THE BIBLE

 OLD
TESTAMENT
SURVEY
a workbook by:
Dr. T.E. VanBuskirk
© 2002 - 2007 by
Dr. T. E. VanBuskirk
No portion of this book may be reproduced by any
means without written permission from the author.
Permission to copy is granted to the purchaser
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or sold at any time.
For information on this and other materials by Dr. VanBuskirk
contact:
Dr. T. E. VanBuskirk
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3769 W. 4700 S.
Taylorsville, UT 84118
(801) 964-0763
docvbk@saltlakebaptistcollege.org
All materials are also available on CD.
This book was produced at the
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Introduction.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter One
Inspiration of the Old Testament. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Chapter Two
The cannon of the Old Testament.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter Three
The Bible as a Unified Whole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Lesson One
THE BIBLE as a unified whole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Lesson Two
GENESIS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Lesson Three
EXODUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Lesson Four
LEVITICUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Lesson Five
NUMBERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Lesson Six
DEUTERONOMY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Lesson Seven
JOSHUA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Lesson Eight
JUDGES & RUTH.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Lesson Nine
I SAMUEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Lesson Ten
II SAMUEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Lesson Eleven
I & II KINGS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Lesson Twelve
I & II CHRONICLES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Lesson Thirteen
EZRA & NEHEMIAH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Lesson Fourteen
ESTHER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Lesson Fifteen
JOB. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Lesson Sixteen
PSALMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Lesson Seventeen
PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, SONG OF SOLOMON. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Lesson Eighteen
ISAIAH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Lesson Nineteen
JEREMIAH & LAMENTATIONS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Lesson Twenty
EZEKIEL.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Lesson Twenty-One
DANIEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Lesson Twenty-Two
HOSEA, JOEL, & AMOS.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Lesson Twenty-Three
OBADIAH, JONAH, & MICAH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Lesson Twenty-Four
NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH, HAGGAI.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Lesson Twenty-Five
ZECHARIAH and MALACHI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Old Testament Survey p. 1
General Introduction
Old Testament Survey p. 2
Introduction
While teaching various classes at Salt Lake Baptist College, I became aware of a need in the
area of textbooks and workbooks. Many of the texts were written for the experienced scholar,
not for the student. Also, workbooks were not commonly available; and when they were it
necessitated the extra expense of buying two books for each class. Therefore, a series of
concise text/work books were written, of which this present volume is but one of many. These
books are published in two formats. For those who are students, they are laid out as combined
workbooks/textbooks for class-room use. For those who are not students, these books are
printed as concise textbooks. They do not attempt to delve into their subjects in an exhaustive
manner. There are many readily available volumes that fill that purpose. They are, instead,
written to fill a particular niche; that of small, concise volumes, that relay the basics in an easily
comprehensible form. This allows both the present student of the Word as well as the more
educated seeker of truth to gain a basic understanding of the subjects addressed. Many times
this type of basic information is not easily gleaned from the more ponderous volumes.
Sometimes the overload of information presented in them prevents one from knowing and
understanding the basics of the faith, the Bible, and its doctrines. This series of text/work
books is presented as an attempt to get back to the basics. If the seeker of truth reads these
books and it fills his need for a simple grasp of the basics, then his needs have been met without
the sometimes frustrating swim through the entangling weeds and fronds of the deeper pool.
If, on the other hand, these books serve to encourage him to swim further out into the deep, then
he is better prepared for the deeper waters and its attendant dangers because of the basics that
he has already mastered. Either way, a basic need has been met.
I pray that you will find this present volume informative and useful. If it fills your need then
PRAISE GOD! If it encourages you to delve further and deeper, then PRAISE GOD again!
May God be glorified, Christ exalted, and you the reader edified. My prayer for you is that you
will use the knowledge gained here to serve Christ better than you did before starting this study;
and, that you will then pass the knowledge gained on to someone else to help them also serve
Christ better.
II Tim 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
July 29, 2002 - SLC, Utah
Old Testament Survey p. 3
Chapter One
Inspiration of the Old Testament
The uniqueness of the Old Testament.
One thing that is easily seen about the Old Testament is that it is a unique piece of literature.
It started as the religious literature of a particular race, the Hebrews, and a particular nation,
Israel (speaking of old Israel, not modern Israel), and spread from there until it eventually
became the accepted scriptures of three of the world’s major religions- Judaism, Islam, and
Christianity. And concerning Christianity, it is one-half of the ONLY accepted scriptures, the
Bible.
It also is unique in that it covers a span of time from what is called the Neolithic revolution
to the Age of Greek Supremacy. And this uniqueness is even more striking in that, contrary to
what the world believes, it actually recounts events that occurred before the beginning of
recorded history; i.e., it gives a historical record of a time that is considered by the secular
educators to be pre-history. That record is, namely, the creation of the Universe in general and,
as it specifically relates to the history of mankind, the very creation and population of the Earth
itself.
In relation to secular literature, its uniqueness becomes even more striking. No other piece
of literature has been subjected to so many attacks by so many people. It has been banned,
burned, shredded, and corrupted more than any other piece of literature in all of recorded
history. Some of those who attempted to destroy it, both physically and through corruption of
it, were its professed enemies and many, as hard as it may be to comprehend, were its professed
followers. This combined attack both from within and without is extremely unusual and places
its current physical existence as well as its preservation in an uncorrupted form not only in the
category of “unique” but also in the category of “wondrous.” No other literature subjected to
such extreme measures has ever survived so completely intact.
In relation to the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament is unique in that it presents, in their
primal form, all of the doctrines that are developed in the rest of the Bible, meaning the New
Testament. As a whole, the Bible conveys one coherent message- the redemption of mankind
through Christ. It is the will of God for man conveyed from God through men to all men of all
ages and for all the different peoples of the world. Therefore, the Old Testament truly is unique
as it relates to the Bible as a whole.
In relation to the New Testament, the Old Testament’s uniqueness is that it is the will and
work of God concealed; while the New Testament’s uniqueness rests in presenting the will and
work of God revealed. The Old presents types, shadows, symbols, sacrifices, i.e., the overall
forms of redemption; while the New presents the reality in Christ. Therefore, the Old
Testament truly is unique as it relates to the New Testament.
Warning: Because of the bulk of material in the Old and New Testaments, it is common to
separate the study of the two. This is extremely dangerous unless one keeps foremost in their
mind that the two are inseparably conjoined. Exactly in the way that conjoined twins who share
Old Testament Survey p. 4
a vital organ, say parts of the brain or a single heart, cannot be separated without causing the
death of one or both of the twins; so the Old and the New Testaments cannot be separated but
must be viewed as a single whole and used in that manner. Due to the bulk of the material it
is necessary many times to study them separately but never make the mistake of believing or
acting as if they can ever really be separated the one from the other. To do so would cause the
death of both. They share one mind, the mind of God; one purpose, the redemption of mankind;
one heart, the gospel of Jesus Christ; and the death or elimination of either one of them will
irrevocably cause the death of God’s purpose- the revelation of redemption through Christ and
the death of the Bible as a single unit giving that one purpose of God. Even the terms “Old
Testament” and “New Testament” are a construct that did not come to be until the completion
of the Christian Scriptures. Upon which, the Latin Fathers used the designations to distinguish
between the Jewish and the Christian scriptures. The Old Testament (Covenant) gives the story
of the original Covenant and the later Mosaic Covenant between God and His people and the
failure of His people to live up to the latter. The New Testament (Covenant) gives the story of
the new and living Covenant in Christ’s blood. In addition, the New gives the story of how
through the New the Old is accomplished by God in spite of the failure of Israel to keep their
end of the Mosaic Covenant. We speak here of the Abrahamic Covenant which God said He
would bring about with no strings attached. The strings were attached to the later Mosaic
Covenant which was broken before Moses could even get down the mountain with it to present
it to the people. Upon the failure of that covenant with His people, God reverted to, and
brought about, the earlier covenant made with Abraham through which He would bless all
people, not just Israel. As Unger put it, “The New Testament is erected on the failure and
ruin of the Old Covenant.” Therefore, although the two Testaments (1) may be studied
separately for matters of convenience, never think that they can ever be separated in actuality.
As you study the one always keep the other in your mind with the idea that the two are a unified
whole.
A further uniqueness of the Old Testament is its origin and preservation. We have already
seen that it has been attacked as has no other piece of literature, religious or secular; so we will
not go over that again. What has caused those attacks is primarily the claim of its adherents,
as well as the Bible itself of which the Old Testament is a vital part, that it is directly inspired
by God. (We will address inspiration in a later segment.) Interwoven through both the
scriptures and the faith of its adherents is this thread of an adamant claim to the Bible’s divine
origin. Led by Satan (who knows it is true) both unbelievers and heretics have tried to destroy
it because of its divine origin and preservation which have kept it here as a constant gaping
wound in the very heart of their heresies and disbelief. And yet, in spite of their attacks and
corruptions, it is still here- inspired and preserved. This gives it a unique position among both
religious and secular literature; and that because of its divine origin and inspiration!
Finally, it is unique in relation to other sacred literature. No other body of religious literature
(the Bible, remember, is a collection of books and, therefore, is a body of religious literature)
no other has a unity and coherence from one end to the other as that of the Bible. As part of
that unity called the Bible, the Old Testament combined with the New uniquely present “a
logically defensible epistemology (science of religious knowledge).”(2) No other religion nor
its collection of religious literature can make that claim. Nor can the sum total of four thousand
Old Testament Survey p. 5
years of religious “investigation” shed any light on the basic questions of the religious quest.
After this four millennium quest, the same questions remain and remain still unanswered. Only
in the Bible can a logical progression be followed which gives logically defensible answers to
the questions of religion and balm for the confused and hurting soul questing for: (A) purpose
in this life and (B) a guarantee of reconciliation with God and (C) a promise of continued
existence beyond the veil of death.
The Bible truly is a unique piece of God’s creation. Transcendent above all religious and
secular constructs of man it stands alone as the only revelation from God to man. Not a
construct of man as all other literature is; it alone was conceived in the mind of God and then
delivered, perfect and uncorrupted, by the hand of man from God to mankind. This makes it
alone the most unique, perfect, divinely inspired and preserved piece of literature in the world.
The inspiration of the Old Testament.
Although inspiration is not a subject that is generally taught in a course such as this, it is very
necessary that we investigate the subject here. Since all matters of faith, practice, and doctrine,
not to mention the most important doctrine of all, Salvation, are based upon the Scriptures and
draw their authority from them, then it is necessary that we address the trustworthiness of this
ultimate foundation of Christianity.
Definitions:
In order to understand what inspiration is we must first define 3 terms.
1. Revelation- that act of God by which He directly communicates truth not know before to
the human mind.(6)
2. Illumination- that influence or ministry of the Holy Spirit which enables all who are
in right relation with God to understand the objective written revelation.(1)
3. Inspiration- that extraordinary or supernatural divine influence vouchsafed to those who
wrote the Holy Scriptures, rendering their writings infallible.(5)
Scriptural statement of inspiration:
II Tim 3:16-17 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Inspiration- GK qeopneustoV, theh-op’-nyoo-stos, God-breathed (out), divinely inspired(7)
From II Tim 3:16-17 we can conclude 3 things.
1. The word “all” tells us that the inspiration of the scriptures is equal throughout all of its
parts. This is called “plenary” or “full” inspiration.
2. Also we see from the word “all” that every word is inspired. This is called “verbal” inspiration.
3. That scripture is “inspired” (God-breathed) in a verbal-plenary way by God.
Since all of the scriptures are inspired (God-breathed) then their authority cannot be
questioned. Therefore, we can conclude that the foundation of Christianity, the Bible, is as
eternally solid and trustworthy as the God who inspired them. And that authoritative
trustworthiness includes the Old Testament which is the subject of our current study. [For a
more complete treatment of Inspiration, see “Great Doctrines of the Bible”(6) or
“Introductory Guide to the Old Testament”(1)]
Old Testament Survey p. 6
Chapter Two
The cannon of the Old Testament
The word, Canon: The word is from the Greek (kanon) and originally meant “a reed or
measuring rod” but as it concerns the Old Testament it means those books that were accepted
as belonging to the Scriptures.
The first known use of the word as pertaining to the Scriptures as a whole, both Old and New
Testaments, was by the Greek Father Athanasius, ca 350 AD, and the term soon became
accepted in all of the churches.
As to the Old Testament, the subject of our current study, from the Jewish Talmud we know
that the idea of canonicity was manifested in a ritual formula known as “defiling of the hands.”
This meant that anyone’s hands that touched the sacred scriptures were “defiled” or “taboo;”
i.e., they could not touch any secular thing unless they were first washed. This would be similar
to the High Priest of Lev 16:24 who had to wash before putting on the priest’s garments on the
day of Atonement and then wash again upon taking them off.(1)
The content of the canon of the Old Testament: The content of the Hebrew Old Testament
is exactly the same as the English, King James, Bible. The only difference is the order and
division of the books. The Hebrew Bible was arranged into twenty-four books and our bible
uses a thirty-nine book arrangement. There is, however, evidence of an even older arrangement
of the Hebrew Bible into twenty-two books. This arrangement is attested to by Josephus, the
Jewish priest and Pharisee and writer of the second half of the first century. Now, from 1517
to the present, most Hebrew bibles use a thirty-nine book division scheme; however, the
arrangement of the books is different from the English bible arrangement.
The recognized canon of the Old Testament: It is believed that the canon itself was set by at
least a century before Christ, possibly more. The current Hebrew Old Testament and the
English Old Testament (KJV) recognize exactly the same canon; but, as we already have seen,
while the content is identical the order and division of the books varies from the Hebrew to the
English.
The text of the English KJV Old Testament: The text of our Bible is from the Massoretic text,
the same as that used in the Hebrew Bible.
Literary criticism: When reading books on literary criticism of the Old Testament one thing
will stand out in their methods. They attempt to dissect the Old Testament using Western
(Occidental) methods. This is to transgress in a huge way. In oriental literature, such
peculiarities as repetition and elaboration and the free use of the conjunction “and” are devices
common in Semitic literature. Therefore, to use those peculiarities to bend the Old Testament
into one or another critical camp is to do violence to an Eastern book that does not follow
Western rules. No such twistings are tried in other pieces of ancient literature. Such pieces as
the Code of Hammurabi and the eleventh tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic exhibit similar stylistic
phenomenon yet they are not dissected in this way.
Old Testament Survey p. 7
Chapter Three
The Bible as a Unified Whole
The balance of this study is based upon a longer study entitled, “A One Year Overview of
the Bible.”
In order to continue, we must first see how the Old Testament fits into the Bible as a whole.
In order to do this we must see how the whole is fitly joined together.
This type of study is designed to enable God’s people to develop a framework upon which
to hang their personal daily study and meditations in the Word of God. It is not meant to
replace personal devotions but to enhance, guide, and solidify them into a life-long habit of
study in obedience to God’s command given in His Word.
II Timothy 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Without study of the Word, a Christian has no guide as they travel the road of their new life
that started at Salvation and ends at the feet of Jesus in Heaven.
Ps 16:11 “Thou wilt shew me the path of life.”
Without God’s Word to guide us we will wander far from the path or stumble often over the
obstacles which are strewn thereupon by the Devil.
Ps 119:105 “Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
Without God’s Word our life as Christians will be short and full of strife, both within and
without; but, with a knowledge and an understanding of His Word, coupled with obedience to
what we learn in it, we can live long and fulfilling lives; and, though the inevitable strife of this
life will remain on the outside, the peace of God shall dwell within.
Prov 3:1-2 “My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.”
In this chaotic world where the very foundations of our life, peace, and prosperity are being
shaken almost daily and the vehicle we call society seems cast adrift in an ocean of uncertainty,
through study of God’s Word we can re-establish our stability by chaining ourselves to it as a
sure anchor of unchanging sanity as steadfast as the foundations of eternity itself.
Ps 119:89 “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.”
In order to have this kind of stability in our lives, we must study God’s Word on a daily
basis. And I don’t mean just a cursory reading of it as if it were some kind of novel meant for
mere entertainment. If that were the objective then I would have said “read God’s Word on a
daily basis.” To read God’s Word daily would be a good thing to do; but, to study it daily is
“better” because it is God’s will that we do so and thereby have good success and prosper as
His people.
Josh 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt
meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all
Old Testament Survey p. 8
that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then
thou shalt have good success.
Webster’s Dictionary definition:
meditate- to reflect deeply; to spend time in the spiritual exercise of thinking about
some religious theme
That is the purpose of this course; to give you a framework upon which to hang your daily
“meditations” in God’s Word. When using this book, do not use it “in place of” the Bible but
“in conjunction” with it; as a guide to help you navigate through and collate the various
teachings that you will find presented in that Book of books, the Bible.
Ps 1:1-3 “Blessed [is] the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But
his delight [is] in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day
and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that
bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
Old Testament Survey p. 9
Lesson One
(“All scripture”)
THE BIBLE
as a unified whole
II Timothy 3:16-17
“All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished
unto all good works.”
WARNING: When we handle the Word of God we must do so with reverential awe. Every word of it was
breathed out (“inspiration”) by God through the men that He chose to write it down for us.
Not only did God inspire it but “All scripture” is profitable to us. Not one word can be left out or changed
because to do so would be “unprofitable” for us. Some portion of “doctrine... reproof... correction... [or]
instruction” would be made of none effect and, therefore, we would not be properly equipped (“perfect...
throughly furnished”) to do “all” of the “good works” that God commands that we do.
Comments on the Bible:
Matthew Henry said, “We call [the Bible] the book, for it is incomparably the best book that ever was
written. We call it the holy book, because it was written by holy men, and indited by the Holy Ghost.” (3)
What is the Bible?
1. It is the “revelation of God and God’s dealings with humankind.”(1)
2. It is “one book dealing with only one subject in its numberless aspects and relations, the subject of
man’s redemption.” (2)
3. “The Bible is a perfect revelation of God to the world, and we need nothing else for instruction.”(6)
4. It is the book that God has given to perfect man. (II Tim 3:16-17)
Where did it come from?
1. It was first written in Heaven. (Ps 119:89, I Pet 1:23, 25; II Pet 1:21; et al.) Also in the Old Testament,
phrases such as, “Word of the Lord came,” and “the Lord spake,” and “thus saith the Lord,” etc. occur
well over a thousand times showing that the Word originated in and from heaven.
2. On earth it was written down by approximately 40 men over a span of some 1,600 years.
What languages was it written in?
OT - Hebrew and some small portions in a related language called Aramaic.(4)
NT - Koine Greek.
This was the common Greek language of the time of the writing of the New Testament. It is different
from Classical Greek.(5)
What do Old Testament and New Testament mean?
“Testament” means covenant or agreement. Thus, we have the “Old” agreement between God and man and
the “New” agreement between God and man.
The Old Testament was God’s covenant in “The Law” pointing to Christ who was to come and the New
Testament is God’s covenant in “Grace” after Christ came and fulfilled the Old covenant. (Gal 3:13-25; Mt
5:17-18)
Old Testament Survey p. 10
DIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE.
At first glance it is easy to see the two “grand divisions” of the Bible- Old Testament and New Testament.
Old New
Testament Testament
(39 books) (27 books)
The Bible is really a library of books with a common theme. The Old Testament portion of the library consists
of 39 books (in the English Bible) and the New Testament portion consists of 27 books.
OLD TESTAMENT- In order to rightly divide the Old Testament in the “best” way we must go to the “best”
source, the Bible itself. In the Bible we find the master teacher, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the true author
of the Bible, dividing the Old Testament into three (3) sections.
Luke 24:44 “And he said unto them, These [are] the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet
with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and [in] the
prophets, and [in] the psalms, concerning me.”
It is only logical that the one who wrote a particular piece of literature would be the best one to rightly handle
it. Therefore, God the Son must be considered as the best and final authority on His own Word. If He says there
are three divisions, then there ARE three divisions. No more, no less!
OLD
TESTAMENT
(39 books)
1. The Law
2. The Prophets
3. The Psalms
Many scholars ignore the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ and try to divide the Old Testament into MANY
segments. This will lead to confusion. Remember! If the Lord himself said there are three divisions, then there
are three divisions- The Law, The Prophets, and the Psalms.
The Law- This section is the first five books of the Bible- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. Some call this the Pentateuch, which is from the Greek word meaning “five.”
The Jews call this segment the “Torah” which means “instruction.” It is also called “the Five Books of
Moses.” However, we will call it by the name given to it by the Lord Jesus Christ, The Law.
The Prophets- This section encompasses the rest of the Old Testament; i.e., everything that is not included in
The Law and The Psalms.
The Psalms- In this section is included all of the poetical books- Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of
Solomon
Old Testament Survey p. 11
NEW TESTAMENT- For the New Testament divisions we have no direct statement from the Scriptures to tell
us exactly how they are to be divided. However, when we examine it we find there are some divisions based
upon the major subject matter of each of the books.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts are generally historical. Then the epistles, Romans through Jude, are
generally doctrinal. Finally, the Revelation is generally prophetic. Therefore, we can divide the New Testament
into History, Doctrine, and Prophecy.
NEW
TESTAMENT
(27 books)
1. History
2. Doctrine
3. Prophecy
Remember, in the New Testament the three divisions are GENERAL ones naturally suggested by the MAJOR
content of each section.
We now have a simple division of the Bible that can be used to help us understand it without any trouble or
mental manipulations such as would be necessary if we followed a complicated multi-level scheme of division
such as some would try to have us do.
Summary-
First we have the Grand Divisions- Old Testament and New Testament.
Then we have the Old Testament divided into The Law, The Prophets, and the Psalms; and the New
Testament divided into the Historical, the Doctrinal, and the Prophetic sections.
The following graphic may help you to visualize these basic three and three divisions of the Old and New
Testaments.
OLD TESTAMENT NEW TESTAMENT
(39 books) (27 books)
1. The Law 1. History
(Genesis - Deuteronomy) (Matthew - Acts)
2. The Prophets 2. Doctrine
(All that is not Law or Psalms) (Romans - Jude)
3. The Psalms 3. Prophecy
(Psalms - Song of Solomon) (Revelation)
Old Testament Survey p. 12
NOTES
NOTE: The New Translations change literally
THOUSANDS of words and phrases; and even
leave out many verses altogether. This is in
direct opposition to the commandment of God
that we do not “add unto...” nor “take away
from...” His Holy Word!
Also, the collators of the Greek text from
which the overwhelming majority of the New
Versions are translated were two unsaved men
named Westcott and Hort. Therefore, it is no
wonder that they messed up the Greek text. As
the Bible says, the unsaved cannot understand the
Bible in the first place, so for two unsaved men to
try and tell the world what Greek text to use for
translating into various languages, including
English, is an exercise in futility. Every change
they made was made in the flesh, not in the Spirit
(which they did not possess being unsaved) and,
therefore, can only be a corruption of the Word
of God which is a spiritual book, not a fleshly
one.
Only one English translation of the Bible has
remained true to the originals, the King James
Bible. It has not added to nor has it taken away
from God’s perfect Word! Therefore, if you want
to have the Bible in English that is the true,
preserved, Word of God, then get you a King
James Bible. Otherwise, it will do you no good
to study to gain an overview of the Bible if you
do not have the true, preserved, Bible to begin
with.(7)
(For an extensive discussion of which Bible is
the preserved Word of God in English, see “The
Doctrinal Chaos of the Translations” by Dr.
VanBuskirk.)
Old Testament New Testament
(Law) (Grace)
The Old Testament is a collection of 39 books divided by
Jesus into “the LAW... the PROPHETS... the PSALMS...” (Luke
24:44) and the New Testament is a collection of 27 books
naturally divided by major content into 3 sections, History,
Doctrine, and Prophecy.
Foundation and framework-
We now have a foundation and a framework upon which to
build our study of the Scriptures. They are simple and yet sturdy,
such as in even the most massive of structures. However, you
must remember that without the teaching ministry of the Holy
Spirit you will not be able to build a strong structure because you
will not have the perception and understanding to rightly build;
and without having Christ as your personal Saviour you will not
have the Spirit within you to guide you. The world does not
understand that ONLY the saved can understand God’s Word, the
Bible, because only they are indwelt and taught by the Holy
Ghost.
Jn 14:26 “But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost,
whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you
all things...”
I Cor 2:14
ONE FINAL WARNING- God promised He would preserve
His Word:
Psalm 12:7 “Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt
PRESERVE them from this generation FOR EVER.”
Matthew 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33 “Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my WORDS shall not pass away.”
I Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
ABIDETH FOREVER.”
He also told us to not fool with His Word- not to change
ANYTHING in it!
Deut 4:2 “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command
you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may
keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I
command you.
Rev 22:18-19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any
man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his
part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this
book.”
Old Testament Survey p. 13
ANSWERS
BIBLE FACTS
< Old Testament - Law (pointing forward to Christ.)
< New Testament - Grace
< One theme of the Bible - Redemption of man through faith in Christ.
< It is a progressive revelation from God to man. Therefore, it must be studied in its entirety. A random
reading of verses will not lead to a correct understanding of its unfolding story.
BIBLE STATS
‚ Chapters in the Bible - 1,189
‚ Verses in the Bible - 31,373
‚ Words in the Bible (KJV) - 775,693
‚ Bible’s longest chapter - Psalm 119
‚ Bible’s shortest chapter - Psalm 117
‚ Bible’s shortest verse -
John 11:35 “Jesus wept.”
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Q. What are the two “grand divisions” of the Bible?
Q. How many books in the Old Testament?
Q. How many books in the New Testament?
Q. What are the 3 divisions of the Old Testament?
What books are in each division?
Q. What are the 3 divisions of the New Testament?
What books are in each division?
Q. What does the word “Testament” mean?
Q. What scripture tells us that “All scripture,” meaning
the whole of the Bible, was inspired by God?
Q. What does the word “inspiration” mean?
Q. Can the unsaved understand the Bible?
Q. What version of the Bible is the preserved Word of
God in the English language?
SUMMARY OF SECTION ONE
1. The Bible is the Word of God, breathed out by Him through
human writers; and all of it, as a unified whole made up of every word, is profitable for us.
II Pet 1:21
II Tim 3:16-17
2. It is the revelation from God to man of the mind of God with the single subject, the redemption of man
through the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the central character of the Bible.
3. “All scripture,” is profitable for our perfection. Therefore, we must have and study all of it.
Old Testament Survey p. 14
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
A brief discussion of the Septuagint
may be in order at this point- at the
discretion of your teacher.
When a reference is followed by lines,
look up the reference and copy it on the
lines.
Lesson Two
GENESIS
The book of Beginnings
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. We get our title for this book from the Greek by way of the
Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures known as the
Septuagint. The word means “origin source, or begetting.”
2. The first word of the Hebrew scriptures is “ber’shith” translated
“in the beginning.” This word is a common designation
for the book.
3. Considering its name, it is easy to see that the book is the
“beginning” of everything.
There is, however, one notable exception- God. Nowhere
does the Bible ever try to prove the existence of God. He
exists and all study of His Bible is predicated on that fact. We
must believe that He is in order to understand the book written
by Him. Not only can we not understand His book unless we
believe that He is and are saved by faith in His Messiah (I Cor
2:14) but unless we believe that He is, it is impossible to
please Him.
Heb 11:6
In the book of Genesis we find the “seed” of every doctrine
in the Bible.
We also find the “beginning” and “firsts” of everything that
today exists concerning man. This includes both on the earth
and in the heart of man and the spirit beings as concerning
man.
Some of them are:
< The beginning of time, space, and light and the creation
of the Universe including the earth, sun, moon, and
stars. (1:1-18)
< The beginning of all life. (1:19-25)
< The beginning of the human race.
(1:26-31 & ch. 2)
< The beginning of sin on the earth. (Gen 3:1-7)
< The beginning of redemption (its promise.)
(3:8-24 esp. :15)
< The beginning of family life with its interrelationships
and generations of children. (4:1-15)
< The beginning of pastoral life (the raising of animals)
and the beginning of agriculture. (4:2)
< The beginning of worship of God. (4:1-7)
Old Testament Survey p. 15
NOTES < The first murder. (4:8)
< The beginning of civilization and the first city.
(4:16-9:29 esp. 4:17)
< The beginning of public worship of the true God,
Jehovah. (4:26)
< The beginning of nations. (10:1-11:32)
< The beginning of Israel, God’s chosen people.
(chs. 12-50)
This is also the beginning of the bible doctrine that
God’s people, both Israel and Christians, are to be
separated from the world unto God.
4. According to the three-fold breakdown given by the Lord,
Genesis is the first book in that section He called, “the Law.”
5. It was written by Moses.
It is called “the law of Moses” 15 times in the Old
Testament and 7 times in the New Testament in addition to
several other times where it is attributed to him by use of other
phrases.
It is even directly accredited to Moses in the New
Testament in John 1:45
6. Genesis can be divided into two major sections:
< From Creation to Abraham. (ch. 1-11)
< From Abraham to the beginning of the sojourn in Egypt.
(ch. 12-50)
DIVIDING GENESIS
1. FIRST SECTION - Genesis chs. 1-11
Covers four major events:
< The Creation. Chs. 1-2
< The Fall. Chs. 3-4
< The Flood. Chs. 5-9
< Babel - the confusion of the languages and the beginning
of nations on the earth. Chs. 10-11
2. SECOND SECTION - Genesis chs. 12-50
Covers four major people:
< Abraham. Chs. 12-23
< Isaac. Chs. 24-26
< Jacob. Chs. 27-36
< Joseph. Chs. 37-50
Old Testament Survey p. 16
FIRST SECTION of Genesis (Genesis chs. 1-11) NOTES
1. The Creation. Gen chs. 1-2
a. The three major questions of the Creation that are
answered in Genesis 1:1 are the “who,” the “when,” and
the “what.”
< The “when” is “In the beginning...” meaning in the
very first instant of all of time which was itself brought
into existence at the creation.
< The “who” is God. “In the beginning God created...”
< The “what” is the entire universe; i.e. all time, space,
matter, and energy. “... created the heaven and the
earth.”
b. Man, God’s crowning creation, was created in the image
of God. (Gen 1:26-27)
This “image” of God that man was created in was
not a physical one, since God is spirit, but rather it was
in the following ways:
1) Man has God’s nature and constitution in our immortal
soul- we are persons exactly as God is a person; i.e., we
have emotion, intellect, and will. Remember, we are
designed to be immortal persons; i.e., our soul is
immortal. This is in contrast to the animals who have
a mortal soul and who, therefore, bear not the image of
God.
We alone possess the life-force of the very breath of
the eternal God. (2:7)
This makes of us a rather peculiar creature. On the
one hand we have the material portion of our makeup
and on the other the spiritual. The first, the material
portion of our being, we received at the hand of God
exactly as did the other of His creatures. That is why
we share so much in common, physically, with the
animals and even, to a lesser degree of similar basic
elements, the plants. The second, the spiritual portion,
we received also from God when He breathed into us
His breath of life and we became a living soul. This
part, rather than being shared with the rest of the living
creation, sets us totally apart from it since it is said of
no other being in this creation.
2) We have been given the image of God in our enduement
with all of His authority over His Creation.(1:26)
3) Man is in God’s image, in our original pre-fall state, in
“purity and rectitude... God’s image upon man
consists in knowledge, righteousness, and true
holiness.”(3) and we can regain that state by Salvation
through Christ. However, because of our current
dichotomy of material and spiritual both wrapped up in
one being, its manifestation is reserved for after the
resurrection. (Ro ch. 8)
Old Testament Survey p. 17
NOTES
Trinity- This doctrine is taught all through the
Bible; but, it is best understood from I John 5:7
“For there are three that bear record in
heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy
Ghost: and these three are one.”
“The Word” according to John 1:1-14, is
Jesus Christ; therefore, the trinity is clearly stated
in I Jn 5:7 as consisting of the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost and these three are the one God.
Eph 4:24
Col 3:10
4) Another way that we bear the image of God is that we,
of all of the creatures, are a tripartite being.
As the one God is triune in His personality, Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, (commonly known as “the
Trinity,”) so man is a trinity, in our case consisting of
“body, soul, and spirit;” and yet, like God, we are but
one being.
I Thess 5:23
c. The seventh day Sabbath. (Gen 2:1-3)
On this day God rested from His creating and set that
day aside as the Sabbath.
2. The Fall. (Gen chs. 3-4)
The second major event of the first half of Genesis is the
fall of man.
a. The temptation. (3:1-6)
Satan made his appeal on the basis of three things, all of
them having to do with lust. (:6)
< The lust of the flesh. “... good for food...”
< The lust of the eyes. “... pleasant to the eyes...”
< The pride of life. “... to make one wise...”
(This could also be called the sin of self pride.)
These are the very same temptations that the devil
attempted to use upon Jesus some thousands of years later.
(Lk 4:3-12)
We see these enumerated in I John 2:16
b. The yielding to temptation. (Gen 3:6)
c. The consequences. (3:7-24)
1) A loss of innocence and shame. (:7-8 cf 2:25)
2) Fear. (3:9-10)
3) They felt a need for self-justification. (:11-13)
4) The curse of God. (:14-20)
< Upon the serpent (Satan.) (:14-15)
< Upon woman. (:16)
< Upon man and the earth. (:17-19)
Old Testament Survey p. 18
NOTES
The beginning of individual as well as
family worship of God. (Gen 4:1-4)
“LORD” all in capital letters is the word
used to indicate “Jehovah” the one true
God. (4:26)
This chart shows the
generations of Adam
from Creation to the
birth of Noah’s sons in
the year 1556 A.C. (After
Creation) as recorded in
Genesis ch. 5.
d. The remedy. (Gen 3:15 & :21)
1) The Redeemer, Christ, promised. (:15)
2) The first blood sacrifice. (:21)
This shedding of blood points toward the Law, to be
given later (see the section on Leviticus), and toward
Christ, the ultimate and final blood sacrifice which is
the reality only symbolized by both this first blood
sacrifice in Genesis and those prescribed later in the
law. (:21)
e. Expulsion from the presence of God and a sentence of
mortality in contrast to the immortality once within the
grasp of Adam and Eve and all of their posterity. (:22-24)
f. The division of the race. (Genesis ch. 4)
This can be viewed as the perpetuation of the fall into
all succeeding generations.
1) Acceptable and unacceptable worship. (:3-5)
< The bloody offering of Abel was acceptable to God.
< The bloodless offering of Cain was unacceptable to
God.
2) The perpetuation of the Fall into this second generation.
This is expressed in the most heinous act
possible against another human being, murder. Heinous
enough as murder is, this was even more so because it
was the murder of a member of one’s own family- a
brother! (:8)
3) The birth of Seth. (:25)
Seth was the spiritual seed to replace Abel who was
murdered for his righteousness by his unrighteous
brother Cain. (I Jn 3:12)
4) The beginning of public worship of God. (Gen 4:26)
3. The Flood. (Gen chs. 5-6)
a. “The book of the generations of Adam...” (ch. 5)
The genealogical chart given here lists the line of Adam,
through Seth, down to Noah and his sons.
This covers some 1556 years from Creation to the birth of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Creation (counted as year 0, the year Adam was created)
Adam (begat Seth at 130)
Seth (begat Enos at 105)
Enos (begat Cainan at 90)
Cainan (begat Mahalaleel at 70)
Mahalaleel (begat Jared at 65)
Jared (begat Enoch at 162)
Enoch (begat Methuselah at 65)
Methuselah (begat Lamech at 187)
Lamech (begat Noah at 182)
Noah (begat his sons at 500)
Shem, Ham, Japheth
0 130 235 325 395 460 622 687 874 1056 1556 years after Creation
Old Testament Survey p. 19
NOTES
In Gen 6:2 we see the seeds of the doctrine of
Separation. Lack of it was the beginning of
man’s fall into great wickedness. This doctrine is
later clearly stated in II Cor 6:14-18.
Contrary to popular story, Noah took only the
unclean beasts by twos; whereas the clean beasts
he took by sevens.
Since Noah had his sons 1556 years after the
Creation, at the age of 500, and the flood came
when he was 600 years old (7:6) then the Flood
must have happened 1656 years after the
Creation.
By having seven of each of the clean beasts
and fowl, Noah could then offer one of each of
them as a burnt offering and still have 3 pairs of
each left to propagate their respective species.
The institution of the death penalty is found in
Gen 9:6. It includes not only men that kill men
but also animals that kill men. (See the context
of 9:5-6.)
b. Judgment promised and Redemption prepared.
(Genesis ch. 6)
1) Judgment promised. (6:1-13)
God promised judgment upon the wickedness of all
mankind upon the earth; but, the one notable exception
was the family of the righteous man Noah.
2) Redemption prepared. (6:14-22)
Note that redemption was prepared because of the
“grace” of God. (cf :8)
c. Judgment executed and Redemption effected.
(Gen ch. 7)
1) Judgment executed.
Every beast, fowl, insect, and human was destroyed
in the flood. (7:21-24)
2) Redemption effected. (Gen ch. 8)
Only Noah and his family and the creatures in the ark
were spared.
d. The building of the first altar and the first sacrifices burnt
upon it were accepted by God. (8:20-23)
e. God’s promises and commands to Noah as well as His
“covenant” with Noah. (Gen ch. 9)
1) God’s promises and commands to Noah. (:1-7)
2) God’s first “covenant.” (:8-17)
This first covenant, commonly called “the Noahic
Covenant,” was comprehensive.
Those included in it were:
< Noah and all of mankind propagated from him.
< The earth. (It was given the token of the covenantthe
rainbow.)
< And it was with every living creature on the earth
and in the air.
f. Sin once again enters the picture. (9:18-27)
It was a sin of the father (:21) and also a sin of his son,
Ham (:22). Some believe the sin of Ham was disrespect
and others believe it was a homosexual act upon his father
while he was in his drunken stupor. The latter is viewed as
possible because of the phrase, “what his younger son
had done unto him,” (:24) suggesting the possibility of a
physical act.
4. Babel and the Dispersal of the Nations.
(Gen chs. 10-11)
a. The “generations of the sons of Noah,” and the nations
that came from him. (ch. 10)
In 10:8-10 we see the establishing of the city of Babel
by Nimrod, one of Noah’s descendants.
b. Dispersal of the nations. (Gen ch. 11)
1) The building of the tower. (11:1-4)
The tower was built for the express purpose
of thwarting God’s plan for them to scatter and
repopulate the earth. (11:4 cf 9:1)
Old Testament Survey p. 20
NOTES
2) God’s judgment on their wilful rebellion. NOTES
(Gen 11:5-9)
< He confounded their language. (:5-7)
< He scattered them abroad. (:8-9)
c. The connection to the next section. (:10-32)
This passage of scripture, giving the “generations of
Shem,” make the connection with the first character of
SECTION TWO of Genesis, Abram, later called Abraham,
from whom would eventually come the twelve tribes of
Israel according to God’s promise to him.
This passage also continues to fill in the timeline that
was started with Adam at the Creation.
Timeline from Adam to Abram
Creation
-Adam
- Shem (begat Arphaxad at 100, “two years after the flood.”)
Arphaxad (begat Salah at 35)
Salah (begat Eber at 30)
Eber (begat Peleg at 34)
Peleg (begat Reu at 30)
Reu (begat Serug at 32)
Serug (begat Nahor at 30)
Nahor (begat Terah at 29)
Terah (begat Abram, Nahor and Haran at 70)
Abram, Nahor, and Haran
THE
FLOOD
0 1556 1656 1658 1693 1723 1757 1787 1819 1849 1878 1948 years after the Creation
SECOND SECTION of Genesis (Genesis chs. 12-50)
This section introduces and gives the stories of the 4
Patriarchs of Israel; and follows the nation of Israel from
its seeds and conception on to the beginning of the sojourn
in Egypt.
1. Abram (Abraham.) (Gen chs. 12-25)
a. Abraham is called out from the heathen. (12:1-9)
b. Abraham receives promises from God both for himself
and his posterity- IF he will obey God, by faith. (:1-2)
1) If he will obey by faith. (:1)
Old Testament Survey p. 21
NOTES
NOTE: In Gen 14:18-20 we find the first mention
of a mysterious Priest/King named Melchizedek.
He is mentioned one more time in Ps
110:4 and we hear nothing more of Him until the
New Testament. We know not who He is until
Paul gives the explanation found in Heb chs. 5-7.
In ch. 16, Ishmael is born by Hagar, Abram’s
wife’s handmaid. God blessed Ishmael at
Abram’s request (17:20). From the moment of
the sinful union the peace and happiness of
Abram’‘s home was shattered forever. Bitterness
and strife were to reign supreme from then on. In
addition, from Ishmael came a people that even
today are some of the greatest enemies of Israel.
NOTE: Plural marriage-
Although God allowed, not approved of but
allowed, plural marriage (a heathen custom that
Abraham brought with him out of heathenism)
the “son of promise,” Isaac, was born through the
first wife, Sarah. This pattern is followed with
every heir of the promise in Abraham’s lineage in
the line that leads to Christ- they are always born
by the first wife. This is God’s attestation to the
fact that only the first wife is approved of in
God’s eyes in the plural marriages of the Old
Testament. Many in the lineage fell victim to the
sin of plural marriage and God forgave them (this
did not excuse them.) However, God insisted
that the promise be carried from generation to
generation only through offspring from the first
wife.
In 17:5 Abram’s name is changed to Abraham
and in :15 Sarai’s name is changed to Sarah.
In 17:10 the rite of circumcision is given.
In chs. 18-19 God brings judgment upon
Sodom and Gomorrah for the rampant homosexuality
of the inhabitants.
2) God will fulfill certain promises to him. (Gen 12:2)
< God will make him a great nation.
< God will bless him.
< God will make him great.
< God will make him a blessing to all nations.
< God will confer blessings on those that bless
Abram and curses on those that curse him.
< All nations of the earth will be blessed through
Abram.
c. Abram (Abraham) was the father of faith to all believers
to follow, both Jews (circumcision) and Gentiles (uncircumcision.)
Ro 4:9
Ro 4:12
Ro 4:16
d. In Abraham, God was calling out a people to become
the nation that was to take His name to the world and
His blessing of salvation to all families of the earth
through Abraham’s seed, Jesus Christ.
Gal 3:14
Gal 3:16
e. The call of Abraham in ch. 12 is a pivotal point around
which God begins His direct dealings with mankind
concerning making himself known and the choosing of
a people to bring forth His Messiah, Jesus Christ.
f. The covenant that God made with Abraham and his
descendants is stated in ch. 15.
1) The covenant made. (15:5, 18)
2) The faith of Abraham in the promises of God were
counted to him for righteousness. (15:6)
3) The realization of the promise of an heir came to be
some decades later with the birth of his son, Isaac.
(21:1-3)
Old Testament Survey p. 22
NOTES
NOTES
Messianic line
(line of Christ)
(Gen 49:8-10)
2. Isaac. (Gen chs. 25-26)
In Isaac. God continues with the formation of His
chosen nation, Israel.
a. He was the son of promise and the heir to God’s
blessing. (Gen 25:11)
b. God’s covenant with Abraham was confirmed to Isaac.
(26:3-5, 24)
c. Twin brothers, Jacob and Esau, two nations in the womb.
(25:23-26) God told Rebekah that “the elder shall
serve the younger.” which was contrary to Israel’s
custom; but, God plainly designated the younger as the
one on whom the blessing would be conferred.
d. The connection to the next of the Patriarchs came to be
when Isaac’s wife gave birth to Jacob (25:26) and the
prophecy was fulfilled when Jacob stole his brother’s
blessing from their father, Isaac. (ch. 27)
3. Jacob. (Gen chs. 27-36)
Jacob’s name was changed to “Israel” and from him
came the twelve tribes of Israel.
a. God confirmed the covenant with Jacob. (28:10-19)
b. Jacob bore twelve sons which became the twelve tribes
of Israel.
Israel (Jacob)
Reuben Simeon Levi Judah Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Issachar Zebulon Joseph Benjamin
29:32 29:33 29:34 29:35 30:6 30:8 30:13 30:13 30:18 30:20 30:24 35:18
The twelve sons of Israel (Jacob) that became the twelve tribes of the nation Israel. (Gen 32:28)
c. Jacob’s name is changed to Israel. (Gen 32:28)
4. Joseph. (Gen chs. 37-50)
a. He was the oldest son of Jacob (Israel) and Rachel, and
the favorite son of the father. (37:3)
b. Because of his favored status he was hated by his
brethren and sold into slavery into Egypt. (37:28)
c. Joseph went from slave to power to slave to power in
Egypt. (chs. 37-48)
d. His father, Jacob (Israel), comes to Egypt with his entire
family. (ch. 46)
Old Testament Survey p. 23
NOTES
e. Joseph is one of the most complete types of Christ in the entire Old Testament.
Similarities Joseph Christ
Both were beloved of their fathers. Gen 37:3 Mt 3:17; 17:5
Both were sold by their own. Gen 37:27-28 Mt 26:15
Both were taken to Egypt. Gen 37:26 Mt 2:14-15
Both were falsely accused. Gen 39:13-15 Mt 26:59-60
Both had two fellow-sufferers, one was saved and one condemned. Gen 40:20-21 Lk 23:39-43
Both were exalted after suffering. Gen chs. 39-41 Phil 2:7-9
f. Prophecy and blessings of the tribes. (Gen ch. 49)
SUMMARY of Genesis-
In the book of Genesis we see God accomplishing two things:
1. The Creation of the universe and man.
2. God calling out, preparing, and protecting a people for His
name.
Acts 15:14
And from this people He promised He would bring forth the
Redeemer.
Gen 22:18
Gal 3:16
REVIEW-
< What are the 4 events in Genesis chs. 1-11?
1. 3.
2. 4.
< Who are the 4 people covered in Genesis chs. 12-50?
1. 3.
2. 4.
< Where is the first prophecy of Jesus found?
< Genesis ends with the nation of Israel in .
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Exodus.
Review the section on Genesis.
Be here next week with your Bible
and your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 24
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
“Exodus” means “a departure” or “a going out.”
It was so named because “it begins with the
story of the going out of the children of Israel
from Egypt.” (3)
The total number that came out of Egypt cannot
be exactly determined because the women were
not numbered. However, in Ex 12:38 it is said
that a “mixed multitude,” meaning people
(slaves and/or free) of other nations than the
fledgling Israel, also came out of Egypt with
them. Thus it can safely be estimated that
somewhere around a million or more Israelites
came out of Egypt and some estimates even range
as high as two million when the mixed multitude
plus the women and children are estimated into
Lesson Three
EXODUS
The book of Redemption
Introduction: Genesis presented us with the calling out of a
people for His (God’s) name. This people was called out from the
world and produced through one family, that of Abraham and
called by the new name given to his son Jacob by God- Israel.
Now here in Exodus, we see that family, Israel, formed into the
Nation of Israel, with a code of laws given by God himself and a
place of personal meeting, both of which separates them from the
other nations of the world.
Also, here in Exodus, we see the doctrine of redemption by
blood and power as God redeems Israel from the bondage of
Egypt. This is a type of the redemption of man through Christ
with blood and power. In Genesis was the fall of man in Adam
and in Exodus we see the redemption of man through Christ’s
blood by the power of God in the type of the Passover Lamb
among many other types. Concerning Christ, there are probably
more types of Him and His work here in Exodus than “in any
other book of the Old Testament, for Moses wrote of him.”
(Matthew Henry) (3)
Jn 5:46
Authorship- Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch, also
called the law of Moses. Jesus attested to the fact of the Mosaic
authorship of it in Luke 24:44.
The Growth of Israel- In Ex 1:5 we see that at the beginning of
the sojourn in Egypt the family of Jacob, the people of Israel,
numbered 70. Then, 400 years later, in Ex 12:37 we see that
Israel numbered 600,000 men plus women and children.
The growth of Israel in Egypt 70 souls at the beginning
400 YEARS IN EGYPT
1,000,000 souls in the Exodus from Egypt
Old Testament Survey p. 25
NOTES
The Divisions of Exodus- There are several ways that the book
of Exodus can be divided.
It can be divided into three main sections:
I. The Exodus from Egypt. (chs. 1-18)
II. The Giving of the Law. (chs. 19-24)
III. The Tabernacle. (chs. 25-40)
Or it can be divided into two main sections:
I. The Liberation of Israel. (chs. 1-18)
II. Israel at Sinai. (chs. 19-40)
Either of these two favored divisions of the book are quite
acceptable; however, for our purposes we will use the first one.
FIRST SECTION - THE EXODUS FROM EGYPT
(Exodus chs. 1-18)
1. Oppression and attempted extermination of Israel. (ch. 1)
Read: Ex 1:13-16
The purpose for leaving the girls alive was so that they
could be married to Egyptians and thus exterminate the name
of Israel from the earth by absorbing them into Egypt.
2. God’s deliverer- Moses. (chs. 2-4)
a. His birth and first 40 years in Pharaoh’s palace. (Ex 2:1-14)
Read: Heb 11:23-26; Acts 7:20-23
Moses obviously was a very well educated, powerful,
Egyptian prince who tasted all of the pleasures of his
position in the heathen nation of Egypt.
b. His second 40 years in Midian and his call. (Ex 2:15-4:31)
After his escape from the wrath of Pharaoh, Moses spent
40 years in Midian, married his first wife, and fathered two
sons and then was called of God to return and show God’s
wonders and deliver the children of Israel from their
bondage by the power of God. (Read: Ex 4:19-21)
3. God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt. (Ex chs. 5-18)
a. The ten plagues on Egypt. (Ex 7:8-12:36)
THE TEN PLAGUES
1. Nile turned to blood - 7:14-25
2. Frogs - 8:1-15
3. Lice - 8:16-19
4. Flies - 8:20-32
5. Murrain (animal plague) - 9:1-7
6. Boils - 9:8-12
7. Hail - 9:13-35
8. Locusts - 10:1-20
9. Darkness - 10:21-29
10. Death of Firstborn
(of both man and beast) - 12:29-36
Old Testament Survey p. 26
NOTES
Estimates range from one million to two million
total that God led out of Egypt.
This is a picture of baptism, among other things.
It is a PICTURE of God’s deliverance from sin
(typified by Egypt) into a new life of service to
God and a picture of God’s total destruction of
the enemies of the old life- IF we will follow
Him.They went under the blood first (Passover)
now they go under the water (Red Sea) in
obedience and surrender as a picture of their
passage into newness of life.
Ro 6:5
The Jews believe that Ex 19:1 “... the same
day...” is the day of Pentecost and they observe
the Feast of Pentecost to celebrate the giving of
b. The Passover and the Exodus from Egypt. (Ex chs. 12-18)
1) Passover. (Ex 12:1-36)
a) Passover under the Old Covenant. READ 12:21-23
For Israel ONLY- no Gentiles! (12:43-45)
b) Passover under the New Covenant.
Christ, unlike the Passover, is for every Christian.
I Cor 5:7
2) Exodus from Egypt. (Ex 12:37-15:21)
a) Those that God led out of Egypt were 600,000 men
plus an unknown number of women and children
plus a “mixed multitude,” meaning Egyptians and
those slaves and freemen of other nations that were
in Egypt, also of an unknown number. (12:37-38)
b) Crossing of the Red Sea. (13:17-14:31)
READ 14:21-22, 27, 28
I Cor 10:2
Ro 6:4
c. The “Song of Moses.” (Ex 15:1-21)
This is also known as the song of the Redeemed.
4. The march to Sinai. (Exodus 15:22-18:27)
a. Included in this section are the various miracles by which
God provided for the needs of His people- bitter waters
made sweet; manna from heaven (this provision would
continue for forty years 16:35) and quail for flesh; water
from the rock and deliverance from the Amalekites.
b. The choosing out of a group of lesser judges to help Moses
with the smaller matters so that he can handle the weightier
matters. (ch. 18)
SECOND SECTION - THE GIVING OF THE LAW
(Exodus chs. 19-24)
1. The covenant established. (Exodus 19:1-24:11)
a. The Ten Commandments. (ch. 20)
The Ten Commandments ( Ex 20: - )
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me 6. Thou shalt not kill
2. Thou shalt not make any graven image 7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
3. Not take the name of the Lord in vain 8. Thou shalt not steal
4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness
5. Honour thy father and thy mother 10. Thou shalt not covet
Old Testament Survey p. 27
NOTES
:19 “... not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.”
According to Ugarit literature uncovered in 1930,
this was a Canaanite practice connected with their
fertility rites. Therefore, the Hebrews were not to
follow this idolatrous practice. When they
offered “firstfruits” to God they were
acknowledging that blessings come from Him but
practicing the idolatrous ritual would have been
saying that blessings came from some other
“god.”(8)
Everything about the Tabernacle, the Priest, and
the sacrifices pointed to Christ. (Heb ch. 9)
Heb 9:8
Heb 9:11-12
Heb 9:14
b. The Law concerning relationships. (Ex 21:1-23:13)
c. The Law concerning the 3 main feasts. (Ex 23:14-19)
1) Unleavened bread (includes Passover.) (:15)
2) Firstfruits (Pentecost.) (:16)
3) Feast of ingathering (Tabernacles.) (:16)
4) When to observe, who should observe, and how to
observe the feasts. (:17-19)
d. The Law concerning making covenants with the
heathen in the promised land. (Ex 23:20-33)
Verses :20-21 are speaking of a “theophany,”
which is an appearance of God in human form.
Ex 23:21 “... my name is in him.”
2. The Law confirmed by the people and the blood
sacrifice to seal the covenant. (Ex ch. 24)
THIRD SECTION
THE TABERNACLE (Exodus chs. 25-40)
(Including all things associated with it.)
1. The instructions for the Tabernacle. (Ex 25:1 - 27:8)
a. Instructions for the offering to build it. (25:1-7)
b. Instructions for the construction. (25:8-27:1)
c. Instructions for the brazen altar. (27:1-8)
2. Instructions for the court of the Tabernacle. (27:9-19)
3. Instructions for the burning of the lamp. (27:20-21)
3. Instructions regarding the priests. (28:1 - 29:46)
4. Final instructions. (ch. 30)
Altar of incense - the Ransom Money - the Bronze
Laver - the Holy Anointing Oil - the Holy Incense
5. The appointment of the builders. (31:1-11)
6. Instructions concerning the Sabbath. (31:12-17)
7. The giving of the Decalogue (10 Commandments) to
Moses from God. (:18)
8. The covenant broken and restored. (chs. 32-34)
9. The building of the Tabernacle and the making of the
priestly garments. (chs. 35-39)
10. The erection and consecration of the Tabernacle.
(ch. 40)
a. Including the consecration of the priests and the institution
of the offerings.
b. The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.
(Ex 40:34-38)
The pillar of the cloud by day and fire by night
attested to the presence of the Lord with the children of
Israel.
Old Testament Survey p. 28
NOTES
“schoolmaster” paidagogos {pahee-dag-ogos'}
NOT just a teacher but a tutor i.e. a
guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks
and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy
slaves who were charged with the duty of
supervising the life and morals of boys belonging
to the better class. The boys were not allowed so
much as to step out of the house without them
before arriving at the age of manhood.
Therefore, the “schoolmaster” of the Law
was meant to keep the life and morals of Israel in
line until the coming of Christ.
WHAT DOES THE LAW MEAN TO CHRISTIANS?
1. Who was the Law for and how long was it in effect?
a. It was added to the Abrahamic Covenant passed down to
Israel because of transgressions and it was temporary until
the arrival of the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.
Gal 3:19
b. It was a schoolmaster to bring the Jew to Christ.
Gal 3:24
c. It was in effect until the preaching ministry of John.
Mt 11:13
Lk 16:16
2. Are Christians under the Law?
No, the law was given to Israel not to the Gentile.
Deut 4:44
Mal 4:4
SUMMARY of Exodus-
Genesis was the book of beginnings and gave us the calling
out of a people for His name. Here in Exodus we have the
Redemption of His people.
REVIEW-
< What man did God use as His deliverer of Israel?
< What are the three main divisions of Exodus?
< To whom was the Law given?
< Were the Gentiles ever under the Law?
< Are we under the Law today?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Leviticus.
Review the section on Exodus.
Be here next week with your Bible
and your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 29
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
The title, Leviticus, means “pertaining to the
Levites” by way of the Latin Vulgate title
“Levitikon.”
The Jews call it Vayikra and also Torah
Kohanim/Instructions of the Priests.
We know that God wrote ALL of the Bible
through inspiration; but Leviticus is nearly all
QUOTES of what God said to Moses.
In Leviticus alone, the phrase “And the Lord
spake” is recorded 34 times which is 30% of all
such occurrences in the bible.
Lesson Four
LEVITICUS
The book of atonement
Introduction:
This book puts forth God’s plan showing Israel how to
approach Him in the proper holy manner. In it the Law, chiefly
the ecclesiastical law, and the priestly office and the priest’s
function are described in detail. In Heb 7:11 this office is called
“the Levitical priesthood.” The book also presents Israel with
a “Holiness Code” which gives the (8) proper basis for fellowship
with God. The book logically follows Exodus. In Exodus the
Tabernacle was constructed. In Leviticus the instructions are
given for ministrations within that structure. God told Moses
how to build the Tabernacle; now He tells Moses exactly how to
use it in accord with the commands of its architect, God.
It has been said that “no book, in the whole compass of that
inspired Volume which the Holy Ghost has given us, that
contains more of the very words of God than Leviticus.”(11)
Lev 1:1 “And the Lord called... and spake... saying...”
And the entirety of chs. 1-3 are quotes of what God said.
Lev 4:1 “And the Lord spake... saying...”
And the entirety of chs. 4-5 are quotes of what God said.
Lev 6:1, 7, 19, 24; 7:22, 28 “And the Lord spake... saying...”
And the entirety of chs. 6-7 except 7:35-38 are quotes of what
God said.
This pattern is followed throughout Leviticus. In fact the very
words of God are on almost every page of every chapter of the
book with the exception of chs. 8-10 where God’s judgment upon
Aaron’s sons and the carrying out of certain of God’s instructions
concerning the sacrifice is recorded.
Authorship- Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch, also
called the law of Moses. Jesus attested to the fact of the Mosaic
authorship of it in Luke 24:44.
The Divisions of Leviticus-
I. How to Come to God. (Sacrifice) (Lev chs. 1-16)
II. How to Walk With God. (Sanctification)
(Lev chs. 17-27)
The focus of Leviticus-
The book focuses on ritual and ethics.
The value of Leviticus-
Leviticus is beneficial to us only as a “shadow” of the things
concerning our High Priest, Jesus Christ, and the sacrifice of
himself - by himself - for ourselves. (Hebrews; esp. 10:1, 10)
Old Testament Survey p. 30
NOTES
NOTE: It is to be noted that there were two goats
chosen: the one to be sacrificed and the one to be
released.
The one released is called “the scapegoat.”
All of the sins of the people were placed upon the
head of the scape-goat and then he was released
into the wilderness. The significance of this is
that the one goat was the sacrifice for sins; the
other, the scapegoat, was a visible symbol that the
sins of the people were taken away to the
wilderness, never to be seen again.
FIRST SECTION - HOW TO COME TO GOD
SACRIFICE (Lev chs. 1-16)
Introduction: The way to God is through the Sacrifice.
1. The laws of Sacrifice. (Lev chs. 1 - 7)
Offerings must be of the “herd” or “the flock.” (1:1, 2)
General rules: (1:3 - 6:7)
a. Burnt offerings. (ch. 1)
b. Meal offerings. (ch. 2)
c. Peace offerings. (ch. 3)
d. Sin offerings. (4:1 - 5:13)
e. Trespass offerings. (5:14 - 6:7)
Specific rules: (6:8-7:38)
2. The ministers of the Sacrifice. (chs. 8 - 10)
a. Sanctification of the priests. (ch. 8)
READ: Lev 8:30
b. The first offerings by the Priests for the people. (ch. 9)
c. Acceptable and unacceptable offerings by the priests.
1) The offering in obedience was accepted by God. (9:24)
2) The offering in presumption was not accepted by God.
(10:1-2)
3) Further instructions concerning misuse. (10:3-20)
3. The laws of Purity. (chs. 11 - 15)
a. Concerning what can be eaten or touched. (ch. 11)
b. Concerning childbirth. (ch. 12)
c. Concerning leprosy. (chs. 13 - 14)
d. Concerning sexual purity. (ch. 15)
4. The day of Atonement. (ch. 16)
Here in Leviticus we find one of the “most powerful”
Jewish religious days, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
They attribute their observance of it to Leviticus 16:30-31
and call it “Shabbat Shabbaton/The Sabbath of Sabbaths”
or “The White Sabbath.” (12) This day is a required day of
fasting for all Jews but the sick.
At only this one time each year the High Priest was allowed
into the Holy of Holies and offered the blood of the sacrifice
upon the altar for the sins of the people.
It is interesting to note that not only must an atonement be
made for Aaron and his house and the children of Israel and
for the Holy of Holies and the Tabernacle, but even the altar
itself had to be cleansed by blood sacrifice. (Lev 16:18-19)
Lev 16:33
Old Testament Survey p. 31
NOTES
Many people call chapters 17-26 the “Law of
Holiness” or “The Holiness Code.”
SINS ADDRESSED
Idolatry
Consorting with witches or being a witch
Cursing father or mother
Incest
Homosexuality
Bestiality
Unclean & improper sexual practices
PUNISHMENTS INFLICTED
Death sentence
Death sentence
Death sentence
Death sentence
Death sentence
Death sentence
Childlessness
SECOND SECTION - HOW TO WALK WITH GOD
SANCTIFICATION (Lev chs. 17-27)
In order to walk with a Holy God, the people must be holy;
thus, this section tells them how to be holy. (19:2)
“holy” Heb kaw-doshe’ sacred, set apart
When speaking of the children of Israel- it is what they are to be.
When speaking of God- it is what He is.
Lev 19:2
Lev 20:26
1. Holy people. (chs. 17-20)
a. Food purity. (ch. 17)
Since blood is used for the purpose of Atonement, the
lifeblood of the sacrifice being accepted by God in the
place of the lifeblood of the transgressor, then the people
were forbidden to consume it for food for themselves or
allow it to be consumed by anyone that resided in their
land.
Lev 17:11
b. Sexual and marriage purity. (ch. 18)
Incest - adultery - homosexuality - bestiality
c. Societal purity. (ch. 19)
d. Punishments for impurity. (ch. 20)
2. Holy priests. (ch. 21-22)
There was one standard for the regular priests but for the High Priest there was a higher standard.
3. Holy times and things. (chs. 23-25)
a. Holy feasts. (ch. 23)
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread - Feast of Firstfruits - Feast of Pentecost
Feast of Trumpets - The Day of Atonement - Feast of Tabernacles (Booths)
Old Testament Survey p. 32
NOTES
NOTE: These are but a few of the
multitude of references to Christ that we
find in the book of Leviticus.
It can be rightly said that the major
portion of Leviticus points directly to
Christ. At the very least, everything
concerning the Tabernacle and its
contents, the Priests, the sacrifices, the
blood, the Atonement, the universality of
the sacrifices, some of the feast days, the
ceremonial law, the lambs, bulls, and
goats that were sacrificed, the blood, the
scapegoat, purity and holiness required
and received, the mercy seat itself, and
many other things about Leviticus all
point directly to Christ.
Also, as you can see, Hebrews is the
most profitable book in the New
Testament to help you understand
b. Holy things and further judgments. (ch. 24)
The holy things mentioned in this chapter are the
Tabernacle lamps and their fuel and the shewbread with
frankincense and the very name of the Lord.
4. Holy years in the Promised Land. (ch. 25)
Every 7 th year- a Sabbath rest for the land.
Every 50th year- the year of Jubilee when purchased land and
bondservants are freed.
5. Holy cursings and blessings. (ch. 26)
Curses are promised for disobedience.
Blessings are promised for obedience.
6. Holy vows and tithes. (ch. 27)
Things vowed could be redeemed for 120% of its worth.
Any object tithed could be redeemed for 120% of its worth.
Lev 27:31
CHRIST and LEVITICUS
Leviticus Christ
1:3 “without blemish” Eph 5:2; Heb 9:14; I Pet 1:19
1:4 “atonement” Ro 5:11
1:5 “priests” Heb 10:11
4:12 “without the camp” Heb 13:11-12
4:16 “the priest” Heb 9:12-14
8:33-34 “commanded” Heb 7:16
9:7 Atonement for all Heb 5:1-5; 7:27; 9:7-12
9:15 “the people’s offering” Heb 2:17; 5:3
14:7 Cleansing by blood Heb 9:13-14
16:2 “not at all times” Heb 9:7-14; 10:19
16:3 “into the holy place” Heb 9:7, 12, 24-25
16:14 “blood” Heb 9:13-14; 10:4, 10
16:15 Offering for the people Heb 2:17; 5:2; 9:7, 28
16:16 Atonement for holy place Heb 9:22-23
16:17 Atonement for the altar Heb 9:12-23
16:30 Cleansing by blood Heb 9:13-14; I Jn 1:7, 9
16:22 The scapegoat Jn 1:29; Heb 9:28; I Pet 2:24
17:11 Blood atonement Mt 26:28; Mk 14:24; Eph 1:7;
Col 1:20; Heb 13:12
25:49 Kinsman redeemer Lk 1:68; 24:21; Ro 8:29; Gal 3:13; Gal 4:4-5;
Phil 1:14; II Thess 2:13; Ti 2:13-14; I Pet 1:18
Heb 10:1 Heb 10:10
Heb 10:12
Old Testament Survey p. 33
SUMMARY of Leviticus- NOTES
Genesis was the book of beginnings and gave us the calling
out of a people for His name and in Exodus we had the story of
God’s redemption of His people. Now in Leviticus we see,
mainly, the story of Atonement including Holiness expected and
imputed to the people in the symbols of the sacrificial system and
in the Holiness Code to be followed by the people.
REVIEW-
< What is the main theme of Leviticus?
< What are the two main divisions of Leviticus?
< What two things do these divisions point to?
Sacrifice and .
< To whom did the book point?
< What book in the New Testament is most profitable to
help you understand Leviticus?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Numbers.
Review the section on Leviticus.
Be here next week with your Bible
and your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 34
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
The name “Numbers” is taken from the two
numberings of the people. The first, ch.1, was at
Mt. Sinai and the second, ch. 26, was at the end
of the 40 years when the people were on the
plains of Moab.
CHRONOLOGY - Numbers has been questioned
by many of the critics because the sequence of
events recorded in the book seems disjointed.
Where in the Bible does it say that Numbers (and
many other of the books) is sequential?
Numbers gives a series of independent accounts
and instructions, not a sequential account.
326 verses concern the 50 days of preparation
for the march from Sinai.
155 verses concern the few months ending
with the defeat at Kadesh.
63 verses cover the next 38 years.
361 verses cover the last 11 months prior to
crossing Jordan into the Promised Land.
Remember, the verses are not sequential but
mere accounts and instructions.
Lesson Five
NUMBERS
Wilderness wanderings
Introduction: We have followed Israel from their first calling
out in Abraham in Genesis through their redemption from Egypt
in Exodus when they were formed into a nation. Then, in
Leviticus, they were given their own Law, the Tabernacle, and the
way of Atonement and sanctification to God at Sinai. Now, in
Numbers, we follow that nation through the wilderness for 40
years because of their disobedience to God. Because of that
disobedience at Kadesh-barnea, the entire generation excepting
Joshua and Caleb perished during their 40 year “saga of
suffering... trek of tragedy, and... story of straying” in the
wilderness.(26)
Because of subsequent disobedience during the 40 years, the
trek became totally tragic as Israel went through repeated cycles
of unbelief, disobedience, and chastisement. From this they
slowly learned the lesson that there are consequences for their
actions; whether those actions are for or against God. In the
meantime, they spent 40 years wandering and eventually wound
up right back where they started from- at Kadesh-barnea.
From Sinai to Kadesh was a distance of some 150-200 miles
which should have taken them 11 days. (Deut 11:2) Instead,
they spent 40 years covering this same ground.
As a result of the lessons learned during their 40 years in the
wilderness and the purification of the nation by the weeding out
of the rebellious generation, the disorganized fledgling nation of
ex-slaves finally were molded by God into a nation ready to obey
God and enter the Promised Land.
Authorship- Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch, also
called the law of Moses. Jesus attested to the fact of the Mosaic
authorship of it in Luke 24:44.
The Divisions of Numbers-
I. Wilderness wanderings. (chs. 1-25 )
II. Preparations for entering the land. (chs. 26-36)
The focus of Numbers-
The book focuses on unbelief, disobedience, chastisement, and
eventual victory by God’s guidance and His sovereign will.
The value of Numbers-
Some may wonder what the use is of the book of Numbers for
us today. I think that the best way to sum it up is from the
scriptures: READ: I Cor 10:1-11
I Cor 10:11
Old Testament Survey p. 35
NOTES
Note that a supplementary Passover was
instituted 1 month after the main Passover for
those who were traveling or were ceremonially
unclean on the day of the original Passover.
This is applicable to Christians and shows us
that God is merciful and that He sets no limits on
those who would claim the blood and body of
Christ other than that they should partake (get
saved)- either sooner or later.
FIRST SECTION - WILDERNESS WANDERINGS
(Numbers chs. 1-25)
Introduction: This book, in the Hebrew Bible, gets its name
from a word in the first sentence, bemîdbar, meaning “in the
wilderness.” This is a fitting name because the book gives an
account of the wanderings of Israel in the wilderness, including
the two numberings of the nation, once at the beginning and once
at the end of their wanderings.
1. Preparation for departure from Sinai. (chs. 1-10)
a. The first census.
1) Numbering of the fighting men. (ch. 1)
2) Arrangement of the camp. (ch. 2)
The numbering of the fighting men and the
arrangement of the camp was for military purposes to
protect the Tabernacle of God- the symbol of Israel’s
separation from the world and their setting aside to God
as His “chosen nation.”
3) Numbering of the Levites and their duties. (ch. 3-4)
The Levites were not numbered in the general census
but were numbered separately for purposes of
assignment of duties concerning ministry about the
Tabernacle.
b. The first priestly instructions. (chs. 5-10)
This concerns the necessary inward condition of the camp.
ch. 5 - Purity.
6:1-21 - The purity of the truly separated- the Nazarite.
6:22-27 - God’s blessing.
ch. 7 - Free-will offering of the princes of Israel.
ch. 8 - Purification and consecration of the Levites.
8:23-26 addresses the retirement of the Levites.
After 50 (in their old age) they were to attend as
their brethren carried the burden of ministering to the
Lord for the people.
9:1-14 - Keeping of the Passover.
Instructions were given to the Christians concerning
the Lord’s Supper, which replaced the Passover, in the
New Testament. In those we are admonished to
examine ourselves and to judge if we are worthy. If we
have sin then we are to judge ourselves guilty and put it
under the blood- and THEN take the Lord’s Supper.
I Cor 11:28
I Cor 11:31
9:15-23 - Instructions concerning God’s leading in both
march and rest. We are to follow Him in both of these.
ch. 10:1-10 - The silver trumpets. Used for calling the
people to assembly and for calling to the march; and
also for sounding the alarm for war.
Old Testament Survey p. 36
NOTES
The people complained about God’s
provision (manna) and God gave Moses 70
helpers to bear the burden of the people. (11:4
-30)
This is a type of the New Testament deacon.
Their one purpose is to help the preacher bear the
burdens in the Church as the 70 elders helped
Moses bear the burden of the children of Israel.
The application to us is that God decides who
is the leader in the congregation and He will
repay rebellion from those who are chosen to
follow and serve, not to lead and serve.
Those that minister should live of the
ministry. (I Cor 9:13-14)
I Cor 9:14
The “smitten rock” of Num 20:7-11 is a type of
Christ
2. From Sinai to the wilderness. (Num 10:11 - ch. 14)
a. Departure from Sinai. (10:11-36)
The presence of God goes before us in our journeys.
10:33 “And they departed from the mount of the
LORD three days' journey:
in the three days' journey, to search out a resting
place for them.”
b. The beginnings of chastisement because of their murmurings
against God and His man, Moses. (ch. 11)
1) Punishment by fire. (11:1-3)
2) Punishment by flesh. (quails) (11:31-35)
Compare this with God’s promise of 11:20
“
until it become loathsome unto you...”
c. Rebellion from within the leader’s own family. (ch. 12)
d. Failure to receive the blessings of God. (chs. 13-14)
1) Opportunity to receive God’s blessing. (ch. 13)
12 spies were sent in to spy out the land and 10 of
them brought back an evil report and incited a rebellion.
2) Their unbelief caused them to refuse to receive God’s
proffered blessing. (ch. 14)
a. The Israelites unknowingly proclaimed their own
curse.
14:2b “... Would God that we had died in the land of
Egypt ! Or would God we
!”
b. Going up after God’s blessing and presence is withdrawn
brings catastrophe. (14:44-45)
3. In the wilderness for 38 years. (chs. 15 - 25)
a. Second set of priestly instructions. (15:1 - ch. 19)
1) Instructions concerning ceremonies. (ch. 15)
2) Instruction about proper offerings. (ch. 16)
Woven in the story of a rebellion led by a prominent
member of the priestly tribe of Levi, Korah, who was
not a priestly descendant of Aaron. (16:40)
3) Instructions concerning God’s vindication of His chosen
priestly family, that of Aaron. (ch. 17)
4) Confirmation of the Levites and the priestly family of
Aaron. (ch. 18)
This includes the listing of their duties and their
compensation from the things of the Tabernacle.
5) Instructions concerning the red heifer and the water of
purification. (ch. 19)
b. From the wilderness of Zin to the land of Moab.
(chs. 20 -21)
This includes - the deaths of Miriam and Aaron and the
passing of the priesthood to his son Eleazar - the sins of
Aaron and Moses at Meribah (the waters of strife) that will
keep them from the Promised Land - the inhospitality of
Old Testament Survey p. 37
NOTES
In Num 22:22-35 we have the story of Balaam’s
ass that spoke.
In J. Vernon McGee’s book “Thru the Bible,”
he states: “A wag once said that it was a
miracle in Balaam’s day when an ass spoke,
and it’s a miracle in our day when one keeps
quiet !”
Of the old generation, only Caleb and Joshua
are to be allowed to go into the Promised Land.
They were the two spies that stood for God and
trusted Him.
This shows us that standing for God is
possible, and rewarding, even if everyone else
falls because of unbelief.
- Passover & Feast of unleavened bread. (28:16-
25) This points to the blood of Christ and the
sinlessness (unleavened) of the saved after the
blood is applied.
- Feast of weeks. (28:26-31) It is also known as
Pentecost, which is the day of the empowering of
the Church in the New Testament by the Holy
Spirit.
- Day of Atonement. (29:7-11) Pointing to
Christ who died to atone for our sins.
Edom - the first victories of Israel over Arad the Canaanite,
over the Amorites and over Og, king of Bashan.
The brazen serpent- In Num 21:4-9 we see the story of
the brazen serpent- a type of Christ.
Jn 3:14
Jn 3:15
c. Intrigue against Israel in the plains of Moab. (chs. 22 - 25)
Chapter 22 - The way of Balaam- covetousness.
(II Pet 2:15)
Chapters 23 & 24 - The error of Balaam- ignorance of
God’s imputed righteousness to sinners. (Jude :11)
Chapter 25 - The doctrine of Balaam- infiltrate the people
and corrupt them from within. (Rev 2:14)
Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against thee,
because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine
of Balaam, who taught Balac to
before the children of Israel, to
SECOND SECTION
PREPARATIONS FOR ENTERING THE LAND
(Numbers chs. 26-36)
1. Census of the new generation - the 2nd census. (ch. 26)
The old generation of the first census (chs. 1-4) are dead or
about to die and a census of the new generation is taken.
All of the people (20 years and up) of the first numbering,
some 603,550 men plus their wives, perished in the wilderness
because of unbelief. The total must have been well over
one million- approximately 70 a day for 38 years..
2. The law of inheritance and the appointment of Moses’
successor, Joshua. (ch. 27)
3. More priestly instructions. (chs. 28 - 30)
a. Daily, weekly (Sabbath), & monthly offerings. (28:1-15)
b. Yearly offerings. (28:16 - 29:40)
Passover and Feast of unleavened bread - feast of weeks
(Pentecost) - Feast of Trumpets - Feast of Tabernacles.
c. Concerning women’s vows. (ch. 30)
Unlike a man’s vow, which is always binding (30:1-2),
a woman’s vow can be annulled by her father if she is
living at home or by her husband if she is married. If the
father or the husband are going to disallow the woman’s
vow they must do so immediately upon hearing it. If they
don’t, then the woman’s vow must stand.
This is another biblical lesson on the responsibility
given by God to the man as the leader of the home.
Old Testament Survey p. 38
NOTES
God’s vengeance was exacted on Balaam as
a warning to us that if we per-vert the gifts that
God gives us, we can expect just retribution from
God.
Ro 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves,
but [rather] give place unto wrath: for
it is written,
In Numbers, one overall lesson that can be
learned is the sovereignty of God.
His will was that His people would enter the
promised land; and, in spite of their unbelief, in
Numbers He prepares them for just that endeavor
by ridding them of their hindering unbelief. It
took drastic measures, including the removal of
an entire unbelieving generation, but in the end
His will was unstoppable.
d. War with Midian. (Num ch. 31)
This included the destruction of all males - keeping the
women alive (contrary to God’s orders as they had already
caused Israel to sin in the matter of Balaam) - God’s
revenge upon Balaam - the destruction of all cities - the
purification and division of the spoils of war - and the
purification of the men of war.
e. The settlement of the tribes of Gad, Rueben, and the halftribe
of Manasseh in Trans-Jordan. (ch. 32)
Because they did not settle over in Canaan as they
should have, they were eventually carried away into
captivity by the Assyrians. (I Chr 5:18-26)
f. Account of journeyings from Egypt. (Num 33:1-49)
g. Instructions for occupation of Canaan. (33:50 - 35:34)
1) Dispossession of the inhabitants, the setting of
boundaries, and the division of the land among the 9 ½
tribes that crossed over Jordan. (33:50 - ch. 34)
2) Levite cities and cities of refuge. (ch. 35)
4. Marriage of heiresses must be within their own tribe. Inheritance
in the land may not move from tribe to tribe. (ch. 36)
SUMMARY of Numbers-
Genesis was the book of beginnings and gave us the calling
out of a people for His name and in Exodus we had the story of
God’s redemption of His people. In Leviticus we saw, mainly,
the story of Atonement and the Holiness that was expected of and
imputed to the people. Here, in Numbers, we saw the
consequences of unbelief and the cleansing and the purifying of
the nation in the wilderness for their eventual victory in accord
with God’s sovereign will.
REVIEW-
< What is the main theme of Numbers?
< What are the two main divisions of Numbers?
< Who is the main character of the book?
< What are the two main lessons of the book?
a. Consequences of .
b. Cleansing and preparation for eventual .
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Deuteronomy.
Review the section on Numbers.
Be here next week with your Bible
and your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 39
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
There are striking parallels between Deuteronomy,
the 5 book of the th Old Testament, and
Acts, the 5th book of the New Testament. Both
are books of transition and all of the same types
of transitions found in Deuteronomy are found in
Acts.
It was SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
in ancient treaties between rulers and vassals
during the 2nd millennium B.C. that a text of the
covenant proceedings was prepared as both a
treaty document and a witness. In the first part of
the document the Sovereign’s benefits to the
vassal in times past are enumerated as well as his
power, in order to engender feelings of fear, awe,
respect, and gratitude from the vassal. In the
second part the benefits to be conferred upon the
vassal by the sovereign in the future are enumerated.
This encourages the vassal to remain a
willing subject.
Deuteronomy follows this same pattern and
thus gives us confidence that it truly was written
by Moses during that same time period and not
later by someone else as some scholars try to get
us to believe.
All parts of the book follow the standards of
contract law indigenous to that part of the world
at that time. (Compare with the Hittite vassal law
contemporary with the time of Deuteronomy.)
Lesson Six
DEUTERONOMY
Second giving of the Law
Introduction: Although “Deuteronomy” means “Second Law”
(the name we inherited from the Septuagint) this name is really
a misnomer. The book doesn’t really give a second Law to the
people; what it does give is the same Law only in more detail.
However, Deuteronomy is much more than a detailed
expounding of the Law to this new wilderness generation, it is
also a book of transitions. Transition to a new generation;
transition to a new Land; transition to a new way of life; and also,
and probably the most important, it gives a transition to a new
revelation from God, His love.(15)
New revelation- God’s love.
From Genesis to Numbers the love of God is not mentioned;
but now in Deuteronomy the motivating factor for God’s dealings
with Israel is made plain, love.
Deut 4:37
Deut 7:8
Deut 10:15
Deut 23:5
Authorship- Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch,
also called the law of Moses. Jesus attested to the fact of the
Mosaic authorship of it in Luke 24:44.
The Divisions of Deuteronomy-
I. Looking to the past. (chs. 1-11 )
II. Looking to the future. (chs. 12-34)
Remember, there are some references to the future in Part One,
and there are some references to the past in Part Two; however, such brief passages are incidental to the main
thrust of each part- Part One, the past, and Part Two, the future.
Emphasis- Obedience. (4:1, 2, 5, 9, 15, 23, 40; 5:1, 31-33; 6:1-3; 11:26-27)
Theological themes- In this book Moses expounds upon 10:
1. The Faithfulness of God. 2. The Word of God. 3. The Person of God.
4. The Love of God. 5. The Glory of God. 6. The Grace of God.
7. The coming Great Prophet of God. 8. The Will of God.
9. The Kings of God. 10. The Israel of God.
Old Testament Survey p. 40
The central message- The central message of Deuteronomy is NOTES
“divine faithfulness.”(15)
One thing that we must understand is that God’s dealings
did not begin with the covenant at Sinai. Nor did they end
there.
When they entered Canaan under the Sinaitic Covenant,
they entered with a broken covenant. They broke it
immediately at Sinai (the golden calf) and they broke it
continually in the wilderness; and, they continued to break it,
as we will see, in the Promised Land after they entered. That
is why they never inherited all of Canaan. Also, because of
their continued disobedience, the extreme penalties of
dispersion and desolation warned about under the Sinai
Covenant were brought to pass- as God warned them in
Leviticus and here again in the first part of Deuteronomy as he
rehearses the Law for the new generation.
No, God’s first dealing were not at Sinai with the Mosaic
Law (Sinai Covenant) but with Abraham (the Abrahamic
Covenant.) And when the final penalty (which we will study
in a future segment) is inflicted and Israel is dispersed, God
will still maintain a covenant relationship with His people,
Israel. Not through Sinai to Israel but through Abraham to
Israel. This covenant, Gen ch. 15, which was before Sinai,
was confirmed with the oath of God and with blood and it is
unconditional to Abraham and his descendants and everlasting.
(Gen 17:5-8)
Praise God for that; because now it includes all of those
who are of the line of Abraham by faith- including us!
(Ro ch. 4 spec. :16)
The Sinai covenant pointed toward a place, Sinai; but, the
Abrahamic Covenant pointed toward a person, Christ. (Gal
3:16) And the Law, which came 430 years after, could not
make the earlier covenant void. (Gal ch. 3)
Therefore, by the Abrahamic Covenant, God can and will
still bless Israel in spite of the broken Law of Sinai; and, He
can also bless us Gentiles through Abraham’s seed, Christ.
Compare Lev 26:32-45 with Deut 4:27-31.
FIRST SECTION - LOOKING TO THE PAST
(Deuteronomy chs. 1-11)
Introduction: God’s relationship with Israel in the Old Testament
and Christians in the New Testament is predicated on one
basic fact in both cases-
Deut 6:4-5
Jesus spoke of this passage in Mt 22:35-38 and said of the
latter part:
Mt 22:38
Old Testament Survey p. 41
NOTES
Jesus’ temptation and Deuteronomy-
When tempted of the devil in Mt 4:4-10, Jesus
used Deut 8:3; 6:16; 10:20 against him.
Deut 6:4 is the first part of the “shema” which
Jews are required to recite twice a day; once in
the morning and once in the evening.
Their recital of it is somewhat different than Deut
6:4 (even in the Hebrew Bible) and goes like this:
“Hear O Israel, The Lord is our God, the
Lord is one.”
The complete shema incorporates three
paragraphs from the Old Testament: Deut 6:4-9;
Deut 11:13-21; Num 15:37-41.
The shema is considered world-wide to be the
basic statement of the Jewish faith.
1. A rehearsing of the travels and events from Horeb to
Jordan. (chs 1-4)
Why go over the past? Remember the past so as to NOT
make the sinful mistakes made by those who went before you;
rather learn from them. Learn of God’s provision and protection,
yes, but also learn of His righteous punishment for
disobedience. This is the lesson for both them and us.
I Cor 10:11
Several lessons can be learned as we review the wanderings
of the children of Israel.
a. A march of purpose for God can be doomed to a life of
aimless wanderings because of our unbelief. An 11 day
journey (Deut 1:2) became 40 years wandering.
b. The mistake of thinking we carry the burden alone. Moses
forgot that God was the one carrying the burden of Israel;
and, in frustration, appointed a council of 70. This counsel
of 70 later became the Sanhedrin which sentenced Christ
to death.
c. The mistake of appointing a board to decide if we should
obey God. God said take the land and the people appointed
a committee to go see if they should. (1:20-23)
d. Belief leads to blessings from God. Only Joshua and
Caleb believed God and were allowed to live through the
40 years in the wilderness and go into the Promised Land.
They were not swayed by the majority- who died because
of their unbelief- but were steadfast and vocal about their
belief. (1:34-38)
e. Using our family as an excuse for disobedience is not
allowed. The people used their children as an excuse; and
God allowed those very children to go in by His preservation
while the disobedient parents fell in the wilderness.
We must not do the same. (1:39)
f. Also we can learn that many times we do nothing but run
in circles as a result of our disobedience to God. (2:1-3)
2. A restating of the Sinaitic Covenant- The Law. (chs. 5-11)
This section covers the Great Commandment - God’s
covenant Lordship - consecration both in the past and in the
future - the law of manna and God’s provision - the warning
of the broken tablets - and the call to Israel for commitment.
a. The basic truth & purpose of Deuteronomy. (Deut 6:23)
< The basic truth is: “And he brought us out from
thence...”
< The basic purpose is: “that he might bring us in...”
Application- We were brought out of sin (Egypt) that we
might be brought in to a personal life and walk with
God (the Promised Land) on our way to Heaven.
Old Testament Survey p. 42
NOTES
Mixed marriages- In Deut 7:1, 3-4, God shows
that there are only two groups in the world-
God’s People, symbolized by Israel, and the lost,
symbolized by the heathen nations.
Intermarriage between the two groups is
forbidden; and the reason is because the heathen
will lead God’s People to turn their backs on Him
and they will be led off into idolatry and other
sins. See II Cor 6:14-18
Prophecy of Christ- Deut 18:15-18
b. Basic requirement put forth- Obedience.
Deut 10:12-13
SECOND SECTION - LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
(Deuteronomy chs. 12-34)
Introduction: In the first section, Moses had reiterated the Law
and reminded them of how God had given it to them and had
interpreted it for the children of Israel. He also had told them of
some of the consequences of the breaking of it by their parents
and how God had still remained faithful to bring Israel to the
Promised Land and encouraged them to be obedient to the
application of the Law to their conquest and settlement of
Canaan. Now he will change his focus from the past to their
future in the land.
1. The Law interpreted for their future in the land.
(chs. 12-26)
Included in this section are interpretations concerning:
consecration - apostasy - judicial matters - governmental
righteousness - guarantees of justice - the authority of the
sanctuary and the home - and the sanctity of the divine order
including labour, marriage, the congregation, protection for
the weak and the sanctity of the individual.
2. Sanctions. (chs. 27-30)
Here we find God’s approval and disapproval, blessings,
and curses. Then in ch. 30 we find his promise of restoration.
3. Passing of the torch. (chs. 31-34)
a. Final arrangements before the death of Moses. (ch. 31)
This includes the charge to Joshua in verse :23.
b. The song of witness and the testament of Moses.
(31:30 - ch. 32)
c. Moses blesses the children of Israel. (ch. 33)
d. The death of Moses and his eulogy. (ch. 34)
Moses- Deuteronomy marks the end of the Pentateuch, also
called by the Jews the Five books of Moses and the Torah.
1. The life of Moses was divided into three parts:
ONE: 40 years in Egypt.
TWO: 40 years in Midian.
THREE: 40 years as the leader of the children of Israel.
2. He died at the age of 120 and was the only man that God
buried. (Deut 34:6-7)
Old Testament Survey p. 43
3. He was a man of faith. (Heb 11:23-29) NOTES
4. He appeared with Christ and Elijah (Elias) on the mount
of transfiguration. (Mt 17:3; Mk 9:4; Lk 9:30)
5. He was the greatest prophet in Israel until Jesus.
(Deut 34:10 cf 18:15-18)
SUMMARY of Deuteronomy-
Genesis was the book of beginnings and gave us the calling
out of a people for His name and in Exodus we had the story of
God’s redemption of His people. In Leviticus we saw, mainly,
the story of Atonement and the Holiness that was expected of and
imputed to the people and in Numbers we saw the consequences
of unbelief and the cleansing and the purifying of the nation in
the wilderness for their eventual victory in accord with God’s
sovereign will. Finally, here in Deuteronomy, we see God’s
faithfulness and love as He prepares the new generation to
receive the promise rejected by the old generation.
Deut 6:23 “... He brought us out... that he might bring us
in...”
REVIEW-
< What is the central message of Deuteronomy?
< What are the two main divisions of the book?
< What is the new revelation found in Deuteronomy.
< What is the emphasis and basic requirement put forth in
the book?
< Who is the main character of the book?
< To whom did Moses hand over the reigns of leadership?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Joshua.
Review the section on Deuteronomy.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 44
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Seven
JOSHUA
The People in the Land
Introduction: In the Pentateuch we followed Israel from the
calling out of Abraham to the edge of the Promised Land. Now
in Joshua we will continue the history of Israel as they go into and
conquer the land. In this book we see the faithfulness of God as
He fulfills the promise made to the patriarchs and the nation as
well as His holiness. The latter is shown in two ways: in the
judgement upon the wicked Canaanites and His insistence that
Israel sanctify themselves by putting away every evil thing.
Another subject broached in Joshua is God’s Salvation. In fact
the very name Joshua, Hebrew for Jesus, means “Jehovah is
salvation.”
Two comparisons:
ONE: In Ephesians we find conflict and victory; (Eph 1:3;
2:6; 6:12) and in Joshua we find conflict and victory. In
both we are told that victory is not through force of arms
but through the power of God. In Joshua it is physical
conflict and victory through the power of God; and in
Ephesians we see the spiritual conflict and victory over it
through the power of God. (Eph 1:19-20; 6:10)
TWO: In the New Testament, Hebrews ch. 4 compares the
Canaan rest after aimless wilderness wanderings with the
Christian’s rest in the finished work of our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ, and His continued intercession which
enables us to conquer both “self and Satan.”(8)
Authorship- Traditionally Joshua has been considered the author
of the book that bears his name.
The Divisions of Joshua-
The book of Joshua concerns the first 25 years of the People in
the Promised Land and it can be divided very naturally into 3
sections:
I. Entrance. (1:1 - 5:12)
II. Conquest. (5:13 - ch. 12)
III. Occupation. (13:1 - ch. 24)
Central message- Victory through faith.
This stands in stark contrast to Numbers which showed us
failure through unbelief. On the other hand, it points unerringly
toward the New Testament truth found in I John 5:4.
I Jn 5:4
And our encouragement that we truly can have victory through
faith, is found in Jn 16:33 “... In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer: I (Jesus) have overcome the
world.”
Old Testament Survey p. 45
NOTES
The Type of “Canaan”- In the book of Joshua, Canaan-land,
contrary to what many believe, is not a type of Heaven. Canaan
was a place of fighting, conquest (victory), settlement, and rest;
all done in the power of God. In addition, Israel never
completely occupied all of the Promised Land and eventually,
because of idolatry, disobedience, and a multitude of other sins,
was ejected from Canaan. That obviously does not fulfill the
requirements for a type of Heaven. It does, however, fulfill
perfectly the type of the believer’s present life in Christ. In our
lives we experience all of those things and by the power of God
working through our faith we can have victory and rest- IF we
choose to appropriate them AND the power of God!
Confirmation of this can be found in Hebrews chs. 4-5.
READ Heb 4:8-11 and you will see that such a rest is
something we must strive to appropriate. Therefore, if we refuse
to do so we can be ejected from the life that God has for us
through His power. Oh, we are still on our way to Heaven, that
was settled once and for all when we were saved, but our life here
on earth will not be one of conquest (victory), settlement, and
rest; it will only be one of continual fighting and defeat.
FIRST SECTION - ENTRANCE
(Joshua 1:1 - 5:12)
1. The commission given to Joshua. (1:1-9)
Although Moses had already passed the mantle of leadership
to Joshua just before his death in the book of Numbers, here in
Joshua God himself commissions Joshua. He gives him four
specific orders: go over Jordan - be strong - cause this people to
inherit - do according to all the Law.
These can all be applied to the Christian who wants to live the
life that God wants for us and which He has supplied for us:
a. We need to “go over” into the Christian life; i.e.,
appropriate what God offers and has already supplied.
(Heb 4:8-11)
b. We need to “be strong” because it is guaranteed that
conflict will come. (Jn 16:33)
c. We need to “cause the people to inherit,” i.e., encourage
our fellow Christians to appropriate the proffered life of
Christian victory. (Ephesians)
d. And we need to “do according to all the Law” which
means to separate ourselves from the world and to sanctify
ourselves to God by ridding ourselves of all evil (sin.)
(I Jn chs. 1-3)
2. The Crisis of Jordan. (Josh 1:10 - 5:1)
The generation that died in the wilderness in Deuteronomy
failed when their crisis came and the result was defeat and
death. Here in Numbers the crisis is once again come upon
Old Testament Survey p. 46
NOTES
The People but this time it is come upon the new generation.
This time when the crisis is faced, they cross over in faith and
win humanly impossible victories. Later they fail at other
moments of crisis and experience defeat; but, here at the crisis
of Jordan they cross over, by faith, and experience victory!
Lesson- Moments of crisis come in the life of every person
and in the life of every group of people. For each person first
comes the crisis of Salvation and they either fail to exercise
faith and continue to wander until death and hell overtake
them or they accept Christ by faith and have a life of conquest
and victory made available to them and a guarantee of
entrance into Heaven some day.
After Salvation comes the crisis of obedience and the
ongoing crises and battles of personal sanctification. These
crises are many and continuous until the day the Lord finally
takes them home. The first of these after Salvation is the
crisis of Baptism. This is the first act of obedience but it will
be followed by many more. If they, by faith, come through
those several crises then they enter into the victorious
Christian life; if not, then they experience defeat and
heartbreak. And every time they face another of those crises,
they have the choice of remaining in the land of the Christian
life by faith or experiencing defeat and ejection from that life
because of their disobedience and their root problem- lack of
faith.
The same lessons are applicable to groups, such as a local
Church; because, after all, the Church is the people and is
made up of individuals who are supposed to be all working
together toward a common goal. If the individuals do not
work together toward the common goal and uphold and
encourage one another to succeed in moments of crisis, then
the whole group will eventually fall and fail to receive the
promises. (Gal 5:1-9; Heb 10:24-25)
3. Renewal of Circumcision and Passover. (5:2-12)
In these verses, circumcision and Passover are renewed and
this shows us that once initial obedience is effected then in
order to continue we need to personally remember the blood
that bought us, Passover, and the command of separation to
God and entrance into a personal covenant relationship with
Him; and circumcision was the Old Testament sign of such
a covenant relationship with God.
In the New Testament the taking of the Lord’s Supper is
our remembrance of His blood shed as our Passover and the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our circumcised hearts is the
sign of our personal and group covenant relationship with our
God.
Old Testament Survey p. 47
NOTES
Theophany- a preincarnate appearance of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Josh 5:13-15
(Sometimes called a “Christophany.”)
SECOND SECTION - CONQUEST
(5:13 - ch. 12)
1. The Divine Commander-in-chief. (5:13 - 6:5)
2. Three campaigns. (6:6 - 8:29)
a. The central campaign. (6:6 - 8:29)
Included is the battle of Jericho - the defeat at Ai because
of Achan’s sin - victory at Ai in the second battle - and
Israel’s covenant becomes the law of the land.
b. The southern campaign. (9:1 - 10:43)
Treaty with Gibeah & destruction of the Amorite coalition.
c. The northern campaign. (11:1-15)
d. Summary of the conquest. (11:16-23)
e. List of the defeated kings. (ch. 12)
Lessons-
ONE: We learn from this portion of the book of Joshua that
just as the Lord led Israel into the Promised Land, so too does
that same commander-in-chief, Jesus Christ, lead us into the
Promised Land of the Christian life by means of our salvation
through faith in him. (Heb 2:9-10)
TWO: We also learn that Jesus Christ is the one that leads us
to become victorious overcomers once we have entered in to
the Promised Land of our Christian life. (I Jn 5:4-5)
THREE: Through the “Three Campaigns” of this section of
Joshua we learn that obedience brings victory by God’s power
through our faith (Jericho) and that sin (Achan) breaks the
flow of power from God and brings defeat in our battles (Ai.)
Then, when the sin problem is dealt with, we can experience
victory in exactly the same situation where before we had
experienced defeat (Ai.) Also we learn that our sin affects
everyone around us and can cause defeat for the whole group.
(I Cor 12:26)
FOUR: Finally, we learn that it is the power of God and not
the power of our own might by which we gain the victory.
THIRD SECTION - OCCUPATION
(chs. 13 - 24)
1. God’s Command for Division of the Land. (Josh 13:1-7)
2. Territory for the Trans-Jordan Tribes. (13:8-33)
3. Division of the Land Begins with A Portion for Caleb.
(ch. 14) This was a fulfillment of the promise that God made
through Moses that Caleb and his progeny would inherit the
land whereon his feet walked when he entered the Land.
4. Apportionment to the Tribe of Judah. (ch. 15)
5. Apportionment to the Tribe of Joseph. (chs. 16 - 17)
6. Apportionment to the 7 Remaining Tribes. (chs. 18 - 19)
7. Cities of Refuge & the Cities of the Levites. (20:1 - 21:42)
Old Testament Survey p. 48
NOTES
Separation- This doctrine is not only taught in
the Old Testament here in Joshua, but is a precept
taught all through both the Old and the New
Testaments.
II Cor 6:17
Wilful sin- In the Law, which was given in the
Pentateuch, there were no sacrifices named that
could be offered for WILFUL sin. Here in
Joshua we find the same precept. Wilful sin will
be pun-ished, not forgiven.
Again we are NOT talking about
Salvation or the loss of it but about the
victorious Christian life that God will
expel us from IF we do NOT CONFESS
and FORSAKE any wilful disobedience.
For the remedy see I Jn 1:9
8. Summary of the Conquest and Apportionment; and the
Departure of the Tribes Who Were Apportioned Land
East of Jordan. (21:43 - ch. 22)
9. Joshua’s Farewell Address. (ch. 23)
In this address Joshua reminds them that God has faithfully
given them the land and victory over their enemies. But, he
also prophecies to them that God will some day drive them
from the land as the price of their disobedience in the future
when they mix with the heathen and go whoring after their
strange gods.
10. Joshua Rehearses the Past and Renews God’s Covenant
with The People. (ch. 24)
From this we learn to remember the blessings and
faithfulness of God in the past and realize that we must
choose whether we will serve God from now on. Also, if we
choose to serve Him then He will not forgive wilful
disobedience but will punish us accordingly. This is not
talking about Salvation but whether our life in the Promised
Land will be long and pleasant or whether we will be driven
out because of our failure to keep our promise to God.
11. The Death of Joshua and the Death of Eleazar the High
Priest. (24:29-33)
SUMMARY of Joshua-
Genesis was the book of beginnings and gave us the calling
out of a people for His name and in Exodus we had the story of
God’s redemption of His people. In Leviticus we saw, mainly,
the story of Atonement and the Holiness that was expected of and
imputed to the people and in Numbers we saw the conse-quences
of unbelief and the cleansing and purifying of the nation in the
wilderness for their eventual victory in accord with God’s
sovereign will. In Deuteronomy, we saw God’s faithfulness and
love as He prepared the new generation to receive the promise
rejected by the old generation. Deut 6:23 “... He brought us
out... that he might bring us in...”
Then here in Joshua we saw God’s fulfillment of His promise
to bring the People into the Land by His power and by that same
power to give each tribe the inheritance that He had promised to
them.
The problem is that not all of the tribes would take the
inheritance offered to them and, also, that some victories were
delayed because of sin in the camp. This shows us that God
offers the victorious Christian life to us; but, on the other hand
He will not force us to take it. It must be our choice to obey, rid
ourselves of sin, and appropriate what He offers to us.
Old Testament Survey p. 49
NOTES
REVIEW-
< What is the central message of Joshua?
< What are the three main divisions of the book?
< In Joshua we find conflict and victory. In which New
Testament book do we find this same theme in the
spiritual realm?
< Is Canaan-land a type of Heaven?
< What is it a type of?
< Does the book of Joshua teach we can lose our Salvation?
< Does the book teach that we can lose our victorious
Christian life; i.e., be kicked out of our Promised Land?
< Joshua is the Old Testament word for what New Testament
name?
< It means “Jehovah is .”
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Judges & Ruth.
Review the section on Joshua.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 50
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Eight
JUDGES & RUTH
JUDGES
A nation in Compromise
Introduction: In the Pentateuch we followed Israel from the
calling out of Abraham to the edge of the Promised Land and in
Joshua we continued the history of Israel as they went into and
conquered the land. The book of Judges now comes forth as a
warning of the consequences of compromise.
We see this same problem today amongst Christians. At first
they enter the Christian life and experience the battles and victory
over them through the power of God in their lives. Then they
become settled into their new “home” (Christian life) just as
Israel became settled into their new home, the Promised Land,
and then complacency about God begins to set in.
To both, God becomes a convenient “big brother” to help
them in times of tribulation but whenever God, because of His
mercy, delivers them from the immediate tribulation, they then
soon turn back to their old ways. To them God is some sort of
“genie” that is to be loosed from the bottle to answer a “wish” for
deliverance; but, as soon as deliverance is come then they want
to stick Him “back in His bottle” until they need Him again.
This cycle of backsliding, tribulation, and deliverance is all to
often the norm. It was so in the nation of Israel and it is so in the
lives of many of God’s people today. Many times I call Israel the
“yo-yo nation.” Sorry to say, the same is true in the lives of many
Christians; and, in the life of many Churches today- up and down
repeating cycles of compromise, tribulation, and deliverance, just
like a yo-yo.
This is exquisitely summarized by the phrases:
1. “And they forsook the Lord” (Judges 2:12 & :13)
2. “And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel”(:14)
3. “The hand of the Lord was against them” (:15)
4: “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges which
delivered them” (:16)
5: “And yet they would not hearken” (:17)
Authorship- Traditionally Samuel has been considered the author
of the book of Judges.
The Divisions of Judges-
The book of Judges may be divided into 3 sections:
I. Prologue. (chs. 1 & 2)
II. Main Narratives. (chs 3 - 16)
III. Epilogue. (chs. 17 - 21)
Old Testament Survey p. 51
NOTES
Deborah- The only female Judge. (chs. 4-5)
Gideon- Laid out the fleece of testing before
the Lord. (ch. 7)
Samson- The backslidden strongman/judge of
God who repented and was used again of God.
Central message- Failure through compromise.
Arrangement of the book- The book of Judges is not a chronological
history but a collection of narratives. Each narrative is
chosen to drive home the main lesson of the book.
Main lesson of the book- Faith in God is the only way of
victory and continued well-being.
FIRST SECTION - PROLOGUE
(chs. 1& 2)
These chapters explain how the slide away from God came
about in the nation of Israel and God’s remedy- which Israel
would ignore time after time.
1. Political background-
Conquest of the land was not complete. (ch. 1)
God said destroy the heathen and have nothing to do with
them; but Israel disobeyed.
2. Religious background-
The slide into compromise begins. (ch. 2)
God tells of His judgment upon them for their disobedience
and summarizes the next 350 years in which He sent
judges (deliverers) to whom Israel would not hearken any
more than they hearkened to Him.
SECOND SECTION - MAIN NARRATIVES
(chs. 3 - 16)
Introduction: This section is composed of various narratives, all
recounting a recurring cycle of apostasy, judgment, prayer, and
deliverance.
Judges & apostasies- There are a total of 12 Judges mentioned:
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah,
Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. Some include a thirteenth
judge, Barak who was with Deborah; but, the Bible does not
present him as a judge but as a leader in Israel. Of these judges,
6 are mentioned in conjunction with the 6 apostasies of Israel.
Each apostasy is signaled by the phrase “And the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.”
Each servitude was brought on directly by God.
3:8 “Therefore the hand of...”
The most effective way to understand this recurring cycle is by means of a chart.
APOSTASY
I. 3:5-8
II. 3:12-14
III. 4:1-3
IV. 6:1-10
V. 10:6-18
VI. 13:1
GOD’S JUDGEMENT
Servitude to the king of Mesopotamia. (8 years)
Servitude to the king of Moab. (18 years)
Servitude to the king of Canaan. (20 years)
Servitude to the Midianites. (7 years)
Servitude to the Philistines & others. (18 years)
Servitude to Philistines. (40 years)
DELIVERER
Othniel (3:9-11)
Ehud (3:15-30)
Deborah (& Barak) (4:4 - 5:31)
Gideon (6:2 - 8:35)
Jephthah (11:1 - 12:7)
Samson began it (13:2 - 16:31)
Old Testament Survey p. 52
NOTES THIRD SECTION - EPILOGUE
(chs. 17 - 21)
In these 5 chapters we see the general conditions during the
period of the Judges.
The idolatry of Micah - the Danite migration - the crime at
Gibeah - the war against Benjamin.
Lesson for us today- Compromise will lead to failure for us as
Christians as well as for our Churches today, exactly as it did for
Israel back then!
II Cor 6:17-18
REVIEW-
1. What child’s toy could be used as an illustration of the
cycles of Israel during the period of the Judges?
2. What is the central message of Judges?
3. What is the Main lesson of the book?
Faith in is the only way of and
continued - .
4. How many apostasies are narrated in Judges?
RUTH
The Kinsman Redeemer
The book of Ruth is a light in the darkness of the time of the
Judges. It is a story of tender love and devotion. The tender love
and devotion of a Moabitish woman, Ruth, for her mother-in-law,
Naomi.
It is also a story of God’s reward for the unselfish acts of this
woman Ruth.
The book of Ruth- The author of Ruth was, of course, God; as is
true of all of the rest of the Bible. As to whom the earthly
penman was, we really don’t know. The Talmud says it was
Samuel but we really don’t know for sure.
It concerns certain events during the time of the Judges (1:1)
and many believe that it was written down at a later time. They
base this upon the mention of King David in 4:17, 22; however,
if one believes in the inspiration of the Bible, and we do, then the
mention of a later king causes no problems. God knows who was
to come and, as in several other instances in the Bible, He can
have the writer include them in His book far ahead of the birth of
that person. We really do not know when Ruth was written; but,
we cannot base any guesses on the fact that a then future person
is mentioned in any given book.
Old Testament Survey p. 53
NOTES
Ruth and Naomi went to Bethlehem- This is
the same Bethlehem where our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ was born.
The city of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer of
Ruth and Naomi, was the city of our Kinsman
Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Boaz- He was the son of Rahab, the ex-harlot.
(Mt 1:5)
The casting of Boaz’s outer garment over
Ruth- This was a custom in eastern marriages at
that time. It signified the husband’s protection of
the wife from that time forward. By doing it to
Ruth, Boaz was signifying that he was extending
his personal protection to her from that time
forward.
Ruth is one of only two books that bears the name of a woman;
and the other is Esther. The two books recount stories that
are 180 degrees apart. Ruth concerns a gentile woman that
marries a Hebrew and is listed in the line of David, King of
Israel. Esther, on the other hand, is a Hebrew woman who
marries a gentile husband who is a great king among the gentiles.
The representation of Ruth- What does Ruth represent? By
marrying into the line of David (4:17, 22), Ruth, the gentile,
symbolically brings all gentiles into the line of the Messiah (Mt
1:5) with her.
The central message- The Kinsman Redeemer.
The divisions of Ruth-
The book, a straightforward story of love, can be divided into
four segments concerning love:
LOVE’S
I. Choice. (ch. 1) III. Request. (ch. 3)
II. Response. (ch. 2) IV. Reward. (ch. 4)
The reward of love- The reward received by Ruth for her godly
love for her mother-in-law was the kinsman redeemer.
This kinsman redeemer under the Law in the OT, Boaz, was a
picture of Christ, our Kinsman Redeemer under grace in the NT.
REQUIREMENTS OF THE “KINSMAN REDEEMER”-
Must be willing to redeem - Lev 25:25
Gal 4:4-5
Must have the right to redeem (be a kinsman) - Lev 25:48-49
Heb 2:11
Must have the power to redeem - Ruth 4:4-6; Jn 10:15-18
Jn 10:18
APPLICATION TO CHRISTThe
unnamed kinsman that refused to redeem Ruth (4:6)
represents the Law, which is just and right but shows no love nor
mercy. The Kinsman Redeemer, however, represents Christ, the
expression of God’s love and mercy for all nations.
Gal 3:13-14
Old Testament Survey p. 54
NOTES Gal 4:4-5
Christ is the only one who is willing and has the right and the
power to redeem us. He alone, for both Jews and Gentiles, is the
Kinsman Redeemer typified by Boaz in the book of Ruth!
REVIEW-
1. The book of Ruth is the love story of Ruth for whom?
2. Who does Ruth represent?
3. What is the central message?
4. Who is the kinsman redeemer in the book?
5. The unnamed kinsman represents what?
6. The Kinsman Redeemer represents who?
7. Christ is the Kinsman Redeemer for what 2 groups of
people?
8. What are the three requirements for a Kinsman Redeemer
that were met by Christ?
He was .
He had the .
He had the .
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read I Samuel.
Review the section on Judges and Ruth.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 55
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
2 worthless Judges after Samuel- Samuel’s two
sons, Joel and Abiah, were made Judges over
Israel but were unfaithful and, therefore, unused
as such.
Prophets- There were prophets before Samuel
but he was the first to hold the office of prophet.
Lesson Nine
I SAMUEL
The Transition from Judges to Kings
Introduction: We now come to another transition. In the
book of Judges we saw Israel under the theocracy; i.e., God
was the King. However, we watched as Israel constantly
turned away from their king and turned to false gods.
Compromise and disobedience brought chastisement and
deliverance time after time.
Transition- Now, in I Samuel we see the transition from the
theocracy and the judges to the monarchy under kings. Eli, under
whom Samuel served as a child, was the next to the last judge of
Israel (I Sam 4:18) and Samuel was the last of the judges. (I Sam
7:6) Here in I Samuel we have the accounts of the first two
earthly kings of Israel, Saul and David.
The record- Beginning in I Samuel and continuing on through II
Chronicles we have the record of the rise and fall of the Israelite
monarchy. The book of I Samuel covers the first period of about
115 years starting with the birth of Samuel and continuing on
until the death of Saul.
Authorship- God, of course was the author and Samuel is considered
the earthly writer of chs. 1 - 24 of I Samuel. (More later
on this when we study II Samuel.)
New office- Not only was Samuel used of God to help establish
Israel as a nation with an earthly monarch but through him God
also established the new office of prophet and the school of the
prophets and raised that office to a level equal to that of the
priests and kings. In fact, from this time on God used the
prophets above the other two. They were given the job and
responsibility of fostering and nurturing the spiritual life of all
three segments of the Hebrew people- kings, priests, and
commoners.
Works of God through Samuel- Through Samuel God not only
established the school and the office of the prophets but also
instituted reforms to restore the religious and moral life of Israel.
This was done not through the charisma of the man Samuel,
this would have died with him, but through an educational
system. This system taught the true doctrines of the divine nature
which fostered true worship and a return to godly morality; and
it also raised the mental state of the nation through reading and
writing and produced educated leaders that were able to truly lead
an educated nation. Of these could be numbered King David and
his staff of leaders, his son Solomon the third king of Israel, as
well as, later, such men as Isaiah and others before and after him
who gave us the Scriptures.
Old Testament Survey p. 56
The constitution of the monarchy- God also used Samuel to set NOTES
up a constitutional monarchy. Saul was to have been a king in
obedience to God’s law; but that did not happen until David. The
constitution written by Samuel to govern the kingdom, including
the king, was called the “book” of the “manner of the
kingdom.” (I Sam 10:25) But it would have had no meaning
for Saul who could neither read or write. It was not until David,
raised in the educational system of Samuel, that a king in
subservience to God’s Law came to the throne.
Divisions of the book-
I. Samuel. (chs. 1 - 7)
His life and ministry.
II. Saul. (chs. 8 - 15)
His life and ministry.
III. David. (chs. 16 - 31)
His life and ministry.
Central message- Refusing God’s best and settling for His
second best; which is a huge step down.
FIRST SECTION - SAMUEL
(chs. 1 - 7)
In this section we see the life and ministry of Samuel, the last
of the Judges of Israel.
1. Samuel was the first to use the term, “Lord of hosts.”
This is the first time we see this phrase in the Bible. (I Sam
1:3) This title for God is a term recognizing Him as
the Sovereign of all hosts- the earthly host (the army of Israel);
the celestial host (the sun, moon, and stars); and the heavenly
host (the heavenly beings.) Beginning with its us-age here,
we find the phrase used a total of 235 times in the Bible.
2. Samuel was the last Judge of Israel. (I Sam 7:6)
God raised him up during the darkest days since Israel had
been in the land. The period of the Judges had seen Israel fall
into six major apostasies and resultant servitudes and the Lord
had saved them through the Judges from 5 of them. The 6th
servitude was in full swing and escalating with the Philis-tines
gaining strength against them. It looked as if God’s light to
the world through Israel was about to be snuffed out (ch. 3 esp
3:3) when God raised up Samuel.
3. God allowed Samuel to give in to the people’s demands for
an earthly king. (ch. 8)
a. Israel had been called of God into a special relationship
with himself. He was to be their only king; instead, they
wanted a visible, earthly king like the other nations of the
earth. (:5)
b. By asking for an earthly king they were actually
rejecting God! (8:7; 10:17-19)
Old Testament Survey p. 57
NOTES
Such wrong and catastrophic decisions are
many times marked by “committee meetings”
instead of “prayer meetings.” (8:4)
Evil sons of Eli (I Sam 2:12-36)- From the story
of the destruction of the entire lineage of Eli
because of his sons evil deeds we see that sin is a
scourge to the entire family. Unrestrained evil in
a family brings destruction upon the whole family
in one way or another.
In the New Testament we are informed that Christ is
King of kings. (I Tim 6:15; Rev 17:14; 19:16)
Rev 19:16
c. God told Samuel to give them their earthly king but He
told him to warn them that such a king does not give, but
takes. (I Sam 8:9-22)
d. Part of the reason for Israel wanting an earthly king was a
reasonable concern about the ungodly character of
Samuel’s sons who would have followed him as Judges in
Israel. (8:1-3) Although these fears were reasonable, they
showed a lack of faith in their King, God himself.
e. That Israel would ask for an earthly king was a fulfillment
of God’s earlier prophecy through Moses. (Deut 17:14-20)
4. Samuel died during the reign of Saul. (I Sam 25:1)
The time of his death was after David’s anointing (I Sam
16:13) and during the time that David was fugitive from Saul.
SECOND SECTION - SAUL
(chs. 8 - 15)
In this section we see the life and ministry of Saul, the first of
the kings of Israel.
1. Saul was to be a theocratic king ruling in cooperation with
the priests and prophets. A monarch, true, but one who was
supposed to rule under the Law of God as written in the book of
the “manner of the kingdom,” and other rules and
proclamations as revealed through the mouth of His prophets
from time to time.
This, however, did not come to be until David ascended to the
throne after the death of Saul.
2. Saul was a glorious yet tragic figure. He excelled in many
areas; and yet that only served to enhance the tragedy of his final
end.
3. The three stages of Sauls career.
a. His early promise. (chs. 9 -12)
b. His decline. (chs. 13 - 27)
c. His final and complete failure. (chs. 28 - 31)
4. The lesson of Saul.
a. When we are saved, we have the abilities and promise of
a Saul given to us by God.
Phil 4:13
b. As time goes on we will be subject to the temptation to
decline through “self,” exactly as Saul was. Three
manifestations of “self” exhibited by Saul were (1)
irreverent presumption (ch. 13); (2) rash wilfulness (ch.
14); and (3) disobedience and deceit (ch. 15). And if we
fall into those same traps of self, then our fall will be as
great and tragic as Saul’s was. Ending in self-destruction.
Old Testament Survey p. 58
NOTES
David was also known as the “sweet psalmist of
Israel.”
The lineage of Christ- According to Matthew
ch. 1, David was a forefather of Jesus Christ.
The throne of David- Jesus is heir to the throne
of David. (Lk 1:32)
c. If we fall prey to self as Saul did, then we also will come
to complete failure. He fell into Satan’s trap and turned
aside from God to witchcraft and followed that up by
committing suicide. (chs. 28 & 31) It is just as bad when
we turn aside from God because we too will eventually
commit spiritual suicide.
THIRD SECTION - DAVID
(chs. 16 - 31)
In this section we see the early life and ministry of David, who
became the greatest king of Israel.
1. He was anointed king by Samuel. (16:1-13)
a. Contrary to Saul and David’s brother, Eli, David was not
tall (16:6-7). In fact, David was a young, ruddy, cute-faced
boy. (:11-12)
b. The lesson for us from this is found in I Cor 1:26-29.
I Cor 1:27
I Cor 1:29
2. Ascendence to prominence. (I Sam 16:14 -17)
In chapter 17 we find the story of David and Goliath.
3. David was promoted by Saul, married to his daughter,
and then condemned to death by Saul. (ch. 18-19)
We also find in chapter 18 the beginning of the great
friendship between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son, whom
God used to save David’s life.
4. David in exile. (19:18 - ch. 30)
5. The suicide of Saul, David’s king and enemy. (ch. 31)
Included here is not only the death of Saul but also the
death of Saul’s sons, including Jonathan whom David loved.
6. The lesson for us in the story of David is that we should do
good to our enemies, as David did to Saul; respect God’s
anointed, as David did Saul; and let God control the course of
things, including taking care of us and taking out our enemies.
Never forget, God is in control. If David had continued
with Saul as one of his highest leaders, he would doubtless
have died with Saul in Gilboa as did Saul’s sons and much of
the army of Israel. Instead, God had placed David in a place
of safety. It had many times seemed that the place of safety
was instead a place of great peril; and yet God preserved
David through the perils and through them guided David away
from sure destruction at the side of Saul.
Ro 12:19
Ro 8:28
Old Testament Survey p. 59
NOTES
REVIEW-
1. Who are the three main characters of I Samuel that give
us the three main divisions of the book- in order of their
appearance?
2. What is the Transition that begins in this book?
Transition from the to the ?
3. Beginning here in I Samuel and continuing on through II
Chronicles we have the record of the rise and fall of what?
4. What new office is instituted in I Samuel?
5. The constitution of the monarchy, written by Samuel (I
Sam 10:25) is called the book of the what?
6. What is the central message of I Samuel?
7. Who was the last Judge of Israel?
8. Who was the first king of Israel?
9. God had Samuel anoint David as the next king over Israel
but what man set him up in a place of prominence in the
kingdom?
10. In the story of David, do we learn that we should do good
or evil to our enemies?
11. In David’s story did, we learn that we should or should
not ever touch God’s anointed?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read II Samuel.
Review the section on I Samuel.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 60
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Ten
II SAMUEL
The Forty Year Reign of David
Introduction: We now come to the reign of the greatest king of
Israel, David. David reigned forty years, from age thirty (II Sam
5:4) until age seventy; and was called a man after God’s own
heart. (I Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22)
Authorship- As we said, God is the author; but, the earthly writer
of II Samuel is tied in with I Samuel. We are not positive who
wrote these two books; but one of the older views is that Samuel
wrote chs. 1 - 24 of I Samuel and that two of the prophets during
the time of David wrote the remainder of I & II Samuel. These
two prophets named as co-writers were Nathan and Gad. This
theory is based upon II Chr 29:29.
Central story- The forty year reign of David.
Division of the book-
The book of II Samuel can be divided into two equal halves:
I. The Triumphs of David. (chs. 1-12)
II. The Troubles of David. (chs. 13-24)
The transition from triumph to troubles- In ch. 11 we find the
thing that transformed David’s reign from one of triumph to one
of troubles. That act was SIN! This is the central spiritual
message of II Samuel- sin will change a life of triumph to one of
troubles.
FIRST SECTION
THE TRIUMPHS OF DAVID
(chs. 1 - 12)
1. David reigned first over Judah in Hebron. (chs. 1-4)
Hebron was the ancient city of Abraham and the capitol of
Judah.
a. One of the most touching passages of scripture is the lamentation
made by David over Saul and Jonathan. (ch. 1)
b. Our lesson in 1:13-16 is that no one is to touch God’s anointed,
not even another anointed of God. David could
have taken Saul’s life several times but would not. When
the Amalekite testified that he had slain God’s anointed,
Saul, then David pronounced God’s judgment, “... fall
upon him... smote him that he died... thy blood be upon
thy head...” (1:15-16)
c. David only went as far as God would allow; no more no
less. He did not try to advance by force of arms but by the
word and power of the Lord. (ch. 2:1-3)
d. There followed a long war between David and the heirs of
the house of Saul. (ch. 2-4)
Old Testament Survey p. 61
NOTES
The blind and the lame- (I Sam 5:6-8) was
speaking of the gods of the Jubusites that were
“hated of David’s soul.”
2. Israel eventually asked David to rule over them also.
(chs. 5-12)
They named 3 ways in which he had the right of kingship.
These 3 things not only showed his right to rule but it also
showed the reasons why they should submit and why he
should deal kindly with them. (5:1-2)
a. His kinship with them.
b. His proven merit as a leader.
c. His direct appointment by God as shepherd and captain.
Act as a shepherd, “feed my people” (:2) was applying to
David what later turned into a technical term for rulers of the
people- a pastor. (Jer 3:15) In Ezekiel a curse was directed at
those pastors (rulers) who cared not for the flock but rather
ravaged them. (Ezekiel ch. 34) Applied to David it reminded
him of his divine appointment and duty to treat them kindly
and to protect and care for them.
3. David was the first to make Jerusalem his capital.
At that time the city was name Jebus. (I Chr 11:4) From
this time on it was to be called “the city of David.” Thus
Jerusalem became the center of political power in united
Israel. Later, also under David, it would also become the
center of Jehovah worship for the nation.
4. David conceived the Temple. (II Sam 7:1-3)
5. The Davidic covenant. (7:11-16)
a. God made a covenant with David with three important
truths.
(1) Divine confirmation of the throne in Israel.
In Saul, God had yielded to the request of the people.
In David, God gave His divine sanction.
(2) Divine confirmation of the perpetuity of the Davidic
dynasty.
(3) Fulfillment in Christ, of the seed of David.
The three-fold repetition that the line and kingdom of
David would last forever can only have its fulfillment in
Christ. (Ps 45:6; 89:3-4; 132:11; Is 9:6-7; Heb 1:8)
Is 9:7
Heb 1:8
b. The Davidic covenant, like the Abrahamic covenant before
it, was an unconditional covenant.
A promise of punishment of the immediate seed, Solomon
and following generations, is in verse :14-15; but, in
verse :16 is the promise of the eventual seed, Christ.
Old Testament Survey p. 62
c. The Davidic covenant was the fourth step in the develop- NOTES
ment of the prophecy of the Messiah to come.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY
I. The promise to THE RACE in Adam through the seed of the
woman. (Gen 3:15)
II. Through ONE NATION of the race, Israel, through the seed
of Abraham. (Gen 22:18)
III. Through ONE TRIBE of that nation, Judah, through Jacob.
(Gen 49:10)
IV. Through ONE FAMILY, the family of David.
(II Sam 7:11-16)
FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY
V. Fulfillment in ONE PERSON, Christ. (Is 9:6-7; Gal 3:16)
6. David the conquering warrior. (chs. 8-10)
In these chapters we see David at the height of his reign.
7. David the vanquished sinner that was forgiven.
(chs. 11-12)
a. In ch. 11 we see the determining factor in the life of David
that turned his life from triumph to troubles- SIN!
David’s sin was three-fold: adultery with Bathsheba,
attempted deception and manipulation to cover his sin, and
the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband.
b. From chs. 11 & 12 we can learn several important lessons.
(1) Sin can turn a life from triumph to troubles.
You will suffer the consequences of your actions.
Gal 6:7
In II Sam 12:9 David’s sin was found out and the
consequences pronounced. He stole a man’s wife by the
sword and God’s judgment was, therefore, that the
sword would never depart from David’s house. And
12:9 tells us that God’s judgment would come from evil
done from within David’s own house (family.)
(2) Sin is seldom singular. Attempting to cover it up is
another sin and that usually leads to even worse sins.
One sin leads to another, which then leads to another,
and then to another, etc.; and in the end it will all be
found out.
Num 32:23b
... and be sure your sin .
(3) Even a man after God’s own heart is susceptible to sin
in a moment of weakness.
(4) Those who have not fallen can learn caution from this
story.
(5) Those who have fallen can learn there is hope of restoration
from this story.
Old Testament Survey p. 63
8. Catastrophic sin’s progression, results, and remedy. NOTES
From the story of David we can easily see that catastrophic
sin is not so much an isolated incident as it is a process from
which there is only one escape.
THE PROCESS OF CATASTROPHIC SIN
I. Letting down your guard.
David’s sin was during his time of ease and prosperity.
II. Succumbing to the general attitude of feeding the flesh.
David had accumulated many wives (II Sam 5:13) which
was forbidden to the kings of Israel. (Deut 17:17)
III. Letting down of your standards.
David knew that he should have been out to battle with his
soldiers; instead, he stayed home which was a letting down of
the standards of the kings. (II Sam 11:1)
IV. Not turning away from temptation but following after it.
David should have immediately turned away and went
to the Lord in prayer about this temptation that he fully
knew he was susceptible to. But, instead of turning away
from it, he sought after it and that was the turning point
when his life turned from triumph to tragedy. (ch. 11)
Ro 13:14
V. Trying to cover it up.
David immediately tried to cover up his sin with Bathsheba
with deception and manipulation; i.e., more sins.
VI. Succumbing to the downward spiral of sinning.
In the process of covering up the first sin, David
concocted sinful schemes and manipulations that spiraled
downward to the eventual commission of an even worse
sin, murder, into which he drew many others such as Joab
and the soldiers at the battle where Uriah died.
VII. The results of sin.
This downward spiral not only was catastrophic for David
but it also drew in the innocent who suffered because of his
sin. Uriah was murdered, some of the soldiers with Uriah also
died in the plot, and the son conceived in David’s sin with
Bathsheba died. Eventually other of David’s sons and soldiers
died also. Truly the wages of sin is death.
VIII. The remedy for sin.
Once sin is committed, the only way to prevent it
becoming catastrophic is to confess it, repent of it, and
make restitution if possible.
I Jn 1:9
Old Testament Survey p. 64
NOTES
A mother’s love- One of the most tender stories
of a mother’s love is found in II Sam 21:1-14.
SECOND SECTION
THE TROUBLES OF DAVID
(II Samuel chs. 13 - 24)
In fulfillment of God’s judgment, many years of suffering
came upon David from within his own family.
1. The sins of David were reflected in his sons. (ch. 13)
David’s sin began with sexual sin and escalated to murder;
and in ch. 13 his own son Amnon commits sexual sins (incest
and rape of his sister) and is subsequently murdered by his
own brother, another one of David’s sons named Absalom,
who accomplished the murder through deception and
manipulation exactly as his father had done before him. Thus
all three elements of David’s sin, sex, deception and manipulation,
and murder, were the elements of this story of
Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom, David’s children. This echo of
David’s sin by his own sons could not have been seen as just
coincidence by a man of David’s intelligence.
2. The sword of evil from within David’s own house.
(chs. 15-18)
These chapters concern the rebellion of David’s son,
Absalom, who makes an unsuccessful bid for David’s throne.
He is killed and David mourns for his son. (18:9-33)
3. David returns to Jerusalem. (ch. 19)
4. The remaining days of David. (chs. 20-24)
a. Rebellion under Sheba. (ch. 20)
b. Famine and the deception by the Gibeonites. Also further
war with the Philistines in which the four giant brothers
from Gath were slain. (ch. 21)
c. The remaining portions of the book are filled with David’s
psalm (ch. 22) his testament and the role of his mighty men
(ch. 23) and his numbering of Israel that brought a plague
upon the land. (ch. 24)
5. The purchase of the threshingfloor of Araunah.
This piece of land was where Abraham offered Isaac 400
years earlier and it would eventually become the site of
Solomon’s Temple.
REVIEW-
1. What is the central story of II Samuel?
2. What brings about the transition from triumph to troubles
for David in II Samuel ch. 11 and for us today? (This is
the central spiritual message of II Samuel.)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read I & II Kings.
Review the section on II Samuel.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 65
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Eleven
I & II KINGS
From Kingdom to Captivity
Introduction: I & II Kings were originally one book and tells
a story spanning more than 400 years. The story begins with the
Solomon’s ascension to the throne and moves from there to the
divided kingdom and ends with the destruction of Jerusalem and
the carrying away of Judah into Babylon.
Authorship- God is the author, of course, and Jewish tradition
(The Talmud, Baba Bathra, f. 15. 1) holds that the earthly writer
was Jeremiah and there is no reason to believe that is not true.
Purpose- The purpose of I & II Kings is to give a history of the
kings of the nation in relation to God, not in relation to their
subjects or other nations.
I KINGS
Division of the Kingdom
Central message- Disobedience brought division.
Solomon disobeyed God and, because of that, God promised
that after Solomon the kingdom would be rent in two. (11:11)
The divisions of I Kings-
I. Solomon’s Glorious Reign. (chs. 1-11)
II. The Divided Kingdom. (chs. 12-22)
Part One covers the 40 years of Solomon’s reign and Part
Two covers the first 80 years of the divided kingdom.
Type of Christ-
David typifies Christ during His Millennial Reign over
regathered Israel.
Solomon typifies Christ reigning in the Eternal Kingdom after
the Millennium.
FIRST SECTION
SOLOMON’S GLORIOUS REIGN
(I Kings chs. 1-11)
1. Solomon ascends to the throne. (ch. 1)
2. David gives Solomon the charge and then dies. (2:1-11)
3. Solomon disposes of aspirants to his throne. (2:12-46)
4. Solomon’s wisdom and wealth. (chs 3 & 4)
a. We can partake of the wisdom of Solomon.
(cf 3:5 & Mt 7:7 & Jas 1:5)
Mt 7:7
Old Testament Survey p. 66
NOTES
b. The source of his wisdom is available to us today.
(cf I Ki 3:9-10 & Jas 1:5)
Jas 1:5
5. Solomon’s building activity. (I Ki chs. 5 - 9)
The most famous projects of Solomon were the first
Temple at Jerusalem and his own palace.
a. For those in Christ, the Temple of God is available here on
earth today.
I Cor 3:16
b. God’s warning to Solomon is also given to us today
concerning the Temple. (cf 9:3-9 & I Cor 3:17)
I Cor 3:17
6. The Golden Age of Solomon. (ch. 10)
7. Solomon’s decline and death. (ch. 11)
Solomon’s decline was due to unfaithfulness to God in
going after strange gods.
a. The channel, his wives- many strange women. (11:1-3)
(1) Polygamy was forbidden, especially for rulers, and it is
the same today. (cf I Ki 11:2; Deut 17:17 & I Tim 3:2)
I Tim 3:2 “A bishop then must be blameless,
the .”
(2) Marrying outside of the People of God was forbidden
by God for Solomon and it is forbidden for us today.
(cf Deut 7:3 & II Cor 6:14-18)
II Cor 6:14a “Be ye not unequally yoked together
with ...”
b. God’s warning to Solomon and to us.
The result of polygamy with strange wives was turning
from the true God to false gods. (I Ki 11:4-8)
c. The result- God’s anger and curse. (11:9-11)
SECOND SECTION
THE DIVIDED KINGDOM
(I Kings chs. 12-22)
This second segment covers the first 80 years of the divided
Kingdom into the kingdom of Israel in the north, with 10 tribes,
and the kingdom of Judah in the south, with 2 tribes.
1. Idolatry in the northern kingdom of Israel.
Immediately, king Jeroboam built two golden calves for
worship, one in Bethel and one in Dan (12:28-31) and made
priests out of those who were not of the tribe of Levi.
God’s judgment was that Israel would be dispersed among
the nations. (14:15-16) (This came to pass in II Ki 17:6)
Old Testament Survey p. 67
NOTES
Elisha- The ministry of Elisha, who followed
Elijah as prophet after his whirlwind ascent to
heaven in a flaming chariot (II Ki 2:1 & 11) is
found in the first section of II Kings. Since this
section concerned Israel, then we can remember
that Elisha was prophet to Israel.
2. Evil kings in Judah and Israel.
After the division of the Kingdom, of the first 13 kings, 8 in
Israel and 5 in Judah, all were evil except Asa and Jehoshaphat,
two kings of Judah.
2. The beginning of the ministry of Elijah. (I Ki chs. 17-22)
a. This prophet was a man of startling physical presence and
character. Exhibiting God-inspired courage, faith, and zeal,
he single-handedly and in the power of God, challenged the
northern kingdom. From the king to the priest, all trembled at
his exhibition of the power of God in voice and miracles.
b. He came suddenly like a wind out of Gilead with the
thunder of God’s Word that stopped the thunder and rain of
earth for three years. His ensuing life was a cyclone of God’s
wonders and proclamations and he was supported and
preserved by the miracles of God during his earthly ministry
until he finally mounted to heaven in a chariot of fire in a
tornado when his ministry was completed!
c. His death is not recorded because he did not die; instead,
he was taken by God directly to heaven in a chariot of fire.
He will once again return from heaven to minister here on
earth for a brief period.
d. John the Baptist was a temporary fulfillment of the prophecy
of Mal 4:5-7 as spoken by Jesus in Mt 17:12; but, the
true Elijah shall personally return according to Mal 4:5-7 and
Mat 17:11. Many believe that he will be one of the two
witnesses of Rev ch. 11. Part of the reason is because of the
similarities in the miracles mentioned concerning drought.
e. In ch. 19 we see the calling of Elisha who would be
prophet in Elijah’s stead after his death.
II KINGS
The Dispersion
In I Samuel we saw the beginnings of the Kingdom of Israel
with the transition from theocracy to a monarchy. Then in II
Samuel we saw the rise and reign of David, the greatest king of
Israel. I Kings told of the glorious reign of Solomon and the
story of how he caused the division of the kingdom and now II
Kings will tell us the story of the dispersion of the people.
Central message- Wilful sin brings a woeful end.
Central theme- The sin, the fall, and the sending away into
captivity of both Israel and Judah.
Divisions of the book-
I. Stories of Israel, the Northern Kingdom. (chs. 1-10)
II. Stories of both Kingdoms. (chs. 11-17)
III. Stories of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. (chs. 18-25)
The two kingdoms compared- We need to fix it clear in our
minds that the Northern Kingdom, Israel, was composed of 10 of
Old Testament Survey p. 68
the tribes; and Judah, the Southern Kingdom, was composed of NOTES
only two of the tribes, Judah and Benjamin. The northern capital
was Samaria and the southern capital was Jerusalem.
1. The Kingdom of Israel.
Israel had 19 kings, all of them declared to be evil except
Shallum (who only reigned 1 month II Ki 15:10-15), and the
kingdom lasted some 250 years under seven different
dynasties. Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians in
721 B.C. and remain dispersed among the nations to this day.
2. The Kingdom of Judah.
Judah had 20 kings and lasted around 400 years. All of the
kings were of the dynasty of David. Judah was consigned by
God into the Babylonian Captivity in 587 B.C.
3. Three kings of note.
a. King Hezekiah stands as the brightest shining light since
king David. In the long list of evil kings of Judah in the
book of II Kings, he stands out as a king that turned Judah
back to God,. Also, because of him, the Word of the Lord
up to that time was rescued from abandoned obscurity and
preserved for all of mankind- including us today.
b. King Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, undid all of the good
of his father in the land and caused the people to sin more
than the heathen that God had driven out before them.
However, after he was taken captive to Babylon by the
king of Assyria (who alone of all the Assyrian kings kept
his palace there), Manasseh repented and was forgiven by
God and restored to his kingship. (II Chr ch. 33) After
that, Manasseh followed in the footsteps of his father and
followed the Lord and restored as much as he could of the
godly things done by his father in Judah.
NOTE: Is this not the greatest encouragement for the worst
of sinners. No matter how great your sin, God delights in
showing mercy and restoration to the repentant sinner. Not
only did Manasseh lead Judah into much sin but he even
shed the blood of God’s prophet, Isaiah.(15)
What an encouragement for us today!
Ro 5:20b “... where sin abounded,
“
I Jn 1:9
c. King Josiah led the last gasp of revival in Judah before the
carrying away into captivity in Babylon.
Among his deeds were the repair of the Temple and the
restoral of the Pentateuch to the people after it had been
lost. Also he renewed Jehovah’s covenant with the people
and repaired the tears in the moral fabric of the nation and
led them in the greatest Passover since “the days of the
Judges.”
Old Testament Survey p. 69
Alas, the revival was short lived; but it was proof of NOTES
God’s mercy and love that he gave the people this last and
absolutely undeserved chance to avoid His righteous
judgment.
4. The line of David preserved for Jesus Christ.
All through the books from I Samuel to II Kings we see
one overriding fact- God’s faithfulness in preserving David’s
line in spite of sin, apostasy, murder, intrigue, division, war,
and a plethora of man’s other devises and failures.
The reason He did so is because God made a covenant with
David; and God will keep His promises. And the final heir,
the king that will set on David’s throne and establish it forever
as God promised, will be the eternal king Jesus Christ. (Lk
1:31-32)
Lk 1:32b “... and the Lord God shall give unto him
”
REVIEW-
1. What is the purpose of I & II Kings?
2. I Kings gives the story of the of the
Kingdom.
3. II Kings gives the story of the of the two
Kingdoms.
4. Name the northern Kingdom.
5. Name the southern Kingdom.
6. Who was the main prophet in I Kings?
7. What was the name of his successor?
8. David and Solomon were types of who?
9. What is the central message of I Kings?
10. What is the central message of II Kings?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read I & II Chronicles.
Review the section on I & II Kings.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 70
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Twelve
I & II CHRONICLES
The House of the Lord
Introduction: I & II Chronicles were originally one book.
They retell, from a different viewpoint, the story of I & II
Samuel and I & II Kings.
They begin with a genealogy of the nation from Adam to the
Babylonian captivity. The line leading to the nation of Judah is
the focus of their story as is the Davidic line since that is the line
connected with Jerusalem and the Temple.
Authorship- God is the author of the Chronicles and Ezra is
believed to have been the earthly writer through whom they were
delivered to mankind. The closing verses of the book of II
Chronicles are repeated in the opening verses of the book of Ezra.
In fact, II Chronicles breaks off right in the middle of Cyrus’s
decree and is finished in the beginning verses of Ezra. This
continuity makes it hard to refute that Ezra was the writer..
Emphasis- The overriding emphasis of I & II Chronicles is the
Temple and matters relating to it.
Purpose- Why were the Chronicles written? To restore hope
and proper order among the Jews returning from the
Babylonian Exile. King David is gone, the Temple is burned,
therefore, the moorings of the people were severed. Both secular
and spiritual. In order to restore them, Ezra emphasized, first of
all, the past which had led them to the dispersion because of their
own apostasy. Then he emphasized that the Davidic line was still
with them which gave them hope of the Messiah to come and the
Eternal Kingdom that would one day be centered at Jerusalem.
Then, thirdly, he emphasized the undeniable presence of God
with them- Cyrus, who fulfilled a 200 year old prophecy, and his
order for the rebuilding of the Temple. The Temple is to be
rebuilt first. Not the Davidic throne, not the city, not any secular
symbol, but the symbol of the Divine presence, the Temple. This
was the one thing that could reassure the Jews and also show the
world that He had singled out the Children of Israel to dwell with
them and had given them special promises that He will fulfill.
To show this, the Temple must be rebuilt; and it must be first in
the thoughts and minds of the people. Thus Chronicles was to
remind them of the glory of it and the loss of it because of the
apostasy of the people! The story will serve as both an
encouragement and a warning.
Relationship- Chronicles is indivisibly united to the books of
Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
1. Chronicles - Retrospection 3. Nehemiah - Reconstruction
2. Ezra - Restoration 4. Esther - Preservation
Old Testament Survey p. 71
I CHRONICLES NOTES
David and the Temple
Divisions of the book-
I. Genealogies. (chs. 1-9)
II. The Reign of David. (chs 10-29)
FIRST SECTION
GENEALOGIES OF ISRAEL
(I Chronicles chs. 1-9)
1. Adam to Jacob. (ch. 1)
The focus is the line of Jacob (Israel) but also includes
the line of Esau.
This section gives the place of Israel in world history.
Lines other than that of the chosen people are given but brief
mention. The divine choice of a certain people is in sight
here.
2. Jacob to David. (ch. 2)
Including the line of Caleb.
This section gives the chosen line of Jacob (Israel) down to
the greatest king of Israel, David.
3. David to Zedekiah. (ch. 3)
Includes the post-exile to show that the chosen line of
David still existed and was unbroken.
4. Tribal genealogies. (chs. 4-8)
This is a review of the genealogies of the tribes and their
allotments in the land.
5. Post-exile resettlement. (ch. 9)
SECOND SECTION
DAVID’S REIGN
(I Chronicles chs. 10-29)
1. The Anointed of the Lord. (chs. 10-12)
Recorded here is the death of Saul whom the Lord slew
because of his transgression of not keeping the word of the
Lord. The one transgression that is mentioned is Saul’s seeking
counsel of a witch instead of God. (I Chr 10:13-14)
It is to be remembered that Saul was king because of
human choice; whereas David was king because of divine
choice. The people had asked for a king and God told Samuel
to accede to their request. When their choice, Saul, turned out
bad, then God sent Samuel to anoint David as king. (I Sam
8:9; 16:3 & 16:13) This shows that God’s choice is always
the best; and the proof is David, the greatest of the kings of
Israel.
2. The Ark of the Lord. (chs. 13-16)
Here is recorded the divine presence of Jehovah realized
when David brought the Ark to Jerusalem. This symbolized
Old Testament Survey p. 72
NOTES
The death of David is recorded in I Chronicles
29:26-30.
the divine presence with the people and with the Davidic line.
Chapters 15-16 of I Chronicles greatly amplify the parallel
account in II Sam 6:12-20 of the ensconsement of the Ark in
Jerusalem; and ch. 16 of I Sam tells of David’s organization
of a regular Levitical ministry at Jerusalem.
3. The Covenant of the Lord. (I Chr chs. 17-21)
God chose one nation, Israel, and out of that nation He
chose one tribe, Judah; and then out of that one tribe He chose
one family, the family of David. Now with that one family He
will make a wonderful covenant. (17:7-15)
Because of his zeal for a house for God, David received a
promise from Him about his own house:
I Chr 17:10 ... I tell thee that
And the eventual seed, Jesus Christ, the only seed of David
that can have an eternal kingdom, can be found in:
Lk 1:32
Lk 1:33
4. The Temple of the Lord. (chs. 22-29)
In these chapters is seen the extensive preparations that
David made for the House of the Lord. These were comprehensive
and included not only materials for the building but
also preparations for the service of the house- Levites, Priests,
singers and porters.
Lesson: Oh that we would be as zealous for the House of God
in both its physical establishment and its service.
Ps 69:9; Jn 2:17 ... the of thine hath eaten
me up.
Gal 4:18 But [it is] good to be affected
in a .
II CHRONICLES
Solomon and the Temple
and the Division of the Kingdom
Divisions of the book-
I. Solomon and the Temple. (chs. 1-9)
II. The Kingdom of Judah. (chs. 10-36)
FIRST SECTION
SOLOMON AND THE TEMPLE
(II Chronicles chs. 1-9)
1. Solomon. (ch. 1)
2. Solomon and the Temple. (chs. 2-7)
In this section we see the construction of the Temple by
Solomon according to the pattern given to him by his father
David. (cf I Chr 28:11-13)
3. Solomon’s Kingdom. (chs. 8-9)
Old Testament Survey p. 73
SECOND SECTION NOTES
THE KINGDOM OF JUDAH
AND THE EXILE TO BABYLON
(I Chronicles chs. 10-36)
1. Division of the Kingdom into Judah and Israel. (ch. 10)
2. Twenty kings of Judah. (11:1-36:13)
3. Exile to Babylon. (36:14-21)
4. Connection with the book of Ezra. (36:22-23)
Summary of I & II Chronicles-
I Chronicles tells the story of the people of God, Israel, and
the anointed of God, David.
II Chronicles tells the story of the Temple of God and the
king that built it, Solomon, and the division of the kingdom
ending with the kingdom of Judah being taken into the
Babylonian captivity.
I Chronicles tells of the idea and preparation for building the
Temple, the House of the Lord.
In II Chronicles we see the construction of the House of the
Lord.
In I Chronicles we see the Kingdom established.
In II Chronicles we see the Kingdom divided.
Supreme message of I & II Chronicles-
Obedience brings blessings and disobedience brings disaster.
Gal 6:7
REVIEW-
1. What is the purpose of I & II Chronicles?
2. The Chronicles are indivisibly united to what 3 other
books of the Old Testament?
3. What was the emphasis of I & II Chronicles?
4. What is the supreme message of I & II Chronicles?
5. What New Testament scripture makes that point?
6. What does that New Testament scripture say?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Ezra & Nehemiah.
Review the section on I & II Chronicles.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 74
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Thirteen
EZRA & NEHEMIAH
Restoration and Reconstruction
Introduction: We now come to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
These two books, which were originally one book, along
with Esther which follows them, record God’s dealings with The
People after their being sent into captivity in Babylon. Ezra and
Nehemiah deal with those who returned to Jerusalem and Judea;
and Esther deals with those who chose to remain in the land of
the captivity.
These two books deal with the remnant that returned to the
land. According to the numbers given in the scriptures, the total
that returned to the land was a small percentage of The People
who were in exile. This is to the shame of those who remained.
God had prophesied that He would raise up a king that would
decree that the people could return to the land that God had given
to them. However, they had not fared so bad in their captivity so
the bulk decided to not return to their homeland.
Historical background- After 70 years in captivity, God has
given opportunity for The People to return to their homeland with
the help of 3 Persian kings, Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes.
Under the leadership of 5 godly Jews, Zerubbabel, Joshua,
Haggai, Zechariah, and Ezra, the Second Temple is built and
proper worship restored in Jerusalem.
Although the book of Ezra spans some eighty years of history,
nothing, or almost nothing except one verse, is said about three
other Persian kings, Cambyses, Smerdis, and Xerexes, covering
a 58 year period under those kings when they tried and failed
twice to conquer Greece. During that 58 year period is when the
events of the book of Esther take place concerning the Jews who
had not chosen to return to the Promised Land.
As Ezra opens, Cyrus the Persian had just accomplished the
overthrow of the Neo-Babylonian empire in 539 B.C. and Darius
the Mede was appointed by him to rule those territories. In addition,
Daniel has been exalted to a place of honor by Darius (Dan
5:30-6:3); and, Cyrus issues the order for the restoration of the
Jews to the Promised Land to rebuild the House of God.
EZRA
Restoration
Divisions of the book-
I. Return under Zerubbabel. (chs. 1-6)
II. Return under Ezra. (chs. 7-10)
Old Testament Survey p. 75
NOTES
The Great Assembly- Under Ezra, a council was
established. One of the accomplishments of this
Great Council was the establishment of the canon
of the Old Testament and the institution of the
feast of Purim. This Great Council was the
supreme Jewish religious and legislative authority
that lasted for two centuries.
FIRST SECTION
RETURN UNDER ZERUBBABEL
(Ezra chs. 1-6)
1. The King, Cyrus. (ch. 1)
God had prophesied through Jeremiah that The People
would be in captivity in Babylon for 70 years and then be
returned to the land. (cf Ezra 1:1 & Jer 25:11-12; 29:10-11)
Then, some 200 years before the time of Ezra, God
prophesied through Isaiah that king Cyrus would conquer
nations and let The People return to the land and rebuild the
Temple. Now in the book of Ezra, the children of Israel see
the fulfillment of that prophesy. (cf Ezra 1:1-2 & Is 44:28;
45:1, 13)
2. The remnant.
According to the numbers given in chapter 2 there were
approximately 50,000 that returned under Zerubbabel.
3. The man, Zerubbabel.
A. Zerubbabel is known by 3 names in the book of Ezra:
1) Zerubbabel- meaning “descended of Babylon.”
2) Sheshbazzar (his Babylonian and Aramaic name)-
meaning “worshiper of fire.”
3) The Tirshatha- meaning “governor.”
B. He was a direct descendant of David and Matthew traces
the lineage all the way to Jesus Christ. (Mt 1:12)
4. Stagnation because of opposition.
In Ezra 4:23 we see a cessation of work on the Temple that
lasted for 14 years. Then in 5:1 we see the work re-sumed.
Spiritual teaching for us today about opposition:
In the New Testament we see God’s promise to us about
opposition.
Mt 16:18 ... upon this rock I will build my church, and
And also in Matthew ch. 28.
Mt 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, is given unto me in heaven and in
earth. Go ye therefore, and all nations,
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: all things
whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo,
, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen.
As long as we are carrying out the commandments of God
we have His unlimited power (“all power”) to overcome all
opposition and the “the gates of hell” shall not prevail against
our attacks against it in His name.
5. The Prophets.
In Ezra 5:1-6:14 we find the two prophets Haggai and
Zechariah. These men came preaching with such power that
the work on the Temple was resumed.
See the books of Haggai and Zechariah for this strong
preaching.
Old Testament Survey p. 76
6. The Temple. NOTES
The main purpose for the return of The People to the land
was the building of the Temple (Ezra 1:1-2) which job was
carried out by the remnant. (6:15)
7. The interlude.
From the end of ch. 6 until the beginning of ch. 7 there was
a gap of 60 years. During this time Zerubbabel dies and at the
beginning of ch. 7 Ezra comes to Jerusalem. During this 60
year period is when the book of Esther takes place.
SECOND SECTION
RETURN UNDER EZRA
(Ezra chs. 7-10)
1. The leader, Ezra. (ch. 7)
2. The journey to Jerusalem. (ch. 8)
Approximately 1,500 priests and heads of houses went with
Ezra to Jerusalem from Babylon plus an unknown number of
wives and children.
3. The great reformation. (chs. 9-10)
The most drastic measure of this reformation of the Nation
was the putting away of the heathen wives that various Jews
had married. This included the children born of those forbidden
marriages. (10:3)
Lesson for us today: Under the Law the Jew had to put away
their wives that were not of The People. Apparently provision
was made for their support and later we find that not
all put away their foreign wives.
For us today, we are not under Law but under grace and
God warns us not to take unsaved women to be our wives
in the first place. This also applies to women taking unsaved
husbands. The main principle being taught in this
portion of Ezra is separation of God’s people from the
world.
II Cor 6:17
However, if a Christian does have an unsaved mate then
they are not allowed to put them away as the Jew did under
the Law. (I Cor 7:12-13)
NEHEMIAH
Reconstructing & Reinstructing
Divisions of the book-
I. Reconstructing of the walls. (chs. 1-6)
II. Reinstructing of The People. (chs. 7-13)
1. Reconstructing of the walls. (Nehemiah chs. 1-6)
In the first part, Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem, returns to
Babylon on business, then returns to Jerusalem after 12-13 years.
Old Testament Survey p. 77
His return is disheartening because the walls were still unfin- NOTES
ished and the people had deteriorated and were in “much
reproach.”
The first order of business is the reconstructing of the walls
which was carried out in spite of resistance from within and
without. From without, resistance took the forms of scorn, force,
and craftiness; and from within it took the forms of physical
debris, fear, and greed.
Spiritual lesson of the first half of the book of Nehemiah-
Working & living for God brings resistance and
opposition.
I Cor 16:9
II Tim 3:12
2. Reinstructing of The People. (chs. 7-13)
a. The People had wandered in their treatment of one another
and their relationship with God. In these last chapters of
Nehemiah we find the people receiving instruction to bring
about religious and civil reform.
The reading and explanation of the Law is requested by
the people and carried out in Nehemiah ch. 8.
b. In this segment there are also lists of inhabitants of the
land and in 12:27-47 is the account of the dedication of the
walls and the organization of the Temple services.
c. Some final reforms brought about by Nehemiah finish off
the book in ch. 13.
Spiritual message of the book of Nehemiah- Work for God
and the Word of God go together.
Physical work is not enough; we also must have the Word of
God. People that truly work for God will seek for understanding
of the Word of God. The world will see the results of our
physical labour as we work to build something for God; but,
understanding the Word of God brings joy to us in our labours.
Practical lesson from Nehemiah- Planning and organization
are necessary to effectively carry out the work of God.
SUMMARY- In the book of Ezra, Zerubbabel and Ezra had led
in the restoration of The People to the land and the restoration of
the Temple. However, the walls had not been finished and proper
service in the Temple had not yet been restored.
In the book of Nehemiah the walls were rebuilt and so was
the civil and religious fiber of the people. Under Nehemiah’s reforms
much was accomplished through his organizational skills
used under God’s guidance.
Old Testament Survey p. 78
NOTES
REVIEW-
1. What two prophets are mentioned as contemporary with
Ezra?
2. Ezra/Nehemiah concern The People before, during or
after the Babylonian Captivity?
3. What prophet prophesied that Cyrus would authorize the
rebuilding of the Temple 200 years before Cyrus was even
born?
4. Ezra is primarily the book of the what?
5. Nehemiah is primarily the book of what?
6. What was Nehemiah’s purpose for going to Jerusalem?
7. The lesson of the putting away of foreign wives in Ezra
chapter 10 is primarily a lesson in what?
8. Are Christians who are under Grace supposed to put
away mates who were not of God’s People as the Jew did
under the Law, or are they to allow their unsaved mates to
remain with them in the marriage?
9. The spiritual lesson from the Nehemiah is that:
and for God brings
and .
10. What is the spiritual message of the book of Nehemiah?
11. What is the practical lesson from the book of Nehemiah?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Esther at least once.
Review the section on Ezra/Nehemiah.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 79
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Purim (The Feast of Lots)- The word is taken
from the Akkadian word “pur,” meaning dice,
and refers to the “lots” that Haman cast to decide
the date for the massacre of the Jewish people.
Although it is based upon the feast declared by
Mordecai (9:20) it did not become an official fast
until the 2 century B.C. or nd later when it was
sanctioned by the Rabbis. The day before Purim
is called the Fast of Esther, commemorating the
fast proclaim-ed by her before going in to plead
with King Ahasuerus for the life of The People.
Purim observance- The Jewish observance of
Purim is to be a time of extreme joy. However,
the custom over the centuries has become
extremely ungodly. All Jews, except those with
physical problems or an alcohol problem, are
expected to get so drunk that they cannot tell the
difference between “Cursed is Haman” and
“Blessed is Mordecai.” (34)
Lesson Fourteen
ESTHER
The Providence of God
Introduction: We now come to the book of Esther. As we have
seen, Ezra and Nehemiah had to do with the Remnant that returned
to the Promised Land. Those that remained in Persia (old
Babylon) far outnumbered those that returned to the homeland;
and it is the fate of those that is addressed in the book of Esther.
The place- The story of Esther takes place in the capitol of
Persia, Shushan (also known as Susa, the ancient capitol of that
country) where king Ahasuerus ruled from his palace.
The book and the woman- The book is named after the
orphaned heroine of the story, Esther, who was the cousin of
Mordecai, and who was adopted by him. Esther is a Persian
name that means “star;” but her Hebrew name was Hadassah
(2:7), meaning “myrtle.”
The book concerns events that took place in Persia and
chronologically they fit in the early part of the sixty year gap
between Ezra ch. 6 and Ezra ch. 7. The events themselves
cover a space of about ten years from the Great Feast of Xerxes
in 483 B.C. to the Feast of Purim in 473 B.C. Sixteen years after
that first Purim, Ezra led his expedition to Jerusalem as recorded
in the seventh chapter of Ezra.
Central message- The central message of Esther is the providence
of God. Although the Jews about whom the events are
recorded refused to return to the Promised Land, they were still
God’s People. They may have been out of His will but they were
never out of His hand. He knew beforehand what would befall
them so He arranged the details of history to provide for their
deliverance and continuance. The definition of providence is:
foresight and the activity arising from it; and the story of Esther
fits that to a “T.” In this story God did not use miracles but
events to preserve His People. (To be sure, they were disobedient
but they were still His people.) He shows us in Esther that
behind the natural workings of the events of mankind is an
invisible God who, though many times unnamed (the name of
God is not directly mentioned in the book of Esther), is still in
control of all things. He does not violate the free-will of man but
allows them to make their own choices. Still, His unseen hand
is there controlling all things from behind the scenes.
Lesson for us today- Sometimes God has to protect us from
ourselves and our disobedience even though we don’t deserve it.
God had commanded The People to destroy the Amalekites when
they came into The Land; but I Sam ch. 15 tells us that Agag, the
Amalekite king, was spared along with others of that nation
according to I Sam chs. 27, 28, & 30. Because of that the Jews
Old Testament Survey p. 80
NOTES
I. Providence’s Preparation. II. Providence’s Preservation.
(chs. 1-5) (chs. 6-10)
Vashti is divorce. (1) Mordecai is honoured. (6)
Esther becomes Queen. (2) Haman is executed. (7)
Haman’s plot. (3) The Jews are avenged. (8)
Mordecai’s cry. (4) Purim is instituted. (9)
Esther’s strategy. (5) Mordecai’s advancement. (10)
were in danger of being destroyed by a descendant of Agag.
God’s foresight prompted action that prevented that destruction
from taking place; but, if the people had obeyed God in the first
place then there would have been no Haman to try to destroy
them some 400 years later and no need of His providential
protection.
Outline of the book-
Types in the book of Esther- There are many types in the book
of Esther. We will mention but a few.
1. The Jews of Persia represent the worldly Christian.
Although the Jews that remained in Persia applauded those
that returned to The Land to rebuild God’s Temple and the city
of Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah, they still remained in
the land of the captivity. They preferred the pleasures and plenty
of Persia over the current leanness of the Land of Promise.
Although the blessings of God were promised they preferred the
plenty of sight. The old adage “a bird in the hand is worth two in
the bush” is applicable here. It is not scriptural when it concerns
obeying God but it absolutely is applicable. Worldly wisdom
made it seem that staying in Persia was a smart move; however,
that move almost doomed the race to extinction.
This could have been the main reason why the name of God
is not directly mentioned in the book of Esther. Although they
had turned from Him, He was still faithful to them; but, His name
was bound up with those who obeyed not those who disobeyed.
The worldly Christians of today want to claim the name Christian
but they still want to experience the pleasures of sin for a season.
God will not allow His name to be bound up with such ones.
They may be saved but they will not inherit the blessing of God.
They will never hear the words of Matthew 25:21 & 23.
Mt 25:21
(Mt 25:23 is basically just a repeat of 25:21)
2. Haman.
Haman, who plotted the extinction of the Jews in the book of
Esther, was a type of “the man of sin,” (II Thess 2:3). The man
of sin, also known as Antichrist, will be the last and worst
enemy of God’s People (messianic Jew and gentile Christian) in
Old Testament Survey p. 81
the last days; exactly as Haman was the worst enemy of God’s NOTES
people in the book of Esther. Haman is a type of the Antichrist
in at least eight ways:
a. His name.
Esther called Haman “wicked.” (Esther 5:6).
And in II Thess 2:8 Antichrist is called the “Wicked.”
b. His power.
In Esther 3:1-2 Haman is exalted in power above all the
princes of the land of Persia. Does that not parallel the
power of the beast of the Revelation (Rev ch. 13; Dan ch.
7) which receives its power and exaltation to promin-ence
from the dragon? Remember, the dragon is Satan, the
devil (Rev 20:2) and it is he who gives power to the man
of sin. (II Thess 2:9)
c. His pride.
Haman boasted to his wife and his friends and supposes
that the king will give him the royal apparel and crown of
the king and seat him upon the king’s horse and parade him
among the people to receive the adulation that rightfully
belongs only to the king himself.
Was that not that kind of ungodly pride exactly what
Paul spoke of concerning the man of sin in II Thess 2:4?
“Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is
called God...”
d. His hatred for the Jews.
Haman was the most powerful anti-Semite of his day.
He hated the Jews with a consuming hatred that led to his
plot to have them utterly exterminated out of the land. He
was, so to speak, a fifth century B.C. Hitler. And Antichrist
will be the supreme anti-Semite of all time.
e. His plot.
Through political schemes Haman plots his destruction
of The People of God; so too will the Antichrist plot their
destruction through political means. (Dan ch. 9)
f. His doom.
Haman was exalted to power quickly and just as quickly
is toppled from power and hanged on his own gallows.
This exactly parallels the quick doom of the man of sin
who will be quickly destroyed after a short time in power.
II Thess 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed,
whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his
mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming:
g. His number.
The numerical value of Haman’s name in Hebrew
letters is 666. According to Revelation 13:18, that is also
the number of the man who is called the “beast” of the
Revelation.
h. In the number of those who perish with him.
Old Testament Survey p. 82
It is interesting to note that Haman had 10 sons that NOTES
were executed with him. (Esther ch. 9) So too will the
Antichrist head a political alliance, the last Gentile government
on earth, which will be comprised of 10 “kings” that
will rule for “one hour” and then perish with him. (Dan
ch. 7; Rev ch. 17)
3. Esther.
The third typology in the book of Esther is Esther herself.
Esther is a type of the Christian Church.
a. In her parentage.
As Esther sprang from Jewish parents, so the Church
sprang from Judaism but in doing so it showed that its
parents were dead as her parents were dead. With the
emergence of the Church came the fact that the Law was
dead and so was the Mosaic economy and society. Therefor,
the parents of both Esther and the Church were dead.
b. In her beauty.
As Esther was made by God to be a beautiful virgin who
became the Queen by decree, so too is the Church decreed
by God to become the beautiful bride of Christ. (Eph ch.
5)
c. In her position.
She was taken from obscurity to be the bride of one who
was a King of kings, Ahasuerus. Likewise, the Christian
Church is taken from obscurity and will become the bride
of Jesus Christ, who is the true “King of kings and Lord
of lords.” (Rev 19:16)
d. In her role as intercessor.
She went to the king on the third day, which speaks of
resurrection; she was opposed by the law and yet was
accepted, which speaks of grace; and she interceded on
behalf of the Jews, which speaks of the intercession of the
prayers of the saints that intercede for the whole world,
including the Jews, during the time of their greatest tribulation.
(Rev 5:8)
4. Mordecai.
He represents the Jewish remnant that will be preserved
during the Great Tribulation.
a. Mordecai would not bow to Haman and neither will the
Jewish remnant bow to the beast of the Revelation who
was typified by Haman.
b. Mordecai also typifies the Tribulation Jews in his weeping
and mourning and fasting as they will do before coming to
Christ as their King.
c. Mordecai also typifies the Tribulation Jews in his exaltation.
He was exalted above all and so too will the Jews
and Jerusalem be exalted above the nations at the Kingdom
of Jesus Christ during the Millennial Reign.
Old Testament Survey p. 83
NOTES
SUMMARY- The book of Esther brings to a close the history of
Israel. The remainder of the Old Testament is composed of
wisdom and prophecy and the Psalms.
REVIEW-
1. What is the central message of Esther?
2. Esther concern The People before, during or after the
Babylonian Captivity?
3. Does Esther tell the story of the remnant who returned to
the Promised Land or that of the majority who refused to
go back?
4. What is the lesson of the book for us today?
5. Haman is a type of who?
6. Esther herself is a type of what?
7. Is the name of God directly mentioned in the book of
Esther?
8. Is God in the book of Esther?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Job.
Review the section on Esther.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 84
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Job the Gentile- Although Job was probably not
a Jew , the book is considered (34) the greatest of
what the Jew calls the “Wisdom” books (35) and
Job himself is considered by them to be a Gentile
Prophet.
Lesson Fifteen
JOB
Why Do the Righteous Suffer
Introduction: In the book of Job we find one of the oldest
questions in God’s creation. “If God rewards the righteous and
punishes the workers of iniquity, then why do the righteous
suffer?” This book is God’s answer to that question.
The book- As to when it was written no one knows. Many
believe that it is the oldest book in the Bible. Certainly the
history that it conveys is from the time of the Patriarchs; but as
to the date of its composition, no one knows. Likewise, the
earthly penman is also unknown. Matthew Henry believed that
Elihu, one of the disputants in the discourses, was the most
probable penman.(3) Possibly so, but no one knows for sure.
Another question concerns the events of the book. Was there
really a man named Job? To be sure, there was; but, even among
those that believe he is a historical figure many don’t believe that
the poetic dialogue of chapters 3-31 (the bulk of the book) were
a matter of reality but were a “literary creation, not a report of
a literal debate.”(18) This is not true. The debates did take place
and the substance of the debates is accurately reported. Did the
form of the dialogue just happen to be poetic in form? Not any
more likely than that people today would converse in poetry.
But, that does not mean that they were a construct rather than a
report of actual dialogues. In accord with God’s inspiration in
this and many other portions of scripture, the penman was
allowed to place the debates in his own words; and this time it
was in the form of poetry. Therefore, be assured that the book
does report actual dialogues between actual men; in a poetical
form, true, but still a report of actual conversations.
The outline of the book-
The book consists of three sections. It is easiest to remember
the outline of the book with the number 9. Like this: 3 sections
with the center composed of 3 sets of dialogues between 3 men
and Job. There are other smaller sections that don’t fall into this
9 scheme, such as Job’s lamentation in ch. 3 and the voice of
God in chs. 38-41; but, by far the bulk of the book does fall
within this scheme. Once you learn the general scheme then the
exceptions are easier to remember.
PROLOGUE
(chs. 1-2)
Job & Satan
ALSO - - - -
DIALOGUE
(chs. 3-42:6)
Job’s lamentation
(ch. 3)
3 TRIADS
(chs. 4-37)
EPILOGUE
(42:7-17)
Job and his
friends & family
The Voice of God
(chs 38-41)
Old Testament Survey p. 85
NOTES
Job the Gentile- Although Job was probably not
a Jew , the book is considered (34) the greatest of
what the Jew calls the “Wisdom” books (35) and
Job himself is considered by them to be a Gentile
Prophet.
The central message of Job- is blessing through suffering.
Remember: “Nothing happens in your life but that God brings
it or God allows it.” Whatever happens in your life is deemed by
God the best thing for you at that time in your life. In Job this is
abundantly illustrated. For Job, calamity brought discovery. His
“self” was slain and God known; and all of that by trials.
In the New Testament it is summed up by Paul in Romans.
Ro 8:28
Lesson for us today- Job did not know the explanation of why he
was going through these trials. He was not meant to know. If he
had known there would have been no room for faith. That is the
lesson for us today- we are not meant to know why everything
happens. If we knew, we would not have to exer-cise faith in
God; and faith is exactly what God wants us to have. Therefore,
He cannot reveal everything to us or His purpose would often
times be thwarted by the very fact of that revelation.
All suffering has a purpose according to the counsels of Heaven.
The earthly philosophers in the book of Job knew nothing of the
dialogue between God and Satan. Nor did they know the
blessings that were to come to Job in the end. Therefore, their
theorizing and philosophizing that make up the bulk of the book
are based on incomplete knowledge of the workings of Heaven
and the foreknowledge of God. God knew the beginning and the
ending, the three “friends” and even Job himself did not. That is
why people who question suffering in the righteous are judg-ing
from a basis of incomplete knowledge. Moreover, they are
lacking faith in God or, it might be better to say, are refusing to
exercise it.
Suffering is in God’s will for some people; and if we knew the
beginning and the ending ahead of time we would imme-diately
understand why it happens. Since we don’t know, then let’s
continue to exercise faith in a faithful God. That exercise of faith
is His object for us and why He doesn’t tell us ahead of time why
certain things must happen to us.
I Pet 4:19
Purpose- This book does not try to answer the problem of why
there is suffering in this world. That is answered elsewhere in the
Bible. The book of Job is only an answer as to why there is
suffering in the life of the godly person; i.e., an answer to “why
do the righteous suffer?” In only that limited context it is a
justification of the ways of God to man.
1. Prologue. (chs. 1-2)
a. Job’s piety in times of plenty. (Job 1:1-5)
b. Satan’s lies and his malignity toward the godly.
(1:6-19)
c. Job retains his piety even in adversity. (1:20-22)
Old Testament Survey p. 86
d. Satan turns up the heat. (2:1-8) NOTES
e. Job’s piety in extreme circumstances. (Job 2:9-13)
A comforting observation from chapters 1 and 2- Notice that
Satan can do ONLY what God allows Him to do and no more
than that! (1:12 & 2:6) This, once again, is proof that God is
always in control.
Remember, “Nothing happens in your life but that God
brings it or God allows it.” Whatever happens and whenever
it happens, God has deemed that it is best for you at that time.
Ro 8:28
2. Dialogue. (Job 3:1 - 42:6)
a. In this section there are three attempts made to resolve the
question of the suffering of Job. They are doomed to
failure because finite man can only dimly ascertain the
plans and the mind of an infinite God. The so-called
“friends” of Job base their arguments on experience
(Eliphaz), tradition (Bildad), and assumption (Zophar).
b. Finally the fourth man, Elihu, speaks not as the other three,
in the spirit of judges, but as a brother. (33:6)
Elihu explains, in God’s stead and defense, that man,
the lesser, has no right to demand explanations from God,
the greater. And yet, he explains, God does speak to men
and chastises as well; but, such chastisement is always with
the purpose of healing and restoration. With such an
interpretation it makes it possible for Job to see that his
suffering is educational. Job does not need for God to hear
his case, as Job demanded earlier, because God already
knows Job’s case intimately and will deal perfectly,
morally, and justly with Job’s case.
Elihu then states a higher purpose for Job’s suffering.
The three before him see suffering as only punishment for
sin; whereas he sees it as corrective, moral, and restorative.
Suffering is not only the pronouncement of punishment
from the mouth of the Supreme Judge but also can be
the guidance of the Supreme Shepherd’s staff with which
He goads and guides the sheep.
Elihu then appeals to Job to effect a change of current
attitude. Accept the suffering as not a chastening for past
sins but one with a view toward some ultimately good end.
What Job needs is humility to realize his impotence and
ignorance of God’s ultimate purpose for his plight. Also
for patient submission to Gods will; i.e., allow God to fulfil
His plan for Job’s good. And finally for Job to exer-cise
faith in the omniscient and absolutely righteous God.
Surely Elihu’s speech was more spiritual and truthful
than that of his predecessors but it was also incomplete.
God used him to give some profound truths and yet Elihu
was also ignorant of the scenario in Heaven that precipitatOld
Testament Survey p. 87
NOTES
Dinosaurs- In chapters 40 & 41 are found descriptions
of two of the greatest of God’s living
creatures, Behemoth and Leviathan, two of the
dinosaurs that existed before the flood.
ed the events of Job’s suffering. Therefore, it was
necessary for God to speak and complete the lesson.
That brings us to the last segment of this section.
c. God’s voice from the whirlwind. (Job chs 38-41:6)
Now the voice of God speaks and silences all of the
earthly speakers. God does NOT answer Job’s question
concerning his suffering. It was not God’s purpose to do
so. Instead Almighty God compares His power with that
of little man. He does so in relation to the earth, the
heavens, living creatures, and several special cases.
Thus, the purpose for God’s allowance of Job’s suffering
is to bring Job to the end of self and trust wholly in
God. This is accomplished and Job’s submission and repentance
are recorded in 42:1-6.
3. Epilogue. (42:7-17)
a. Job is vindicated and the wrath of God is spoken upon his
“friends” turned tormenters. (:7-9)
NOTE: Notice that God forgave them because of the
prayer of Job, the one who had been the object of their
torments. (:8)
b. Job is rewarded two-fold more than he lost. (:9-17)
Typology: Job is a type of Christ in many ways.
1. He was innocent but greatly suffered. (Heb 4:15)
2. He was merciful and prayed for his tormenters. (Lk 23:34)
Jas 5:11
3. He was rewarded at the end of his suffering. (Heb 2:7, 9)
4. He was emptied and humbled before being exalted. (Phil
2:6-9)
5. He was persecuted by men and devils and was raised to be an
intercessor even for those who had afflicted him.
REVIEW-
1. What is the central message of Job and what New Testament
verse sums it up?
2. The purpose of Job is to answer what question?
3. What is the lesson of Job for us today?
4. Is Satan subject to God’s control?
5. Job is a type of whom?
6. Is their a reward at the end of suffering?
7. What was the purpose for God allowing Job
to suffer?
8. Are dinosaurs mentioned in the book of Job.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Psalms.
Review the section on Job.
Be here next week with your Bible and
your notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 88
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Name: The common Hebrew name for the book
is “T hillim” meaning e “Praises,” with the
inference of the use of stringed instruments.
NOTE: It has long been a puzzle why some of
the superscriptions seem to have little or nothing
to do with the verse to which they are attached.
The reason for this has remained undiscovered
until recently when it was suggested that they are
not always “super”scriptions to the following
Psalm but a “sub”scription to the preceding one;
and sometimes it is both; half subscription and
half superscription. Remember, the superscriptions
in your Bible were most likely in the
original text but we must remember that the
original Psalms had no divisions between them
whatsoever. The divisions came later and the
attachment of the superscriptions was decided
upon. Investigation into their misplacement
might be a good course of study for the more
serious student.
Lesson Sixteen
PSALMS
The Prayer & Praise Book of Israel
Introduction: The book of Psalms is one of experience. It
comes out of human experience and is an expression of religious
experience. No other book of the Bible can relate to the varied
daily experiences of man as well as the Psalms as they relay the
widest possible range of human emotions poured out to God..
A collection of collections it can be divided into five sections
and, thus, some view it as a “poetic Pentateuch.”(15) It has been
commented that “It is the five-fold book of the congregation to
Jehovah, as the Law is the fivefold book of Jehovah to the
congregation.”(op cit) This collection was written and compiled
over a period of five hundred to a thousand years.
According to the Midrash (a collection of ancient Jewish
commentaries) the five divisions of the Psalms were made to
correspond to the five books of the Law. A rough division of the
book can be seen here. (Remember, there are a few in each
section that are ascribed to other writers, so this fivefold division
is merely a rough one as far as the “Author.”)
GROUP (Main) AUTHOR CORRESPONDS WITH
I. 1-41 David Genesis
II. 42-72 David Exodus
III. 73-89 Asaph Leviticus
IV. 90-106 Anonymous Numbers
V. 107-150 Part David & Deuteronomy
part Anonymous
The title “Psalms”: Comes to us by way of the Septuagint and
means “Songs to the accompaniment of a stringed instrument.”
This was the common name for it by the time of Jesus.
Spiritual value: The great spiritual value of the book is that it
provides guidance for our emotions and feelings exactly as the
rest of the Scriptures provide for our faith and actions.
Spiritual message: Praise through prayer. Over and over
again we see lamentation and sighing turned to singing and praise
through prayer.
Collators: The collators of the various groups are: Solomon,
group I.; Korahite Levites, group II.; Hezekiah, group III.; Ezra,
group IV.; and Nehemiah, group V. (Accepting a 500 year span
for the writing of the Psalms.)
The names of God: In the Psalms we see several names of God
associated with two specific groups, both of them Davidic:
Group I. 272 uses of “Yahweh” comp. with 15 “Elohim”
Group II. 208 uses of “Elohim” comp. with 48 “Yahweh”
Old Testament Survey p. 89
Themes: The themes of the Psalms are too varied to list; how- NOTES
ever, five dominant and recurring themes are:
1. Realization.
Of God’s presence.
2. Recognition.
Of a need for thanksgiving.
3. Personal.
Communion with God.
4. Remembrance.
Of God’s place in history.
5. Deliverance.
From the enemies of God and His people, both collectively
and individually.
Authority of the Psalms: Jesus, as we stated earlier, gave His
personal stamp of authority to the Psalms:
Lk 24:44 “... written in the
concerning me.”
Also, the Psalms are quoted more in the New Testament than
any other book of the Old. And it is interesting to note that most
of the quotations are along prophetic lines.
In the prophetic Psalms three main themes are covered:
a. Christ’s humiliation and exaltation.
b. The Sorrows and eventual deliverance of Israel.
c. The future blessing of all nations through Israel’s reigning
Messiah.
SEVERAL TYPES OF PSALMS WE WILL CONSIDER
It is impossible because of time and space constraints to consider
all of the various types of Psalms in this study, so we will
concentrate on a few of the better known ones.
1. The Messianic Psalms.
These Psalms are the best known prophetic Psalms; in fact,
there are more prophecies concerning Messiah, Jesus Christ, to
be found in the Psalms than in any other book of the Bible including
what are commonly called the prophetic books such as
Isaiah.
The principal Messianic Psalms are: 2, 8, 16, 22 - 24, 40, 41,
45, 48, 49, 72, 87, 89, 102, 110, & 118. These, along with
others, give us Christ’s birth, betrayal, agony, death, resurrection,
ascension, 2nd Coming, and Millennial reign.
a. Christ’s cross foretold in the Messianic Psalms. (Ps 22)
(1) Compare the following two verses:
Ps 22:1 “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken
me...”
Mt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with
a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that
is to say, ?”
(2) Compare Ps 22:8 with the words spoken in derision in
Mt 27:43 by the chief priests, scribes, elders, and the
two thieves crucified with the Lord.
Old Testament Survey p. 90
NOTES
Judas Iscariot: It is interesting to note that the
Psalms are even quoted in the New Testament in
connection with the arch betrayer, Judas.
Compare Acts 1:20 with Ps 69:25 & Ps 109:8.
Ps 22:8 He trusted on the LORD [that] he would
deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted
in him.
Mt 27:43
(3) Also compare Ps 22:16 & 18 with Mt 27:35.
Ps 22:18
.
Mt 27:35
That the words in Ps 22 were not just statements made
by David but rather the Lord himself speaking through
David can be seen by the fact that this type of Crucifixion
was not known during the time of David but was
introduced by the Romans hundreds of years later. Also,
there is no record of David ever undergoing the extremes
spoken of that so graphically portray the mechanics and
agonies peculiar only to crucifixion. Nor is there a record
of anyone deriding David in exactly the same way that the
Lord was derided on the cross; nor was the parting of the
garments and casting of lots for the vesture ever mentioned
concerning David. Nay, only in Christ, not in David, did
these things have their fulfillment.
b. The Messianic Psalms witness of Christ in various ways.
It was seen that Solomon, as we studied in II Sam 7,
was only the immediate fulfillment of the Davidic covenant
that would have its ultimate fulfillment in Christ, the
eternal son of David. So too, the events described in Ps 72
can ultimately only have their fulfillment in Christ’s reign.
Characteristics of His reign:
(1) Its character: “righteousness.” (Ps 72:1-7)
(2) Its extent: “unto the ends of the earth.” (:8-11)
(3) Its prosperity: “flourish.” (:16)
(4) Its duration: “for ever... as long as the sun.” (:17)
(5) Its dominion: “all nations.” (:17)
c. A varied witness to Christ is found in the Messianic
Psalms.
(1) His person.
As the Son of God. (Ps 2:7; 45:6, 7; 102:25-27)
As the Son of man. (8:4-6; et al)
As the Son of David. (89:3, 4, 27, 29)
(2) His offices.
Prophet. (22:22, 25; 40:9, 10)
Remember, a prophet is one who speaks for God.
Priest. (110:4)
King. (Ps 2; 24; et al)
Old Testament Survey p. 91
(3) His deity. NOTES
His deity is stated in Ps 45:6, 7, and implied in
102:25-27. This can be clearly seen in the light of Heb
1:8-14 & Gen 1:1.
Ps 102:25
Heb 1:10
Gen 1:1
There is much, much, more in the Messianic Psalms; but these
will do to whet your appetite for further study.
2. The 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, Psalm group.
No other piece of divinely inspired Scripture nor any piece
of human conceived literature has given comfort to such a vast
multitude of all races and times as the 23rd Psalm.
We will not, however, study it by itself at this time but we
will study it in connection with the Psalms preceding and following
it. These three, Ps 22, 23, & 24, form a group
addressing Christ in three roles and in three time spans. In
addition they correspond exactly with three New Testament
references to the Lord Jesus Christ in His role as Shepherd..
The following chart will illustrate these for you:
Psalm 22
Suffering Saviour
The Cross
Good Shepherd
(John 10:1-18)
Past
Psalm 23
Living Shepherd
The Crook
Great Shepherd
(Heb 13:20-21)
Present
Psalm 24
Exalted Sovereign
The Crown
Chief Shepherd
(I Pet 5:4)
Future
3. The Messianic reign.
Although Psalms 46-48 are not usually included in the
Messianic Psalms, still we can see the Messianic reign clearly
foretold in them.
Psalm 46
Coming of the
Kingdom
Tribulation/desolation
(Mt ch. 24)
Psalm 47
Extent of the
Kingdom
“all the earth”
(Mt ch. 25)
Psalm 48
Center of the
Kingdom
Zion “city of our God”
Rev ch. 21
4. The Imprecatory (cursing) Psalms.
For some reason these Psalms have caused much perplexity
down through the centuries. There are 7 such Psalms. In
addition there are 14 passages in other Psalms where such
cursings are voiced. They have even caused some to question
the inspiration of the Scriptures because of their seemingly
Old Testament Survey p. 92
objectionable nature. However, if we examine several NOTES
passages we can clear up the whole matter and reconcile all
human objections with both divine inspiration and guidance
given in these Psalms.
a. The rule of “first mention.”
All teachings on any subject are subject to the first
mention of that subject in the Scriptures. That first
mention is the key to all scriptures following it on that
subject. Let us use this “key.” The very first imprecatory
verse is Ps 5:10.
Ps 5:10
It is obvious that the transgressors being cursed are
those in “rebellion against thee” with “thee” meaning
God himself. Therefore, it is obvious that the key given
here is that the imprecation (cursing) is of doers of
wickedness as a group and not any one particular person.
b. God’s enemies are to be our enemies.
This is crystalized in Ps 139:19-22. We are to hate the
enemies of God as a group and count them as our enemies
because they are the enemies of our God. Therefore, the
imprecatory Psalms are an expression of the accord of our
spirit with the Spirit of our God that demands judgment
upon the enemies of God.
c. The prophetic element in the imprecatory Psalms.
This settles forever the question of their inspiration for
prophecy is God’s seal upon them. One such prophetic
element can be seen in comparing the words of Ps 137:8-9
with those of Rev ch. 18. Further prophecies will be
addressed in the next segment.
d. The final objection to the imprecatory Psalms was that they
contradict the spirit of the New Testament; that the Lord
could never utter words of such carnage and pain as are
spoken in the imprecatory Messianic Psalms.
And yet who but the Lord uttered the words of retribution
in Lk 19:22 when He said to “slay them before
me” speaking of those who would not yield to His sovereign
reign? And who spoke the words of Mt 25:41
“Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire...” but
the Lord himself prophesying of the future punishment of
the wicked.
It is obvious that it is not the imprecatory Psalms that
are offensive, it is the objections. To object to the righteous
punishment of unrepentant evil-doers is to deny the
basic premise that “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
he also reap.” (Gal 6:7) To deny the righteousness of
God’s punishment upon them is to confuse “forgiveness,”
which is a biblical precept, with “condoning,” which is, of
Old Testament Survey p. 93
course, not. We are to hate the unrepentant enemies of NOTES
God as He hates them. (Of course He holds out forgiveness
to them at the same time that He promises judgment.) Our
Lord Jesus Christ gave us the example of forgiveness, but,
He also gave us the example of proclaiming God’s just
retribution upon those who refuse to repent.
5. The 119th Psalm.
We cannot leave our overview of the Psalms without mentioning
the longest chapter of the Bible, the 119th Psalm.
This Psalm consists of 22 sections consisting of 8 verses
each. Each of these sections begins with one of the 22 letters
of the Hebrew alphabet, given in their proper order.
What is the sole subject of the 119th Psalm: -
The subject is one throughout, the Word of God in its
many facets and parts. In it we find God’s Law to the Jew,
His precepts, His statutes, His commandments, His way, and
His testimonies. In it we find God’s express Word, His
sayings declaring to us the mind of God; and Christ, the
eternal essential Word of God. His judgements, His righteousness
as a rule and a standard, and His truth and faithfulness.
It reveals the heart of God to man.(15, 21, 42)
The profitableness of the Word of God from the 119th Psalm
The students of Christian Schools use portions of the following
two verses as part of their “Pledge of Allegiance to the
Bible;” you should memorize them in their entirety.
Ps 119:11
Ps 119:105
CONCLUSION: The book of Psalms, in the words of Matthew
Henry, “... brings us into the sanctuary, draws is off from converse
with the politicians, philosophers, or disputers of the world, and
directs us into communion with God, lifting up and letting out our
hearts towards Him. Thus may we be in the mount with God.”
REVIEW-
1. The Psalms have been called a “Poetic .”
2. What does the title “Psalms” mean?
3. What is the spiritual value of the book of Psalms?
4. What is the spiritual message of the Psalms?
5. The Messianic Psalms refer to what person?
6. What does “Imprecatory” mean?
7. What is the longest chapter of Psalms and of the Bible?
8. Quote Psalms 119:11 & 105.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Solomon.
Review the section on Psalms.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 94
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Seventeen
PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES,
SONG OF SOLOMON
Introduction: We will now consider these three rather short
books in one lesson. These three finish the portion of the Bible
that began with the book of Psalms, and together comprise what
was designated “The Psalms” by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Authorship: It is beyond doubt that the bulk of Proverbs was
written by Solomon as were Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon.
Many believe that Song of Solomon, also called Canticles, was
written when he was young; Proverbs in his middle years and
Ecclesiastes in his waning years.
Transition: Up to the point of Song of Solomon, most of the
penmen were men of some worldly status. From this point on,
however, most will be men of low esteem in the world. The job
of giving the Law was generally given to the mighty and
esteemed; the evangelizing of the world was given to the weak
and lowly. The common man if you will.
I Cor 1:26
I Cor 1:27
The earthly penmen to this point were such as Moses and
Joshua, Samuel and David, and now Solomon. After this they
will be men such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, Joel and Amos, and, in
the New Testament, a bunch of fishermen. There are exceptions
but very few. As in the words of God through Paul, “not many.”
PROVERBS
THE BOOK OF PRACTICAL WISDOM
Introduction: As the Psalms were to our devotional life, so the
Proverbs are to our practical life. Proverbs has been called “...
laws from heaven for life on earth.”(15)
Definition of a Proverb: A brief, pithy saying(38) short sentences,
which contain their whole design within themselves and are not
connected with one another.(3) The easiest definition to
remember would be something like “a lot of truth or counsel in
a short sentence.”
Arrangement of the book: The book of Proverbs contains more
than just what we would call proverbs today. The Hebrews had
a somewhat different definition and included other than the short
Old Testament Survey p. 95
sayings that we call proverbs today. To them, even long
segmented sections comprised of groups, some long and some
short, arranged around basically a single subject, such as chs. 1-9,
all concerning wisdom, were included as proverbs.
A short outline of the book.
SECTION I.
(chs. 1-9)
Solomon’s book of
Wisdom
SECTION II.
(chs. 10-24)
The Proverbs of
Solomon
(short proverbs)
SECTION III.
(chs. 25-31)
Solomon & others
(Solomon, Agur &
a Mother)
The central message: If we were to condense the book of
Proverbs to one central message it would have to be, the
practical wisdom of God.
1. The wisdom of God.
The wisdom of the New Testament Christian is Christ.
I Cor 1:30
The wisdom of God is available to us today in two ways:
a. Through reading of the Word of God, proverbs included.
b. Through tapping the same source that Solomon tapped.
The source of Solomon’s wisdom, God, is the same
source that is still available to us today. All we have to do
is ask.
Jas 1:5
2. The structure of a proverb.
There are three main types of proverbs.
a. Contrastive.
This is the most common type and is known by the
striking contrast of the two “members” joined commonly
by the word “but.” Chapters 10-15 are predominantly this
type. Pr 10:27 is a good example. Note the contrast.
10:27
b. Completive.
In this type of Proverb the second “member” agrees
with the first and carries it to completion. “And” is the
common connector.
16:3
c. Comparative.
This type makes a striking comparison between the two
members. “Than” is a common connector between them.
15:16
NOTES
Old Testament Survey p. 96
3. How to read the Proverbs.
They are meant to be read lingeringly, not rushed. Read a
few and meditate on the truths presented. Let them sink into
your mind and soul as pearls of wisdom for your life.
4. Two better known sections of the Proverbs.
a. Seven things which God hates. (Pr 6:16-19)
b. The virtuous woman. (31:10-31)
In this segment we are told that she is a good woman,
a good wife, a good mother, and a good neighbor.
ECCLESIASTES
THE PREACHER
Introduction: The title is from the Latin form of a word that
means “preacher” in Greek.
Author and the thrust of the book: The book is a sermon from
the “preacher” and the author was obviously King Solomon.
Ecc 1:1
The purpose of the book: It is written to show that human
wisdom and earthly gain are nothing in themselves. Apart
from God, they lead only to dissatisfaction and emptiness.
The theme of the book is the text of the sermon: “... vanity of
vanities, all is vanity.”
1:2
The question: What is the profit of natural labours.
1:3
This sets the tone for the book which is, “the quest of the
natural man for the chief good.”
Outline of the book: This shows the progression of how “the
Preacher” sought for the chief good.
I. BY PERSONAL EXPERIMENT (chs. 1-2)
II. BY GENERAL OBSERVATION (chs. 3-5)
III. PRACTICAL MORALITY (chs. 6-8)
IV. REVIEW AND CONCLUSION (chs. 9-12)
1. The ten “vanities” of Ecclesiastes.
Ecccl. 2 - the 3 vanities of:
human wisdom (:15-16)
human labor (:19-21)
human purpose (:26)
NOTES
Old Testament Survey p. 97
Eccl. ch. 4 - the 3 vanities of
human envy (:4)
human greed (:7)
human fame (:16)
5:10 the vanity of earthly wealth
6:9 - the vanity of human coveting
7:6 - the vanity of human frivolity
8:10, 14 - the vanity of human recognition
2. Spiritual admonition:
Ecc 12:13
12:14
3. New Testament parallel.
Col 3:2
SONG OF SOLOMON
A SONG OF LOVE
Introduction: In the writings of Solomon we have had the Wisdom
of God and the vanity of human wisdom. Now, in Song of
Solomon we have his marvelous, and probably youthful, composition
on the theme of themes- love.
Authorship: The question of authorship has been contested; but,
God gives His answer in Song 1:1 “The song of songs, which
is Solomon’s.”
Interpretation: Volumes have been written on the interpretation
of this short book. Four of the most widely touted theories are:
Naturalistic Theory; Allegorical Theory; Typical Interpretation;
and the Dramatic View. Time and space constraints do
not permit going into all of these theories.
The Key to the book: One of the maxims of interpretation is that
“scripture interprets scripture;” therefore, it is believed that the
key to the Song of Solomon is Ps 45 which is entitled “A song of
loves.” Although Solomon is in sight, the ultimate reference is
to Christ as we are told in Heb 1:8-9 compared with Ps 45:6-7.
This gives us a key to the right interpretation of Song of
Solomon.
Matthew Henry wrote that the book is an “allegory... a parable...
an Epithalamium, or nuptial song, wherein, by the
expressions of love between a bridegroom and his bride, are
set forth and illustrated the mutual affections that pass between
God and a remnant of mankind.” (3) The Jews, for
whom it was written, believed that the ideal marriage union
NOTES
Song of Solomon is also called Canticles.
Old Testament Survey p. 98
expressed in the book represented the relationship between God
and His People, Israel.
1. The spiritual message.
Since “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable,” (II Tim 3:16) then this book which spake to
Israel must also speak to us. Therefore, the message is that of
such a perfect marriage union is the relationship between
Christ and His bride, the church.
This type of analogy is plainly made in the New Testament
in several places.
Eph 5:25
II Cor 11:2
2. Teachings on love.
Five teachings on love are found in this book- Initial love;
faltering love; growing love; transforming love; and mature
love.
3. Applications.
There are two applications of the teachings of this book:
a. Application to human marriage- the beauty of the union
between husband and wife.
b. Application to the Christ and the Church, His betrothed.
REVIEW-
1. Who wrote Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and the bulk of
the book of Proverbs?
2. What is the central message of Proverbs?
3. What is the easiest definition of a Proverb?
4. What does Ecclesiastes mean?
5. What is the theme of Ecclesiastes?
6. Song of Solomon is a song of what?
7. What is the spiritual message of the Song of Solomon?
8. What are the two applications of the teachings of the Song
of Solomon?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Isaiah.
Review the section on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
& Song of Solomon.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
NOTES
When reading the Song of Solomon we must
keep in mind that application of the book to the
relationship between Christ and the Church (NT)
and the Jewish belief that it represents the
relationship between God and His people, Israel,
(OT) can easily be carried too far. They are both
good applications, but, the intimacy and the
expli-citness of the sexual relationship expressed
in Song of Solomon precludes any exclusive
application of it to the relationship between God
and the NT Church or between Himself and
Israel. Even a cursory examination of the book
shows that the main application of Song must be
one concerning the godly relationship between a
husband and a wife and the intimacy between
them- both sexual and otherwise- all of which
were instituted by God and approved of by Him
and the details are plain to see in the Song of
Solomon. God, in His Word, has covered all of
the areas of our lives; and Song is His book
detailing marriage and the joys of it- including all
three areas, body, soul, and spirit.
This three-fold cord tying husband and wife
together- union in physical joy (sexual and other
physical intimacy), union in soul (expressed
emotionally here) and spiritual union (which is
seen from God’s inclusion of this book in the
Bible as well as from a multitude of other verses
that show that the marriage union is blessed of
God)- this three-fold cord is not easily broken.
Song is God’s way of teaching us that the physical
and soul relationships of the three-fold cord
are both part of His overall plan for husbands and
wives.
Ecc 4:12
Old Testament Survey p. 99
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
NOTE: In the New Testament the name Isaiah is
Esaias.
Lesson Eighteen
ISAIAH
The Prophet
Introduction: We now come to the final group of Old Testament
writings- the prophets. Seventeen in number, they are generally
divided into five “major prophets,” and twelve “minor prophets.”
The “major prophets,” especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
and Daniel, give the framework of Messianic prophecy while the
“minor prophets” amplify or, if you will, flesh out those prophecies
while conforming to the framework already given.
Authorship: The human author was Isaiah himself. All objections
to his authorship are predicated upon disbelief in prophecy.
Therefore, they try to move the writing of the book to a later time
when the events prophesied took place. This is absolute foolishness.
Prophecy exists; and, in fact, fulfilled prophecy is one of
the proofs of the inspiration of the book. Therefore, by attributing
the book to someone of a later time is to not only deny
prophecy but is, in essence, also denying the inspiration of God’s
infallible Word.
Isaiah the man: Isaiah was a personage of some note in
Jerusalem and, as adviser to King Hezekiah, had access to the
royal court. His ministry extended from at least the death of King
Uzziah in 740 B.C. until the reign of the idolatrous son of King
Hezekiah, Manasseh. After the beginning of the reign of
Manasseh, Isaiah restricted his ministry to the written word.
He was probably martyred during Manasseh’s reign.
1. The prophets.
Since we are now addressing the prophets it is necessary to
define exactly what “prophet” means.
Def. Heb naw-bee' a spokesman, speaker, prophet
Def. Gk profhthV, pro-phay-tace, is a compound word,
pro, pro, meaning before, and femi, fay-mee', meaning to make
known one's thoughts, to declare, to say
Therefore, “prophet” means one who speaks for another. By
context we know whether that spokesman is one for God or for
some man or some other deity. (comp. Ex 7:1; Num 12:6; Deut
13:1-5)
When speaking of the holy prophets, it means one who speaks
for God. Sometimes that included God speaking through them
concerning the future, sometimes the present, and sometimes the
past; but, it always was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
II Pet 1:21
Def. “moved,” Gk  feromenoi, fer-o-men-oi, to move by
bearing; move or, to be conveyed or borne, with the suggestion
of force or speed. Upon their willing immersion in and yielding
Old Testament Survey p. 100
to the Spirit of God, the prophets could do nothing else but NOTES
convey the exact words that God wanted them to speak or write.
They were born along by the force of the Holy Spirit to
unerringly convey God’s exact words to the listener or reader.
Inspiration is like stepping into the irresistible current of a
river. Once you have purposely stepped in, you are born wherever
the river wants you to go. That is a perfect type of biblical
inspiration as experienced by the prophets.
1. Similarities in arrangement between Isaiah and the Bible
as a whole.
THE BIBLE
66 books
divided into 2 sections
39 books & 27 books
Old Testament - Law
New Testament - Grace
ISAIAH
66 chapters
divided into 2 sections
39 chs. & 27 chs.
1st part - Judgment
2nd part - Comfort
2. Central message.
The central message of the book is that Jehovah is
supreme Ruler and ONLY Saviour.
The book of Isaiah gives absolute proof of the deity of
Christ. (Is 19:20; 43:3, 11; 45: 15, 21; 49:26; 60:16; 63:8 cf
Lk 1:47; 2:11; Jn 4:42; Acts 5:31; 13:23; Eph 5:23; Phil
3:20; II Tim 1:10; Ti 1:3, 4; 2:10-13; 3:4-6; II Pet 1:1, 11;
2:20; 3:2, 18 ; I Jn 4:14)
Is 43:3
Is 43:11
II Tim 1:10
It is obvious from the scriptures in Isaiah that ONLY GOD
is the Saviour. It is also obvious in the New Testament
scriptures that JESUS CHRIST is the Saviour. Therefore, if
Christ is not God then the New Testament is a lie and we are
all on our way to Hell. But, Praise God, Christ is God, the
New Testament is true, and we are on our way to Heaven
through Jesus Christ who is God the Saviour!
Ti 2:13
3. Isaiah ch. 53, direct and obvious prophecies of Christ.
Isaiah has been called “the Evangelical prophet” and
“the fifth evangelist,”(3, 15) because there are so many direct
prophecies of Christ in his book. We will now briefly examine
the chapter where the most obvious of these occur.
a. The lowliness of His arrival. (53:2)
He did not come as the Jews expected Messiah to come.
Instead of pomp and splendor, befitting of a “King,” He
Old Testament Survey p. 101
came to a lowly carpenter’s family. He came of a northern NOTES
family in Galilee, out of a country and a family from which
nothing was expected. “... as a root out of dry ground...”
(Is 11:1 comp. Is 53:1 & Ro 15:12)
Ro 15:12
b. Despised and rejected of men. (Is 53:3)
Speaking of Jesus in Jn 3:19-20 as the “light,” John
tells how the lost (the vast majority of humanity) avoided
Jesus.
Jn 3:19-20
c. He suffered for us. (Is 53:4-5)
53:5 “... he was wounded for our transgressions...”
I Pet 2:24
d. He suffered and took our place according to God’s will.
(Is 53:6)
I Jn 4:10
e. His wilful resignation. (Is 53:7)
This verse is quoted in Acts 8:32 and applied in :35.
Acts 8:35
f. He was guiltless. (Is 53:9b)
Compare with Lk 23:1-22 and I Pet 2:22
I Pet 2:22
g. “... he made his grave with the wicked, and with the
rich in his death.” (Is 53:9)
He was crucified between two thieves, as if the worst of
the three (Mt 27:38) and yet He was buried in the sepulchre
belonging to Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable
counselor, who was helped in the preparation for burial by
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Both of whom would have
been considered as belonging to the upper, or rich, class of
people. (Mk 15:43; Jn 19:38-42)
h. He died for our justification. (Is 53:11b)
Ro 5:18
i. “... he was numbered with the transgressors...”
(Is 53:12c comp. Lk 22:37; Mk 15:27-28)
Old Testament Survey p. 102
Mk 15:27-28 NOTES
4. The modern Translation’s heresy of Is 14:12.
The modern translations have proven themselves to be Satanic
in their translation of many passages of Scripture. However, the
most damning of all is found here in Is 14:12.
KJV - “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of
the morning!”
ASV - “How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of
the morning!”
NIV - “How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star,
son of the dawn!”
RSV - “How you are fallen from heaven, O day star, son of
Dawn!”
In the KJV, Lucifer, also known as the devil, is called “son of
the morning.” In the NIV and the ASV and the RSV, three of
the better known and typical of the New Translations, he is
called, “day star” or “morning star.” This is absolute HERESY!
In II Pet 1:16-19 the term “day star” is used in reference
to Jesus Christ in the KJV; and in Rev 22:16, Jesus is called the
“morning star.”
What the New Translations have done is to change the reference
in Is 14:12 from Lucifer to Jesus; saying that Jesus is who
is being spoken of in Isaiah, not Lucifer. That it is Jesus who
was cast down; that it was Jesus who is damned to Hell for trying
to be God; that it is Jesus who had the worms cover him; and
many other abominable things foretold for the devil, Lucifer.
NEVER use another translation than the King James. They
cannot be trusted for a multitude of errors and heresies. This one
instance alone, changing the devil into Jesus, should serve as a
sufficient warning that the devil is alive and working through the
New Translations.
REVIEW-
1. What does the word “prophet” mean?
2. What is the central message of Isaiah?
3. Name 3 similarities between Isaiah & the Bible as a whole.
4. What have the Modern Translations done to Isaiah 14:12?
5. What version of the Bible can you trust to be accurate?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Jeremiah and Lamentations.
Review the section on Isaiah.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 103
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Nineteen
JEREMIAH & LAMENTATIONS
Introduction: Jeremiah and Lamentations are both from the
earthly pen of Jeremiah. It is obvious that the broken heart of
God was expressed through the broken heart of Jeremiah. That
is why Jeremiah tells us so much about himself. His heart and
his message of unstoppable judgment are so intertwined that the
man cannot be separated from the message. He was not an impersonal
deliverer of God’s message, no, Jeremiah could never
be that. Instead, every prophecy was wrung out of his heart as if
they were choking sobs from a mother’s lips that can only be
delivered with a torrent of tears from her eyes when brokenhearted
she watches as her child suffers the just consequences of
some horribly wrong action. This empathetic delivering of God’s
message is why Jeremiah is commonly called “the weeping
prophet.” (Jer 9:1)
The two books: In the book of Jeremiah, the prophecies are
toward the soon coming and unstoppable fall of Judah and the
destruction of Jerusalem; then in Lamentations, Jeremiah looks
back and laments the destruction after the fact. The context of
Jeremiah and Lamentations is II Kings 22-25.
JEREMIAH
THE WEEPING PROPHET
Introduction: When reading the book, pay no attention to chronological
order. Neither should a topical order be expected. He
dealt with particular matters not necessarily in any sequence.
1. Jeremiah the book.
a. It concerns the twelfth hour of the Kingdom of Judah.
Isaiah had warned of coming judgment and the book of
Jeremiah carried the prophecies of its inevitable arrival.
b. The first roll of the book was written during the reign of
wicked king Jehoiakim (609-598 B.C.) and was promptly
burned by him. (ch. 39) The roll was rewritten and many
things were added unto it by Jeremiah through his scribe.
c. The book records for us almost the only information we
have on Judah after the destruction of Jerusalem. (chs. 40-45)
d. Outline of the book.
Jeremiah’s call and commission - ch. 1
PROPHECIES
against the theocracy
chs. 2-25
EVENTS
in the life of Jeremiah
chs. 26-45
PROPHECIES
against foreign nations
chs. 46-51
THE FALL
of Jerusalem and
related events
ch. 52
Old Testament Survey p. 104
2. Jeremiah the man. NOTES
a. He was born into a priestly family. (Jer 1:1)
b. He was called from the womb to be a prophet. (1:6)
c. His suffering sympathy. (4:19; 8:21; 9:1; 15:10; et al)
He was torn between sympathy for God and sympathy
for his own people. He knew God was righteous and
justified in the judgment prophesied and yet he wept over
the coming plight of his people.
d. Patient perseverance.
For over 40 years he was ridiculed, rejected, hated,
beaten, and was plotted against to the peril of life and limb
by the people, nobles, and kings. And although one king
sought his advice but was unable to put it to use, by and
large his prophetic warnings were rejected, along with the
prophet, by the majority who branded him and his prophecies
of judgment as meddlesome and traitorous. Yet
for over 40 years he remained faithful and patiently persevered
in the ministry that God had given him.
2. The central thought of the book.
“I will punish” (9:25; 11:22; 21:14: 25:12; 29:32; 30:20;
36:31; 44:13, 29; 46:25; 50:18; 51:44)
“I will restore”
Including “I will bring again” (ch. 30)
3. Messianic prophecies in Jeremiah.
a. The messianic reign of Christ over regathered Israel.
(Jer 23:3-8 cf Lk 1:32-33)
Jer 23:5
Jer 23:6
b. Israel’s yoke of bondage shall be broken off and they will
serve Christ only. (Jer 30:1-10)
Jer 30:8-9
c. With joy and singing they shall come unto the Lord at
Zion. (30:1-14)
Jer 31:6
Old Testament Survey p. 105
d. Christ shall rule them with judgment and righteousness. NOTES
Jer 33:15
4. God’s New Covenant with Israel. (Jer 31:31-34)
Jeremiah foretold the New Covenant that God would
make with Judah and Israel. Jeremiah knew that a return
to the Old Covenant was not possible. They had failed to
keep it and brought judgment upon themselves. In fact the
Mosaic Covenant, the Law, was broken by the people at
the very same moment it was being delivered to Moses.
No, the Law could never deliver because of their absolute
failure to keep it. Instead, a New Covenant of Grace was
the only hope for the People.
This New Covenant was in Christ and was sealed by
His own blood. (Jer 31:31-34 cf Heb chs. 8-10)
Heb 8:8-9
Heb 12:24 “And to the mediator of the new
covenant...”
LAMENTATIONS
THE POEM OF TEARS
Introduction: This book of weeping, written by Jeremiah, is
read by the Jews at the feast of the anniversary of the destruction
of Jerusalem. It is divided into five lamentations, each one
complete and covering one chapter each in our Bibles.
Lamentations: Is from the Greek word threnoi which means
lamentations or “to cry aloud.”
The dictionary definition is The act of lamenting or bewailing;
utterance of profound regret or grief; a wailing cry(38)
Date and subject: Jeremiah prophesied of the coming destruction
of Jerusalem and Judah in the book of Jeremiah; now in
Lamentations he looks back after the accomplishment of their
doom. Since we know that Jerusalem and the Temple were
destroyed in 586-87 B.C., then we know that Jeremiah was
written in the half-century preceding that date and Lamentations
a very short time after it. Since the subject is lamenting the destruction
of Jerusalem, then the book is read on the Jewish feast
day commemorating the destruction of the Temple; which is the
ninth of Ab according to their calendar.
Old Testament Survey p. 106
1. The outline of the book. NOTES
LAMENTATION ONE - ch. 1 - JERUSALEM’S PLIGHT
The suffering and ruined city of Zion.
LAMENTATION TWO - ch. 2 - JEHOVAH’S ANGER
The suffering and ruined holy place of Zion.
LAMENTATION THREE - ch. 3 - JEREMIAH’S GRIEF
The suffering representative of smitten Zion.
LAMENTATION FOUR - ch. 4 - JEHOVAH’S ANGER
The suffering people of Zion.
LAMENTATION FIVE - ch. 5 - JERUSALEM’S PRAYER
The prayer of penitent Zion.
2. The central message of Lamentations.
a. Mourning over Jerusalem.
b. New Testament parallel.
Lk 13:34-35
In Luke, Jesus echoed the same thoughts and tearful
heart that was found 600 years earlier in Jeremiah as He
too lamented over Jerusalem.
REVIEW-
1. What event did Jeremiah look forward to in tearful
prophecy that Lamentations looked back on in tears?
2. The New Covenant spoken of in Jeremiah was made in
whom and sealed with what according to Hebrews?
3. Jeremiah is called the what?
4. Lamentations means what?
5. Although Jeremiah tearfully prophesied destruction and
lamented over it after it took place, what else did he
prophesy concerning Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem?
6. And this eventual prophecy will be fulfilled in whom and
when?
7. What New Testament Prophet also mourned over Jerusalem?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Ezekiel.
Review the section on Jeremiah/ Lamentations.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 107
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Twenty
EZEKIEL
The Prophet of Visions
Introduction: Of all of the prophets of the Old Testament,
Ezekiel must be called “The Prophet of Visions.” To understand
the visions of Ezekiel is to comprehend the message of the book.
Date and circumstances: The northern Kingdom had fallen to
the Assyrians in 721 B.C. but Judah, though seriously weakened,
managed to stay free until the Assyrian Kingdom itself fell.
Then, in 597 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar of the Chaldeans invaded
Judah for the second time, pillaged the city, and carried king
Jehoiachin and ten thousand of its important citizens to Babylonia.
Among these was the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel dates his
prophecies from the time of King Jehoiachin’s capture.
The man Ezekiel: Ezekiel, which means God strengthens,” was
a priest. In exile with the group settled in Tel-Abib on the river
Chebar (“Grand Canal”), he evidently was a person of some
repute because his home was used as a meeting place for the
elders. (8:1; 14:1; 20:1) He had a wife, who was dearly-beloved,
but no children.
According to Jewish tradition he was slain by a fellow exile
who chaffed at Ezekiel’s rebuke of his idolatries.
His ministry: His ministry extended from 592 B.C., the fifth
year of Jehoiachin’s exile, until the twenty-seventh year, 570
B.C. It was divided into two parts centered around the fall of Jerusalem
in 586 B.C.
I. Before the fall of Jerusalem. (chs. 1-24)
II. After the fall of Jerusalem. (chs. 25-48)
Pre-fall he was a preacher of repentance and judgment. After
the fall he was a preacher of consolation and salvation. He was
the prophet of the regathering of The People and the restoration
of the Temple, worship, and the land to a purified Israel.
A master of many styles of prose and poetry, he conveyed his
message through several means, all of them striking. Methods
such as: allegory, symbolic actions, and visions, make Ezekiel’s
writings extremely powerful and graphic; and some are also extremely
cryptic. So much so, especially at the beginning and the
end, that the Jews forbad the reading of it to their young men
until age thirty so the soundness and perfection of the scriptures
would not be called in question by them because of those difficult
sections of Ezekiel.
Central message: The central message, “[they] (or “ye”) shall
know that I am the LORD” is found fifty-one times in
Ezekiel’s book and nineteen more times it is there with slight
variation for a total of 70 times. (“LORD” = JEHOVAH)
(6:7, 10, 14; 7:4, 9, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15, 16, 20; et al)
Old Testament Survey p. 108
1. Chief messianic passages. NOTES
a. The Lord, the sanctuary. (Ezek 11:16-20)
b. The wonderful cedar sprig. (17:22-24)
c. The rightful king. (21:26-27)
d. The faithful shepherd. (34:11-31)
e. The great purification. (36:25-35)
f. The great resurrection. (37:1-14)
g. The great reunion (37:21-28)
h. The overthrow of Gog. (chs. 38-39)
i. The life-giving stream out of the Temple. (47:1-12)
2. The original vision. (Ezek chs. 1-3)
Because of time and space, we will only be able to cover
one of Ezekiel’s visions in some detail. The others will be
covered only briefly.
Vision One: Jehovah is the source of Judgment for sin.
a. Judgment. (1:4)
A whirlwind (tornado) encircled with lightnings and
glowing with a brightness emanating from its heart. This
great cloudy tempest swirling fire and marching down from
the north can mean only one thing, the judgment coming
down upon Jerusalem from the Babylonians to its north.
These signs of impending judgment form the back-drop of
the vision.
b. The symbol of the cherubim. (:5-14)
The cherubim, for so Ezekiel calls them in ch. 10, are
described as best as could be using human terms.
Remember, they are spirit beings and therefore do not have
hands, faces, etc. That is why Ezekiel is careful to use the
term “likeness,” (he does so fifteen times) to tell us that his
description is merely an approximation.
These creatures first came in Genesis and were the
guardians that kept man from the garden after the fall.
Gen 3:24
They also are presented as the beast-guardians of the
supreme throne in heaven in the Apocalypse of John.
(Rev chs. 4; 5; et al)
1) Living Creatures with four faces- lion, ox, man, and
eagle. (Ezek 1:5-10)
The obvious symbolism of the faces are:
i. Lion- strength at its greatest.
ii. Ox- service at its meekest.
iii. Man- intelligence at its fullest.
iv. Eagle- heavenliness or spirituality most soaring.
NOTE: When The Son became flesh, He was pictured in
those same four ways in the Gospels.
1. Matthew - Lion 3. Luke - Man
2. Mark - Ox 4. John - Eagle
Old Testament Survey p. 109
2) Four wings and four hands. A wing with a hand be- NOTES
neath on each of their four sides. These symbolizing a
full capacity for service. (Ezek 1:8)
3) They “went every one straight forward.” (:12)
Symbolizing undeviating carrying out of God’s will.
4) Their complete holiness. (:13)
5) Their instantaneousness of action. (:14)
c. Four wheels. (:15-24)
1) Each wheel composed of two 90E offset wheels.
With both wheels standing up vertical, one wheel
rotating north to south and one rotating east to west. It
would be impossible to physically construct such a
thing; but, remember, Ezekiel was trying to explain this
heavenly vision in earthly terms and what he saw was
what he described to us as best he could. (:16-17)
2) So high as to connect heaven and earth. (:15, 18)
3) Omniscient. (:18)
These rims that stretched from earth to heaven and
rotated in all four directions simultaneously were “full
of eyes.” Thus, they saw everything above, everything
below, and everything round about.
d. The wheels possessed “the spirit of the living creatures”
which allowed the wheels to move exactly and instantaneously
in accord with the will of the living creatures. (:20)
e. Summary and application of the wheels and the creatures.
The wheels show that everything on earth, specifically
the coming judgment upon Jerusalem foreseen by Ezekiel
in the lightning encircled tornado, is connected with the
heavenly realm. God is in control and His judgment is
swift and sure. His eyes are everywhere beholding everything
simultaneously and instantaneously.
The living creatures connect with God as the wheels
connect heaven and earth. They were controlled by the
Spirit of God within them. (:12) They represent the life
of God, the Spirit, which was within them.
The wheels connect earth with the heavenly cherubim
who connect with God himself as the creatures nearest to
His throne.
f. The climax of the vision is Ezekiel’s vision of the throne
and the likeness of God upon it. (:25-28)
No one has seen God; but the awesome sight of the
mere representation of His glory drove Ezekiel prostrate
before Him.
The rainbow around the throne is the symbol of Divine
Covenant.
g. The remainder of the vision. (chs. 2-3)
In the remainder of the vision is Ezekiel’s call as a
prophet and his appointment as a watchman to Israel.
h. The symbols and message of the whole vision.
Old Testament Survey p. 110
1) The storm is the coming judgment upon Jerusalem. NOTES
2) The wheels and the cherubim show that behind the
events on earth are the purposes of heaven.
3) The throne and the glory of the likeness of God show
that over all is the supreme Sovereign, Jehovah himself.
4) The rainbow shows that after deserved judgment and
ruin will come the restoration and fulfillment of God’s
Covenant. God is Sovereign and his judgment is sure;
but so is His mercy.
3. Vision two- Sin is the reason for judgment. (chs. 8-11)
a. The profaning of the Temple by the people. (ch. 8)
Ezekiel is transported to the Temple in Jerusalem. And
there he sees the common people worshiping images in one
part, the elders worshiping animals in another (:7-12), the
sexual corruption of the women (:13-15 “Tammuz” is the
“Adonis” of Greek mythology and his cult practiced sexual
abominations), and 25 priests (most likely the high priest
and the heads of the 24 courses of priests) all wor-shiping
the sun (:16) in utter apostasy from true Temple worship.
Thus, from the least to the greatest, from the commoner to
the priest, Ezekiel was shown that idolatry was rampant
throughout Judah.
b. Now Ezekiel sees judgment of the people, at the command
of Jehovah himself.
Six slaying angels are dispatched and one angel of
mercy. No pity is to be shown upon the wicked. This
shows that the judgment of Jerusalem and Judah is to be
sure and complete.
c. “The glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the
city.” (11:23) The glory had moved from the cherub
overshadowing the Ark to the threshold of the Temple
(10:4) and from the threshold to a position over the
cherubim upon the wheels of the vision (10:18-19); and
now, born by the wheeled cherubim, it leaves the city
altogether. (11:22-23) This symbolizes the God-forsaken
state of the city whose doom is now sealed.
d. Application for us today:
Num 32:23 “... be sure your .
I Cor 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time,
until the Lord come, who both will
, and will
make manifest the counsels of the hearts...”
4. Vision three- Jehovah Triumphs over sin. (chs. 40-48)
He sees a symbolic vision of a future Temple, worship & city.
In the words of J. Sidlow Baxter, the main ideas symbolized
by this vision are: “transcendent greatness, Divine perfection,
absolute purity, fulness of life, world-wide blessing, sin forever
removed, righteousness finally triumphant, and Jehovah
Himself in the midst, reigning in never-ending glory.”(15)
Sounds like that pretty well sums it up.
Old Testament Survey p. 111
5. The vision of the valley of the “dry bones.” (ch. 37) NOTES
This vision is probably the most remembered as a vision of
the eventual resurrection of Israel as a nation. The beginning
of the fulfillment of this prophecy can be seen in the rebirth of
Israel as a nation in 1948. The scoffers deemed it to be an
impossibility for Israel to once again exist after nearly two
thousand years of oblivion; and their proof that the Bible was
wrong was this prophecy in Ezekiel. They were proved wrong
again when God used the greatest effort by the devil to wipe
out God’s chosen People, Hitler’s Holocaust, to turn the hearts
of a predominantly Jew-hating world into sympathetic
partners in the reinstitution of the nation of Israel. God is
awesome! He has taken the first step in bringing about the
fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophetic vision; and He did it by
using the devil’s greatest threat against His People.
The lesson we can learn from this is:
Ro 8:28
6. The king of Tyre. (ch. 28)
Although this prophecy was against the king of Tyre,
starting in verse :12 God addresses the true force behind him,
Satan. Study verses :12-19 for a discourse on the original
beauty and position of Satan and his eventual end.
7. A short outline to help you in further study of the book.
We cannot go further into the book at this time. However,
you can and should; it is fascinating. Here’s a short outline to
be used as a framework to help you organize your study.
I. Prophecies Against Judah and Jerusalem. (chs. 1-24)
II. Future Destinies of the Nations. (chs. 25-39)
III. Prophecies of the Restitution of Israel. (chs. 33-39)
IV. Vision of The New Temple and Worship and the Reorganization
of Israel. (chs. 40-48)
REVIEW-
1. Did Ezekiel write from Jerusalem or from exile?
2. What event separated the two parts of Ezekiel’s ministry?
3. What is the central message of the book?
4. What are the main lessons of the three main visions?
Vision One- Jehovah is the source of for sin.
Vision two- Sin is the for judgment.
Vision three- Jehovah over sin.
5. The vision of the valley of the “dry bones” symbolizes the
resurrection of what nation?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Daniel.
Review the section on Ezekiel.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 112
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Apocalypse means ”an unveiling of the secret
purposes of God.”
Lesson Twenty-One
DANIEL
The Prophet of the Supernatural
Introduction: Of all of the books of the Bible that are under
attack by the modernistic, apostate, scholars, Daniel probably
heads the list. They, of course, did not invent the attack, that was
first undertaken in the 3 century rd by a Neo-Platonist scholar
named Porphyry. The book is so full of the supernatural that it
is the target that the unbelieving “bible scholars” shoot at the
most. The false maxim that the modernist judges all scripture by
is “there is no such thing as a real miracle and prophecy does not
exist.” Operating from that “naturalistic” basis they refuse to
believe that Daniel was written by Daniel and place the writing
of it over three-hundred years later at the hands of someone else
who merely ascribed it to Daniel. In short, they believe it is a
forgery. If that is true, then the Bible is a lie and we are all either
on our way to Hell or we are destined to die and go in the ground
and the worms will eat us; i.e., we will suffer the destiny of the
evolutionary imaginations that allow for NO GOD!
Well, praise God the Bible is true and the heretics are liars!
Fulfilled prophecy and miracles are two of the attestations to the
men of God and the inspiration of their writings by God. So we
will say no more of the apostate imaginations of the so-called
“bible scholars.”
Ro 3:4 “... let God be true, but every man a ...”
The book: Daniel was written in the latter years of the captivity
and from the captivity. As Matthew Henry put it: “Ezekiel told
us what was seen, and what was foreseen, by him in the former
years of the captivity: Daniel tells us what was seen, and
foreseen, in the latter years of the captivity. And it was a
comfort to the captives that they had first one prophet and
then another, to show them that God had not quite cast them
off.”(3)
As to the language of the book: 1:1-2:4a are in Hebrew; 2:4b-
7:28 are in Aramaic (Syriac, Chaldee); and 8:1-12:13 are in
Hebrew.
The book is considered Apocalyptic in nature and is comparable
to the book of the Revelation in the New Testament.
The man: His Hebrew name was Daniel, meaning “the judgment
of God,” and his Chaldee name was Belteshazzar, meaning
“Bel’s prince,” Bel being a chief deity of Babylon. The giving
of new names to captives was a custom of the times. Taken
captive in 605 B.C. when Nebuchadnezzar carried the first hostages
away from Jerusalem; he rose to the position of ruler over
Babylon second only to the King himself. We know that he was
still there during the third year of King Cyrus (534 B.C.) which
means he lived in Babylon a minimum of 72 years and must have
Old Testament Survey p. 113
died a very old man. Daniel is cited by Ezekiel, along with Noah NOTES
and Job, as a “righteous man” (Ez 14:14, 20; 28:3) and is one of
only a few men in the Bible about whom God says only good
things.
Central message: The central message of the book is similar to
that of Ezekiel and is found in Dan 4:17, 25, 32.
Dan 4:17 “This matter [is] by the decree of the watchers, and
the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that
the living may know that
, and
setteth up over it the basest of men.”
Outline of the book:
I. The Histories of Daniel. (chs. 1-6)
II. The Prophecies of Daniel. (chs. 7-12)
The histories of Daniel concerned the then current events
while the prophecies of Daniel concerned events that were at that
time future.
I. The Histories. Many of the events of the histories were
fulfilled at that time, true, but they also looked to a future time
such as in ch. 2 which recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s dream but also
prefigures the times of the Gentiles and ch. 3 which told of the
three Hebrew children in the furnace but also pictured Israel’s
later tribulation.
II. The Prophecies. The events of the prophecies concerned
those events of the then coming times of the Gentiles, from
Christ through today to a time yet future, and the events of the
end time.
Old Testament/New Testament connection: Without Daniel the
book of the Revelation cannot be understood and the reverse is
also true. In fact, Daniel is the key to the correct understanding
of scripture prophecy in general and specifically of all of the
prophecies of the “times of the Gentiles” as the Lord called it in
Lk 21:24. In Daniel are prophecies concerning the man of sin,
the Great Tribulation, the second advent of Christ, the resurrection
and judgments and future glory of the righteous; all of
these are the themes of New Testament prophecy and they were
given first in the Old Testament book of Daniel.
Christ and Daniel: Christ quoted, paraphrased, and alluded to
the book of Daniel many times. He called himself the Son of
Man, taken from Daniel. He speaks of the prophecy of the
“abomination of desolation” spoken of by “Daniel the prophet.”
(Mt 24:15; Mk 13:14) He quotes from Daniel 3 times
in the Olivet Discourse (Mt 24:15, 21, 30) and in Mt 26:64 He
uses the words of Daniel 7:13 and applies the prophecy to
himself and His second advent. Daniel 7:13-14 forms the
groundwork of all of Christ’s pronouncements concerning His
Second Coming(15) and His comments on the resurrection (Jn
5:28-29) parallels Dan 12:2. He then paraphrases Dan 12:3 in
Old Testament Survey p. 114
NNOOTTEESS
Ch. 7
DANIEL
4 beasts of prey
representing 4 kingdoms
I. Lion - Babylon
II. Bear - Medo-Persia
III. Leopard - Greece
IV. Diverse beast - Rome
V. 10 horns - Old Roman
Empire
Ancient of Days - Christ
Everlasting Kingdom -
Millennial Kingdom
Ch. 2
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
4 metals of the image
representing 4 kingdoms
I. Gold - Babylon
II. Silver - Medo-Persia
III. Brass - Greece
IV. Iron - Rome
V. 10 toes - Old Roman
Empire
The Stone - Christ
The Mountain - Millennial
Kingdom
Mt 13:43 as He describes the future glory of the righteous.
TWO MOST IMPORTANT PROPHECIES
In Daniel are two prophecies that are basic to the understanding
of many other prophecies in scripture, both in the Old and the
New Testaments..
1. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-image. (ch. 2)
This is basic to understanding those prophecies concerning
the Gentile nations and the times of the Gentiles..
2. The prophecy of the “seventy weeks.” (ch. 9)
This is basic to understanding prophecies concerning
God’s chosen people, Israel.
Since these are basic to understanding both Gentile and Israelite
prophecies in general, we will restrict our study to them.
1. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream-image. (ch. 2 cf. ch. 7)
This prophecy in ch. 2 is paralleled by the beast vision of
Daniel in ch. 7, so we will include both in our discussion.
a. The dream was from God to Nebuchadnezzar. (2:28)
b. To prevent conflicting interpretations, God caused the
dream to leave a lasting and troubling impression upon the
mind of the king but the dream itself fled from him. Thus,
it was necessary for not only interpretation to be made but
for a recounting of the dream itself to prove the worth of
the interpreter. This brought glory to God because of His
showing both to Daniel to give to the king. (2:1-30)
c. The dream was of an image and was a prophecy of four
great kingdoms, beginning with Babylon; and a stone,
Christ, and a mountain that was a fifth and eternal kingdom
to follow and supercede them all. (2:37-45)
1) Head of gold- Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon.
2) Breast and arms of silver- Medo-Persia.
3) Trunk and thighs of brass- Greece.
4) Legs of iron and feet of iron and clay- Rome.
5) Stone that smashes all other kingdoms and becomes a
mountain- the Messianic eternal Kingdom.
d. Parallels with Daniel’s vision in ch. 7.
Old Testament Survey p. 115
NOTES
Prophetic years: The scriptures teach that a prophetic
year is a lunisolar year comprised of 360
days. Both Daniel and John speak of “a time,
and times, and half a (Daniel - the dividing of)
time” (Dan 7:25; Rev 12:14) meaning 3½ years.
And John tells us that 3 ½ years is exactly 1,260
days. (Rev 11:2, 3; 12:6, 14) Dividing 1,260 by
3 ½ years gives us a prophetic year of 360 days.
Chapter 8 is an expansion of ch. 7 and further explores
the rise of the anti-Christ, the “little horn” of 7:8. You
would do well to read it in conjunction with your study of
ch. 7 to help expand your understanding of it.
e. Parallel between Dan 7:9-14 and Rev chs. 4-20. It is
evident that these five verses in Daniel correspond to those
17 complete chapters of the book of the Revelation where
the throne room scene is addressed in detail.
NOTE: It is evident in the scriptures in Daniel and Revelation,
as well as elsewhere, that the Lord will destroy the kingdom
of anti-christ and the other kingdoms that join with him with
a crushing disastrous blow. The current trend of thought that
we will just get better and better until some type of human
utopia, a “human millennium,” will be reached is utterly false.
It is strictly of the devil. The scriptures plainly teach a
sweeping destruction at the end of our present age (Dan 2:34,
35, 43-45) that will bring about the establishment of the
Millennial Kingdom of Christ.
2. The prophecy of the “seventy weeks.” (ch. 9)
a. The first sixty-nine weeks. (Dan 9:25-26)
“Weeks” means sevens- 69 x 7 = 483 years. The
decree of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerusalem is found in Neh
2:5. The date of that decree is found in Neh 2:1 and has
been determined to be March 14, 445 B.C. From that day
to the public announcement of Messiah’s ministry and his
rejection on what is commonly known as “Palm Sunday,”
April 6, A.D. 32, (WS1) was exactly 483 years (483 prophetic
years of 360 days each which comes to 173,880 days) TO
THE DAY! His public announcement and rejection marked
the beginning of His being “cut off,” and it was
prophesied 500 years before His birth with inspired exactitude.
b. The seventieth week. (Dan 9:27)
This week, 7 year period, is treated separate from the
others and is yet to come. It is the time known as the
Tribulation time when, in the midst of it with the beginning
of the Great Tribulation, antichrist will set himself up
in the Temple and desecrate it (Dan 9:27; 7:25 cf II Thess
ch. 2; Rev 13:1-8) and persecute the people of God. This
is also called the time of “Jacob’s trouble” in Jer ch. 30.
c. The interlude between the 69th and 70th weeks.
This unspecified period of time is known as the Church
Age. It is not foretold in the Old Testament prophecies
concerning Israel because it does not concern Israel, but the
Gentile Church. Israel pretty much leaves the pro-phetic
scene with the cutting off of Messiah and is not back center
stage until the 70th week (the Tribulation time when the
Christian believers are gone) other than in a round-about
way in a few prophecies. Thus, Daniel and the other Old
Old Testament Survey p. 116
NOTES
Christophany: In ch. 3 is one of the clearest
accounts of a pre-incarnate appearance of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Such an appearance is known
as a Christophany (3:25)
Werewolf: In the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s
seven years with the beasts (ch. 4) you will see
that which was later perverted into the story of
the werewolf, a satanic imagination invented to
pervert the Word of God; which we know has
been Satan’s objective ever since the Garden of
Eden. (cf. Gen 3:1-5)
Testament Prophets made no mention of it because it did
not concern Israel. It is the “mystery” kept secret that “in
other ages was not made known unto the sons of men...
that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs... in Christ by
the gospel.” In fact, it would have insulted the stiffnecked
Jews to think that the Gentiles would be included through
Christ; so, God did not tell them.
d. Other notable passages in Daniel.
1) Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image and the deliverance of
the three Hebrew children from the furnace. (ch. 3)
2) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a great tree cut down and
the stump left signifying himself being brought down to
graze with the beasts of the field and then restored to his
place as king after seven years. (ch. 4)
3) The handwriting on the wall. (ch. 5)
4) Daniel in the lion’s den. (ch. 6)
REVIEW-
1. Ezekiel told us what was seen, and what was foreseen, by
him in the of the captivity: Daniel tells us
what was seen, and foreseen, in the of
the captivity.
2. What is the central message of the book?
3. What are the two main sections in the outline of the book?
4. What New Testament book is most interrelated with the
book of Daniel?
5. Both Daniel and its New Testament correlation are considered
to be of what nature?
6. What does Apocalyptic mean?
7. Did Daniel’s prophecy of the seventy weeks address Israel
or the Gentiles?
8. Did Daniel or any other Old Testament prophet foresee
the Church Age?
9. Did Daniel write the book of Daniel or was it a forgery
made later and simply ascribed to him?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Hosea, Joel and Amos.
Review the section on Daniel.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 117
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Twenty-Two
HOSEA, JOEL, & AMOS
HOSEA
THE PROPHET OF DIVINE LOVE
The man: Hosea was a contemporary of Isaiah and ministered
to Israel in the north while his counterpart prophesied in
Jerusalem to the south. Preceding Jeremiah who wept over Judah
some 1½ centuries later, Hosea wept over Israel and, later,
probably watched them go into captivity under the Assyrians as
Jeremiah watched Judah fall to the Babylonians.
His name, Hosea, means deliverance. He was a native
Israelite and followed Amos in the line of prophets to Israel. His
style of speech is “abrupt, uneven, inelegant.”(43) He was
prepared for writing the book by the lessons of his unfaithful wife
and her sons by whoredom.
The book: Written by Hosea during Israel’s “twelfth hour,” the
book spans over sixty years from 786-726 B.C. Care must be
taken to glean the understanding of the symbolism which
permeates much of his speech.
The setting: Outwardly there was prosperity in Israel. The
borders had increased, the Temple offerings had increased, and
there was peace since Syria And Moab had been conquered.
Inwardly there was total spiritual decay. Immorality abounded
and Israel was totally given over to spiritual whoredom as they
lusted after Baal and Ashteroth instead of Jehovah. The
abominations of child-sacrifice and sexual abandonment had become
part of worship and the priests condoned all of the spiritual,
physical, and moral abominations of the great and the small.
On the horizon, the Assyrian Empire was poised like a wild
beast waiting for his prey to come within range. Ready to pounce
upon Israel, they unwittingly awaited the signal of God who
would unleash them upon His people, Israel, whom He was now
abandoning to their fate because of their abominations of
rebellion and idolatry.
Outline of the book:
I. Israel’s Sin. (chs. 1-3)
Seen in the unfaithful wife and her children of whoredoms.
II. The Prophetic Discourses. (chs. 4-14)
Judgment is sure and restoration is foreseen.
A. Judgment. (chs. 8-10)
B. Restoration. (chs. 11-14)
Old Testament Survey p. 118
1. Israel’s Sin. (chs. 1-3) NOTES
a. Hosea’s whore/wife symbolizes Israel. (1:1-3)
b. Her children of whoredoms symbolizes judgment. (:4-6)
1) “Jezreel” means “God sows or God scatters.”
The name of this first-born son symbolizes the coming
scattering of Israel by God. This came to pass
when Hoshea, who had been made puppet king by
Tiglath Pileser, was captured by Shalmaneser, Pileser’s
successor, in 721 B.C. and the new king, Sargon,
deported the people and scattered them throughout the
Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C. never to return.(44)
2) “Lo-ruhamah”, a daughter, who’s name means “no
mercy or not obtained mercy.”
Her name symbolizes that God will “no more have
mercy upon the house of Israel.” (1:6)
3) “Lo-ammi” a second son, who’s name means “not my
people.”
At Sinai, Israel covenanted with God to be His people
and He their God. This covenant was broken before
Moses could even descend from the mount to give it to
them. From that time until the time of Hosea, a period
of some 700 years, the people had repeatedly broken
that covenant until God, who is long-suffering, finally
said “enough!” Here, in Hosea, He pronounces His
judgment; “ye are not my people, and I will not be
your God.” (1:9)
c. Promise of eventual restoration. (1:10-11)
d. Judgment of faithless Israel. (2:1-13)
1) Hosea pronounces a divorce which is symbolic of
God’s divorcing of Israel. (2:2 cf. Jer 3:8)
2) The judgment of Israel did come to pass as Hosea said
it would in the symbolism of the putting away of his
whore/wife Gomer. (cf. II Ki 17:5-23)
e. Redemption of the faithless wife. (Hosea ch. 3)
1) Hosea redeems his whore/wife whom he had divorced.
This symbolizes God’s redemption of faithless Israel.
2) “abide for me many days” (3:3)
His redeemed wife would live separately and faithfully
until such time as Hosea would once again take
her as his wife. This symbolizes the time when Israel
would be scattered, without country, without idols,
without sacrifice, living secluded amongst the nations
until such time as God would receive her to himself
once again and He would again be their God.
2. Prophetic Discourses. (chs. 4-14)
In these chapters Hosea gives prophecies of Israel’s sin and
punishment and her repentance and restoration.
Old Testament Survey p. 119
Lesson for today out of Hosea: The lesson from Hosea has to be NOTES
that divine love knows no bounds. Although unfaithfulness
brings pain to God and man, yet God will lovingly redeem. This
truth of redeeming love holds whether it is the wife of Hosea
(Gomer), the earthly wife of God (Israel), the heavenly wife of
the Lamb (the Church), or any sinner that turns to God for mercy.
John 3:16
JOEL
THE PROPHET OF LOCUSTS
The man: The only thing we know of the man is what is written
in Joel 1:1. His name means “Jehovah is God” and he prophesied
mainly about Jerusalem and Judah. Therefore, he probably
was from the southern kingdom, possibly Jerusalem itself. He
made references to the priesthood and some believe he was a
priest himself. However, a careful reading does not suggest that
this was necessarily so.
The book: The book was written by Joel; probably around 830
B.C. during the reign of King Joash, the boy king, when Jehoiada
the high priest ruled as the reagent for the pre-teen boy. It
primarily concerns the destruction caused by a locust plague and
even greater destruction by a greater plague of locusts. These
plagues also prefigure coming destruction by Israel’s enemies and
eventual overcoming of them as well as the final triumph of God
over their enemies during the millennial reign of Christ.
Thus the book carries three messages, three layers of prophecy
if you will:
1. The coming massive plague of real locusts sent from God.
2. The coming invasion by Israel’s enemies sent from God
and His triumphs over them.
3. The final battles with Israel’s enemies and the final triumph
of God over those enemies and the attendant blessings
to be poured out on Israel from God.
NOTE: Here, as in the other Old Testament prophecies, the
Church and the Church Age are not directly mentioned nor foreseen.
However, we must include the final blessings upon the
Lamb’s wife, the Church, as being included in the blessings of
the Millennium because of the multitude of references from the
New Testament and the inferences from the Old.
Outline of the book:
Because there are many who espouse only one message from
the book of Joel, several possible outlines will be given.
Outline One:
I. The Coming Plague of Locusts. (1:1 - 2:11)
II. The Eleventh Hour Hope. (2:12-27)
III. The End Time. (2:28 - 3:21)
Old Testament Survey p. 120
Outline Two: NOTES
I. Plague of Locusts as a Type of the Day of
Jehovah. (1:1-2:11)
II. Call to repentance. (2:12-19)
III. Promise of Showers of Blessing. (2:20-32)
IV. Final Triumph of God in the Day of Jehovah. (ch. 3)
Outline Three:
(This is the simplest and my personal preference. Dr. VBK)
I. The Call to Repentance. (1:1 - 2:17)
II. Israel’s Repentance and Jehovah’s Promised
Blessing. (2:18 - 3:21)
The prophecy of the Holy Spirit: One of the prophecies in Joel
that is directly explained in the New Testament is in 2:28-29
Compare this with Acts 2:16-18 spoken by Peter on the day of
Pentecost when the Church was empowered.
Acts 2:16-18
NOTE: The 2nd part of the quotation, Joel 2:30-31 cf. Acts 2:19-
20, are yet future. Also, the latter part of the quotation, Joel 2:32
cf. Acts 2:21 is a promise that Joel’s prophecy definitely includes
the Gentile believers.
Acts 2:21
Summary: Joel tells of the effects of a past locust plague as well
as a future one. He also looks beyond these insect plagues to the
plagues of Israel’s enemies to come and calls Israel to repentance.
He then, finally, looks to the end times and God’s triumph
over Israel’s final enemies and the promise of God’s blessings
upon Israel and the Gentile believers.
Message for today: The message for today would have to be that
God will triumph in spite of devastation.
AMOS
THE LAYMAN PROPHET
The man: Amos was a herdman and not of the school of the prophets;
i.e., he was a layman with no formal training. He lived in
Tekoa a town six miles south of Bethlehem in what was known
as the “Wilderness of Judea.” His call was the same as that of
David, three centuries earlier. Both were shepherds in the Judean
wilderness and both were called from obscurity to pro-minence
by God; David as king and Amos as prophet to Israel.
Old Testament Survey p. 121
The book: It was written during the reign of King Uzziah in NOTES
Israel probably around 760 B.C. from Tekoa after Amos had been
expelled from the Northern Kingdom for his bold preaching in
Bethel. He had angered Amaziah the head idolatrous priest who
had complained and had him expelled by the king.
Outline of the book:
I. Condemnation of the Nations. (chs. 1-2)
II. Condemnation of Israel. (chs. 3-6)
III. Five Visions of Israel’s Condition. (7:1 - 9:10)
IV. Restoration & Messianic Kingdom. (9:11-15)
Message of the book: This is found in Amos 3:3.
Amos 3:3
Summary: Amos tells us that Jehovah is the God of all nations
and judges and directs one and all by one set of principles of
truth. He understands international relations and holds those with
greater enlightenment to a greater responsibility. Repen-tance is
necessary to escape eventual doom and those who are God’s
people must live righteously or suffer the consequences.
REVIEW-
1. The whoredoms of Hosea’s wife symbolized the spiritual
whoredoms of what nation?
2. What is the lesson for today out of Hosea?
3. What is the message for today out of Joel?
4. What is the message of the book of Amos?
5. Does Amos teach that Jehovah is the God of Israel alone?
6. If not, then what does it teach?
7. Amos teaches that the godly must live .
8. Amos teaches that greater enlightenment brings greater
.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.
Review the section on Hosea, Joel, and Amos.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 122
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
The Edomites: They were the descendants of
Jacob’s brother, Esau, who was called “Edom”
because of the red pottage for which he sold his
birthright to his brother. Remember Jacob was
later named Israel and was the father of the nation
of Israel. Thus, the Edomites were kin to the
Israelites.
Lesson Twenty-Three
OBADIAH, JONAH, & MICAH
OBADIAH
THE PROPHET AGAINST EDOM
or THE PROPHET OF POETIC JUSTICE
The man: Absolutely nothing is known about Obadiah, not even
the name of his father. There are more than a dozen other Obadiah’s
in the Bible but this one cannot be identified with any of
them. He is a singular man out of obscurity that God used to pronounce
but one thing, His (God’s) judgment upon Edom and the
final restoration of Judah under the Lord’s Kingdom. His name
means servant of Jehovah.
The book: The book itself is the shortest of the writings of the
Prophets and the smallest book of the Old Testament and is
concerned, primarily, with God’s judgment upon Edom for its
traitorous alliance with Babylon against their own kin, Israel, at
the destruction and plundering of Jerusalem.
As to when the book was written, no one knows. The best
guess would obviously be some period of time after the plunder
of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587/586 B.C. when Edom
was allied with them but no later than 582 B.C. when Edom itself
was conquered and the Edomites dispersed.
Edom: The capitol of Edom during Obadiah’s time was the rock
city of Petra. This city was later occupied by the Nabathæans
when Edom was conquered by their one-time allies, Babylon.
(Jer 27:3-6; Mal 1:3-4: cf. Josephus)
Outline of the book:
I. Destruction of Edom. (1:1-16)
II. Salvation of Israel. (1:17-21)
Lesson for today: This lesson is found in Ob 1:15.
Ob 1:15 For the day of the LORD [is] near upon all the
heathen:
: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
Compare this with Gal 6:7.
Gal 6:7
The Messianic Kingdom: As did many, if not most, of the Old
Testament prophets, Obadiah ends his prophecy with a promise
of the restoration of Israel and the Messianic Kingdom.
Ob 1:21
Old Testament Survey p. 123
NOTES
JONAH
THE PROPHET OF UNIVERSAL REDEMPTION
The man: Jonah, whose name means dove, was the son of Amittai
and was from Gath-hepher in Zebulun and, therefore, from
the Northern Kingdom. His hometown was three miles from
Jesus’ hometown, Nazareth, and the first mention of him is in II
Ki 14:25 where the record is given of his prophecy of Jeroboam
II’s victory over Syria.
The book: It was written sometime during the reign of Jeroboam
II (794-753 B.C.) by Jonah. It has been said that the book is the
most “Christian” in the entire Old Testament because it shows
that God’s love and redemption are not just for the Jew but for all
who will repent.
Outline of the book:
I. Fleeing. (ch. 1)
II. Praying. (ch. 2)
III. Preaching. (ch. 3)
IV. Learning. (ch. 4)
Message of the book: This is found in 1:2 and 3:2 where Jonah
is told to “arise... go... preach (cry against).”
Lesson for today: There could not be a clearer lesson for us than
the one found in the book of Jonah. It teaches us that mission
endeavors to the worst of the heathen are God’s will! God is
willing that the heathen repent so that He can save them the same
way He will Israel.
II Pet 3:9
NOTE: Many believe that Jonah was a bigot, that He did not
want the foreigners of heathen Nineveh spared from God’s wrath
because they were not “his kind of people,” i.e., not of God’s
chosen nation, Israel. This is not true. Jonah knew that it was
prophesied that the Assyrians, whose capitol was this city Nineveh,
was the rising power during Jonah’s time that would one day
destroy his homeland, Israel. Also, he knew of their reputation
for savagery, brutality, blood, and unspeakable torture upon those
they conquered. Baxter called them the “German Nazis of those
days.” This was the fate (15) that God had prophesied upon Israel
at the hands of these ungodly citizens of Nineveh and the
Assyrian Kingdom. And God was telling him to go preach to
these murderous savages so that they would repent and be spared
to slaughter God’s people? This must have been an intolerable
spiritual crisis for Jonah. So to spare his people- he was willing
Old Testament Survey p. 124
to give up everything of importance in his life. He fled from his NOTES
position, his home, and his calling as a prophet and was willing
to sacrifice his own life, if necessary, for his beloved nation and
the lives of his fellow country-men. He knew that if He went and
preached that God would spare Nineveh and that would seal the
fate of Israel forever. We see his motive finally expressed in
3:10 - 4:2.
This sheds a new light on Jonah. It was not fear, nor bigotry,
nor jealousy, not any other pettiness, it was love and self-sacrifice
that brought Jonah to the belly of the whale. He was wrong,
of course, for putting his people first and obedience to God second.
However, we can see that his motive was lofty even if
misguided.
The resurrection: Not only is Jonah a missionary whale-of-a-tale
where more than 60,000 people were spared because one preacher
unwillingly but finally obeyed the command to “arise, go,
and preach,” but it also is a story symbolic of the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mt 12:40
MICAH
THE PEOPLE’S PROPHET
The man: His name means “Who is like Jehovah?” He was a
contemporary of Isaiah; and while Isaiah, a learned man, ministered
more to the upper classes, Micah ministered more to the
lower classes from which he came and which he defended.
The book: Written some time during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz,
and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and Pekah and Hosea, the last
kings of Israel, the book was composed of prophecies mainly to
Judah but sometimes included both nations. It presented judgment
for idolatry in general and the oppression of the common
people by the upper classes in particular. The book followed the
lead of most of the prophets and also spoke of the ultimate
triumph of God’s grace and the fulfilment of God’s covenant
promise to the faithful remnant.
Written by Micah during the last half of the 7th century B.C.,
it contributed to the revival under king Hezekiah. (Jer 26:18-19)
Outline of the book:
I. Coming Judgment Declared. (chs. 1-3)
II. Future Blessing Promised. (chs. 4-5)
III. Repentance Pleaded. (chs. 6-7)
Central message of the book: The central message would have
to be present judgment and future blessing.
Old Testament Survey p. 125
Lesson for today: The Gentile nations will be blessed also NOTES
during the last days regathering of Israel. (4:1-2)
Two chapters of note:
1. In ch. 4 we have the future kingdom.
2. In ch. 5 we have the future King.
Two passages of note:
1. This book shows us that political endeavors to stop war will
not succeed. Only the Messiah, Jesus Christ, can bring peace
and that will happen during the Millennium and then only by
force. (4:3 cf. Rev 19:15)
2. In Micah 5:2 we have the prophecy of the exact birthplace of
the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Compare this with Mt 2:6.
Micah 5:2
Mt 2:6
REVIEW-
1. The lesson for today out of Obadiah is restated in Gal 6:7;
what is it?
2. Obadiah was the prophet against Edom and could be called
the Prophet of what kind of Justice?
3. What is the lesson for today out of Jonah?
4. What is the message of the book of Jonah?
5. What is the central message of Micah?
6. What is the lesson for today out of Micah?
7. Which book, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah, is symbolic of
the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
8. Which book, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah, gives the exact
place of the birth of Jesus Christ?
9. Which book is the shortest of the writings of the prophets
and the smallest book in the Old Testament?
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah and
Haggai.
Review the section on Obadiah, Jonah, Micah.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 126
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Twenty-Four
NAHUM, HABAKKUK,
ZEPHANIAH, HAGGAI
NAHUM
THE PROPHET OF CONSOLATION
The man and the book: Nahum was a native of the small town
of Elkosh in Galilee. It is believed that he wrote the book
sometime between 621 and 612 B.C. He was a contemporary of
Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Jeremiah.
Message of the book: Although the by-product of the message is
comfort for his people, the main message of the book is found in
verse :3.
1:3
Theme of the book: The impending fall of Ninevveh.
Divine manifestations of holiness:
1. Destruction of the wicked. (1:2)
2. Salvation of the righteous. (1:15; 2:2)
Outline of the book:
I. Doom of Nineveh Pronounced. (ch. 1)
II. Seige and Fall of Nineveh. (ch. 2)
III. Sin, the Cause of Nineveh’s Ruin. (ch. 3)
Lesson for today: Remember, God is cognizant of the oppression
that we suffer and will repay the wicked for their oppression of
us.
Ro 12:19b “... Vengeance is
saith the Lord.”
HABAKKUK
JUDGMENT AGAINST THE CHALDEANS
The man and the book: Habakkuk was a contemporary of
Jeremiah and his name means embracing. The book was written
sometime between 608 and 628 B.C.
Talking to God: The book consists of Habakkuk speaking to God
concerning his, Habakkuk’s, concerns about God’s choices in His
working among the nations.
Central message: The central message of the book is in 2:4b
2:4b “... the just .”
Old Testament Survey p. 127
Comparable New Testament passage and teaching: NOTES
Ro 1:17b “... as it is written,
.”
Outline of the book:
I. THE BURDEN (ch. 1)
The apparent triumph of sin.
II. THE VISION (ch. 2)
Impending punishment of the Chaldeans.
III. THE PRAYER (ch. 3)
A time of confidence in God is coming.
Three important lessons in Habakkuk:
1. God will do right in the nations.
2. Sinful nations will finally perish- including the Chaldeans.
3. The righteous shall prevail (live) by faith.
Five woes in Habakkuk:
1. Against aggression. (2:5-8)
2. Against self-assertion. (2:8-11)
3. Against violence. (2:12-14)
4. Against drunkenness and inhumanity. (2:15-17)
5. Against idolatry. (2:18-20)
Lesson from Habakkuk: The lesson from Habakkuk is that we
can and should rejoice in spite of unpleasant circumstances.
Place your burden before the Lord and the wait on Him for a
solution of the apparent problems. Remember: There are no
such things as PROBLEMS for Christians- only OPPORTUNITIES
for God to show His power in our lives!
READ: Philippians 4:1-19
ZEPHANIAH
JUDGMENT AND REPENTANCE
The man and the book: Zephaniah was a son of Cushi, desendant
of Hezekiah and a contemporary of Habakkuk. He
prophesied around 630 B.C. and his name means hid of the Lord.
Theme of the book: The theme is the great day of the Lord.
Outline of the book:
I. COMING DAY OF WRATH (ch. 1)
II. EVIL NATIONS JUDGED (2:1-3:7)
III. BLESSINGS ON THE FAITHFUL REMNANT (3:8-20)
Lessons from Zephaniah:
1. All nations, including Judah, must give an account for sin.
2. God’s judgment both punishes and purges nations.
3. All nations shall be converted and worship God everywhere.
4. A day of supernatural restoration by the Lord is coming.
Old Testament Survey p. 128
HAGGAI NOTES
THE PROPHET OF THE RETURN FROM BABYLON
The man and the book: He was born in Babylon and, in accord
with the decree of Cyrus, returned to the land under Zerrubbabel.
The book covers the time 16 years after the return of the first
group back to the land and addresses the problem of 14 years of
inactivity in which the Temple should have been rebuilt but
wasn’t. It addressed, in measure, the apparent apathy into which
the people had sunk during that 14 year period.
Central message: This can be found in 1:7-8a.
1:7-8a “Thus saith the Lord of hosts;
house...”
Outline of the book:
I. APPEAL TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE (ch. 1)
II. THE NEW TEMPLE (2:1-19)
III. MESSIANIC KINGDOM (2:20-23)
Lessons for today:
1. In the reproof of chapter one we see that neglect of the house
of God brings God’s curse upon the people.
2. That we must set our minds to obey and THEN God will stir
us up and be with us. (1:12-15)
REVIEW-
1. Divine holiness is manifested in what two ways in Nahum?
a. of the wicked.
b. of the righteous.
2. What is the lesson for today out of Nahum and where is it
found in Nahum and in Romans?
3. What is the central message of Habakkuk and where is it
found in Habakkuk and in Romans?
4. What are the five woes in Habakkuk?
5. What is the lesson from Habakkuk?
6. What is the theme of the book of Zephaniah?
7. Give two lessons from Zephaniah.
8. What is the central message in Haggai?
9. Give two lessons for today out of Haggai.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Read Zechariah and Malachi.
Review the section on Nahum, Habakkuk,
Zephaniah, and Haggai.
Be here next week with your Bible and your
notebook.
Old Testament Survey p. 129
Old Testament Survey
NOTES
Lesson Twenty-Five NOTES
ZECHARIAH and MALACHI
ZECHARIAH
THE PROPHET OF VISIONS
The man and the book: Zechariah’s name means remembered
of the Lord and he was of the tribe of Aaron. He, like Haggai
before him, was evidently among the Babylonian captives that
returned with Zerubbabel. His work began some two months
after that of Haggai and their purposes parallel one another. His
book, consisting mostly of eight visions, has a strong apocalyptic
flavor in the symbolism found in his visions. The bulk of the
book is composed of eight visions encouraging the rebuilding of
the Temple and four visions of the Messianic Kingdom.
Outline of the book:
I. EIGHT VISIONS (chs. 1 - 6)
II. THE LAW AND THE RESTORATION AND ENLARGEMENT
OF ISRAEL (chs. 7 - 8)
III. FOUR VISIONS OF THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM
(CHS. 9 - 14)
Prophecies of Christ: The book of Zechariah is surpassed in
prophecies of Christ only by the book of Isaiah.
Some of these prophecies are: Servant (3:8); Branch (3:8;
6:12); King/Priest (6:13); Lowly King (9:9-10); Betrayed
(11:12-13); Pierced hands (12:10); Smitten shepherd (13:7-9);
Second coming of Christ (14:4, 9).
Key verse:
1:14b “... Thus saith the Lord of hosts;
I. EIGHT VISIONS (chs. 1 - 6)
1. The rider upon the red horse. (1.7-17)
God is jealous over Jerusalem and He will set it up once
again. He is displeased with the heathen for their abuse of His
people.
2. Four horns and four carpenters. (1:18-21)
The four horns represent the four kingdoms, Babylon,
Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome, that persecute His people.
The four carpenters represent God’s instruments of judgment
upon the four persecutors.
3. The man with the measuring line. (ch. 2)
Jerusalem is not to be measured as a man would measure;
but the Lord himself shall be the wall of it.
Old Testament Survey p. 130
4. Joshua, the High Priest, and Satan. (ch. 3) NOTES
Picturing the removing of iniquity and the future glory of
Israel.
5. The Golden Candlestick and the two olive trees. (ch. 4)
The golden candlestick show that Zerubbabel shall have
success in laying the foundation and rebuilding the Temple in
the power of God. The two olive trees represent the anointed
ones of God that fill His people with God’s supply.
6. The flying roll. (5:1-4)
This represents the Word of God that judges.
7. The woman in the ephah. (5:5-11)
Wickedness should go to Babylon, the city of sin.
8. Four war chariots. (6:1-8)
The judgment of the Lord upon the nations.
NOTE: Joshua is crowned as a type of Christ. (6:9-15)
II. THE LAW AND THE RESTORATION AND
ENLARGEMENT OF ISRAEL (chs. 7 - 8)
1. Obedience is better than fasting. (7:1-7)
2. Past misery was because of disobedience. (7:8-14)
3. Restoration and enlargement which prefigures Christ, “The
Jew.” (ch. 8)
III. FOUR VISIONS OF THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM
(chs. 9 - 14)
1. The Messianic King. (chs. 9 - 10)
2. The rejected Shepherd. (ch. 11)
3. The restored and penitent people. (chs. 12 - 13)
4. The divine sovereignty. (ch. 14)
MALACHI
MESSENGER OF THE LORD
The man and the book: Malachi prophesied about 430-420
B.C. He was a contemporary of Nehemiah and Ezra and spoke
against the same sins as they. The book addresses the worldliness
and sloth of the people that beset them after the walls of the
city were rebuilt and work stopped for the next 14 years. This
book is the last of the inspired Old Testament books. After this,
God did not speak to the people for the next 400 years.
Outline of the book:
I. ISRAEL’S LACK OF LOVE FOR GOD (1:6-2:16)
II. GOD WILL COME & JUDGE HIS PEOPLE (2:17-4:6)
Old Testament Survey p. 131
I. ISRAEL’S LACK OF LOVE FOR GOD (1:6-2:16) NOTES
Their lack of love is proved:
1. By their polluted offerings. (1:6-14)
They were supposed to bring only the best, the spotless, for
sacrifices instead:
Mal 1:13b “... and ye brought that
2. By the sins of the priests. (2:1-9)
2:8
3. By their heathen marriages and their divorces. (2:10-16)
II. GOD WILL COME & JUDGE
HIS PEOPLE (2:17-4:6)
1. His messenger will separate the righteous and the wicked one
from the other. (2:17-3:6)
2. The effect of giving tithes and offerings or withholding their
tithes and offerings. (3:7-12)
a. Refusing to give tithes and offerings, which was commanded
under the Law, is robbing God and brings God’s
curse.
3:8-9
b. Giving tithes brings God’s blessing.
3:10
3. Faithful service. (3:13-4:6)
a. Those that speak against serving God are proud and wicked
(3:13-15)
b. God will return and judge between the faithful and the
wicked. (3:16-18)
c. Faithful service will be rewarded. (4:1-6)
God will return and when He does He will set up the
faithful and judge the wicked.
Old Testament Survey p. 132
NOTES
REVIEW-
1. Give four of the prophecies of Christ found in Zechariah.
2. What is the key verse of Zechariah?
3. Write it out:
“... Thus saith the Lord of hosts;
4. Give four of the eight visions in Zechariah chs. 1-6.
He is presented as:
5. According to ch. 7 of Zechariah, obedience is better than
and the past misery of the people was
because of .
6. Give two of the four visions of the Messianic Kindgdom
given in Zechariah chs. 9-14.
7. In Malachi, give two things that proved a lack of love for
God by the people.
8. What chapter in Malachi predicts blessing for giving of
tithes and offerings and a curse for lack of giving them?
9. According to Malachi, will God actually one day judge
between the righteous and the wicked?
10. Does Malachi state that faithful service to God will be rewarded?
11. After the close of the Old Testament with the book of
Malachi, how many years will it be before God once again
speaks to His People?
Old Testament Survey p. 133
May we recommend you obtain the companion volume entitled
“New Testament Survey” by Dr. VanBuskirk.
This current volume, “Old Testament Survey” and it’s companion
volume, “New Testament Survey,” when studied together will
give you a comprehensive, over-all, bare-bones overview of the
entire Bible.
From there you can go on to a lifetime of study of the Scriptures;
and, through those continuing studies, you will be able to add meat
to the framework gained through your study of the two-volume
“Survey” set by Dr. VanBuskirk.
Such continuing study is a commandment of God and
you will be pleasing to Him as you make study of
His Word a daily part of the rest of your life.
II Timothy 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.”
May God bless as you obey Him - we have His word that He will!
Tayorsville, UT 10/10/2005 - 1/27/09
Old Testament Survey p. 134
OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY - BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. King James Version
2. Archer, Gleason L. A Survey Of Old Testament Introduction.
Chicago: Moody Press
3. Packer; Tenney; White; Eds. Bible Almanac, The.
Lynchburg, VA: Old-Time Gospel Hour
Thomas Nelson Publishers
4. Pfeiffer, Charles F.; Harrison, Everett F.; Eds. Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Chicago: Moody Press
5. Easton, M. G., Easton’s Bible Dictionary
6. Evans, William, Great Doctrines of the Bible.
Chicago: Moody Press
7. Moulton, Harold K. Ed. Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised, 1978 Edition, The.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan
8. McGee, J. Vernon, Through the Bible.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers
9. Tidwell, J.B., Bible Book by Book The.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
10. Morgan, G. Campbell, An Exposition of the Whole Bible.
Old Tappan, New Jersey: Revell
11. Spence; Exell; Eds., Pulpit Commentary, The.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
12. Strong’s Concordance
13. Davidson; Stibbs; Kevan; Eds., New Bible Commentary, The.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
14. Funk, Charles E., New Practical Standard Dictionary.
NY & London: Funk & Wagnalls Co. 1946
15. Unger, Merrill F. Introductory Guide to the Old Testament.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan
16. Nave’s Topical Bible
17. Metzger; Coogan; Eds., Oxford Companion to the Bible, The.
NY: Oxford
18. Henry, Matthew, Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan
19. Maclaren, Alexander, Macleren’s Expositions of Holy Scripture.
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co.
20. Smith, Jonathan Z. Ed., HarperCollins Dictionary of Religion, The.
San Francisco: Harper
21. Brown; Fitzmyer; Murphy; Eds., New Jerome Biblical Commentary, The.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall
BIBLIOGRAPHY (cont.)
Old Testament Survey p. 135
BIBLIOGRAPHY (cont.)
22. Jacobus; Nourse; Zenos; Eds., A Standard Bible Dictionary.
NY & London: Funk & Wagnalls
23. Baxter, J. Sidlow, Expore the Book.
Grand Rapids: Zondervan
24. Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language.
NY: Gramercy Books
25. Great Events of Bible Times.
NY: Doubleday
26. VanBuskirk, Dr. T.E., Doctrinal chaos of the Translations, The.
27. Telushkin, Rabbi Joseph, Jewish Literacy.
NY: William Morrow and Co. Inc.
28. O’Neill, Amanda, Historical Facts, Biblical Times.
Baltimore: Ottenheimer Publishers