Theology of the Old Testament: Testimony, Dispute, Advocacy

This book stirs the imagination; in that it invokes/ provokes the reader to enter a (contrived) courtroom drama to engage in the case of Israel viz a viz Yahweh. Held up to scrutiny is the willingness of Israel to come to a unilateral acceptance of Yahweh's standards and requirements for conjoint Divine and effective life for Israel (and hence for all humanity). In contrast Brueggemann daringly suggests that Yahweh's commitment to Israel while ultimately secured- often appears tardy- lacking and often very inadequate. Might Yahweh have done better is the honest cry and query from the Psalms of complaint, Ecclesiastes and especially Job, whose narratives enunciate Israel's real reservations in that regard.
Though he also notices that like Job himself, Israel never becomes in any sense- disparaging of who Yahweh is (or that He is) or how the puzzlingly elusive essence of God for humanity deigns to enunciate that Presence and Monarchical essentiality in revelation, providence and judgement Suffice to say that for Brueggemann Israel seems more adept and able to incorporate the dialectical paradox of covenant and "countertestimony" that thus arises in its life than ongoing Christianity has been able to achieve over time. While Israel is content with question marks- ontologically and futurist;while Christianity insists often on exclamation marks re the text in its theology and hermeneutical approach and hence appears to have a need to define the undefinable in ad nauseam prescriptive and unnecessary fashion..
Brueggemann is conscious that he may have made a step too far for a literalist biblical evangelical audience to appreciate all of what he drives at; but he stresses that he feels he stands in middle of the liberal/ evangelical divide with real sympathies extended and drawn from either side of the hermeneutical chasm. He draws the inferences well, tends to read the Jewish character of the text with greater respect for Jewish understanding and yet in true christian fashion tends to lift the lid on many aspects of puzzling canonical and textual aspects. One area is the preponderance of violence in Israel's history; Brueggemann makes it clear that this vexed area doesn't sit easy with him but concedes that in Israel's estimation at leastYahweh is seen as supportive of conquest and even seems demanding of unilateral violent measures. It may even be that he alludes thereby that aspect is still part of real Middle Eastern mentalities and mindsets today.
While the methodological approach of a courtroom evidentiary witness process- up for counter testimony, cross examination and rebuttal (both from Yahweh's corner and from the defendant Israel) is perhaps an artifice too convenient for some; many will find it an enlightening angle to take as the nub of the question that is still posed for Israel and humanity by Yahweh/ God is echoed in the question that Jesus posed (correctly answered by Peter): "Who do you say that I am?" This real process qua Yahweh and Israel gets a real airing and rounds off many unresolved issues for this reader within the faith- credo to trust Yahweh/ God in Jesus better, as to do it less continues to be an affront and slight inflicted by creature on its Creator..
Rein Zeilstra
Bowan Park NSW
11/7/2014