10.10.23 Bible Timeline Lev Num Deut
- tmaley
- Oct 16, 2023
- 18 min read
Updated: Oct 23, 2023
Northern Virginia Catholic Bible Study & Apologetics
House rules/notes…
1. Online via Meetup/Zoom or In Person at St. John Neumann Catholic Church 11900 Lawyers Road, Reston, VA 20191 https://saintjn.org/
2. Meetup is www.meetup.com/catholicbiblestudy Zoom Meeting Logon info is the same every week: Zoom ID: 861 1782 2081 Password: 406952
3. I will send out Meeting Recaps the same night as our sessions – these are unedited versions without pictures. An edited version with pictures will be posted on our website https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website/recaps before the next meeting. Taylor will notify everyone at that time.
4. Questions encouraged. If you have questions about anything, you can ask in the chat box, email the Meetup group, or me at ron@hallagan.net.
5. Respectfulness. We will be discussing differences between religions and Christian denominations, and we agree to be respectful at all times. Specifically, Protestants are our friends and brothers in Christ; in fact, I personally owe part of my return to the faith to them!
6. No politics. It would be easy for us to self-destruct, but that’s not our goal. Our goal is to learn/understand/apply the Bible and our Catholic faith.
7. Catholic Prayer & Fellowship. Are you interested in praying with other Catholics during the week? Fellow member Jason Goldberg has started “Catholic Prayer, Fellowship, and Spirituality Meetup.” Sign up at:https://www.meetup.com/online-catholic-prayer-fellowship-and-spirituality/.
8. “The Chosen” TV series. All of us seek a relationship with Jesus Christ, which is not always easy. It can help if we have seen and heard Him. The Chosen captures Jesus better than any show I have ever seen. Highly recommended.
9. RSVP Reminder: Please RSVP whether you are attending the meeting or just reading the Recaps afterwards. The more RSVPs, the more Meetup will give exposure to “Catholic Bible Study” – a good thing!
Catholic Catacombs Website: https://catholiccatacombs.wixsite.com/website
Bible Study Format: Each week of the month has a repeating topic, as noted below.
Week 1: Gospel Week: Year A: Matthew, Year B: Mark, Year C: Luke, John – interspersed
Week 2: Bible Week (Gen àRev): We have finished EXODUS. Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Week 3: Survey Topics Voted on by Members:
x 1) Jesus’ Greatest Parables x 2) Hell, Purgatory, Heaven x 3) Comparative Religions
4) Great Women in the Bible 5) Book of Revelation 6) Major Heresies and Church Councils
Week 4: Member Questions:
1. What does it mean to "put on Christ"?
2. Can you provide a brief review of the origin/meaning of the (12) statements in the Creed?
3. Is “recognition” a good thing? How does pride play into it? Glory and pride discussion.
4. Can we do a Christian Meditation one evening?
5. Angels – who are they, what do they do, and do we really have guardian angels?
6. Please explain exorcisms. Do they happen, are they real?
7. Why aren't Catholic priests allowed to marry? Wasn't Peter married?
8. What should our response be to those who ask us about priestly sex abuse?
Apologetics/Exegesis Terms
Apologetics – to defend a belief.
Catholic Apologetics– to defend the Catholic faith using reason, tradition, & Scripture.
Exegesis – the study and interpretation of Scripture (it’s what we do here every week; you are all exegetes).
Eschatology (Greek, eschaton=last/end): the study of the End Times – the Second Coming of Christ (also called
Parousia), Judgement Day, Heaven and Hell.
Bible = The OT = The Torah (Pentateuch, Books of Moses), the Prophets, the Writings (Wisdom, Novellas)
The NT = The Gospels and the Epistles (Epistles: New Test Letters (Paul), Catholic Letters, and Revelation).
Church – Greek kyriakon house of the Lord: building for Christian worship; the whole body of Christian believers.
Ark of the Covenant: a) The golden chest holding the 10 Commandments; b) Mary’s womb holding the Word of God
Tabernacle - the portable sanctuary used by the Israelites in the wilderness from the Exodus from Egypt to the building of the Temple in Jerusalem by Solomon. Latin tabernaculum – tent; temporary dwelling place
Temple – Latin templum - space set aside for sacrifice/worship; replaced the Tabernacle; original Temple in Jer’uslm
Synagogue – Jewish house of worship oft. w/facilities for religious instruction. Greek synagogue: assembly/gathering
Eucharist –the Lord’s Supper. The bread & wine become Jesus’ body/blood. From Greek eucharistia = thanksgiving.
Mass – the celebration of the Last Supper/Eucharist. “Mass” is from the Latin missameaning “to send (out).”
Evangelize – to make the Kingdom of God present in our world.
God as Father/He/Him – scriptural tradition (God is not a gender); God does set the gold standard for fatherhood.
Man – generic for mankind, humanity.
Deism – belief in a supreme being/creator who does not intervene in the universe, or who is indifferent to it.
Theism – belief in the existence of God or gods, especially the believe in one God who is creator of the universe and is actively engaged in some way, intervening in it and sustaining a personal relationship with his creatures.
Atheism – belief that gods of any kind do not exist.
Agnosticism – belief that God may or may not exist but we cannot know.
Preternatural – means “outside the natural”; refers to the preternatural grace Adam & Eve had before the Fall.
Theophany – a divine appearance. Greek: theo (god) + phaneia (appearance).
The “World” – as used in the Bible, this term pertains to the material world or our temporary, material lives. The word “secular” means the same thing (Latin seaecularis - worldly/temporal). It is often used with a negative connotation, i.e., “The fall of man resulted from our choosing this world/ourselves over God.”
Opening Prayer
LORD
As we conclude the Pentateuch tonight,
We thank you for studying your Word with us.
Help us to see our story in their story, and Jesus’ hand at work long before he arrived here.
And as you taught us to pray…
Our Father
Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily Bread;
And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us all. Amen.
Major upcoming holy days in the Liturgy of the Church: November 1 – All Saints Day, Nov 2 All Souls Day
Article: Two-thirds of US Catholics believe in the Real Presence… CAN (Catholic News Agency)
Week Two is Bible Timeline
One Gospel reading – The Parable of the Marriage Feast
End of Exodus, 40 years in desert, questions of authorship,
Pentateuch Review: Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
The Parable of the Marriage Feast
As discussed last week, every week we are going to tackle one Gospel reading in the first 15 minutes of our meeting. I will usually take the Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday. This Sunday is a tough one, the Parable of the Marriage Feast.
Jesus again replied to the chief priests and elders in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He sent his servants to call those who were invited to the banquet, but they would not come.
Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my oxen and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready. Come to the feast."'But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business, while others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was furious and sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Go, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast as many as you shall find.'So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, good and bad alike, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
When the king came in to meet the guests, he saw there a man there not dressed in proper wedding clothes. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But the man had no reply. So the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen."
The Jews were used to wedding themes from Psalms and Isaiah, but Jesus throws in many twists here. The messengers are killed, God burns down their cities, the commoners from the street are invited, and some guy is thrown out for wearing the wrong wedding garment! Let’s get started!
Q: Many are invited but few are chosen. Who are the “chosen”?
Just like today, the “chosen” are those who respond to God’s call. As you can see by the end of the story, everyone has been invited, but not everyone answers the call. Indeed, though many are invited, few are chosen, and in the end those who are not chosen have “un-chosen” themselves.
Q: Jesus starts out saying the kingdom of heaven is like a marriage feast. Who is the father,
The father is God.
Q: Who are the servants notifying everyone about the wedding?
The prophets over the years sent to Israel to call them back to God. Some of them are ignored, others are killed.
Q: What does the wedding represent?
The New Covenant, which was inaugurated at the Last Supper and openedthe gates of Heaven to mankind. It is literally the kingdom of Heaven. Whether we realize it or not, it’s what we celebrate at the Mass.
Q: Who is getting married?
The second person of the Trinity is becoming a man, Jesus, to consummate the marriage between heaven and earth; between God and man. For this reason, it is a Royal wedding. The Royal Wedding with Humanity.
Q: Who were the invited guests that ignore the call to come to the wedding?
The Jews initially but also the Gentiles who later refuse to attend.
Q: Why does God destroy the city of the guests who killed his messengers? What does this represent?
It represents God withdrawing his hand of protection when Israel fell to the Assyrians in 721 BC, when Judah fell to the Babylonians in 597 BC, again to the Romans in 63 BC, and it probably includes the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD (which hadn’t happened yet).
Q: What did the King mean when he said, “The wedding feast is ready” before the final people were invited?
Jesus was on earth. It was time!
Q: Who did the final list of guests represent?
The rest of the world – all peoples who accepted the invitation, including the poor, outcast, and sinners.
Q: Who did the man without the proper wedding attire represent?
The question asked by the king resembles Christ’s address to Judas at the betrayal in the garden of Gethsemane: “Friend, why have you come?” (Mt. 26:50), which has in it distrust and condemnation. Many people – Jews of that day and even Christians of this day – feel they are good enough to enter the kingdom on their own terms.
The point of this incident is that even though our sins have been paid for and all humans are invited, no one can presuppose automatic entrance simply by showing up. The wedding garment symbolizes love of God and neighbor.
Q: What does “…cast him into the darkness, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth” mean?
Grinding or gnashing of teeth is an expression used for extreme anger and wailing represents extreme sadness. It is describing what the Jews referred to as Gehenna, a burning garbage pit outside of Jerusalem as a symbol of the place for the damned. It is eternity without God, which we now call Hell.
Where are we so far in our Biblical Timeline?
Bible Timeline
Genesis – (12,000-2200 BC) Ch 1-11: Adam to Noah to Nimrod and the Tower of Babel (called pre-“history”)
(2,100-1,800 BC) Ch 11-50: Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, 12 sons/tribes, Joseph into Egypt à slavery
Exodus – (1,400-1300 BC) Moses – out of Egypt/slavery to Mt. Sinai to the promised land/40 years in the wilderness.
(Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - all take place during the 40 years in the wilderness.)
Joshua – (1300-1250 BC) Conquest of Israel and the division of land among Israel’s twelve tribes.
Judges – (1250-1050 BC) “Israel” ruled by 12 Judges from Joshua to King Saul
Ruth (1100 BC/during Judges) Ruth the Moabite was the unlikely, great grandmother of King David.
The First Five Books of the Bible
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
The first 5 books of the Bible are called the Torah, also the Pentateuch, also the Books of Moses.
Genesis: Chapters 1-10 (pre-history) – Creation, Fall of Man, Noah, Tower of Babel.
Chapters 11-50 The Patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), 12 sons(12 tribes of Israel), Josephà Egypt
Exodus: 40 Chapters – After 400 years slavery à Moses, Burning Bush, “Let my people go,” Plagues, First Passover, Escape from Egypt, Mt. Sinai, 10Commandments, Tabernacle/Ark of the Covenant, Israelites head to the Promised Land.
Book of Leviticus: 27 Chapters – Leviticus is named after the priestly tribe of Levi. There is very little narrative and almost entirely comprises instructions on rules of sacrifices, the priesthood, the operation of the sanctuary, norms of ritual purity, the laws of holiness governing certain offerings, the celebration of feast days and sabbaticals, various moral behavioral, ethical, and economic issues (e.g., sexual practices, idolatrous worship, treatment of others, the sale of land, slavery), and penalties for violations. Some of these practices will seem ridiculous or extreme to us, and requires the reader to dig deep to understand their origins and relevance to the times, and to recall that many practices were part of isolating the people from the surrounding pagan-worshipping world, in an effort to fill their lives with new rules, worship practices, and rituals that would transform them completely. This book was also essential for reestablishing the religious life and practices among the Jews after the years in Babylonian Exile.
Book of Numbers: 36 Chapters – Continues the story of the journey begun in Exodus, beginning in the 2nd year after leaving Egypt (where Exodus ends). It describes the experiences of the Israelites for a period of thirty-eight years – from the end of their encampment at Sinai to their arrival at the border of the Promised Land. The Book of Numbers derives its name from the account of the two censuses taken of the Hebrew people, one near the beginning and the other toward the end of their journey in the wilderness. This “40 year” period represents a purifying time for an enslaved people subjected to pagan gods for 400 years, as they become united in their lives and belief in one, ethical, monotheistic God.
The book begins with God’s express command to Moses to make a census of the people, the effect of which will be to show that God indeed has kept his promise to Abraham:
“I will indeed bless you, and I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore…” (Gen. 22:17).
The seventy-member family of Jacob which entered Egypt, now, some 450 years later, numbered around 600,000, which would be over 2 million when counting women and children. Even if this statistic cannot be validated, there is no doubt about the Jews having become a very numerous people.
Q: Why did the Israelites spend 40 years in the desert?
When they departed Mt. Sinai with Tabernacle and all, they went to the promised land – Canaan, soon to be Israel. God told Moses to send 12 men, one from each tribe, to reconnoiter the land for 40 days and report back. Ten of the twelve men returned in a panic, spreading scandalous rumors that giants lived in the land and that they would surely be destroyed if they listened to Moses and entered the land. Yet again they had forgotten that it was God who had saved them from the powerful Egyptians and the Amalekites. Their total lack of faith ended up getting all the people into a rebellious uproar against Moses and God. Consequently, God essentially said (I’m paraphrasing), “Fine, back to the desert with all of you – one year for every day you were scouting in Canaan.” I think God had had it with this generation of grumblers and complainers and 40 years in the desert would ensure that a new generation of Israelites would enter Canaan. The two men/tribes who did not complain about entering Canaan were Joshua (Ephraim) and Caleb (Judah).
Three more incidents happened in Numbers worth mentioning:
1. At one point Aaron and Miriam spoke against Moses, saying God should be dealing with them instead of Moses. Miriam appears to have been the instigator and God called them out. Miram was turned scaley white with leprosy as punishment until Moses pleaded for mercy.
2. When they get near the promised land, Israel meets another obstacle, Balac, King of Moab. Balac had tried to get Balaam, a priest/seer, to put a curse on the Israelites, but not only does Balaam not cooperate, he shocks everyone and blesses the privileges and promises God has given his chosen people.
3. Another time the Israelites got impatient with Moses and began condemning him and speaking against God. God sent fiery serpents into their midst which began killing them. The Israelites came to Moses and said, “We have sinned for we have spoken against the LORD and you. Pray to the LORD that he make take away the serpents from us.” Moses appealed to God, who told them to make a bronze serpent and set up on a pole as a sign for all to see. Everyone who was bitten and looks upon it shall be healed.”
Q: How does this allegorically represent the future of Christ?
The serpent represents evil and sin. The people sin and the serpents that came to bite them was caused by their sin. The bronze serpent on the pole represented their sins, which they had to face and admit – it was really them on the pole – and acknowledge that it was God who was removing their sins.
Jesus took on the sins of mankind and was hung on a pole (cross). Those were our sins, although in Christ, hanging on the cross. Those who look upon Jesus as taking away their sins will be saved for eternity.
Even with 40 years of purification and preparation, the events narrated in Numbers also bring into the open the habitual infidelities and rebellious nature of the Israelites. However, we would be mistaken if we thought that the lessons and punishments contained in the book applied only to these people. We are as guilty of the same faults as them and could match them story for story, in and out of the Church. Just turn on the news.
Book of Deuteronomy: 34 Chapters – the fifth book of the Pentateuch consists of three sermons, or speeches, delivered by Moses to the Israelites in their final year in the desert – on the Plains of Moab – just before they enter the Promised Land. The book name comes from deuteron, meaning 2nd or copy, as Moses reviews, repeats, and reminds the Israelites all they have learned – and must take with them – into Israel (but without Moses…). This is where Joshua takes over.
“And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab…” Deut 34:5 (+/- 1300 BC)
Q: Who was the author of the Books of Moses?
“And Jesus said to them, ‘These are my words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, how all things must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me." – Lk 24:44
Jesus clearly considered Moses the author of the first five books (the “Law of Moses”). Moses was probably one of the most educated people of his time, having been trained in the Pharaoh’s court. Nevertheless, some historians will complain that we don’t have the written manuscripts from Moses in 1300 BC. Even if manuscripts didn’t survive, it was common to pass on traditions orally, which was one of the functions of the Levites – a full time job for a lifetime! Many believe much of the version we have was written down at the time of King Solomon, and some during the Babylonian Exile.
Q: Did Exodus really happen?
I am not out to convince anyone of a specific set of facts because we don’t have that. But we do have more than enough reason to believe that the Exodus occurred.
Until the arrival of Christ, the Book of Exodus was the most important book in Scripture. This book – with Moses as its central figure – prefigure Christ’s coming like none other. Jesus also speaks about Moses and the “Law of Moses, of which Exodus had pride of primacy. Jesus also speaks to Moses at the Transfiguration, so he was not a myth. In total, Jesus speaks about Moses/his writings 26 times, for a total of 36 times in the NT. Do we think Jesus didn’t know?
Why are we even discussing this?
Mainly because of non-believing historians, mostly begun in the 17th-18thcenturies. The Enlightenment Age when science challenged the existence of God, including the authenticity of everything in the Bible. They said we didn’t have any proof that Abraham existed, or David, or Moses, or Jesus for that matter.
Since the mid-20th century, that tide began to change as one artifact after another was discovered which demonstrated the historicity of the much of the Bible (King David and Jesus suddenly existed after all). That the Bible was some fabricated manuscript created centuries after Christ was debunked by the Dead Sea Scrolls that were discovered in Qumran in 1947. The same is true for evidence about the existence of the Israelites at the time of Moses – now we have Egyptian references to them.
Yet you will still hear about the lack of hard evidence for the Israelites living in Egypt and then in the desert for 40 years. That’s true – there isn’t a lot of evidence – but the Israelites lived in Goshen, which was in the Nile delta. Good for farming but flooded often and nothing would last. Besides, they were slaves and slaves don’t leave monuments. As for the time in the desert, aside from the fact that not much lasts in the desert for more than a decade, the Bible is pretty clear they didn’t build cities but moved around constantly for those 40 years.
I also still hear that the Israelite slaves could not possibly have built the pyramids because the pyramids were build a thousand years before the Hebrews were in Egypt. However, the Bible doesn’t say they built any pyramids. This is called a straw-man argument: make up a false statement just so you can knock it down.
Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. – Ex 1:11
At first, the argument used against this passage was that the cities of Pithom and were not technically “supply cities” – they were big, main cities. But further research showed that the Pharaohs built temples to themselves in these cities and had them include grain storage inside them. Why would they do that? Because each Pharaoh had their own favorite gods and when one died, the temple being funded by the previous Pharaoh would stop. However, by building grain supply houses in the temples, they assured they would remain in place for much longer, since the grain storage was an income-producing activity that could sustain the priests at the temple.
The last big argument you will hear against Exodus is the crossing of the Red Sea to escape the Pharaoh and his army. First, everyone is looking for a natural explanation of the crossing, no miracles. Second, where might the Egyptian army’s drowned artifact be? Well, we are talking about 3,300 years ago. Do you know what an old car dumped in the river looks like after 10 years? Try three thousand.
Also, there are many possible places Moses may have crossed the Red Sea or its tributaries (distributaries). Nobody has been able to survey all these underwater possibilities, some of which are 200 feet deep. Third, the flow of water has changed over the centuries. So what was a large distributary 3,000 years ago could be small now, and vice versa. Besides violent weather conditions, these changes can occur because of irrigation practices over the millennia.
Truth in history… We know that most of “history” is written by the victors and therefor the “facts” recorded are from the victor’s subjective point of view. That is to be expected and is taken into account when we study history. To varying extent, then, history is white-washed by those who are ruling when things are written down or chiseled in stone. One of the of the excellent supporting arguments for the Exodus narrative (and all the first five books) is that not only is there is no “white-washing,” there is the total opposite. It’s main characters – even its heroes – are often painted in a bad light – deceivers, philanderers, idol worshippers, and even murderers – all the things that the religion stands opposed to. And when God sends his prophets to warn the people and call them back, the prophets are ridiculed, run out of town, or murdered.
Who writes their own history this way? Who tries to tell the world how great their God is in this way? The answer is nobody, except the writers under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who happens to require the truth, no matter how painful and embarrassing.
Most of ancient history verification requires far less than what is placed on the Bible. The Bible surpasses the usual bar of required evidence, but since we are talking about God, people want a higher bar of proof. Of course, anyone who doesn’t believe in God – especially an all-powerful God who created the universe – can reject anything and everything pretty easily, because no evidence in ancient history is ever “complete.” The very best is just “good enough” to believe.
Q: Where does Israel get its name?
From the patriarch, Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. Israel means “struggle with God.” First, Jacob’s name means a couple of things – “heel” because he was delivered after Ishmael heels-first. Jacob also came to mean deceiver or cheater. That’s because Jacob cheated his brother, Ishmael, out of his birthright and then deceived his father into giving him his older brother’s blessing. It’s true, his mother Rachel put him up to it (God told Rachel that Jacob would be the chosen line), but one can see there was a lack of faith that God would somehow have accomplished the same thing without needing human deception. Later, Jacob got what was coming to him when he was deceived by his uncle Laban, costing him 20 years of labor in Laban’s land. When Jacob was finally returning to his father’s land, he came upon an angel of the Lord in the night and wrestled with him until morning. This was a pivotal moment for Jacob and it symbolized his conversion to an honest man. The angel gave him his new name, Israel, which means ‘struggle with God.’
Jacob (Israel) struggles with the angel of the Lord
Next up: Joshua and Judges
Joshua – (1300-1250 BC) Conquest of Israel and the division of land among Israel’s twelve tribes.
Judges – (1250-1050 BC) “Israel” ruled by 12 Judges from Joshua to King Saul
Joshua crosses the Jordan and faces the walls of Jericho
Closing Prayer
Song of Miriam
I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.
The Lord is our strength and our defense; he has become our salvation. He is our God, and we will praise him, the God of our ancestors, and we will exalt him.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.
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