Sermon Tone Analysis

Adventist International Institute

of Advanced Studies

Theological Seminary

 

 

 

 

BLOOD MOTIF AND ATONEMENT IN

DEUTERONOMY

 

 

 

A Paper

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the

Requirements of the Course

THST 800 Seminar in Christian

Theology

 

by

Emmer Chacon

December 2006

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CONTENT

INTRODUCTION.. 1

/Definition and statement of the Problem/.. 2

/Purpose and significance of the research/.

2

/Delimitations of the Study/: 3

/Description of the methodology/.

3

 

ANALYSIS OF BLOOD MOTIF-RELATED PASSAGES.

5

*Deut 12:15-19, 20-28*.

7

*Deut 15:19-23*.

11

*Deut 17:8-13*.

13

*Deut 19:1-13*.

15

*Deut 21:1-9*.

18

*Deut 22:1-12*.

21

*Deut 27:15-26*.

23

*Deut 32:10-14*.

25

*Deut 32:36-43*.

27

Summary.

29

 

THEOLOGICAL ELABORATION OF BLOOD MOTIF IN DEUTERONOMY.. 33

*Blood motif and ethics*.

34

*Blood Motif and atonement* 40

*Blood Motif and Theodicy*.

41

Summary.

44

 

CONCLUSIONS.

47

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY.. 50

 

 

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INTRODUCTION

Blood is a word that in the Pentateuch carries a heavy load of sacrificial, ritual, theological and ethical meaning and implies several issues under discussion.[1]

In Adventists studies, the theme of the blood in the Pentateuch is usually approached in the book of Leviticus.

This treatment is mainly done in reference to blood’s manipulation in sacrificial contexts and to its function as a vehicle for sin’s transference to and from the sanctuary during the daily sacrificial ritual and the annual services.[2]

This blood manipulation implies expiation, namely atonement[3] that has both temporal and cosmic implications.

These cosmic implications deal with Theodicy and the great controversy theme.[4]

In Leviticus, ‘blood’ (~~D') happens at least 88 times followed in the OT by Ezekiel with 55 times, Exodus with 29 and then Deuteronomy with 23.[5] Therefore, there is a field for research in reference to this theme in these books: Ezekiel[6] and Exodus.

However, this paper will deal with these usages of the word ‘blood’ in the book of Deuteronomy which is the next in the frequency.

/Definition and statement of the Problem/

What are the aspects of blood motif in Deuteronomy?

How do the passages in Deuteronomy contribute to the understanding of blood motif?

How do the aspects of blood motif in Deuteronomy relate to atonement, ethics and theodicy?

/Purpose and significance of the research/ 

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the function of the word ‘blood’ in the various contexts where it is used in the book of Deuteronomy in order to identify the aspects of the motif in the book; especially, connections with atonement are in focus.

The blood motif in Adventist studies is usually, with reference to the Pentateuch limited to the book of Leviticus.

This paper, by dealing with this motif in Deuteronomy, aims to provide a wider perspective for this theme.

/Delimitations of the Study/:

            First, this paper aims not to be exhaustive in part due to its exploratory nature and because such a task belongs to a doctoral dissertation; this is a term paper for a seminar class.

Second, in the exegetical analysis of the blood-related passages, those elements that are not essential to the understanding of their portrayal of the function of the blood will not be addressed.

Third, passages that might somehow portray the motif, but do not make usage of the key term will not be analyzed.

This may be a task for another research endeavor.

Fourth, the theological elaboration will try to avoid philosophical speculation and then work based on the findings of the textual analysis.

Fifth, historical critical issues will not be addressed nor the issue about the authorship or the composition of the book.

The present form of the text will be addressed.

/Description of the methodology/

Special attention is given to the literary form of the different passages where the word ~~D" ‘blood’ is used in Deuteronomy.

The presence of the Hebrew word ~~D" ‘blood’ is used as hermeneutical control in order to choose those passages that deal with blood motif in Deuteronomy.

It is clear that other passages that do not make use of the word ~~D"  might deal with the motif but for the purposes of this paper, this control will be used.

A later research might deal with those passages which do not having the word ‘blood,’ may portray elements of this motif.

This paper will approach Deuteronomy in its final form and in function to its rhetoric nature, each passage will be contextually located in reference to the different discourses or orations present in the book, and then the literary form of the particular passage will be considered.

After delimitation and literary considerations, the particular pericopes[7] will be structurally analyzed so its internal flow may be evaluated and the function of the word ~~D"  ‘blood’ may be assessed.

Inner textuality and intertextuality will be taken into account in order to asses the roots of the Deuteronomic elaboration related to blood motif.

Then the theological aspects extracted from these individual analyzes will be grouped and analyzed in reference to their contribution to the doctrine of atonement.

These contributions will provide the basis for a profile of the Deuteronomy blood motif in reference to the doctrine of atonement.

Additionally, the blood motif in Deuteronomy will provide elements related to ethics and theodicy.

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ANALYSIS OF BLOOD MOTIF-RELATED PASSAGES

The next table will provide a synoptic view of the data that will be under analysis in this paper.

Every text where the Hebrew term for blood (~~D") is used is enumerated and located in the context of its own pericope.

The pericopes are delimited according to the presence and location of the Masoretic delimitation markers present in the Hebrew Bible.

Then it is set in reference with their literary contexts according with the major sections in the book of Deuteronomy.

These major sections are finally located in reference to the distribution of the discourses or orations of Moses in the book.[8]

| TEXT | LIMITS | LITERARY CONTEXT | MAJOR SECTION | ORATIONS |

| Deut.

12:16 | 12:15-19 |   | 12:1-32 | Second Oration, 4:44-26:19.

[12 :1-26 :19, The Deuteronomic Code[9]][10] |

| Deut.

12:23 | 12:20-28 | Ritual regulations, 12:1-32 |

| Deut.

12:23bis |

| Deut.

12:27 |

| Deut.

12:27bis |

| Deut.

15:23 | 15:19-23 | Legislation of the Sabbatical year | 15:1-23 |

| Deut.

17:8  | 17:8-13 | Appointment of judges and legislation | 16:18-18:22 |

| Deut.

17:8bis |

| Deut.

19:6 | 19:1-7 | Legislation of the Cities of refuge, 19:1-13 | 19:1-21 |

| Deut.

19:10 | 19:8-10 |

| Deut.

19:10bis |