Old Testament Survey I
Old Testament Survey IA Christ-Centered Approachto Studying Jesus’ Bible student’s workbook
Old Testament Survey IA Christ-Centered Approachto Studying Jesus’ Biblestudent’s workbookBethlehem College & Seminary720 13th Avenue SouthMinneapolis, MN 55415612.455.3420 612.338.6901info@bcsmn.edu bcsmn.edu
Copyright 2016 by Bethlehem College & SeminaryAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, modified,or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2007 by Crossway Bibles,a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Old Testament Survey IA Christ-Centered Approachto Studying Jesus’ Biblestudent's workbookTable of ContentsCourse SyllabusLesson 1Jesus' Bible: An OverviewLesson 2Getting the Big PictureLesson 3Genesis—Part 1Lesson 4Genesis—Part 2Lesson 5ExodusLesson 6LeviticusLesson 7NumbersLesson 8DeuteronomyLesson 9JoshuaLesson 10JudgesLesson 111–2 SamuelLesson 121–2 KingsAppendicesAppendix A: Key Chapters for Bible ReadingAppendix B: Big-Picture Bible Resources for Children1317437599123149171195217235259285287
Old Testament Survey IA Christ-Centered Approach to Studying Jesus' Biblesyllabus Course DescriptionOld Testament Survey I: A Christ-Centered Approach to Studying Jesus’ Bible is intended to survey the message of theOld Testament, both at the individual book level and at the canonical level. That is, students will not only grasp themain message of each individual book of the Old Testament, but they will understand how that message contributes tothe overall message of the Bible. Emphasis will be given to tracing the flow of redemptive history from the beginningof time until the inter-testamental period, showing how the entire Old Testament points to, prepares the way for, andis fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah. This will be accomplished by reading What the Old Testament Authors Really CaredAbout in its entirety and the majority of Dominion and Dynasty, as well as by first-hand study of some of the keybiblical passages throughout the Old Testament. ObjectivesThis course is designed to accomplish specific objectives. A student successfully completing this course should be able to: Articulate the significance of the Old Testament for Christians today.Explain the central message of each individual book of the Old Testament.Explain how each book contributes to the overall message of the Bible.Understand how key biblical passages from the Old Testament fit into the storyline of redemptive history. Everylesson will compel the student to read and meditate on the Word. Our desire is to encourage students to beBereans (cf. Acts 17:11).Understand how the entire Old Testament points to, prepares the way for, and is fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah.Discuss and apply the biblical truth that is presented in the curriculum.Magnify the worth of God in a more meaningful and personal way by treasuring him in their heart above allelse. We recognize that this, the ultimate objective of the course, is impossible apart from the grace of God in theworking of the Holy Spirit, who exalts the risen Lord, Jesus Christ.syllabus1
Required books (Textbooks) An English version of the Bible (all quotes in this curriculum will come from the English Standard Version [ESV]unless otherwise noted).Jason DeRouchie, ed., What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic &Professional, 2013). (abbreviated: WOTARCA)Stephen Dempster, Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press,2003). (abbreviated: DD) RequirementsStudents are expected to prepare for Lessons 2-12 by completing the lesson pages in a sequential order. Therefore,for each lesson a student should read the Introduction and the Lesson Objectives. Then the student should readthe remainder of the lesson, answer the 20 questions contained therein, and complete all the required reading andthe integrative assignment. The student may then review the discussion questions and record their own discussionquestion(s). Each lesson’s workload has been divided into five daily assignments for the convenience of the student.Though not required, a student may choose to read the book of the Bible that corresponds to each week’slesson. Another option is to read only the “Key Chapters for Bible Reading” that correspond to each week’s lesson( 1–2 Chs./day). These may be found in Appendix A.Students will pass this course if they attend at least 10 class sessions and complete all the assignments. Pleasecontact the instructor with any problems or concerns. ScheduleLesson2DateLesson Title1Jesus' Bible: An Overview2Getting the Big Picture3Genesis —Part 14Genesis —Part ges111 –2 Samuel121 –2 KingsOld Testament Survey I
Jesus’ Bible:An Overview IntroductionFor many Christians today the Old Testament gets overshadowed by the NewTestament, which generally receives far greater attention from the pulpit andindividual Bible reading. The result is that few people have a solid understandingof the Old Testament, its message, and its lasting value for Christians today. Formany, the Old Testament consists of little more than a handful of familiar storiessprinkled among more obscure ones. Little connection is drawn between the twotestaments, and, consequently, the crucial import of the Old Testament messageis rarely appreciated when one reads the New Testament. Some believe that themost Christians can glean from the Old Testament is moral examples—some tobe imitated and some to be avoided. And some would go so far as to say that theOld Testament has minimal value for the New Testament Christian.But is this the correct way to view the Old Testament? After all, it doescomprise a full 75 percent of our inspired Bible. Ought that much sacred text bedismissed or minimized so easily? The answer is a resounding “No,” and we willsee why in this lesson. In addition to understanding the significance of the OldTestament for Christians today, we will also look at its structure and see how itcontributes to the overall message of the Bible.1 Lesson ObjectivesAfter completing this lesson, the student should be able to articulate why the Old Testament is important for Christians today. understand the three-part structure of the Old Testament and itssignificance for the overall message of the Old Testament.Jesus’ Bible: An Overview3
Study GuideJesus Only Had the Old TestamentThe fact that Jesus never read books like Romans, Corinthians, or Revelationmay come as a surprise. In fact, he never preached from the New Testament atall. Neither did Paul, Peter, or any of the other New Testament authors. In alltheir studying, preaching, and writing their only source of inspired text waswhat we now call the Old Testament. This means that all the passages in the NewTestament that speak about the importance of God’s Word for the Christianwere referring to the Old Testament when they were penned. Obviously, oncethe New Testament was completed these verses applied to the whole canon ofScripture, but it should still serve to increase our view of the value of the OldTestament for Christians in the church age.Consider these verses:Romans 15:4For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, thatthrough endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we mighthave hope.42 Timothy 3:15–17And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings,which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may becomplete, equipped for every good work.152 Timothy 4:2–4Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke,and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is comingwhen people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they willaccumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turnaway from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.24Old Testament Survey I
1. What are some ways you could use the Old Testament to provide hope,to reprove, to correct, or to train others in righteousness?For Christians in the first century, the Old Testament was their Bible! Jesusidentified the Old Testament as the Word of God (Mark 7:13) and considered itto be authoritative (Matt. 12:1–3).2. Fill in the blanks as the instructor reads this quote:“Jesus was convinced that what is now the first three-fourths of our ChristianBible ‘cannot be’ (John 10:35), would be completely(Matt. 5:17–18; Luke 24:44), bore witness about him (Luke 24:27, 46; John 5:39, 46),and called forand forgiveness of sins to be proclaimed in hisname to all the nations (Luke 24:47). All this Jesus summarized as ‘the good newsof the’ (Luke 4:43; cf. Acts 1:3)” (WOTARCA, 28). 1It is clear that Jesus and the New Testament authors had a high regard for theOld Testament, but why was this case?The Old Testament Speaks About Jesus and His KingdomThe reason the Old Testament is so important is because ultimately it speaksabout Jesus and his kingdom. Some people would argue that this is not the case.The Old Testament is concerned with Yahweh and his dealings with the Jewishpeople, while the New Testament is concerned with Jesus and his dealingswith Christians. But this thinking minimizes the unity of Scripture and placesa false dichotomy between the God of the Old Testament and the God of theNew Testament, as if they had a different mission in mind. In reality, there isonly one God in all of the Bible, and his primary concern is to display his gloryby establishing his kingdom among his one people. This message is intricatelywoven throughout both Testaments.1Jason DeRouchie, ed., What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About (GrandRapids: Kregel Academic & Professional, 2013). Used by permission. No duplication ordistributed is permitted without written permission of the publisher.Jesus’ Bible: An Overview5
How do we know the Old Testament speaks about Jesus and his kingdom?Because Jesus himself tells us:Luke 24:25–27And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all thatthe prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should sufferthese things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all theProphets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerninghimself.25Luke 24:44–47Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I wasstill with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and theProphets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their mindsto understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, thatthe Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and thatrepentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to allnations, beginning from Jerusalem.443. What do these verses reveal about the Old Testament’s teaching on theMessiah (Christ) and his work?The Messiah’s mission included a brutal death, resurrection on the third day, andproclamation of salvation through him, not just to the Jews, but to all nations.After his resurrection Jesus teaches his disciples that all of this was taught in theOld Testament. Luke, in writing the sequel to his gospel 2, sheds light on whatthis mission would accomplish. He says it would establish the kingdom of God(Acts 1:1–5; cf. Luke 24:44–49). In other words, what is called the Messiah andmission in Luke 24 is called “kingdom of God” in Acts 1:3. This was the coremessage of Jesus’ teaching (cf. Matt. 4:17, 23; 9:35).Matthew 4:17From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom ofheaven is at hand.”172Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts (Luke 1:1–4; Acts 1:1).They are best read together because Acts continues the story begun in the gospel.6Old Testament Survey I
The book of Acts reveals that Paul’s ministry is simply an extension of Jesus’work:Acts 26:22–23To this day I have had the help that comes from God, and so I stand heretestifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets andMoses said would come to pass: 23 that the Christ must suffer and that, by beingthe first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people andto the Gentiles.22Acts 28:23When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging ingreater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifyingto the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from theLaw of Moses and from the Prophets.23Acts 28:30–31He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all whocame to him, 31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the LordJesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.30Paul was “testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them aboutJesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Psalms.” Earlier, we saw Jesususe “Moses and all the Prophets” to interpret to the men on the road to Emmaus“in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” And to his disciples Jesussaid, “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets andthe Psalms must be fulfilled.” Clearly the Old Testament spoke about Jesus andhis kingdom.4. Have you ever considered that you could learn about Jesus from the OldTestament? Record any thoughts or reactions you may have in hearingthis.Jesus’ Bible: An Overview7
If you were to search the Bible for the phrases “kingdom of God” or “kingdomof heaven,” the results might surprise you. “Kingdom of God” shows up 67times in the New Testament and “kingdom of heaven” occurs 32 times. Neitherphrase occurs in the Old Testament—not even once! However, the conceptof God’s kingdom is found on nearly every page. And with all the teachingon the kingdom in the New Testament, we must assume that Jesus’ audienceunderstood what he meant by the “kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 4:17; cf. 3:2). Sohow did the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms foretell the kingdom of God? Wewill see how the Old Testament develops this theme, but for now, it is sufficientto know that it is there and that it provides the background for Jesus’ teaching onthe subject.In summary, the New Testament is concerned primarily with the Messiahand his mission, which is intimately linked with repentance and forgivenessof sins among all nations. The New Testament describes this as the kingdomof God. The Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms/Writings all foretold thatthis kingdom would come and that the Messiah would rule over it. Now let’sconsider this three-part division of the Old Testament that the New Testamentauthors often speak of.The Structure of Jesus’ BibleOne of the questions that must be answered before considering the structureof Jesus’ Bible is whether or not there is unity within the Old Testament? Atfirst glance, the Old Testament seems to be a hodgepodge of stories that don’tcoincide. Indeed, many people’s knowledge of the Old Testament is limited tothe stories they learned from Sunday School. But if you string them all togetheris there a big picture?Although the Hebrew Bible is comprised of numerous genres written overa period of one thousand years by many different authors, there is remarkableunity in its overall message. Dempster states, “It is certain that the HebrewBible, despite being comprised of many texts, is not for that reason precludedfrom being a Text” (DD, 21). Or you could say, all of the hundreds of individualstories we read harmonize in such a way that they tell one big Story—the storyof God’s plan to glorify himself by establishing his kingdom through a covenantrelationship with his people. As with any good story, there needs to be certainelements: an introduction, action, conflict, climax, resolution, and a conclusion.In short, there needs to be a structured plot.8Old Testament Survey I
5. Before beginning today’s lesson, would you have described the Bible asa book or as an anthology (collection) of literature that is not intended tobe read in any order? Has your opinion changed?Our English Bibles are comprised of two testaments—the Old and the New—with a total of 66 books. Thirty-nine of these make up the Old Testament andthey are arranged chronologically and by genre (following the Greco-Romantendency to arrange literary collections this way). The sequence is Law, History,Poetry and Wisdom, and Prophecy. However, when Jesus was teaching abouthimself from the Old Testament, he did not say, “ Everything written aboutme in the Law, History, Poetry and Wisdom, and Prophecy.” Rather, he said,“ Everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and thePsalms” (Luke 24:44). This is because the Jewish Bible3 used by Jesus and theapostles was apparently arranged in a different order than our Christian OldTestaments.While the Jewish Bible contains the same 39 books as our Christian OldTestament, they are structured differently and grouped into three maindivisions: The Law (tôrâh), the Prophets (něbî’îm), and the Writings (kětûbîm).Sometimes the third division—the Writings—may be referred to as “the Psalms”because Psalms is the first major book in the Writings. Ancient Jewish literatureconfirms this three-fold structure which appears to be the oldest arrangementof the Hebrew Scriptures. The Hebrew Bible is often referred to as the Tanakh,an acronym derived from the first Hebrew letter of each of the three majordivisions:Tôrâh (Law)Něbî’îm (Prophets)Kětûbîm (Writings)3The term “Jewish Bible” is simply a reference to the Hebrew Old Testament. It iscalled the “Jewish Bible” to distinguish the ordering from the Christian (i.e., English)Old Testament, though their content is the same.Jesus’ Bible: An Overview9
ENGLISH OLD TESTAMENTMAJORPOETRY & WISDOMMINORPROPHETS10Old Testament Survey esiastesSong of msJobProverbsEcclesiastesSong of esWRITINGS(kětûbîm)THE lIsaiahLATTERJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherLAW nomyJESUS' BIBLE
6. Compare and contrast the two orderings of the Old Testament above.What differences do you notice? Count the number of books in eacharrangement of the Old Testament (“The Twelve” are lumped into onebook in the Hebrew Bible). How many are there? Why do you thinkthere is there a difference?Should the ordering of the Tanakh affect one’s interpretation? Some contendthat it should not, since the order is not inspired and the original books werewritten on individual scrolls which precluded a fixed ordering. However, as hasbeen stated, the Old Testament tells a Story, and when the Old Testament textwas put into a codex (book form), the compilers necessarily had to choose anorder. This process of identifying and ordering the books of the Bible is knownas canonization. So was there intentionality in this process? The answer is “yes.”To illustrate this point, in the story of The Lord of the Rings, each individualscene has its own purpose and message. However, when each scene is puttogether in its proper order, a bigger, grander story emerges. Further, if yourearranged the scenes, the story would change, and perhaps it would not
syllabus 1 Old Testament Survey I A Christ-Centered Approach to Studying Jesus' Bible syllabus Course Description Old Testament Survey I: A Christ-Centered Approach to Studying Jesus’ Bible is intended to survey the message of the Old Testament, both at the individual book level and at the canonical level.
THE OLD TESTAMENT 46 Books THE NEW TESTAMENT . BOOKS. THE 39 BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT The 5 Books of Moses 12 Historical Books 5 Poetic Books 5 Major Prophets 12 Minor Prophets 2nd Canon THE 7 DEUTRO-CANONICAL BOOKS . THE NEW TESTAMENT THE 27 BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT . The Gospels . PAULINE EPISTLES
Survey Of The Old Testament Internship Training — 09.26.16 _ Helpful Facts The word “old” (as in, Old Testament) is not meant to communicate something that is outdated, archaic, and irrelevant to our lives today. The phrases “Old Testament” and “New Testament” were first used by the early church father Origen (185–254 .
Texts of Wow Rosh Hashana II 5780 - Congregation Shearith Israel, Atlanta Georgia Wow ׳ג ׳א:׳א תישארב (א) ׃ץרֶָֽאָּהָּ תאֵֵ֥וְּ םִימִַׁ֖שַָּה תאֵֵ֥ םיקִִ֑לֹאֱ ארָָּ֣ Îָּ תישִִׁ֖ארֵ Îְּ(ב) חַורְָּ֣ו ם
1. The Old Testament Is God’s Word A. From God It is impossible to study the Old Testament fairly and honestly without first recognizing and acknowledging one basic fact: the Old Testament is God’s revela-tion to men. It is not the entire revelation of God, but all of the Old Testament is God’s Word.
Walter A. Elwell, General Editor and New Testament Editor Eugene H. Merrill, Old Testament Editor Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey, Second Edition Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer Readings from the Ancient Near East: Primary Sources for Old Testament Study Bill T. Arnold and Bryan E. Beyer, editors
A. the Old Testament (OT; 39 books in the Jewish and Protestant canons; 46 in the Catholic canon) B. the New Testament (NT; 27 books). C. Prior to Vatican II, there were no Old Testament readings in the Catholic Sunday Lectionary, but Vatican II Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum (Word of God) restored the Old Testament to its
Lesson 23-24 – Minor Prophets, Nahum-Malachi 124-137 . Old Testament Survey, Bill Scheidler 3 Teacher’s Manual Lesson 1 Why Study the Old Testament? A. Introduction For many people the Old Testament of the Holy Bible is cloaked in mystery. When
Introduction to Logic Catalog Description: Introduction to evaluation of arguments. Concentration on basic principles of formal logic and application to evaluation of arguments. Explores notions of implication and proof and use of modern techniques of analysis including logical symbolism. Credit Hour(s): 3 Lecture Hour(s): 3 Lab Hour(s): 0 Other Hour(s): 0 Requisites Prerequisite and .
