people of the book © john stevenson, 2015 maps by david p. barrett, used by permission

People of the BookPeople of the Book

© John Stevenson, 2015Maps by David P. Barrett, used by permissionMaps by David P. Barrett, used by permission

• Torah (Law)Torah (Law)• Nabi’im (Prophets)Nabi’im (Prophets)• Kethuvim (Writings)Kethuvim (Writings)

Written LawWritten Law

Oral LawOral Law

MishnahMishnah(Studies)(Studies)

• Commentaries Commentaries and rulingsand rulings

• Topical orderTopical order

MidrashMidrash(Seekings)(Seekings)

• Commentaries Commentaries and storiesand stories

• Follows TorahFollows Torah

GemaraGemara(Studies)(Studies)



• Commentaries Commentaries and storiesand stories

• Follows TorahFollows Torah• BabylonianBabylonian• PalestinianPalestinian

TalmudTalmud

GemaraGemara(Studies)(Studies)



• Zeraim (seeds), 11 tractates or sections, generally on agriculture

• Moed (Festivals), 12 tractates• Nashim (women) 7 tractates• Nezikin (damages) 10 tractates• Kodoshim (sacred things) 11 tractates• Tohorot (Purifications) 12 tractates

Six major divisionsSix major divisions

2000 1550 1000 500 1 5002000 1550 1000 500 1 500

AbrahamAbrahamMosesMoses

DavidDavid

Old Old Testament Testament

writtenwritten

Mishnah Mishnah writtenwritten

TalmudTalmudLXXLXX

EzraEzra

Toward God• No other Gods• No idols• God’s name is

to be holy• The Sabbath

• Respect for parents• No murder• No adultery• No stealing• No false witness• No coveting

Toward Men

Toward God Toward MenReasons given for Reasons given for each command.each command.

No reasons No reasons needed.needed.

Completely unique Completely unique to this constitution. to this constitution. No other society No other society

in the ancient in the ancient world had similar world had similar

laws.laws.

These laws were These laws were common to most of common to most of the ancient cultures the ancient cultures

of that day.of that day.

Leviticus 17:10Leviticus 17:10And any man from the house of

Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.

Leviticus 17:11Leviticus 17:11For the life of the flesh is in the

blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.

vp,vp,n<n<

(Nephesh)

Land Land animalsanimals

11:1-8 11:9-12 11:13-23

Regulations for clean and unclean animalsRegulations for clean and unclean animals

11:24-40 11:41-47

• You can eat that which splits the hoof and chews the cud


11:1-8

Water Water animalsanimals

11:9-12 11:13-23


11:24-40 11:41-47

• You can eat water animals that have fins and scales


11:1-8


11:9-12

Flying Flying animals animals

& & insectsinsects

11:13-23


11:24-40 11:41-47

• No meat eaters• No bats• No walking

winged insects• Locusts allowed


11:1-8


11:9-12


& & insectsinsects

11:13-23


11:24-40 11:41-47

Dead Dead animalsanimals

• Dead animals are unclean• Touching the dead makes you unclean


11:1-8


11:9-12


& & insectsinsects

11:13-23


11:24-40 11:41-47

Dead Dead animalsanimals

Animals Animals that that

swarmswarm

Reasons for the Dietary Laws Reasons for the Dietary Laws of the Mosaic Covenantof the Mosaic Covenant

• Health Reasons

Reasons for the Dietary Laws Reasons for the Dietary Laws of the Mosaic Covenantof the Mosaic Covenant

• Health Reasons• Symbolic Reasons

– Animals that eat other animals are generally considered unclean

– Scavengers are considered unclean• To make a Separated People• God’s Sovereign Choice

Leviticus 11:44-45Leviticus 11:44-45For I am the LORD your God.

Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. 45 For I am the LORD who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.

A Paradigm A Paradigm for a Peoplefor a People

Speak to the sons of Israel, Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels make for themselves tassels

on the corners of their on the corners of their garments throughout their garments throughout their generations, and that they generations, and that they

shall put on the tassel of each shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue. corner a cord of blue.

(Numbers 15:38). (Numbers 15:38).

@n"@n"K'K'

(Kanaph)(Kanaph)

It shall be a tassel for you to It shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the look at and remember all the

commandments of the LORD, commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not so as to do them and not

follow after your own heart and follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you your own eyes, after which you played the harlot, played the harlot, 4040 so that you so that you

may remember to do all My may remember to do all My commandments and be holy to commandments and be holy to your God (Numbers 15:38-40). your God (Numbers 15:38-40).

““May the LORD reward May the LORD reward your work, and your your work, and your

wages be full from the wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you under whose wings you

have come to seek have come to seek refuge.” (Ruth 2:12).refuge.” (Ruth 2:12).

@n"@n"K'K'

(Kanaph)(Kanaph)

He said, “Who are He said, “Who are you?” And she you?” And she

answered, “I am answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So Ruth your maid. So

spread your covering spread your covering over your maid, for over your maid, for

you are a close you are a close relative.” (Ruth 3:9).relative.” (Ruth 3:9).

@n"@n"K'K'

(Kanaph)(Kanaph)

He came to the sheepfolds on the way, He came to the sheepfolds on the way, where there where there was was a cave; and Saul went in a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men to relieve himself. Now David and his men

were sitting in the inner recesses of the were sitting in the inner recesses of the cave (1 Samuel 24:3).cave (1 Samuel 24:3).

The men of David said to him, “Behold, The men of David said to him, “Behold, this is this is the day of which the LORD said to the day of which the LORD said to

you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your you, ‘Behold; I am about to give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it seems good to you.’” Then David him as it seems good to you.’” Then David arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe arose and cut off the edge of Saul’s robe

secretly.(1 Samuel 24:4).secretly.(1 Samuel 24:4).

For the choir director; For the choir director; set to set to Al-tashheth. Al-tashheth. A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from A Mikhtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Saul in the cave. Be gracious to me, Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge take refuge Until destruction passes by (Psalm 57:1).Until destruction passes by (Psalm 57:1).

Malachi 4:2Malachi 4:2 But for you who

fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.

Hear, O Israel! Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

(Deuteronomy 6:4).(Deuteronomy 6:4).

You shall love the LORD your God with all You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your heart and with all your soul and with all

your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5).your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Deuteronomy 6:6-7Deuteronomy 6:6-7These words, which I am

commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 6:8Deuteronomy 6:8You shall bind

them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.

Deuteronomy 6:9Deuteronomy 6:9You shall write them

on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

http://andrewforrest.org/

Then he brought all these to Him Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other each half opposite the other

(Genesis 15:10).(Genesis 15:10).

http://andrewforrest.org/

It came about when It came about when the sun had set, that it the sun had set, that it

was very dark, and was very dark, and behold, behold, there there

appeared appeared a smoking a smoking oven and a flaming oven and a flaming torch which passed torch which passed

between these pieces.between these pieces. (Genesis 15:17).(Genesis 15:17).

…a smoking oven and a flaming torch

Moses took half of the blood and put Moses took half of the blood and put it it in in basins, and the basins, and the other other half of the blood he half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. sprinkled on the altar. 77 Then he took the Then he took the

book of the covenant and read book of the covenant and read it it in the in the hearing of the people; and they said, “All hearing of the people; and they said, “All

that the LORD has spoken we will do, and that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!” we will be obedient!” 88 So Moses took the So Moses took the blood and sprinkled blood and sprinkled it it on the people, and on the people, and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, said, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD has made with you in which the LORD has made with you in

accordance with all these words.” (Exodus accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:6-8).24:6-8).

Christ redeemed Christ redeemed us from the curse us from the curse

of the Law, of the Law, having become a having become a curse for us-- for curse for us-- for

it is written, it is written, “Cursed in “Cursed in

everyone who everyone who hangs on a hangs on a

tree…” tree…” (Galatians 3:13).(Galatians 3:13).

……in order that in in order that in Christ Jesus the Christ Jesus the

blessing of blessing of Abraham might Abraham might

come to the come to the Gentiles, so that Gentiles, so that we would receive we would receive the promise of the the promise of the

Spirit through Spirit through faith (Galatians faith (Galatians

3:14).3:14).

All of us like All of us like sheep have sheep have gone astray, gone astray,

each of us has each of us has turned to his turned to his own way; but own way; but the LORD has the LORD has

caused the caused the iniquity of us all iniquity of us all to fall on Him to fall on Him (Isaiah 53:6).(Isaiah 53:6).

people of the book © john stevenson, 2015 maps by david p. barrett, used by permission

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