Introducing the Old Testament Books

CONTENTS

Endorsements

Acknowledgments

Table of Charts

Table of Archaeological Discoveries

Introduction

Genesis

Exodus

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

Judges

Ruth

1 & 2 Samuel

1 & 2 Kings

1 & 2 Chronicles

Ezra-Nehemiah

Esther

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Ecclesiastes

Song of Solomon

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentation

Ezekiel

Daniel

Hosea

Joel

Amos

Obadiah

Jonah

Micah

Nahum

Habakkuk

Zephaniah

Haggai

Zechariah

Malachi

Charts of the Old Testament

Bibliography

About the Author

Introducing the New Testament Books

Free Bible Study Resources

About WOLH Bible Institute

ENDORSEMENTS

Ever struggle to grasp the background, meaning and flow of the Old Testament?  Designed to assist every student of the Word, Weaver masterfully puts the proverbial ‘cookies’ on the lower shelf.  The pages that follow will certainly launch you towards an informed and rewarding study of the first half of your Bible.

Don Lough, Jr., Th.M.

Executive Director

Word of Life Fellowship

People interested in understanding the Bible too often get overwhelmed and confused by what they read in the Scriptures.  What they need is a guide to take them by the hand and lead them to the path of discovery.  That is what Paul Weaver does in Introducing the Old Testament.   Making good use of his years of experience as a Bible teacher, Weaver organizes the details of the Old Testament books into a coherent big picture, so that the Bible student can see the forest rather than getting lost in the individual trees.  He is clear, concise, and yet not simplistic.  This book will be a great help to many.

Daniel J. Estes, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Old Testament

Cedarville University

The Old Testament can be an intimidating book. Paul Weaver’s Introducing the Old Testament Books helps the reader understand the basics of each Old Testament book within their individual historical context.  Such an understanding of each book’s purpose is vital in knowing the message of each book and more importantly to know the God who inspired them. 

Mark McGinniss, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Old Testament Literature,

Languages, and Exegesis

Baptist Bible Seminary

History involves many names, dates, places, events, culturally significant artifacts, languages and customs. Due to the amount of material in the Old Testament, this is more of an issue for the student of that body of material. This overview of the Old Testament excels in presenting this intimidating amount of information in a variety of well-organized ways:  pictorial illustrations, charts, outlines and concisely written descriptions following the same pattern for each of the 39 books. It is a great general introduction and will guide students as they consider further specialized studies.

Dr. Tom Davis, Ed.D.

Academic Dean/Professor

Word of Life Bible Institute

Wow, what a great contribution to the tool kit for skilled workers in rightly dividing the Word. Paul Weaver is a shepherd, a teacher, an evangelist, and a scholar. He is called, gifted, passionate, and carefully scholastic. This book leads students of the Word to a powerful understanding of the context for framing a sound interpretation of the message God intended and has for us today. I offer my highest commendation of this resource for your growth in the interpretation and communication of God's inspired Word.

John Barnett, D.Min.

Senior Pastor, Calvary Bible Church

Founder, Discover the Book Ministries

How do you climb a mountain? One step at a time! The study of the Hebrew Scriptures is a mountain of a task, but Paul Weaver's book Introducing the Old Testament is a guide to help step by step. The Hebrew Scriptures are the foundation for the Christian faith, to understand them will lead to a better understanding of the Messiah of whom they speak and the New Covenant to which they look forward. In an age when the Scriptures are under attack, the archeological references are also very helpful and relevant. I encourage you to use this book in your climb.

John B. Standard, Th.M.

Senior Pastor

Springfield Bible Church

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to express my thanks to Debbie Greer for her quality work editing and proof reading this text with great care, enthusiasm, and in a timely manner. Thank you Al Green and Lili James for doing the same. The final product is far better due to these individual’s careful attention to details. I am also thankful for Szalontai Loránd for his time invested designing the attractive cover.

I would like to make a special acknowledgement of two former professors and mentors, with whom I now have the pleasure of serving (both are Adjunct Professors at WOL Hungary Bible Institute). Dr. Daniel Carfrey, who literally invested hundreds of hours into my life: in the classroom, in his home, and in his office, helping to sharpen me and my understanding of Scripture. And Dr. Thomas Constable, whose example of remarkable personal discipline, careful scholarly documentation, and strong commitment to provide resources to help the common Christian understand the Bible, has inspired me to attempt to do the same.

Most importantly, I am thankful for my loving wife, who is always incredibly supportive and encouraging of anything that I put my mind to doing, and who has sacrificed much to serve with me across the globe.

TABLE OF CHARTS

Twelve Tribes of Abraham

Genealogy of Abraham

Significant Events in Relation to Exodus

Significant Events in Relation to Numbers

Wilderness Wanderings in Numbers

Occupants of Canaan during Joshua’s Time

The Reigns of the Judges

The Chronology of the Kings

Events before and during Ezra and Nehemiah’s Ministry

Events before and during the Time of Esther

Messianic Prophecies in Isaiah

Events before and during Jeremiah’s Ministry

Events before, during, and after the Time of Ezekiel

Events before, during, and after the Time of Daniel

Outline of the 70 Heptads of Daniel

Chart of Daniel’s 70 Heptads

Daniel: the Key to Revelation

Events before and during Hosea’s Ministry

Events before and during Amos’ Ministry

Events before and during Micah’s Ministry

Events before or during Nahum’s Ministry

Events before, during, and after Habakkuk’s Ministry

Events before or during Zephaniah’s Ministry

Dates of Haggai and Zechariah’s Ministry

Events before and during Haggai’s Ministry

Events before and during Malachi’s Ministry

Genres of the Old Testament

Chronology of the Old Testament

TABLE OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES

Enuma Elish

The Nuzi and Mari Tablets

Ebla Tablets

Merneptah Stele

Amarna Tablets

Silver Scroll

Hammurabi’s Code

Jericho

Ai

House of David Stele

Tell Dan Gate

Tell Dan  High Places

Solomon’s Fortified Cities

Inscription of Shalmaneser III

The Black Obelisk

Hezekiah’s Tunnel

Sennacherib’s Prism

Cyrus Cylinder

Susa

Xerxes

Lachish Relief

Qumran

The Great Isaiah Scroll

Bullae of Gedeliah

Bullae of Baalis

Nabonidus Chronicle

Nabonidus Cylinder

The Assyrian Destruction of Thebes

The City of Nineveh

INTRODUCTION

Scripture is a divinely inspired revelation of an infinite God to finite sinful man. It is unique in its content, exceptional in its character, and accurate in its claims. It was written by men of God, who were inspired by the Spirit of God, to record the words of God, and in such a way that we can understand it! This conviction embraces the Divine origin of Scripture while following natural principles of communication.

Unfortunately, many modern literary approaches to biblical interpretation have banished the original author and usurped his place.[1] The mistake of these modern literary critics, and those that they have influenced, is their failure to differentiate between meaning and significance. Meaning is sourced in what the original writers intended to communicate to their original audience, while significance is found in how meaning is to be applied. Although each text has one primary meaning, that meaning can be personally applied (significance) to one person in a particular way, far different from its application (significance) to another person.[2]

Before one can apply Scripture to one’s life (significance), one must first come to a proper interpretation of it (meaning). Arriving at the proper interpretation (meaning) of a passage of Scripture requires studying the historical context in which it was written. For this reason, approaching the Old Testament Scriptures can often be very intimidating. Introducing the Old Testament Books was written to assist the reader to gain more confidence and a better understanding of the Old Testament books in their original historical context. This introduction will discuss the author, recipients, place of writing, date of writing, historical context, purpose of writing, and message statement for each book of the Old Testament. It will also introduce the most important theological themes, discuss any specific interpretive issues, and highlight any significant archaeological discoveries. Charts, timelines, and pictures will also be utilized to illustrate and assist the reader to better understand the subject matter.

Introducing the Old Testament Books is successful if, and only if, it assists the reader to better understand what the Divine author intended to communicate through human writers to their original recipients. It is the author’s ultimate goal that this book encourages its readers to be like the noble Bereans who, "received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily" (Acts 17:11). What a great honor and privilege we have to study the inspired and infallible Scriptures to gain a knowledge and understanding of the words and workings of the eternal God! Let the learning begin!

To read other books, papers, and articles of this author visit: www.pauldweaver.com.

GENESIS

TITLE

The Hebrew title for this book is בראשית (bereshit). This comes from the first Hebrew word of the first sentence. This follows the ancient near eastern practice of assigning a book’s name by its first word(s).[3] The literal translation is in the beginning. This is an appropriate title since the book of Genesis is the story of beginnings. The English title Genesis is a transliteration of the Latin Vulgate’s title. The word genesis has the idea of origins or source. This is fitting since the book of Genesis records the beginning or source of the heavens, the earth, humanity, and the nation of Israel. It is significant to note that absent from this list of beginnings is God. God is eternal and has no beginning.[4] As Wenham points out concerning the focus of its contents, the focus narrows progressively throughout the book.[5] Genesis begins by recording the creation of the world and all its inhabitants (Gen. 1-2), then restricts its attention to humanity (Gen. 3-11), followed by attention given to Abraham (Gen. 12-23), Abraham’s descendants (Gen. 24-26), and finally to one of Abraham’s descendants, Jacob, and his line (Gen. 27-50).

AUTHOR

Conservative scholars recognize the author of Genesis, along with the rest of the Pentateuch, to be Moses. Internal (evidence found within the book itself) and external witnesses (evidence found outside the Bible: archaeological discoveries, ancient manuscripts, the writings of church fathers, etc.) affirm this. (1) The Talmud, which contains the earliest tradition of the Jewish people, identifies Moses as its author. (2) Religious Jews during the era of the apostles also held to Mosaic authorship (Acts 15:1).[6] (3) Jesus and New Testament authors acknowledged Moses to have written the first five books of the Old Testament (Mt. 19:3-12; Lk. 24:27; John 7:22-23). (4) Moses also includes internal clues that the book of Exodus was written by him (Ex. 15:1; 17:14; 24:4; 34:27), and the close connection between the book of Genesis and Exodus is further proof of Mosaic authorship of the book of beginnings.

Moses was raised in the kings court (Ex. 2:10), as a child of the Pharaoh’s daughter (Acts 7:21). He had the best education available (Acts 7:22), in contrast, the Hebrew people were slaves and mostly uneducated and probably illiterate. Moses was well suited to record the historical events found within the pages of the book of Genesis. He was an eyewitness and principle character in the events of the other four books of the Pentateuch (Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), but was not present during the events of Genesis. He would have depended on sources available to him in written (i.e. genealogies; Gen. 5:1; 10:1; 25:19) and oral forms. This is no surprise since, The great events of ancient times would certainly have been recalled, recited, and transmitted orally from one generation to the next. Moses would have had access to this rich legacy. As for documents, many conservative scholars believe that the term generations found at a number of critical junctures in Genesis (2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10;1; 11:10, 27; 25:12, 19; 36:1, 9; 37:2), refers to documents, that is, written texts preserved from earlier times.[7]

In addition to these sources, it must not be forgotten that God revealed Himself directly to Moses over a 40 day period on Mount Sinai. During this long period of time, it is reasonable to believe that much of what Moses recorded was given to him directly by God (cf. Ex. 34:28). Archer rightly concludes concerning the Pentateuch, Mosaic authorship is the one theory which best accords with the surviving historical data.[8]

DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS

Wellenhausen, building upon the views of his predecessors and contemporaries, popularized a modern and critical view of the Bible which rejected the internal and external evidence provided above. Instead Wellenhausen argued for a developmental view of the Pentateuch often referred to as the J,E,D,P Documentary Theory. He and those following his school of thought contend that the Pentateuch is the product of several writers (none of which are Moses) who wrote, edited, revised, and change portions which eventually formed the Torah. The J stands for the Jehovists editors, E for the Elohim document, D for the Deuteronomic document, and P for the Priestly Code.

Wellenhausen’s critical studies of Scripture were based upon a philosophical presumption of an evolutionary process of religious development similar to Darwin’s evolutionary thinking regarding Biology.[9] Wellenhausen assumed Judaism began as animism (the worship of many gods and spirits), than developed into monotheism which at first only required patriarchal led worship. He believes it grew into a more complex liturgical system. This developed system required priests and a priestly code.

A second presupposition that Wellenhausen and his followers adhered to, was the denial of the supernatural. They lived during the Enlightenment era, and were enlightenment thinkers. Some of the theories of Wellenhausen were proven false by archaeological discoveries, yet he was unwilling to revise his views in light of new discoveries.[10] Archer correctly recognizes, There is so much of special pleading, circular reasoning, questionable deductions from unsubstantiated premises, that it is absolutely certain that its methodology would never stand up in a court of law.[11] Dyer’s conclusion concerning the Synoptic Problem of the New Testament is also relevant here concerning the J,E,D,P hypothetical sources, A theory that rests on such extensive invisible evidence should immediately be suspect.[12] The Wellenhausen School is still held today by liberal sceptics who are not willing to consider Mosaic authorship, primarily due to their anti-supernatural convictions and despite the fact that Mosaic authorship has both internal and external evidence on its side. No other view can satisfactorily answer the available data.[13]

RECIPIENTS

Moses recorded the book of beginnings for the Hebrew people who went down to Egypt as a family but exited Egypt as a nation. While intended specifically for the Jewish nation, it certainly was in the mind of God a provision for His children, from the time of Moses until the return of the Lord. It provides answers to many questions of origins (origin of: the earth, creatures, people, nations, and Israel).

DATE AND PLACE

Since Moses is the author of Genesis as well as the remainder of the Pentateuch, these books must have been written prior to 1406 BC, when it is believed that Moses died. Moses lived 120 years (Deut. 34:7). The first 40 years he lived in Egypt (Acts 7:22-23), the last 40 years he was in the wilderness with the Hebrews (Deut. 8:2), leaving approximately 40 years that he lived while in Midian (Ex. 2:15). It is reasonable to believe that Moses recorded the book of Genesis while on Mount Sinai or shortly thereafter. This would have occurred soon after God revealed this information to him. This places the date of writing just after the Exodus from Egypt, which occurred in 1446 BC.

PURPOSE

Moses records for the people of Israel their history. He describes the origin, purpose, and destiny of the people of Israel according to God’s plan. They must have wondered why humanity was created, why Abraham was called out, why they were chosen as a peculiar people, (Ex. 19:5), and why they can be certain that God will remain steadfastly loyal to the covenant that He made with their father Abraham (Gen. 12, 15). By recounting the history of God’s interactions with man, specifically with Abraham and his descendants, it becomes clear that God has chosen their nation for a purpose, to establish a kingdom on Earth through his Image-bearers (Gen. 1:27-28).

MESSAGE

Yahweh is a creator-God and a purposeful God. He has a plan and purpose for creating mankind, to rule and reign on the earth as His image-bearers (cf. Gen. 1:26-27). Although this plan was temporarily interrupted because of man’s failure and the effects of sin on the world, God will ultimately accomplish His purpose and plan for mankind generally, and the descendants of Abraham specifically (Gen. 12:1-3; Gen. 15:1-21). This will involve electing a nation (Israel) as a kingdom of priests, and sending a Messiah who will redeem mankind and reverse the effects of the fall (Gen. 3:15).

THEOLOGY OF GENESIS

The Theocratic Kingdom

Understanding the concept of God’s theocratic kingdom is one that is of utmost importance in order to have a clear view of the whole of Scripture. It is also a concept that starts from the very beginning. The book of Genesis records God’s stated purpose and plan for human history. Moses, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, records God’s purpose for humanity (Gen. 1:27-28). Humans are the only created beings that God says were created in His image. It is even more accurate to translate the Hebrew phrase as the image of God, rather than in the image.[14] As the image of God includes not only form but also function. Humanity is not only like God in our attributes/form (able to reason, able to love, able to be creative, etc.), but also like God in our function (to rule). As Merrill states, Just as images or statues represented deities and kings in the ancient Near East, so much so that they were virtually interchangeable, so man as the image of God was created to represent God Himself as the sovereign over all creation.[15] From the very beginning, Adam and Eve were given the responsibility to rule over the animals and to subdue the earth (1:26-28). As God’s image-bearers, man was created by God to rule in His stead. This was the beginning of a theocratic kingdom, God ruling through His image-bearers. As Merrill states, Eden then became the microcosmic expression for kingdom territory, the place where God dwelt on earth in a unique way and where He had fellowship with His image, His vice-regent.[16] God created man with this intended purpose, to rule as His image-bearers on earth.

The purpose of God for humanity was temporarily thwarted by the fall, thus requiring the redemption of mankind. Redemption therefore, although extremely important, is not the end-all. Redemption (of mankind as well as the created order) is necessary to fulfill God’s stated purpose for humanity, for us to rule as His image-bearers on earth.[17] The purpose of God for humanity will finally be realized when man rules and reigns with Christ in the coming theocratic kingdom on earth, often referred to as the millennial kingdom (cf. Rev. 5:10; 20:1-6; Rom. 8:16-17; 2 Tim. 2:12). During the millennial kingdom, not only will man be redeemed, but the created order will also be restored. The wolf will lie down with the lamb (Isa. 11:6; 65:25). Children will play with snakes and not be bitten (Isa. 11:8). People will again live long lives (Isa. 65:20; Zech. 8:4), and animals, fruits, and vegetation will be in an abundance (Ezek. 47:8-12).

Redemption of Man

Soon after the fall and the consequences of sin entered into the world (death, pain, suffering, thorns, etc.), God announced His plan to redeem mankind. Theologians refer to this as the proto-evangelium (Gen. 3:15), which means, the first gospel. It is here that God promises that one will come from the seed of woman who will be in opposition to the serpent (Satan). While the serpent will strike the seed of the woman’s heel, the seed of woman will crush the serpent’s head. This is a Messianic prophecy speaking of the coming of Jesus Christ who will die (the striking of the serpent), but who will redeem man from the curse of the fall (a devastating blow to the serpent’s head). The rest of Scripture includes this narrative, God has a plan to redeem mankind, and Satan seeks (unsuccessfully) to thwart that plan.

The Abrahamic Covenant

The plan of God becomes clear as God elects Abram (later renamed Abraham) to form a nation through which the nations of the earth will be blessed. God’s plan has always been universal, but His means to bring it about is through a specific nation, the nation which would come from the descendants of Abraham. God made a covenant with Abraham, promising him three things: (1) a land, (2) a seed, and (3) a blessing. These three promises will be found throughout the rest of Scripture as God’s plan to establish His theocratic kingdom unfolds.[18]

A Land

Abraham was told to leave his home and his family to go to a land that God had promised to him (Gen. 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:18). This land would be from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates. The land promise was never fully possessed and God’s theocratic kingdom was never established; therefore, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God (Heb. 4:8-9). As Waltke states, "This land promise is fulfilled progressively