Israel-forgetfulness

As a supplement to my previous post, “Israel’s Proprietorship”, I was reminded of Kendal Soulen’s observation of “Israel-forgetfulness” in most of the ways we describe the Canon’s narrative unity.

For most Christians, with whom I regularly interact, the unity of the canon is at the expense of Israel’s story. The standard reading of the Bible’s story foregrounds creation, fall, redemption and consummation in such a way as to leave the bulk of the Old Testament in the background. This forgetfulness is not however the necessary outcome of the Christian canonical narrative since Irenaeus. Soulen highlights the way this kind of reading “bleaches” the portrait of God and God’s purposes removing the textures and particularities of the presentation of God in the context of his covenant relationship with Israel.

Here’s my assertion: Because we have a canon of the Old Testament and the New Testament, it will not due to hop, skip and jump over Israel’s story from Jesus back to Adam.

We need to disciple followers of Jesus in the story of Israel for which Jesus is the fulfillment.