2. Old testament Theology. A final and thoroughly satisfactory historical exposition of the religious ideas of the Old Testament pre supposes a final theory of the order in which the hooks of the Old Testament were produced. Such a theory Biblical Theology cannot construct in its own right ; it must receive it from Biblical criticism. But so long as there is neither abso lute nor even proximate uniformity on this point in the field of Biblical criticism, the only course left for Biblical Theology is to mass the content of the Old Testament, and give it as a whole, without endeavoring to trace any development within it.
In the Old Testament dispensation two types of thought are discernible, which may be designated as the Mosaic and the Prophetic.
(1) Mosaic System. The Mosaic type or system is characterized by the emphasis it lays (a) on a political and social system of organiza tion as a foundation for the true religious life; (b) on the moral code, and (c) on the ritual of worship. Of these the political system may be set aside here as the remotest from the purposes of theology, although in the Mosaic law it was most intimately related to the religious life of the nation.
(a) The moral aspect of the Mosaic system was embodied in the so-called Book of the Covenant (Exod. chaps. xx-xxiv), whose nucleus is the Decalogue. The construction of the Decalogue shows that the ethical life was intended to be rooted in and blended with the religious. Of the ten commandments, the first three refer purely and simply to man's relation to God ; the fourth regulates the life of man, partly with reference to his duty to God and partly for its own sake, and the remainder refer to earthly and human re lations ; but they all derive their sanction from, and are calculated to promote, spiritual life.
(b) The ritual system of the Mosaic law is in tended to express certain under lying religious ideas. The most important of these are the unity of God, his spirituality, his omnipotence and om nipresence, and his special love for Israel, his covenant people. The aim of the ritual is the sanctification of the worshiper as a member of the covenant people. In order to secure absolute holi ne...s, the worshiper was required to offer sacrifice to Jehovah, designed to represent, secure or pre serve his normal relation to him. The primitive form of sacrifice round which the Mosaic ritual grew up was the burnt-offering, consisting of a bullock, a lamb or a pair of pigeons, according to the means of the worshiper. It signified complete consecration and adoration. The victim was brought to the door of the place of worship; the worshiper laid his hands on its head; it was slain, and the bones being broken it was completely burned. The next in importance of the sacrifices was the peace-offering, consisting of an animal taken either from the herd or from the flock, without blemish, male or female. It was intended
to express or secure reconciliation with Jehovah. To this end an elaborate ceremony was provided for its performance.
The stn-offering, consisting of a young bullock or a male or female kid, was designed to expiate sins committed in ignorance by individuals or by the people.
The trespass-offering, consisting of a rain, was designed to expiate offenses against the rights of men. As an adjunct to animal sacrifices. the int-al-offering was appointed, consisting of un baked flour, baked loaves or roasted or parched cars of grain.
(c) For the offering of sacrifice the Mosaic ritual provided one special place, because its cor ner-stone was the unity of God and the unity of God's people. It provided, further, a special body of men organized into a hierarchy. A high priest was appointed to be the head of the hierarchy and perform the highest sacred functions. A priest hood and a ministry of lower rank, the Levitical, were assigned duties according to their order. Further, the Mosaic ritual provided a cycle of fes tivities and Sabbaths, designed by their regular recurrence to fix the worshiper in habits of devo tion, and impress, as deeply as such ordinances can, the necessity of holiness. And in addition, the series of distinctions of clean and unclean in the matter of habit, food. and conditions of bodily health are calculated to keep constantly alive the rigid demand of God for perfect obedience to his law and conformity to his revealed character. The need of putting away sin was, further, particularly significant in the supreme acts of expiation which took place on the Day of Atonement.
(2) Prophetic Type. (a) Prophecy, as a fea ture of the religious life of Istael, is as old as the people itself. It is clearly understood to be the communication of the will of God to his people through accredited men, to whom he vouchsafes revelations by His Spirit. A prophet has a dis tinct and irresistible call: he is under the guidance of Jehovah and tilled with his Spirit. Two stages are discernible in the history of prophecy, the First preceding the eighth century li. C., and the second extending from the opening of the eighth century to the end of the Old Testament period. These arc distinguished from one another by clear characteristics. In the earlier stage, there is an approach to the vaticinations of the heathen; mat ters of private nature are referred to the prophet. In the latter, prophecy assumes a loftier tone; it is concerned only with the affairs of the kingdom of God. In the earlier. the prophets do not dis dain to' use physical force in carrying out their de signs. In the second, moral suasion alone is used.