Apicontent

A. Background and Theme. Second Kings continues the narrative of the kings of Israel and Judah and ends with the overthrow of Israel and Judah and deportation to Assyria and Babylon. Both kingdoms rebelled against God and turned to false gods and idols, incurring God’s righteous wrath.

1. All the kings of Israel are evil in that they encouraged worship of false gods, culminating in its destruction by the Assyrians, beginning about 740 BC by King Pul (1 Chronicles 5:26). He captured and took into exile the tribes of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh who were located east of the Jordan River. In 722 BC, the capital city of Israel Samaria was overthrown by King Shalmaneser V after a three-year siege (2 Kings 17:5-6) who carried away the Israelites to Assyria. In 701 BC, Sennacherib marched into Judah destroying many cities but was unable to take Jerusalem due to the Lord’s intervention (2 Chronicles 32:22).
2. The few good kings of Judah were not enough to stop its decline into idolatry. King Nebuchadnezzar overthrew Jerusalem in several conquests ultimately destroying the city in 586 BC. This began the 70-year Babylonian captivity foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 25:12).
3. The book reveals that God will punish His people when they rebel and turn their backs upon Him. The book also demonstrates that true prophets of God speak for Him and their predictions come true.

B. Chapter one describes how the son of Ahab, Ahaziah, who replaced Ahab as king, fell through a lattice and was gravely injured. He attempts to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron if he will recover. An angel of the Lord goes to Elijah and instructs him to tell the messengers of Ahaziah that because he is inquiring of a false god, that he will not recover, but will die (vs. 1:4). Ahaziah realizes that the man is Elijah and he sends three successive parties of 50 men under a captain to bring him to his presence. The first two groups are destroyed by fire from heaven after arrogantly ordering Elijah to come with them. The final captain humbles himself and pleads that Elijah go with him. Elijah agrees and tells Ahaziah that he will die because he desired to inquire of a false god. Ahaziah dies and Jehoram becomes king as Ahaziah had no son (Vs. 1:17).

C. Chapter two describes Elijah taken up alive by a whirlwind into heaven (Vs. 2:11). Elisha succeeds Elijah as prophet. As he was traveling to Bethel, a group of young men jeered him saying “go up you baldhead”. Elisha curses them and two she-bears come out of the woods and maul 42 of them. Elisha returns to Samaria via Mount Carmel (Vs. 2:23-25).

D. Chapter three describes a war between Israel and Moab that also included an alliance with Judah.

E. Chapter four gives details about three miracles that Elisha performed. The first was the miraculous multiplication of oil for a widow who had a large debt to pay and faced the enslavement of her children. Elisha told her to gather pots from her neighbors and miraculously, oil filled all the pots which were sold to pay her debt. The second was a Shunammite woman who was childless. Elisha told her that she would have a son. The son later died and Elisha raised him from the dead. The third miracle was the purification of a deadly stew.

F. Chapter five is the story of Naaman who was a leper.

1. He was a mighty man of valor and commander of the Syrian army. He had high favor with the king of Syria, as he had brought many victories to Syria. In his household was an Israeli slave girl who told Naaman’s wife of the prophet Elisha. Naaman comes to Elisha who tells him to wash seven times in the Jordon. At first, this angers Naaman, but he is persuaded by one of his servants to do as the prophet instructs him. He is healed and then returns and confesses: “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel” (vs. 5:15b).
2. He offers Elisha gifts but, Elisha refuses the gifts. Naaman asks for two mule loads of dirt to take back to Syria. He asks that he be pardoned when he goes in with his master to the false god Rimmon and bow to him (vs. 5:18). Many Bible teachers postulate that the dirt he takes back will be used to create a space for Naaman to worship the true God of Israel. Elisha’s servant Gehazi sins by running after Naaman and requesting gifts under the guise that two sons of the prophets have come. Elisha knows of his greed and deceit and Gehazi’s punishment is that he receives the disease of leprosy.

G. Chapters six and seven.

1. The chapter begins with an iron axe head that is made to float which had fallen into the Jordan.
2. The king of Syria plotted against Israel, but Elisha is given the information of his intentions by the Lord and relays it to the king of Israel. The king of Syria believes it is a traitor in their midst, but one of his servants tells him: “Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom” (Vs. 6:12b). The king of Syria attempts to capture Elisha and surrounds the city of Dothan at night where Elisha resides. Elisha’s servant rises the next morning and is terrified at the sight of the great army of Syria. Elisha prays to the Lord to open the young man’s eyes, and he sees that there were horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (Vs. 6:17). Elisha prays and the Lord strikes the Syrian army with blindness. He then leads them to Samaria where the king of Israel asks if he should strike them down. Elisha tells him instead to hold a great feast, which he does, and the army goes back to Syria and does not make raids into Israel for some time.
3. Later, Ben-hadad, king of Syria, mustered his entire army and went up and besieged Samaria (Vs. 6:24). This causes a great famine in the city where two women fought over the intent to eat their sons. One woman boiled her son and they ate it but the other woman hid hers. This came to the attention of the king of Israel and he is greatly distressed. He vows to kill Elisha and sends a messenger to do so.
4. Elisha tells the messenger that the next day there will be an abundance of food but that he will see it but not eat of it (Vs. 7:1-2). Four lepers who were at the gate determined that there was no recourse but to go out to the camp of the Syrians who would either kill them or feed them. When they go, they find that the Lord had made the Syrians hear the noise of a great army. The Syrians fled, leaving all their provisions. The lepers go back and tell the king who set his messenger at the gate. When the people found out that the Syrians had fled, they trampled the messenger in their haste to get the food in the Syrian camp. He died fulfilling the prophecy of Elisha (Vs. 7:17).

H. Chapter eight. The chapter opens with a narrative about the same Shunammite woman for whom Elisha raised her son. The chapter continues with how the king of Syria, Ben-hadad was killed by Hazael who replaced him as king. The chapter concludes with a narrative of the two kings of Israel and Judah who shared the same name (Jehoram/Joram). Joram is a shortened form of Jehoram. The two names are used of the same person in this chapter (see 8:16 and 8:24). They also were brothers-in-law making it even more complicated. The first Jehoram/Joram, was the son of King Jehoshaphat who ruled in the southern kingdom of Judah from 853 to 841 BC. The other King Jehoram/Joram, was the son of the wicked King Ahab who ruled in the northern kingdom of Israel from 852 to 841 BC.

1. Elisha tells the Shunammite woman to leave Israel with her household as a seven-year famine is coming. She does so and when she returns, she goes to the king to have her property restored. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant is relating to the king all of the miraculous things Elisha has done, including raising the dead. Just at that moment, the Shunammite woman, whose son Elisha had raised comes in. When the king hears of the miracle, he orders her property restored to her (Vs. 8:6).
2. Elisha comes to Damascus where Ben-hadad, the king of Syria lay sick. The king asks Hazael to go to him with gifts and ask if he will recover. Elisha tells him to inform the king that he will recover but that the Lord has revealed to him that he will actually die (Vs. 8:10). Elisha looks at Hazael and begins to weep. He tells Hazael that he will become king of Syria and will commit many atrocities against Israel (8:12). Hazael returns to the king and tells him that he will recover. But, the next day, he takes a wet bed cloth and puts it over the king’s face until he dies. He then becomes king in his place.
3. Jehoram/Joram begins to reign in Judah. He does evil, no doubt, because his wife is the daughter of Ahab (Vs. 8:18). But God does not destroy him for the sake of his promise to David to keep his house intact (Vs. 8:19).
4. Edom revolts and Jehoram/Joram, king of Israel, attempts to quash the rebellion by invading Edom. The invasion is a failure and JehoramtiJoram escapes, returning to Judah. He dies and is replaced by his son Ahaziah (Vs. 8:24). Ahaziah rules for only one year, and he did evil. He and Jehoram/Joram, king of Israel, unite to fight against Hazael king of Syria. Jehoram/Joram is wounded by the Syrians and returns to Jezreel to be healed where he is visited by Ahaziah (Vs. 8:28-29).

I. Chapter nine.

1. Elisha instructs a son of a prophet to go to Jehu and anoint him king of Israel. He does so and the commanders of the Israel army support him. Jehu then rides to Jezreel where Joram, king of Israel was recovering from his wounds. He kills him and throws his body in the vineyard; the same vineyard where Ahab had taken it from Naboth bringing the Lord’s pronouncement that He would repay Ahab for his sins.
2. Jehu also kills Ahaziah who had come down to visit Joram. Jehu goes into Jezreel where he has three eunuchs throw Jezebel from a window and she dies. Dogs eat her flesh leaving only her skull and the palms of her hands fulfilling the word of Elijah (Vs. 9:36).

J. Chapter ten.

1. Jehu consolidates his kingship by killing all of the house of Ahab, including his seventy sons, his great men and close friends (Vs. 10:11). He wipes out all the priests of Baal and has the pillar of Baal burned (Vs. 10:25-27).
2. But Jehu did not turn from the sins of Jeroboam, by having the people worship the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. The Lord tells him: “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my eyes, and have done to the house of Ahab according to all that was in my heart, your sons of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel” (Vs. 10:30).
3. The chapter concludes by saying: “In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel. Hazael defeated them throughout the territory of Israel: from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the Valley of the Arnon, that is, Gilead and Bashan (Vs. 10:32-33). Jehu dies, he is buried in Samaria and Jehoahaz, his son, reigns in his place. He had reigned 28 years in Samaria (Vs. 10:35-36).

K. Chapter Eleven.

1. When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she destroys all the royal family and takes possession of the throne. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being put to death, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom (Vs. 11:1-2). Joash remains hidden for six years.
2. Jehoiada the priest, brings in the captains of the guards and shows him the boy. They are instructed to guard him and allow no one to approach him. Jehoiada brings the boy out and crowns him king to the shouts of “Long live the King”. Athaliah hears of the tumult and cries “treason”. She is killed and was the only woman to rule Judah or Israel.
3. Jehoiada makes a covenant between the Lord, the people and the king that they should be his people (Vs. 11:17). The people go into the house of Baal and tear down his altars and images. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign (Vs. 11:21).

L. Chapter twelve.

1. Joash reigned forty years and did right all his days because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. However, the high places were not taken away and the people continued to make sacrifices and offerings there (Vs. 12:1-3).
2. He issues orders to repair the house of the Lord. Hazael, king of Syria, plans to attack Jerusalem. Joash gives him the gifts of his fathers, and his own, as well as all the gold found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the King’s house. Hazael goes back to Syria (Vs. 12:17-18). But Joash’s servants make a conspiracy and kill him (Vs. 12:20).

M. Chapter thirteen.

1. Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, begins his reign of 17 years. He does evil and because of this, the Lord gives Israel continually into the hands of the kings of Syria. Jehoahaz seeks the Lord’s favor and He gives them relief from the Syrians. However, Israel does not change from their idolatry. Jehoahaz dies and his son, Jehoash reigns in his place for sixteen years.
2. Elisha dies (during the reign of Joash) and is buried. As a man was being buried, a marauding band of Moabites is seen. The man is hastily thrown into Elisha’s grave. The man revives as soon as his body touches the bones of Elisha and he stands up (Vs. 13:20-21).

N. Chapter fourteen.

1. The chapter begins with the beginning of the reign of Amaziah, the son of Joash, who was twenty-five and who reigned for twenty-nine years. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not to the extent of King David. The people still sacrificed to idols and the high places were not removed (Vs. 14:3-4).
2. He became proud and challenged Jehoash, king of Israel to battle. Judah was defeated and Jehoash captured Jerusalem, broke down part of the wall, took plunder of gold, silver and some of the vessels of the temple as well as captured Amaziah. Amaziah later fled to Lachish where conspirators from Jerusalem found and killed him placing his son Azariah on the throne.
3. The chapter concludes with the reign of Jeroboam II who was evil and reigned forty-one years. It was bitter times and there was no one to help Israel. “But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash” (Vs. 14:27).

O. Chapter fifteen.

1. Azariah, the son of Amaziah began to reign in Judah after the death of his father. He was sixteen years old and reigned for fifty-two years in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the Lords eyes but, the people still worshiped and made sacrifices on the high places. The Lord “touched him” and he became a leper and lived in a separate house until his death (Vs 15:5), His son Jotham then reigned in his place.
2. The chapter then describes a series of evil kings of Israel, most of whom had short reigns. One particular note is made of Menahem who overthrew Shallum, who reigned for only one month. Menahem sacked one of the territories because they did not “open to him” including ripping open the women who were pregnant (Vs. 15:16).
3. The chapter concludes with Jotham, king of Judah who was twenty-five when he began his reign of sixteen years. He did what was right in the Lord’s eyes but, the people still made sacrifices on the high places. In those days, the Lord began to send the kings of Syria against Judah (Vs. 15:37). Jotham dies and his son, Ahaz begins to reign in his place.

P. Chapter sixteen describes the reign of Ahaz who was twenty at the beginning of his sixteen-year reign in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the Lord’s eyes. He made a treaty with Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria to rescue Judah from the Syrians. He gave the treasures of the temple and his own house to Tiglath-Pileser who marched against Syria and took Damascus and its people captive. Ahaz went to Damascus to meet with Tiglath-Pileser and saw an altar which he had copied by Uriah the high priest. He replaced the bronze altar in front of the temple in Jerusalem with the copy of the one in Damascus. He also made alterations to other fixtures in the outer court of the temple. He died and Hezekiah, his son reigned in his place.

Q. Chapter seventeen.

1. Hoshea the son of Elah, began his reign of nine years in Israel. He did evil but not to the extent of the Israeli kings before him. But Shalmaneser king of Assyria, came up against Israel and put Hoshea in prison. He besieged Sameria for three years and carried off its inhabitants to Assyria. He then placed inhabitants of various countries that Assyria had conquered into the cities of Samaria.
2. The chapter includes a lengthy discussion of the sins of the people of Israel as to why the Lord allowed these things to happen. Their sins included false worship, sacrifice of their children, divination and use of omens.
3. The people that Assyria had resettled in Samaria worshiped their gods and the Lord sent lions among them which killed many. The king of Assyria was told of this and he sent a priest of Israel there who attempted to instruct them in the way of the Lord. But the people would not listen but did according to their former manner (Vs. 17:40).

R. Chapter eighteen.

1. This chapter focuses on King Hezekiah who was twenty-five when he began his reign of twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. The Word describes him as one who did all that was right in the eyes of the Lord. He trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him. “For he held fast to the LORD. He did not depart from following him, but kept the commandments the LORD commanded to Moses” (Vs. 18:5-6).
2. In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib, king of Assyria invaded Judah and conquered all the for7fied ci7es. Hezekiah attempted to pay tribute to him but, Sennacherib sent his emissaries and a great army against Jerusalem. They mocked the representatives of Hezekiah who then went to the king with torn clothing in anguish.

S. Chapter nineteen.

1. The narrative continues with Hezekiah also going with torn clothes in anguish to the house of the Lord. His servants consult Isaiah who tells them “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me. Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land’” (Vs. 19:5b-7).
2. The servants of Sennacherib send a letter to Hezekiah mocking the Lord and telling Hezikiah not to trust in God. Hezekiah goes into the temple and spreads the letter before the Lord pleading with Him for deliverance so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that “You, O Lord are God alone” (Vs. 19:19).
3. Isaiah sends word to Hezikiah that the Lord has heard his prayer. The chapter closes with an angel of the Lord killing 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. Sennacherib returns home to Nineveh where he is assassinated by two of his sons while he is worshipping his god.

T. Chapter twenty.

1. Hezekiah becomes sick and Isaiah initially tells him that he will die. Hezekiah prays to the Lord telling Him of his faithfulness to Him. Isaiah is stopped by the Lord before he exits the middle court and instructed to return and tell Hezekiah that his prayers have been answered and that He will spare Jerusalem from the Assyrians for His namesake and for David’s sake and give Hezekiah fiVeen more years of life. Hezekiah asks for a sign be given to him to prove that this is true. He is given a choice of having the sun’s shadow go down ten steps or go backward ten steps. Hezekiah chooses ten backwards steps as it would be more difficult. The shadow goes backward ten steps and Hezekiah recovers from his illness.
2. The king of Babylon sends envoys and presents to Hezekiah as he heard that he had been sick. Hezekiah shows the envoys all the treasures of the storehouses. Isaiah hears of this and chastises Hezekiah for his foolishness in revealing all of this. He then tells Hezekiah that all of these treasures will be carried away to Babylon as well as some of his sons who will be made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Hezekiah is comforted by the thought that all of this will happen after he dies and that he will have security and peace. Hezekiah dies and is replaced by his son Manasseh.

U. Chapter twenty-one.

1. Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign. He reigned fifty-five years and did evil in the sight of the Lord. He rebuilt the high places that Hezekiah had destroyed, built altars for Baal, made his son pass through fire, used mediums and necromancers and other detestable things. Due to his evil, the Lord said “And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies” (Vs. 20:14).
2. Manasseh dies and his son Amon ascends to the throne at age twenty-two. He also does evil in the sight of the Lord and his servants conspire against him and kill him after two years. The people of the land kill those who had conspired against Amon and make his son Josiah king.

V. Chapter twenty-two.

1. Josiah was eight years old when he began his thirty-one-year reign in Jerusalem. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He began repairs of the temple and Hilkiah discovered a scroll of the law who gave it to Shaphan, the kings secretary who read it to the King. When the King heard the words of the law, he tore his clothes in anguish as he heard of the wrath of the Lord due to Jerusalem for all that they had done in disobedience to Him.
2. Hilkiah, Shaphan and others consulted a prophetess who told them that the Lord will bring His wrath against Jerusalem but since Josiah humbled himself that he would die without seeing the disaster that would come upon Jerusalem.

W. Chapter twenty-three.

1. Josiah summons the elders of Jerusalem and Judah and reads to them from the book of the covenant found during repairs of the temple. “And the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant” (Vs. 23:3).
2. Josiah embarks on an intense campaign to rid Judea and the cities of Samaria of all the evil things that had accumulated since the time of Solomon. He also reinstated the observance of the Passover which had not been kept since the days of the Judges. “Still the LORD did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 27 And the LORD said, “I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there” (Vs. 23:26-27).
3. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt came up to the king of Assyria at the river Euphrates. The Pharaoh killed Josiah at Megiddo and Josiah’s servants brought him back to Jerusalem and buried him and Jehoahaz was made king in his place.
4. Jehoahaz was twenty-three when he became king and ruled for only three months doing evil before Pharaoh Neco had him imprisoned. Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim, Josiah’s son king changing his name to Jehoiakim. Jehoahaz was taken back to Egypt where he died. Jehoiakim was twenty-three years old when he began his reign for eleven years doing evil in the sight of the Lord.

X. Chapter twenty-four.

1. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon captured Jerusalem in the eighth year of the reign of Jehoiakim taking him, his wives, servants and palace officials plus the treasures of the temple back to Babylon making his uncle Mattaniah king in his place after changing his name to Zedekiah.
2. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king ruling eleven years in Jerusalem doing evil in the sight of the Lord. He then rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.

Y. Chapter twenty-five.

1. In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem with all his army and besieged it. The siege was so severe that by the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign, all the food in the city was gone. A breach was made in the wall and Zedekiah fled with his army. But the Chaldean’s overtook him and brough him before Nebuchadnezzar who killed his sons before him, put out his eyes and brought him captive to Babylon.
2. The great houses of Jerusalem were burned, the pillars of bronze of the temple were taken to Babylon. The high priest and sixty men including some officials that were left in the city were taken to Nebuchadnezzar who had them killed. He then appointed Gedaliah governor. Gedaliah was later killed by Ishmael, of the royal family. They then fled to Egypt as they were afraid of the Chaldeans.
3. The chapter and book close with Jehoiachin, who was the rightful king of Judah, being freed from prison by Evil-Merodach, the then king of Babylon in the first year of his reign. Jehoiachin is given a place at the kings table and a regular allowance as long as he lived. This latter biblical passage was confirmed by excavations in Babylon where clay tablets were discovered in a warehouse of that period confirming the rations given to Jehoiachin. Jehoiachin (Jechoniah) is reference in Matthew chapter one as an ancestor of Jesus fulfilling God’s promise to David that his house would not perish until Messiah would come.

Z. Discussion Questions and Application.

1. Not all of God’s promises are pleasant. His covenants with the Jews depended upon their faithfulness to Him as their only God. What can we learn from the Jewish history that led to the destruction and captivity of Israel and Judea?
2. Which of the Ten Commandments was the chief reason that brought God’s wrath upon Israel and Judea?
3. The destruction of the northern nation of Israel comprised of ten tribes has given rise to the popular term “the ten lost tribes of Israel”. However, in Micah 2:12a, the Lord says “I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob; I will gather the remnant of Israel; I will set them together like sheep in a fold”. The phrase “all of you, O Jacob” means all of the ten tribes. Archeological excavations around Jerusalem have revealed that during the reign of Hezekiah, refugees from the ten tribes of Israel came to Jerusalem where they received shelter from Assyria’s destruction. The gathering of the remnant of Jacob has occurred since the Nation of Israel was reborn in 1948. This is an unprecedented event in history where a people lost its geographical home yet was restored almost 2,000 years later. What does this do to your faith in God’s promises?

Overview and Summary. The two books were originally one book in the Jewish Scriptures but it is one consistent narrative. It contains much of the same content as the books of Samuel and Kings which precede it in our modern Bibles. In the Jewish Scripture, it is the last book as it summarizes all the other books. It begins with Adam in First Chronicles and ends with the return of the Jews after the Babylonian exile in Second Chronicles. It was written looking to the past with a retelling of the story of David and Solomon and other kings as a means of looking to the future and hope for a coming Messiah and the hope for a new temple. The author is not known. Because it repeats so much material, we will summarize the chapters here.

A. The first nine chapters of First Chronicles provide a lengthy record of genealogies from Adam to David. The storyline of the Old Testament is given by naming key figures in this narrative. The book chronicles two lines: that of King David, which will lead to the coming Messiah and that of the High Priest, who will serve in the coming temple.

B. Then come twenty chapters all about David. The material is familiar from the book of Samuel. However, the negative aspects of David’s life where he is portrayed as weak and immoral are not included such as his being pursued by King Saul, as well as his adultery with Bathsheba, and the murder of her husband. What is left presents David in a positive light including new material, where David makes preparations for the building of the temple. This is to make David an image of the coming future Messiah. Jeremiah prophesied: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness’” (Jeremiah 23:5-6). First Chronicles ends with David dying: “full of days, riches and honor” and Solomon reigning in his place (Vs. 29:28).

C. After the death of David, Second Chronicles focuses on the kings that lived in Jerusalem. The kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel are excluded. This is to present the kings within the line of David that will lead to the Messiah. The author highlights those kings of Judah that were obedient to God, resulting in God’s blessing. The unfaithful actions of other kings are presented that led Judah into idolatry, and sin leading up to the Jew’s exile.

D. Second Chronicles ends with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (Vs. 36:17-21). But the final words of the book are a quote from King Cyrus of the Persians: “ Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may the LORD his God be with him. Let him go up’” (Vs. 36:22-23).

E. Discussion questions, application and passing it on.

1. First and Second Chronicles looks back to see God’s promises and narratives in order to give hope to the Jews of the coming Messiah. Can you look back on your life to see God’s interaction with you? Does this give you hope for the fulfillment of God’s promises for the future?
2. Develop a short narrative of your personal history culminating in your rebirth and how you see hope in the future return of Jesus. Purpose to share this narrative with someone in the near future.

A. Overview. In our modern bibles, these two books are separate. But originally, they were one book entitled Ezra in the Hebrew bible written by one author. For this reason, we will summarize the two books together here. The books cover the history of God’s people from the fall of Babylon in 586 BC to the Persians under Cyrus II “The Great” in 539 BC to the second half of the fifth century BC. They tell of successive missions from Babylon to Jerusalem by three key leaders: Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah and their efforts to rebuild the altar the temple, and the walls of Jerusalem.

B. Ezra Chapter One. The first three verses of Ezra chapter one are amazing, showing how God used a pagan ruler for His purposes. “In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever is among you of all his people, may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel—he is the God who is in Jerusalem” (Vs. 1:1-3). Cyrus also has the temple vessels brought out that Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, had taken when he conquered Jerusalem. They are counted out to Sheshbazzar, the Persian name for Zerubbabel described as “the Prince of Judah”. Zerubbabel is a direct descendant of King David and is in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter one.

C. Ezra Chapters Two and Three. Zerubbabel leads over 40,000 men plus servants and livestock back to Jerusalem, where they rebuild the altar, begin burnt offerings upon it, keep the Feast of Booths, and lay the foundation of the temple. There was much rejoicing. But the older ones among them who had seen the previous temple in all its glory, wept at remembrance of it.

D. Ezra Chapter Four. The people of the land, who had been resettled there by the king of the Assyrians, come to Zerubbabel and other leaders and offer to help. But their offer is rejected by Zerubbabel who says: “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us” (vs. 4:3b). The people of the land make the Jews afraid and frustrate the building work all the days of Cyrus. At the beginning of the reign of Artaxerxes (Xerxes I) (c. 486 BC), they write a letter to him telling of Jerusalem’s rebellious past. Xerxes puts an end to the building project until the second year of the reign of King Darius of Persia (c. 420 BC) (Vs. 4:24). As a side note, Xerxes I is believed to be Ahasuerus of the book of Esther.

E. Ezra Chapters Five and Six. A letter was written from Tattenai, the governor of the province to Darius regarding the renewed efforts of Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple. Darius ordered a search of the records and the scroll of Cyrus was discovered authorizing the building work. Darius decrees that the work continue and the cost be paid from revenues collected from the province “that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the king and his sons” (Vs. 6:10). The temple was completed within 3-1/2 years in 516 BC and the Passover was celebrated (Vs. 6:19).

F. Ezra Chapters Seven through Ten. God uses another Persian King, Artaxerxes I Longimanus (c. 465-425 BC) to finance and send Ezra and other Jews to Jerusalem. Ezra was a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses. He goes with a mission to teach the Law to God’s people, initiate spiritual reforms, and lead spiritual revival in Jerusalem. He finds that the people were not serving the Lord with gladness, but had intermarried with the people of the land in violation of Mosaic Law. He tears his garments and his hair in despair and initiates divorce among those who had done so. Many of those who had taken foreign wives confessed their sin and put their foreign wives away.

G. Nehemiah Chapter One. Nehemiah hears of the desolation of the Jews who have returned to Jerusalem. The walls are broken down and the gates are destroyed by fire. He fasted and prayed a passionate outpouring, confessing the sins of the people and of his own house. He is cupbearer to King Artaxerxes I Longimanus. As a side note, this sending of Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem is what most scholars believe starts the 69 week of years time frame in the prophecy of Daniel 9:25. We will cover the prophecy of 70 weeks in the Book of Daniel.

H. Chapter Two. Nehemiah is serving wine to the King and he notices that Nehemiah’s countenance is sad. The King asks and Nehemiah tells him that it is the sadness of his heart over the condition of the city of Jerusalem, of his father’s graves and of the gates of the city. The King asks what he is requesting. Nehemiah makes a silent prayer to God and asks the King for permission to go to Jerusalem and rebuild it. The King grants him to go, along with letters to the governors to provide building materials. When Nehemiah arrives, he makes a secret inspection of the walls and the gates and finds them in a state of high disrepair. He tells the ones who are to do the work, of his plan and they cry out “let us rise up and build”, and they strengthen their hands for the work (Vs. 2:18b). But the inhabitants of the land jeer and despise them.

I. Chapter Three describes the assignment of work on the wall by families and clans.

J. Chapter Four. Opposition to the work by the inhabitants requires the Jews to work fully armed and ready to defend Jerusalem. They work from dawn until the stars come out and sleep in their clothes.

K. Chapter Five. Nehemiah corrects a pitiful situation where the nobles extracted harsh tax from the people which had created famine. He requires they return lands back to the people. He personally supports 150 men at his own table at his expense.

L. Chapter Six. The Jew’s enemies attempt to do harm to Nehemiah, but he sees through their plot. The wall is finished in 52 days.

M. Chapter Seven. The gates are finished but the people within the city were few and no houses had been rebuilt.

N. Chapter Eight. Ezra reads from the Law, and the Feast of Booths is initiated.

O. Chapter Nine. The people confess their sins and recount their history. The chapter ends with the people making a covenant to obey God.

P. Chapter Ten begins with a list of people who signed the covenant. Details of the covenant are given including separation of intermarriage with the people of the land, the sacrifices, and keeping the Sabbath.

Q. Chapter Eleven notes that the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, and the others cast lots for the one in ten who would also live there. The rest of the people lived on their land in the various surrounding villages.

R. Chapter Twelve lists the priests and Levites. The wall is dedicated.

S. Chapter Thirteen gives Nehemiah’s final reforms. He had gone back to Babylon to serve the King. When he returns, he finds that many of the practices of the Law that had been put in place were neglected. Also, a relative of the priest was given a chamber in the temple and was storing up riches for himself. Nehemiah cleanses the temple and restores what had been neglected. The chapter and the book close with a plea from Nehemiah to the Lord to remember him for good.

T. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it On.

1. Some Bible teachers have wondered if the returning Jews had accepted the initial offer of the inhabitants of the land to assist in the rebuilding of the temple, if this would have created a better relationship with them and avoided the continuous conflict that plagued the work from then on. The people of the land were the Samaritans, and were the result of the intermarriage of people brought in by the Assyrians after the conquest of Israel with the remnant of the Jews left behind. They were considered an impure people down into New Testament times, and the Jews had nothing to do with them. However, Jesus had compassion upon the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar as recorded in John 4:4-42. Due to her testimony and the fact that Jesus stayed two days there, a number of Samaritans became believers. Since Jesus accepted the Samaritans, it is possible that conflict could have been avoided. Consider your own prejudices, are there any things that you hold that could be frustrating the Lord’s work though you?
2. Ezra enacted a decree of divorce between those who had intermarried with the Samaritans. Ezra was passionate for adherence to the Mosaic Law which prohibited intermarriage with the people of Canaan, as they would turn the Jews hearts away from God to their gods (Deut. 7:3-4). This indeed happened and resulted in idolatry and the eventual destruction of Israel and the captivity of Judah in Babylon. However, in the offer of the people of the land to help in the building of the temple they say: “Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here” (Ezra 4:2b). They worshipped the same God. Consider that God never told Ezra to enact a decree of divorce. In Malachi 2:16 God says that He “hates divorce”. Have you ever made a “law” of your own based upon what you believe is God’s Word which could be in error?
3. The books of Ezra and Nehemiah record how God brought the exiles back to the land, how the altar, temple and walls were restored, but that the people’s hearts had not changed. Ezekiel 36:26 says: “ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” How has this promise been fulfilled in your life? Or has it? Share your experience with someone soon.

Overview and Summary. The book of Job is considered by many scholars to be one of, or perhaps, even the oldest book of the Hebrew Bible. The writer of the book is not named. Speculation attributes it to Moses, Solomon or even Job himself. The date of the writing would be determined by the author. If the author was Moses, the date would be about 1440 BC. If Solomon, it would be about 950 BC. The date that Job lived is not known. The story of Job is set in a land called “Uz” which also is not known, but may be located in what is now modern-day Syria, Jordan or Arabia. The book shows us that Satan can only do that which God allows him to do. It also reveals that we cannot know the answer to why there is suffering. But in God’s answer to Job, it assures us of God’s sovereignty, and we can rest in the assurance that His plans for His people are good and not for evil and to give us a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

A. Chapter One.

1. We are introduced to Job, who is not an Israelite, but is described as one who is blameless and upright, and who feared God and turned away from evil (Vs. 1:1). He is a very wealthy man with thousands of sheep and camels, and seven sons and daughters. The narrative then moves to the heavenly realm, where the “sons of God”, who are angelic beings, present themselves to God. Among them is Satan, in Hebrew called the “accuser” or “adversary”. God tells Satan of Job, who He describes as a blameless and upright man. Satan reasons that God’s protection and blessing of Job is why Job is a righteous man. He proposes a test for Job, “But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (Vs. 1:11).
2. God agrees to the test and says all that Job has is in Satan’s hand except against his person. Within one day, Satan takes all of Job’s possessions and his children die when a wind destroys the house in which they were feasting. Job shaves his head, tears his robes and declares: “’The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD’”. “In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong” (Vs. 1:21b-22).

B. Chapter Two.

1. Satan again appears before God. God once again who says to him: “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason” (Vs. 2:3b). Satan asks God to allow him to touch his bone and flesh, and says that Job will curse God. God allows this but does not allow him to take his life. Satan inflicts Job with sores over his entire body. Job’s wife tells him: “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this Job did not sin with his lips” (Vs. 2:9-10).
2. Job’s three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar hear of Job’s distress and come to comfort him. They do not even recognize him due to his distressed condition. For seven days, they sit on the ground with him without saying a word.

C. Chapters Three through Thirty-Seven.

1. Job speaks first, then each of his three friends respond, with Job answering each of them in turn. This section of the book focuses on three questions: 1: Is God truly just in character? 2: Does God run the universe on the strict principal of justice? And 3: If the answer to the first two questions is yes, then how is Job’s suffering explained? Job and his three friends are operating out of a concept that everything in the universe should operate out of a strict principle of justice. That good and right actions result in good things and reward from God. But if you are an evil person, then bad things will happen to you.
2. Job maintains that he is innocent, that this is not punishment, which is true. He concludes that God is unjust. His friends argue that God is just and that He runs the world according to justice. Therefore, Job must have sinned. Job at this point is all over the place emotionally. He asserts his innocence and demands that God show up (Vs. 31:35).
3. A fourth friend, Elihu, begins to speak. He had withheld his opinion until now as he was younger. But now, he burns with anger at Job because of his self-justification and the other friends because they had no answer for Job. He also comes from an assumption that God is just and that He operates the world according to justice. However, he adds a slightly different approach, in that God uses suffering as a warning to avoid future sin or to build character and to teach valuable lessons. Elihu does not know why Job is suffering, but, asserts that Job is wrong to accuse God of being unjust. Job does not respond to him and the dialogue closes.

D. Chapters Thirty-Eight through Forty-One.

1. At this point, God shows up in a whirlwind. He responds to Job’s accusation that He is incompetent to run the universe. He takes Him through a series of questions, asking him where was he when God created the universe and laid its foundations, or were present in various natural environments of the earth. God then presents questions as to Job’s knowledge of the habits of various animals.
2. God talks about the Behemoth and the power of his legs, his tail stiff like a cedar. Bible scholars once thought this was a description of the hippopotamus, but now many believe that this description of “the first of the works of God” (Vs. 40:19) is a description of an extinct dinosaur, which would give credence to the theory that man and dinosaurs once coexisted on the earth. God then talks about a creature called the Leviathan, which may have been an extinct giant sea creature. But it also seems to be a description of a dragon-like creature that breathes fire (Vs. 41:21). It is an unusual fact that many cultures have legends of fire breathing dragons giving some evidence to their former existence.

E. Chapter Forty-Two.

1. Job confesses and repents: “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Vs. 42:3b). He also says: “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore, I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes” (Vs. 42:5).
2. God then rebukes Job’s three friends, and instructs them to sacrifice seven bulls and seven rams and have Job pray for them. It is interesting that God does not include Elihu in his rebuke.
3. The book concludes with God restoring to Job double of what had been lost. He also gives Job seven sons and three daughters. Since God restored the same number of sons and daughters as before rather than double, it shows that man’s soul is eternal as the total of sons and daughters are double counting those who had died. Job lives another 140 years, seeing his sons to the fourth generation. He dies an old man full of days (Vs. 42:17).

F. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. God is sovereign and is all-knowing; He knew what the outcome would be of Satan’s bringing all the suffering upon Job. What application might you have in Job’s story regarding suffering?
2. Psalm 18:30 tells us that God’s way is perfect. But when we look at the world, that is not what we see. For example, the 2004 tsunami caused by a 9.5 earthquake near an Indonesian island group was estimated to be the equivalent to the release of 23,000 Hiroshima atomic bombs. It caused over 230,000 deaths in multiple countries. From God’s response to Job, how would you explain this event and the suffering it caused to someone?
3. That evil exists in the world is a strong argument that atheists use to try and disprove the existence of God. Evil can be caused by bad choices made by men using their free will. But other so-called “acts of God” are more difficult to explain such as the example in question number two. How can what Job learned be applied to your own questions about evil in the world or why bad things sometimes happen to good people?
4. What might be the reason that God does not include Elihu in His rebuke or require him to offer sacrifices and have Job pray for him?

A. Overview and Summary.

1. Psalms is the longest book in the bible, consisting of 150 songs, hymns and prayers written over 1,000 years of Israel’s history. There are several different authors, such as King David, who wrote seventy-three of the Psalms. There are poems of Asaph, the Sons of Korah and others, including even Moses and Solomon. But a large number, 49 are anonymous. The oldest Psalm is that attributed to Moses (Psalm 90). The latest is most likely number 137, written when the Hebrews were held captive by the Babylonians from 536 to 538 BC. We will spend some more discussion on that particular Psalm later in this lesson.
2. The subject matter is diverse, covering a variety of topics such as worship, thanksgiving, God, creation, war, sin and evil, wisdom, judgement, justice and the Messiah to come. The book of Psalms is a collection that was used in temple worship that that focused on praise and worship to God. The early Christian church also used the Psalms for daily prayer and worship. We have evidence of this in our New Testament where the believers would gather in homes.
   “Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Ephesians 5:18b-19a)
   “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3:16)
   “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” (James 5:13)
3. Since the book of Psalms is the longest book in our Bibles, we will only give a brief summary of some of the key passages from some of the Psalms.

B. Psalm 2 speaks of the coming Kingdom of Christ: “The LORD said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession” (Vs.2:7b-8).

C. Psalm 3 was written by David when he fled from his son Absalom: “But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the liger of my head” (Vs. 3:3).

D. Psalm 8 is one of praise to God by David: “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens” (Vs. 8:1).

E. Psalm 9 recounts God’s wonderful deeds by David: “I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High” (Vs. 9:1-2).

F. Psalm 14 is a lamentation by David over the failure of man to recognize God and their corruption: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good” (Vs. 14:1).

G. Psalm 19 is one of praise by David: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Vs. 19:1). “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (Vs. 19:7).

H. Psalm 22 was a cry of David in distress but contains prophetic words pertaining to the crucifixion of Christ: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Vs. 22:1a). “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast” (Vs. 22:14). “They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots” (Vs. 22:18).

I. Psalm 23 is the familiar assurance that God is our Shepherd written by David the shepherd: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Vs. 23:4).

J. Psalm 51 was written by David after his sin of adultery and murder was exposed by Nathan the prophet: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” (Vs. 51:1-2).

K. Psalm 82 is a very insightful glimpse into God’s organization of angelic beings and His rebuke of them: ”God has taken his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment: ‘How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?’” (Vs. 82:1-2). “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you; nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince’” (Vs. 82:6-7).

L. Psalm 90 is the one psalm attributed to Moses: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Vs. 90:1-2).

M. Psalm 119 is the longest psalm with 176 verses. Here is just one verse that has been encouragement to many in their daily walk: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Vs. 119:105).

N. Psalm 136 tells of God’s steadfast love: “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Vs. 136:1).

O. Psalm 137 is what is called an imprecatory psalm in that it speaks of violence against the enemies of the Israelites.

1. Many have walked away from the Christian faith due to not understanding this psalm within the context in which it was written. Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians, who took them captive to Babylon, and to the Edomites who looted the city. Destruction of the city and abuse of the captives was violent. Imprecate means “to pray against”. The captives were told to “sing us a song of Zion” (Vs.137:1) which added further humiliation to them.
2. The psalm ends with the cry for revenge: “O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Vs. 137:8-9). This psalm was written during a period of harsh emotion brought on by God’s judgement of the Israelites due to their idolatry and sin. But critics point to this passage, which comes after psalm 136 affirming God’s love, as something that does not fit in what they think divinely inspired Scripture should be.
3. We have to interpret this psalm within its historical context as well as the entire counsel of Scripture. Romans 12:17-19 says: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord”.

P. Psalm 150 ends the book of psalms with praise: “Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!” (Vs. 150:1-2).

Q. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. The Psalms are reflective of Israel over many years of its history and interaction with God. Do you see how they could be incorporated into your personal or corporate time of worship?
2. Psalm 22 contains prophecy about Christ’s crucifixion. Consider using this one in your personal witnessing to an unbeliever.
3. Are you able to respond to an atheist or critic of the Bible about what they may bring up regarding Psalm 137?

A. Overview and Summary.

1. Proverbs is one of what is called the wisdom books of the Bible, along with Job and Ecclesiastes. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts, information or awareness of particular subject, whereas wisdom is judgement or insight based upon knowledge that gives means to act, process or apply knowledge to given situations. Someone can have a large accumulation of knowledge, but lack wisdom. Proverbs was written by King Solomon, reported to be the wisest man of his time, and others. It was compiled into book form about 900 BC.
2. The book contains hundreds of individual proverbs that can give us wisdom in making decisions about life, in all kinds of situations pertaining to such things as marriage, sex, debt, alcohol, eating, work habits, relationships and many other subjects. As with Psalms, it is a lengthy book, so we will give only a very brief summary here.

B. Chapter 1 opens with the following: “To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Vs. 1:1-7). The chapter concludes with a personification of wisdom as a woman who calls out to those who would not listen or chose fear of the Lord, but with the admonition: “whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster” (Vs. 1:33).

C. Chapter 3 contains a very often quoted verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Vs. 3:5-6).

D. Chapter 5 is a strong warning against adultery, and reminds men: “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Vs. 5:18).

E. Chapter 6 gives practical warnings and a key verse: “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers” (Vs. 6:16-19).

F. Chapter 12 opens with an encouragement to receive discipline and valid criticism: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid” (Vs. 12:1).

G. Chapter 14 contains a warning about going a direction that seems right but without discernment: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Vs. 14:12).

H. Chapter 15 opens with good advice of how to respond in an angry situation: “A so[ answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Vs. 15:1).

I. Chapter 16 includes an often-quoted proverb: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Vs. 16:18).

J. Chapter 18 gives sound advice about not giving an answer before listening to what is presented: “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame” (Vs.18:13).

K. Chapter 22 contains the often-quoted verse about how to raise children: “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Vs. 22:6). As a side note, this is not a promise. Some children raised correctly will depart from God’s ways. But it is a general principle that if followed, will result in adult sons and daughters that will live righteously.

L. Chapter 25 concludes with a word about self-control: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and le[ without walls” (Vs. 25:28).

M. Chapter 30 was written by a man named Agur, about whom we know nothing, and he is not mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Here is a key verse: “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in” (Vs. 30:5).

N. Chapter 31. The book of Proverbs closes with proverbs written by King Lemuel, also about whom we know nothing. The chapter closes with the well-known description of an excellent wife. Here is a key verse: “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (Vs.31:30).

O. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. King Solomon was indeed wise. But he made mistakes that eventually would bring his once vast kingdom into destruction after his death. His kingdom was divided during the reign of his son into two nations, Israel and Judah. First Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. Then Judah was carried captive into Babylon for 70 years. From what you have learned about Solomon in previous lessons, what were Solomon’s mistakes and why did he violate his own wisdom by doing this?
2. Read through the book of proverbs frequently. The wisdom there is from God but, as was noted with the verse about training up a child (22:6), the proverbs are not promises. How should we use these proverbs in our daily lives?

A. Overview and Summary.

1. Reading the book of Ecclesiastes can be a confusing and despairing experience without a perspective of what it is intended to show us. In short, it provides us with a picture of what life is to someone outside of Christ. Such a person, as with the case of the “preacher” or “teacher”, as the Hebrew word “Qoheleth” is translated in 1:1, who is our guide throughout most of the book, finds no meaning to life although he investigates several ways to do so. He finds that all things are “vain”, translated from the Hebrew word “hebel”, meaning like smoke or vapor, or something that is fleeting or elusive. It is used five times in 1:2 and 29 times in other verses in Ecclesiastes.
2. Ecclesiastes is attributed to King Solomon, although there is no certainty for that. If so, it would have been penned sometime during the close of his reign about 935 BC. It is one of the “wisdom” books that include Job and Proverbs. Whereas Proverbs tells us that if we follow God’s principles, life will most likely be good for us, Ecclesiastes presents a darker possibility that this may not be so. The teacher makes note of this in 7:15: “In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing”. But in the end, the conclusion is reached as expressed by 12:13-14: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil”.

B. Chapter 1 introduces us to the “teacher” or “preacher” by someone else (Vs. 1:1). We do not know who that person is, but he reappears at the close of chapter twelve. We are told that the teacher is the “son of David, king in Jerusalem” (Vs. 1:1) which seems to pinpoint King Solomon. The writer is probably using a literary method of someone who can draw a conclusion at the end by introducing someone else in verse two who relates their journey of seeking meaning to life throughout the rest of the book. The teacher tells us that all is vain “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Vs. 1:14).

C. Chapter 2 tells us that the teacher tried to find meaning in self-indulgence through wine, building projects, agriculture, accumulation of slaves, animals, possessions, concubines and music. “Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun” (Vs. 2:11). He continues to use the phrase “under the sun” to describe life in this world.

D. Chapter 3 presents the well-known verses about there is a time for everything (Vs. 3:1-8). He also tells us: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Vs.3:11). This is the first clue that the teacher will come to the conclusion that we will not find satisfaction in this life except in God in eternity.

E. Chapter 4 includes a lamentation about evil in the world: “Again I saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them! On the side of their oppressors there was power, and there was no one to comfort them. And I thought the dead who are already dead more fortunate than the living who are still alive. But better than both is he who has not yet been and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun” (Vs. 4:1-3).

F. Chapter 5 touches on the vanity of money: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity” (Vs. 5:10).

G. Chapter 6 begins with a lament about life and not enjoying what has been obtained: “There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil” (Vs. 6:1-2).

H. Chapter 7 is a confirmation of Romans 3:23: “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Vs. 7:20).

I. Chapter 8 tells us why justice is not effective in stopping crime: “Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil” (Vs. 8:11). But it does add: “Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God” (Vs. 8:12-13).

J. Chapter 9 presents the fact that death comes to all. We are advised as to what we should do now: “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going” (Vs.9:9-10).

K. Chapter 10 is a collection of various proverb sayings.

L. Chapter 11 points towards the eventual judgement of God: “Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment” (Vs. 11:9).

M. Chapter 12 concludes the book of Ecclesiastes with the closing comments by the one who introduced us to the teacher in chapter one: “The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth” (Vs. 12:11). He closes by pointing us to eternity where God will judge every deed and every secret thing whether good or evil (Vs. 12:14).

N. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. Ecclesiastes provides the Christian with insights into a life lived apart from God. Seeking after “all things under the sun” will result in emptiness and despair. If there is no God, then there is no purpose or direction. A life without God is unfair, cruel, frustrating and utterly meaningless. How could you use Ecclesiastes to present the gospel of grace in Christ?
2. There are practical helps in Ecclesiastes to cause us to pause in all of our strife and our toil such as to “Enjoy life with the wife whom you love” and the fact that God has “placed eternity in our hearts”. How does this help us understand and deal with the setbacks that Christians will experience in this life? For the Christian, is this life truly vain? How would you respond to the teacher to counter his observations?

A. Overview and Summary.

1. The book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah (Vs. 1:1). Reputable Bible teachers agree that there is only one author of Isaiah and that is the prophet Isaiah himself. In the late eighteenth century, some liberal scholars developed what is called the Deutero-Isaiah theory in an attempt to explain the detailed prophecies contained in chapters 40 through 66. They claim that Isaiah wrote only the first 39 chapters and that his disciples wrote 40 through 66 after the prophecies had been fulfilled. They attempt to use some literary style differences of chapters 1-39 compared with 40-66. However, when we look at references to Isaiah in the New Testament, Jesus and the Apostles clearly reference only one Isaiah. For example, in Mark 7:6-7, Jesus mentions Isaiah and quotes from Isaiah 29:13. He also quotes from Isaiah 42:1-4 in Matthew 12:17. John quotes from both sections in John chapter 12:38-40. He quotes from Isaiah 53:1 in John 12:38 and uses the term “For again Isaiah said” to quote from Isaiah 6:9-10 in John 2:39. Additionally, Isaiah uses similar words throughout the book, and he reveals his familiarity with Israel but not with Babylon, where his disciples supposedly wrote the final chapters. Jewish tradition attributes the author to the Prophet Isaiah. The Bible is silent as to Isaiah’s death. Jewish tradition says that he was sawn in half by the evil king Manasseh. This seems to match Hebrews 11:37, where it says some were sawn in two.
2. Acceptance of the Deutero-Isaiah theory has led some believers to doubt the authenticity of Scripture. But for the reasons above, we can clearly affirm that Isaiah wrote the book of Isaiah between 739 and 681 BC. The book can logically be divided into those same two sections. The first 39 chapters deal primarily with Isaiah’s prophecy and admonition to Judah calling for her repentance from sin and idolatry. God is Holy (Isaiah 6:3) and cannot let sin go unpunished. His judgement is portrayed as a devouring fire (Vs. 30:30). The nations of Assyria and Babylon will be used as tools of His judgement. But chapters 40 through 66 speak of a bright future when Messiah comes and establishes His kingdom.
3. Isaiah is the longest of the prophetic books. It is one of what are called the major prophets, not because of necessarily importance, but because of length. For this reason, we will summarize the book by looking at some key verses.

B. Chapter 1 presents Judah as an utterly corrupt nation: “Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, offspring of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD, they have despised the Holy One of Israel, they are utterly estranged” (Vs. 1:4).

C. Chapter 2 gives a preview of what will be promised in chapters 40 through 66. “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths’” (Vs. 2:2-3). Also: “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths”’ (Vs. 2:4).

D. Chapter 6. Isaiah has a vision of God on His throne. He responds to God’s call: ‘“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”’ Then I said, “Here I am! Send me”’ (Vs. 6:8).

E. Chapter 7. Isaiah is sent by the Lord to King Ahaz. The king is troubled about word that Syria and Israel will attack him. Isaiah is told to tell him that their plans will “not stand and it will not come to pass” (Vs. 7:7). The Lord tells Ahaz to ask of him a sign, but Ahaz is afraid to do so. The Lord then gives him a sign: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Vs. 7:14). This is a prophecy of Christ’s birth. Bible critics point out that the word “virgin: in Hebrew is “almah” which could mean virgin or just a young maiden of child-bearing age. This could leave some room for doubt. But when the Septuagint was translated from the Hebrew to the Greek in the third century BC, the Hebrew scholars used the specific Greek word for virgin which is “Parthenos”. However, the best proof that Isaiah meant “virgin” is that birth of a child by a young maiden in itself would not be “a sign”. That the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary was a miracle, and was definitely a sign. The virgin birth is a cornerstone of the tenets of the Christian faith.

F. Chapter 9 contains the most powerful verse pertaining to the Trinity in Bible: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Vs. 9:6). In this passage, you have Jesus (child, son, Prince of Peace). You have the Holy Spirit (Wonderful Counselor) and God (Mighty God, Everlasting Father). You also have a prophecy of His coming kingdom (the government shall be upon his shoulder).

G. Chapter 11 opens with a prophecy of the coming Messiah: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD” (Vs. 11:1-2). Many scholars link this passage with the book of Revelation where the seven spirits of God are mentioned: (1:4-5; 3:1; 4:5 and 5:6).

H. Chapter 12 is an affirmation of the strength of the Lord and a song of praise: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation” (Vs. 12:2).

I. Chapter 14 includes a prophecy against Satan: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God, I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit” (Vs. 14:12-15).

J. In chapter 26, some see a hint of the rapture of the church before the wrath of God is poured out during the Tribulation: “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain” (Vs. 26:20-21).

K. Chapter 35 is a prophecy of the redeemed returning to the land under the lordship of the Messiah: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Vs. 35:10).

L. Chapters 36 and 37 recount the king of Assyria, Sennacherib’s conquest of Samaria and most of Judah. His messengers taunt the servants of King Hezekiah. Assyria has previously destroyed all the other cities of Samaria and Judah. Hezekiah takes the written message from Sennacherib and spreads it before the Lord in the temple. He cries out to the Lord in a plea to save Jerusalem (Vs. 37:14-20). The Lord hears his prayer and says: “Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David” (Vs. 37:33-35). Sennacherib’s army of 185,000 is destroyed by an angel of the Lord and he returns to Nineveh where he is assassinated by two of his sons (Vs. 37:36-38).

M. Chapter 38 is an account of Hezekiah’s sickness and his prayer to the Lord. The Lord promises to give him 15 more years of life, and the sign to confirm this promise is having the shadow of the sun go back ten steps (Vs, 38:1-8).

N. Chapter 39 recounts how the king of Babylon sent envoys to Hezekiah as he had heard that he was sick. Hezekiah receives them, but shows them all the riches of his treasure house and storehouses. Isaiah finds out about it and tells Hezekiah that all of that will be taken to Babylon, including his sons. Hezekiah is content that none of that would happen in his lifetime.

O. Chapter 40 begins the second section of the book pointing to the complete restoration of Israel and Judah under the Messiah: “A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken’” (Vs. 40:3-5).

P. Chapter 44 affirms that there is no God but the Lord: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god’” (Vs. 44:6). The chapter also addresses the folly of idolatry (Vs. 44:9-20).

Q. Chapter 45 includes one of the most profound prophecies in Scripture. It names the conqueror of Babylon, King Cyrus, and calls him “His anointed”. It describes how Babylon will be taken (Vs. 45:1-6). This was written by Isaiah about 150 years before the prophecy was fulfilled. It is one of the reasons that skeptics proposed the Deutero-Isaiah theory due to its precision.

R. Chapter 46 affirms God’s sovereignty and that He exists outside the realm and limitations of time and space: “’remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Vs. 46:9-10).

S. Chapter 53 contains the prophetic word of the suffering Messiah, Jesus, upon whom our sins were laid: “Surely, he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Vs. 53:4-6).

T. Chapter 55 includes an exhortation to seek the Lord: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Vs. 55:6-9).

U. Chapter 61 opens with the passage that Jesus partially read from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue in His hometown (Luke 4:18-19). Here is the complete passage as it appears in verses Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn”. Jesus stopped after “the year of the Lord’s favor” and did not read “and the day of vengeance of our God”. Jesus then rolled up the scroll, handed it to the attendant and sat down. He then said: “today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Vs. Luke 4:21b). Jesus was declaring that He was the long-awaited Messiah, but his mission at His first coming was not to execute “the day of vengeance of our God”. He went on to speak, and initially, the response was favorable. But as he continued to speak about God sending Elijha to a gentile widow and Naaman the Syrian being healed of leprosy, they became enraged and attempted to throw Him off the cliff that their town was built upon (Vs. Luke 4:22-30).

V. Chapter 62 includes affirmation that Jerusalem will be a light to the nations and salvation in the Messiah: “Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.’ And they shall be called The Holy People, The Redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken” (Vs. 62:11-12).

W. Chapter 63 foretells the vengeance of God in Christ upon His return: “Who is this who comes from Edom, in crimsoned garments from Bozrah, he who is splendid in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? ‘It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save’” And also: “’For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come’” (Vs. 63:1;4).

X. Chapter 65 is a description of the eternal kingdom of Christ and links with Revelation chapter 21: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind (Vs. 65:17).

Y. Chapter 66 closes the book of Isaiah with words about the final judgement and glory of the Lord. It also hints of the restoration of Israel as a nation in one day on May 14, 1948: Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?” (Vs. 66:8a).

Z. Discussion Questions, Application and Passing it on.

1. Are you able to use what you have learned in this lesson to counter any arguments you may hear about the Deutero-Isaiah theory?
2. The virgin birth and the Trinity are crucial to the understanding of the foundational doctrines of the Christian faith. From this lesson, are you able to use the information given to defend these doctrines?
3. Archeological excavations have found what is called the “Assyrian destruction layer” in every Location of a biblical town in existence at the time of King Hezekiah except for Jerusalem. That is due to the Lord’s promise to spare Jerusalem from destruction at that time for his “servant David”. Does this promise and the dramatic evidence to that, increase your faith in God’s other promises?
4. Can you present the gospel to a Jew or another unbeliever using Isaiah chapter 53?
5. Why is the wrath of God important in presenting the gospel?
6. Are you able to use the prophecies in Chapters 45 and 53 to present the gospel?

1. The Old and New Testaments combined form a continuous revelation of God’s purpose for mankind.
   The story begins with creation, continues with the fall of man into sin, the promise and fulfillment of redemption and the marriage of the bride of Christ at the end of the age.
2. Church father Augustine (354 AD – 430 AD) is reported to have said: “The New Testament is in the Old Testament contained the Old Testament is in the New Testament explained. The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed; the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.” Or it could be likened to a book with pictures. The Old Testament is the pictures, the New Testament is the words underneath the pictures explaining them.
3. The entire Bible is at least 25% prophetic. There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament pertaining to Christ that were fulfilled in His first coming. Fulfilled prophecy gives us the assurance that the Bible is given to us from God who is outside the limitations of time and space; He is eternal. Fulfilled prophecy gives us confidence that He will also be faithful regarding prophecies pertaining to the end times.
4. Jesus and the Apostles frequently quoted from the Old Testament which also gives us assurance that it is indeed God’s Word. It is the intention of this lesson to give you a working understanding of the Old Testament. We will go book by book with an overview and summary of key points. Some books may be combined according to content. The first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) are called the Pentateuch, meaning “five books” and are attributed to Moses under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Overall Theme: Genesis begins with the story of creation and ends with the nation of Israel in Egypt. The book is sometimes referred to as where the seeds of major themes of the entire Bible are planted that will find a harvest in the New Testament.

A. Chapters one through five. Creation to Noah

1. Creation of heaven and earth (1:1-2:6).
2. Purpose of man: created as God’s image bearers (1:26).
3. The garden of Eden and creation of Adam and Eve (2:7-25).
4. Temptation, sin and its result (3:1-24)
5. First promise of redemption (3:15). Salvation typified by God clothing Adam and Eve with animal skins that required the shedding of blood (3:21). This sets the standard that salvation is all of God’s doing not of man’s works.
6. Abel’s offering to God of animals was accepted over Cain’s offering of the fruits of his labor (4:1-5). This again shows God’s standard of blood sacrifice over man’s works. The first murder (4:8) and its consequences.
7. Adam’s genealogy to Noah (5:1-32).

B. Chapters 6 through 11. The wickedness and judgement of man.

1. The sons of God mate with women (6:1-4) producing giants (the Nephilim).
2. The wickedness of man causes God to purpose to destroy mankind but spare Noah and his family by means of an ark (6:5-8:19). Peter references the ark as a type (figure) of baptism where eight souls were saved through (not by) water (1Peter 3:20-21).
3. God promises not to destroy every living thing again (8:20-9:17) and His covenant with Noah (Noahic covenant) symbolized by the rainbow (9:14).
4. The descendants of Noah and where they settled (10:1-32). This is called “the Table of Nations”.
5. Man determines to build a tower (Babel) as a memorial to their pride rather than God’s glory (11:1-4).
6. God confuses their language, and they begin to scatter across the earth (11:5-9).

C. The story of Abraham (15:1-25:13).

1. God calls Abram out of Haran and gives him the Abrahamic Covenant (12:1-3) which promises to make of him a great nation and through him all the families of the earth will be blessed.
2. God gives Abram the Palestinian (land) Covenant promising to give the land to his descendant forever (13:14-17).
3. Abram’s nephew Lot is captured (14:12). Abram and his 318 trained servants pursue and defeat the invading armies (14:13-16).
4. Abram is met by the King of Salem (ancient Jerusalem) Melchizedek the priest of the Most High God (14:18) who blesses him (14:19-20). The fact that Melchizedek has no biographical or genealogical information given him, whose name means “{righteous king”, allows him to be used later in Scripture as a type of Christ (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 7:17,21). That he brought out bread and wine (14:18) prefigures the victory of Christ over the grave that we celebrate with communion.
5. God confirms His covenants (15:1-31) with Abram (both Abrahamic and Palestinian-land). Abram believes God and it is accounted to him for righteousness (15:6). The Apostle Paul quotes these words as an illustration of faith over works (Romans 4:3, 9, 22; Galatians 3:6).
   Note: The ritual of 15:9-18 was a practice in the ancient middle east where two parties would walk through the carcasses of animals to confirm a covenant. That Abram fell into a deep sleep and did not participate in the ritual with God, signifies that the responsibility to fulfill the covenants was entirely God’s. This means that the covenants will be accomplished and are irrevocable.
6. Due to a lack of faith in God’s promise that through him a son would be born, his wife Sarai gives him her maid Hagar as a wife (16:3-4). Hagar bears Ishmael when Abram is 86 years old (16:15-16).
7. God appears to Abram when he is 99 years old and confirms His covenants with him by changing his name to Abraham (17:1-8). He promises that he and Sarai will have a son and will be named Isaac (17:19). The covenant was confirmed by Abraham through circumcision (17:10-14; 23-27).
8. The Lord accompanied by two angels appears to Abraham by the trees of Mamre (18:1-2). This appearance is considered to be what is called a Christophany or pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. The Lord promised to return at the “time of life” and that Sarai will have a son (17:10).
9. Abraham bargains with the Lord over sparing Sodom (18:22-32).
10. Sodom is destroyed after Lot and his two daughters are taken out of the city. Lot’s wife is turned into a pillar of salt for looking back. Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughters results in the people of Moab and Ammon (19:1-38).
11. Abraham’s lack of faith in God’s protection of Sarai results in Abimelech King of Gerar taking her. Abimelech acts more righteously than Abraham according to a dream from God and restores Sarai to Abraham. Abraham prays for Abimelech and he and his household and they bore children (20:1-18).
12. Isaac is born to Sarai in her old age (21:1-7). Hagar and Ishmael are cast out into the wilderness, but God promises Hagar that Ishmael will become a great nation (21:1-18).
13. God tests Abraham by instructing him to offer Isaac as an offering (22:1-19). This is a profound chapter as it prefigures Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice on the Cross for us. It is worth the time spent to discuss the symbolism in this chapter of three days journey (three days in the tomb), two other men accompanying them (two thieves on the Crosses) and the location of Mount Moriah where Jesus would be sacrificed 2,000 years later. Abraham’s brother Nahor has children in Haran including a grandchild Rebekah who would later become Isaac’s wife (22:20-24).
14. Sarai dies, Abraham purchases the cave of Machpelah from the sons of Heth who were Hiltes (23:1-19). This would later become the burial place of Isaac, Rebekah, Leah and Jacob.
15. A bride for Isaac (24:1-59)
16. Abraham dies and is buried in the cave of Machpelah (25:7:7-10). Birth of Jacob and Esau and Esau sells his birthright for a meal of lentils and bread (25:24-34). We too can sell our birthright which is to rule and reign with Christ by sinning willfully without repentance after salvation. This is not to lose our salvation but rather loss of rewards at the Bema Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans; Revelation 22:12).

D. Isaac, Esau and Jacob (chapters 26-36)

1. The Lord confirms the Abrahamic and Palestinian (land) Covenants to Isaac (26:2-5). Isaac sins as did his father Abraham by telling the people of Gerar that Rebekah is his sister. Abimelech again acts righteously and pronounces a death curse on anyone who would touch her (26:6-11).
2. Jacob deceives Isaac into believing that he is Esau and receives the blessing (27:1-29).
3. Jacob leaves for Padan Aram his uncle’s house Laban. Along the way at Bethel he receives the vision of angels descending and ascending on a ladder. There, the Lord confirms to him the Covenants given to Abraham and Isaac of the land and blessing to all peoples (28:6-13).
4. Jacob marries Leah and Rachel. His wives compete with each other in bearing children along with their maids who are also given to Jacob as wives. Jacob’s flocks increase while he tends Laban’s flocks. He returns to Bethel with his extended family of four wives, 11 sons and one daughter. On the way, he wrestles with God who changes his name to Israel. Rachel gives birth to Benjamin and dies in childbirth. Reuben, Israel’s first-born sleeps with his father’s concubine and Israel hears of it. Isaac lives to 180 years and dies. Esau’s descendants are listed (chapters 29-36).

E. Joseph in Egypt (chapters 37-50)

1. Joseph dreams where his brothers and parents bow to him. This angers his brothers and they conspire to sell him into bondage to a caravan going to Egypt. Israel is told that a wild beast has killed him. He becomes steward of Potiphar, Captain of Pharoah’s guard. (37:1-36). Potiphar’s wife attempts to seduce him but when Joseph rebuffs her, she becomes angry and accuses him of assault. Potiphar throws him into prison but there, due to his diligence he prospers and is assigned complete control of the prison by the warden (39:1-23).
2. While in prison, he interprets the dreams of Pharoah’s baker and cupbearer. His success in interpretation he attributes to God. The baker is killed and the cupbearer is restored to his former position where he later tells Pharoah about Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams. Joseph interprets Pharoah’s dreams of seven years of bountiful harvest followed by seven years of famine. Pharoah places Joseph in charge of all of Egypt and he builds storage cities where the harvest is stored. Two sons, Manasseh and Ephriam are born to Joseph from his wife, the daughter of an Egyptian priest. During the famine, all the known world came to Egypt to buy the grain (chapters 39-41).
3. Due to the famine, Joseph’s brothers are instructed by Israel to go to Egypt to buy grain, they do not know that Joseph is their brother. Eventually, he is revealed to them and all of Joseph’s brothers, their wives and children and livestock with their father go down to Egypt where they settle in the land of Goshen (chapters (chapters 42-48).
4. Israel knows he is about to die so he gathers his sons to prophesy over them. The prophecy over Judah is particularly profound as it foretells of the Messiah to come (49:8-12). Israel dies and is carried to the family burial place, the cave of Machpelah. Years later, Joseph dies at the age of 110 and is buried in a coffin in Egypt after instructing the Israelites to take his bones back to land promised when they leave Egypt (chapters 49 and 50).

III. Discussion Questions and Application. Not only answer the questions below, but present the information to another classmate or to a friend or family member what you have learned.

1. The first chapters of Genesis present Eden, the tree of life and a river. The last chapters of Revelation present Eden restored with trees and a river. What other “seeds” do you see planted in Genesis that come to harvest later in Scripture? Consider terms like, Redemption, Justification, Faith, Judgement. As you may not be familiar with all of Scripture, get help from your instructor.
2. Chapter three tells of man’s temptation and fall into sin. It also tells of God’s provision for forgiveness. Would you be able to present the gospel just using this chapter?
3. Explain how Abraham’s faith relates to our faith and being counted for righteousness.
4. God’s testing of Abraham prefigures Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. Explain how this is a crucial foundational truth of the Christian faith. Do you see a prefigure of Christ’s resurrection in this story?
5. What character traits do you see in the story of Joseph? How could these traits be implemented in your life?