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New Studies in Biblical Theology #50
Including the Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets
The Old Testament, particularly the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings), has frequently been regarded as having a negative attitude towards foreigners. This has meant that these texts are often employed by those opposed to the Christian faith to attack the Bible―and such views can be echoed by Christians. While the story of David and Goliath is cherished, other episodes are seen to involve "ethnic cleansing" or "massacre" and are avoided.
David Firth's contention is that this approach emerges from an established interpretation of the text, but not the text itself. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, he argues that the Former Prophets subvert the exclusivist approach in order to show that the people of God are not defined by ethnicity but rather by their willingness to commit themselves to the purposes of Yahweh. God's purposes are always wider than Israel alone, and Israel must therefore understand themselves as a people who welcome and include the foreigner.
Firth addresses contemporary concerns about the ongoing significance of the Old Testament for Christians, and shows how opponents of Christianity have misunderstood the Bible. His reading of the Former Prophets also has significant ethical implications for Christians today as they wrestle with the issues of migration and what it means to be the people of God.
Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
David Firth's contention is that this approach emerges from an established interpretation of the text, but not the text itself. In this New Studies in Biblical Theology volume, he argues that the Former Prophets subvert the exclusivist approach in order to show that the people of God are not defined by ethnicity but rather by their willingness to commit themselves to the purposes of Yahweh. God's purposes are always wider than Israel alone, and Israel must therefore understand themselves as a people who welcome and include the foreigner.
Firth addresses contemporary concerns about the ongoing significance of the Old Testament for Christians, and shows how opponents of Christianity have misunderstood the Bible. His reading of the Former Prophets also has significant ethical implications for Christians today as they wrestle with the issues of migration and what it means to be the people of God.
Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 24, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 24, 2020
Summary: A study of the former prophets that makes the case that God was not an exclusivist who hated foreigners, but that God welcomed the stranger who believed and excluded the Israelite who repudiated him.
Many people have the idea that in the Old Testament, God hates foreigners. At worst, some have called him a genocidal monster. David G. Firth argues from the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings) for something far different. He believes that these books reveal a picture of a God who includes the foreigner who believes, works through such people for the benefit of Israel, and that ultimately, the people of God were defined not by ethnicity but by faith.
In Joshua, he contrasts the faith of Rahab the Canaanite prostitute (and ancestor of David and Christ), with Achan, who takes for himself what was to be devoted to destruction, to the destruction of his fellow Israelites and his own family. Firth also points to the inclusion of the Gibeonites and their subsequent role. In Judges, he contrasts Othniel the Kenite (an outsider), the paradigm judge who saves Israel from the invading nations, with the nation itself, divided by tribal rivalries and becoming more like the surrounding nations.
The books of Samuel contrast Israel who wants to be like other nations and Saul, whose kingship is shaped more by his responses to foreign adversaries than obedience to God, with David, the man after God's heart, who slays Goliath who dares to taunt against Yahweh. Later, we see David the unfaithful adulterer and murderer of the faithful Hittite soldier Uriah. And when David's actions bring a plague ln Israel, it is Araunah, the Jebusite, whose threshing floor becomes the site of an altar to Yahweh at the point where the plague stops.
In the books of the Kings, once again, it is the vindication of the greatness of Yahweh over the nations that results in the defeat of the Assyrians confronting Hezekiah. Often, as in Judges, the incursions of the nations are a judgment for Israel's faithlessness. When Yahweh acts, it is that the nations may know him (2 Kings 19:19). Perhaps the height of this expression of concern for the foreigner is in Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple:
As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. (I Kings 8:41-43, NIV).
Later, Naaman is a striking example of one who finds healing through faith in Israel's God. Firth then concludes his treatment by tracing this trajectory of concern for including the stranger into the New Testament, and makes application to the church.
Firth's point in all this is to show that the people of God may include foreigners, and exclude unfaithful Israelites. Foreigner nations face judgment not because they are foreigners, but when they embrace rivals to the living God and represent a threat to lure Israel into the same. Sometimes, these nations are instruments to draw Israel back to God through invasions.
Firth does a service in calling our attention to the numerous instances of the inclusion of the foreigner in the Former Prophets, and God's revealed intentions, material overlooked by those who attack these books. In so doing he demonstrates that there is a greater continuity in the two testaments than may be thought. Some may find his inference that the people were destroyed or driven out not because of their ethnicity but because of the rival gods they believed in inadequate to justify this destruction. To fully address this would require a much longer book. What Firth does is show us that the actual case is far more nuanced than is popularly portrayed. While we cannot get away from violence against the nations, there is also an ongoing thread of the inclusion of foreigners from Rahab, to the paradigm judge, Othniel, to Naaman and many others that reveal God's over-riding concern for his glory among the nations and the inclusion of all who believe into the people of God.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Many people have the idea that in the Old Testament, God hates foreigners. At worst, some have called him a genocidal monster. David G. Firth argues from the Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings) for something far different. He believes that these books reveal a picture of a God who includes the foreigner who believes, works through such people for the benefit of Israel, and that ultimately, the people of God were defined not by ethnicity but by faith.
In Joshua, he contrasts the faith of Rahab the Canaanite prostitute (and ancestor of David and Christ), with Achan, who takes for himself what was to be devoted to destruction, to the destruction of his fellow Israelites and his own family. Firth also points to the inclusion of the Gibeonites and their subsequent role. In Judges, he contrasts Othniel the Kenite (an outsider), the paradigm judge who saves Israel from the invading nations, with the nation itself, divided by tribal rivalries and becoming more like the surrounding nations.
The books of Samuel contrast Israel who wants to be like other nations and Saul, whose kingship is shaped more by his responses to foreign adversaries than obedience to God, with David, the man after God's heart, who slays Goliath who dares to taunt against Yahweh. Later, we see David the unfaithful adulterer and murderer of the faithful Hittite soldier Uriah. And when David's actions bring a plague ln Israel, it is Araunah, the Jebusite, whose threshing floor becomes the site of an altar to Yahweh at the point where the plague stops.
In the books of the Kings, once again, it is the vindication of the greatness of Yahweh over the nations that results in the defeat of the Assyrians confronting Hezekiah. Often, as in Judges, the incursions of the nations are a judgment for Israel's faithlessness. When Yahweh acts, it is that the nations may know him (2 Kings 19:19). Perhaps the height of this expression of concern for the foreigner is in Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple:
As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name— for they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm—when they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. (I Kings 8:41-43, NIV).
Later, Naaman is a striking example of one who finds healing through faith in Israel's God. Firth then concludes his treatment by tracing this trajectory of concern for including the stranger into the New Testament, and makes application to the church.
Firth's point in all this is to show that the people of God may include foreigners, and exclude unfaithful Israelites. Foreigner nations face judgment not because they are foreigners, but when they embrace rivals to the living God and represent a threat to lure Israel into the same. Sometimes, these nations are instruments to draw Israel back to God through invasions.
Firth does a service in calling our attention to the numerous instances of the inclusion of the foreigner in the Former Prophets, and God's revealed intentions, material overlooked by those who attack these books. In so doing he demonstrates that there is a greater continuity in the two testaments than may be thought. Some may find his inference that the people were destroyed or driven out not because of their ethnicity but because of the rival gods they believed in inadequate to justify this destruction. To fully address this would require a much longer book. What Firth does is show us that the actual case is far more nuanced than is popularly portrayed. While we cannot get away from violence against the nations, there is also an ongoing thread of the inclusion of foreigners from Rahab, to the paradigm judge, Othniel, to Naaman and many others that reveal God's over-riding concern for his glory among the nations and the inclusion of all who believe into the people of God.
________________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
May 25, 2020
This book has two things in his favor. It’s another of these unique entries in the New Studies in Biblical Theology (NSBT) series, edited by D. A. Carson, that are theologically astute and make a distinct contribution to both scholarship and biblical studies.The other plus is that renowned scholar David Firth contributes this volume in his area of expertise, the Former Prophets which include Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. In fact, Firth has already delivered an outstanding commentary on the books of Samuel. His deft hand shows throughout this volume.
His premise is that a unifying theme of these Former Prophets Is the treatment of strangers or foreigners. It is a theory that he very well may convince you on because (It made sense to me). Even if it isn’t the overarching theme of these books, it is at least in play in a key way.
To my mind even if you don’t agree with his premise, you have something of a fine introduction to each of these historical books of the Old Testament. In fact, I could not imagine studying these books without consulting this work going forward. To me, it almost does what Barry Webb’s “Five Festal Garments” does for the Five Scrolls. Count this another winner in an outstanding series.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
His premise is that a unifying theme of these Former Prophets Is the treatment of strangers or foreigners. It is a theory that he very well may convince you on because (It made sense to me). Even if it isn’t the overarching theme of these books, it is at least in play in a key way.
To my mind even if you don’t agree with his premise, you have something of a fine introduction to each of these historical books of the Old Testament. In fact, I could not imagine studying these books without consulting this work going forward. To me, it almost does what Barry Webb’s “Five Festal Garments” does for the Five Scrolls. Count this another winner in an outstanding series.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
March 19, 2023
Is Yahweh, the God of the Bible, a vengeful, violent despot who despises the majority of mankind? Or is inclusion or exclusion of individuals based not on ethnicity but on whether they follow and submit to Yahweh?
David Firth deals with this issue in "Including The Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets," part of the New Studies In Biblical Theology series. His view is that foreigners who are obedient to Yahweh are included with His people, such as Rahab, the Gibeonites, and Namaan (and theorizes that Caleb the son of Jephuneh, the Kenazite, was not Jewish). Likewise, Israelites who are disobedient are treated as foreigners (e.g. Achan) and sometimes Israelites are treated like foreigners by fellow-Israelites (such as the virgin girls kidnapped by the Benjaminites).
Some may wonder what is meant by "The Former Prophets." The OT canon we normally use are divided into the Law, the Historical Books, the Poetic Books, and the Prophetic books, sub-divided by the major and minor prophets (designated not by importance but by book length). However, the Jewish canon divides those same books into the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (often referred to as Psalms, which is the first book of that section), with the Prophets divided by Early prophets and later prophets. The Early Prophets include Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the Jews did not divide the books of Samuel and Kings).
This is the seventh book I've read in this series. Some books are ones that inspire me; others are ones that leave me more knowledgeable on the subject dealt with. Personally, I would consider this one of the latter. I feel richer intellectually for reading this, but it hasn't really effected my daily life like some of the others did.
David Firth deals with this issue in "Including The Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets," part of the New Studies In Biblical Theology series. His view is that foreigners who are obedient to Yahweh are included with His people, such as Rahab, the Gibeonites, and Namaan (and theorizes that Caleb the son of Jephuneh, the Kenazite, was not Jewish). Likewise, Israelites who are disobedient are treated as foreigners (e.g. Achan) and sometimes Israelites are treated like foreigners by fellow-Israelites (such as the virgin girls kidnapped by the Benjaminites).
Some may wonder what is meant by "The Former Prophets." The OT canon we normally use are divided into the Law, the Historical Books, the Poetic Books, and the Prophetic books, sub-divided by the major and minor prophets (designated not by importance but by book length). However, the Jewish canon divides those same books into the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (often referred to as Psalms, which is the first book of that section), with the Prophets divided by Early prophets and later prophets. The Early Prophets include Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings (the Jews did not divide the books of Samuel and Kings).
This is the seventh book I've read in this series. Some books are ones that inspire me; others are ones that leave me more knowledgeable on the subject dealt with. Personally, I would consider this one of the latter. I feel richer intellectually for reading this, but it hasn't really effected my daily life like some of the others did.
June 30, 2020
This is a unique contribution to the NSBT series which addresses an area that is often overlooked in understanding the Old Testament in general and the Former Prophets in particular and that is the place of foreigners.
It’s easy to assume that there was no place for foreigners in the life of Israel but Firth through his close reading of the Former Prophets helps address that fundamental misconception. I this book Firth addresses the place of the foreigner in Joshua, Judges, the books of Samuel, and the books of Kings. In addressing Joshua he rightly points to how Rahab a foreigner finds welcome in whereas Achan is cut off from the people and throughout the Former Prophets that comes to be a repeating pattern. The foreigners are welcome and included as they come to know the true God, and Israelites cut off for living like the surrounding nations.
Through Firth’s careful exegesis we can see how the history recording in the Former Prophets ties into the canonical theme of the inclusion of the Gentiles among the people of God.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
It’s easy to assume that there was no place for foreigners in the life of Israel but Firth through his close reading of the Former Prophets helps address that fundamental misconception. I this book Firth addresses the place of the foreigner in Joshua, Judges, the books of Samuel, and the books of Kings. In addressing Joshua he rightly points to how Rahab a foreigner finds welcome in whereas Achan is cut off from the people and throughout the Former Prophets that comes to be a repeating pattern. The foreigners are welcome and included as they come to know the true God, and Israelites cut off for living like the surrounding nations.
Through Firth’s careful exegesis we can see how the history recording in the Former Prophets ties into the canonical theme of the inclusion of the Gentiles among the people of God.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of reviewing it. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.
January 20, 2021
A good overview of how the Bible talks about foreigners in Joshua- 2 Kings.
December 10, 2023
Had some helpful insight occasionally.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews