PROMISES OF PROSPERITY ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT: A THEOLOGICAL ...

267 Pages·2013·5 MB·English

by  Jordan Pickering

PROMISES OF PROSPERITY ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT:
A THEOLOGICAL-ETHICAL STUDY

BY

Jordan Stuart Murray Pickering
(Student Number 16403533)

THESIS PRESENTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTERS OF THEOLOGY

AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH

SUPERVISOR: PROF. HENDRIK L. BOSMAN

March 2013
Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
DECLARATION

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this thesis is my own original
work and has not beforehand in its entirety or in part been submitted at any university for
a degree.

Signature: …………………………….

Date: …………………………………..

Copyright (C) 2013 Stellenbosch University

All rights reserved
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ABSTRACT

Prosperity is an important theme in scripture and there is great diversity of perspectives regarding
the place of wealth in the life of God’s people. This diversity is reflected in the variety of theological
responses to wealth in the church, but the importance of this subject is not reflected in scholarship.
Attempts to develop a positive theology of prosperity that does justice to the biblical data are
surprisingly rare. There is a need for a careful biblical theology of prosperity.
This study aims to lay the foundation of a fuller biblical theology, showing that conflicting biblical
views of blessing, prosperity, and wealth can be unified if proper attention is given to certain roles,
namely: blessing belongs within a God-man relationship defined by His grace and our dependence;
the Promised Land is the exclusive environment in which blessing is promised; and blessing is not
given mechanically while sin threatens, but rather the relationship must be forged through testing.
This study is only the beginning of a biblical theology of prosperity, examining these roles by means
of careful exegesis of four key chapters in the Old Testament from a range of bodies of literature.
Firstly, the study of Genesis 12 shows that blessing is graciously offered to Abram as God’s response
to the curse that accumulates through Genesis 1-11, and that blessing is intended to extend to the
whole world. The blessings are based on a new God-man relationship into which Abram is called, but
Abram immediately experiences the complexity of that relationship: though he acts faithfully, he
meets with testing rather than prosperity, and this prompts his dependence upon God to falter.
Deuteronomy 6 emphasises that covenant faithfulness is the guardian of the God-man relationship
in which blessing is found. However, covenant-keeping does not merit favour; the chapter puts
undeserved redemption from Egypt – grace – at its centre as the motivation of obedience.
Jeremiah 32 is set in the midst of God’s enactment of curses that were promised for disobedience.
However, out of the nation’s hopelessness, God speaks words of grace, consolation and New
Covenant, a covenant in which hearts will not forget YHWH and blessing can be given unreservedly.
Finally, Psalm 128 connects wisdom language (showing that fear of YHWH is the wise way of life that
brings prosperity) with priestly blessing language (focusing the eyes of the blessed on the Giver).
While God prospers those who fear Him, prosperity always operates within a complex relationship
of grace and dependence.
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OPSOMMING

Voorspoed is ‘n belangrike tema in die Bybel en daar is ‘n groot verskeidenheid perspektiewe op die
plek wat rykdom in die lewe van die volk van God inneem. Hierdie diversiteit word gereflekteer in
die verskeidenheid van teologiese reaksies op rykdom in die kerk, maar die belang van hierdie
onderwerp word nie in huidige navorsing gereflekteer nie. Pogings om ‘n positiewe
voorspoedsteologie te ontwikkel wat reg laat geskied aan die Bybelse gegewens is verbasend skaars.
Daar is ‘n behoefte aan ‘n noukeurige Bybelse voorspoedsteologie.
Hierdie studie beoog om die grondslag te lê vir ‘n meer omvattende Bybelse teologie, wat reg laat
geskied aan die teenstrydige Bybelse beskouings oor seëning, voorspoed en rykdom deur behoorlike
aandag te skenk aan bepaalde verhoudings: seëning vorm deel van ‘n God-mens verhouding wat
gedefinieer word deur God se genade en die mens se afhanklikheid; die Beloofde Land is die
eksklusiewe omgewing waarbinne seëning beloof word; en seëning word nie outomaties verskaf
wanneer sonde dreig nie, maar dit vorm deel van ‘n verhouding wat deur beproewing gelouter is.
Die studie is slegs die begin van ‘n Bybelse voorspoedsteologie, waarvolgens die verskillende
verhoudings deur middel van noukeurige eksegese van vier sleutelhoofstukke in die Ou Testament
plaasvind.
Ten eerste, die studie van Genesis 12 toon dat seëning vanuit genade aan Abraham deur God
geskenk word as ‘n reaksie op die vervloeking wat in Genesis 1-11 opgebou het, en dat die seëning
bedoel was om na die hele wêreld uit te brei. Die seëninge word gebaseer op ‘n nuwe verhouding
tussen God en mens waartoe Abram geroep is, maar dat Abram onmiddelik die ingewikkeldheid van
die verhouding beleef: hoewel hy gelowig optree, ervaar hy meer beproewing as voorspoed, en dit
gee aanleiding dat sy afhanklikheid van God begin wankel.
Vervolgens, Deuteronomium 6 beklemtoon dat getrouheid aan die verbond die verhouding tussen
God-en-mens bewaar te midde waarvan die seëning gevind word. Tog, word die hou van die
verbond nie ‘n manier om guns te verdien nie; die betrokke hoofstuk plaas die onverdiende en
genadige verlossing vanuit Egipte in die sentrum van die motivering van gehoorsaamheid.
Jeremia 32 word geplaas in die midde van God se uitvoering van vervloeking wat beloof was in
reaksie op ongehoorsaamheid. Tog, te midde van die volk se gebrek aan hoop, spreek God sy
woorde van genade, troos en ‘n Nuwe Verbond, ‘n verbond waarbinne JHWH nie vergeet sal word
nie en waar seëning sonder voorbehoud geskenk kan word.
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Ten slotte, Psalm 128 lê ‘n verband tussen wysheidsuitsprake (wat aantoon dat die vrees van JHWH
die verstandige lewenswyse is wat tot voorspoed lei) en priesterlike seëning bewerkstellig (wat die
fokus van die geseënde op God as Gewer rig). Hoewel God voorspoed skenk aan die wie Hom vrees,
funksioneer voorspoed altyd binne die komplekse verhouding van genade en afhanklikheid.
Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
CONTENTS
1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background to the study .............................................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Research Question ....................................................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Hypotheses ................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 5
1.5 The vocabulary of prosperity ....................................................................................................................... 9
1.6 Structure ..................................................................................................................................................... 23
1.7 The Promised Land ..................................................................................................................................... 27
2. Genesis 12 ............................................................................................................................. 31
2.1 Translation .................................................................................................................................................. 31
2.2 Exegesis ...................................................................................................................................................... 34
2.3 Intertextual connections ............................................................................................................................ 50
2.4 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................................ 59
3. Deuteronomy 6 ...................................................................................................................... 63
3.1 Date and Sitz im Leben of Deuteronomy .................................................................................................... 63
3.2 Translation .................................................................................................................................................. 64
3.3 Exegesis ...................................................................................................................................................... 66
3.4 Intertextual connections ............................................................................................................................ 94
3.5 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................. 112
4. Jeremiah 32 ......................................................................................................................... 119
4.1 Translation ................................................................................................................................................ 119
4.2 Exegesis .................................................................................................................................................... 122
4.3 Intertextual connections .......................................................................................................................... 152
4.4 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................. 157
5. Psalm 128 ............................................................................................................................ 163
5.1 Translation ................................................................................................................................................ 163
5.2 Exegesis .................................................................................................................................................... 164
5.3 Cause-And-Effect Dynamics in Wisdom ................................................................................................... 176
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5.4 Intertextual connections .......................................................................................................................... 183
5.5 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................. 187
6. Discussion of Findings and Conclusion................................................................................... 191
6.1 Overview of findings ................................................................................................................................. 191
6.2 Contribution ............................................................................................................................................. 203
6.3 Suggestions for Further Research ............................................................................................................ 205
6.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................ 217
7. Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 219
7.1 Appendix A: Verse references by word & category ................................................................................. 219
7.2 Appendix B: Chapter-by-chapter distribution .......................................................................................... 221
7.3 Appendix C: Genesis 12 Grammatical Diagram ........................................................................................ 228
7.4 Appendix D: Deuteronomy 6 Grammatical Diagram ................................................................................ 231
7.5 Appendix E: Date of Deuteronomy .......................................................................................................... 236
7.6 Appendix F: Jeremiah 32 Grammatical Diagram ...................................................................................... 242
7.7 Appendix G: Psalm 128 Grammatical Diagram ........................................................................................ 252
8. Bibliography ......................................................................................................................... 255
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PROMISES OF PRSOteSllePnEboRsIcTh YUn AiveCrsCitOy RhttDp:I//NscGho TlaOr.s uTnH.aEc. zOaLD TESTAMENT

1. I
NTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
With the wide range of disagreement in the Christian church over how prosperity should be
understood and sought, there needs to be careful consideration of what the scriptures teach on the
matter. It is all the more necessary for this work to be done because of the surprisingly large
following that so-called Prosperity Gospel has gained throughout the Christian world for the last few
decades, often on a minimal and weak biblical basis. Yet because the movements associated with
Prosperity Gospel tend to be excessive, materialistic, and vulgar, and because the theologising that
underpins the movements is so impoverished, it has perhaps now become a subject of ill-repute,
and academia seems to have steered clear of it in recent times.
The doctrine of prosperity is a matter of some importance in Africa and in other developing regions,
because it directly concerns the message of hope in the gospel. When poverty is rampant, the offer
of prosperity is naturally irresistible, and yet if this offer is being made in error, it will only serve to
obscure the true location of hope in the gospel. It is necessary, therefore, that the church is more
involved in directly addressing this matter in more seriously biblical and theological terms. This
thesis hopes to be part of that process.
It would be a research paper of its own to accurately describe the ‘state of play’ of prosperity
theology in modern Christianity or the response to it. Nevertheless, within popular church
movements it is possible to discern trends in this regard, and I do not think it is unfair to identify a
twin problem within church conversations about prosperity.
Firstly, there is the weakness in the theologising in which teachers of so-called prosperity gospel are
engaged. For example, Jones (1999) says,
1
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‘Researcher Edward Pousson best stated the prosperity view on the application of the Abrahamic
covenant when he wrote, “Christians are Abraham’s spiritual children and heirs to the blessings of
faith.... This Abrahamic inheritance is unpacked primarily in terms of material entitlements.” In other
words, according to the prosperity gospel, the primary purpose of the Abrahamic covenant was for
God to bless Abraham materially. Since believers are now “Abraham’s spiritual children,” they
consequently have inherited these financial blessings of the covenant.’
Prosperity teaching following this reasoning takes a true statement (that we are Abraham’s children)
but recontextualises it presumptuously (Abraham’s blessings continue to be expressed materially),
and applies it directly and injudiciously to Christians.
Yet secondly, the naysaying church response to prosperity teaching is also problematic, because it
typically responds by pointing out the errors in the thinking of the opponents but rarely produces a
positive theology of prosperity in its place. Such responses may offer positive statements about
prosperity, but these are usually by way of rebuttal and not necessarily justified by a more credible
theological process than the ones they criticise. For example, the same article by Jones (1999) says,
‘To support this claim [that we are heirs also of Abraham’s material blessings], prosperity teachers
such as Copeland and Hagin appeal to Gal. 3:14, which says “that the blessings1 of Abraham might
come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus…” … Two glaring problems need to be addressed. First, in their
appeal to Gal. 3:14, prosperity teachers ignore the second half of the verse, which reads, “That we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” In this verse Paul clearly was reminding the
Galatians of the spiritual blessing of salvation, not the material blessing of wealth.’
Again, there is truth in pointing out that Paul particularly has the gift of the Spirit in mind, but the
text nevertheless does make Christians heirs of Abrahamic blessing. What does this practically
mean? Is what is meant by ‘the gift of the Spirit’ merely ‘salvation’ (a concept that Jones regards as
‘spiritual’ and seemingly therefore divorced from the material)?2 What is the place of wealth for
Abraham and for us? Theological statements such as Jones’ here are as presumptuous and selective
as those that he aims to correct.
These sorts of problems in the church – whether of over-hasty claiming of the material benefits
promised in some of the Bible’s pages or the similarly shallow denials of these blessings – may not
be universal or typical enough to represent modern prosperity teaching at large, but they at least

1 The word in Galatians 3:14 is ἡ εὑλογια, which is singular not plural.
2 I have personally come across a number of teachers who ‘solve’ the problem of seeming contradiction between Old and
New Testaments by considering the latter to be a ‘spiritual’ covenant, and the former to have been more physical and
material; prosperity used to be a material blessing in the Old Testament, but it is now experienced as spiritual blessings.
This view fails to do justice to the inextricable mix of spiritual and physical elements in both sides of the Christian Bible, and
it creates more problems than it solves. This thesis hopes to describe a better solution.
2