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I. The Bible
А. The writer(s), the place, and the time
B. The subject
C. The background
D. The central thought
E. The general sketch
F. The sections
II. Genesis (A to F)
III. Exodus (A to F)
IV. Leviticus (A to F)
V. Numbers (A to F)
VI. Deuteronomy (A to F)
In the next nine lessons, we will study various crucial matters in each of the sixty-six books of the Bible. These lessons will provide a general overview of each book of the Bible and of the Bible itself. We encourage you to do your best to remember the key points for each book.
The following topics are addressed for each book: the writer(s) of the book, the place where it was written, the time period it covers, the background and circumstances that may have influenced the writer(s), the central thought expressed by the writer(s) as it relates to the background, the subject and general sketch, and the main sections. The subject is an abstract of the general sketch, while the general sketch includes the crucial points of the book.
Thus far, we have seen that the Bible as a whole is the speaking from God by men borne by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21). God, with the cooperation of forty writers, authored the Bible. It was primarily written in the good land, although certain portions were written in Gentile lands, including Babylon and Rome. It took nearly 1,600 years, from 1500 B.C. to A.D. 96, to complete the Bible.
[The subject of the Bible is contained in only four sentences: God planned and created, Satan rebelled and damaged, man fell and was lost, and Christ redeemed and built.]
[The subject of the Old Testament is that God created, Satan damaged, man fell, and God promised the coming of Christ for redemption.]
[The subject of the New Testament is Christ coming to redeem sinners and to build up the church according to God’s plan.]
Man was created by God to contain God so that he may express God and represent Him. However, man fell away from God, becoming useless to God and destined to eternal perdition. But God still loved man and desired to save man that He may accomplish His eternal purpose.
[The central thought of the Bible is Christ and the church. The Bible not only reveals Christ Himself; it also reveals the bride and the Body of Christ, which is the church.]
[The Old Testament leads man to Christ that man would be redeemed by Him.]
[The New Testament shows us how the church is redeemed and built up in Christ.]
The Bible reveals God, Christ, the Spirit, the work of Christ, man, salvation, the eternal life, the believers, the church, the kingdom, the New Jerusalem, the covenants, the dispensations, and Satan. It is God who planned and Christ who created man according to God’s plan. Satan came in to corrupt man and Christ came to save man. Those who believe God’s salvation receive eternal life and, as a corporate expression, are the church in this age, the manifested kingdom in the next age, and the New Jerusalem in eternity. God made eight covenants with man concerning His purpose. God carried out His eternal purpose in four dispensations, that is, four periods in which He deals with man. Ultimately, Satan is judged, and God is glorified by the mingling of Himself with man.
a. The books of law, the Pentateuch by Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
b. The books of history, twelve books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.
c. The books of poetry, five books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs.
d. The books of prophecy, eleven books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
a. The books of history, five books: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts.
b. The epistles, twenty-one books: Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.
c. The book of prophecy, one book: Revelation.
[Genesis...means giving of birth, origin. Genesis brings birth to everything, gives the origin of everything. Genesis is a book containing all the seeds of the divine truths. All the divine truths in the whole Bible were sown in this book.]
[The Pentateuch of Moses — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — was written by Moses. Moses was raised in the palace. He was a scholar, a politician, and a military leader. According to the world, he was also a religious leader. The Pentateuch was written by him at Mount Sinai and in the wilderness.] The events recorded in this book took place between 4004 B.C. and 1689 B.C., and it was written around 1500 B.C.
The subject of Genesis is: God created, Satan corrupted, man fell, and Jehovah promised to save.
Genesis is the first book of the Bible. After 2,500 years of God’s spoken revelation, Genesis marked the beginning of the written record of God’s revelation. The written revelation is needed to make God’s revelation available to all.
[The central thought of Genesis is: Christ is the hope and salvation of fallen man, and God will make fallen man to fulfill His purpose through Christ.]
[The book of Genesis reveals God’s creation and man’s fall. According to Genesis, man fell step by step: from God to the conscience, from the conscience to human government, and from human government to rebellion. In this rebellion man forsook God and turned to the worship of idols. After man rebelled against God at Babel, God gave up the created race; however, He could not and did not forsake His purpose. Therefore, after giving up the created race, God called out a new race, a selected race, beginning with Abraham. To Abraham God promised that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed (Gen. 12:3). Eventually the race selected and called by God fell from God’s selection and calling into Egypt, that is, into the world.]
1) God created (1:1—2:25), 2) Satan corrupted (3:1—11:32), and 3) Jehovah called (12:1—50:26).
The events recorded in this book took place between 1706 B.C. and 1490 B.C. (Please see this section in Genesis.)
The subject of Exodus is God’s salvation, supply, and revelation, and the building of His habitation.
After the children of Israel were saved out of Egypt, they wandered in the wilderness. The purpose of God was not merely to save them from of the tyranny of Pharaoh, but to have them build His habitation, that is, the tabernacle. God’s intention was to reveal to the children of Israel His eternal purpose, which is to have His dwelling place on earth (25:8-9, 40).
[The central thought of Exodus is that Christ is the redemption, salvation, and supply of God’s people and the means for them to worship and serve God so that in Him they may be built up with God together for them and God to meet, communicate, and dwell mutually.]
[The general sketch of Exodus firstly shows how the children of Israel were enslaved in Egypt (1:8-14). Then it reveals that the children of Israel were redeemed and saved (12:27; 14:30). After their redemption and salvation, the children of Israel were led by the Lord in the wilderness (13:17-18, 21-22; 17:1; 19:1-2; 40:36-38). They were led by the pillar of cloud and by the pillar of fire. Furthermore, manna rained down from heaven, and living water flowed from the cleft rock. In their journeys the children of Israel eventually were brought by the Lord to Mount Sinai where they received a revelation of God’s eternal purpose, which is to have His dwelling place on earth (25:8-9, 40). After receiving this revelation, they built the tabernacle for God’s habitation (39:32; 40:2, 34-35).]
1) Enslaved (1:1-22), 2) redeemed and saved (2:1—15:21), 3) led (15:22—18:27), 4) receiving revelation (19:1—34:35), and 5) building the tabernacle (35:1—40:38).
(Please see this section in Genesis.)
The subject of Leviticus is the redeemed’s worship to God and their living of a holy life.
After the children of Israel built the tabernacle for God’s dwelling place, they needed to know how to worship God, to offer to God, to serve God, to live before God, and to feast before God. Without the proper revelation from God, they would practice according to their own concept. Therefore, God purposed to give them a book that would reveal His concepts and His ways.
[The central thought of Leviticus is that Christ is everything in the fellowship, service, and life of God’s redeemed. Dr. C. I. Scofield once pointed out that Christ can be seen in every page of this book. In Leviticus Christ is everything. He is the offerings, He is the high priest, and He is everything in the living of God’s redeemed people. Leviticus, therefore, is a book on Christ and full of Christ.]
The general sketch of Leviticus is this: [Through the tabernacle, with the offerings, and by the priests, God’s redeemed are enabled to fellowship with God, serve God, and be God’s holy people living a holy life, which expresses God.]
1) Ordinances concerning offerings (chs. 1—7), 2) ordinances concerning service (chs. 8—10), 3) ordinances concerning living (chs. 11—22), 4) ordinances concerning feasts (ch. 23), and 5) other ordinances and warnings (chs. 24—27).
The events recorded in this book took place between 1490 B.C. and 1451 B.C. (Please see this section in Genesis.)
The subject of Numbers is [God’s redeemed formed into His army and their journey in fighting for God.]
After the children of Israel had been saved out of Egypt and supplied by God, and after they had received revelation from God and built the tabernacle for God’s habitation, God spoke to them from the tabernacle. Having learned how to worship God and to live a holy life, they needed to go on. This book showed them how.
The central thought of Numbers is this: [Christ is the testimony and center of God’s people, and the Leader and goal of their journey and fighting.]
The general sketch of Numbers is this: [The redeemed and sanctified Israelites were formed into a holy army of God, which was to proceed by following God’s leading and was to fight for Him.]
1) Being formed into an army (1:1—9:14), 2) journeying (9:15—20:29; 21:4-20; 33:1-49), and 3) fighting (21:1-3; 21:21—32:42; 33:50—36:13).
The events recorded in this book took place between 1491 B.C. and 1451 B.C. (Please see this section in Genesis.)
The subject of Deuteronomy is the preparation of God’s redeemed people to take the good land.
[The book of Deuteronomy is filled with the speaking of Moses to the second generation, the generation which was ready to enter into the good land and possess it. Concerned that they would repeat the failures of their fathers, Moses charged them concerning many matters, repeating certain things again and again. He especially spoke repeatedly concerning those matters which would preserve the people and qualify them to enter into the good land and to possess, inherit, and enjoy the land. Moses was like an elderly father speaking out of concern for his children.]
[The central thought of Deuteronomy is that Christ is the Instructor and Leader of the people of God that they may be able to enter into the heavenly territory and participate in His riches.]
The general sketch of Deuteronomy is this: the renewed training was given to the new generation of the children of Israel after their long journey in the wilderness, to prepare them to enter into the good land promised by God that they may inherit it as their possession.
1) Review of the past (1:1—4:43), 2) rehearsal of the law (4:44—26:19), 3) a warning (27:1—28:68), 4) the enactment of the covenant (29:1—30:20), 5) the final exhortations and charges (31:1-13, 24-29), 6) the song of Moses (31:14-23, 30; 32:1-47), 7) the blessing of Moses (33:1-29), and 8) the death of Moses, and his successor (32:48-52; 34:1-12).
