Old Testament Summary: A Complete Animated Overview

Summary

This script explores the structure and significance of the Old Testament within Christian and Jewish traditions. It discusses the division into the Pentateuch, historical, poetic, and prophetic books, and contrasts this with the Jewish TaNaKh's Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. The video delves into the historical compilation of these texts, the influence of prophetic scribes, and the overarching narrative of God's covenant with humanity, culminating in the promise of a new human figure and the anticipation of a messianic figure to restore God's kingdom.

Takeaways

• 📜 The Old Testament is a later Christian tradition that groups 39 smaller works into four main sections: Pentateuch, historical books, poetic books, and books of the prophets.
• 🔤 The Hebrew Bible, known as the TaNaK, is divided into three parts: Torah (instruction), Nevi'im (prophets), and Ketuvim (writings), reflecting an older tradition.
• 🤔 The arrangement of the Old Testament books is a result of a long process involving many contributors, both named and anonymous, guided by God's Spirit.
• 🌏 The Torah begins with creation and the divine appointment of humanity to steward the world, but humanity's rebellion leads to a fall and a cycle of defining good and evil.
• 🐍 A key narrative conflict is set up between God's intention to bless the world through humanity and humanity's susceptibility to evil influences.
• 👶 God's promise of a new kind of human, who will not succumb to evil, is central to the biblical narrative, with Abraham and Sarah as pivotal figures.
• 🏺 The story of Abraham's family, marked by dysfunction and failure, serves as a backdrop for God's enduring commitment and the covenant promise.
• 📜 The Nevi'im recounts Israel's history in the Promised Land, highlighting the failures of its leaders and the hope for a future king from David's line.
• 📖 The Ketuvim includes diverse texts like Psalms and wisdom literature, which further develop key themes and offer guidance and reflection for God's people.
• 🌟 The TaNaK concludes with a hopeful anticipation of a future return from exile and the arrival of a divinely-appointed ruler who will restore God's blessing to the world.

Q & A

What is the Old Testament and how is it organized in a Protestant Christian Bible?

The Old Testament is the first three quarters of the Protestant Christian Bible, organized into 39 smaller works grouped into four main sections: the Pentateuch, historical books, poetic books, and books of the prophets.

How does the Jewish tradition's organization of the Old Testament differ from the Christian one?

In Jewish tradition, the Old Testament is organized into a three-part collection called TaNaK, which stands for Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim, corresponding to instruction, prophets, and writings, respectively.

What is the significance of the TaNaK's three-part design?

The TaNaK's three-part design is significant as it is an ancient structure that is woven into the compositional design of the scrolls themselves, with cross-references linking each work into the larger collection.

Who are the contributors to the TaNaK, and how were the scrolls compiled?

The contributors to the TaNaK include named figures like Moses and David, but most are anonymous and referred to as 'Scribes' or 'the Prophets'. The scrolls were compiled over time by prophetic scribes who collected, integrated, and shaped the material into the unified library of scrolls.

What is the central theme of the Torah, the first part of the TaNaK?

The central theme of the Torah is God's creation of the world and entrustment to humanity, with a focus on whether humans will trust God's wisdom or seek autonomy, leading to a series of failures and the need for a new kind of human.

How does the story of Abraham and Sarah fit into the narrative of the Old Testament?

Abraham and Sarah are entrusted with the divine blessing given to humanity, and their story traces the promise lineage, which is central to the narrative of the Old Testament.

What is the role of Moses in the Torah, and how does he relate to the covenant?

Moses is a central figure in the Torah, raised by God to rescue the Israelites and bring them into a covenant relationship, where they are given guidelines to become new kinds of humans who represent God faithfully.

What is the significance of the Nevi'im in the TaNaK, and how does it continue the story from the Torah?

The Nevi'im continues the story from the Torah by focusing on the failures and hopes of Israel, with a particular emphasis on the promise of a new king from the line of David who will restore God's blessing to the world.

How do the Ketuvim, the final sub-collection of the TaNaK, contribute to the overall narrative?

The Ketuvim contributes to the narrative by linking back into key themes from the Torah and the Prophets and developing them further, offering a tapestry of cross-references and insights into living wisely in God's world.

What is the overall message of the TaNaK, and how does it provide hope for the future?

The overall message of the TaNaK is God's covenant promise to Israel and all humanity, offering a divine word of wisdom and future hope. It tells a unified story about God's purposes to rescue the world, with the hope of an ultimate return from exile and the arrival of a new, divinely empowered ruler.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Structure and Significance of the Old Testament

This paragraph introduces the Old Testament, emphasizing its composition of 39 smaller works divided into four sections: the Pentateuch, historical books, poetic books, and the books of the prophets. It highlights the Christian tradition of compiling these into a single volume, contrasting with the ancient Jewish TaNaKh, which categorizes the texts into 'Torah', 'Nevi'im', and 'Ketuvim'. The paragraph delves into the historical development of these texts, from individual scrolls to a unified collection, and discusses the role of prophetic scribes in shaping the TaNaKh. It also touches on the divine inspiration behind the texts and their purpose as a prophetic interpretation of Israel's history, aiming to reveal God's plan for humanity.

05:05

🔱 The Covenant, Moses, and the Israelites' Journey

Paragraph 2 explores the narrative of the Israelites, focusing on the covenant God made with Abraham and the role of Moses in leading the Israelites. It discusses the 613 commandments given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai and the significance of Moses as a prophet, priest, and leader. The paragraph also details the Israelites' failures and the eventual exile in Babylon, setting the stage for God's promised redemption. It transitions into the Nevi'im, discussing the former and latter prophets, their role in accusing Israel of corruption, and the anticipation of a new king from David's line who would restore God's blessing. The paragraph concludes with a look at the Ketuvim, highlighting the Psalms and their role in teaching prayer and the wisdom books that grapple with the complexities of living faithfully.

10:08

🌳 The Psalms, Wisdom Literature, and the Hope of Restoration

The final paragraph delves into the Ketuvim, emphasizing the Psalms' role in guiding prayer and the wisdom literature's exploration of faith and obedience. It discusses the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job, which offer different perspectives on living wisely. The paragraph also highlights the book of Daniel as a door of hope, looking forward to the arrival of a new, divine human figure. It concludes with the book of Chronicles, which retells Israel's story with an emphasis on the promise of a future king who will restore Jerusalem and bring God's blessing to all nations. The paragraph encapsulates the TaNaKh as a collection of texts that weave together Israel's history and God's covenant promises, offering wisdom and hope for the future.

Keywords

💡Old Testament

The 'Old Testament' refers to the first part of the Christian Bible, which contains the sacred scriptures of Judaism. In the video, it is noted that the Old Testament is a collection of 39 smaller works grouped into four sections: the Pentateuch, historical books, poetic books, and the books of the prophets. This collection is a later Christian tradition and differs from the Jewish TaNaKh in arrangement, highlighting the historical and religious significance of these texts.

💡TaNaKh

The 'TaNaKh' is a Hebrew acronym for 'Torah,' 'Nevi'im,' and 'Ketuvim,' which are the three parts of the Hebrew Bible. The video explains that the TaNaKh is an ancient Jewish tradition where these works were on separate scrolls, contrasting with the later Christian tradition of the Old Testament. The TaNaKh is central to understanding the video's theme of how sacred texts are organized and interpreted differently across traditions.

💡Pentateuch

The 'Pentateuch' is the first section of the Old Testament, also known as the 'Torah' in Jewish tradition. It consists of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The video mentions that the Pentateuch corresponds to the 'Torah' in the TaNaKh, emphasizing the foundational role of these texts in both Christian and Jewish religious narratives.

💡Prophets

In the context of the video, 'Prophets' refers to the books in the Old Testament and the TaNaKh that contain the words of Israel's prophets. These books are divided into 'former prophets,' which include narrative works, and 'latter prophets,' which are books named after specific prophets. The video discusses how these prophetic texts offer a critical perspective on Israel's history and a message of hope for a future redemption.

💡Writings

The 'Writings' is the last section of the TaNaKh and the Old Testament, containing a diverse collection of texts, including Psalms, Proverbs, and Job. The video highlights the 'Writings' as a collection that enriches the narrative with poetic and wisdom literature, providing a deeper understanding of the human condition and the divine.

💡Covenant

A 'covenant' in the video refers to the binding agreements between God and humanity, particularly the people of Israel. The concept is central to the narrative of the Torah, where God makes eternal promises to rescue and bless humanity. The video uses the term to illustrate the ongoing relationship and the promises of God throughout Israel's history.

💡Prophetic Scribes

The 'Prophetic Scribes' mentioned in the video are the anonymous authors who compiled and edited the texts of the TaNaKh. They are depicted as believing that God's Spirit guided their work, shaping the stories and prophecies into a unified collection. This term is crucial for understanding the video's message about the divine inspiration behind the compilation of sacred texts.

💡Exile

In the video, 'Exile' refers to the historical periods when the people of Israel were forcibly removed from their land, particularly the Babylonian exile. The term is used to illustrate the recurring theme of God's people facing dispersion and the promise of a future restoration, which is a central aspect of the prophetic message in the TaNaKh.

💡New Covenant

The 'New Covenant' is a theological concept in the video that looks forward to a future time when God will establish a new relationship with humanity, different from the old covenant made with Moses. It is a key element in the prophetic hope for a new era of blessing and reconciliation, as discussed in the latter prophets and the 'Writings.'

💡Davidic Covenant

The 'Davidic Covenant' is a specific promise from God to King David, mentioned in the video as a pivotal part of Israel's hope for a future king who will restore God's reign and bless the nations. This covenant is a recurring theme in the prophetic books and is tied to the expectation of a messiah from David's line, illustrating the video's theme of hope and fulfillment.

💡Wisdom Literature

In the video, 'Wisdom Literature' encompasses texts like Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job from the 'Writings' section. These books offer reflections on life, ethics, and the nature of existence, often questioning and exploring the complexities of living faithfully. The term is used to highlight the diversity of perspectives within the TaNaKh and the depth of spiritual and philosophical inquiry.

Highlights

The Old Testament is composed of 39 smaller works grouped into four main sections: Pentateuch, historical books, poetic books, and books of the prophets.

The arrangement of the Old Testament is a later Christian tradition that developed after Jesus and the apostles.

Ancient Jewish tradition viewed these works as a three-part collection called TaNaK, an acronym for 'Torah', 'Nevi'im', and 'Ketuvim'.

The TaNaK corresponds to the Old Testament but with a different arrangement, reflecting an older tradition.

The 'Torah' section corresponds to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The 'Nevi'im' section includes historical narrative books and works named after specific prophets.

The 'Ketuvim' section is a diverse collection of poetic and narrative texts.

The 3-part design of TaNaK is referenced in ancient Jewish texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Wisdom of Ben Sirach.

Jesus of Nazareth mentioned the 3-part shape of the TaNaK, indicating its significance in his time.

The scrolls of the TaNaK are coordinated through cross-references, linking each work into the larger collection.

The process of compiling the TaNaK was a long one, with contributions from named figures like Moses and David, as well as anonymous scribes.

The prophetic scribes believed that God's Spirit guided the compilation of the TaNaK.

The Torah begins with the creation of the world and the entrustment of humanity with its stewardship.

The story of the Torah involves a conflict between God's intention for humanity and the influence of evil.

God's solution to the problem of humanity's rebellion is the promise of a new kind of human, as mentioned in the Torah.

The narrative of Abraham and Sarah's lineage is central to the Torah, with a focus on God's covenant promise.

The story of Moses is pivotal, as he leads the Israelites out of Egypt and into a covenant relationship with God.

The Nevi'im section includes narratives about Israel's history in the Promised Land and the failures of its leaders.

The Ketuvim section is a collection of diverse texts that develop key themes from the Torah and the Prophets.

The TaNaK concludes with a hope for an ultimate return from exile and the arrival of a divinely-appointed ruler.

Transcripts

If you open a Protestant Christian Bible and look at the table of contents,

you will notice the first three quarters is a collection called the Old Testament.

If you look at the list of books, you will see it is made up of 39 smaller works that are grouped into four main sections.

The first five are called the Pentateuch,

followed by the historical books,

then the poetic books and finally the books of the prophets.

Now, that seems simple enough but actually it is more complicated and way more interesting.

This arrangement of the books in a single volume called the Old Testament

is a later Christian tradition that develop after Jesus and the apostles.

In ancient Jewish tradition these works were all on separated scrolls

and were conceived of as a unified three part collection called TaNaK.

It is a Hebrew acronym for "Torah" which means "instruction",

"Nevi'im" which means "prophets",

and "Ketuvim" which means "writings".

The TaNaKh has the same books as the Protestant Old Testament but they are arranged differently.

The "Torah" corresponds to the Pentateuch.

But the "prophets" consist of four historical narrative books

and then the 15 works named after specific prophets.

After this comes the "writings", a diverse collection of poetic and narrative texts.

This 3-part design is really, really old.

It is referred to in ancient Jewish texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Wisdom of Ben Sirach.

Even Jesus of Nazareth mentioned it

That is because this 3-part shape is woven into the compositional design of the scrolls themselves.

If you pay attention, you will discover that every scroll has been coordinated by means of cross references

that link each work into the larger 3-part collection.

So, who put all these scrolls together?

it was a long process.

Some of the famous contributors are named, like Moses or David.

But most of the authors remain anonymous.

In the Bible, they are simply called "Scribes" or "the Prophets".

These scrolls took shape throughout Israel's history as generations of prophetic scribes collected earlier stories and poems,

integrated them into larger compositions,

and then eventually shaped all of this material into the unified library of scrolls, the "TaNaKh".

It is clear from texts in the Psalms and Prophets

that these prophetic scribes believed that God's Spirit was guiding this whole process

so that through these human words, God speaks to his people.

That is why they treasured these texts, studying and composing them into a unified collection.

We do not know when precisely this process was finished,

but it was somewhere in the last centuries before the time of Jesus.

In its final shape, the TaNaKh offers a prophetic interpretation of Israel's history

that claims to reveal God's purposes to rescue the whole world.

While we cannot do justice to the whole collection in one video,

it is helpful to get an overview what these scrolls are all about.

The Torah begins with God creating and blessing a great piece of real estate: our very good world.

God entrusts it to a creature that reflects the divine image: human.

Or, in Hebrew, "Adam".

God appoints humanity to rule the world as kings and queens of creation.

The question is whether they will trust God's wisdom to discern good and evil

or seize autonomy and define good and evil for themselves.

But there is another creature with the humans: a mysterious snake.

It is in rebellion against the Creator.

And it dupes the humans to foolishly rebel against God's generosity.

As a result, humanity is separated from its divine source of life

and exiled from a garden of blessing to die in a dangerous wilderness.

From there, humanity keeps spreading and redefining good and evil.

And things go downhill fast.

They build cities plagued by violence and oppression,

all leading to the foundation of a city called Babylon

where people exalt themselves to the place of God.

Now the basic plot conflict of the whole Bible is set.

God wants to bless his world and rule it through humans.

But now, humans are the problem.

They are under the influence of evil.

They are stupid and short-sighted and headed for self-destruction.

This is all a setup for God's solution:

We need a new kind of human.

So God promises that a new human will come who won't give into the snake.

In fact, he will crush it and will be crushed by it.

From here, the story traces the promise lineage to a man and woman: Abraham and Sarah.

God entrusts them with the same divine blessing given to humanity on page 1.

So they leave Babylon to a new garden-like land that God promises to give his family.

What follows is a story of Abraham's family.

Three generations: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, followed by 12 sons.

Our hopes are high, until we read their very dysfunctional and destructive family story.

They lie, cheat, nearly kill each other, not to mention the sex scandals.

But, what did you expect after the garden story?

They are human.

Eventually, Abraham's family ends up exiled down in Egypt.

All these failures of Abraham's family form a dark background for the handful of bright moments in the story.

God stays committed to these people.

He even makes them an eternal promise called a "covenant"

that he will rescue and bless all humanity through them.

How exactly is not clear.

But Abraham's family is at its best when they stop their selfish scheming

and trust God's promise with radical faith.

From here, the family grows.

They end up enslaved in Egypt.

And we are introduced to the Torah's other main character, Moses.

God raises him up to rescue the Israelites and bring them to a mountain

where they are all invited into a covenant relationship with God

They are given 613 terms of the relationship,

guidelines for becoming new kinds of humans who will faithfully represent God to the world.

Moses brokers this whole deal because he is awesome.

He is the ultimate prophet who speaks God's word to Israel.

He is a priest who represents them before God and he is even called a king,

Israel's leader and deliverer in time of need.

But as the Torah progresses, the Israelites fail, big time.

They violate the covenant and even Moses rebels against God.

In fact, the Torah ends with Moses predicting that Israel's failure will continue

as they go back into the Promised Land.

And they are going to end up in exile once again.

But, he has hope that God will fulfill his promise to rescue Israel.

One day he will cover for their failures, he will heal their selfish hearts so they can truly love God and live.

And then, Moses dies.

The final sentences of the Torah scroll are surprising.

They zoom forward in time and we hear from the prophetic scribes who shape the TaNaK.

They reflect back on the story of Moses from their vantage point.

They tell us that never again in Israel's history did a prophet like Moses arise.

Man, I wish another prophet-priest-king like him would come along.

With that, we move into the Nevi'im.

It has two sub-collections.

First, the former prophets.

Four narrative works about Israel's story in the Promised Land,

told from the later perspective of the prophet.

Things start great with Joshua's leadership.

We are told he is successful because he is just like Moses.

And, he meditates on Scripture day and night.

But, eventually, even Joshua fails

beginning Israel's long and violent descent into self destruction,

just like Moses and the garden story anticipated.

These stories mostly focus on the failure of Israel's kings, prophets and priests,

how they lie, cheat, kill each other and worship idols.

It is basically a longer, bloodier replay of the ancestors' failures.

But there are some bright spots.

God reaffirms his covenant promise to bless humanity through a new human.

It will be a king from the line of David.

You get some stories about people like David or Solomon

who have moments like Abraham when they trust God

But it never lasts.

Wouldn't you know it, the family of Abraham ends up right where they began,

conquered and exiled in Babylon.

But remember, this whole story is being told from the later perspective of the prophet.

They know exile is not the end.

So they design these stories of Israel's past as pointers to their future hope.

When God does rescue his people out of Babylon,

he will send that new king who will be like Moses and David and Solomon were on their good days.

In fact, this is what the second part of the Nevi'im, the latter prophet, is all about.

There are 3 large and 12 short works connected to specific prophets.

This design intentionally recalls the 3 plus 12 ancestors from Genesis

whose stories of failure contained the seeds of hope.

These prophetic scrolls are loaded with cross references

that link back into the narrative of the Torah and the Prophets and they carry the story further.

The job of lsrael's prophets was to be like Moses,

to accuse the old Israel of failure and corruption,

and to warn them about the looming result: the great Day of the Lord,

which ended with defeat and exile in Babylon.

But the prophets also promised that God had a purpose:

to purify his people and recreate a new Israel who would be faithful like Abraham was.

They will live in a new covenant relationship with God under the reign of that promised ruler

who is described as a new Moses but called by the name, David.

He will be the one to restore God's blessing to the entire world.

The conclusion of the Nevi'im is just like the Torah.

There is a note from the TaNaK's prophetic scribes.

They reflect back over the whole story so far.

They urge readers to anticipate the arrival of a new Moses-like prophet who they call "Elijah".

He will announce the arrival of Israel's God to purify and save his people.

From here, we move into the TaNaKh's third and final sub-collection, the Ketuvim, a diverse collection of scrolls.

Each one has been designed to link back into the key themes from the Torah and the Prophets

and develop them further through an elaborate tapestry of cross references.

For example, the Psalms scroll is introduced by two poems that are coordinated to the beginning of the Torah and the Prophets.

In the first Psalm, we meet the Righteous One who is described as a new Joshua,

a successful leader who meditates on the Scriptures.

He is like the king promised by Moses.

And he is like the eternal tree of life in the Garden of Eden.

Psalm 2 then identifies this figure: it is the promised king, the son of God from the line of David

who is going to defeat evil among the nations and restore God's blessing to the world.

The rest of the Psalms scroll teaches God's people how to pray as they wait for this future hope.

Then there are the wisdom scrolls that address some of the most difficult questions raised by the story of the Torah and the Prophets.

So Proverbs sounds like Moses in the Torah:

trust in God, be faithful and obedient, and you will have peace and success.

But then, Ecclesiastes and Job reflect back on Israel's complicated history and say,

"Yeah, we tried that, and it is not that simple."

These three books carry on a profound conversation

about what it means to live wisely in God's good and often confusing world.

Two of the last books of the TaNaKh to be written make a crucial contribution.

The Daniel scroll looks back over the long history of Israel's failure and suffering

as a strange door of hope into a new future for the world.

One day, that new human promised in the Torah and the Prophets will arrive.

He is going to be trampled by humanity's animal-like inclinations towards evil.

But then God will vindicate him and raise him up to rule the world in divine power.

Finally, the scroll of Chronicles retells the entire story of the TaNaKh, from the beginning up to Israel's return from exile.

The author focuses on God's promise to David of a future king

who will reunite God's people in a new Jerusalem and bring divine blessing to the nations.

The final lines of the Chronicles scroll have been coordinated with key texts from all over the TaNaKh.

They keep alive the hope of an ultimate return from exile,

pointing to the arrival of an Israelite whose God is with him

that he may go up and restore the new Jerusalem.

That is how the story ends.

The TaNaKh is a majestically and intentionally designed collection of ancient Hebrew scrolls.

These diverse texts from all periods of Israel's history have been woven together as a unified story

about God's covenant promise to Israel and to all humanity.

They were made for a lifetime's worth of reading and reflection

as these remarkable human words offer a divine word of wisdom and future hope that still speaks today.