Salvation History

1. God’s Plan for Humanity Salvation History

2. Salvation History • The world was without form • And the world was void In the Beginning

3. My Fathers Plan Scott Hahn and Jeff Cavens do a tape series that I find helpful • A Framework - not to be confused with The Framework • God is a God of Covenants • Covenants are distinct from contracts • Contracts - quid pro quo (this for that) • Covenants imply relationship - a love relationship • In Hebrew there is a significance to 7 - to 7 oneself is to make an oath, to enter into a serious covenant • One can divide Salvation History into 12 periods and 7 covenants • God comes to us - He deals with stuff -matter - the Sacraments

4. The Two Stories of Creation • The First Chapter of Genesis • This story reveals God’s relationship with all His creation! • The Second Chapter of Genesis • This story reveals God’s relationship with the human person God’s relationship with creation and with the Human person

5. Genesis Chapters 1 All that God made was very good! • God brings form out of chaos • Day 1: Let there be light – Light and darkens are separated • Day 2: Let us separate the fluids: The Air and the Sea • Day 3: Gives form to the earth; vegetation and earth • God brings order to the world and now He will fill the void that exists in the form that He brought forth. • God Fills the void • Day 4: Creatures of light fill the day and the night, (e.g. sun, moon and stars. • Day 5: The birds and the fish fill the “fluids”. • Interesting to note that in the physical universe, both the air and the water are governed by the same mathematical equations. • Day 6: The animals and the greatest of all animals, the human person, are created, • Day 7: God makes the day of rest, a day to reflect on God’s Goodness

6. God’s Plan for the Human Person The Human Person’s Original State • Adam (earth) was created • Original Innocence • Original Solitude • God made all the animals for Adam – they didn’t quite do it for him, then “bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh! … Whoa! Man! … Women • Original Solitude is pierced by the community of persons – the family – an image of the Trinity it self – a community of persons united in mutual unlimited love • A Marriage Covenant • The first covenant limited to a family

7. God’s Plan for the Human Person The Fall • Adam was told • (Eve was not created yet) not to eat of the tree of Good and evil • Eve was obviously in the know • ( some scholars speculate that this was to establish the importance of Tradition (Eve failed to trust in the word of another human person) • Genesis 3:15 • I will put enmity between you and the woman, he will bruise your head and He/she will crush your head.

8. The Proto-Gospel – Genesis 3:15 • Mel Gibson’s Passion focus’ on the passage • Remember the opening scene – Jesus crushes the serpents head • Also the Devil stalking Jesus holding a strange offspring?.. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and your offspring and yours. “Emnity between your offspring and hers”

9. Salvation History The Twelve periods • The History of the Early World • The covenant with Adam and Eve (the family) • The covenant with Noah ( the Household) • The Patriarchs • The covenant with Abram or Abraham (the Tribe) • Israel in Egypt • The Covenant with Moses (the Nation or Tribes) • The Promised Land • The Conquest in Canaan

10. Salvation History • The Judges • The United Kingdom • The covenant with David (the Jewish Kingdom) • The Divided Kingdom • The Exile • The Return • TheMaccabean Revolt • Jesus the Messiah • The Church • The covenant with Jesus (the whole world) The Twelve Periods (cont)

11. The Exodus Event I will be your people, and you will be my God! • Let my people go! • Moses led the people from the cruel oppression of slavery. • The final plague? • The first born was to be taken via the Angel of death • How were the Israelites spared? • The blood of an unblemished male lamb on the doorpost • They were set free, but pursued until Moses used Aaron’s staff to split the Red Sea • They rejected God’s plan, but God provided them with manna from heaven

12. The People’s Sin “Make for us a god in our image” • God’s plan is rejected, and Moses pleads his case • After the people create a god in that fits the world they had grown accustomed to in Egypt, God proposes to Moses to start over with him. • Moses suggests, “What would the neighbors think? You go to all the trouble of delivering this people, only to sacrifice them in the dessert? Very bad PR. • The people are spared, and when they refuse to take possession of the promised land, the generation who betrayed God a banished to wander in the dessert for 40 years, but their offspring survive. God still meets their physical needs.

13. Early Structures of Leadership • When the Israelites settled in the promised land there was set up a system of Judges. • A judge is understood by some as a non-hereditary leader of the people. • From the Book of Joshua to Samuel there is a list of judges.

14. The Judges ~ 1200 BC-1030 BC • In the Book of Joshua • Joshua† • In the Book of Judges • Othniel • Ehud • Shamgar • Deborah • Barak† • Gideon • Abimelech† • Tola • Jair • Jephthah • Ibzan • Elon • Abdon • Samson • In First Samuel • Eli • Samuel • †Not explicitly described as a judge

15. The Kings of Israel –from Wikepedia

16. The UnitedKingdom (~1000 BC – 931 BC) • The people wanted a King, God tried to talk them out of it, but they refused. • God honored their freedom • God always honors our freedom • The First Three Kings of Israel • Saul (between 1030 BC – 1010 BC) • David (1010 BC – 970 BC) • Bathsheba and Uriah • Solomon (to 931 BC)

17. The Divided Kingdom • Israel (The North) • Jeroboam I • Nadab/Baasha • Elah/Zimri/Omri • Ahab • Ahaziah/Jehoram • Jehu • Jehoahaz • Jehoash • Jeroboam II • Menahem/Shallum/Zechariah • Hoshea/Pekah/Pekahiah • Fall of Samaria 721 BC • Judah (The South) • Rehoboam • Abihah • Asa • Jehoshaphat • Jehoram • Ahaziah • Jehoash • Amaziah • Uzziah • Jotham • Ahaz • Hezekiah • Manasseh • Amon • Josiah • Jehoiakim • Jehoahaz • Zedekiah • Jehoiachin • Falls in 586 BC

18. Map of Israel – from wikepedia

19. Babylonian Exile and Return • Israel is exiled in 587 BC, the first Temple is destroyed • King Cyrus invites them home and Temple is rebuilt 538 BC and 530 BC • Shift from prophets to sages and scribes • Hellenism becomes a stronger influence • Septuagint is translated in about 260 AD • Jews become autonomous but under the rule of the Roman Empire • The High Priesthood becomes very political

20. Some Major Jewish Groups • Sadducees -“sad you see”, because they did not believe in the resurrection • Pharisees – believed in the resurrection and supernatural spirits • Essenes – Very austere group, may have been connected to John the Baptist • Zealots – Very zealous for the faith • Sicarii – “dagger bearers” – ancient terrorists

21. Messianic Expectations • Judas Maccabeus – a Jewish revolt that led to the rededication of the Temple which is commemorated by the modern Jewish Holiday Hanukah.