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Understanding Joel’s Prophecy: Judgment and Grace

Joel 2:12,13(NKJV) Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. So, rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God. For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.


Author

  • Joel
  • Joel means “Yahweh or the Lord is God”


Date

  • Probably 835-805 B.C.


Theme

  • The Judgment of God (the coming of the day of the Lord)
  • The Grace of God


Purpose

  • Joel prophesied about the judgment of God at a time of great of devastation.
    • A plague of locust has stripped the countryside of vegetation and livestock.
    • Joel describes the present destruction as nothing compared to the coming judgment of
      God.


Content

  • The invasion of locusts: Joel1:1-12
    • Joel 1:4(NKJV) What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming
      locust has eaten.
  • Judgment Through:
    • Locust: Joel1:4-7
    • Drought and Famine Joel 1:9-12
    • Fire: Joel 1:19-20
  • A call to repentance: Joel 1:13-20
    • Joel 1:13,14 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God.
  • Warnings and God’s promise: Joel 2:1-32
    • Joel 2:1(NKJV) Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand:
    • Joel 2:25-29 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also, upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
  • God’s final judgment and rule: Joel 3:1-21
    • Joel 3:16(NKJV) The LORD also will roar from Zion, And utter His voice from Jerusalem; The heavens and earth will shake; But the LORD will be a shelter for His people, And the strength of the children of Israel.

Christ in the Book of Joel

  • Christ is the Righteous Judge
    • In the book of Joel, it talks about God’s final judgement and rule. Jesus is the one who will be ruling and judging.
      • Revelation 19:11-16(NKJV) Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
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Understanding Hosea: God’s Love and Redemption

Hosea
Hosea 3:1(NKJV)Then the LORD said to me again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans


Hosea is the first of 12 books known as the Minor Prophets. The term is used to identify the length of the books not their importance as prophets.

Author

  • Hosea whose name means ‘Salvation or Deliverance”
  • The prophet of love

Date

  • 750 B.C

Theme

  • The love of God and His yearning for His people to return to Him.
  • God’s love revealed through the Hosea’s love for an unfaithful wife.

Purpose

  • Hosea prophesies to the northern kingdom of Israel during the same time Isaiah primary prophesied to the southern kingdom of Judah.
  • His message came shortly before the fall of Samaria to Assyria.
  • Hosea was told to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him. This was to demonstrate Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and God’s unfailing love to an idolatrous people.

Content

  • Hosea’s family life Hosea 1:1-3:5
    • Hosea 1:2,3(NKJV) When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD So, he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son
    • Hosea 3:1-3(NKJV) Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.” So, I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley And I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot nor shall you have a man-so, too, will I be toward you.”
      • Speaks of redemptions
  • Israel’s sin Hosea 4:1-6:3
    • Hosea 4:1-3(NKJV) Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all
      restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. Therefore, the land will mourn; And everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air, Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
    • Hosea 4:6(NKJV) My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me, Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
    • Hosea 6:1,2(NKJV) Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us, He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up. That we may live in His sight.
  • Punishment for Israel’s disobedience Hosea 6:4-10:15
    • Hosea 8:1-3 (NKJV) Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, My law. Israel will cry to Me, My God, we know You!” Israel has rejected the good; The enemy will pursue him.
  • God’s judgment and mercy Hosea 11:1-14:9
    • Hosea 11:1-11
  • Christ in the Book of Hosea
    • Christ is the one who redeems us from the power of the grave through His death and resurrection.
      • Hosea 13:14(NKJV) I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O Death, I will be your plagues! O Grave, I will be your destruction! Pity is hidden from My eyes.”
      • Galatians 3:13(NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
      • Romans 5:8(NKJV) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
    • Jesus rose on the 3rd day.
      • Hosea 6:1,2(NKJV) Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us, He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up. That we may live in His sight.
      • 1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
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Understanding Prophecy in the Book of Daniel

CONTEXT

  • Around 650 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians laid siege to Jerusalem, plundered Solomon’s temple, and exiled many people to Babylon, which is now modern-day Iraq. The Babylonians had overpowered the provinces of Assyria and unified their empire, spanning much of the Middle East. Educated slaves or those with valuable skills became essential workers in the government’s administrative system.


DATE

  • The book of Daniel was written during the Babylonian exile of 605BC-536BC.
  • There are several pieces of evidence that supports this timeframe.
    • Josephus, the first-century AD Jewish historian, stated that Alexander the Great was shown the prophecies of Daniel in 332BC.
    • Ezekiel, a contemporary of Daniel’s, mentions Daniel three times (Ez. 14:14, 20: 28:3).
    • The writer shows an accurate knowledge of sixth-century BC events, as well as knowledge of Chaldean manners, customs, history, and religion that point to an eyewitness account.
    • The Hebrew and Aramaic languages used by the author are from the Babylonian period.


AUTHOR

  • The author refers to himself as Daniel throughout the book (7:1, 28; 8:1, 15; 9:2; 10:2).
  • Jesus also refers to Daniel as the prophet who spoke of “the abomination of desolation” (Mt. 24:15).
  • Daniel was from the royal family (1:3), probably from Jerusalem. He deported as a teenager in 605BC to Babylon, where he lived over 60 years.
  • He initially served as a trainee in Nebuchadnezzar’s court but advanced to the highest positions in the administrations of three empires-Babylonian, Mede, and Persian.


LANGUAGES

  • The book of Daniel is written in two languages: 1:1-2:4a and 8:1-12:13 are in Hebrew.
  • The rest of the book, 2:4b-7:28 is in Aramaic.
  • The Aramaic part deals primarily with God’s dealing with the Gentile/pagan nations.
  • The Hebrew sections deal with the Jews and their relationship with other nations.


FORM

  • The book of Daniel contains two major divisions.
    • The first division (chapters 1-6) involves historical narratives illustrating the sovereign rule of God.
    • The second division (chapes 7-12) involves prophecies illustrating the sovereign rule of God.


THEME

  • The overall theme of the book of Daniel is to show that the God of Israel, the one true God is sovereign and in control of the destinies of men and nations.


PURPOSE

  • There are four dimensions to the author’s purpose.
    • First, Daniel highlights the stark difference between God’s omnipotence and the powerlessness of the Babylonian gods. No matter how much effort the magicians, wise men, and astrologers in the king’s court put in, they could never uncover the truth. False spiritual guides can never match the wisdom and might of God.
    • Secondly, Daniel shows that God disrupts the plans of the most powerful monarchs but protects those servants who stay loyal to Him.
    • Third, Daniel reveals that the course of history is determined by a divine plan.
    • Finally, the Holy Spirit working through Daniel outlines the course of world history as it relates to the people of God.

CONTENT

  • God’s program for Daniel (Daniel 1:1-21)
    • The Deportation of Daniel (Daniel 1:1-7)
      •  Daniel 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
    • The Dedication of Daniel (Daniel 1:8-16)
      • Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
    • The prosperity of Daniel (Daniel 1:17-21)
      • Daniel 1:19-20 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
  • God’s program for the Gentiles (Daniel 2:1-7:28)
    • The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:1-49)
      •  Daniel 2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
      • Daniel 2:28-29 But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
    • The image of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:1-30)
      • Daniel 3:1-2 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
    • The humiliation and restoration of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:1-37)
      • Daniel 4:24-26 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king: That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.
      • Daniel 4:33-34 The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. And at the end of the days, I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
    • The feast of Belshazzar (Daniel 5:1-31)
      • Daniel 5:1-2 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
      • Daniel 5:30-31 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
    • The deliverance of Daniel (Daniel 6:1-28)
      • Daniel 6:16-18 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
      • Daniel 6:21-23 Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
    • The Dream of Daniel (Daniel 7:1-28)
      •  Daniel 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.
      •  Daniel 715-16 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.
  • God’s Program for Israel (Daniel 8:1-12:13)
    • The vision of the ram and the he goat 8:1-27
      • Daniel 8:5-6 And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
    • The vision of the “70 Weeks” (Daniel 9:1-27)
      • Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.
    • The Final vision (Daniel 10:1-12:13)
      • The preparation of Daniel (Daniel 10:1-11:1)
        • Daniel 10:1-3 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
      • Events from Daniel’s time to the tribulation (Daniel 11:2-35)
        • Daniel 11:2-5 And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.
      • Events during the tribulation (Daniel 11:36-12:1)
        • Daniel 11:36-37 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.
      • Events at the end of the tribulation (Daniel 12:2-3)
        • Daniel 12:2-3 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
      • Conclusion (Daniel 12:4-13)
        • Daniel 12:8-9 And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.


Jesus in the Book of Daniel

  • Son of Man
    • Daniel 3:20-25 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
    • Daniel 7:14 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
  • The Stone
    • The Stone destroys the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream. That Stone is symbolic of Jesus. The Kingdom of Jesus shall stand forever.
      • Daniel 2:44-45 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
      • Psalms 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
      • Matthew 21:42 Jesus asked them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The [very] Stone which the builders rejected and threw away, Has become the chief Cornerstone; This is the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous and wonderful in our eyes’?
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Understand the book of Ezekial

Ezekiel 36:24-26(NKJV) For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.


Author

  • Ezekiel
  • Ezekiel means either “God Strengthens” or “God is Strong”
  • He was married. It is believed that his wife died during captivity.
  • Ministered at the same time as Daniel
  • Highly educated, from a priestly family
  • He was 25 years old when taken into captivity


Date

  • 593-573 B.C.
  • During the Babylonian captivity, Judah was taken captive in three stages:
    • Daniel and companions taken in first invasion
    • 9 years later Ezekiel was taken during the second invasion
    • 11 years after the second invasion Jerusalem fell and those remaining (except for the very poor) were taken into captivity
    • The journey to Babylon took 3-4 months, approximately 1500 miles (many died along the way)


Theme

  • Destruction of Jerusalem because of disobedience and the future restoration because of the covenant promises of God

Purpose

  • Ezekiel addressed the personal responsibility for morality. We find two major doctrines within the book.
    • The Doctrine of Man
      • Ezekiel 18:4(NKJV) “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.
    • The Doctrine of Grace, Rebirth, and the Work of the Holy Spirit
      • Ezekiel 37:1-14
        • The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
        • 2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
        • 3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.
        • 4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.
        • 5 Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
        • 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
        • 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
        • 8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
        • 9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
        • 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
        • 11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
        • 12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
        • 13 And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
        • 14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.


Content

  • Ezekiel’s call Chapters 1-3
    • Ezekiel 2:3-8 And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
    • 4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.
    • 5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.
    • 6 And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.
    • 7 And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious.
    • 8 But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.
    • Ezekiel 3:17(NKJV) “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me:
  • Judah’s judgment Chapters 4-24
    • Ezekiel 6:2-8 on of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
    • 3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
    • 4 And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
    • 5 And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.
    • 6 In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
    • 7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
    • 8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.
  • Prophecy concerning heathen nations Chapters 25-32
    • Ammon
    • Moab
    • Edom
    • Philistia
    • Tyre (Ezekiel 28 & Isaiah 28 – The Fallen Star (Satan))
    • Egypt
  • Future blessings and restoration Chapters 33-48
    • Ezekiel 36:22-30 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
    • 23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
    • 24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
    • 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
    • 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
    • 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
    • 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
    • 29 I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.
    • 30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.
  • Restoration of the Temple Chapters 40-46


Christ in the Book of Ezekiel

  • Ezekiel as a type of Christ
    • “Son of Man” (90 times within the book)
  • Jesus as the Chief Shepherd
    • Ezekiel 34:23,24(NKJV) I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them-My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.
  • Jesus as the river of life flowing from the temple
    • Ezekiel 47:1-12 Then he [my guide] brought me back to the door of the house [the temple of the Lord]; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house (temple) toward the east, for the front of the temple was facing east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by the way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was spurting out from the south side [of the gate]. When the man went out toward the east with a measuring line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and he led me through the water, water that was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand [cubits] and led me through the water, water that was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand [cubits] and led me through the water, water reaching the hips. Again he measured a thousand [cubits]; and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be crossed [by wading]. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, “These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley); then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the Dead Sea shall be healed and become fresh. It will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there so that the waters of the sea are healed and become fresh; so everything will live wherever the river goes. And it will come about that fishermen will stand beside it [at the banks of the Dead Sea]; from Engedi to Eneglaim there will be dry places to spread nets. Their fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great [Mediterranean] Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh [and wholesome for animal life]; they will [as the river subsides] be left encrusted with salt. By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They shall bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”
    • Revelation 22:1-4 Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ), in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion];  they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.
      • The marks on the foreheads are important because they declare who you belong to. This is a spiritual mark.
        • Ezekiel 9:3-6 Then the [[Shekinah] glory and brilliance of the God of Israel (the cloud) went up from the cherubim on which it had rested, to [stand above] the threshold of the [Lord’s] temple. And the Lord called to the man clothed with linen, who had the scribe’s writing case at his side. The Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, throughout all of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh [in distress] and grieve over all the repulsive acts which are being committed in it.” But to the others I heard Him say, “Follow him [the man with the scribe’s writing case] throughout the city and strike; do not let your eyes have pity and do not spare [anyone]. Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women; but do not touch or go near anyone on whom is the mark. Begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the old men who were in front of the temple [who did not have the Lord’s mark on their foreheads].

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Understanding Lamentations: Sorrow and Hope in Jerusalem’s Fall

Lamentations 2:11(NKJV) My eyes fail with tears, My heart is troubled; My bile is poured on the ground Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people, Because the children and the infants Faint in the streets of the city.


Author

  • Jeremiah the weeping prophet


Date

  • 587 B.C.


Theme

  • The sorrow and suffering as a result of the consequences of sin.


Purpose

  • A poetic expression of the sorrow and suffering that occurs as a result of disobedience and the promise of God’s salvation and deliverance.
  • Lamentations 3:22-26(NKJV)
    22 Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail no
    23 They are new every morning Great is Your faithfulness.
    24 The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
    25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
    26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.


Content

  • 5 poems
  • Chapters 1, 2, 4, and 5 each contain 22 verses, each verse corresponds with the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet
  • Jerusalem’s destruction Lamentations 1:1-22
    • Lamentations 1:1(NKJV) How lonely sits the city That was full of people! How like a widow is she, Who was great among the nations! The princess among the provinces Has become a slave!
  • God’s anger and search for comfort Lamentations 2:1-22
    • Lamentations 2:1(NKJV) How the Lord has covered the daughter of Zion With a cloud in His anger! He cast down from heaven to the earth The beauty of Israel, And did not remember His footstool In the day of His anger.
  • Suffering and hope in God Lamentations 3:1-66
  • Lamentations 3:19-23(NKJV) Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
  • The old glory of Jerusalem Lamentations 4:1-22
  • Lamentations 4:1(NKJV) How the gold has become dim! How changed the fine gold! The stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street.
  • God’s mercy Lamentations 5:1-22
    • Lamentations 5:1(NKJV) Remember, O LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and behold our reproach!


Christ in the Book of Lamentations

  • Lamentations 3:58(NKJV) O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.
  • Christ redeems us from the curse of the law

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Jeremiah: The Weeping Prophet and His Message

Jeremiah


Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Before you were born I sanctified you I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

  • Author
    • Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah
    • Jeremiah was told not to marry or have children
      • Jeremiah 16:1-2 “The word of the LORD also came to me, saying. You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.”
    • Called the “Weeping Prophet
  • Date
    • 626-586 B.C.
    • Jeremiah’s ministry started during the reign of Josiah, King of Judah. He delivered prophecies throughout the reigns of Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, continuing his work even after the fall of Jerusalem.
  • Theme
    • Failure to repent will lead to destruction
      • Jeremiah 2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the LORD your God, and the fear of Me is not in you,” Says the Lord GOD of hosts.
      • John 12:48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
      • The book of Jeremiah has more words in it then any other book. It has at total word count of approximately 788,280.
  • Purpose
    • The book of Jeremiah is filled with warning, guidance, and hope. It warns of the coming destruction due to Judah’s refusal to repent, offers instructions to the Jewish people taken into Babylonian exile, and shares a hopeful message about the restoration of Jerusalem and the arrival of the Messiah.
  • Content
    • The call of Jeremiah: Jeremiah 1:1-19
      • Jeremiah 1:5-10 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I sanctified your I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.” But the LORD said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,” For you shall go to all to whom I send you, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD. Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
    • The condition of Judah: Jeremiah 2:1-6:30
      • Jeremiah 2:2-5 “Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying. Thus says the LORD: I remember you, the kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown Israel was holiness to the LORD, The firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him will offend; Disaster will come upon them,” says the LORD. “Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families of the house of Israel “Thus says the LORD: “What injustice have your fathers found in Me That they have gone far from Me, Have followed idols, And have become idolaters?
    • The temple, law, and covenant: Jeremiah 7:1-12:17
      • Jeremiah 7:2-3 Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
      • Jeremiah 7:28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
    • Jeremiah 11:6-8 Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do: but they did them not.
      • “imagination” or “Dictates” is how it is written in the New King James Version.
        • This word comes from שְׁרִירוּת shᵉrîyrûwth, sher-ee-rooth’; from H8324 in the sense of twisted, i.e. firm; obstinacy:—imagination, lust.
          • it means stubbornness, hardness, firmness
        • This word is found ten times in the Bible. Eight of the ten are in the book of Jeremiah referring to Israel’s refusal to respond to God’s warnings.
    • The certainty of captivity: Jeremiah 13:1-18:23
      • Jeremiah 13:19 The cities of the South shall be shut up, And no one shall open them, Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; It shall be wholly carried away captive.
    • The confrontation of leaders: Jeremiah 19:1-28:17
      • Jeremiah 25:11-12  And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.
    • The promise of restoration: Jeremiah 29:1-33-26
      • Jeremiah 29:10.11(NKJV) For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
    • The kingdom falls: Jeremiah 34:1-29:18
      • Jeremiah 39:1-2 In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came against Jerusalem, and besieged it. In the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the city was penetrated
    • The trip to Egypt: Jeremiah 40:1-45:5
      • Jeremiah 42:10-17 If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you. Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the Lord: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand. And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land. But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the Lord your God, Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die. So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.
    • The word to foreign nations: Jeremiah 46:1-51:64
      • Judgment on
        • Egypt
        • Philistia
        • Moab
        • Ammon
        • Damascus
        • Babylon
    • The fall of Jerusalem reviewed: Jeremiah 52:1-34
      • Jeremiah 52:4-5  And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it, and built forts against it round about. So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of king Zedekiah.
  • Christ in the Book of Jeremiah
    • The lifestyle of Jeremiah was similar to that of Jesus. Jeremiah is considered a type of Christ in the Old Testament.
      • Jeremiah was accused on political treason, so was Christ
      • Jeremiah was tried, persecuted, and imprisoned for the words he spoke
      • Jeremiah and Jesus both foretold the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and their own people rejected them
      • Jeremiah wept with compassion over the people of Israel
        •  Luke 19:41-44 As He (Jesus) approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it [and the spiritual ignorance of its people], 42 saying, “If [only] you had known on this day [of salvation], even you, the things which make for peace [and on which peace depends]! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. 43 For a time [of siege] is coming when your enemies will put up a barricade [with pointed stakes] against you, and surround you [with armies] and hem you in on every side, 44 and they will level you to the ground, you [Jerusalem] and your children within you. They will not leave in you one stone on another, all because you did not [come progressively to] recognize [from observation and personal experience] the time of your visitation [when God was gracious toward you and offered you salvation].”
      • Jeremiah was mistreated yet chose to forgive
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Understanding Isaiah: Judgment and Restoration Messages

Isaiah


Isaiah 53:5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

  • Author
    • Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
    • Isaiah “Yahweh Is Salvation”
    • Isaiah was martyred during the reign of Manasseh. Most believed he was cut into.
  • Date
    • 700-690 B.C.
    • Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
  • Theme
    • God’s Salvation
  • Purpose
    • To declare God’s displeasure with Judah, Israel, and surrounding nations due to their disobedience
      • Isaiah 1:2-4 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider. Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
    • A warning to God’s people and a call to repentance
      • Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land;
    • A message of hope for the faithful remnant
      • Isaiah 37:31 And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah Shall again take root downward, And bear fruit upward.
        • Remnant is the people who would come back from Babylon.
  • Content
    • 2 Parts:
      • Chapters 1-39
        • God’s Judgment
      • Chapters 40-66
        • God’s Salvation and Restoration
    • Judgment and hope of restoration Isaiah 1:1-6:13
      • Isaiah 2:6 For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.
      • Isaiah 6:11-13 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
        • the tenth is the remnant and the one that didn’t leave.
        • they are few and heavily persecuted.
    • Trust in Assyria or God Isaiah 7:1-12:6
      • 2 Kings 16:7-8 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, saying, “I am your servant and your son. Come up and save me from the hand of the king of Syria and from the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasuries of the king’s house, and sent it as a present to the king of Assyria.
    • Prophecies about nations Isaiah 13:1-23:18
      • Prophecy concerning
        • Babylon
        • Assyria
        • Philistia
        • Moab
        • Syria
        • Israel
        • Ethiopia
        • Egypt
        • Edom
        • Arabia
        • Jerusalem
        • Tyre
    • Israel’s judgment and deliverance Isaiah 24:1-27:13
      • Isaiah 24:5-6 The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, Because they have transgressed the laws, Changed the ordinance, Broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, And those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, And few men are left.
      • Isaiah 27:2-6 In that day sing to her, A vineyard of red wine! the LORD, keep it, I water it every moment; Lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day. Fury is not in Me. Who would set briers and thorns against Me in battle? I would go through them, I would burn them together. Or let him take hold of My strength That he may make peace with Me; And he shall make peace with Me. Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom and bud, A fill the face of the world with fruit.
    • Warnings, judgment, and future glory Isaiah 28:1-35:10
      • Isaiah 31:1-5 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong. But who do Yet He also is wise and will bring disaster, And will not call back His words, But will arise not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD! against the house of evildoers, And against the help of those who work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; And their horses are flesh, and not spirit When the LORD stretches out His hand, Both he who helps will fall, And he who is helped will fall down; They all will perish together. For thus the LORD has spoken to me: “As a lion roars, And a young lion over his prey (When a multitude of shepherds is summoned against him. He will not be afraid of their voice Nor be disturbed by their noise), So the LORD of hosts will come down To fight Like birds flying about, So will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem. Defending, He will also deliver it; Passing over, He will preserve it. for Mount Zion and for its hill.
    • King Hezekiah and Assyria Isaiah 36:1-39:8
      • Isaiah 38:5-6 Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.”
    • Promises of deliverance Isaiah 40:1-56:8
      • Isaiah 40:1-5 “Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the LORD’S hand Double for all her sins.” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together, For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
    • The future kingdom Isaiah 56:9-66:24
      • Isaiah 60:1 (NKJV) Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
      • Isaiah 60:1(AMP) Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you-rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory or the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!
      • Isaiah 61:6-7 But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs.
  • Christ in the Book of Isaiah
    • The book of Isaiah contains more prophecies about the Messiah than any other Old Testament book. Seventeen chapters contain prophetic references to Christ.
    • Christ is spoken of:
      • The Lord
      • Branch of the Lord
      • Immanuel
      • Wonderful Counselor
      • Mighty God
      • Everlasting Father
      • Prince of Peace
      • Rod of Jesse
      • Cornerstone
      • King
      • Shepherd
      • Servant of Yahweh
      • Elect One
      • The Holy One of Isreal appears 25 times
      • Lamb of God
      • Leader and Commander
      • Redeemer
      • Anointed One
    • Isaiah Chapter 53
    • Isaiah Chapter 61
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Exploring the Love Themes in Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon


Song of Songs 1:1The song of songs, which is Solomon’s.
Song of Songs 6:3 I am my beloved’s, And my beloved is mine. He feeds his flock among the lilies.

  • Author: Solomon, son of David
  • Date: 970-930 B.C.
  • Theme: The pursuit of genuine or real love
  • Purpose:
    • Song of Solomon is a three-fold love story depicting the love relationship between:
      • A husband and wife in marriage (details of intimacy)
      • God and His covenant people (the nation of Israel)
      • Jesus and His bride (the Church)
    • The book is a love dialogue between a Jewish maiden (the Shulamite woman) and her lover (Solomon, the king).
  • Content
    • The bride and the bridegroom Song of Solomon 1:1-2:7
      • Song of Songs 2:4 He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.
    • The praise of her beloved: Song of Solomon 2:8-3:5
      • Song of Songs 2:10-13My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away. For lo, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, And the voice of the turtledove Is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, And the vines with the tender grapes Give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away!
    • The praise of the bride: Song of Solomon 3:6-5:1
      • Song of Songs 4:16 Awake, O north wind And come, O south! Blow upon my garden, That its spices may flow out Let my beloved come to his garden And eat its pleasant fruits.
    • The communion of love: Song of Solomon 5:2-8:14
      • Song of Songs 7:10 I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me.
  • Christ in the book of Song of Solomon
    • Solomon as a type of Christ – The Shulamite as a type of the bride of Christ
      • Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.

Here is a song that is inspired by this book.


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Lessons on Wisdom and Foolishness in Proverbs

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and
instruction.

  • Author
    • Solomon (Except Chapters 30, 31)
      The Man of Proverbs: Solomon
      • Beginning
        1 Kings 3:5-15 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.
      • Middle
        • 1 Kings 10:1-9 And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions. And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much gold, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which he told her not. And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon’s wisdom, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard. Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel: because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.
      • End
        • 1 Kings 11:1-4 But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites: Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart. For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
  • Date
    • Most scholars say approximately 950 B.C.
  • Theme
    • Principles for Living
  • Purpose
    • Proverbs 1:2-6 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity, To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion- A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.
    • Proverbs is a collection of short, concise sentences or saying teaching us how to apply godly wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to daily living.
  • Content
    • Instructions on Wisdom and Foolishness
      • Proverbs 1:1-9:18
    • Proverbs of Solomon
      • Proverbs 10:1-22:16
    • Thirty Sayings of the Wise
      • Proverbs 22:17-24:34
    • More Proverbs of Solomon
      • Proverbs 25:1-29:27
    • Sayings of Agur and Lemuel
      • Proverbs 30:1-31:31
  • Christ in the book of Proverbs
    • Christ in the Beginning with God
      • Proverbs 8:23-31 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.
    • Christ as the Wisdom of God
      • 1 Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
    • Christ is the Wisdom from God
      • 1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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The Meaning Behind Ecclesiastes: Wisdom for Life

Ecclesiastes means Preacher or Teacher


Ecclesiastes 12:13(NKJV) Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.

  • Author: Solomon in his later years
  • Date: Approximately 931 B.C.
  • Themes:
    • The pursuit of truth and the true meaning of life.
    • An understanding that everything under the sun is meaningless apart from God
  • Purpose
    • The title of this book in the Hebrew Old Testament is Teacher or Preacher.
    • The Greek word for this book means speaker or one called out.
    • Solomon wrote this book after a lifetime of seeking things of this world to bring meaning and satisfaction of life. He writes this to spare future generations the bitterness of learning through their own experience that life is meaningless without God.
  • Content
    • Life without meaning: Ecclesiastes 1:1-11
      • Ecclesiastes 1:2-4: “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher, “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun? “One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever.
    • The limits of Man’s wisdom: Ecclesiastes 1:12-2:25
      • Ecclesiastes 2:16 For there is no more remembrance of the wise than of the fool forever, Since all that now is will be forgotten in the days to come And how does a wise man die? As the fool!
    • A time for everything: Ecclesiastes 3:1-22
      • Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: time to be born, And a time to die, A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted, A time to kill, And a time to heal, A time to break down, And a time to build up, A time to weep, And a time to laugh, A time to mourn, And a time to dance, time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose, A time to keep, And a time to throw away. A time to tear, And a time to sew, A time to keep silence, And a time to speak, A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.
    • Disappointments and contentment: Ecclesiastes 4:1-5:20
      • Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. Or if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
    • Satisfaction in this life is limited: Ecclesiastes 6:1-8:17
      • Ecclesiastes 7:29 Truly, this only I have found: That God made man upright, But they have sought out many schemes.”
    • Life balanced with wisdom: Ecclesiastes 9:1-10:20
      • Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going
    • True wisdom in fearing the Lord: Ecclesiastes 11:1-12:14
      • Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments. For this is man’s all
  • Christ in the book of Ecclesiastes
    • The principles of life as paralleled in Matthew 6:25-34
    • Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

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