GO TO PART XI
I. Identifying Oracles of Salvation
a. While there are prophetic genre that brings bad news (see Session Eleven on Announcement of Judgment), there are also prophetic genre that brings good news: The Oracle of Salvation.
b. Definition
i. Also goes by the name promise.[1]
“Promise is the assurance that the LORD will deliver his people and renew his blessing.”[2]
ii. What is meant by salvation?
“Salvation is any act of God’s goodness and care, of his justice and fairness, of his grace in answering the prayers of sinners.”[3]
iii. Thus, an oracle of salvation is God’s promise or prophetic reassurance of His promise that He will act in a way that show’s his graciousness and care.
iv. It is “a word from God that assures people of the validity of God’s promise during a crisis and of his deliverance from an adverse situation.”[4]
c. Elements[5]
i. Reference to the future
ii. Mention of radical change
iii. Mention of blessing
d. Two sub-genre
i. Promise of Salvation
1. These “address the needs of the people by using the form of an oracle of assurance to an individual.”[6]
2. Elements[7]
a. Reassurance
b. Future transformation
c. Basis for reassurance
ii. Proclamation of Salvation
1. This form “responds to a communal lament and, in doing so, draws much of its language from lament.”[8]
2. Elements[9]
a. Lament
b. Reassurance
c. Future transformation
d. Basis for reassurance
II. Principles in interpretation
a. Prophetic literature is largely poetic, and hermeneutical principles for poetry applies here too.
i. “God spoke through his prophets largely by poems…”[10]
ii. Therefore, all the principles in Session Six concerning parallelism apply here as well.
b. Identify the elements within the text.
Consciously identifying elements as listed earlier will help strengthen one’s interpretation of clauses and sentences.
c. If possible, try to identify the specific historical situation from other area in Scripture.
i. An aspect of oracle of salvation is a future reversal of the announcement of judgment.
ii. Knowing this background would lead to a further appreciation of God’s faithfulness.
d. Have the announcement of judgment give light to oracle of announcement.
i. This shows the inter-relationship of genres, and the importance of this in hermeneutics.
ii. Grace of the oracle of Salvation would be best appreciated in light of announcement of judgment.
e. Remember the Covenants and other promises God made earlier.
Oracle of salvation are not only based upon previous promises but they complement them and even give further details.
f. Realized that some of the prophecies have been fulfilled, others are still awaiting fulfillment.
i. The prophecies fulfilled should be the basis of trusting that what God says is true.
ii. The prophecies awaiting fulfillment should give us hope for the future.
[1] Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart., How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 178.
[2] Willem A. VanGemeren, “Oracles of Salvation” Cracking Old Testament Codes, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company), 140.
[5] Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart., How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 178.
[6] Willem A. VanGemeren, “Oracles of Salvation” Cracking Old Testament Codes, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company), 143.
[10] Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart., How to Read the Bible for All its Worth, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan), 179-180.
GO TO PART XIII
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