Apicontent

A. Theme and Background.

1. If Judges is considered one of the darkest books in the Bible, Ruth is considered one of the brightest; it is a gem of a book. The events of the book place it during the time of the judges, sometime in the period of 1160 to 1100 BC. Jewish tradition gives Samuel credit as the author. It was written sometime after the anointing of King David as the final verses in the book speak to David’s genealogy.
2. It is a book of love. First the love of Ruth, for her mother-in-law Naomi. It is also a love story of the romance between Ruth and her future husband Boaz.
3. It is also a story of redemption. Boaz, as the kinsman redeemer, prefigures Christ as our kinsman redeemer in the New Testament.
4. It is a short book; only four chapters consisting of 84 verses. It is one of only two books named in the Bible after women and the only one named after a gentile woman.
5. The book of Ruth is a demonstration of the providence of God. Divine providence is God working through the natural order of things to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. We see divine providence as taught by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” We see “all things” being worked out for the good of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz in these chapters.

B. Chapter One.

1. The book opens with a famine in Israel. Naomi lives in Bethlehem with her husband and two sons. Due to the famine, they migrate to Moab. Naomi’s husband dies and her two sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. After ten years, both her sons die, and Naomi is now without a husband or sons.
2. When Naomi hears that the Lord has provided food for His people in Israel, she purposes to go back to the land of Judah. At first, both women state their intentions to go, but Naomi insists that there is no future for them to marry again. After many tears, Orpah kisses Naomi goodbye but Ruth clings to her and says “where you go, I will go and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God” (vs. 16).
3. They return to Bethlehem and the entire community was stirred because of them (vs. 19). They arrive at the beginning of the barley harvest.

C. Chapter Two.

1. Ruth asks Naomi to let her go into the fields and pick up the leftover grain from the reapers. She picks a field that happens to belong to a relative of Naomi’s on her husband’s side by the name of Boaz. She finds favor in his sight, and he tells the workmen to leave extra grain for her. Boaz addresses her as “My daughter” (vs. 2:8) which might indicate that he is much older than she. He had heard of her faithful care for Naomi and says to her “May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (vs. 2:12).
2. Ruth returns to her home and tells Naomi that the place she has been working belongs to Boaz. Naomi tells her that he is one of their kinsman-redeemers. A kinsman redeemer is a close relative who under Levitical law (Leviticus 25:25), can redeem or buy back property of one who is poor. Naomi also tells her to remain in Boaz’s field and work with the women there, as she might be harmed in someone else’s field. This points out the chaos present in Israel under the judges.

D. Chapter Three.

1. Naomi tells Ruth that she needs to find a home where she will be well provided for. She instructs her to go to the field where Boaz and his men are winnowing barley on the threshing floor. She is told to wash, put on perfume and her best clothes and to uncover Boaz’s feet and lie at his feet and that he will tell her what to do.
2. She waits until Boaz eats and drinks and lies down. Ruth goes and uncovers his feet and lies down. In the middle of the night, he wakes up startled and asks who this is. She tells him that she is his servant Ruth, and that he should cover her with the corner of his garment, as he is their kinsman-redeemer. He agrees but tells her that there is a relative that is closer and that he has first obligation to redeem them.
3. The ritual Ruth enacted seems very strange to our modern culture. But it is very significant. In Biblical Ames, the hem of a ruler or official represented their authority. The woman with the issue of blood touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed (Luke 8:43-48). Ruth’s action was appealing to his authority as the kinsman-redeemer. Some misinformed bible critics attempt to say this was a sexual encounter but, they are in extreme error.

E. Chapter Four.

1. Boaz goes to the town gate where legal matters were settled in biblical Ames. The closer relative is passing by, and Boaz has him set down. He explains that Naomi is selling a piece of land and that he has first position to redeem it. He agrees, but then Boaz says that he must also marry Ruth the Moabite and raise up offspring to Naomi’s deceased husband. Hearing this, he refuses, as it might endanger his own estate. He tells Boaz that he should do it.
2. The next of kin takes off his sandal, which was a sign of legalizing a transaction in those days. The elders of the city who witnessed the transaction wish blessings upon Boaz and Ruth.
3. Boaz marries Ruth, and they have a son whom they named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, the father of David. The book concludes with the genealogy of King David.

F. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. Deuteronomy 23:3 says that no Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord unto the tenth generation. This was due to the incestuous relationship of Lot and his daughters which resulted in the Moabite people. Some have calculated the generations to Ruth and determined that she was the 11th generation. What does that tell you of God’s curses against sin as well as His faithfulness in placing Ruth, a Moabite widow in the genealogy of Christ?
2. Some Bible teachers use the closer relative to Naomi who had first right to redeem her as representing the law. The law could not redeem us but Boaz representing grace and love can. Could you use this as an illustration of God’s grace and love for us in witnessing to your relatives and friends?
3. The kinsman-redeemer is a profound truth in Scripture. Boaz had to be related by blood to Naomi in order to have the authority to redeem her and Ruth. Christ also had to be related to us by blood in order to have the authority to redeem us. He had to be born of the virgin Mary as a genuine man but also as the genuine God-man in order to have the position to redeem us. Consider using this illustration in witnessing to others.

A. Theme and Background.

1. The books of First and Second Samuel are one book in the Hebrew Bible. They were first divided into two books by the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, about 250 BC. The book does not claim an author, although it is named after a principal character, Samuel. The events of First Samuel cover 110 years beginning with the birth of Samuel about 1120 BC and ending with the death of King Saul in 1011 BC.
2. First Samuel begins towards the end of the period of loosely affiliated tribes under the Judges, and focuses on the establishment of a unified government under a king. It also shows God’s providence of a barren woman Hannah, who gives birth to Samuel, and David, a lowly shepherd boy who eventually becomes king, from whose lineage would come the Messiah. It also tells of the sin and corruption of Eli the priest and his sons and of King Saul.

B. Chapters one through seven.

1. In chapter one, we are introduced to Hannah who is unable to bear a child. Year after year, she and her husband go to Shiloh where they sacrifice to the Lord. Eli was priest and he saw her lips moving while she was praying and thought she was drunk, one indication of Eli’s poor spiritual perception. Her prayer to the Lord was that if He would give her a son, she would dedicate him to serve the Lord all the days of his life. The Lord answers her prayer and she gives birth and names him Samuel “because I asked the Lord for him.” When he was weaned, she takes him to Eli so that all his life he would serve the Lord.
2. In chapter two, Hannah composes a marvelous song giving glory to God. We also see the depths of corruption of Eli’s sons, who treated sacrifices to the Lord with contempt and slept with the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. The Lord curses Eli and his sons for the evil that they are doing, and because Eli was honoring them more than he honored the Lord (vs. 2:29). But “the boy Samuel continues to grow in stature and favor with the Lord and with the people” (vs. 2:26).
3. In chapter three, Samuel continues to minister before the Lord. The chapter opens with a profound statement which reveals the state of Eli’s priesthood: “In those days, the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions” (vs. 3:1). The rest of the chapter relates how the Lord called to Samuel and he ran to Eli thinking it was him calling. “Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (vs. 3:7). Finally, on the third call, Eli realizes that the Lord is speaking to Samuel and instructs him to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (vs.3:10). The Lord tells Samuel of the fate of Eli and his sons which is that they will die on the same day and that his family will be cut off from the priesthood. Samuel is afraid to tell Eli of the vision but is persuaded to do so by Eli. The chapter closes with the statement that all of Israel recognized that Samuel was a prophet, and that the Lord continued to reveal Himself to Samuel through his word (vs. 3:20-21).

C. Chapters eight through fifteen.

1. Saul is anointed King and rules over Israel for forty-two years. But Saul rebelled against the Lord by not completely destroying the Amalekites, and is rejected by the Lord as King. His men took the choicest cattle and sheep as plunder as Saul was afraid of the men so he gave in to them. Samuel tells him: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings as much as obeying the Lord? Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as King” (vs. 22a; 23b). Samuel returns to his home and does not see Saul again until he dies, but he morns for him. This portion of Scripture concludes with “And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel” (vs. 15:35b).
2. God instructed Samuel to tell Saul to “Avenge the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (vs. 15:3). This needs some explanation and is worth the time and space in this lesson to investigate.

1. Passages like this are pointed to by critics of God and the Bible who say that this is genocide and is evidence that God is a moral monster. Many have walked away from the Christian faith because in their view of God, He is a cruel and vindictive entity in the Old Testament which does not match the view that they have of God as loving in the New Testament.
2. The Amalekites had attacked and waylaid Israel when they came up from Egypt (vs. 15:2; Deuteronomy 25:17-19) and this was God’s punishment. But there is something deeper and darker. Satan has always attempted to corrupt mankind beginning with his lies to Eve in the garden of Eden. This is because he knows that out of the human race will come the Messiah who will ultimately defeat him. In Genesis chapter six, fallen angels (“sons of God”) mate with human women and produce offspring called giants (Gen. 6:1-4). These were the Nephilim, a mixture of human and angelic DNA.
3. This fact, and the general wickedness and violence of humanity, was the reason for the flood. In Genesis 6:9, Noah is described by many translators as being a righteous man “perfect in his generations” which could mean that his DNA composition was not polluted by angelic genetic material. We see that Noah’s bloodline is pure from Christ’s genealogy in Luke 3:36-38. The flood was the means by which “all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth” would be destroyed. But Scripture does indicate that the Nephilim were on the earth “after that” (Gen. 1:4).
4. When the twelve spies that Moses sent into the Good Land returned, ten reported that “all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:32b-33). This was a major reason that the children of Israel did not obey God to go into the Good Land and spent the next 40 years in the wilderness.
5. Moses charges the children of Israel before they are to cross over into the Good Land in Deuteronomy 9:1-2: “Hear, O Israel: you are to pass over the Jordan this day, to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, cities great and fortified up to heaven, a people great and tall, the sons of the Anakim, whom you know, and of whom thou hast heard say, who can stand before the sons of Anak?”
6. Saul allowed the Amalekite king Agag to live (vs, 15:8) but Samuel later killed him. But we see a descendant of Agag, Haman the Agagite (Esther 3:1) devise a plot to destroy the Jews in Persia. But his plans are thwarted due to the courage of Esther. This again shows Satan’s scheme to destroy the people from whom the Messiah will come.
7. The initial conquest of the Good Land did not rid the inhabitants of the Nephilim. The story of David and Goliath, who was a giant, is considered by many to have been a son of the Anakim (Nephilim). Scripture records other giants who may have been related to Goliath (2 Samuel 21:18-22). It is interesting to note that David picked up five smooth stones in preparation of his battle with Goliath (1 Samuel 14:40). Was this a lack of faith on David’s part that one stone would not do it? Many say that he was ready to take on all the giants.
8. Regardless of the need to destroy the Nephilim, it should be remembered that God commanded, “In the cities of the nations the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, do not leave alive anything that breathes. Completely destroy them — the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites — as the Lord your God has commanded you. Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 20:16-18). Sadly, the failure to follow this command did result in Israel’s worship of false gods and ultimately, in God’s judgement.

D. Chapters 16 through 31.

1. Chapter 16. David is anointed by Samuel to replace Saul after his seven older brothers passed before him and were rejected by the Lord (vs. 16:13). David was the youngest of his father’s sons. The oldest, Eliab who was of tall stature and of good appearance. But God “said unto Samuel, look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have rejected him: for the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (vs. 16:7).
2. Chapters 17 and 18 record David’s victory over Goliath and the beginning of his service to King Saul. We also see in chapter 18 the beginning of Saul’s jealously over David’s success in battle and his favor with the people.
3. Chapter 19. Saul’s jealously over David continues. He attempts to kill David with a spear. David flees and Saul sends men to his house to kill him. But, David’s wife Michal, who is King Saul’s daughter attempts to deceive them by placing a teraphim with hair pasted on in his bed and lets him down through a window to escape. A teraphim was commonly used as a household idol possibly representing the invisible God. Such was the presence of idolatry in Israel that even David’s house had a household idol. David flees and he and Samuel go to a city named Naioth.
4. Chapters 20 through 23 record David’s pledges to Saul’s son Jonathan of lasting friendship and the continued pursuit of David by King Saul. David gathers a small army of 400 around him of men who were in distress, in debt and discontented (vs. 22:2).
5. Chapter 24.

1. Saul takes 3,000 men to attack David in his stronghold En-gedi. Saul goes into a cave to relieve himself (vs. 24:3) where David and his men are hiding in the back. David’s men urge him to kill Saul but David refuses saying how could he do that as Saul is the Lord’s anointed. He stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe but he later was sorry that he did this act (vs. 24:5). In biblical times, nobility and important persons had embordered hems of their garments symbolizing their authority. By taking a piece of Sauls’ robe, David was in effect challenging Saul’s authority.
2. Saul leaves the cave but David calls out to him and relates that he could have killed him. Saul weeps and says “you are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil” (vs. 24:17). Saul acknowledges that David will eventually be King of Israel and asks David to pledge that he will not cut off his offspring. David does so and they go their separate ways.

6. Chapter 25. Samuel dies and all Israel mourns for him (vs. 26:1). The rest of the chapter relates how a rich man Nabal, whose flocks had been protected by David’s men refused to give them a portion. David musters his men and sets out to kill him. But Nabal’s wife Abigail, who was very beautiful, hears of what had transpired and meets him with much provisions. David realizes that she spared him from committing murder. Abigail returns to her home and finds Nabal giving himself a great feast and is drunk. She waits until morning to tell him how he narrowly escaped death. Nabal “became as a stone” (vs, 25:37). Ten days later he dies and when David hears of Nabal’s death, he takes Abigail as his wife.
7. Chapter 26 relates how Saul and his army once again seek to destroy David. David has an opportunity to kill Saul while he and the entire army is in a deep sleep from the Lord. But he refuses again because Saul is the Lord’s anointed. He takes Saul’s spear and a jug of water at Saul’s head. David says of Saul: “as the Lord lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish“ (vs. 26:10). David retreats to a hill and reveals what he could have done. Saul once more repents and they go their separate ways.
8. Chapter 27 tells of how David, in order to escape Saul, goes to the land of the Philistines and joins himself to Achish, the King of Gath. Achish gives him the city of Ziklag to dwell in. From there David and his men attack the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites while deceiving Achish into thinking that he was attacking the Israelites.
9. Chapter 28 is a very strange narrative of how Saul consults the witch of Endor. The Philistines had gathered against Israel and Saul was greatly afraid. He had previously put all mediums and necromancers out of the land but the Lord had not responded to Saul’s inquiries of what he should do. Saul’s servants find this witch and he disguises himself and goes to her by night showing how fallen was his spiritual condition. She is able to conjure up Samuel who tells him that the army of Israel will be defeated and that Saul and his sons will be with him in sheol the next day fulfilling what the Lord and told Saul through Samuel.
10. Chapter 29 tells how as the Philistines gather for war against the Israelites, they see David and his men with Achish. They tell Achish that David could turn against them in battle in an attempt to reconcile with Saul. Achish reluctantly tells David to go back to the land of the Philistines.
11. Chapter 30 relates how David arrives at Ziklag after three days and finds that the Amalekites had raided and burned the city and taken hostage David’s wives and the rest of the inhabitants. David consults the Lord and is directed to pursue the Amalekites. He does so and gains the victory but, 400 young men of the Amalekites escape on camels (vs. 30:17).
12. Chapter 31 tells of the defeat of the army by the Philistines and the death of Saul and his sons. Saul is given a death wound by Philistine archers. He tells his armor bearer to kill him lest the Philistines abuse him. The armor bearer is afraid to do so; Saul falls on his own sword ending his life. The chapter concludes with the Philistines taking Saul’s body and those of his sons and fasten them to the wall of Bethshan. But the men of Jabesh-gilead came by night and retrieved the bodies and gave them proper burials.

E. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. Eli was the priest in charge of the Tabernacle, but his sons were worthless men and did not know the Lord (vs. 2:12). Eli knew of their sin and rebuked them but to no avail. Have you seen examples of failure to train up children in the Lord in their early years resulting in their living sinful lives as adults? What might Eli have done years earlier that would have changed his son’s characters?
2. Under Eli, the Israelites treated the ark as a good luck charm by taking it into battle. Where do you see examples of where Christians today use the things associated with the faith in such a manner? What might you say to a person who demonstrates this?
3. This lesson spent much time on the Lord’s command to Saul through Samuel to utterly destroy the Amalekites.

1. Do you know someone who has walked away from the Christian faith due to what they believe is God requiring genocide in the Bible? Do you believe you are better prepared to discuss this issue with them?
2. Besides the story of Esther and Haman, a descendent of Agag, the surviving Amalekites attacked David’s home while he was away with the Philistines (Chapter 30). This was the result of not obeying God’s commandment. Has God directed you to deal with a particular sin which you have not thoroughly addressed? How might this sin plague you in the future?

4. David’s older brother would seem to have been the obvious choice for the new king as he was tall and of good appearance. But he was rejected as the Lord looks not on the outward appearance but on the heart. Some today in ministry have charisma and are able to sway a crowd with their words. How would the Lord evaluate their hearts? How would He evaluate yours?
5. The presence of a household idol in David’s home shows how embedded was the practice of idolatry in Israel. Do you have images of Christ, Mary or other things which could be considered idols in your home?
6. Saul consulted a medium and Samuel appears which is the only time in Scripture where a deceased person appears to someone. Such activity was strictly forbidden in the Old Testament and those who practiced such things in Israel were to be put to death (Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-12). But we today could be drawn into a form of this by consulting the horoscope, seeing a palm reader or fortune teller. Many have encountered demons and opened themselves up to oppression by using an Ouija Board. If you have been associated with any of these things, what must you do now?

Overall Theme and Background. The authorship of Exodus is attributed to Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the dominate historical narrative is the Nation of Israel’s departure from Egypt at about 1445 BC. It marks the end of years of oppression under the Egyptians and the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would make of them a great nation and that they would reside in the Promised Land.

A. The descendants of Israel began to multiply and the Egyptians who did not know Joseph became fearful that they would align themselves with foreign enemies. They assign harsh taskmasters and force them to make bricks for building. The Hebrew midwives are instructed to kill all male babies, but they disobey this order out of fear of God (1:1-22).

B. Moses is born. His mother places him in a small ark lined with pitch and places him in the bullrushes where he is found by Pharoah’s daughter. He became her son and was brought up in the Egyptian Court (2:1-7).

1. When Moses (his name meaning drawn out of the water) was a mature man of about 40, he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. Out of fear of Pharoh, he fled to Midian where he becomes the son-in-law of a priest who places him in charge of sheep (2:11-22). Pharoah dies but the children of Israel are still in bondage and cry out to God who acknowledges his covenant relationship with them (2:23-25).
2. Moses encounters God in the burning bush. God instructs him to go and deliver His people out of Egypt. It is here that God reveals Himself as “I AM WHO I AM” (3:14). This would be the title that Jesus would use of himself to declare that He is God (See the gospel of John summary for seven “I AM” statements of Jesus). Moses tells God that he is not qualified which incurs God’s anger. But God agrees to have Aaron, Moses’s brother speak for him (4:10-17). On the way to Egypt, God attempts to kill Moses which seems to be a very strange scenario. Moses’s wife cuts off the foreskin of their son which then meets the requirement of circumcision being a sign of the covenant given to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 7:10-14) and satisfies God’s anger.
3. Moses had been given three signs from God to perform before the children of Israel to prove that he spoke for God. These were turning his staff into a snake, making his hand leprous and then restoring it, and turning the water of the Nile into blood. He performs these signs before the elders of Israel and the people, and they believe and worship God when they learn that He is concerned for their condition (Exodus 4:29-31).

C. Chapters 5 through 10 detail the back-and-forth interaction between Moses and Pharaoh as Moses implores Pharaoh to let the children of Israel to leave Egypt. As a note aside, the Pharaoh mentioned in this interchange with Moses was Amenhotep II not Ramses II as was initially thought. This was determined by diligent comparison of Bible verses, length of the various pharaoh’s reigns and extra-biblical writings. You can view Amenhotep’s mummy in the Cairo, Egypt museum today and as you look upon it, you realize that this is the remains of the pharaoh who knew and spoke with Moses face to face.

1. Moses goes to Pharaoh and asks him to let the Israelites go and worship in the wilderness. He refuses and accuses the people of being lazy, so they are treated even more harshly (5:1-23).
2. God affirms to Moses that He will give the land that He made a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to the Israelites but they did not listen to Moses because of the harsh labor (6:1-9).
3. God tells Moses that he is to communicate all that He tells him to Pharaoh through Aaron. God tells him that He will harden Pharaoh’s heart even though He will multiply signs and wonders so that the Egyptians will know that He is the Lord (7:1-5). Moses is now 80 and Aaron is 83 (7:7).
4. Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and Aaron throws down his staff which becomes a snake as God instructed them. Pharaoh summons his magicians and sorcerers who do the same thing. Aaron’s snake gobbles up theirs, but Pharaoh’s heart is hardened (7:8-13).
5. The narrative then details what is called the Ten Plagues, but each time Pharoh’s heart is hardened.

1. The plague of blood (7:14-24).
2. The plague of frogs (7:25-8:15).
3. The plague of gnats (8:16-19).
4. The plague of flies (8:20-32).
5. The plague on livestock (9:1-7).
6. The plague of boils (9:8-12).
7. The plague of hail (9:13-35).
8. The plague of Locusts (10:1-20).
9. The plague of darkness (10:21-29).

6. The Lord tells Moses that He will place one more plague upon Egypt and that Pharaoh will drive them out. The Israelites are instructed to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold as they were made favorable towards the Israelites by the Lord. These articles would later be used to cast an idol of a golden calf but later for things used in the Tabernacle. Moses was also highly regarded by the Egyptian people and Pharoah’s officials (11:1-3). The Lord will go throughout Egypt and that every first-born son will die (11:4-5).

D. The Passover and unleavened bread (12:1-30). The Lord instructs Moses to have the Israelites examine lambs to ensure that none have defects and to slaughter them and place their blood on the sides and tops of the door frames to their homes. When the angel of death went through Egypt, any home that did not have the blood would have the first-born son killed. This is the first Passover and is very significant as a figure foretelling of Jesus shedding His blood for us. He was examined and found without defect. Just as the Israelites were protected by the covering of the blood from death, we too are covered by the blood of Jesus that He shed on the Cross. They were also to take bread without yeast which is also known as unleavened bread. Yeast in the Bible signifies the corruption of sin. This became a lasting ordinance. The Israelites were in Egypt a total of 430 years to the very day (12:41).

E. The Exodus from Egypt (Chapters 12:31-51; 13:1-20)

F. Crossing of the Red Sea (14:1-31). The Egyptians changed their mind as they realized that they had lost their labor force. They pursued them. Moses stretches out his hand and the waters parted. The Israelites went through on dry land. The Egyptians followed and Moses stretches out his hand again and the waters sweep over the Egyptians drowning them. This incident can represent baptism as the Israelites go into the death waters but come up in a picture of newness of life (Romans 6:3-4).

G. The Israelites were now on the other side of the Red Sea and no longer in danger from the Egyptians.

1. They rejoice with the song of Moses and Miriam who was Moses’s sister (15:1-21).
2. They find water (15:22-27).
3. God provides manna and quail for them to eat and the Sabbath rest is initiated (16:1-36).
4. God tells Moses to strike the rock which brought forth water for the people to drink. The rock is symbolic of Christ who is the Living Water for us to drink (17:1-7 and John 4:10; 7:37-39).
5. The Amalekites, which was a nomadic tribe, attacked Israel but are defeated (17:8-16). God vows to destroy them. The Amalekites fought against the Israelites for generations. Haman the Agagite in the book of Esther is descended from the Amalekites and attempts to destroy all the Jews in Persia but was destroyed (Esther 9:5-10).
6. Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses visits the camp and sees the heavy leadership burden Moses has. He suggests a tiered management structure that is still the model used by many corporations today (18:1-27).

H. They arrive at Mount Sinai. The people consecrate themselves and Moses and Aaron go to the top where God is (19:1-25).

1. The Ten Commandments are given and the admonishment not to create idols along with instructions on building an alter (20:1-26).
2. Laws are given regarding servants, personal injuries, property, social responsibility, mercy and justice and the Sabath (Chapters 21, 22,23 and 23). The land was to be worked for six years and then left fallow on the seventh. This law was not followed and resulted later in 70 years of captivity in Babylon (Jeremiah 25:11; Daniel 9:2).
3. Chapters 24 through 31. Moses goes up Mount Sinai and remains for 40 days. Detailed instructions are given regarding the various things of the tabernacle and the garments of the priests. There are many interpretations of what the various things here represent but due to space constrains, we will not go into them here. Moses is given the Ten Commandments on stone tablets written by the finger of God (31:18).
4. Due to the lengthy time that Moses was gone, the people make a golden calf idol. They worship it and begin to indulge in revelry. Moses throws the tablets down; they break and he calls for those who would stand with him. The tribe of Levi answered his call and slew about 3,000 of the people. Due to their faithfulness in answering the call, they became the tribe that would act as priests for the people. God vows that when the time comes, He will punish the people for their sin. He then strikes them with a plague (Chapter 32).
5. Moses asks God to show him His glory. God places him in a cleft in a rock where he will see only God’s back when He passes as no one will live who sees His face (33:18-33). This passage inspired an old hymn which in part says “He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock where rivers of pleasure I see.”
6. Two new tablets of stone are prepared with the Ten Commandments. God gives commandments about idolatry and not intermarrying or making treaties with the inhabitants of the land they will go into as they will cause the Israelites to worship the false gods (34:1-17).
7. When Moses spoke with the people, he would put a veil over his face but remove it when he spoke with the Lord in the tent of meeting. When he emerged, his face was radiant before putting the veil back over his face (34:33-35). It was this passage that inspired the Apostle Paul to write in 2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

I. Chapters 35 through 40 detail materials for the Tabernacle, its construction and contents. Exodus concludes with the cloud of the Lord over the Tabernacle by day and a fire in the cloud at night in the sight of the Israelites as they traveled (40:38).

J. Discussion Question, Application and Passing it on

1. Moses was a strong-willed man at 40 when he killed the Egyptian. No doubt he felt he could deliver his people apart from God. It took another 40 years as a lowly sheep herder in the wilderness to break him to the point where he had no confidence in his natural abilities plus a direct contact with the I AM. Are you attempting to serve God in your natural strength? How could you be become more dependent upon the Holy Spirit and listening to God’s speaking to you?
2. Share with someone what you have learned from Exodus especially about the model of Passover as it relates to the blood of Christ and salvation. Also, use the passing through the Red Sea as a figure of baptism.

A. Theme and background:

1. Leviticus takes its name from the Septuagint (commonly abbreviated LXX) which was a Greek translation from the Hebrew by 70 Hebrew scholars in Alexandria, Egypt about 100 BC. The LXX entitled the book Leueitikon meaning the “Book of the Levites” who because of their faithfulness in standing with Moses, became priests, administering the laws of God, and leading worship. The book can seem tedious as it deals with many laws, rules and regulations given by God to Moses teaching the Levites and the people about offerings, sacrifices, Holy Days, celebrations, feasts and morality. There is no geographical movement of Israel in the book of Leviticus; they remain at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Writers of the New Testament quote from the book of Leviticus over 15 times.
2. A key theme running throughout Leviticus is the Holiness of God. Holiness is mentioned 152 times in Leviticus more than any other book in the Bible. God’s intention is that His people should be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19:1-2) meaning separation from sin and the corruption that is in the world. But as sinful people, we need cleansing from our sin. For this reason, the book opens with sacrifices and offerings which point to Jesus our Savior who shed His blood on the Cross for our redemption and forgiveness.
3. For the Christian, we should always bear in mind that the Old Testament laws represent the Old Covenant and since Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), we are not bound by them but are under the New Covenant. However, they should point us to the Holy God who is approached by His way not ours. The law is useful for us to realize our sinfulness before God and as a means of showing our need for repentance and reconciliation to Him. As the Apostle Paul says, “The law is good if one uses it properly” (1 Timothy 1:8).

B. Laws pertaining to the five offerings. Some commentators see the first three offerings as related to the person of Christ. The last two are seen as related to the work of Christ on the Cross.

1. The Burnt offering or related to Christ as our substitute (1:1-17)
2. The Grain offering related to the loveliness of Christ (2:1-16)
3. The Fellowship offering or Christ as our peace offering (3:1-17)
4. The Sin offering related to our sin nature (4:1-35)
5. The Trespass offering for sin as an act (5:1-19)
6. Law of the offerings (Leviticus 6 and 7)

C. The Priesthood (8:1-10:20) In the Old Testament, the tribe of Levi were the priests who interceded for the people to God. There was a veil in the temple that separated the Holy of Holies where God dwelt from the rest of the temple where man dwelt. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and only once a year to offer sacrifice for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16). At the moment Jesus cried out “It is finished” meaning His work of salvation was complete and He died, the veil was torn from top to bottom indicating that Jesus’s work of salvation was complete. Now we as New Testament believers are all priests and have full access to God (Matthew 27:50-51).

1. Consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests (8:1-36)
2. Ministry of the priests (9:1-24)
3. Two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fire and are killed by the Lord (10:1-2).

D. Holiness in daily life (chapters 11-22).

1. Prescriptions pertaining to clean and unclean food (11:1-46)
2. Purification after childbirth (12:1-8)
3. Regulations pertaining to skin disease and mold and their cleansing (Chapters 13 and 14)
4. Bodily discharges and instructions on cleansing (15:1-33)
5. The Day of Atonement (Chapter 16). Aaron was instructed to take two goats and slaughter one as a sin offering for himself and the people. He then was to lay both hands on the live goat, called the scape goat (Azazel), while confessing all the sins and rebellion of the people. The scape goat was then led into the wilderness and released. The scapegoat prefigures Christ who had no sin being made sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sins were laid upon Christ on the Cross. He was crucified outside the city like the scape goat which was taken outside the camp (Hebrews 13:12). Like the scapegoat, he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12). Moses is instructed that the Day of Atonement is to be commemorated once a year as a lasting ordinance (16:34).
6. Matters pertaining to blood (17:1-16). “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (17:11). Forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood resulting in death (Hebrews 9:22). As Paul tells us “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That is why Jesus had to shed His blood on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Blood was set apart by God for the forgiveness of sin. For this reason, the Israelites were prohibited from eating blood (17:12).
7. Laws pertaining to sexual relations (Chapter 18)
8. Various laws regarding purity towards God and one another (Chapter 19)
9. Various laws concerning sins of idolatry, sexual relations and witchcraft (Chapter 20). The penalty for many of these sins including adultery and homosexuality was death. God’s intention again was that His people were to be holy and to be set apart from the nations into which they were going (20:26). “Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them” (20:22-23).
10. Laws for the priests (Chapters 21 and 22).
11. The appointed festivals (Chapter 23).
12. Laws pertaining to olive oil and bread in the tabernacle, dealing with a blasphemer, murder and an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth (Chapter 24).
13. Laws regarding the Sabbath year, the year of Jubilee, the poor and slavery (Chapter 25). Every seventh year, the land was to have rest to revitalize it. Every 50th year there was to be a release from debt and bondage.
14. Blessing or cursing for obeying or disobeying God’s laws (Chapter 26).
15. Laws pertaining to free will offerings (Chapter 27).

E. Leviticus concludes with “These are the commands the LORD gave Moses at Mount Sinai for the Israelites” (27:34).

F. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. Many Christians do not see how the Old Testament and particularly Leviticus is relevant to us today. Can you explain the gospel in Leviticus?
2. The temple veil was torn top to bottom giving us full access to God through the accomplished work of Christ. We are no longer reliant upon priests to intercede for us. Do you approach God frequently and in what way?
3. Many people view the God presented in the Old Testament as an angry and vindictive God. Could you explain God’s desire that His people be holy as He is holy and the proper use of the law?
4. How would you explain why God killed Nadab and Abihu?
5. The scape goat represents Christ who suffered outside “the camp”. Hebrews instructs us “Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come”. To go outside the camp in these days means that we may hold biblical principles which run counter to modern culture. This means such things as sexual sin of all kinds, transgenderism, improper views of race or obeying God rather than man. Are you prepared to bear the disgrace that holding biblical principles may bring?
6. Are you bound by modern culture or are you “looking for the city that is to come?”

A. Theme and Background

1. The title is taken from the numbering of the people found in chapters 1-4 and 26. The narrative begins with the second year after the Exodus on or about 1444 BC. The book bridges the Israelites receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai to where they are being prepared to enter the Good Land.
2. Two generations of Israelites are presented: the first is the generation that exited from Egypt and is reflected in the first numbering of chapters 1-4. This entire generation of those 20 years of age and over perished in the wilderness due to their disobedience except Joshua and Caleb. The second generation reflected by the numbering in chapter 14, was their children who grew to adulthood in the wilderness and would enter the Good Land.
3. The theme is primarily that of disobedience or rebellion followed by repentance, obedience and blessing which could be said of most of the Old Testament. The theme of God’s Holiness is also carried through from Leviticus. The importance of Numbers is noted by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12, where he says that those things that happen to the Israelites were given to us as warnings. Paul refers to the kindness and sternness of God in Romans 11:22. We see both of these attributes displayed in the book of Numbers. A key verse is seen in 6:24-26: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

B. Chapters 1-4 record the numbering of the children of Israel who are men prepared for war, the arrangement of the tribes around the tabernacle and of those who would serve the tabernacle.

C. Chapter 5 prescribes purity in the camp and restitution of wrongs (5:1-10) and the test for an unfaithful wife (5:11-31). This latter directive from the Lord seems very strange until it is examined more closely. A husband may suspect his wife of being unfaithful. The woman is given holy water in a clay jar and mixed with dirt from the floor of the tabernacle and curses washed from a scroll (bitter water). If after she drinks it and if she has been unfaithful, her abdomen will swell and she may miscarry.

1. If we look at the fact that there is nothing in the bitter water that would by itself do this, then if the result shows unfaithfulness it is something revealed by God, not man. Although hard for us to understand in a modern culture, the test was to ensure purity among God’s people and to deal with a spirit of jealousy which can destroy a marriage. As Matthew Pool (1624-1679) puts it, “This law was given partly to deter wives from adulterous practices, and partly to secure wives against the rage of their hard-hearted husbands, who otherwise might upon mere suspicions destroy them, or at least put them away.”
2. The Bible throughout both Old and New Testaments condemns adultery and other types of sexual sin. So, although in this narrative it appears that the man who is accusing his wife of adultery is not subject to the same requirements of a purity test, he is still subject to God’s standard of holiness which if violated results in death.

D. Chapters 6-12 detail various things such as the Nazirite vow, dedication of the Tabernacle, the Passover, the Israelites leaving Mt Sinai, fire from the Lord that consumed some of the people due to their grumbling, the provision of quail and a resulting plague, and Miriam’s and Aaron’s opposition to Moses.

E. Chapters 13 and 14 describe the 12 scouts from each tribe that were sent into the Good Land to explore it. They bring back glowing reports of the land but with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, also bring a fearful report of the inhabitants. The people side with the other ten scouts and incur God’s wrath. Moses intercedes for them, and they are forgiven but He sentences them to die in the wilderness for their unbelief. Some, upon hearing of their sentence, attempt to go and fight the inhabitants of the land but they are defeated. A key verse in this narrative is “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” (14:18a).

F. Chapters 15-21.

1. Supplementary offerings and unintentional sin (15).
2. The rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram (16).
3. Staffs of the leaders of all 12 tribes are placed in the Tabernacle. Only Aaron’s staff had budded showing that this was a sign to the rebellious (17).
4. Duties and offerings for the priests and Levites (18).
5. The Red Heifer and the water of cleansing (19).
6. Chapter 20.

1. The Israelites arrive at the Desert of Zin. Miriam dies and is buried. The people grumble because of lack of water. Moses is told by the Lord to speak to the rock but he strikes it instead, resulting in God’s judgement that he will not enter the promised land.
2. In both the Old and the New Testaments, Jesus is described as the Rock (Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16: Daniel 2:24; and 1 Peter 2:4). Paul references the Israelites drinking from this rock in 1 Corinthians 10:4: “and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ.”
3. In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scriptures said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (7:37-39).
4. Christ was “struck” once upon the Cross. Today, we just need to “speak” to Jesus and living water will flow. Aaron dies at Mount Hor and is mourned by the people for 30 days.

7. In chapter 21, another incident occurs which represents Christ. Again, the people are grumbling about their conditions. God sends fiery snakes among them and many died. They repent and the Lord instructs Moses to construct a bronze snake and put it upon a pole. Anyone who looked at it would live. Jesus refers to this incident in speaking to Nicodemus in John 3:14-15: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

G. Chapters 22-25 describe the prophet Balaam who is summoned by the King of Moab, Balak who instructs him to curse Israel with the promise of a reward if he does so.

1. Balak takes Balaam to three different sites overlooking where Israel is camped on the plains of Moab. But all that Balaam can do is to bless Israel. The Spirit of God comes upon him and he utters the star prophecy pertaining to the coming Messiah, “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel” (24:17). This prophecy was fulfilled when the Magi came from the east following the star asking “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2). Jesus refers to himself as the bright Morning Star (Revelation 22:16). The Morning Star comes after a long dark night just as Jesus will return after the long dark centuries since His ascension.
2. Balak sends Balaam away without a reward. Apparently, later Balaam, in order to get a reward, instructed Balak to entice the Israelite men with Moabite women to commit sexual immorality and to worship the false god Baal (Revelation 2:14). This resulted in a plague that killed 24,000 (25:9). The plague is stopped when Phinehas, an Israelite priest kills a man (Zimri) who had brought a Midianite woman (Kozbi) into the camp. Phinehas killed both of them with a spear (25:6-8). That Scripture provides such detail as their names proves that this was a factual event and not myth as is the case with other false religion narratives. Peter refers to Balaam as someone who loved “the wages of wickedness (2 Peter 2:15). The Israelites later kill Balaam with the sword (31:8).

H. Chapters 26 through 36.

1. The second census of those men who are able to go to war age, 20 or more (Chapter 26).
2. Provision for inheritance for those men who die without a son. Moses is instructed to lay hands upon Joshua as his successor (Chapter 27).
3. Various offerings, festivals (Chapters 28-30).
4. Vengeance upon the Midianites (Chapter 31).
5. The Reubenites and the Gadites are promised lands in the Jordan side if they promise to go along with their fellow Israelites to battle in the Good Land (Chapter 32).
6. The stages in the Israelites journey and the instruction to drive out the inhabitants of the land and to destroy their idols, images and high places plus a warning if they do not (Chapter 33).
7. The boundaries of the Good Land are established along with assignment of men to oversee the inheritance (Chapter 34).
8. Provision for the towns of the Levis is given along with instructions on towns of refuge. Someone who killed another person could flee to one of six cities where the avenger of the slain could not kill him until he faced trial. If found innocent, he could remain in the city but could not leave it or face death from the avenger until the death of the High Priest. This is one more type of Christ where we flee to Him to escape destruction of our souls in Hell (Matthew 10:28; Hebrews 6:18).
9. The book of Numbers concludes with “These are the commands and regulations the LORD gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho” (36:13).

I. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. Are you able to present the gospel from the Book of Numbers? Consider Christ as the Rock, the bronze snake on a pole, the prophecy of the star and the refuge cities.
2. In Numbers, we see a continuation of the emphasis regarding the Holiness of God and the result if this Holiness is not respected. Do you have an appropriate respect of God’s Holiness?
3. God instructs the Israelites in some instances to kill the Canaanites and elsewhere to drive them out. Why did he do that?
4. The first generation of Israelites that left Egypt all died in the Wilderness due to their rebellion of not believing that God would deliver the land to them thereby losing their inheritance. The Apostle Paul lists a number of sins in Galatians chapter five, Ephesians chapter five and 1 Corinthians chapter six that could cause us to not inherit the kingdom of God. Note that he does not say “not enter” the kingdom of God. Is it possible that if we continue in those types of sins without repentance that we could lose our inheritance of ruling and reigning with Christ, but still be in His kingdom? Also, consider 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

A. Theme and Background

1. The name of the book comes from the Septuagint (LXX) title of the book meaning “second law”. The intent was that most of the book is not new laws but, a repeating a second time of that which the Lord gave to Moses in the earlier books. There are about 250 references in Deuteronomy to the previous four books of the Pentateuch, also called the Torah, and about 350 references to Deuteronomy in the Old Testament overall. It is referenced 95 times in the New Testament. Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy more times than any of the other books of the Torah. The book covers a period of about one month at the end of Moses’s life (about 1405 BC), when Moses addresses a new generation of Israelites who were the children of those who came out of Egypt but perished in the Wilderness due to their unbelief and rebellion. The Israelites are on plains of Moab, the eastern side of the Jordan River across from Jericho and are poised to enter the Good Land. Moses is now 120 years old and has led his people for the past 40 years.
2. A key verse to the book is found in Deuteronomy 6:12: “ be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” The previous generation forgot what the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of Egypt, Moses does not wish that this generation do the same.
3. It can be said that Deuteronomy is a book of love in that the word “love” appears here 21 times. This is because they needed to love the Lord God and realize that it was not all about rules and regulations.

1. An example is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-6 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.” This lacer verse comprises what is called the “Shema” meaning “hear” or “listen” and is considered to be the most essential prayer of Judaism today.
2. God’s intention has always been that we hide His Words in our hearts so that we do not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). The Hebrew word translated “one” here emphasizes monotheism in a pagan land of many gods but also conveys “unity”. The same word is used in Genesis 2:24 where a man shall cleave to his wife and they shall be “one” flesh. In this word, we can see the Trinity.

4. The book is comprised of three farewell speeches given by Moses. One looks to the past, one to the present and one to the future. In chapters 1-3, Moses reviews the past. In chapters 4-26 there are regulations for the present for obedience in love in 27 through 34, readiness for the future.

B. Chapters 1-3 are historical where Moses reminds the Children of Israel what God has done.

1. In verse 1:2, Moses notes that it is 11 days journey from Horeb (Mt Sinai) to Kadesh Barnea, the entrance point to the Good Land, to remind them that it took their parents 38 years due to their unbelief and rebellion.
2. In verses 1:6-8, Moses reminds them of what God said about staying long enough at Horeb, and to move forward and possess the land that He has given them. Some have calculated that the area promised by God to them was about 480,000 square kilometers. But at the pinnacle of Israel’s kingdom under David and Solomon, they only possessed 48,000 square miles or 1/10th of what God had promised them.
3. In verses 1:19-46 Moses reviews that spies were sent into the Good Land but that their parents rebelled against going in and were given a death curse. Estimates are that the children of Israel numbered over 1.2 million at that point and all but two died in the wilderness. Over 40 years, that would be about 80 deaths per day or a constant reminder that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).

C. Chapters 2 and 3 record the places they had been and armies they had defeated.

D. Chapters 4 through 26 contain the second farewell speech of Moses, comprised of the regulations for the Israelites during the present. The transition is from the past remembrance to what is happening now for them.

1. Moses admonishes the Israelites not to add or take away from God’s commands (4:2). God does not want His Word to be changed or taken away (Revelation 22:18-19). Today, many pick out of the Bible verses that support a particular viewpoint of theirs and ignore the rest or twist them.
2. The Ten Commandments given in Exodus chapter 20 are reiterated and expanded upon in Deuteronomy chapters 5-11.
3. Chapters 12 -16:16 cover ceremonial law.
4. Chapters 16:17-20 cover civil law. In 18:15 is a prophecy of the Messiah: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your midst, from your brethren. You must listen to him.” Some Islamic clerics have accepted to tie this prophecy to Mohammad but note the verse says that this prophet will arise from among your brethren not from among the Arabs. In John 1:21, John the Baptist is asked if he is Elijah. When he denies it, they ask if he is the Prophet in reference to this passage in Deuteronomy. Philip testifies “we have found the one Moses writes about in the Law” (John 1:45) also referring to this same prophecy.
5. Chapter 21-26 pertain to social laws.

E. Chapter 27 to the end of the book is the last farewell address by Moses.

1. Chapter 27 records that Moses instructed the Israelites that after they entered the Good Land, tribes were to stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curses and other tribes were to stand on Mount Gerizim to pronounce the blessings written in this chapter. It is interesting that those tribes on Ebal included Dan which was the first tribe to lead Israel into idolatry. Dan is also not listed in Revelation chapter 7 with the other tribes. A recent archeological discovery taken from Mount Ebal is a folded lead scroll on which was written a curse dating from this period.
2. Chapter 28 opens with a big “if” you will fully obey your God, He will give you many blessings. The chapter closes with a warning against disobedience with curses and a prophetic word about the nation being taken away captive by Babylon. This was a conditional covenant based upon both parties meeting the demands.
3. Chapter 29 is a renewal of the covenant God made with the Israelites at Mt Sinai.
4. Chapter 30 is a promise that if they return to the Lord, He will bless them in the land He will give them.
5. Chapter 31 describes how Joshua is to be appointed leader after Moses dies.
6. Chapter 32 records the very long song of Moses and instructions for him to go to Mount Nebo to die.
7. Chapter 33 records Moses’ blessings to the tribes.
8. Chapter 34 records the death of Moses. God shows him the Good Land which is denied to him due to his disobedience. He dies and God buries him in a valley opposite Beth Peor but no one knows the location to this day. In the New Testament, the book of Jude verse 9 says that the archangel Michael disputed with Satan over the body of Moses. At the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-3) Moses and Elijah are there talking with Him. They represent the Law and the Prophets. Although Moses was denied entry into the Good Land at his death, he arrives here. It can be said that although the Law failed, Grace prevailed!

F. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. Is there something in your past where you resisted or rebelled against God’s instruction to you? Have you been wandering in the wilderness? What are you going to do about it?
2. In chapter one the Lord tells them that they have been too long at Mount Horeb. Have you stayed too long at a certain place? Maybe not necessarily geographical but perhaps spiritually? Has He said to you that you have been subsisting too long on milk, it is time for solid food (1 Corinthians 3:2)?
3. The Israelites only appropriated 1/10th of what God had promised to them. Are you appropriating all of the exceeding great and precious promises God has given us in Scripture so that you can partake of His divine nature to escape the corruption of the world (2 Peter 1:4)?
4. Moses’ second farewell speech transitions from the past to the Israelites present. We too must remember the past of what God has done in our lives but, apply that to the present. Do you linger in your thoughts to what your early Christian life was, or the good experiences you may have had in church, or do you apply what you have learned to the present? Is your experience of Him as fresh and as vibrant today as it may have been in the past?
5. When Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:36)? He responded with Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength” and coupled it with the second from Leviticus 19:18: Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus went on to say that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). Can you truthfully say that you are obeying these two commandments?

A. Theme and Background.

1. Joshua is a bridge between the last four books which is Israel out of the land to the next seven books which is Israel in the land. The first five chapters of Joshua are Israel entering the land. Chapters six through twelve are the nation conquering the land inhabited by the Canaanites. The Canaanites were just one of the various people groups that inhabited the land but they have their name associated to the land of Canaan. Chapters 13 through 24 is the distribution of the land to the various tribes.
2. Joshua is the anglicized name of the Hebrew “Yehoshua” which means God is deliverance or salvation. It is the name of Jesus in the New Testament as translated from the Greek. It is from this that our mission organization, Joshua Nations, gets its name or “salvation to the nations.”
3. Although the book’s author is not named, it is most likely written by Joshua between 1400 and 1370 BC. The last portion of the book related to Joshua’s death was written by another person.
4. The book of Joshua was traditionally used as an analogy of Christians dying and going to heaven in that crossing the Jordan River was symbolic of death and entering into the Good Land of heaven. A better analogy is that crossing the Jordan is symbolic of our new birth and baptism and the Good Land as representative of our Christian life after salvation where we battle the Canaanites of self, sin, the flesh and Satan and his minions. But we eventually overcome and are victorious.

B. Key verses.

Joshua 1:6-9, “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land, I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 24:14-15, “Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”

C. Chapters 1-3.

1. Chapter one: Joshua is installed as Israel’s leader and they prepare to enter the Good Land.
2. Chapter two: Joshua sends out two spies into Jericho in chapter two. They are hidden by Rahab who is called a harlot in both the Old and New Testament. They give her a scarlet cord to Be in the window of her home which is located on the wall of the city. When the Israeli army destroys Jericho, they will spare her and those in her house. The scarlet cord is symbolic of the shed blood of Christ and those in the house are spared death as were those whose houses in Egypt had the blood on the door posts. Rahab later marries an Israelite Salmon, and she becomes part of the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).
3. Chapters three and four: the Israelites cross over the Jordon River. The priests carry the ark and step into the river first. As soon as they step into the river the waters pile up allowing Israel to pass on dry ground. This could be representative of hearing a command from the Lord and stepping out in faith and obedience but not receiving confirmation of the command until the first step is made.

D. Chapters 5-12.

1. In chapter five, the Israelites of the second generation are circumcised fulfilling the covenant of the Lord originally made with Abraham. It was an outward sign of an inward spiritual covenant made with God. In Deuteronomy (10:16) Moses tells Israel to “circumcise your hearts and be stiff-necked no longer. Stephen in Acts chapter seven tells the Jews just before they stone him “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!”
2. They eat some of the produce of the land and manna stops the next day. Joshua approaches Jericho and sees a man with a drawn sword. Joshua asks him if he is for them or against them. “Neither” responds the man “but as commander of the army I have now come.” Joshua falls on his face in reverence and is instructed to remove his sandals as this is holy ground. Although commentators are divided as to the man’s identity, this is most likely a Christophany or preincarnate appearing of Jesus. He gives instructions of how the city is to be taken.
3. The conquest of Jericho is described in chapter six. The walls collapse and the city is taken. Rahab and her household are spared. Instructions are given regarding gold, silver and other things which are to be devoted to the Lord. The city is burned. Excavations of the site of Jericho in the 20th century revealed that Jericho did have a wall that collapsed. Pottery with burned barley seeds were also found confirming that Jericho was burned at the time of the harvest as described in the Bible (3:15).
4. Chapter seven begins with Achan taking some of the things devoted to the Lord from Jericho. Due to that sin, the Israelites are defeated by the men of Ai. Achan’s sin is revealed and he, his household and possessions are stoned to death and the Lord’s anger is turned.
5. Chapters eight through twelve describe the various victories of the Israelites over the tribes of Cannan beginning with Ai. Thirty-one kings are listed as those Israel defeated in chapter twelve. The nation is then at rest (11:23).

E. Chapters 13 through the end of the book describe the distribution of the land to the various tribes, the cities of refuge, towns for the Levites, Joshua’s farewell and renewal of the covenant at Shechem. He sets up a large stone as a witness and then he dies at 110 years. It is interesting that today, you can go to Shechem and see a pillar reputed to be the remains of the one set up by Joshua as a witness.

F. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. Joshua exhorts the people in 1:6-9 to “not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Are you meditating daily on God’s Word? Are you hiding the Word in your heart so that you might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11)?
2. Are you serving other gods or idols such as possessions, relationships, entertainment, or have you declared like Joshua “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”?
3. Rahab married into the children of Israel. She is mentioned not only in Christ’s genealogy but also in the so-called faith chapter of Hebrews (11:31). This shows that anyone whose background is clouded by sin can be made righteous in Christ.
4. The story of Achan can be troubling especially when linked to the deception of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts chapter five. Are you attempting to hide something from the Lord who, when He comes will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart (1 Corinthians 4:5)?
5. Practice sharing the gospel using the book of Joshua. Consider the imagery of crossing the Jordan and entering into a time where we face constant struggles in our lives but eventual rest. Use especially the story of Rahab and the scarlet cord.

A. Theme and Background.

1. The book of Judges covers about a 350-year period in Israel’s history from the death of Joshua to King Saul or about 1300 BC to 1047 BC. The author is anonymous although Jewish tradition gives credit to Samuel. Governance of Israel goes from a strong central leadership under Joshua to decentralized leadership under various tribal leaders called Judges comprised of 12 men and one woman. Israel is not again united under a strong central leadership until King Saul.
2. The reoccurring theme is a continuing cycle of obedience of Israel to God followed by idolatry, followed by repentance due to oppression by Israel’s enemies and deliverance under the judges. The book can be organized as follows: Chapters 1-2 conquest; Chapters 3-16 compromise and Chapters 17-21 chaos.

B. Chapters one and two.

1. Chapter one begins with Israel fighting and conquering the remaining Canaanites. But some tribes like Manasseh, Ephraim, Zebulun, Asher and Naphtali were not able to completely drive out the Canaanites but lived among them. This would later become a snare to them.
2. Chapter two is essentially a summary of the entire book of Judges. The generation that saw what God had done for them under Joshua died and another generation grew up that neither knew the Lord nor what He had done for Israel. They fell into idolatry and apostacy and God gave them up their enemies that surrounded them. They cried out under the oppression and God raised up a judge who delivered them. But when that judge died, they returned to their idolatry.

C. Chapters three through sixteen detail the judges that ruled Israel during this 350-year period. Here are some highlights:

1. Chapters four and five is the story of Deborah who led Israel as a judge and was a prophetess. She tells Barak that the Lord commands him to take 10,000 men and attack the army of the King of the Canaanites under Sisera his general. Barak says he will go only if she goes with him. Deborah responds that because of this course of action, the honor of delivering Sisera will go to a woman. That is what happened: the Israelites defeat Sisera’s army and he flees on foot from his chariot. He hides in the tent of a woman who gives him milk to drink. He falls asleep and she drives a tent peg through his temple into the ground. Israel then had peace for forty years.
2. Chapters six through eight tell the story of Gideon. The Israelites did evil for seven years and the Lord gave them into the hand of the Midianites who invaded Israel, ruined their crops and killed their livestock. Due to their oppression, Israel would hide in caves and mountain shelters. We first see Gideon threshing wheat in a winepress. Normally, wheat is threshed on a hilltop where the chaff is separated from the grains of wheat by the wind. But a winepress is located at a lower elevation showing that Gideon was afraid of being seen by the Midianites.

1. The angel of the Lord appears to Gideon and says “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.” This no doubt was a shocking greeting not only because of the angel’s appearance, but because Gideon was cowering at the foot of a hill and not on top where the Midianites would see him.
2. Gideon builds an altar to the Lord and tears down the alter of Baal and a pole dedicated to Asherah. He gathers an army to fight the Midianites. He tests God by putting out a fleece twice. Once where dew was only on the fleece and second time where the dew was only on the ground.
3. God has him reduce the army so that Gideon does not get the glory for the victory. Twenty-two thousand left who were fearful, leaving ten thousand. God told him that this was still too many. He told Gideon to take them to a river where only those who lapped out of their hands would go and fight. This reduced the army to 300.
4. Gideon’s 300 men take jars with torches inside and surround the camp at night. At the blowing of a trumpet, they break the jars and cry “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon.” In the confusion, the Lord caused the men in the camp to turn on each other. The army then flees from Gideon and a great victory is won.
5. But Gideon made a golden ephod from plunder taken which he placed in Ophrah his town and it became an idol to Israel. The Israelites had peace from their enemies for 40 years until Gideon died.

3. Chapters eleven and twelve relate the story of Jephthah, the son of a prostitute who gained a victory over the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow that whatever comes out of his house upon his return, it would be the Lord’s and he would sacrifice it as a burnt offering. When he returns, his only child a virgin daughter, comes out dancing to the sound of timbrels. She surprisingly agrees to his vow but requests two months to roam the hills and grieve with her friends because she will never marry. After two months, she returns and he does to her what he vowed.
4. Chapter thirteen through sixteen recount the story of Sampson. He is the most immoral of the judges though he was raised as a Nazirite, someone who is supposed to be fully dedicated to God. He went to a prostitute and lusts after foreign women which, is his downfall. Eventually, he falls for a Philistine woman called Delilah, who eventually persuades him to tell her the secret of his strength which is his long hair. As a Nazirite is not supposed to have a razor taken to his head. The Philistines capture him, gouge out his eyes and have him grinding grain in prison. They hold a great feast in the temple of Dagon their god, and bring Sampson out to make sport of him. By this time, his hair has grown and he prays to the Lord for strength to push against the pillars to which he is chained. His prayer is answered and he brings the central pillars down upon a large gathering of the Philistines and himself, killing more in his death than when he was alive.

D. Chapters seventeen through twenty-one record how Israel descended into chaos. It is a period of evil and anarchy, and can be summarized by a phrase that appears twice in these chapters: ”In those days Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (17:6; 21:25).

1. Chapter seventeen recounts how a man named Micah returned 1,100 shekels of silver which he had stolen from his mother. She makes an idol which was placed in a shrine in Micah’s house. A young Levite from Bethlehem comes by looking for a place to settle. Micah takes him in and pays him ten shekels a year to be his priest.
2. Chapter eighteen tells of the tribe of Dan which had not yet come into an inheritance in the land. They attack, conquer, and burn the city of Laish where a people were dwelling in safety and prosperity. On their way to Laish, they stop at Micah’s house and take his idol and household gods and persuade the Levite to go with them. They rename the rebuilt city Dan and set up Micah’s idol to worship there.
3. Chapter nineteen recounts that which is among the most horrible stories in the Bible of a Levite who had a concubine. She had left him and he goes and retrieves her from her parents’ home. On the way back to his home, he stops in Gibeah whose inhabitants were Benjamites. They take shelter in the home of a man for the night. The evil men of the city come and beat against the door, demanding that the Levite be given to them so that they can have sex with him. The homeowner offers his own virgin daughter and the concubine instead. The Levite takes his concubine and gives her to them. They rape and abuse her all night. In the morning she makes her way back to the house and collapses on the doorway. When the Levite opens the door, he tells her “Get up; let’s go.” But there was no answer as she was either unconscious or dead. He puts her on his donkey and goes home, where he cuts up her body into twelve pieces and sends a body part to each of the twelve tribes.
4. Chapter twenty tells of civil war of eleven tribes against the Benjamites due to the outrage over this incident. After several battles, the Benjamites are defeated and all are killed except 600 who flee to the wilderness. The men of Israel go back to the towns of Benjamin and destroy all of their cities, putting all to the sword. No wives or women are left for the Benjamites.
5. Due to an oath that the men of Israel had taken that no one would give their daughters to a Benjamite, the tribe was in danger of extinction. Israel took count of those who had assembled to fight against the Benjamites and found that no one from Jabesh Gilead had come. They sent twelve thousand fighting men to Jabesh Gilead and killed all the males and the women who were not virgins. But that only obtained 400 virgins as wives for the 600 surviving Benjamites. So, a scheme was hatched where the remaining Benjamites would go to an annual festival near Shiloh and abduct the women when they came out dancing. This was done, and the Benjamites carried off their abducted brides, rebuilt their towns and settled in them.
6. The book concludes with “In those days, Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in their own eyes” (vs. 21:25).

E. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. Deborah is the only female judge to rule Israel. Some bible commentators have noted that when men do not step forward and assume leadership as was the case with Barak, the women often step in to fill the gap. Do you see this in the church? How can the men be encouraged to assume more of a leadership role?
2. Gideon had a direct encounter with the Angel of the Lord, yet he still needed further assurance through putting out a fleece. Have you ever done something similar to test what you believe the Lord is speaking to you to do? What might be more appropriate ways of discerning what the will of God is for you?
3. The story of Jephthah is especially tragic, as he made a vow resulting in the sacrifice of his only child. Two things we can learn from this account are that no matter the poor background from where we come (he was the son of a prostitute), God can still use us. Secondly, we should not make rash promises or commitments to God. God never required Jephthah to make such a vow. Have you made rash vows or commitments to God or others that you could not keep?
4. Most bible students are shocked at the story of the Levite and his concubine when encountering it for the first time. What were the root causes in the culture of Israel at that time that allowed this evil to occur?