Paul Luckraft reviews the second book in Steve Maltz's 'God' trilogy (2014).

In his follow-up to God's Signature, Steve Maltz offers us an overview of the entire Old Testament, emphasising its Jewishness and unearthing some of the deeper meanings of the Hebrew text.

In the prologue he admits this is not an exhaustive commentary on the Hebrew Scriptures "but rather a meandering and we won't be visiting the popular beauty spots...Instead, we will be lifting up stones and poking around in the undergrowth...following the unique quirks of the Hebrew mind [and] making connections...often crossing over boundaries erected by theologians to keep us nice and ordered" (p9).

Part One: the Old Testament Story

The book is in two parts, with Part One ('Word') tackling all the books of the Old Testament but in a slightly different order to most English Bibles. Here, as in God's Signature, Maltz is using the One New Man Bible, which he describes as "like walking a well-worn route, but with better fitting boots" (p10). So Job is placed early, among the patriarchs, and Ezra-Nehemiah towards the end, providing a better chronological understanding than our usual Bibles.

Part One forms 90% of the book and is largely a re-telling of the Old Testament story, seeking glimpses of patterns and repeated ideas. Maltz promises us observations, remarks and curiosities as we go on this journey through the Hebrew scriptures, but for most of the time we are simply given a re-capping of the texts. For me there were not enough of these titbits and extra insights to make the book totally absorbing.

Maltz offers an overview of the entire Old Testament, emphasising its Jewishness and unearthing some of the deeper meanings of the Hebrew text.

Nevertheless, this is a very useful resource for teachers and preachers to get a feel for an Old Testament book before turning to commentaries and other material for more concentrated study. Younger Christians would also benefit from the overview Maltz provides and this book will act as an encouragement to get to know the Old Testament better.

Themes and Threads

As always, Maltz is keen to be 'un-Greek' in his approach and reveal how the Hebrew mindset is the best way to tackle these texts. Typically, he will say 'here's the usual understanding' and then explain that though this is not necessarily wrong, it is not the only way - and here's more to think about.

Maltz is successful in convincing us that there is nothing 'old' about the Old Testament. Rather, in its pages we can discover a living God, a real character who is thoroughly involved in the affairs of men.

Finding recurring themes is a good way of demonstrating the validity of these scriptures and the nature of God. One such connecting thread, 'The Way of the Lord', is particularly informative, with clear links into the New Testament and to Jesus himself.

Maltz successfully convinces us that there is nothing 'old' about the Old Testament – rather, in its pages we discover the living God.

The Beginning of a Journey?

Part Two ('Themes') attempts to draw together some of the themes that have emerged in Part One under three main chapter headings: 'Some things we learn about God', 'Some things we learn about man', and 'Some other things we learn' (a typical Maltzian miscellany!).

In some ways, Part Two deserves more space than the remaining 10% of the book allowed. Many themes are rather briefly dealt with and I felt a bit short-changed at times. Nevertheless, there are some very good topics considered here, such as 'The Jews have an undeniable future' and 'There's a lot that hasn't happened yet' – though two pages hardly does justice to the many yet-to-be-fulfilled prophecies!

Overall, this is another high quality offering from a fertile mind that is soaked in the scriptures and Spirit-informed. Here is a book that can be read through all at once and also dipped into later as a Bible study aid. The end of the book is really a beginning, as it inspires you to go back to the Old Testament and read it again and again and...

God's Blueprint (220 pages) is available to purchase from Saffron Planet Publishing for £10. All three of Steve Maltz's 'God trilogy' are currently on special offer for £20 (you save £10), until 6 July 2016.

Do you want to dig deeper into the word of God? Would you like some guidance and resources to help you along the way?

In co-operation with Issachar Ministries, Prophecy Today is now offering distance learning Bible study courses with personal mentoring. These courses are designed for individuals but can also be used for small prayer and study groups.

As well as distance learning we plan to offer opportunities for group study and prayer retreats, and we are also looking into organising study tours to Israel.

Please contact us for further details.

'Teachings of the Torah' (Ed Kent Dobson, Zondervan, 283 pages, available from the publisher for £17.99)

This is extracted directly from the NIV First-Century Study Bible (reviewed last week) and, as its title suggests, is simply the first five books of the Old Testament covered in the same manner as the complete Bible. This means it is not necessary to buy it as a separate book unless you want this portion of Scripture in a more portable form.

Although the content is the same it does have some features of its own. The pages are glossier and slightly thicker, and there is a preface dedicated to the Torah. It also has a plastic wrap-around cover, with its own strap for holding it closed, giving it extra protection. And it comes in a box which makes it more presentable. The overall effect is that this would make a welcome gift.

The claim of this volume is that it weaves Jewish history with the Christian faith. This it certainly does, but of course being only the opening section of the Tanakh (Old Testament) it can only do this in a partial fashion. Perhaps it is intended as a tempter to buy the full Study Bible!

'NIV First-Century Study Bible', with notes by Kent Dobson (Zondervan, 1850 pages, £34.99, available from St Andrew's Bookshop for £31.49, also available on Amazon)

This is an amazing resource for any serious student of the Bible. It contains even more information and guidance than most already on the market. Its main claim is to be a first-century study Bible, in that it enables readers to explore Scripture in its original Jewish and early Christian context. To this end it is extremely successful.

As well as the usual charts, maps and introductions to the Biblical books, it contains several articles and word studies interspersed directly into the text. The articles are of two kinds: textual, which explain some background to the chapters nearby, and 'day in the life' articles on topics such as shepherds, family life, soldiers, farmers, and various religious groups.

The Word Studies (Hebrew and Greek) provide short but penetrating insights into key terms found in the text nearby. As usual there are explanatory footnotes, but more plentiful and informative than typically provided. At the end there are Endnotes, a Bibliography, Glossary and Concordance. It seems everything has been thought of!

This is an amazing resource for any Bible student, containing even more information and guidance than most already on the market.

Inevitably this is a large book, one for the study rather than carrying around (it weighs around 3lb 6oz, or just over 1.5kg). The pages are colourful and clearly laid out and, perhaps surprisingly, not that thin for a book of this size. They can easily be turned and there is no fear they will soon become torn or scruffy.

In a study Bible the level of scholarship is important. Here it is of a high quality and up-to-date. The notes have been provided by Kent Dobson, the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan, who has an impressive list of qualifications and credentials to back up his love of Biblical studies. His background includes time spent in Israel, where he still leads study tours, and opportunities taken to learn from both Jewish and Christian scholars.

It seems everything has been thought of – which inevitably makes for a large book, but one that is clearly laid out with pages that are not too thin.

Overall, this is a very worthwhile investment that will enhance general reading as well as more advanced studies. It is to be highly commended.

'Reading Backwards' by Richard B Hays (SPCK, 2015, 176 pages, £16.99, available from Amazon for £14.88)

Anyone interested in reading God's Word more informatively and effectively will find this a fascinating and valuable aid towards understanding an important aspect of Bible study: namely how the New Testament writers used what we now call the Old Testament. The aim of the book is to uncover the strategies the Gospel writers employed when appropriating Israel's scriptures in order to provide their readers with a fuller portrait of Jesus, a methodology that Hays describes as 'reading backwards'.

The book is based on a series of six lectures the author delivered at Cambridge University but it is very accessible rather than too academic. There are, however, useful endnotes and a full bibliography for those wanting to take these studies further. The time constraints of a lecture series means the book cannot cover such an extensive topic in the depth it deserves, but it is still long enough to contain many useful examples, and if it leaves you wanting more then it will have achieved one of its main aims.

The structure of the book is very straightforward. The introduction sets out the main points involved and emphasises what the book is and is not about. Then each Gospel is examined in turn to discover how the individual writers used Israel's scriptures in their own distinctive way. Hay discusses the strengths and weakness of each writer's approach, and explains how each contributes to the composite multi-faceted picture of Jesus that results. The conclusion provides a good summary, tying everything together in a satisfying way.

Hays uncovers the strategies used by the Gospel writers to appropriate Old Testament scriptures in relation to Jesus, each of which builds a composite, multi-faceted picture of our Saviour."

There are many ways in which this book could be useful and significant. It will help promote the importance of Hebraic roots within Christianity, and also counter the heretical view that the Old Testament is obsolete or portrays 'a different God' (a heresy known as Marcionism).

Furthermore, we can begin to appreciate that the Gospel writers are actually teaching us how to read the Old Testament more as God intended. In particular, the technique of 'reading backwards' illustrates how prophecy is to be evaluated in retrospect and that it should not always be treated as predictive. Also it is to be hoped that, via the general approach of the Gospel writers to their Scriptures and more specifically from the examples given, thoughtful readers of the New Testament might become better attuned to hear for themselves both implicit and explicit resonances from the Old Testament. Given all this, a richer Bible reading experience should be the overall result.

Clifford Denton's latest study on the Hebraic roots of Christianity turns to the tricky subject of the balance between 'law' and 'grace'.

The rift between Jews and Christians

The broken relationship between Jews and Christians has had immense consequences. Misunderstanding has often fuelled the flames of hate and aggravated the harm that has been done to God's people. There have also been consequences for the way we read the Bible, particularly since Hebraic thinking has been replaced by a Greek mindset. This has detracted from the continuity between the two Testaments and has unbalanced perspectives through the centuries.

Among the Bible themes disjointed by the ascension of Greek thinking is the relationship between law and grace, now often separated in the thinking of many Christians. The common error nowadays (despite the way some Scriptures seem to read otherwise) is to consider 'law' as completely done away with in favour of 'grace', because of the sacrifice of Jesus."

However, if we read the New Testament with a thorough grasp of its continuity with the whole of Scripture, and put it in proper historical context, the subtle relationship between law and grace takes on a clearer perspective. It was through God's grace that all His teaching (the Torah) was given to us. All the law that was revealed through Moses came through the grace of God. There is much to consider on this topic, but that is a good starting point.

Is this Judaising?

This call to flee Greek thinking and return to the Hebraic roots of the Christian faith must not be construed as 'Judaising'. 'Judaising' is the word often used to accuse those who seem to be too caught up with all things Jewish (in contemporary usage, it often carries with it a hint of anti-Semitism). Those accused seem to be overly fascinated with external forms of Jewishness that come more from tradition than from conventional Christian interpretations of the Scriptures. They are also often thought of as having a faulty understanding of law and grace.

There is a difference between Judaising - becoming overly fascinated with external forms of Jewishness - and developing a right respect of God's laws."

Paul gave plentiful warning against Judaising activity to the Galatians (eg chapter 2). However, there is a difference between Judaising and developing a right respect of God's laws. Let us now consider the situation in the First Century when the Gospel message began to move out into the Gentile world.

From Moses to Jesus

The teaching of God (Torah), considered to be founded on the first five books of the Bible, has needed practical interpretation ever since the time of Moses. Torah remains a set of written principles until interpreted into action.

An important principle was established when Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, helped Moses understand how to teach the people the way to obey the principles of Torah:

You shall teach them the statutes and the laws and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God......let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. (Ex 18:20-22)

From that time onwards, the burden of teaching was shared by the elders of Israel, comparably to the way Scripture is taught today through the ministry of teaching in the Church.

The purpose of the teaching was so that every member of the Children of Israel - every family, clan and tribe, and the entire Nation - would know how to walk out the principles of Torah. The Hebrew for 'walking out' is halakha - a practical application of Torah according to the wisdom of God (walking is also the metaphor applied to the life of faith for the Christian - see Romans 8, where Paul explores the walk in the Spirit).

By the time of Jesus, the elders whom Moses had appointed in his day had been transformed into the members of the religious authority called the Sanhedrin. In addition, schools of Rabbis had formed with different shades of interpretation of Torah. However, whilst these different Rabbinic schools were zealous to interpret Torah accurately, their walking out of God's law had become more religious duty than personal relationship with him.

Every human being is prone to legalism, feeling more comfortable with rules than relationship."

This is the main point in understanding what the term 'law' meant in Paul's day and, indeed, what it means in Judaism today. The flesh of all human beings is prone to legalism, feeling more comfortable with rules than relationship. This can be so for Christians as well as Jews, and was the reason for Paul's warnings in the New Testament. At the time when Paul taught about law and grace, law was not so much Torah (the Old Testament teaching of God in its written form) as it was the interpretation of Torah into principles of living (indeed, 'halakha' in our own day is still the term used in Judaism for legal interpretations of Torah).

It is therefore reasonable for us to suppose that when Paul talked about law, he was referring to the teaching of the Rabbis, whose method of interpreting Torah imposed binding rules on their disciples rather than encouraging a personal walk with the God of Israel. This close relationship had been understood by their own Prophet Micah, when he wrote:

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Mic 6:8)

Torah and Halakhah correctly interpreted

Torah, the teaching of God brought through Moses, is subject to interpretation and application. It becomes the legalism against which we are warned when wrongly interpreted as obligations of the flesh, and sometimes even into rules made by men (Col 2:22).

God's law becomes legalism when it is wrongly interpreted as obligations of the flesh, rather than a living walk with him."

By contrast, the New Covenant was the means by which Almighty God sent his Spirit to us to write the Torah on our hearts (Jer 31:33) and mobilise our walk with him (halakha) in a new and living way. Understanding the subtlety of this helps us to rebalance our view of Paul's teaching and to reconsider the balance of law and grace in the whole of Scripture.

Law as a Protector

If the Law of God is considered to be replaced by the grace of God, this not only impacts individual understandings but so the stability of entire societies.

God's law works to protect and guide human beings who are not able to live by the inner workings of the Holy Spirit. Nations such as Britain, which have been impacted by the Gospel message over many centuries, have long been stabilized through biblical laws on their statute books. In Britain we can go back at least as far as King Alfred to trace the influence of biblical principles of law.

Consider this quotation from Sir Francis Palgrave's 'History of the Anglo Saxons'¹ (emphases added):

The third and chief principle which actuated Alfred, was his endeavour to impart the spirit of the law of God to the temporal legislation of his kingdom. Alfred's statutes are prefaced by the Decalogue, to which is added a selection from the Mosaic precepts, and the canons of the first Apostolic council. "Do these", he continues, "and if these commands be obeyed, no other doom-book will be required." We commonly say that Christianity is a part of the law of the land. Alfred had a clearer perception of the station which religion should possess in a Christian commonwealth. He would have wished to render Christianity the law itself. The necessity for any human law exists solely in proportion to our neglect of the Divine law; and if we were enabled to write the law on our hearts, nothing whatever would be left for human legislation to perform.

Do you see what the author had detected in a balanced understanding of law to be applied to a nation? It is instructive to note that Palgrave (1788 -1861) was born into a Jewish family and converted to Christianity, which adds special emphasis to this insight into the history of the British Nation, especially in the context of our study of law and grace.

For Study and Prayer

Consider the biblical principles of Torah and halakha in relation to what a Christian should understand by the word law.

Next time: We will continue to consider the balance of law and grace.

These studies are developed from the course Christianity's Relationship with Israel and the Jews, first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.

References

1 p114, The Collected Historical Works of Sir Francis Palgrave, Vol 5: The History of the Anglo-Saxons, 1921 [2013]. R. H. I Palgrave (Ed), Cambridge, CUP.

Our Scriptures were first given in a world that was very different from today. To understand the Scriptures, we need to place them in their proper context and study the world in those days, particularly in and around the nation of Israel.

The Bible emerged over several thousands of years that witnessed the rise and fall of several ancient Empires. This is heritage of our faith, and the background of Jesus and the first Christians. Understanding it helps us to be properly grafted into the olive tree (Rom 11). It is the legacy of our people: the land, language and culture moulded by the teaching of the One True God. On account of the call of Abraham, we call this culture Hebraic.

Why are language and culture important?

The Scriptures are not just words and ideas that lead to philosophy; they deal with matters of the heart and the way people live out their lives.

No other language is quite like Hebrew, because Almighty God brought his teaching to his people through this language. In this sense, through the language and the teaching transmitted through it, Almighty God cultivated a people for himself. We identify this as Hebraic culture.

"No other language is quite like Hebrew, through which Almight God brought his teaching to his people."

Which God?

It has been said that language is 90% of culture, and this is in accord with all we have said so far. The focus of our attention, when we consider the world of the Bible, is the Middle East, the nations around the Fertile Plain and the Mediterranean basin. These nations were distinguished by their different languages, many of which had the same Semitic root. This led to some cultural overlap in the Middle East.

Beyond the influence ofStatues of Canaanite gods language, however, is the influence of the religions and gods of these different nations. Archaeology confirms the multitude of these gods from the statues and inscriptions that have been found, and we can see how the culture of the nations was framed by their beliefs and religious practices.

Israel was the only nation in the ancient world that knew the One True God. Abraham, the father of the Hebrews, was called out of the worldly system of Ur of the Chaldees. He learned to live by faith in God, becoming a pilgrim and stranger in a world of false gods. This principle framed the culture of the Nation of Israel in a unique way. Only Israel had direct teaching from God who revealed himself first as Yahweh (YHWH) and later fully revealed himself through Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah.

He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. (Psa 147:19-20)

Despite (perhaps because of) their constant failures, the Nation of Israel in the wilderness years and in the Land of Israel thereafter are included in our Bible to teach us important truths. With the Scriptures as our reference and the history of Israel as our witness, and with the other nations of the biblical world as a contrast, we can begin to understand the unique and distinct character of a people under the One True God.

Resources for Study

The walls of Jericho

For students of the Bible, learning about the historical and geographical context of Scripture can be invaluable. Today, this is a relatively easy task: archeological sites have been opened in all the major countries mentioned in the Bible. Many sites can be visited, museums hold examples of what has been discovered and many relevant books and DVDs are available.

Not all of these resources are expensive and, where possible, a student of the Bible should acquire a small library, especially of books that have good illustrations. Illustrations give invaluable insights to enhance written descriptions of the world of the Bible and of the cultural background from which the Christian faith emerged.

They enable us to see at a glance the clothes that were worn in Bible times, features of the outdoor lifestyle of Abraham’s day, the styles of houses and the Bedouin tents, routines of home life, festivals and ceremonies of life such as birth and marriage, education, healthcare, the farming life, the crafts, means of travel and so on.

The prominent nations and Empires should be studied, including Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome, and the Bible should be read in parallel so that what is studied can be put into a biblical context.

Finding similar examples today

Despite dramatic technological changes and advances in communication, we can still find examples today of cultures that remind us of the biblical world, particularly where lifestyle is simple, mainly outdoors, reliant on manual labour and devoid of the inventions of the modern era.

There are still areas of the world where water is obtained from wells, where there is no electricity or flush toilets, where pottery is baked in the village and bricks are home made, where cloth is spun and where the land is farmed according to ancient traditions. Such areas of the world give us a present day glimpse into the days of the Bible.

"Unless we develop a mindset that places our Bible readings into the ancient cultures from which they came, we will filter what we read overmuch through our experience of the modern world."

What do we gain?

Library at the Western Wall of Jerusalem

As we begin the study of the world of the Bible, at the heart of our efforts, through all the contrasts, will emerge a picture of God’s own people throughout the generations: a picture of Yahweh developing a Hebraic character in his people.

The purpose of studying these things is to understand more deeply the heritage from which the Christian Church came, that we might be properly rooted into the family of the olive tree (Rom 11) and not left to filter our understanding through some other culture ruled by alien spiritual powers.

It doesn’t take much serious Bible study to understand that Israel was chosen by Almighty God to be his Covenant Nation. But what should our relationship with Israel be? Clifford Denton opens up a new study series...

The Tanakh (Old Testament) bears witness to Israel's chosen status, and follows its history through all of its phases. When the Nation was divided after the time of King Solomon (2 Chron 10), and following the exile of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17), Judah, just one of the Twelve Tribes, came into prominence.

Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) came from this Tribe of Judah, and thus from the background of both Israel and Judah. When the Gospel went out across the whole world, Gentiles were called by faith into the Covenant family.

Parting of the Ways

For nearly 2000 years, since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the Jews have been dispersed across the world, but have not lost their national identity. Meanwhile, however, various Christian theologies have emerged which have re-positioned the Christian Church as a distinct entity from the Jewish world, severing links between them.

The faith of Jesus and the Apostles was solidly based on the Hebrew Scriptures and Second Temple Judaism. Earliest Christianity was one among the many Judaisms of the first century. Neither Jesus nor the apostles attempted to break away from their heritage and form a new, different, religion. Indeed, the break of the Church from its true roots has had immense consequences, as we shall see in future studies.

"Neither Jesus nor his apostles attempted to break away from their heritage and form a new, different, religion."

The end of the 20th Century and beginning of the 21st have marked a new era of re-discovery. Israel has become a territorial nation again and so Christianity’s roots are being re-assessed. Was the break from the Jewish world unnecessary? If so, in what way is the Church linked to Israel and the Jews?

It is the purpose of this study series to explore this issue, considering some of the reasons for the break and opening up the agenda for re-considering the relationship between Christians and the Jewish world.

Many Topics to Consider

The list of topics to study on this subject is wide-ranging. They include aspects of history, theology, inter-faith dialogue, Hebrew background to Scripture, Judaism through history, the history and consequences of anti-Semitism, the Jewish background to the times of Jesus and the Apostles, and the relevance of Christianity’s Hebraic heritage to family and community life.

God has preserved the Jewish people despite the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and all the pogroms, anti-Semitism and even the Holocaust of recent history. God has been faithful to his Covenant promises, and biblical prophecies relating to Israel and the Tribe of Judah are being fulfilled before us today.

Now more than ever, we have both the need and the opportunity for Christianity to restore its true roots.

The Church was never intended to divorce itself from its roots, which go down deep into the biblical soil of Israel’s history and formative influences on its culture.

Return to Roots

In our weekly studies, the intention is to open out foundational issues relating to the restoration of the Christian Church to its true roots.

The departure of the Church from these roots has had serious consequences over the years. One is that distance has grown between Christians and Jews, so much so that, whether by default or design, Christians have contributed to the anguish of Jews over the centuries. One consequence of the Christian Church restoring its true roots is that Jewish/Christian relationships will be strengthened again. This is not the only reason for this course of study but it could be a major fruit.

When we study the separation of the Church from the Synagogue and enter into the issue of Jewish/Christian relations, many will find that their old assumptions and pre-conceptions suddenly need to be reconsidered.

For some it is a wake-up call, for others a prompt to repentance, but chiefly it is an opportunity to go forward more securely to the time of the Messiah’s return, conscious of our place in the Olive Tree of Romans 11 and the One New Man of Ephesians 2.

Next week we will look more fully at the metaphor of the Olive Tree.

For study and discussion: read Romans 11 and consider ways in which the Christian Church might be better identified with Israel.

These studies are developed from the course 'Christianity’s Relationship with Israel and the Jews', first prepared for Tishrei Bible School.