unit 3

• Salvation History


  The Bible tells the story of God's plan to save human beings from sin and bring them to eternal life
• 8 major periods of Salvation History


  • Primeval History
  • Patriarchs and Matriarchs
  • Egypt and the Exodus
  • Settling the Promised Land
  • Kingdoms of Judah and Israel
  • Exile and Return
  • Intertestamental Period
  • New Covenant
• Primeval History


  Figurative (symbolic or mythic) accounts about how God created everything that exists, before recorded history
• The Creation accounts reveal that God's creation was good, ordered, and harmonious, without sin or human death
• The story of Adam and Eve's disobedience teaches that the sin of our first parents injured their relationship with God and with each other, and this Original Sin is passed on to all human beings
• The stories of Cain and Abel, Noah and the Flood, and the Tower of Babel teach that sin spreads and that without God's help, sin leads to death and destruction
• Despite the death and destruction, God has mercy on his creatures and begins a process of intervention to save us
• Patriarchs and Matriarchs


  God begins to form a special relationship with a chosen race of people, making a Covenant with Abraham and Sarah
• Abraham and Sarah have several crises in which it appears that God's Covenant will go unfulfilled, but each time God steps in to ensure that things turn out okay
• The stories of Abraham and Sarah's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren repeat a pattern of crisis and God's faithfulness
• Patriarch


  (in the cultural sense) the male leader of a tribal group, responsible for their survival, exercising unquestioned and absolute decision making
• Matriarch


  (in the cultural sense) the patriarch's (primary) wife, who leads and has decision-making authority over the women in the tribe
• Patriarchs (in the religious sense)


  The original ancestors of the Jewish faith—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob's twelve sons—who were chosen by God to lead his Chosen People
• Egypt and the Exodus


  The liberation of Jacob's descendants—now called Israelites—from slavery in Egypt
• God hears the Israelites' cries and calls Moses to lead the people out of slavery, but Pharaoh has a hard heart
• In a contest of wills between "gods," Yahweh proves his might over Pharaoh by sending terrible plagues upon the Egyptians
• On the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites stop at Mount Sinai where God extends the Covenant he made with Abraham to all the Israelites and gives them the Law, summarized in the Ten Commandments
• During the Exodus the people frequently complain and lose their faith in God, so they must wander in the desert for forty years, and only their children will be able to enter the Promised Land
• Settling the Promised Land


  The Israelites' conquest of the Promised Land, led by Joshua
• When the Israelites trust God, they are successful in their battles; when they do not trust God, they fail
• A pattern develops: the Israelites forget about God and are unfaithful to the Covenant, they suffer at the hands of invaders, they cry out to God for help, God calls special leaders and warriors called judges to help deliver justice and defend the land, but the violence gets worse and the judges are less holy
• Kingdoms of Judah and Israel

  The period of the monarchy, when the Israelites want their own king and God reluctantly answers their plea
• Despite their many positive accomplishments, both David and Solomon are guilty of many sins in building their empire, succumbing to the temptations of violence, sex, and power
• After Solomon's death, the kingdom splits into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah
• God calls prophets like Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah to tell the people to obey their Covenant with God, stop worshipping idols, practice justice, worship God with integrity, and care for people in need
• Several kings in Judah, particularly Hezekiah and Josiah, attempt religious reform and strive to end the worship of indigenous gods and goddesses
• Exile and Return


  The period when the Israelite kingdoms are conquered, and many of the people are taken into captivity in Babylon
• During and after the Exile, the Israelites rewrite much of their sacred Scriptures, and their identity becomes primarily a religious identity centered on following the Mosaic Law and the offering of ritual sacrifice at the Temple
• Fifty years pass in exile, then a new Persian king allows the people—now called Judeans, or Jews—to return to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple
• When Alexander the Great comes, the Greeks come to rule over Israel, and one of the Greek governors tries to establish Greek culture and religion, leading to a successful Jewish revolt led by the Hasmonean (Maccabee) family
• During this troubled time, the common people hope for a messiah, or savior, to make them great again, and new Jewish groups like the Essenes, Pharisees, and Sadducees arise, each emphasizing a different approach to faithfully living the Jewish faith
• Prophetic Wisdom


  How are we called to embrace the preferential option for the poor and ecological justice?

  
• Golden Rule


  Treat others the way you want to be treated

  
• There is a form of the golden rule in 13 different faiths!

  
• Prophets


  Wise people who are connected with God and communicated important messages about the ways we should live and of what should be valued as a community in the Bible
• Seven Grandfathers


  The prophets in Anishinaabe culture, through whom the values of the community are taught through ancient teachings
• Seven Grandfather Teachings (Ojibwe Story of SEVEN Grandfathers)


  • Respect
  • Love
  • Courage
  • Honesty
  • Wisdom
  • Humility
  • Truth
• Comparing the Ten Commandments and the Seven Grandfather Teachings


  There are similarities between the teachings
• Consumerism and individualism in society can overshadow the importance of sharing resources and caring for the community
• Practicing the Seven Grandfather Teachings of being humble, honest, wise, courageous, loving and respectful can lead to a sense of peace and happiness in all aspects of the world