A Reading Plan for the Former Prophets(1) – Part four

In the preceding two articles of this series, we gave the reading plans for the Jewish holy days (festival days) and for the weekly Sabbaths. We are quite confident that these are the correct readings. We know that these reading plans are accurate because they have not changed for 2,500 years; they are the same today as they were then. Furthermore, we feel the early ecclesia would have adopted this same reading plan for its weekly memorial service.

While the reading plan so far considered is definite, the rest of our proposed reading plans are less certain. Discovering the reading plan used for the Prophets, Chronicles, and the Gospels, for example, is somewhat like solving a large jigsaw puzzle. We know where to put some pieces because they fit perfectly and we can see their role in the overall scheme. On the other hand, we are less sure where to put other pieces because we cannot see where they fit into the whole picture.

Despite the problems we might have with some of the details, the basic structure is plain. The Prophets, Chronicles, Matthew, Luke and Revelation were no doubt each intended to be read alongside the weekly Sabbath or Festival readings or a combination of both of them.

The Jewish Bible contains three major divisions which are called “The Five Books of Moses,” “The Prophets” and “The Writings.” “The Prophets” is, in turn, subdivided into five sections which are 1) “The Former Prophets” (i.e. the history books of Joshua, Judges, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings and II Kings), 2) Isaiah, 3) Jeremiah, 4) Ezekiel and 5) “The Twelve Minor Prophets.” In this article and the next, we discuss the reading plan for the “Former Prophets.”

Jewish practice

For ages, each week the Jews have read a portion from the Prophets as a second reading to complement the reading from the Torah. The prophetic reading fora given week is called the Haphta­rah which means “closer,” because, originally, the Haphtarah closed the reading part of the worship service. You can find the list of Haphtarot (plural of Haphtarah) that are used today in the Tanakh, for example, or in books on the Torah and Haph tarot.

The portion from the prophets is matched with a Torah portion on the basis of similar subject matter. The whole of the Prophets section is not covered, however, in the reading schedule used today. It is probable that, in the past, there was a reading plan covering every section of the Prophets to ensure they were all read in the course of a few years. Thus for any given year, the Jews would do the Torah readings along with the schedule for one section of the five sections of the Prophets. Assuming this to be the case and assuming a linkage of subject matter between the two portions, we have reconstructed a likely reading plan for the Former Prophets. Following the table, we discuss parallels between these readings, the Sabbath readings, and the Festival readings. As we do so, it seems evident that specific sections of scripture were organized to facilitate just such a reading of the word of God.

Table of Readings for the Former Prophets

 

First Month, Nisan/Abib

1. 1 The Law, Rebels put to death
2. 2 Spies to Jericho, Rahab PASSOVER Josh. 3-4 Across Jordan,
   Twelve stones. Josh. 5-6 Circumcision, Passover, Jericho

3. 7-8 Joshua vs. Bethel/Ai, Law at Shechem
   Josh. 9-10 Battle against Adonizedek, Hivites
   Josh. 11-22 Land captured and dis­tributed
   Josh. 23-24 Abraham’s covenant re­newed

4. 1-5 Introduction, Deborah

Second Month, Iyyar/Zif

5. 6-9 Gideon, Abimelech
6. 10-12 Jephthah
7. 13-16 Samson
8. 17-21 Dan, Benjamites

Third Month, Sivan

9. I Sam. 1-3 Boy Samuel
   Pentecost
10. I Sam. 4-6 Ark lost and recovered
11. I Sam. 7-9 Saul anointed
12. I Sam. 10-12 Saul king
13. I Sam. 13-15 Saul and Jonathan

Fourth Month, Tammuz

14. I Sam. 16-18 Rise of David
15. I Sam. 19-21 David flees
16. I Sam. 22-24 David in the hold
17. I Sam. 25-28 David in Philistia

Fifth Month, Ab

18. I Sam. 29-31 Death of Saul
19. II Sam. 1-3 Civil war
20. II Sam. 4-6 Ark to Jerusalem
21. II Sam. 7-9 David victorious

Sixth Month, Elul

22. II Sam. 10-12 Bathsheba
23. II Sam. 13-15 Absalom’s rise

24. II Sam. 16-18 Absalom’s fall
25. II Sam. 19-21 David’s triumph
26. II Sam. 22-24 David’s last words

Seventh Month, TishrilEthanim

Trumpets/New Year

27. I Kgs. 1-2 Solomon king
28. I Kgs. 3-4 Solomon’s wisdom
29. Atonement
30. I Kgs. 5-6 Solomon and Hiram
    Tabernacles
31. 31.I Kgs. 7-8:53 Temple I

32. I Kgs. 8:54-9 Temple II
33. I Kgs. 10-11:13 End of Solomon

Eight Month, Cheshvan/Bul

34. I Kgs. 11:14-12 Jeroboam
35. I Kgs. 13 Jeroboam’s hand
36. I Kgs. 14 Jeroboam’s son sick
37. I Kgs. 15-16 Abijam – Ahab

Ninth Month, Chisleu

38. I Kgs. 17 Elijah to Zarephath
39. I Kgs. 18 Elijah at Carmel
40. I Kgs. 19 Elijah at Horeb
41. I Kgs. 20 Benhadad
42. I Kgs. 21 Naboth

Tenth Month, Tebeth

43. I Kgs. 22 Ahab and Micaiah
44. II Kgs. 1-3 Elijah ascends
45. II Kgs. 4-6:23 Elisha I
46. II Kgs. 6:24-8 Elisha II

Eleventh Month, Sebat

47. II Kgs. 9-10 Jehu
48. II Kgs. 11-12 Athaliah, Joash
49. II Kgs. 13-14 Jehoash – Amaziah
50. II Kgs. 15-17 Fall of Samaria

Twelfth Month, Adar

51. II Kgs. 18-19 Hezekiah
52. II Kgs. 20-21 Hezekiah – Manasseh
53. II Kgs. 22-23 Josiah – Jehoiakim
54. II Kgs. 24-25 Fall of Judah

General parallels

The basic story told in the Former Prophets (the histories) parallels the basic story told in the Law.

• Abraham is promised the land; Joshua captures the land.
• Jacob fathers 12 sons who become the forefathers of the 12 tribes that inherit the land.
• Moses delivers Israel from Egyp­tian oppression, and begins the worship of the Lord in the tabernacle; David de­livers Israel from Philistine oppression, and brings the worship of the Lord to Jerusalem, where Solomon builds the temple.
• The people rebel under Aaron, who fashions a golden calf, and are punished for 40 years in the wilderness; the people rebel under Jeroboam, who sets up two golden calves, and are punished 400 years with failure, defeat, and finally, exile.
• Moses repeats the Law in Deuteronomy; the kings, especially Manasseh, break the Law, and Josiah restores it.
• Deuteronomy closes with a guarantee of destruction and exile for disobedience, and return for those who repent; II Kings closes with destruction, exile, and the freeing of King Jehoiachin.

Joshua, Genesis 1-17, and Passover

The reading plan for Joshua aligns perfectly with the beginning of the Torah readings and the readings for Passover. In fact, even now Joshua 1 and Genesis 1 are read side by side on Simhat Torah, the day on which Jews of today begin the reading plan. Also, as mentioned in the February article, Joshua 5, the story of Joshua’s Passover, is read at Passover. Thus the connections between these two readings from Joshua and the corresponding Torah reading and Festival reading remain in the Jewish reading plan to this day.

The following points draw out some of the detailed parallels between the book of Joshua and the Torah readings for the first sabbaths of the year.

Parallels on the first sabbath

1. “This book of the Law” (Josh. 1:7-8). The Lord commanded Joshua “to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whither soever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein” (Josh. 1:7-8). What could be more appropriate as the readings from the Law began fora new year? It is as though the Lord is pointing to the scroll as it is being unrolled to begin the reading.
2. Command (Gen. 2:16; 3:11,17 //Josh. 1:7,9,10,11,13,16,18). God’s commands are a major theme in Joshua 1 just as they were in Genesis 2 and 3.
3. Rebels put to death (Gen. 2:17; 3:3- 4,19 // Josh. 1:18; cp. Dt. 18:15,18-19). The people answer Joshua, “Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death” (Josh. 1:18). This saying reminds us of the commandment in the Garden, “In the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die,” and the consequence of Adam’s rebellion.

Parallels on the second sabbath

4. Safety for the household of Noah/Rahab (Gen. 6:18-19; 7:1 // Josh. 2:12­-14,18-19). The family members of Rahab had to associate themselves with her to be saved from the destruction of Jericho, just as the family members of Noah had to associate themselves with him to be saved from the destruction of the flood.

Parallels at Passover

5. Canaanites, etc. (Ex. 13:5 // Josh. 3:10; cp. Gen. 15:13-14,19-20). Joshua recounts which nations would be driven out of the land, which exactly fulfills the details of the promise repeated by Moses.
6. The waters shall stand upon an heap (Ex. 15:8 // Josh. 3:14). The parallels between the crossing of the Red Sea and the crossing of the Jordan are well known. However, it might not be common knowledge that the history of these two events were read side by side at Passover each year.
7. Israel passed over Red Sea/Jordan on dry ground (Ex. 14:21-22,29 // Josh. 3:17).
8. “When your children ask, What mean ye by this” (Ex. 12:26; 13:14 // Josh. 4:6,21). The Passover and the Stones were intended to encourage children to ask about and be taught the history of their people.
9. A memorial unto Israel for ever (Ex. 12:14; 13:9 //Josh. 4:7). Both Passover and the crossing of the Jordan were to be remembered every year, and they were, because they were both read at Passover.
10. Passover on 14th day of first month and unleavened bread on the 15th (Ex. 12 // Josh. 5:10-11). Here is an explicit reference to Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
11. No uncircumcised person shall eat the passover (Ex. 12:48 // Josh. 5:2-9). By making the connection between Joshua 5 and Passover, it becomes clear why this episode comes where it does: they had to be circumcised before they could keep the Passover.

Parallels on the third sabbath

12. Bethel and Ai (Gen. 12:8; 13:3 /1 Josh. 7-8). Soon after he had entered the Land, Abraham camped between Bethel and Ai. Similarly, upon entering the land, Joshua quickly (too quickly, in fact) goes to take the city of Ai.
13. Altar at Shechem/Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim (Gen. 12:6-7 RV // Josh. 8:30­-35). Note that Shechem is located between Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim. No wonder Joshua went there to build an altar and read the Law. He was just taking the path that Abraham had taken generations earlier.
14. Battle of Kings, Melchizedek/Adon­izedek (Gen. 14 // Josh. 9-11). Both Genesis 14 and Joshua 9-11 tell stories of invasions by confederacies of kings. Although they play entirely different roles in the two stories, the similarity between the names of the two kings of Jerusalem is hard to miss.
15. Land promised, captured, and distributed (Gen. 12:1,7; 13:15; 15:7,18; 17:8 // Josh. 11-22). Here we have the well-known (initial) fulfillment of the land promise to Abraham.
16. Covenant of Abraham (Gen. 15:18; Gen. 17 // Josh. 24). As if to make the parallel clear, Joshua begins his farewell speech with reference to the calling of Abraham out of Ur. The speech leads up to a renewal of the covenant, and a saving of a copy of the Law under the Oak of Moreh at Shechem.

Two points need to be made. First, these parallels are detailed. There are direct references to the readings in Genesis and the readings for Passover. Second, these parallels are in order. Why? Because they were designed to be read together.