Thesis 4 - Election Theology

Click to Download - Election Theology.PDF
Statement: It is sometimes said that the `election theology' of Israel (Ex 19:3-8; Dt 7:6; Am 3:1-2)    makes it an inward-looking religion. This does not do justice to the various strands that are  

   found in the Pentateuch (e.g., Gn 12:1-3). 

Israel consciously reflected on its place and role 

in the    community of nations. The prophetical 

writers of the Pentateuch retrojected their views 

on God    and the human being, on the origin of 

sin and of evil into the Primeval History (Gn 1-11). The ancient Sumero-Akkadian myths which were adopted and adapted by the Biblical authors present a  marked difference in their theology and anthropology in comparison with the biblical narratives.   
 However, it is not without problems to call Israelite myths monotheistic.

This thesis mainly focusses on...

i)     Election theology

ii)   Israelite role in the community of nations.

iii) The retrojection of Israels views on  - God – human being – origin of sin and evil into primeaval history.

iv) The problem of calling Israelite myths monotheistic

  By YOU all the nations shall be blessed. Therefore it is an outward looking religion – This is    what we try to prove.

1.      It is sometimes said that the `election theology' of Israel (Ex 19:3-8; Dt 7:6; Am 3:1-2) makes it an     inward-looking religion.

The four traditions of the Pentateuch J E D P caution us not to generalize and speak of an OT theology and make us realize that there are various theologies in it. Considering the 4 various traditions of Pentateuch we can say that they tell us that Yahweh, the God of Israel has a Universal plan of salvation for all nations.

·         It’s the Deuteronomistic religious conviction that God chose Israel out of all nations and made of them a special people, close to his heart. He called Israel his Segulla i.e. those who are precious to him.

·         The new relationship is termed as covenant. The covenant made at Sinai was the decisive step in the creation of Israel as a people/nation.

·         Ex 19, 3-8 talks of the Sinai covenant which God made with Moses and Israel. God said, “If you obey my voice and keep my covenant you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples”.

·         Similarly in Dt 7,6 it is said “The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples of the earth to be his people his treasured possession.”

·         In Amos 3,1.2 the Lord says, “Brought you out of Egypt….you only have I known of all the families of the earth.”

And this special choice or election of God seemed to have implications:

i)                    An Isolation from the rest (i.e from the other nations)

ii)                  Ban-Holy war+devoted to destruction:Hostility towards both inside and outside the promised land.

 Two kinds of Ban:

            Outside the promised land and Inside the Promised Land. Dt 20: 10ff

·         Deut 20: the enemies who are outside promise land-kill only the male and the enemies who are inside promise land-kill everyone.

·         Theology behind this: God has chosen Israel exclusively and given the land exclusively.

·         This Deuteronomic theology was merely a wishful thinking born at the time of Jossiah in the face of the waning (declining) Assyria. Suffering, made them inward looking, though the Ban was never exercised.

2.         This does not do justice to the various strands that are found in the Pentateuch ( Gn 12:1-3).

·         Gn 12:1-3:  By you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Therefore it is outward looking religion.

·         Israel is not chosen to receive blessings only for itself rather it is called to be channel of blessings to all of humankind.

·         To understand this we need to have a closer look at the four traditions that make up the Pentateuch- JEDP.

i). Jahwist tradition: 10 C BCE. This was written during the Golden Age. ‘Universalism’ of salvation is one of its main motifs. We see this in the second story’s emphasis on the human person; and thus broad human concerns. Also eg:

·            Gen 12, 1-3 ‘God tells Abraham that in him all families will be blessed’. Ancestors of Moabites and Ammorites, Philistines and the people of Sodom and Gomorrah were blessed by Abraham.

·            Gen 26:4 : Through Issac to Abhimalech ( King of Philitines) and Ishmaelites.

·           Gen 28:14: Through Jacob,Medianites( Laban ) and Armanians are blessed.

·            Gen 39: 5  : through Joseph, Egyptians are blessed.

              ii). Elohist tradition: 9BCE. The context here was religious syncretism.

·         There was a crisis of faith in        Yahweh. Elijah was the prophet who says “If YHWH is God follow him, If Baal is God follow him.           Why are you limping between the two?” But here too we find traces of universalism.

·         Eg: Joseph comes            to save the Egyptians i.e all peoples.( We find traces of universalism in this fragmentary tradition.)

·         Gen 20: 7-17:  Abraham intercedes for Abhimalech and his house hold. God hears his prayer and heals him.

·         Joseph: Gen 50: 19-20: Don’t be afraid. God can turn evil to good…..as he has delivered numerous people ( referring to Egyptians)

We see in the E Israel is called upon to share with other people the blessings it has received from YHWH.

            iii). Priestly Tradition:

·         This tradition emerged in the 6BCE during the dark age of the people in exile in Babylon.

·         They had lost land, temple and wondered whether even God would (have) desert them.        Therefore their writing portrayed narrow nationalism yet there are traces of universalism.

·         Eg:

·         A monotheistic God as seen in the first creation account implies a God for all people. (Universalism of          Salvation.

·         Gen 1: 24: Creation of human beings in the image and likeness of God (blessing for all).

·         Cosmic covenant with Noah and Cosmic Sin flows.

        iv). Deuteronomy tradition:

·         Here the context was ‘Nationalism’.

·         That is One God, One People, and One Nation.

·         Importance is given to covenant and Election.

·         Therefore the election theology of Israel is a Duteronomistic religious conviction influenced by Sitz- im –Laben. That is nationalism. From this perspective of One God – One People –One Nation – Israel(religious)

·         This may appear to be an inward looking religion. But other strands(JEP) provide and outward/ universalistic theology.

           But here too there are universalistic traditions

eg: Deut 10,19 says “You shall also love the stranger for you were a stranger in the land of Egypt.”

           Therefore though on one hand ‘Election Theology’ of Israel seems to be inward looking, it also clearly tends towards salvation of all. (Inward looking theology. (Yet consideration for others is found).

3.                     Israel  consciously reflected on its place and role in the community of nations.

       Israel’s turbulent history and especially the experience of the exile in Babylon for 50 years from 587 B    CE made them reflect on their place among other nations and also their relationship with God.

Has our God abandoned us…?

·         Israel is not chosen because of its own sake but to become a blessing to all the nations, which we see in Gen 12. This role of Israel in the community of nations has never been lost sight of. ( YHWH blesses nations through Abraham).

·         The election of Israel made by YHWH is an act o f love (Deut 7:3) and not because of the greatness of Israel.

4.      The prophetical writers of the Pentateuch retrojected their views on God and the human being, on the origin of sin and of evil into the Primeval History (Gn 1-11).

·         Book of Geneis exposes ‘Primeval History’ and it is the result of retrojection.

·         Genesis is an attempt to articulate their past basing themselves on their current history and life-style.

·         The primeaval history gives the Israelites an idea of God – human being- origin of sin and evil.

            The biblical authors have taken over the ancient myths, historised them, tried to remove the polytheistic traits and have upgraded the idea of God as a just, loving God. This is Retrojection, after their experience of YHWH in the Exodus and in the desert wandering. In this Retrojection, the Idea of human being is also higher and nobler.

A.             Idea of God: The Jahwist & Priestly authors retrojected Monotheism into the two accounts of creation. The Israelites were Polytheistic in the beginning but now after their experience of Yahweh in the Exodus and while they wandered in the desert, they saw Yahweh as a good and loving God and the only God. Therefore they retrojected this Monotheistic idea into their primeval history.

·            Idea about God is not a mere idea but it arose out of experience.

ü  Creator God - creation accountsLGen 1-2.

ü  Personal God – Anthropomorphic way of describing(God talks to them, walks with          them).

ü  Transcendent : beyond – accepting sacrifice.

ü  Forgiving and loving : God forgive Cain and makes covenant with Noah.

ü   Just and moral God : punihes to keep order (moral order) – flood acc.

B.     Idea of Humans:  Their idea of humans came due to the suffering and death during the exile and the post exile period.

·         Human God’s creation in his image and likeness

·            Human being is de-divinized.

ü  Human as created by God.

ü  Created in the image and likeness of God.

ü  Free beings –He a free being who can go against God but God who is forgiving lifts him             up.

ü  Sins due to weakness ( tower of Babel, the Fall) yet he is ready to face God.

C.          Origin of Sin: Sin is seen as disobedience and breach of the moral order established by      God. Breaking the law or breaking the Ten Commandments was Sin.

D.          Origin of Evil: They perceived evil within themselves when they prostituted themselves before other Gods-Baal and others. And this evil gets personified in the snake or serpent. God in Genesis doesn’t show mercy      to the snake. So evil which should be avoided is also retrojected back in to Genesis by the        prophetical writers of the Pentateuch. Man and woman are forgiven but not the snake.

5.                  The ancient Sumero-Akkadian myths which were adopted and adapted by           the Biblical authors present a marked difference in their theology and anthropology in comparison with the Biblical narratives.

Mesopotamian Myths: (Sumero-Akkadian Myths)

1. Enuma elish: (When on high) Babylonian Creation Story
2. Gilgamesh: Flood Story

        These were adopted(borrowed) and adapted(modified) by the biblical authors to provide meaning to their essential condition as seen in Gen 1 -11. Hence there is a marked difference in their theology and anthropology.

#Theology

Enuma  - Elish	Biblical God
Two gods. Apsu (male) Tiamet(female)	Single God – one creator God.
There is a struggle for creation.	No effort in creation. Just says a word.(Polytheism to monotheism)
E – E presents gods as Sun and Moon (Many gods)	God is presented as – transcendental –just – moral –all pervading – anthropomorphic way – a personal God. Only one creator God who creates everything through one word – even Sun – moon as his creation.
Akkadian gods have many names  - Apsu –Tiamet -Marduk	One simple name – Elohim / YHWH.

Anthropology

Anient Myths	Biblical
Human being is evil - made out of blood of a god Kingu mixed with clay: divine element mixed in the human being. Kingu is evil God, with his blood Marduk creates human beings. So human beings are basically evil. Humans are created to do dirty job.	Human being is created in the image and likeness of God. Dignity( Co-creator or partner)

The most significant difference is that the biblical authors tell us of how God created the world and humans to be good; how he created the world in love and how God meant that we too as creatures share in God’s goodness, life and love.

6.   However, it is not without problems to call Israelite myths monotheistic.

Hebrew myths presented Yahweh as one God. But then the following references pose a problem to call these myths monotheistic.

Israelite Myth:

1.      Let us create men in our image,

2.      let us go down and confuse the people ... in Tower of Babel story

3.      Gen 18: Three men came to visit to Abraham ... blessed them with the child etc.

Therefore, it is difficult to say Israelite myth as monotheistic

Now there are various explanations to – US

1.      This could refer to YHWH – in majestic plural.

2.      There is also a possibility as there were myths taken but the final adapting is not done fully well.

3.      This could also be seen as the traces of Trinity.

Israelite journey into Monotheism began from being polytheistic to Monolatry to implicit monotheism and finally explicit monotheism during duetero Issiah.