Review of the Hebrew Scripture: The Five Great Events

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the lesson, the students can:

D- illustrate clearly the five important events in the history of salvation through a timeline;
M-cite own experience of God’s saving and liberating love through a reflective writing; and
W- thank and praise God for the gift of salvation through prayer.

CapSoul of the Session

“There is nothing more important than your eternal salvation.”

― Kirk Cameron

INTRODUCTION

The Jewish people who inhabited Palestine in the time of Jesus had a long history which
they kept alive initially through an oral tradition and subsequently in written form. Their history
as found in the Old Testament is not history in the modern scientific meaning of the word. It is
popular history which likes to dwell upon personal anecdotes and family details and makes no
attempt to situate in a wider historical context. It is also, and above all, history as written from
a religious standpoint where the hand of Providence is seen in each event. However, earlier
suspicions that the narrative history of the Old Testament might not ever have occurred, has
been refuted by the data collected by historians and archaeologists of the Near East.
The Jews were indeed proud of their long and eventful history. The history of the Jews
prior to Jesus is found in written form in the books of the Old Testament.
This lesson focuses on the five great events in the history of Israel as a background in
understanding the coming of Jesus as a promised universal savior in the New Testament.

ACQUISITION OF NEW KNOWLEDGE

THE FIVE GREAT EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
As we have discovered in the text about the first great event, the authors of Genesis
tells us the story about Abraham who left Ur in Mesopotamia, went to Haran and from there
continued the journey to Canaan.

1. MIGRATION TO CANAAN (Gen. 12:1-5; Gen. 15:1-7.) The reason for this migration, though
are still vague. We do not have enough document to provide a definite answer. We can only
surmise that it may have been due to:
1. A war between the two superpowers of that time in that region: Assyria and Babylon
2. Trade
3. Famine or any other calamity
The group of Abraham however, travelled quite a distance. It is important to take note at this
point that he and his group willfully separated themselves from their own people and evolved
their own religious beliefs and cultural concepts.
The author of the Genesis story interprets this happening as: (1) Abraham was called by
Yahweh, and (2) Abraham, although a pagan, followed the voice of Yahweh and separated
from his own people to become the father of the Israelites. (The author wanted to go back as
far as possible into the history of Israel.)
Abraham had a son, ISAAC who took over the leadership of the clan - the tribe of a wandering
HEBREWS – after the death of Abraham.
Isaac had two sons EZAU and JACOB. Although Ezau, being the elder brother, was entitled to
receive the birthright of his father, it was actually Jacob who, through the intrigues of his
mother, received the blessings of his father and therefore became the leader of the tribe – the
wandering Aramaeans or the Hebrews.
Jacob had 12 sons who were shepherds. They went with their flock from one place to another
in order to find food and green pastures. The twelve sons were the following: Ruben, Simeon,
Levi, Juda, Issachar, Zebulon, Dan, Nepthali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin. As the story
goes, Joseph was sold by his own brothers as a slave to a group of Egyptian merchants. Yet,
because of his attitude and faithfulness, he became a famous man in Egypt and was appointed
assistant to the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, and was put in charge of the agrarian sector of his
government.
During that time a great famine occurred in the Middle East. Due to the abundant food supply
in Egypt, many people went to Egypt to buy food, including the sons of Jacob. To their surprise
they met and recognized their brother Joseph. Joseph favored his brothers and invited them
and his old father to live in Egypt in the area of Goshen.
2. THE SOJOURN IN EGYPT (Gen. 47:5-12;Ex. 1:1-7.)
Their stay was temporary. It was in that way that the author of Exodus saw it. It was in their
interpretation, again, Yahweh who brought his people to Egypt, liberated them from famine
and gave them fertile land to use.
The Hebrew people multiplied fast and became a real power in EGYPT. So much that the
Egyptians became afraid that the tribe might become too powerful. Thus, they persecuted the
Hebrews: their lands were confiscated, the privileges recalled, baby boys were killed upon
birth, a cruel family planning was enforced, etc. the long period of great oppression had begun.
(We situate this period between 1800 and 1270 B.C.)
About 1200 B.C., Moses entered the history of Israel; first, as a guerilla-fighter the oppressive
Egyptians. Forced to go into hiding because of the killing of an Egyptian supervisor, he went to
Median where he married the daughter of Jetro, Zipporah. But Moses must have felt uneasy.
His mind and heart were constantly with his oppressed people in Egypt. He felt he should leave
Median and join his people in Egypt. He felt he should organize them and bring them out of
Egypt. This internal struggle within Moses is beautifully told in the story of the Burning Bush.
Thus, Moses returned to Egypt – as a conscienticizer. He mingled with his people. He identified
himself with the oppressed and deprived Hebrew slaves. He experienced the unbearable
oppression and become the leader of the Hebrews who were gradually growing in awareness.
And, after prolonged suffering and a deepening realization of their oppressive situation, they
organized themselves under the leadership of Moses and were able to escape from slavery in
Egypt. (Around 1200 B.C.)
3.THE ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT (Ex.1:8-14; Ex.3:1-10; Ex. 12:37-42.)
They escaped in small groups and hid themselves in the mountainous region of the Sinai desert.
Yet, Moses’ task was still not complete. He went around and was able to gather the people. He
brought the different tribes together in a people’s confederation near the Sinai, based of two
pillars: 1. The belief in one God; 2. The subscription to ONE RELIGION.
4.PEOPLE’S CONFEDERATION OR RELIGIOUS CONFEDERATION near Sinai (Ex. 19:1-8.)
. The story of the ten commandments is a part of that process of confederation.
The desire, however, for greener pastures and the strong conviction of the people and their
leader to look for the promised land made the people moved from one place to another. Till
finally, after many adventures, sufferings, and after many years, they arrived at the boarders of
Canaan, the promised land, known in their stories as the land of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
5.The occupation of the promised land (Joshua 11:15-23.)
Under the leadership of kings David and Solomon, Israel became one of the best
organized and wealthiest countries. It was at that time that Israel became a nation. Solomon
however, was not able to manage his power and wealth. He imposed higher taxes especially in
the north. The oppression was greatly felt by the people. After his death, the nation became
divided: the Northern Kingdom – Israel, and the Southern Kingdom – Judea. At that point, the
glory of the once united nation vanished.
Weakened because of the separation, the Northern Kingdom was captured by the superpower
in those days – Assyria – in about 700 B.C. The entire population was deported to Assyria and
never returned. The same happened to the Southern Kingdom. At about 550 B.C., the other
superpower Babylon occupied Judea and also deported most of the people. Still, some settled
down in Babylon.
When under King Sirus, the Israelites were allowed to return to their country, only a few went
back. What they found was an empty, devastated and alien land. Yet, their deep faith in
Yahweh and their adherence to some religion was given renewed life. Apparently, this gave
them the courage they needed to rebuild their country. Today, they are often times referred to
as the ‘REST’ of Israel.
However, the country was captured again by the fast growing superpower from the west –
Greece and the Israelites experienced one of the cruelest occupation by a foreign nation. The
Greeks tried to replace the people’s strong belief in ONE GOD with their own museum of gods
and goddesses. . . They were strongly opposed by the people.
The Greek occupation started at about 120 B.C. Later, in 65 B.C., a new superpower from the
west was emerging – Rome. They (the Romans) succeeded in toppling the Greeks and took
over the Greek occupied territories. They occupied Israel and include it in the ROMAN EMPIRE.
Many Israelite leaders were happy to be rid of the cruel Greeks. They invited the Romans to
come and tried to get as many privileges as possible by collaborating with the occupying power.
The Jewish people suffered much because of the high taxes imposed by the Romans and their
corrupt leaders.
It was during this time that CHRIST WAS BORN.

ISRAELITIC CREED
“My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and
lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.  But the Egyptians mistreated
us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of
our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.  So
the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror
and with signs and wonders.  He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing
with milk and honey(Deuteronomy 26:5b-9).

CFC, 277. The Old Testament presents the inspired story of God forming His own people by
establishing a special relationship with them. This covenant was a call to fuller life and
salvation. First God called Abraham out of his homeland and promised him: “I will make of you
a great nation, and I will bless you” (Gn 12:1-2). Through Abraham, God promised: “all the
nations of the earth shall find blessing __ all this because you obeyed my command” (Gn
22:18). Thus God showed Himself to be a personal God, eager to endow his people with land,
material possessions and countless descendants. 278. The call of Moses gives an even sharper
picture of God as liberating His people. Out of the burning bush the Lord said: “I have witnessed
the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave
drivers. . . . Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people out of Egypt” (Ex 3:7,10).
God showed Himself “Father” to the Israelites by choosing them “to be a people peculiarly His
own.” This was not because they were the largest of all nations, but solely because He “set His
heart” on them and loved them (cf. Dt 7:6-8). For their part, the Israelites were to observe
God’s commandments, the “Ten Words,” to guide them toward fuller freedom as His children
(cf. Ex 20:1-17). 279. The subsequent history of the Israelites showed the same infidelities
which we ourselves experience today in our relationship with God. Yet, despite their stubborn
unfaithfulness, God remained faithful. He established a covenant with David and promised him:
“I will raise up your heir after you. . . I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me” (2 Sm
7:12,14). After the Exile, God promised through the prophets a New and Eternal Covenant: “I
will be their God, and they shall be my people” (cf. Jer 31:31- 34). This is the image of God given
us in the Old Testament and described in the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer: Father, we
acknowledge your greatness. All your actions show your wisdom and love . . . Even when we
disobeyed you and lost your friendship You did not abandon us to the power of death, but
helped us all to seek and find you. Again and again you offered a covenant to us, And through
the prophets taught us to hope for salvation. This is the image of God that Jesus came to bring
to fulfillment.

RBNAVARRO’23