A very brief overview of the Bible.
The Bible consists of sixty-six books that were written over a 1,600-year period. These books – Genesis to Revelation – speak of man’s beginnings, God’s gracious dealings with man, and the final culmination of all things through the return of Jesus Christ. God’s word gives us a blueprint to live by, and answers such questions as, “who am I, why am I here, and what is my purpose in life”?
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, tells us that God created a world of order and not disorder. We are amazingly, and wonderfully made, and did not come about by accident.
Genesis and beginnings.
When you place a magnet under a piece of paper, and then place iron fillings on the paper, the filings move and form a pattern. In this we see, in a simple way, the visible (iron filings) clothing the invisible (the draw of the magnet). All around us are things that speak of the effect of mind upon matter; of the physical in a sense ‘clothing’ the thoughts of a designer. For example, no one would say that their mobile phone came about by accident and not design.
The human fertilized egg is far more complicated than a mobile phone, yet there are those who want to persuade us that it came about by accident. Nothing could be further from the truth. You and I are amazing, and did not arrive here by accident. We read about this in the book of Genesis; the book of beginnings.
All the laws of the universe were thought of in the mind of God before time. He then spoke these thoughts into existence and the world in which we live was created. Man was placed in this world to look after it, and benefit from a loving relationship with God. In providing a framework of thinking for man, and a rule to adhere to, we see that Man was not created a programmed robot, or a plant that had to grow towards the light, come what may. Man was created to know love, and to be able to love. For this to happen there needs to be freedom to make choices.
In order to have love you need freedom of choice, yet in this there can be a risk: we can make wrong choices. We can choose what to do or not do, (for example I can choose not to eat), yet we cannot always choose the consequences ( I will be hungry).
Genesis tells us that man made the wrong choice, in choosing to doubt God and go his own way, and in doing so transgressed God’s law. When we transgress laws that are put in place to support and help us, we do not so much break the law as ‘break’ ourselves. After all, if you jumped off the B.T. tower in London, you would not break the law of gravity – but you would certainly kill yourself. In transgressing God’s law, man came under the penalty of death.
Death.
Many people think of death as that time when our bodily functions fail and the spirit of man departs; yet death is more than this. Death is not primarily the end of biological existence: it is separation from God. Through sin (a missing of God’s high mark, and rebellion towards Him), we now live in a world of disorder, and clearly reveal our failings, even to the most casual observer. For example, we have more power at our disposal than at any other time in history, yet still allow many to starve to death, and use power to promote self, rather than lift up others.
Something amazing.
The book of Genesis (book of beginnings) tells us that although God is the most wronged person in the Universe, He is the one who reaches out to man so that we may come home to Him – our heavenly Father. This is seen very clearly at the beginning of Genesis where two fallen men approach God, one with the work of his own hands, and the other, with what only God could provide – a life. In this we see that God is both the giver and the receiver. Think of it like this.
Imagine that you owed a lot of money to the bank, and had no way of being able to pay it off. Apart from that you could never get to see the bank manager who lived on the top floor of a well-guarded office block.
One day there was a knock on your door and on opening it you were surprised to see your bank manager. He gave you a large wad of £50 notes and said, “bring this to me tomorrow, and pay off your debt.”
Throughout the Old Testament we read of sacrifices made to God, which brought about temporary remission for wrongdoing. Ultimately they pointed to God’s greatest provision: Jesus Christ who came to make our sin His personal responsibility. Now that’s amazing love.
God’s laws are for our benefit.
The first five books of the Bible are known as the Pentateuch and were written by Moses. He wrote them under God’s guidance and instruction, and in following God’s instructions, a certain amount of freedom came to man. Following Gods law does not earn us freedom, yet enables us to begin to benefit from what has already been provided. Think of it like this: If someone invited you for a meal your response to the invitation does not earn you the meal, but enable you to benefit from what has already been provided.
In every society you find people who think they never need to listen to others. This wanting to do everything by ourselves a trait of fallen man that is seen throughout the Bible. On one occasion things got so bad that God rid the earth of rebellious man, whilst saving Noah, his family, and many animals in an Ark that he had shown Noah how to build.
In flooding the earth we see that God will bring judgment, yet in saving Noah and his family we see that God is very willing to help any who turn to Him.
The story of this flood may well have travelled across the world with the different people groups that were dispersed from Babel.
At Babel we find that man was already reinterpreting God’s commands to suit his own means and build a name for self. Therefore it should hardly come as a surprise that, as we read records of the flood, we find variations on the story. But what was the Tower of Babel, and what was it all about?
The Tower of Babel and scattered people.
Babel was what archeologists now call a Ziggurat, and all across the world we find remains of Ziggurats. A Ziggurat was shaped like a mountain with stairways leading to different levels and sometimes with a temple at the top of the Ziggurat.
But why build ‘mountains’?
Many mountains were venerated in the Ancient Near East, with people believing mountains were a meeting place of the gods, and a source of fertility. But how did this thinking arise?
Eden (where man first lived), was in a mountainous region in Mesopotamia and the headwaters of the Tigris, Euphrates, Pishon and Gihon flowed from this area. Since man had originally been with God in a high place, when mankind moved out over the flat plains he built artificial mountains and wrongly assumed that a god, or gods would meet man at the top. Many ancient cultures believed they could walk into a temple at the top of a ziggurat, and in doing so walk into heaven. But how is it that Ziggurats were built across the world from S. America to China?
God looked at what man was doing at Babel and scattered him all over the world, confusing the people by giving them different languages. There was no point in having everyone walk up the wrong ‘garden path’ so to speak, and there was purpose in this scattering as shall be seen. Morphologists (those who study language and its formation) confirm that language suddenly appeared on the scene as very complex, and a lot more intricate than what we have today. This scattering also explains why we have Ziggurats appearing across the world, as many, now separated into different people groups, continued with their erroneous beliefs.
The Old Testament reveals that those who did not accept God’s revelation quickly became polytheistic – believing in many ‘gods’. Anything that was bigger than man was soon deified and worshipped. In this man often ‘developed’ strange and peculiar systems about different gods, and in serving these gods sought to control what would happen in life. It was a case of the more I do for the gods, and the more I keep on their right side, the more they will do for me. In both the Bible and ancient history we see that sometimes led to human sacrifice (e.g. Aztec and Canaanite civilizations), and the preying upon the weak and other groups that wandered into your territory. Whilst some people groups displayed a moral code of sorts, there were none like Israel when she served the Lord God, because God clearly instructed His people to look after the alien and poor, the widow and the orphan in their midst. Israel was to always be aware of the grace that she had received, and that it was a grace that was to be shared with others. This does not mean that Israel did not have to come against her enemies on occasion, as the history of the Old Testament reveals. Yet on all the occasions where Israel succeeded, it was obvious that their success was down to God and not their own abilities. But why did God work with Israel in the first place?
Israel a light to the nations.
The nation of Israel came about through God working with a man called Abraham and his descendents who were called to be a light to all the other nations. The following illustration may help to see why this was done.
If three mechanics came to look at your car and gave you three different diagnoses concerning what was wrong, there would be a problem. In order to find out which one could really do the job you would need to look at their previous work, reputation and fruit of their labour.
This simple illustration reveals one reason why God worked with Israel. It was not that Israel was any better than anyone else, or that God was showing favouritism. What He was effectively saying to the world was: “in working with one group of people who listen to me, I will reveal to you that it is not by human might or power that you find life in all its fullness, but in me.” However we also need to remember that reaching out to Israel in this way was not to the exclusion of everyone else, as the mention of people such as Hagar, Melchizedek, Rahab, Namaan, and the city of Nineveh, and Babylon clearly reveals.
All good things come from God.
The Old Testament shows us how Israel became a wise and powerful nation when she genuinely served the Lord. As has already been mentioned, Israel was commanded to look after the alien and the poor, the widow and the orphan – to give out to those who could give nothing in return. Israel was also told to take one day in every seven, not to do good works for God, but to sit down and remember that all the good things they had received came from their heavenly Father.
An imperfect being can never pay the perfect price for his wrongdoing, and Israel needed to remember that blessing was received and not achieved. All blessing came from God’s goodness, and this is why Christianity is more about what God has done than anything else, because in Jesus we see God stooping low to reach man.
Despite great blessing from God the Old Testament reveals that Israel still rebelled and often went her own way. In light of this it is hardly surprising that we read of Israel being taken into captivity on more than one occasion. In allowing this, God was chastising His people, and allowing them to experience the true fruit of their actions. However He always brought them back to Himself, and throughout their history spoke to them through prophets, priest and kings, some of whom spoke of a forthcoming Messiah. No one in Israel was perfect, and the sacrificial system only provided temporary remission of sin. What was needed was someone who perfectly fulfilled the Law and was willing to stand in man’s place.
Jesus Christ.
In the four gospels, found at the beginning of the New Testament, we read about the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Jesus we see the pre-existent Son of God coming in flesh and blood. In His birth, life, death and resurrection we see what God is really like: perfectly holy and perfectly loving.
In His teaching Jesus clearly revealed the grace and mercy of God, and that God had no time for the religious leaders of the day who laid heavy burdens upon the lives of the people. These heavy burdens came about, in part, because Israel was now under the domination of the Roman Empire. They now thought they had to work hard at pleasing God in order to get out from under Rome. Yet their idea of works put them against God. They were ignoring revelation and saying: “This is what God wants.”
God had promised that He would send His Son for all people, but Israel reinterpreted the prophecies about the Messiah to mean that He would come and destroy those who oppressed them and in doing so, set them free – but only them! Such is fallen human nature.
God did not send His Son for a select few, but so that everyone could take up the offer of salvation. That offer is open to each one of us and does not come through a priest or religious leader, or particular church denomination. It is the direct offer to each of us from our heavenly Father.
God did not have to send His Son into this world because there was something He needed from us to make Him look bigger and better; neither did Jesus have to come. Jesus came because although God is the most powerful being, He is also the most compassionate. Power and gentleness are not usually found together – but in Jesus they meet, and are expressed in a life that continuously reached out to all people regardless of religion, race or background. Jesus rose from the dead, and offers life to all who repent of their wrong doing – which is sin against God - and trust in Him.
Most of us can think of someone we do not really want to associate with (such as a murderer) and see a great distance between this person and ourselves. The distance between God and us is far greater, and God is the Holy One with standards that are much higher than anything else in the world, and one day He will judge sin wherever it is found. Yet still He comes to offer us reconciliation – to offer us life. All across the world people are turning to Jesus. They are not forced into it, born into it, and nor do they earn forgiveness. The only way to receive forgiveness is as a gift.
The rest of the New Testament up to Revelation.
The rest of the New Testament, after the gospels, speaks about how the early church was shaped by the work of the Holy Spirit who comes to live with all who trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
The church is not a building but a group of people who have accepted Christ. They are ordinary people from all walks of life and make mistakes at times. Yet all those who make up church, under the headship of Christ, seek to live as God intends them to, under the guidance of His Spirit who leads us through the written word – the Bible. So why aren’t Christians perfect?
A Christian is someone who has been accepted as perfect in position, because Jesus stands in his or her place. Because of Jesus they are pronounced right with God. The power of old thinking has been broken, and they are restored to fellowship with God. Yet they still need to get rid of the rubbish of old ways and learn to appropriate all that is now theirs in Christ. Perhaps the following illustration may help at this point.
If you were given a brand new laptop for Christmas, that laptop would be yours straight away. However in order to benefit from the laptop you would need to open it up and learn how to use it. As you learnt how to use it you would be able to benefit from what was already there, and already yours.
Many hurting and struggling people come to Christ, as do those who have found great success, yet not the peace or security they thought it would bring. In coming to Christ, they come home to their heavenly Father. Their lives are now about appropriating what is already theirs by virtue of Christ. As believers learn to trust and obey God they grow in their relationship with God and begin to benefit from all that has already been provided for them.
The New Testament shows believers in Christ how to live by the Holy Spirit and through the many letters that are written, along with the teaching of the Old Testament, they learn how to deal with old patterns of thinking, and see life from God’s perspective, and as it really is. Dealing with problems is only part of the picture because God also leads believers in Christ deeper into Him, helping them to become all that we were meant to be. God knows what everyone would have been like had they not been hurt and damaged by their own wrong thinking and the wrong thinking of others.
The last book of the Bible is called Revelation (meaning the unveiling) and speaks about the return of Christ to planet earth. This time He will not come as a servant but as a king to call all the living and the dead to account. If we know Him we will live with Him. If we have refused to accept what He has done then we live by our own choices eternally separated from God in punishment. There is no need for this to happen. God has done everything we need in order to know forgiveness and find real life. He reaches down to the very door of our life. The choice is ours.
As has already been said, these few short pages are a very simple overview of the Bible. You can stop here, or read the next section which goes on to tell us what all the books in the Bible are about.
THE NEW TESTAMENT – THE ORDER IS THE MOST LIKELY ORDER IN WHICH THE BOOKS WERE WRITTEN ACCORDING TO SCHOLARSHIP.
MARK
The earliest and simplest Gospel, thought to have been written around AD65. Mark shows us the humanity of Christ.
MATTHEW
Written circa AD 80 and 90. Matthew writes from the Jewish perspective. Jesus is the Messiah, and Matthew is conscious of the unbreakable link between the old and the new, hence he traces the genealogy of Christ back to Abraham.
LUKE
Written between A.D. 80 and 90 by the only Gentile writer in the N.T. Luke’s called by God to show Jesus in his all-embracing love – hence he traces the genealogy back to Adam. He sees Jesus in terms of the whole world.
ACTS
Also written by Luke. Without Acts we would have very little knowledge of the history of the early church. Luke does not give us a consecutive history so much as open a series of ‘windows’ through which we catch a glimpse of how the early church spread under the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit.
JOHN
John wrote around AD100. By this time Christianity had spread well beyond Judaism and was encountering (and dealing with) false teaching etc. John starts his gospel by pointing out that Jesus is the Word. The Greek for ‘Word’ is ‘Logos’ and Logos has two meanings, which no single English word can express. Logos means ‘word’ and Logos means ‘mind.’ A word is an expression of a thought and so in Jesus we see the mind of God. Look at Jesus and how he reached out to people and cared for them. This is the mind of God revealed. Now that’s good news.
GALATIANS
Not written to a specific church but to congregations in the area of Galatia. Paul is under attack from those who think you must be a Jew before being a Christian and follow set laws once you’ve become a Christian to get right with God! Paul effectively says “No-way; you cannot earn any favour with God by your own good works – Jesus Christ has done it all, and the Holy Spirit is with you because of Jesus Christ.” There is no such thing as a second-class citizen in God’s kingdom. You are precious to Him. Legalism does not get you anywhere.
1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS.
Paul was in Thessalonica for about 3 weeks before having to be smuggled out. However people had come to Christ and the Spirit’s work continued after Paul had gone. Through Jesus people had come home to their heavenly Father. However, at that time they wondered when Jesus was going to come back and so some were doing nothing and becoming a little lazy. Paul deals with the issues.
1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS.
Paul paints it as it is!! The church at Corinth was in a real mess – but note his opening comment. The church still belonged to God. It was just that people had to spend a little time working things out – partly because of the difficult lifestyles they would have had in a place known for it’s ‘anything goes’ attitude. Paul comes against favouritism and those who just carry on with the old life. When God breaks in there is a real Spirit-empowered difference, and no excuse for not seeking to change.
ROMANS.
Paul wrote this long letter circa AD57 whilst he was in Corinth. He begins by showing the universal failure of man on his own – but goes on to speak of a right relationship with God and that all is of grace. Grace means unmerited favour. It was a word, for example, that spoke of the act of giving a gold coin to soldiers when a new Emperor came to the throne. The soldiers did not earn it – it was purely a gift to receive. Jesus is a gift to receive. If you think you can earn salvation, then sorry, you haven’t met the right Jesus.
EPHESIANS.
Ephesus was a strong occult centre with temples that had been around for upwards of 400 years. The main pagan worship system was centred around Diana/Artemis, and was a female-dominated cult. However the occultism at Ephesus was no match for God. Paul points out that it always was God’s plan to reach out to people and that people did not come to another power in the market place, but to the one true God, the power behind the Universe, who seeks to be like a Father to those who are lost. The Ephesians did not need sophisticated strategies to deal with the evil around them; they needed to know God, hence the particular way Paul prays for them.
COLOSSIANS
Paul wrote this letter around AD62 when he was under house arrest/prison, in Rome. Heresy was threatening the church, and people were beginning to think that all physical things were evil and spiritual things good. The particular belief of the day saw Jesus as an emanation from a spiritual God who could not touch the physical world. Paul points out who Jesus is and what He came to do. Jesus comes into the mess of our lives and makes it His personal business so that we can be free in Him. Now that’s real love. In Jesus the fullness of the deity resides in bodily form (Col 2:9).
PHILEMON
Paul wrote (Circa AD 62) to his friend Philemon from prison. Philemon’s runaway slave had been saved and was now returning.
PHILIPPIANS.
Another letter from prison circa AD 62! Paul’s answer to all difficulty and hardship is that in all things we should seek to be like Christ. In Jesus we see what we were created to be like (he’s the real blue-print), also seeing the depth of fellowship we can have with our heavenly Father. Jesus – our heavenly King- exchanged riches for rags and made our sin His personal business so that we could exchange our rags for His riches, and know the power of His Spirit in our lives.
1 AND 2 TIMOTHY, TITUS.
These letters contain a lot of instruction about the church. The message can be summarised in the words of 1 Tim 3:15 – how to behave in the household of God.
HEBREWS.
No one is sure who wrote this letter – although it was obviously under the inspiration of God for our benefit. The main point of this letter is to show how Jesus is greater than all previous institutions etc and is therefore the fulfiller of all things. Some of the things in the O.T. – like the priesthood – are a shadow. A shadow points to that which makes the shadow. Everything points to Jesus. So I suppose you could say that He takes the black and white of the world and turns it into colour!!! There is much more to life than meets the eye.
JAMES
A very practical letter challenging those who said they were saved but did not have much in the way of a changed life. This sort of faith without works is dead. It’s not that works save you, but they do show if a person has changed or is just going through the motions of being a Christian but has never really met Jesus. Sorry, but the church can be full of such people!!
1 AND 2 PETER.
1 Peter stresses Christian responsibility to God and Jesus: – You received new life so get on and work with it. If you get a computer for Christmas it is yours but you still have to learn how to use it. Engage your minds with the ways of God – that is what they were made for.
2 Peter is a reminder and warning to watch out for false teachers – these sort of people were dealing with myths and giving different meanings to scripture to suit themselves. It can all sound a bit confusing at times – but think of it like this: The more pieces of a jig-saw you put down, the more likely you are to see the full picture – get it?
JUDE
He encourages people to keep themselves in the love of God, which is so unique that you have to keep looking at it!! He seeks to challenge those who do their own thing, or have gone off the rails a little.
1,2 and 3 JOHN.
It has been said that a suitable title for these letters (they’re small so we could call them postcards!*!) would be, “The Tests of Life.” John reminds the people he writes to that Jesus really did come, and encourages them to walk in the light. God is love, and the way He demonstrated this great love for us was by sending Jesus – who willingly came – to die in our place.
REVELATION.
This book contains a lot of imagery and to understand this we need to look to the O.T. and see how it is used. Why use imagery though? Well, think of it this way: – If you had to explain to a man hidden away in Africa how fast a car could go, when he’d never seen a car, you’d have a problem wouldn’t you? What you’d have to do is to use something he could identify with. So you could say “A car is as fast as a Cheetah.” Get the point?
John wrote the book of Revelation whilst exiled on Patmos. Christians were going through a tough time and some were being, or soon to be, forced to choose between Caesar and Christ. John reveals how God is in control of all history and will bring things to the end he desires.
An atheist historian called Edward Gibbons wrote a famous series of books called “The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire.” In them he grudgingly admits that the only thing left standing when the Empire fell was the most persecuted people of all – the Christians! Life may not always be easy – but I’d rather go through it with Jesus than on my own. Christ is building His church – and you are a part of that. Always see yourself as God sees you. You are a Christian, accepted through the work of another – Jesus, His Son – and empowered by the work of another – the Holy Spirit. You are a son or daughter of the living God. He knows every hair on your head. He knows all the things that affect you, bother you, and may have stained and damaged your mind over the years – and He knows how to deal with everything so that you can really know what life is all about.
An overview of the Old Testament periods of revelation.
1. Beginnings.
a. Biblical source: Genesis 1:1- 11:26 (up to time of Abraham).
b. Revelation’s form Person to person, from God to man. God is personal – He takes the initiative
(eg 3:8f)
c. Content of revelation: God’s plans and actions – he speaks of His covenant ( a legally binding
agreement between two parties) revealing grace and mercy. Origin of the
nations.
d. Persons: Adam and Noah.
GENESIS: Key word = Beginning. Message = The failure of man met by the salvation of God.
Human failure is met by God’s grace and activity.
2. Patriarchal Period.
- Biblical source: Genesis 11-50. (Abraham to birth of Moses circa 2166-1527BC)
- Revelation’s form: Theophanies (God appearing in human form), dreams and visions to his
chosen ones.
- Content of revelation: Personal communication and instruction. The election of a nation for his
purpose (light to all nations).
d. Persons: Patriarchs (‘patriarch’ meaning head of father’s house, founder or ruler of
tribe), especially Abraham.
3. Mosaic Period.
- Biblical Source: Exodus – Deuteronomy and Psalm 90 (Moses). Circa 1527-1406BC.
- Revelation’s form: Theophanies, miracles, signs, oracles, prophecy, written law, forms of
worship.
- Content of revelation: God’s providence – the redemption of a nation. He rescues, He
communicates, He educates, and He enables.
- Persons: Moses, Aaron and Miriam.
EXODUS: Key word = Redeem. Message = Redemption by blood. Between close of Genesis and the
opening of Exodus 3.5 centuries intervene. Genesis speaks of man’s failure under every
test and condition but Exodus shows God coming to a nation’s rescue. His purpose is to
bring us home. His purpose is to dwell in the midst of His people.
LEVITICUS: Key words = Holiness and Atonement. Message = Access to God through blood /
lifestyle of the redeemed. The original HEBREW title of this book is Va-yich-rah,
meaning “And He Called” Access to God is on the basis of what He provides. Sanitation
laws were unlike anything else in the Ancient Near East and modern science finds no
fault with them.
NUMBERS: Key word = service. Message = Saved to know and serve. Watch out for unbelief. Called
‘Numbers’ because it records two numberings of Israel – at Sinai (ch 1) and in Moab (ch
26). Hebrew name is B’midbar, meaning ‘In the wilderness’, The book covers wanderings
and experiences of Israel in the wilderness, and is partly historical and partly legislative.
DEUTERONOMY: Key word = Obedience. Message = The motive for and necessity of obedience.
Obedience does not earn anything from God – it reveals what is already present.
Open your curtains in the morning and you do not earn the sunlight – you reveal
what is already there….get it?
4. Period of consolidation (Israel’s slow establishment in Canaan).
- Biblical source: Joshua and Judges, Ruth , Samuel. Circa 1406-1010BC.
- Form of revelation: The Spirit move on men, God spoke. Miracles, angels, priestly oracles,
prophecy. .
- Content of revelation: Communication of God through the judges about establishment of Israel
in the Promised land. Confirmation of revelation through blessing for
obedience and punishment of sin. Joshua: Possession of a nation;
Judges: Oppression of the nation; Samuel: Stabilisation and expansion of
the nation.
- Persons: Joshua, and Judges (eg Samson, Gideon) Samuel and Judges possibly
compiled in part by Samuel.
JOSHUA: Key word = possess. Message = Faithfulness of God. Shows God’s faithfulness, and His
hatred of sin. In order to enjoy God’s gifts we must appropriate them. Up to this point God
had spoken in dream, vision or by angelic ministry. There is also the ‘books of the law.’
JUDGES: Key words = “Right in his own eyes”. Message = Spiritual decline and God’s grace in
restoration. Book takes its name from the 14 Judges who ruled and delivered Israel. The
book covers the period between the conquest of the land and death of Joshua to judgeship
of Samuel and introduction of the monarchy in Israel. Shows the proneness of the human
heart to wander away from God. The amazing thing is that God pursues and restores His
backslidden people.
RUTH: Key words = Rest, Redeem. Message = Rest through redemption and union. Shows the
power of pure love to overcome all difficulties. One of the chief purposes of the book is the
tracing of the genealogy of King David. The primary message of the book is rest. This
book is a pre-intimation of the calling of the Gentiles. The Moabite shut out by Law (Deut
23:3) is admitted by Grace. Ruth found rest through redemption and union with her
redeemer
1 & 2 SAMUEL: Key words = Prayed; before the Lord. Message = The place and power of prayer,
and, sin is always found out. Shows the suffering that polygamy brings (1:6),
disasters that indulgent fatherhood brings (2:22-25); the danger of outward ritualism
(4:3, “IT” not the Lord “may save us”).Samuel is given by God in answer to prayer
(1:10-28) Victory was given to Israel through Samuel’s prayer (7:7-10); Samuel
seeks the Lord in prayer (8:5,6). A praying man learns secrets from God (9:15). The
second book of Samuel is devoted to the history of King David.
5. Davidic Period (40 year reign of David 1010 – 970BC
- Biblical source: Psalms, Samuel, and info from 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles.
- Form of revelation: The Holy Spirit, especially through David (note anointing of kings)
- Content of revelation: God’s will in how kingdom should function, – the expansion of a nation.
Note man’s inability to succeed on his own.. Song and poetry of God’s
deeds through Israel.
- Persons: Samuel, David and Nathan
6. Disruption Period.
- Biblical Source: Wisdom Literature: Proverbs, some Psalms eg 72, theological explanations
from 1 and 2 Samuel, Kings and Chronicles. Ecclesiastes, Job. Circa 970-760
BC. Although the nation Solomon inherited became more and more powerful
under the leading of the Lord, Solomon later sowed seeds that led to division
and downfall.
- Form of revelation: Period covers Hebrew rise and decline under Solomon, and the period of
divided kingdoms up to appearance of inspired writing prophets. Written
observation and reflections of wise men, miracles of Elijah and Elisha,
prophecy. God speaks.
- Content of revelation: Ethical teachings, wisdom literature emphasised what is best in life in view
of God’s purpose for life.
d. Persons: Solomon, Elijah, Elisha.
1 /2 KINGS: Key words = As David his father / According to the word of the Lord. Message = God is
sovereign over Israel and the fulfilment of the Word of the Lord. Gives the first hint of a
new chronology. In 1 Kings 6:1 the period between the Exodus and the beginning of the
Temple building under Solomon, is given as 480 years, whereas it was 573 years. BUT!
The difference of 93 years is exactly the length of time covered by the captivities in the
book of Judges. So this is God’s spiritual chronology.’ During the 93 years Israel was
under the heel of the oppressor, not God. The book (1) shows the causes of the
establishment and decline of the kingdom. Men failed to reach the human
standard, (as David his father: 3:3,14; 9:4,33,38; 14:8; 15:3,11) let alone God’s.
Second kings contains the history of Israel and Judah from Ahab to the captivity, a
period of circa 300 years. The first half of the book is taken up with the account of
Elijah’s ministry of 66 years. The second half deals with events leading to the fall of
Samaria and captivity of Israel, and fall of Jerusalem and captivity of Judah. Israel had
19 kings, not one being good, whilst Judah had 19 kings and one Queen – eight of
whom were good.
1 &2 CHRONICLES: Key words: God reigns over all / prepare the heart. Message = The Lord is
Sovereign over all, and seeking and serving the Lord. From beginning to end 1
Chronicles is occupied with magnifying God and giving Him His right place in
Israel Pre-eminence is given to the activities of the Lord on behalf of His people.
In 1 and 2 Chronicles the history of God’s people is viewed from the
ecclesiastical and NOT the political standpoint, from the Divine
and Not from a merely human point of view. For example: In Kings 7:8 we are
told that Solomon built for Pharaoh’s daughter a separate house, but Chronicles
(2 Chron 8:11) informs us that it was not built in Jerusalem, because Solomon
felt that an idolatress (though his wife!) should not dwell in the holy city. Another
example: Chronicles points out that in his apostasy, Jeroboam not only
worshipped the golden calves, but also devils (2 Chron 11:15). Another
example: 2 Kings 21 has much to say concerning Manasseh’s
wickedness, but it is only in Chronicles (2 Ch 33:1-16) we are told of his captivity
in Babylon, and his restoration to God and his throne. Because of this he has
been called the “Prodigal of the Old Testament.”
ECCLESIASTES: Key words = Under the Sun. Message = Life without God is a disappointment.
Israel divided into two ‘nations’ – Israel and Judah.
King Solomon imposed a heavy burden on the nation with forced labour and high taxes to aid his building projects. After his death (c 922BC) his son Rehoboam refused to lighten the burden. This caused the ten tribes in the north of Israel (north of Bethel) to declare their independence – and, confusingly for us, called themselves Israel. They were initially under the leadership of Jeroboam (previous head of forced labour under Solomon). Their capital was Samaria, meaning ‘look-out.’
The remainder of the now divided nation became Judah (the southern kingdom) and was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with Jerusalem as the capital. Israel went into idolatry and Judah was weakened by attacks from Egypt that greatly reduced her wealth. Centuries later the Assyrians lay siege to Samaria in the Northern Kingdom and in 722BC Israel went into captivity. In 597BC the Babylonians captured Jerusalem (capital of S. Kingdom), which was again defeated in 586BC.
7. Period of the 8th century B.C. prophets.
- Biblical Source: Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah..
- Form of revelation: Men moved upon by the Holy Spirit. Prophetic Visions.
- Content of revelation: Messages of judgement and promise that called Israel back to her former
faith. Sovereignty of God in history. Concerning Isaiah we note some of
the prophecies about Christ: Ministry of the Messiah (11:1-16),
Jerusalem’s ideal King (16:5) foundation stone (28:16), teacher (30:19-26).
God’s new government (32:1-2), ministry of the servant (42:1-17), success
of servant (49:1-13), confidence of servant (50:4-11), suffering servant
(52:13-53:12), great invitation (55:3-5)
- Persons. Isaiah (740-690) & first six prophets writing before Judah was sent into
exile for disobedience. Obadiah (worshipper of God) 840-830. Theme:
Warning against: Pride. Anti-Semitism.
JOEL: (The Lord is God) 830-820. Taught the value and importance of repentance. Nothing is
really known about Joel apart from his name.
JONAH: (Dove) 780-760. Commission. The extent to which God goes to enable people to come to
repentance. Jonah was a Galilean who began his prophetic career as Elisha chose him. A
prophecy of his is preserved for us in 2 Kings 14:25-27 – therefore he was a fully accredited
prophet.
AMOS: (Burden Bearer) 755-750. National sin =national judgement. A native of Tekoa, which was
12 miles from Jerusalem, and 6 from Bethlehem. Therefore he belonged to Judah. Amos
was an ordinary working man, a herdsman and ‘dresser’ of sycamore trees. The sycamore
fruit (the wild fig only eaten by the poorest) can only be ripened by puncturing it. Though
native to Judah he prophesied in and against Israel. His ministry began two years before
the earthquake (1:1). It must have been a big one because Zechariah speaks of it nearly
300 years later (Zech 14:5)
HOSEA: (Salvation) 760-710 Showing how willing God is to restore the backslider. Hosea was
a contemporary with Amos, Isaiah and Micah who laboured in Samaria before retiring
to Judah
MICAH: (Who is like God?) 735-700. God hates injustice/ delights in pardoning. Nothing really
known about him apart from that he belonged to Judah, was a contemporary of Isaiah and
that Isaiah must have been prophesying 17-18 years before he began his ministry. To
Micah, God was everything.
ISAIAH: (God saves / has saved) A man of royal blood, his father, Amoz being a younger son of
Joash, King of Judah. Isaiah was a strong and committed man who became a statesman,
and wielded great influence for good in the State. He married a woman who shared the
prophetical gift, had at least two sons, laboured for 60 years and died a martyr in the reign of
Manasseh, according to tradition.
8. Later prophetic period
Extending from the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon in 586BC. Prophecy was restricted to southern Judah; Samaria having already fallen.
a. Biblical sources: Books of 7th cent minor prophets: Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah.
b. Form of revelation: Personal communication from God to man, prophetic visions, acts of revelation
in judgement (captivity).
c. Content of revelation: Messages of judgement and promise to Judah.
d .Persons…
NAHUM (Compassionate) 650-620 Theme: destruction of Ninevah for oppression & idolatry. A
native of Galilee and contemporary of Hezekiah and Isaiah. Upon
the Assyrian invasion and deportation of the 10 tribes he escaped into the
territory of Judah, and took up his residence in Jerusalem where he
witnessed, seven years after the siege of that city by Sennacherib, and the
destruction of the Assyrian host, when 185,000 perished in one night,
ZEPHANIAH: (Hidden by God). 630-620. Judgement on Judah and protected nations.
HABAKKUK (Embraced) 620-605. Justice/ justification by faith. Judging from 1:5,6 Hab must have
lived and laboured in the later part of the reign of Joash (see 2 Kings 22:18-20)
JEREMIAH (Established by God 625-585 Warning/ expectation of God). Covenantal reaffirmation on
Christ. Jeremiah was the son of a priest in the land of Benjamin. Started speaking in the
13th year of the reign of King Josiah in BC 626. A teenager when he started.
9. Exilic Period.
- Biblical source: Books of Daniel and Ezekiel.
- Form of revelation: Vision, dream, rapture (carried to distant place/scene eg Ezek 8:3)
- Content of revelation: Expectation of nations religious and political restoration by Christ.
Apocalyptic. The glory of God, and goodness and severity of God.
- Persons: Daniel (God is my Judge) Ezekiel (strengthened of God). Both were among
the captives carried to Babylon on the occasion of Nebuchadnezzar’s
invasion of Palestine.
DANIEL: (God is my Judge). A young captive carried to Babylon after Nebuchadnezzar’s invasion of
Palestine. Probably belonged to a family of high rank. His whole life was spent in Babylon
(69 years). Shows how powerfully God can work with a person even amidst his enemies and
as part of a nation undergoing punishment.
EZEKIEL: (God will strengthen) A priest belonging to the aristocracy of Jerusalem. At the age of 25 (11
years before the destruction of the Temple) he was carried captive to Babylon. (He was a
contemporary of Jeremiah and Daniel). He lived in his own house in Babylon (8:1) and was
married. He began his ministry five years after reaching Babylon.
10. Post-exilic period.
a. Biblical source: Books of Ezra, Nehemiah + portions of Chronicles, Haggai, Zechariah and
Malachi.
b. Form of revelation: God’s Spirit moved upon men.
c. Content of revelation: Authorisation of Jew’s return to Palestine and revelation of coming of
‘Elijah’ (John the Baptist).
d. Persons. As above yet also including Cyrus!
HAGGAI (festive) circa 520. (exile ended in 538) Theme: encourage those who returned, but
had given up due to pressure.
ZECHARIAH (God remembers ) c.520 Same as above. Zech was probably born in Babylon. He was a
priest as well as a prophet and began his ministry in the 8th month of the 2nd year of
Darius in BC 520
EZRA (God is help) c.457/Jerusalem Call back to Lord/build etc. By birth Ezra was a priest but unable
to exercise his priestly duty due to captivity in Babylon. He was a descendant of Hilkiah, High
Priest in the reign of Josiah who found a copy of the law (see 2 Chron 34:14). He gave himself
to the study of the word of God (7:10), and realised that his people did not really know the Law
or the commandments.
NEHEMIAH (God consoles) c.455?/Jerusalem Rebuilding etc. Nehemiah wrote the last historical
book of the O.T. He was probably born in exile ( of the royal house of Judah) and became
a cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes. Although comfortably stationed in Shushan, his heart
was in the ruined city of his fathers (Jerusalem).
ESTHER (a star) c. 460BC. God’s protection.
MALACHI (messenger) c.433 Reassure/ warning Day of Lord. Nothing is known about Malachi.
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