Reviewed Book: Westermann, Claus. Prophetic Oracles of Salvation in the Old Testament. Louisville, Ky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991

Neeb, John H. C.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 18Issue 1 Issues in Church Life Article 135-1-1992Prophetic Oracles of Salvation in the OldTestamentJohn H. C. NeebFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationNeeb, John H. C. (1992) "Prophetic Oracles of Salvation in the Old Testament," Consensus: Vol. 18 : Iss. 1 , Article 13.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol18/iss1/13134 ConsensusEven with this detracting feature, Hubbard’s volume remains an importantresource for any wishing insight into this beautiful and well-known story.This tale of two commentaries, then, underscores the obvious: any com-mentary series is bound to show some unevenness. If Robertson on Nahum,Habakkuk, and Zephaniah is the “worst of times” to be avoided, Hubbardon Ruth represents the “best of times”: welcome and worth seeking out.David J. ReimerWilfrid Laurier UniversityProphetic Oracles of SalvationClaus WestermannTranslator Keith CrimLouisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991283 pp. with bibliographyThis book is a welcome companion to Westermann’s now classic BasicForms of Prophetic Speech^ 1967 (reprinted with new forward 1991; original1964). Since that work dealt only with the forms in which judgment was an-nounced, it was incumbent on the new emeritus professor at the Universityof Heidelberg to investigate the prophetic salvation oracles. Westermanndoes a thorough job of what he sets out to accomplish, “to develop from asurvey of all the prophetic oracles of salvation a grouping of these oracleson the basis of their structure and content” (15). In a well-organized fash-ion, he presents four distinctive types of salvation oracles. The first group,the major group, is an unconditional proclamation of salvation. Chieflyin Deutero-Isaiah, this literary form has its origin in worship as God’s re-sponse to the lament of the individual (65). Westermann proposes thatDeutero-Isaiah developed the form of the oracle of salvation by analogy tothe oracle of salvation to the individual (especially the king in Assyriantexts, p. 42). The prophet creatively adapts these forms to proclaim theliberation of Israel from Babylonian captivity. In addition, in these oraclesthe salvation announced for Israel is open to the people of all nations andthe regaining of political power and influence for Israel is not proclaimed.The oracles of group 2 follow the pattern “proclamation of judgmenton the enemy”—proclamation of deliverance for Judah-Israel, with the fullweight placed on the destruction of the enemy.The third group of salvation oracles (termed nonprophetic) is charac-terized by its conditional quality. The new possibility is conditional uponobedience to God’s commands. Westermann proposes that oracles from themouth of the prophets which contain exhortations and warnings were de-rived from the deuteronomic updating of the prophetic words (cf. Deuteron-omy 18:15-18) after the collapse of the nation (587 BC).Book Reviews 135The fourth group, primarily additions to the text, treat the fate of theungodly contrasted with that of the godly.Excurses on the messenger formula koh 'amar yhwh (thus says theLord), “days are coming”, and “on that day” are most valuable. E.g.,of the 105 times the expression hayyom hahu (on that day) is found inthe prophetic books, it introduces oracles of judgment in 35 instances andoracles of salvation in 57.A brief summary and conclusion review the key points of the book.Westermann comments on the significance of the salvation oracles for bib-lical theology. The salvation proclaimed in the text investigated in thisstudy always involves a community; whereas, in the New Testament, sal-vation proclaimed in the gospel primarily involves individuals. The shalomso often proclaimed in these oracles means both salvation and peace. Thegrace made real through deliverance from exile includes of necessity therestoration of all other areas of life as well. The individual participates inthis salvation only as a member of the community (272).Westermann has gained renown as a form critic, par excellence. Hismasterful commentary Isaiah 40-66, 1969 (Old Testament Library) alreadyprovided the outline for this genre. In fact, one would benefit from readingthe commentary along with the book for a full treatment of the oracle ofsalvation. The distinctions between the announcement of salvation andthe assurances of salvation are more clearly delineated in his commentary.The treatment of the primary form “promise of salvation” is more clearlypresented and explained in his commentary with the four examples citedon page 42: Isaiah 41:8-13, 14-16, 43:1-7; 44:1-5.One becomes aware of the weakness of a strict form critical analysis.At points Westermann pushes this approach to its extreme. In his zeal todevelop a taxonomy of forms one is left with the impression of trying tofit square pegs into round holes. The attempt to fit all the oracles intofour groups is not entirely successful as the fourth group is finally a smallcollection of additions utilizing a wisdom motif.He also relies heavily on the history of traditions school in the datingand development of various themes and motifs. E.g., he assigns the procla-mation of a royal saviour (Israel 9:2-7; 11:1-9) to the exilic or postexilicperiod. Contemporary literary critics would be very suspect of his sweepingstatements about “late oracles” and “composite compositions” (86).Of what use is this book? This book has a rightful place on the pastor’sdesk when it’s time to prepare the sermon. It just could dispel the notionthat the prophets are all doomsday preachers. Why not preach a seriesof sermons on the salvation oracles in Isaiah during Advent! In series Aon 1 Advent with Isaiah 2; on 2 Advent with Isaiah 11; on 4 Advent withIsaiah 7. On the Nativity of our Lord bring in the climax with Isaiah 9.3 Epiphany is another opportunity with Isaiah 9. There is easy access toWestermann’s comments on these texts through the scripture index.Another perk for your hearers! No disembodied spirituality here!“These OT oracles know nothing of a peace of soul in isolation” (272).136 ConsensusThis salvation has an impact on all other areas as well. “The people whowalked in darkness have seen a great light!” And who knows, you might bemotivated to preach on a text not in the lectionary, such as, Isaiah 43:1b,“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you b}^ name, you aremine.” Fear not!John H.C. NeebWaterloo Lutheran SeminaryLoci TheologiciMartin ChemnitzTranslated, with an introduction by J.A.O. PreusSt. Louis: Concordia, 19892 volumes, paginated consecutively: 768 pp.“5'z posterior non fuisset, prior non stetissef—so ran the old maxim,reportedly coined by Roman Catholics, concerning the “two Martins”,Chemnitz and Luther: (freely rendered) “If the second had never arrived,the first would not have survived.” In the view of many, both then andnow, the phrase contains a significant truth. The dynamic, polemical, exis-tential biblicism of Luther’s theology was surely sufficient to the overthrowof the abuses of late medieval theology, but its style and unabashedly un-systematic approach did not lend themselves easily to the establishmentof a full-scale churchly dogmatics. The impetus toward dogmatics came,not from Luther, but from Melanchthon, whose Loci communes and whoseseveral efforts to edit and defend the Augsburg Confession gave groundboth for development and dispute within Lutheranism. Chemnitz’s Locitheologici took Melanchthon’s Loci as their point of departure, but elabo-rated the themes of the many theological topics and, in addition, provideda solid doctrinal synthesis for Lutheranism as it moved beyond the internaldisputes of the mid-sixteenth century into the era of the Formula of Con-cord. Together with his masterful study on The Two Natures in Christyhis Enchiridion^ the treatise on The Lord’s Supper, and his exhaustive Ex-amination of the Council of Trent, the Loci communes or Loci theologici,as they are sometimes called, provided a doctrinal foundation suitable tothe rise of orthodox Lutheranism in the late sixteenth and seventeenth cen-turies.Given the importance of the work of Chemnitz, the publication of thisfirst translation of the greater part of the Loci theologici constitutes a the-ological event of some importance. As the translator notes (14), “we nowpossess in English more of the writings of Chemnitz than of any otherLutheran from the time of Luther himself down to the close of the periodof orthodoxy.” In addition, inasmuch as Chemnitz consistently cited and

Prophetic Oracles of Salvation in the Old Testament

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Prophetic Oracles of Salvation in the Old Testament

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