OTHCC Chapter 39: items 761 - 780

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

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The first six chapters of Daniel are set in the exile in Babylon, but the book of Daniel doesn't even know the correct name of the king who liberated Israel from the exile. It really was Cyrus the Persian, but Daniel says it was "Darius the Mede." It is not very likely that anyone who was actually there would forget the correct name. Considering this, most scholars judge that the first six chapters of Daniel were written

a.   around the time of the exile in Babylon.
b.   at the time of the exile in Babylon.
c.   long after the time of the exile in Babylon.

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Most scholars divide the book of Daniel into three parts:

- first, stories of faithfulness to the LORD, and stories of the LORD recognized by other nations

- second, visions revealing hidden information, especially about future times

and third,

a.   an historical account of Jewish life under Greek-speaking rulers.
b.   more stories of faithfulness to the LORD, and the LORD recognized by other nations.
c.   more visions revealing hidden information about future times.

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Daniel is a relatively short book that has captured the imagination of many Catholics (and other Christians) through the ages. Three young men are shut in a furnace because of their faith. While there they sing the beautiful Song of the Three Young Men. Read Dan 3:51-90.

(Because Protestants do not accept this canticle as inspired, the RSV Catholic edition lists these with a separate numbering in the middle of chapter 3. The Song begins with verse 28, ''Then the three, as with one mouth...'').

The phrase, ''seeing the handwriting on the wall'' (meaning seeing your impending doom) comes from the famous story in Daniel 5. Read Dan 5. Innumerable artists have painted the scene of Daniel in the lion's den. Read Dan 6.

In her liturgy the Catholic Church regularly reads the story of the faithful Susanna and how the LORD stirred up the spirit in Daniel to rescue her. Read Dan 13. <<

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The twelve books of the ''minor prophets'' beginning with Hosea are traditionally placed together at the very end of the Old Testament. These books are called ''minor'' because they are

a.   all short in length.
b.   more conventional.
c.   of lesser importance.

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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 Hosea, Hos 1:1. Roughly, Hosea prophesied during what time period?

a.   The early years of the northern kingdom of Israel (around 930-900 BC).
b.   The middle years of the northern kingdom of Israel (around 850-820 BC).
c.   The last years of the northern kingdom of Israel (around 750-720 BC).

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Read Hos 3. Hosea compares Israel to

a.   his own unfaithful wife.
b.   sheep without a shepherd.
c.   the vineyard of the LORD.

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Hosea calls to mind two qualities that the LORD attributed to himself while giving the Ten Commandments to Moses. Read Ex 34:6-7. Read Hos 4:1-2. What are these two qualities that Hosea says the people of Israel now lack?

a.   faithfulness and a bond of merciful love.
b.   justice and a proper sense of duty.
c.   piety and obedience.

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Read Hos 2:18-22 (in some Bibles, Hos 2:16-20). The prophet Hosea emphasizes that the covenant is like

a.   a battle.
b.   a contract.
c.   a marriage.

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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 Joel 2:1-2, then Joel 2:12-14. Joel prophesies the ''day of the LORD,'' when he will come, but then the LORD says that the people may yet return to him

a.   by heartfelt sorrow and contrition.
b.   by making visible shows of ritual sadness.
c.   to be given their just punishments.

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Read Joel 3:1-5 (in some bibles, Joel 2:28-32). Now read Acts 2:16-21. St. Peter sees Joel predicting the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Church at Pentecost. <<

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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 village of Tekoa is just south of Jerusalem. Read Amos, Am 1:1. Amos was from the southern kingdom of Judah

a.   and prophesied there in the southern kingdom.
b.   but prophesied in both the north and the south.
c.   but prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel.

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Read Am 7:10-13. The reception given Amos's prophecies was

a.   favorable.
b.   lukewarm.
c.   unfavorable.

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Read Am 5:18-20. Many scholars have said that the ''day of the LORD'' in Amos's time had meant a day of celebration and worship, and that for Amos, the ''day of the LORD''

a.   meant a day of the LORD's judgment against Israel.
b.   referred to a day of wrath against Israel's enemies.
c.   reinforced and expanded the celebratory meaning.

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Two additional passages in Am 9 are worthy of special note in this introductory textbook for Catholic students, because they speak of the LORD's presence among non-Jews. First, read Am 9:11-12. St. James refers to this passage when he gives his approval of St. Paul's mission to convert the Gentiles. Read Acts 15:15-17.

Second, read Am 9:7. By the standards of the Old Testament, which by and large stresses the holiness of the Jewish people in their separateness, this verse is different. It says that by nature the Jewish people are no different from any other. Other peoples too have had their migrations from other lands, and somehow the LORD was responsible.

The bulk of the Old Testament is not overturned in this one verse. The LORD's relationship to Israel and his call to her is unique. Also, it is clear in many places in the Old Testament that Israel's covenant with the LORD is not due to any particular merit on her part, but to his doing, his call of her.

On the other hand, there are also places in the Old Testament where it is said that in some way the LORD is also responsible for the fate of ''the nations.'' For example, Psalm 96 proclaims that God is the king of all the nations, indeed of all creation.

The book of Amos uses sarcasm, ridicule, and strong language to condemn the northern kingdom's unfaithfulness to the LORD and it is preoccupied with the Jewish people's faithfulness. Nonetheless, the passages in Amos that include all mankind as under the care of the LORD do exist, and have been noticed by the Catholic Church since her earliest days. The Catholic Church professes that the union between Christ and his Catholic Church is meant to include all men. <<

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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.

Regarding its length, the book of Obadiah is

a.   one of the shortest.
b.   the longest.
c.   the shortest.

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Read Obadiah, Obad 1:15-17. Obadiah consists of bitter prophecies against the nation of Edom, and

a.   equally bitter prophecies against the nations of Assyria and Egypt.
b.   oracles about the day of the Lord, when the nations will be judged.
c.   reassurance that the people's suffering will be short indeed.

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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.

By long common consensus, the book of Jonah is one of the most delightful stories in the Bible. It is a ''once upon a time'' story in which the LORD sends Jonah to convert the people of Nineveh to him. Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria, for a long time the most hated and feared enemy of the Jewish people.

The literal sense of Jonah appears to be a condemnation of both Jonah's and many Jews' feelings at the time of its composition. God's judgment does not fit the crime. He is merciful rather than exacting after repentance. No one should put limits on God's mercy, imagine that his mercy is necessarily limited to Israel, or imagine that no other people could ever turn to the LORD. Read the four short chapters making up the book of Jonah.

Our Lord himself made the time Jonah spent in the belly of the fish a type of his death and resurrection. Read Mathew 12:38-41. <<

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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 Micah, Mic 1:1. The prophet Micah lived around 700 BC, at roughly the same time as

a.   Elijah.
b.   Isaiah.
c.   Jeremiah.

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Read Mic 3:1-4. Regarding the leaders of Israel, Micah is

a.   condemnatory.
b.   forgiving.
c.   unconcerned.

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Read Mic 5:1-4. This was interpreted as a prediction of the Messiah's birth in Bethlehem. Even the silence about the father of the child had significance for some early Christian writers.

Read Mic 6:3-4. These verses are echoed in the ''Improperia'' (reproaches) sung or read during the veneration of the Cross on Good Friday. <<

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