Search
I. Joshua
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. Judges (A to F)
III. Ruth (A to F)
IV. 1 Samuel (A to F)
V. 2 Samuel (A to F)
VI. 1 Kings (A to F)
VII. 2 Kings (A to F)
VIII. 1 Chronicles (A to F)
IX. 2 Chronicles (A to F)
X. Ezra (A to F)
XI. Nehemiah (A to F)
XII. Esther (A to F)
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: The book of Joshua is written by Joshua. He was a military leader and a politician. He wrote most of this book in Canaan and a smaller portion in the plains of Moab. The events recorded in this book probably took place between 1450 B.C. and 1426 B.C.
B. The subject: The destruction of the enemies and the entering into rest.
C. The background: [The purpose of God’s calling was not only to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt, the land of bondage, but also to bring them into Canaan, the land flowing with milk and honey (Exo. 3:8, 10, 17). In typology, to bring the children of Israel into the good land signifies the bringing of man into Christ, the all-inclusive One typified by the good land. Today Christ is the good land flowing with milk and honey.]
D. The central thought: The faithful God brought His people into the good land promised to their forefather, Abraham. The righteous God dealt with the sin of His people and the inhabitants of the good land.
E. The general sketch: [God spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, to rise up and cross over Jordan with all the people to the land that He would give to them as their inheritance (Josh. 1:2, 6). Joshua 11:23 says, “Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.”]
F. The sections: 1) entering of the good land (chs. 1—5), 2) conquering the enemies (chs. 6—12), 3) distributing of the good land (chs. 13—22), and 4) farewell (chs. 23—24).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [There are a lot of contentions about the authorship of Judges, and they are hard to verify. However, many authorities have postulated that it was written by Samuel.] It was probably written between 1425 B.C. and 1120 B.C.
B. The subject: Confusion and revival.
C. The background: After the children of Israel inherited the good land, they rebelled against God; they bowed down to idols, warred among themselves, and were full of the sins of the flesh. It is a dark and painful history.
D. The central thought: Man has a rebellious nature. God is righteous to judge all sins. God is merciful and faithful to forgive and save every time His people repent and call upon Him.
E. The general sketch: [The period from the death of Joshua to the reign of Saul is called the age of the judges. The entire age of the judges lasted about 450 years (Acts 13:19, 20). During this period, the children of Israel could not utterly drive out and destroy the seven tribes in Canaan. Consequently they gradually forsook God, followed the customs of the nations, had mixed marriages with the nations, and worshipped other gods. Therefore, God delivered them into the hands of the nations according to His warnings. But whenever they repented, God would listen to their prayers and would deliver them through the hand of a judge. The children of Israel would forsake God, but they would then repent and God would deliver them. But eventually they would forsake God again. This cycle was repeated, as many as seven times.]
F. The sections: 1) foreword — faith in God (chs. 1—2:5), 2) history of falling — rebellion against God (chs. 2:6—16), and 3) appendix — confusion in religion, in morality, and between the tribes (chs. 15—21).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The book of Ruth is connected to the preceding book of Judges and the following books of Samuel in history and in time. Therefore, it was most probably written by Samuel.] Its events take place between 1322 B.C. and 1312 B.C., but they were recorded much later, after David had become king.
B. The subject: Boaz is seen as one valuing the God-given birthright and ushering in the king that built the kingdom — David.
C. The background: This book is part of and a supplement to the book of Judges. Judges is a book of the history of darkness and suffering. But this book is likened to an oasis in the desert or a bright star shining in a dark night. It causes the reader to rejoice and get excited.
D. The central thought: That man may have the birthright through the redemption of Christ and a union with Christ.
E. The general sketch: [In the book of Ruth, Boaz typifies Christ and Ruth typifies the church. This book shows us how Boaz redeemed both Ruth and her birthright. The birthright included a double portion of the land, the priesthood, and the kingship, that is, the right and position to enjoy Christ fully with the privileges to be a priest to bring people to God and a king to bring God to men. Ruth was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, and both had lost their birthright due to poverty. According to God’s ordination, the recovery of one’s birthright required the redemptive effort of a kinsman.
Boaz treasured the God-given birthright. He was not only concerned for his own birthright, but also for that of others. He paid a price to redeem his kinsman’s inheritance and married his widow (Ruth 4:1-17). It was due to his compassion on the poor and weak Ruth and his redemption of her birthright that David, the king that built the kingdom, was brought in.]
F. The sections: 1) the loss of the birthright (1:1-5), 2) the desire for the birthright (1:6-22), 3) the seeking of the birthright (chs. 2—3), and 4) the recovery of the birthright (ch. 4).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The first twenty-four chapters of 1 Samuel were probably written by Samuel. Chapter twenty-five, verse 1 says that Samuel died. Therefore, from chapter twenty-five on, the rest of 1 Samuel and the whole book of 2 Samuel were surely not written by him. First Chronicles 29:29 says that regarding the things of David, there was not only the recording of Samuel, but also the recordings of the prophets Nathan and Gad. Bible scholars have concluded from this verse that the recordings in the books of Samuel after the death of Samuel must have been continued by the prophets Nathan and Gad.] The book of 1 Samuel was written in Canaan and covers the period between 1171 B.C. and 1056 B.C.
B. The subject: The degradation of the priesthood, the establishment of the prophethood to speak for God, and the anointing of the kingship after God’s heart.
C. The background: [The priests occupied an important position, because the people needed to go through the priests when they served and drew near to God.] But Eli the priest was weak, thus, the priesthood had deteriorated. Therefore, God needed to establish a prophet to speak for Him so the people could come to God through him. Furthermore, God wanted a habitation on earth. He used Samuel to anoint David, a man after His heart, to be the king and to build His temple.
D. The central thought: Prayer. Hannah’s prayer produced a son (fruit). Samuel’s prayer caused Israel to win the victory. Samuel prayed for a king according to the request of Israel. He regarded prayerlessness as sin.
E. The general sketch: The key word for this book is prayer. “Samuel” means God listens to prayer. God gave Samuel to his mother Hannah because of her prayer. Samuel lived in the temple from his youth. Eli the priest had allowed the priesthood to deteriorate due to his weakness in disciplining his two children. God bypassed Eli and established Samuel to speak for Him. Samuel was a praying person. The Israelites wanted a king. Samuel anointed Saul to be king. Saul rebelled and was given up. Then David was anointed to be the king. David defeated Goliath as a young man and became famous. Saul was jealous of David and tried to kill him many times. David became a fugitive for many years, but he never rebelled against Saul. Eventually, Saul was killed.
F. The sections: 1) Samuel (chs. 1—7), 2) Saul (chs. 8—15), and 3) David (chs. 16—31).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: The writers were Nathan and Gad. It was written in Canaan about events that took place between 1056 B.C. and 1018 B.C.
B. The subject: Christ the King defeated God’s enemies for the building of God’s temple.
C. The background: This book is mainly about King David. The latter part of 1 Samuel recorded David’s anointing, suffering, and fleeing in the early days. Second Samuel records David’s kingship. The enemies of Israel continued to fight against Israel. The desire of God to have a temple for His habitation had still not been fulfilled. The Israelites had their land, yet they were not at rest, and God did not have His dwelling place. David was raised up for the purpose of conquering their enemies and building up the temple of God.
D. The central thought: As God’s people, we should be after God’s heart to fight against God’s enemy and build up His temple, the church. God is righteous to judge rebellion and sins and to forgive us when we repent.
E. The general sketch: After the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, David was inaugurated to be the king of Judah. Later, he was inaugurated king of the whole nation of Israel. He established the capital in Jerusalem. He won many battles and brought back the ark of God. He had a desire to build the house of the Lord. But then David sinned. He caused Uriah to be killed and took his wife Bathsheba. God judged him with: the death of the child of adultery, the killing of Ammon by Absalom, the rebellion of Absalom, and the rebellion of Sheba. David sinned again by numbering the people. God’s judgment came as a pestilence that killed seventy thousand men. God forgave David after his repentance. Out of David’s two sins came two issues of importance: he had a son called Solomon who would be the builder of the temple, and he obtained a piece of land to be used as the site of the temple.
F. The sections: 1) David’s success (chs. 1—10), 2) David’s failure (chs. 11—20), and 3) appendix (chs. 21—24).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The books of 1 and 2 Kings were one book in the Hebrew Old Testament. They were divided by the Septuagint. It is hard for Bible scholars to ascertain who was the author of Kings, but some think that Jeremiah was the author.] This book was probably written in Canaan, recording events that occurred between 1015 B.C. and 897 B.C.
B. The subject: Christ the King strengthened the kingdom of God and built up the temple of God, the church.
C. The background: After King David had established the kingdom, prepared material for the temple, and obtained the site for the temple, God did not have him build the temple directly, because he had killed too many people in all his battles. God raised up his son Solomon to build the temple.
D. The central thought: The resurrected Christ will build the church as Solomon built the temple. As God’s redeemed ones, we will build the church with Christ. When God’s people feared Him, the kingdom prospered. When God’s people departed from Him, the kingdom declined. We should all walk and act “as our father David did walk.” David loved the temple; we should love the church.
E. The general sketch: This book records the latter years of David’s life, the inauguration of Solomon, the building of the temple, the latter years of Solomon’s life and his degradation, the division of the kingdom into Judah and Israel, the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Jehoram, the kings of Israel from Jeroboam to Ahaziah, and the acts of Elijah.
The main event in this book is Solomon’s building up of the temple and God’s glory filling it. This was the peak of the experience of the Israelites in the Old Testament.
F. The sections: 1) the strengthening of the kingdom (chs. 1—2), 2) the glory of the kingdom (chs. 3—10), 3) the division of the kingdom (chs. 11—12:24), and 4) the decline of the kingdom (12:25—22).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: Jeremiah wrote this book. It was probably written in Canaan. The events recorded in this book took place between 896 B.C. and 588 B.C.
B. The subject: The decline and the destruction of the divided kingdoms because of rebellion and idolatry.
C. The background: Because of rebellion, idolatry, and division, the kingdom had declined. Most of the kings did evil in the sight of the Lord. Therefore, the Lord warned them of the destruction that would come if they did not repent.
D. The central thought: When God saw that His people rebelled against Him and turned away from Him to serve the idols, He sent His prophet to warn them. He hoped that they would repent and come back to Him. Therefore, the prophets said, “Thus saith the Lord.” If they would not listen, His righteous anger would be kindled against them. He would let their enemies overthrow their kingdoms and carry them away into captivity.
E. The general sketch: This book is the record of the kings of the kingdom of Judah and Israel. It also includes the acts of Elisha. It records the history of the kingdom of Judah from Ahaziah to Zedekiah and the kingdom of Israel from Joram to Hoshea.
F. The sections: 1) the latter part of Elijah’s ministry (1:1—2:12), 2) Elisha’s ministry (verses within 2:13—13:25), 3) the decline and the destruction of the kingdom of Israel (verses within 1:17—17:41), and 4) the decline and the destruction of the kingdom of Judah (verses within 8:16—25).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles were also one book in the Hebrew Old Testament. It was also divided by the Septuagint. This book has been generally ascertained by many authorities to have been written by Ezra. If we compare the ending of Chronicles and the beginning of Ezra, we can see that the style, the grammar, and the phrases are all very similar and have to be from the same author. Thus, it has been proposed that Chronicles was written by Ezra.] He wrote this book in Jerusalem. The events recorded in 1 Chronicles took place between 1056 B.C. and 1015 B.C.
B. The subject: The review of the history of the children of Israel for the recovery of the temple and the city.
C. The background: When the children of Israel were coming back to rebuild the temple and the city of Jerusalem, there was a need to review their history. By reviewing their history, the children of Israel would know the Lord, worship Him, and serve Him. Although this book may record many things similar to Samuel and Kings, it has a different view. It uses the word and view of God to explain history.
D. The central thought: The Chronicles, from the beginning to the end, reveal to us the greatness of God and His rightful position in the kingdom of His people. Although the people always departed from Him and rebelled against Him, He still was the Lord ruling over the whole earth (29:11-12). God’s way of seeing and explaining things is different from man’s way. This book also reveals to us that God cares for those who seek after Him, that He is the One who judges and the One who forgives, that He is the God on the throne in every situation, and that He always gets the glory.
E. The general sketch: This book uses approximately nine chapters to review the genealogy of the children of Israel. This review reminded the people that they were the chosen ones. The record here concerning David is positive. This shows that the Lord has forgiven David of his gross sins. This book gives the returning people a positive view of God. It chronicles David’s inauguration and his men of valor, the ark of testimony, the prosperity of the kingdom, his desire to build the temple, and his victory. It also tells us about the purchase of the site for the temple, the preparation of the materials for the temple, the priests and the Levites, and the rulers. Lastly, it tells us about David’s will concerning the building of the temple.
F. The sections: 1) genealogy (chs. 1—9:34), 2) Saul (chs. 9:35—10), 3) David (chs. 11—20), and 4) preparation for the building of the temple (chs. 21—29).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: (see 1 Chronicles).
B. The subject: (see 1 Chronicles).
C. The background: (see 1 Chronicles).
D. The central thought: All those with a living faith and an overcoming living must fulfill the requirement of seeking, believing, serving, and loving the Lord.
E. The general sketch: This book recounts the history of Solomon strengthening his kingship, the building of the temple, the dedication of the temple and its acceptance by the Lord, Solomon’s deeds, his wisdom and glory, and his death. This book also records the kings of Judah from Rehoboam to Zedekiah and the carrying away to Babylon. Praise the Lord! This book does not end with the carrying away to Babylon. It continues to say that there was a decree by Cyrus, the king of Persia, charging the people of God to go back to Jerusalem to build a house for God.
F. The sections: 1) Solomon (chs 1—9) and 2) the kings of Judah (chs. 10—36).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The book of Ezra was certainly written by Ezra. Ezra was a very learned scribe and priest. He knew the laws of God very well and therefore was also a lawyer. His books were written in Jerusalem.] This book covers the time between 536 B.C. and 457 B.C.
B. The subject: The recovery of the temple by the remnant of the people.
C. The background: The remnant of the people of God, by His grace and sovereign arrangement, returned to their own land from captivity. They had learned a severe lesson during their captivity; that lesson was to forsake idols. They realized that idolatry was the main cause of their kingdom’s destruction (Therefore, from their recovery to the Lord’s first coming, the Jews did not worship idols). They remembered Jerusalem during their captivity. They refused to enjoy the pleasures of the Gentiles and did not forget their own country. Nevertheless, they did not have much opportunity to know God, serve Him, and understand His laws. They had married heathen wives. The ministry of Ezra was to rebuild the temple and to cause the people to return to God to know Him, serve Him, and read His laws. He also dealt with them concerning their marriage to heathen wives.
D. The central thought: As children of God, we should pay attention to God’s word and His temple and keep the testimony of our sanctification.
E. The general sketch: The Lord fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus the king to encourage God’s people to rise up from their captivity, go up to Jerusalem, bring up the vessels of the house of the Lord, and build up the temple. Then the remnant, about fifty thousand people, went back. First they built an altar. Then they began to build the temple. Overcoming many hindrances, they continued to build until the temple was completed. There was a second return of about two thousand people. Ezra led the second group. After finding out that the people had married strange wives and had practiced according to the Canaanites, he confessed to God the sins of the people. He spoke to the people and they repented. There was a revival following their repentance.
F. The sections: 1) the first return (chs. 1—6) and 2) the second return (chs. 7—10).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [The book of Nehemiah was certainly written by Nehemiah. Ezra was a descendant of Levi, the tribe of the priests. Nehemiah was a descendant of Judah, the tribe of the kings. One attended to religion, and the other attended to politics. At that time, the Persian Empire treated Judea as a province, and Nehemiah became the governor of Judea. His book was also written in Jerusalem.] This book covers the period of time between 446 B.C. and 434 B.C.
B. The subject: The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem in oneness bringing in a revival from a degraded condition.
C. The background: This is the last historical book of the chosen people. The people were poor. They had sold their fields, land, and houses, and had even sold themselves to be slaves. The people had also become intermingled with the heathen. Instead of having a testimony of sanctification, there were mixed multitudes, mixed marriages, priests without proper genealogy, and Ammonites and Moabites living among them, and there were false prophets speaking threatening words. In addition, they had lost their fellowship with God. They had strayed far from God and no longer understood His law, nor did they offer sacrifices or keep the feasts. Their condition was not good at all.
D. The central thought: Praying and laboring with endurance is the secret to succeed in God’s work.
E. The general sketch: When Nehemiah heard that those who had returned from the captivity were in great affliction and reproach, and that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates were burned with fire, he wept, fasting and praying before God. He was ordered by the king of Persia to return to Jerusalem to govern the people of Israel. He encouraged the returned ones to continue and to complete the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, that they would no longer be a reproach. The people strengthened their hands for this good work (2:1-18). Due to opposition, they had to rebuild the walls with one hand doing the work and the other hand holding a weapon. The rebuilding of the wall took fifty-two days.
Ezra joined Nehemiah to recover the things pertaining to the worship of God contained in the book of the law. All the people gathered together to hear the reading of the law. The Sabbath was also recovered. In addition, the people confessed their sin of marrying heathen wives.
F. The sections: 1) the returning (ch. 1—2:16), 2) building the wall in afflictions (2:17—7:4), 3) reckoning by genealogy (7:5-73), 4) the congregation (chs. 8—11), 5) reckoning the priests’ genealogy (12:1-26), 6) the dedication of the wall (12:27-47), and 7) the reformation and recovery (ch. 13).
A. The writer(s), the place, and the time: [It is hard to ascertain the authorship of the book of Esther. Probably Mordecai was the author, because in 9:20 and 23 it is mentioned that Mordecai recorded the happenings then. He was one who loved God and loved the Jews. If it was written by him, it was written in the heathen city of Shushan.] This book records the period between 521 B.C. and 509 B.C.
B. The subject: The invisible God saving His scattered people who trust in Him.
C. The background: Ezra and Nehemiah recorded God’s care for the remnant that returned to the good land. Esther tells us how God also kept the scattered Jews in a heathen land. God is not mentioned in this book; therefore, some people wonder if it is the word of God. The beauty of this book is that some portions should mention God yet do not. By faith, we see the invisible God keeping His people who trust in Him.
D. The central thought: God’s visible and hidden care keeps His people in matters both great and small.
E. The general sketch: Esther, a Jew, became the queen of Ahasuerus after the original queen was removed due to disobedience. Mordecai, Esther’s relative, saved the kings’ life by exposing a conspiracy against the king. These two were used by God to deliver his people from Haman’s wicked plot to kill all the Jews in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. By God’s sovereignty, Haman was hung on the gallows that he had built to hang Mordecai. All the Jews were saved from execution. The Jews remember their salvation from evil Haman by keeping the feast of Purim until now.
F. The sections: 1) the feast of Ahasuerus (chs. 1—2), 2) the feast of Esther (chs. 3—7), and 3) the feast of Purim (chs. 8—10).
