Hermann Spieckermann, «God's Steadfast Love Towards a New Conception of Old Testament Theology», Vol. 81 (2000) 305-327
This article argues in favour of a conception of Old Testament theology that is aware of the different hermeneutical presuppositions due to the different canonical shapes of the Jewish and the Christian Bible, respectively. An Old Testament Theology based on the canon of the Christian Bible has to do equal justice to the Hebrew and to the Greek version of the Old Testament, acknowledging that the Greek version, the Septuagint, is a dominant factor for the emergence of Christian faith. Perceiving the Old Testament from a Christian point of view sheds new light on a central theological issue thus far underestimated in scholarly research: God's steadfast love. The contribution tries to show how this characteristic insight into God's true being is reflected and interpreted in the different parts of the Old Testament.
This is a theological combination of two factors: that which is substantial for God and that which shall become reality for Israel. In the centre of the Torah (Exod 34,6) and throughout the Psalter the formula of grace tells us the same. The idea of Gods expected re-betrothal to Israel in the Book of Hosea, however, includes the dimension of promise. It surpasses any preceding experience and as other prophetic books do transcends its own limits to gain a promising future. It is worth noticing that this occurs not only at the end of the book (Hos 14,2-9)25, but in its first chapters. The position of the promise is even more prominent in the Septuagint where the twelve minor prophets are at the head of the prophetic writings, at least according to the tradition witnessed by Codex Vaticanus and Codex Alexandrinus. This is certainly due to the ancient chronology of the prophets. But maybe there was an additional reason for situating this book at the head of the prophetic canon, namely because it proclaims Gods struggle for his betrayed love which is a struggle inside God himself (11,8-9) and a struggle between God and Israel (12,1-10) 26. God is victorious in the struggle, both against himself and against Israel. Gods love as mercy is a new chance for Israels future. This seems to be the pregnant starting point of prophecy in the Septuagints arrangement.
How does prophecy come to an end in the Old Testament? Some theological hints will answer this question. They are based on several observations on how prophetic tradition came to be shaped into the form of books. Considering the importance of the Septuagint, we ought to direct our attention to the fact that it includes the apocalyptic Book of Daniel in the prophetic writings as the last book of the sequence. Thus, the Greek version emphasizes once again its characteristic concept of prophecy as intensely orientated towards the future. A similar tendency, however, is already present in the Hebrew version of the prophetic writings. This can be exemplified in the Books of Jeremiah and Deuteroisaiah. Both resume and carry on the prophecy of the Book of Hosea.
The first example is Jer 31, especially the section about the new covenant in 31,31-3427. According to this passage God writes the