A place to grow your relationship with God

Archive for the ‘Old Testament Survey’ Category

The Significance of Psalms: Themes and Lessons


Psalms 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

  • Authors
    • David
      • wrote 73 Psalms
      • He was a King of Israel
    • Asaph
      • wrote 73 Psalms
      • Asaph was the choir director
    • Sons of Korah
      • wrote 10 or 11 Psalms
      • Sons of Korah were music leaders in the temple
    • Solomon
      • wrote 2 Psalms
      • He was a King of Israel.
      • David’s son.
    • Ethan
      • wrote 1 Psalm
      • Ethan was a musician and singer
    • Moses
      • wrote 1 (possibly 2) Psalms
    • Heman
      • 1 Psalm
      • Heman was a chief musician and singer
    • Unknown or Anonymous
      • Many are unknown or the person chose to remain anonymous
  • Date
    • Approximately 1000-300 B.C.
  • Theme
    • Praises and Prayers
    • This book was used as a song and prayer book.
  • Purpose
    • The Hebrew meaning of the book of Psalms is praises. The English word for Psalms is derived from a Greek word meaning music of stringed instruments.
    • The book of Psalms provides poetry for the expression of praise, worship, prayer and confession to God.
    • Psalms is the longest book in the Bible and contains the longest chapter (Psalms 119), shortest chapter (Psalm 117:1,2), and the middle verse of the Bible (Psalms 118:8).
      • Psalms 118:8(NKJV)
        It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man.
  • Content
    • Psalm was originally five separate books.
      • Book I: Psalms 1:1-41:13
        • This section is mainly written by David and expresses humans as blessed, thefallen nature and redeemed by God.
        • Psalms 41:13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
          • Amen: sure, faithful and true
      • Book II: Psalms 42:1-72:20
        • The major theme of this section is one of recovery and restoration. God is our help in the midst of obstacles and opposition.
        • Psalms 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
        • Psalms 72:18 Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel Who only does wondrous things!
        • Psalms 72:19 And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory amen amen.
      • Book IV: Psalms 90:1-106:48
        • The major theme is of this section focuses on the relationship of God’s kingdom over powering all other nations and kingdoms.
        • Psalms 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
        • Psalms 106:48 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, “Amen!” Praise the LORD!
      • Book V: Psalms 107:1-150:6
        • The major theme of this section is God and His Word.
        • Psalms 119:89 Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
        • Psalms 150:1-6 Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament! Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!
  • Christ in the Book of Psalms
PsalmsReference to ChristNew Testament Fulfillment
Psalms 2:7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.The Son of GodHebrews 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
Psalms 16:8-10 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. The ResurrectionLuke 24:5-7 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
Psalms 22:1-21 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded…… The CrossMatthew 26  And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him….
Psalms 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.Casting Lots for His ClothingMatthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
Psalms 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.No Broken BonesJohn 19:36,37 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.  And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
Psalms 40:6-8  Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.Doing God’s WillHebrews 10:5-7 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Psalms 41:9 Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.Betrayal John 13: Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
Luke 22:48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
Psalms 45:6,7 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.Everlasting KingdomHebrews 1:8-9 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.AscensionEphesians 4:8-10 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Psalm 69:9  Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.Zeal for GodJohn 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Psalm 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.Vinegar on the CrossMatthew 27:48
Psalm 89:3,4  I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.Descendant of DavidLuke 1:31-33 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
Psalm 96:13 Before the Lord: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.Righteous Judge1 Thessalonians 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Psalm 110:4 The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.Eternal Priest/KingHebrews 6:20 Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

bible, Bible Study, General Bible Study, Old Testament Survey, Psalms, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

Understanding the Book of Job: Themes and Insights

The poetical and wisdom books are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and
Song of Solomon. Hebrew poetry is based on parallelism that uses repetition and contrast

The Book of Job


Job 42:10
And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

1. Author
Uncertain (Some believe Moses to be the author)

2. Date
Unspecified date (Fifteenth – Second Century B.C.)

3. Theme
The Suffering of the Godly and the Sovereignty of God

4. Purpose
The purpose of the book of is to show the goodness of God and the wisdom of His providence and sovereignty even in trials experienced by those who trust in Him.

5. Content


Setting and Background: Job 1:1-2:10

Job 1:8-10
“Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shun evil?”
“So, Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.

  • Job loses property and children
  • Job loses his health

Job 2:9
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

Job 2:10
But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

Job and his three friends Job 2:11-31:40

Job 2:11
Now, when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place-Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him,
and to comfort him.

  • Job’s friends told him that sin had caused his suffering, but Job maintained his innocence

Elihu’s words: Job 2:11-31:31

  • Job 32:2-3
    Then the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job; his wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. Also, against his three friends, his wrath was aroused because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job.
  • Elihu speaks on the goodness of God


God speaks: Job 42:1-17

  • Job 38:1
    Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:


Ending: Job 42:1-17

  • Job 42:1-6
    Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore, I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor[a] myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”
  • Job 42:10 And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed, the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.


Christ in the Book of Job

  • Job as a type of Christ
    • Christ suffered and was stripped of all He had
Explore Fundamental Bible Stories in Home Study

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

Exploring the Book of Esther: Themes and Historical Context

Esther: The last of the Books of History


Esther 4:14
For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”


Author:

  • The author is unknown but was written by a Jew familiar with Persian customs.
  • Possibly written by Mordecai or Ezra.


Date:

  • Shortly after 465 B.C.
  • At this time a number of Jews were still in Babylon under Persian rule.
  • They had been freed to return to Jerusalem for over fifty years.


Theme:

  • God’s favor toward His people as they face opposition


Purpose:

  • Although the name of God is not mentioned in the book of Esther, this book demonstrates God’s sovereignty and loving care for His people.
  • No matter what the plan of the enemy is God’s plan is greater and always ensures His people victory.


Content:

  • Esther made Queen: Esther 1:1-2:23
    • Esther 2:4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. This thing pleased the king, and he did so.
      • Esther 2:17 Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
  • Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews: Esther 3:1-5:14
    • Esther 3:2 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”
    • Esther 3:5-6 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.  Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
    • Esther 3:8-10 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.” So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
    • Esther 5:14 His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.
  • Victory for the Jews: Esther 6:1-10:3
    • Esther 6:13 “Haman” …told Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him—you will surely come to ruin!” 
    • Esther 7:3-6 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. 
    • Esther 7:10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecal. Then the king’s wrath subsided.
    • Esther 9:1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
    • Esther 9:20-22 And Mordecal wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.
    • Esther 10:3 For Mordecal the Jew as second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

Christ in the Book of Esther

  • Esther as a type of Christ
    • Willing to risk her life for the lives of her people
    • Interceding for the Jewish people
  • Esther as a type of the Church
    • Esther 2:17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her made her queen instead of Vashti.
    • Ephesians 5:22 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

Leadership Lessons from Nehemiah: Building Resilience

Nehemiah 1:3-4 NKJV
And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are here in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” So it was, when I heard these words that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

  • Author
    • It is believed that the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one
      volume
    • Many attribute the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah to Ezra
    • Most however believe that Nehemiah (the Lord Comforts) was the author of the book of Nehemiah
  • Date
    • Approximately 423 B.C.
  • Theme
    • Godly leadership and victory through the face of opposition
  • Purpose
    • The book of Nehemiah continues the history of the Jews returning to Jerusalem. Nehemiah gives up his job as cupbearer to the king to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. The book of Nehemiah describes his compassion for the Jewish people, his prayer and intercession and his courage to fulfill the will of God.
  • Content
    • Nehemiah rebuilding the walls (Nehemiah 1:1-7:3)
      • Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NKJV) Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies ]waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.
    • The Opposition
      • Nehemiah 2:19-20 (NKJV) But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.”
      • Nehemiah 4:1-3 (NKJV) But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.”
      • Nehemiah 6:1-3 (NKJV) Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates), that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm. So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”
      • Nehemiah 6:10-13(NKJV) Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer, and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.” “And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
      • Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NKJV) So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.
      • Restoration of the Temple represented
        • Spiritual Authority
      • Restoration of the Walls represented
        • Civil Authority
  • Ezra and the Word (Nehemiah 7:4-10:39)
    • Nehemiah 8:1-3(NKJV) Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.
    • Nehemiah 8:10(NKJV) Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
  • Nehemiah’s Reforms (Nehemiah 11:1-13:31
    • Those living within the walls of the city (Nehemiah chapter 11)
      • Nehemiah 11:1 Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities.  And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.
      • Priests and Levites (Nehemiah chapter 12)
        • Nehemiah 12:1-9 Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,  Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo,  Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua. Moreover, the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren. 9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, stood across from them in their duties.
      • The Sabbath
        • Nehemiah 13:17-22 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.  And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.
      • Unlawful mirage relationships
        • Nehemiah 13:23-29 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.  So, I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.  Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?” And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
  • Christ in the Book of Nehemiah
    • Christ as our protector and refuge
    • Christ as our victor through opposition
      • 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 (NKJV) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

Ezra’s Journey: Rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem


Ezra 1:5
Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.

  • Author
    • Ezra (the Lord has helped) the priest who led the second of three groups
      returning from Babylon to Jerusalem
    • It is also believed that Ezra wrote 1 & 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah, (Psalm 119)
  • Date
    • 538-457 B.C.
  • Theme
    • Exiles returning to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the temple
      • Jeremiah 29:10 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.
      • Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) 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.
      • Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
  • Purpose
    • The book of Ezra describes the efforts of the exiles returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Jeshua is the high priest and Zerubbabel is the governor. Ezra returned to teach the law to the people in Jerusalem.
      • Ezra 7:10(NKJV) For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
    • The book of Ezra shows God’s faithfulness to His word. Ezra like the book of Daniel is partly written in Aramaic
  • Content
    • The first exiles return to the land of Judah (Ezra 1:1-2:70)
      • Ezra 1:5(NKJV) Then the heads of the fathers’ houses of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites, with all whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.
      • Ezra 2:1(NKJV) Now these are the people of the province who came back from the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away to Babylon, and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his own city.
      • 3 primary groups of those returning to Jerusalem
        • 1 group around 538 B.C. under the leadership of Zerubbabel
        • 2nd group around 458 B.C. under the leadership of Ezra
        • 3rd group around 445 B.C. under the leadership of Nehemiah
      • The return to Jerusalem was on a volunteer basis. Many Jews chose to remain in Babylon.
    • The rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 3:1-6:22)
      • Ezra 3:1(NKJV) And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.
      • Ezra 3:2(NKJV) Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God.
      • Ezra 3:6(NKJV) From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.
      • In 539 B.C. the begin rebuilding the temple. They were delayed for eighteen years by opposition from the north. In 521 B.C. after receiving a decree from Darius king of Persia they completed and dedicated the temple in 515 B.C.
        • Ezra 6:14-16(NKJV) So the elders of the Jews built, and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they built and finished it, according to the commandment of the God of Israel, and according to the command of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia. Now the temple was finished on the third day of the month of Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.
    • Ezra’s ministry (Ezra 7:1-10:44)
      • Ezra 7:6-10(NKJV) this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
      • Ezra 9:8 (NKJV) And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and give us a measure of revival in our bondage.
    • Ezra 9:9(NKJV) For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to repair the house of our God, to rebuild its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and Jerusalem.
  • Christ in the Book of Ezra
    • Ezra the scribe as a type of Christ being the Word
    • Ezra the priest as type of Christ the great High Priest
    • Christ being the fulfillment of God’s Promise seed

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

Lessons from the Kings of Judah found in 2 Chronicles: Obedience and Forgiveness

  • Author
    • Ezra – according to some Jewish traditions or possible a contemporary of Ezra
  • Date
    • 971-538 BC
      • Chapters 1-9
        • a 40-year period from 971 BC to 931 BC
        • This is Solomon’s Reign
      • Chapters 10-35
        • a 393-year period from 931 BC -538 BC
        • 20 different kings
      • Chapters 35-36
        • The fall of Judah
        • Coves captivity and return
          • political
        • Destruction and the temple (586 BC)
          • Religious
  • Theme
    • “Divine Editorial” on Spiritual Characteristics of the Davidic Dynasty
    • Temple: spiritual significance past to future
    • God’s ongoing offer of forgiveness
  • Purpose
    • obedience brings blessings
    • disobedience means the blessing are withdrawn
    • Key verses
      • 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
      • 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
    • Key Chapter
  • Content
    • Solomon’s Reign
      • Chapters 1-9
      • The kingdom splits into after King Solomon’s death
    • Judah’s Kings
      • Chapters 10-36
      • 8 good kings
      • part of the house of David
      • the messianic line is preserved
    • Temple Restorers
      • Asa
        • 2 Chronicles 14:2-4: And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
      • Jehoshaphat 
        • 2 Chronicles 17:1-9: And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel. And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah, and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim; But sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah. Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, even to Benhail, and to Obadiah, and to Zechariah, and to Nethaneel, and to Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people.
      • Joash
        • 2 Chronicles 24:1-4: Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord.
      • Hezekiah
      • Josiah
  • Christ in book of Chronicles
    • Temple
      • Matthew 12:6: But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple.
      • John 2: 19:  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
      • Revelations 21:22: And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

The Davidic Covenant: Significance in 1st Chronicles and Beyond

  • Author
    • Ezra – according to some Jewish traditions or possible a contemporary of Ezra
  • Date
    • covers the same time period of Jewish History as 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings
  • Theme
    • written to the remnants that returned from Babylonian Captivity to encourage and remind them that they are the covenant people of God.
    • Written to remind the people of their Spiritual heritage and identity
    • It retraces the whole of Israel’s history up to the return of the remnant.
  • Purpose
    • Davidic Covenant
      • David’s eternal throne which points to the Messiah (Jesus)
  • Content
    • Royal line of David
      • Chapters 1-9
    • Reign of David
      • Chapters 10-29
    • Key chapter: chapter 17
    • Key verse: 17:11-14
      • And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.
  • Emphasis is on:
    • God’s grace and forgiveness
    • to encourage the remnant
    • temple preparation and worship
    • priestly perspective – Levites
  • Christ in book of Chronicles
    • David’s throne would be eternal leading to the Messiah
    • Judah’s genealogy is the preamble to Christ’s genealogy found in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

The Importance of 1st and 2nd Chronicles in Biblical History

Intro:

  • 1st and 2nd Chronicles
    • originally one book in the Hebrew Bible.
    • The title of the book is Words of the Days
      • Accounts or events
    • equivalent meaning today
      • The Events of the Times
  • 3rd Century
    • Became a divided book with the Greek translation (Septuagint)
    • Title: Of Things Omitted
      • refers to things omitted in Samuel and Kings
    • Some copies titled it Concerning the Kings of Judah
  • 385-405 AD
    • Translated to Latin (Latin Vulgate)
      • The Latin Vulgate is a late-fourth-century Latin translation of the Bible, produced primarily under the labor and scholarship of Jerome (circa 347–420 AD). Its name comes from the Latin word “vulgata,” meaning “common version,” reflecting its purpose to provide a uniform, accessible text for believers throughout the Roman Empire. Over time, the Vulgate became a foundational text, shaping Christian theology, liturgy, and scholarship across centuries.
    • Jerome intitles is “Chronicles”
      • meaning the Chronicles of the whole of Sacred History
      • 1st and 2nd Chronicles cover the same period of History as 1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd Kings

Why have another account?

  • A different prospective
1st and 2nd Samuel and 1st and 2nd KingsChronicles
Prophetic PerspectivePriestly Perspective
Political HistoryReligious History
Wars ProminentTemple Prominent
Record of Both NationsRecord of Judah
Continuing History of NationContinuity of David
Man’s FailureGod’s Faithfulness
  • A different People
    • written to the remnant that returned from exile
      • Judah had been exiled to Babylon for 70 years
      • Temple destroyed in 586 BC
  • 1st Chronicles
    • Chapters 1-9: David’s genealogy from Adam to David
    • Chapters 10-29: 33 years of David’s rule over the United Kingdom of Israel (the whole 12 tribes)
  • 2nd Chronicles
    • Chapters 1-9: covers 40 years from 971 BC to 931 BC
    • Chapters 10-36: covers 393 years from 931-538 BC
  • Political Captivity
    • Babylon takes over as the ruling power
  • Religious Captivity
    • the temple is destroyed
  • Genealogy
    • Chronicles was last in the order Hebrew Bible
    • 1st Chronicles chapters 1-9 is the preamble to the genealogy of Christ in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey, Scriptural Articles

Tagged with:

2 Kings: Lessons from the Divided Kingdom of Israel

The picture shows a map of the divided kingdom of Israel.

2 Kings

2 Kings 21:10-12(NKJV)
And the LORD Spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him. and has also made Judah sin with his idols), therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah. that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.
 
Author
  • The author of 1st and 2nd Kings is unknown but the writing if these two books are attributed to Jeremiah
  • Jeremiah is also called the weeping prophet.
 
Date
  • 560-538 B.C.
Theme
  • Lessons from the ruin of Israel and Judah
  • Disobedience and Rebellion bring Captivity and Bondage
Purpose
  • The apostasy of the divided kingdom brings captivity and bondage.
  • Judgment on the kingdom of Israel came through Assyria
  • Judgment on the kingdom of Judah through Babylon.
  • The kingdoms experience short periods of revival under the rule of godly kings.
Content
  • Elijah and Elisha: 2 Kings 1:1-8:15
    • 2 Kings 2:9(NKJV) And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Eljah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?” Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
  • Kings of Israel and Judah: 2 Kings 8:16-17:6
The picture shows a chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah
  • Israel Captive to Assyria: 2 Kings 17:7-41
    • 2 Kings 17:6-9(NKJV) In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah and by the Habor, the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, 8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made. 9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves [a]high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city.
  • Judah Survives Assyrian Rule: 2 Kings 18:1-23:37
    • 2 Kings 18:1-7(NKJV) Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. 2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abi the daughter of Zechariah. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done. He removed the [b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the [c]wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan.  He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.  The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.
  • Judah Captive to Babylon: 2 Kings 24:1-25:30
    • 2 Kings 24:8-12(NKJV) Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father had done. At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.  And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, as his servants were besieging it. Then Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his servants, his princes, and his officers went out to the king of Babylon; and the king of Babylon, in the eighth year of his reign, took him prisoner.
Christ In 2nd Kings
  • Elijah the forerunner for Christ
  • Elisha as a type of Christ
John 14:12(NKJV)
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
 
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey

Tagged with:

Understanding 1 Kings: The Kingdom Split

The picture shows the divided Kingdom of Israel

1 Kings

1 Kings 18:21(NKJV)
And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
 
Author
  • The author of 1st and 2nd Kings is unknown but the writing if these two books are attributed to Jeremiah

Date

  • 560-538 B.C.
Theme
  • Lessons from the divided kingdom
Purpose
  • The books of 1 and 2 Kings originally existed as one volume in the original Hebrew text.
  • These books cover the history of the Israelites from the death of King David to the captivity of Judah.
  • King David is presented as the good example and King Jeroboam as a bad example of godly leadership.
  • 1 Kings covers the reign of Solomon through the reign of Jehoshaphat and Ahaziah.
    • Solomon’s name means peace
Content
  • The Reign of Solomon: 1 Kings 1:1-11:43
    • 1 Kings 1:37(NKJV) As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.
    • The Prayer of Solomon
      • 1 Kings 3:5-9(NKJV) At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD My God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child: I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore, give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”
    • Solomon’s Wisdom: 
      • 1 Kings 4:29-30(NKJV) And God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. Thus, Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the men of the East and all the wisdom of Egypt.
    • Solomon Builds the Temple
      • 1 Kings 6:1(NKJV) And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.
    • Solomon Turns His Heart from the Lord
      • 1 Kings 11:1-4(NKJV) But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely, they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David.
      • Deuteronomy 17:14-17(NKJV) When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, “I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, you shall not return that way again. Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself.
  • Rehoboam and Jeroboam: 1 Kings 12:1-14:30
    • The Divided Kingdom
      • Rehoboam
        • Judah the Southern Kingdom
          • Judah, Benjamin, Levites
      • Jeroboam
        • Israel the Northern Kingdom
          • The other 10 Tribes
    • Kings of Israel and Judah: 1 Kings 15:1-16:34
The picture shows a chart of the Kings of Israel and Judah
  • Elijah and Ahab: 1 Kings 17:1-19:21
    • Elijha’s Mount Carmel Victory: 1 Kings 18:20-46
      • 1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.
    • Elijah and Elisha
      • 1 Kings 19:19 So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him.
  • Ahab and Jezebel 1Kings 20:1-22:53
    • 1 Kings 21:7 Then Jezebel his wife said to him, “You now exercise authority over Israel! Arise, eat food, and let your heart be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
Christ in the 1st Kings
  • The Need for King Jesus
    • The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.
  • Elijah the Forerunner for Christ
    •  
    • Matthew 11:13-14:  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.
Old Testament Overview: Key Themes Explained

Category:

Old Testament Survey

Tagged with: