Old Testament Promises to God - Couverture souple

Cartledge, Tony W.

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0982180683 ISBN 13 : 9780982180686

Editeur : NextSunday Resources, 2017

Synopsis

What does it mean to make a promise to God? Some individuals may feel that our promises—the promises of mere humans—couldn’t possibly mean anything to God. After all, they may reason, what could we possibly offer to God that God doesn’t already have—or for that matter, that God didn’t give to us in the first place? So, perhaps the real question is this: under what circumstances should or do we make such promises? As we will discuss throughout this unit, the Old Testament contains several examples of people making promises to God, using the unique form of a biblical “vow.” In contemporary Western society, most individuals generally perceive vows as unconditional commitments. For example, wedding vows are probably the first example that comes to mind: “…for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer...till death do us part…”—no conditions there! We are also familiar with monastic vows, having either known personally or at the very least heard of nuns or monks who undergo stringent preparation before making their final vows, which are considered permanent and unconditional. In fact, we may be acquainted with literary characters or even real people whose lives are guided by particular vows they have made to themselves: vows to succeed, vows to get revenge, and of course, vows to ensure that justice is served. These vows arise from personal initiative and therefore brook no conditions.The Bible also speaks of “vows.” However, modern readers are usually unaware that biblical vows—like those in other ancient Near Eastern societies—describe an entirely different type of arrangement than that described above. The literary form of a biblical never (the Hebrew word translated as “vow”) is both clear and consistent. Unlike their modern equivalent, biblical vows always involve conditional promises, usually made during times of great need or distress. Meanwhile, they outline an agreement in which some individual or group promises to live out a specified act of devotion in exchange for God’s help in a particular situation.Modern believers also make promises to God, and oftentimes our promises are just as conditional as their Old Testament counterparts. Are such promises an appropriate means of relating to God? The four lessons in this unit will deal with specific vows made by Jacob, Jephthah, Hannah, and Absalom. During our study, we will focus on the motivations associated with making promises to God, the outcomes that tend to accompany such experiences, and the resulting consequences. We can draw on these biblical examples both to examine our own relationships with God and to reflect on the promises to God that we either have made or should make.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: NextSunday Resources
• Date d'édition: 2017
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0982180683
• ISBN 13: 9780982180686
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 82
• Coordonnées du fabricant: Manufactured by Amazon on behalf of the author; https://www.amazon.fr/hz/contact-us; ; c/o Amazon Media EU S.à.r.l., 38 Avenue John F. Kennedy; Luxembourg; L-1855; Luxembourg