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.

nature means two things at the same time: doing his will (40,8-9) and asking for his grace (40,12). Doing God’s will is not a burden, but delight. It is pronounced in a scroll as instruction (hrwt) that intends to enter into men completely as a relief and as a claim (40,8). Or to put it differently according to the same psalm: The psalmist enters the scroll as if he entered God’s temple (yt)b-hnh, 40,8; cf. 73,17), because God is entirely present in both. This entering into God’s wholesome, saving and gracious presence, however, does not exempt the psalmist from world and sin, but rather prompts him to accept the Torah affectionately and to ask to be protected by God’s steadfast love and faithfulness (40,12). Not until confronted with the abundance of God’s grace does the psalmist perceive the abundance of evil in the world and in his own life, an abundance that exceeds in number the hairs of his head (40,13). But God’s love is greater than men’s sin. The pleas are addressed to a god whose steadfast love and faithfulness are well approved. Therefore, the lamentation does not gain a dominating position in Ps 40. Rather, the psalmist hopes to be soon reintegrated in the congregation of those who are called Kt(w#t ybh) ‘lovers of your salvation’ (40,17 = 70,5). This designation corresponds with the Hebrew title of the Psalter: Mylht ‘hymns’. Under the aspect of God’s saving presence all the Psalms collected in the Psalter are regarded as songs of praise, even the lamentations which make up the bulk of the prayers. Appealing to the steadfast loving God for help has the effect of being touched by his saving love changing mourning to praising, putting a new song in our mouth, namely a song of praise (cf. 40,4). This could not be imagined without the theological power of dsx that has affected the Psalter in its entirety. Simultaneously, it has influenced the prophetic tradition, contributing a remarkable number of theological insights.

III. With Everlasting Love I Will Have Compassion on You: The Books of the Prophets

        The tradition as given in the major and minor prophets originates from Israel’s betrayal of the loving God. Prophetic writings would not exist if, in the course of the 8th century, God had not made the prophets announce the destruction of his people (cf. Amos 8,2). Moreover, prophetic writings would not have become an influential tradition if God had just executed the sentence of doom announced by the prophets without any mercy. Prophetic writings reflect God striving to maintain his love in view of Israel’s betrayal. When he decides to execute the