

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The question of what to do and to believe after Jerusalem has fallen arises. Specifically, what good will it do to be faithful to God and his law, when we are doomed to live in exile forever because of our fathers' sins? (The children are tasting the bitter green grapes that the fathers have eaten). Read Ezek 18. The LORD tells Ezekiel that the present generation

a.   has personal responsibility for its own actions.
b.   should follow the law even though it doesn't matter.
c.   will be judged by the sins of its fathers.

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The Jews of Ezekiel's time, suffering in Babylon with no end in sight, ask a good question: what point is there in doing good when you are suffering already? Catholics understand that no suffering makes moving away from Christ a good thing.

Yet there is no question that suffering can severely restrict our ability to draw near to God. Furthermore, at our death, and perhaps in moments of great suffering, we are completely powerless. We are not able to draw near to God at all. However, in those moments we can still allow God to draw near to us.

Even when we are powerful and resourceful, we can not draw near to Christ without his help: ''Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.''

We know that Jesus was a man like us. He was tempted by the devil and absolutely was capable of sin, yet he remained completely innocent even during great suffering. The torture and death that Jesus endured was completely unjustified, yet never once did he turn away from his Father.

It is the faith of the whole Catholic Church that Jesus's sacrifice on the cross, made re-present at the Eucharist, is the answer to all suffering. His Eucharistic sacrifice of himself to his Church is the reason why we can with confidence continue to do whatever is in our power to draw near to Jesus, even when we are suffering.

He is Lord over death itself, and he will never abandon those who, even in their suffering, draw near to his beloved bride, the Catholic Church. He sends the Holy Spirit to console us and strengthen us always and bring us to his Father. <<

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The people of Judah are in exile in Babylon, and despair. Eternal death in Babylon appears to be their fate. Ezekiel has a vision. Read Ezek 37:1-14. In the vision the LORD says that

a.   the hope of the people is truly lost and they are cut off from life.
b.   they will rebuild but will be an empty skeleton without union with God.
c.   they will rebuild themselves as a people under their own power.

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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 fourth book of the Pentateuch, the book of Numbers, got its name because it

a.   contains two censuses of the people of Israel.
b.   develops many mathematical theorems.
c.   has many lists of mystical numbers.

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In the Pentateuch, the three books that give

- a religious history of man,
- and then the religious history of the people of Israel up to the point of their entry into the Promised Land

are

Genesis
Exodus
and...

a.   Leviticus.
b.   Numbers.
c.   Deuteronomy.

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Read Num 1:1-3. The story in Numbers begins

a.   by retelling the birth of Moses and his calling by the LORD.
b.   in the desert of Sinai just after the covenantal coming out of Egypt.
c.   in the land of Egypt before the ten plagues afflicted the land.

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Scholars think that Numbers compiles together many ancient lists, stories, and traditions into an overall account of the time in the desert. Some scholars think that the blessing preserved in Num 6:24-26 is one of the oldest pieces of poetry in all of Sacred Scripture. Read Num 6:22-27. This blessing is also preserved by the Catholic Church

a.   as one of the Solemn Blessings that the priest may give at the end of Mass.
b.   as part of the prayer of absolution in the Rite of Reconciliation.
c.   in the New Testament, where it appears in two of the epistles of St. Paul.

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Some scholars have identified a basic three-part outline to Numbers:

Chapters
1-10 Preparation in the Sinai desert for the journey to the promised land.
10-22 The journey in the desert.
22-36 Preparation for life in the new land. <<

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One message scholars think is conveyed by the book of Numbers in its final form is that a lack of covenantal trust in the LORD always led to additional suffering - which was also meant as a warning to the Jews living later, for whom Numbers was put together. Moses sends scouts (spies) into the land that God wishes Israel to enter. Read Num 13 carefully. The scouts (with the exception of Caleb) come back with

a.   all bad news.
b.   all good news.
c.   good news and bad news.

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Read Num 14:1-12. What is the people's reaction to the reports of the scouts? They

a.   acclaim Moses as their leader.
b.   are obedient to God's plans.
c.   want to go back to Egypt.

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Read Num 14:5. Moses and Aaron fall on the ground

a.   because they have been severely wounded by stones thrown at them.
b.   because they submit themselves entirely to God's judgment on the matter.
c.   to show the people that they agree with their judgment in the matter.

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The ''glory of the Lord'' is the term used to speak of God actually present and evident in his majesty and power. In response to the crisis of Num 14, God appears in majesty and power, vindicates Moses, and threatens to destroy the people of God and begin again, this time with Moses's offspring only. Read Num 14:10-12. Now read Num 14:13-19. Moses

a.   asks the LORD to keep the people in the desert for forty years.
b.   never questions the judgments of the LORD, but submits in obedience.
c.   with confidence dares to intercede for the people before the LORD.

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A ''generation'' was forty years - an entire normal lifetime for most people of those days. God allows the entire generation that left Egypt to die in the desert because of their disobedience, but renews the promise to their children. However, the spies who urged the people to disobey the Lord die of plague immediately. Read Num 14:20-38.

Num 14:39-45 begins a new story - another disobedience! Now, shaken by these events, some people want to pretend that their previous disobedience had not really mattered. In their prior disobedience they had actually said that they preferred to return to Egypt and be slaves again. Now (after their decision to sin had caused them further misery) they decided that they wanted even more slavery. Now they wanted the whole world to be a world of slavery. They wanted a world in which, no matter what you do, you are "really" moving closer to the LORD. But to follow the LORD is to live in a world of true freedom, where it really does matter what you do. You really can move away from Him.

Some of the people still didn't want that world of freedom, which the LORD offers all men. It was too hard to live in a world where your choices really matter. They wanted a "take-back." They wanted to move directly into the land, as if their sin had not really happened, had not really harmed them or changed anything or moved them farther from the LORD, without Moses, without the Ark of the Covenant, without the LORD. Read Num 14:39-45. What happened to those people?

a.   They soon ran back to camp.
b.   They were slaughtered.
c.   They were victorious.

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Most scholars think that the most important message meant to be conveyed by the book of Numbers is not the people's continual refusal to walk with the LORD, nor is it Moses's continual willingness to walk with the LORD. The key to Numbers, say many scholars, is the fact that the LORD walks with his people and invites them to walk with him. He makes his tent with his people, and continues to do so, though they continually wander away from him. Scholars tell us that the Hebrew word for ''dwells'' is derived from the word ''to tent'' or ''to walk among as a tent-dweller.'' Recall that the Tent of Meeting was the Tabernacle, and read Num 1:47-54.

The cloud is a theophany: a visible sign of God's presence. Num 9:15-23 recounts a story of complete faithfulness. The people follow God wherever he leads. They allow him to rule the days of their journey in the desert. Continual conflict and disobedience to the LORD is a great theme of Numbers, but it is not the only one. Faithfulness is also recorded. Given the rest of Numbers, this is an idealized portrait, yet, after all, the people were at last faithful, and they did after all enter the land God had promised them. Read Num 9:15-23. <<

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Israel is the name for

a.   a tribal people in Sumeria.
b.   the people descended from Jacob.
c.   the synagogue in Jerusalem.

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In the Old Testament, the word ''house'' can mean just ''house,'' but it also has a special meaning. ''House'' can mean an entire family with all its members - but not only including its living members, but also both the family's ancestors and its descendants. This is the meaning of the phrase ''house of Israel'': all the people descended from Jacob (Israel), or ever to be descended from him. Now read Psalm 135 (Ps 135).

You now know the meaning of Ps 135:4 (Psalm 135, verse 4), (read it again) and the verses that the Psalm concludes with, Ps 135:19-21 (read them again).

As you know, the Holy Father and the bishops hand on to us the truth that Creation is inseparable from the covenants. Now read Ps 135:5-14 again. Notice how Psalm 135 expresses this truth. The God of Creation is the God who desires an unbreakable and intimate bond with Israel and with all mankind. <<

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