Old Testament I: Law & History Week 1

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1 Introduction to the Old Testament Luke 24:25 27 (ESV) 25 And he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory? 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:44 48 (ESV) 44 Then he said to them, These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. Galatians 4:4 5 (ESV) 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. The point of all Scripture, both the Old Testament and the New Testament, is to show that the sovereign and righteous God is seeking to redeem for Himself a people for His praise by reconciling sinners to Himself through Jesus Christ and establishing in the hearts and minds of His people that Jesus Christ is the eternal King and worthy of all worship. I. Old Testament Basics a. Consists of 39 books b. Multiple human authors, but only one divine author Authors of the Old Testament include kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars, and more. Some books of the Bible clearly state their author (e.g., Josh. 24:26 says that Joshua wrote the book bearing his name). Other books of the Bible do not reveal to us who wrote them (e.g., 1 and 2 Kings). Some books of the Bible are deeply personal, so they require knowledge of the author to be fully appreciated (e.g., Lamentations and Nehemiah 1 7 are essentially journal entries). Meanwhile, other books are historical and literary works that do not necessitate an awareness of who penned them. On the Old Testament, Pg. 14 We believe in verbal plenary inspiration meaning that God the Holy Spirit inspired not just the thoughts of Scripture, but also the very details and exact words that were perfectly recorded for us as Scripture. On the Old Testament, Pg. 20 The phrase thus says the Lord is repeated hundreds of times throughout the Old Testament by God s messengers. Other similar statements about prophets speaking FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 1

2 by divine authority appear, according to some scholars, as many as 3,800 times throughout the Old Testament. On the Old Testament, Pg Peter 1:19 21 (ESV) 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. We Have a Word from God so God s Word is Perfect Psalm 19:7 11 (ESV) 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. c. Has 929 chapters and 23,314 verses i. Modern chapter divisions devised by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, starting in 1227 AD ii. System of verses in use today were put into printed Bibles around 1551 to 1555 AD d. Psalms is the longest book and Obadiah is shortest e. The total time period covered by the Old Testament is not know Before we get any further, we should note the vast scale of history contained in the Bible. I personally think that most of the history of the world may have happened before the days of Noah as recorded in Genesis 6. In the apostle Peter s second letter, he refers to the world before the Flood as the ancient world or the age that then was (2 Pet. 2:5, author s translation). It s possible that whole empires that we have not even dreamed of rose and fell in the time before Noah. Also, the time from Abraham to Jesus was as long as the time from Jesus to us today. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 863 f. The Old Testament is categorized into the Law, Prophets, and the Writings g. The Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament are the same except for: i. Arrangement Hebrew Bible by Law, Prophets, and the Writings ii. Consists of 24 books rather than 39 because some books split in the Christian Old Testament are combined in the Hebrew Bible FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 2

3 II. Why do we call it the Old Testament? Eusebius records that Melito of Sardis in the 2 nd century used the designation of the old covenant to refer to the Hebrew Scriptures. Around the same time Origen uses the designation. Most draw the designation back to Jeremiah 31:31 34 when God speaks of establishing a new covenant with His people. However, for many this designation has caused a view where the Old Testament does not speak to them because it is the Old and now we have the New. III. How was it assembled? A common, but not unreasonable, account of the formation of the Old Testament cannon is that it to shape in three stages, corresponding to the three divisions of the Hebrew Bible. The Law was first canonized (early in the period after the return from the Babylonian exile), the Prophets next (late in the third century BC). When these two collections were closed, everything else that was recognized as holy scripture had to go into the third division, the Writings, which remained open until the end of the first century AD, when it was closed at Jamnia. But it must be pointed out that, for all of its attractiveness, this account is completely hypothetical: there is no evidence for it, either in the Old Testament itself or elsewhere. The Canon of Scripture, Pg. 36 In short, we do not know how the Old Testament was finally brought together. However, we do know by the time of Christ that the Old Testament was as it is at the time of Christ. Jesus, as well as the New Testament writers, frequently cite and allude to the Old Testament supporting the veracity of the Scriptures contained in the Old Testament and canon. The New Testament has roughly three hundred explicit Old Testament quotations, as well as upwards of four thousand Old Testament allusions. In many ways, the Old Testament is a series of promises that God makes, and the New Testament is the record of the fulfillment of those promises. On the Old Testament, Pg. 14 FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 3

4 The Writing of the Old Testament On the Old Testament, Pg. 32 IV. Why should we study the Old Testament? I am convinced, in other words, that if we can better understand the Old Testament, it will go a long way toward helping us understand the New Testament, which means we will better understand Christ, Christianity, God, and ourselves. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 842 Therefore, the historical record of the Bible is written with the primary purpose of revealing who God is through his work in history so that we can see our lives as inextricably connected to him in every way and only meaningful when understood in light of him. On the Old Testament, Location 111 The Old Testament demonstrates that Jesus and His Church were providential, the embodiment of the purpose of God; the New Testament proves that the Hebrew Scriptures constituted a coherent and integrated organism, focused upon a single FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 4

5 great theme and exhibiting a single program of redemption. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Pg. 19 a. Learn about God by seeing His character, mission, and ways revealed in Scripture b. Understand how we ended up in a broken relationship with God and see in the lives of OT believers how we consistently walk away from Him c. Better understand Jesus and the NT writers by seeing the context of the Scriptures they quote and to which they allude d. Know how to communicate from the OT the message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah e. Worship the all powerful God, Creator of the Universe, and Jesus, our Savior and Lover of our Soul V. How should we approach the Old Testament? According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, Pg. 55 Hebrews 1:1 2 (ESV) 1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 5

6 Such statements [Hebrews 1:1 2] prepare us for the study of the theology of the Old Testament as progressive, redemptive revelation. It is revelation because in it God makes himself known. It is redemptive because God reveals himself in the act of redeeming us. It is progressive because God makes himself and His purposes known by stages until the full light is revealed in Jesus Christ. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, Pg. 57 VI. Did God change from the Old Testament to the New Testament? a. The Old Testament does not provide for a different means of salvation than it does for New Testament believers. Faith is and has always been the basis of salvation. Genesis 15:6 (ESV) 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Ephesians 2:8 9 (ESV) 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Galatians 3:7 14 (ESV) 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations be blessed. 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them. 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for The righteous shall live by faith. 12 But the law is not of faith, rather The one who does them shall live by them. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. b. The Old Testament clearly speaks of God as the God of Love and the Righteous Judge (Ex. 34:6 7) while the New Testament communicates the same (1 Jhn 4:7 8 & 2 Thess. 1:5 10) Exodus 34:6 7 (ESV) 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 6

7 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children s children, to the third and the fourth generation. 1 John 4:7 8 (ESV) 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 2 Thessalonians 1:5 10 (ESV) 5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering 6 since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. So does the Old Testament present a God who can be angry? Yes, but his expressions of anger are not whimsical tyranny. His anger expresses his commitment to his own holy character and his implacable opposition to human sin. Sin (the breaking of divine commandments) separates God s people from God and shows clearly their need to be reconciled to him. God can be angry, in short, because he is not indifferent to sin and he is angry at the destruction of his creation. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 1,004 The Old Testament s picture of God is not one of grim condemnation. He is the same God we find in the New Testament. He is holy, just, and unwavering in his commitment to punish sin, but he is also a God of love, even toward his enemies. The Message of the Old Testament, Location 1,064 VII. How will we approach this survey? The approach to this survey will be a sequential walk through the Law and the history books by looking at large sections of books or entire books to survey the Old Testament. In this survey we will discuss the development of themes across Scripture, the unfolding of God s plan to rescue sinners from eternal punishment, and how the Old Testament still should play an important role in the lives of New Testament believers. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 7

8 Schedule Week 1 OT Background, History, Structure, & Interpretation Week 2 Gen 1 18 Week 3 Gen Week 4 Ex 1 18 Week 5 Ex Week 6 Leviticus & Numbers Week 7 Deuteronomy Week 8 Joshua Week 9 Judges & Ruth Week Samuel Week Kings Week Chronicles Week 13 Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther VIII. Quick Summary of the Law & History books (The Message of the Old Testament, Location 910) Genesis, as we have already said, describes how the world and the first humans were made. The Garden of Eden presents the model of God and man living in perfect peace, which we will not see again until the final heavenly city in the New Testament book of Revelation. This peace is devastated by the Fall, of course. God then initiates his plan of salvation through Abraham and his descendants. At the end of Genesis, God s people the nation of Israel are bound in slavery in Egypt. Exodus follows the history of God s people from the death of Joseph in Egypt through the Exodus to the construction of the tabernacle in the wilderness, a building that symbolizes God s presence with his people. God uses Moses both to deliver the law and to deliver his people in the Exodus. Leviticus presents a digest of God s laws given to his people in the wilderness. These laws highlight the problem of how sinful humans can approach a holy God. Holiness is the theme of the book of Leviticus. Numbers mostly tells the story of the people of Israel traveling to the Promised Land. It describes several dramatic instances of the people s unfaithfulness, together with God s persevering faithfulness. Deuteronomy is called Deuteronomy because it presents the second giving of the law (deutero = second; nomos = law). The people have reached the end of their forty year wandering. The older generation has died off. So now God repeats the law for this new generation as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 8

9 Joshua describes the conquest of the Promised Land, and its apportionment among the twelve tribes. The people were ruled by Moses successor, Joshua. Judges comes next with the story of fourteen judges who ruled over Israel (or regions of Israel) after Joshua. The people continually reverted to lawlessness, and the times were well summed up by the phrase, In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (Judg. 21:25). Ruth is a little story set during the days of the judges. It functions as an Old Testament annunciation story, preparing the way for the birth of David. 1 and 2 Samuel are about the last judge, Samuel; a false start king, Saul; and the first real king, David. 1 and 2 Kings turn the focus to the reign of David s son, Solomon, followed by the fall of both Solomon and his line. The kingdom divides into two parts during the time of Solomon s son Rehoboam, and it s mostly downhill from there. Apart from several noteworthy revivals, both the northern and the southern kingdom gradually dissolve amid immorality and idolatry. 1 and 2 Chronicles present a kind of interesting summation of everything from Adam through the beginning of the exile. Their focus is on David, Solomon, the role of the temple, and then the kings of the southern kingdom leading up to the exile. Ezra describes the return of the Jews from their captivity in Babylon and the rebuilding of the temple. Nehemiah continues the story by describing the rebuilding of Jerusalem s walls, a partial fulfillment of God s promises of restoration to his people. Esther is the last book of history. It is a story of God s providential deliverance of the Jewish community inside the Persian Empire late in the exile. Works Cited Archer, Gleason L. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Chicago, IL: Moody, Bruce, F. F. The Canon of Scripture. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity, 1988 Dever, Mark. The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, Driscoll, Mark. On the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, ESV Study Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, Goldsworthy, Graeme. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, FBC Durham Bible For Life Page 9