Old Testament: God acts in the world through the life of 4.
4. Abraham’s Call (Gen 12:2) - Despite man’s rebelliousness
Israel
 God reveal Himself through actions, events and persons
 He enters into an on-going dialogue with man beginning with
Adam
1. Creation according to the book of Genesis - The first two
chapters of Genesis describe the creation of the world and
man by God.
 “creatureliness” (created condition) 5.
 They are not a scientific textbook.
 They are concerned with the important religious
truth: creation of all things by God, the particular
creation of man, the fact of original sin.
 Man’s surpassing dignity created in the full
friendship of God.
 God’s plan for man right from the beginning of
creation.
A. He made him in His image and likeness: (Gen 1:26)
Both in his individual being and in his
social reality man mirrors the God who
made him:
Made of the dust from the ground
It is the soul that makes him open to
understanding and love.
In the capacities that he has as a
person:
 in his intelligence
 in his conscience
 in his freedom
 in the mystery of his immortal
destiny
B. He made him master of all created things (Gen 1:26)
All things on earth should be related to man
as their center and crown.
Man was appointed by God as master of all 6.
earthly creatures
C. He gave him a social, communitarian nature (Gen 2:21)
God, who has fatherly concern for everyone,
has willed that all men should constitute one 7.
family and treat one another in a spirit of
brotherhood.
Man is also the image of God in his social
nature and in the love which binds him to his
fellowmen.
Male and female: equality and 8.
complementarity of man and woman.
D. Man was created in a state of holiness, freedom and 9.
peace
The first parents of mankind were created in
that grace
 Oriented to the intuitive vision and love of 10.
God
 Free from concupiscence
 Not submitted to death
E. Theology of creation
Man received from God the mission to
dominate the world
2. The fall of man: Original Sin - Man set himself against God
and sought to find fulfillment apart from God.
The sin of man: The fruits of technology
 Pride – man becomes auto-
sufficient
 Egotism – material minded
3. Foretelling of a divine redemption: proto-evangelium
(Gen 3:15) - Fallen in that miserable situation, man needs a
liberator, a Redeemer.
Frist prophecy of man’s salvation by Christ: (‘I
will put enmity..”)
God did not abandon him.
calling of God and generous response of
Abraham.
Abraham sets the beginning of a covenant
that will last forever.
Moses: Exodus: Covenant - First He entered into a
covenant with Abraham and through Moses with the people
of Israel.
God pledged Himself to care for them and to save
them.
(prefiguration of the Church).
A. Moses - From God he brings about the law
B. Exodus - Through Moses, God frees Israel from the
slavery of Egypt.
 Dramatic stages
 The Pharaoh is defeated.
 The Israelites, who were saved,
educated and selected.
C. The Covenant - Contract, agreement – pact –
allegiance
 The Old Testament offers two
fundamental types of covenants:
 Priestly School: solemn promise
of God
 Deuteronomy School:
conceives the covenant
The Promised Land: Joshua – an act of God’s fidelity in
giving to the Israelites the land He has promised them for
inheritance.
It was God’s holy war
Judges – David – Kings
A. Between the death of Joshua and the institution of the
monarchy the Judges exercised their activities.
B. With her own land, Israel needed the basis for her unity
somebody.
C. David was followed by other Kings.
The Exile – This is very important event in the history of the
people.
Ezra – Israelites formed a community of believers
The Church is a divine mystery of salvation, one
can understand it only through living and operative
faith.
The Prophets – The prophets were spokesman of God,
intermediaries between Him and his people.
General Message - Prophetism is temporary and
not hereditary
The Messianic Prophecies – expectation of the
people of Israel in the Messiah
1. Immanuel: God is with us
2. Might God: God-Hero
3. Shoot of Jesse
4. The Servant of Yahweh
5. Son of God
6. The Son of Man
Historical Preparation of the Messiah - The Old Testament is
in substance the history of the divine plan of salvation that
presents the following characteristic: the redemption of the sins
of men is entrusted to a future and mysterious king, long
expected by the faithful. All that happened was a preparation for
the coming of the Messiah.
 The expectation of the Savior had been lived by the
prophet
- The disciples of John ask Jesus: Are you he who
is to come or do we look for another? (Mt 11:3)
- The Jews were anxious about the preaching of
John the Baptist and were wondering whether
John might be the Messiah (Lk 3)
- King Herod became greatly disturbed when he
knew of the birth of the king of the Jews (Mt 2)
- The Samaritan woman knows that “there is a
Messiah coming” (Jn 4:25)
The Messianic hope at the time of Jesus was filled
more by earthly eagerness.
The restoration of the political kingdom of Israel than
by the wish of eternal salvation.