THE OLD TESTAMENT
Lesson Nine

One of the main purposes of the Bible is to show God's sovereignty over all things.  The Old Testament especially deals with four areas of His sovereignty and approaches each of these from His point of view.  These four areas are: God's lordship over creation, His lordship over history, His covenant with Israel, and His lordship over the future.  All these belong to Him.

There are four divisions that cover the books of the Old Testament and they generally are put into these categories: Law-the first five books; History-the next twelve; Poetry-the next five and Prophecy-the last seventeen which are divided as five major and twelve minor prophets.

The Law was recorded by Moses and deals with creation and the covenant God made with Israel on Mount Sinai.  The History tells the account of Israel taking the promised land, the story of the Judges, prophets, and kings.  In the Poetry books, we find a kind of poetic review of God's dealings with His people, His greatness and quite a bit of preview concerning the Christ.  In the Prophecy, we find all the future events that God had planned for Israel and for all mankind that was to come about through Christ and his kingdom.  This portion also deals heavily with the sins of Israel, their captivity, and the restoration from that Captivity.  This is all aimed at the fulfillment of what God had in mind to be accomplished through Jesus.

The following are some interesting facts about the Bible:
 

  •    The Bible contains sixty-six books.
  •    Thirty-nine books comprises the Old Testament.
  •    Twenty-seven are in the New Testament.
  •    Genesis and Malachi are the first and last books of the Old Testament?
  •    There was a period of four hundred years between the Old and New Testaments.

    •  
    There are twelve historical periods in the Old Testament.
     
  •    Pre-flood–from creation to the flood (about 2400 BC).
  •    Post-flood–from the flood to the call of Abraham (about 2400 to 2100 BC).
  •    Patriarchal–from the call of Abraham to going into Egypt because of famine (2100 to 1880 BC).
  •    Egyptian Bondage–from going into Egypt to the Exodus (1880-1450 BC).
  •    Forty years of Wilderness Wandering–(1450-1410 BC).
  •    Conquest–from crossing Jordan into Canaan to appointing judges (1410-1370 BC).
  •    Judges–from their appointment to anointing of Saul as king (1370-1050 BC).
  •    United Kingdom–from Saul to division of the kingdom (1050-933 BC).
  •    Divided Kingdom–from the division of the kingdom to the fall of Israel (933-721 BC).
  •    Judah Alone–from the fall of Israel to the fall of Judah (721-586 BC).
  •    Babylonian Captivity–from the fall of Judah to the fall of Babylon (586-536 BC).
  •    Exile and Restoration–from the fall of Babylon to the close of the Old Testament (536-425 BC).

    • The theme of the Old Testament can be found throughout the various historic periods.  During the time before the flood, God had said, "and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel"  (Genesis 3:15).  God said someone was coming to this world!  During the time of the patriarchs, again God said, "And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because thou hast obeyed my voice"  (Genesis 22:18).  God said this one who was to come would be Abraham's seed, his offspring.  When the kingdom of Judah alone was left, before her captivity, God told her,
     "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

    Again He told them, "Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel"  (Isaiah 7:14).  Someone was surely coming into this world who would destroy the devil, be the offspring of Abraham, and would be King, God incarnate!  Without question, the theme of the Old Testament is CHRIST IS COMING!

    Now, study and answer the questions that apply to this lesson.  God bless you as you consider and come to believe that Christ was truly the subject of the Old Testament.

     Questions for Lesson 9

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