Old Testament Introduction – part 1
Old Testament Introduction – Part 1 (20th September 09)
There are 66 books in the Bible – 39 of these are in the OT, 27 in the NT.
The OT was written by many different authors, over a period of centuries before the birth of Jesus. It was written in Hebrew, and tells the story of the people of Israel from the beginning until the prophet Malachi.
In the OT there are: 17 books of History; 5 books of Poetry; 17 books of Prophecy. The first 17 books of the OT are History Books, and fall into four sections.
Section 1 – the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch)
Genesis – creation, fall, flood, call of Abram
Exodus – slavery in Egypt, Moses, plagues, exodus, Sinai & the Law
Leviticus – rules about sacrifice and the priesthood etc
Numbers – disobedience, years in the wilderness
Deuteronomy – covenant renewed, Joshua, the borders of Canaan
Section 2 – The Conquest Period
Joshua – seven year conquest of Canaan, land divided amongst the 12 tribes
Judges – rebellion and sin, Gideon, Samson, Deborah
Ruth – a love story about ordinary people who became ancestors of a king
Section 3 – The United Kingdom Period
1 Samuel – Samuel, Saul becomes king, David chosen as his successor
2 Samuel – King David’s reign, his sin and death
1 Kings – Solomon’s reign, building the temple, kingdom divided
1 Chronicles – a reinterpretation of King David’s reign
Section 4 – Exile and Restoration
2 Kings – division of the kingdom into two, defeat of Israel then Judah
2 Chronicles – the story of the temple in Jerusalem
Ezra – two groups return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple
Nehemiah – A third group returns, and rebuilds the city walls in 52 days
Esther – God protects the Jews who are still in exile
What is the value of the OT ?
Ø It is part of the Word of God to mankind
Ø The NT doesn’t make sense without the OT
Ø There are difficulties; but the Word of God can be trusted
Ø Christians believe in the authority of the Bible (2 Tim 3.16)
Ø Finally, the real value of the OT is in what it tells us about God
Why not use this prayer ? Dear Lord, thank you for your Word in the Old Testament, which is both exciting and challenging. Help us to read it, study it, think about it, and allow it to feed us as we seek to follow Christ today. Amen.
