Synopsis of Old Testament Books and Highlights of Israel's History

Numbers

  This book derives its name from the fact that it records the enumeration (numbering) of Israel. Historically, Numbers takes up the story where Exodus left it . . . and is the book of the wilderness wanderings of God's covenant people consequent upon their failure to enter the land of Canaan at Kadesh Barnea.
  There are some who take the books of the Old Testament typically. Such as, Genesis, the book of the Creation and the Fall; Exodus, the book of Redemption; Leviticus, the book of worship and fellowship; and Numbers, the book of service and walk with God.
  However, we do not give the books in this form of typology. Israel was spiritually dead and tested by its wilderness experience, failed utterly. This cannot be used as a type of the victorious walk and life of the man who has become a new creation in Christ Jesus, who has absolutely passed from the realm of Satan, into the realm of the life and Christ Jesus.
  Numbers is in five chief divisions:

Deuteronomy

  Deuteronomy is in seven divisions.

Joshua

  Joshua succeeded Moses as ruler under God. The government is still theocratic. The events recorded in Joshua cover a period of twenty-six years.

  The book falls into four parts.

Judges

  The book takes its name from thirteen men raised up to deliver Israel in the declension and disunion which followed the death of Joshua. Through these Judges, Jehovah continued His personal government of Israel. The key verse tot he condition of Israel during the times of the Judges is Judges 17:6 - "Every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
  There are two prominent facts seen throughout the book of Judges: the utter failure of people dead in trespasses and sins, and the grace of a covenant keeping God.
  The book records seven apostasies, seven servitutes, and seven deliverances. The events recorded in Judges cover a period of 305 years.

Ruth

  This story should be read in connection with the first half of the Judges, as it presents a picture of life in Israel at that time. The events recorded in this book cover a period of ten years.

1 Samuel

  This book gives us the personal history of Samuel, the last of the Judges. It records the moral failure of the priesthood under Eli, and of the Judges in Samuel's attempt to make the office hereditary. In his prophetic office, Samuel was faithful and in him begins the line of writing prophets. From now on the prophet, not the priest, is conspicuous in Israel.
  During this period Israel repudiated God as a king, and desired a king like other nations had around them. God gave them a king, Saul.
  This book is in four parts.

2 Samuel

  This book marks the restoration of order through the enthroning of God's King, David. It also gives to us the establishment of Israel's political center in Jerusalem.
  The book is in four parts.

1 Kings

  1 Kings records the death of David, the reign of Solomon, the building of the Temple, the death of Solomon, and the divisions of the kingdom under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, and the history of the two kingdoms after the division to the reign of Jehorab over Judah and Ahaziah over Samaria. (See the chronology of Lesson 15.)
  It also includes the mighty ministry of Elijah (1 Kings 17) and reveals the fearless action of this covenant man upon the word of God.
  The events recorded in 1 Kings cover a period of 118 years.

2 Kings

2 Kings is in seven parts.

1st and 2nd Chronicles

  The two books of Chronicles together, cover the period from the death of Saul to the captivities. They were probably written during the Babylonian captivity, and are distinguished from the two books of Kings in fuller account of Judah and omission of many details.
  The events of the two books cover a period of 468 years. Judah was in Babylonian in captivity for 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10).

Ezra

  Ezra records the return to Palestine under Zerubbabel by decree of Cyrus, king of Persia, who permitted Ezra to return to Palestine to lay the foundation of the Temple at Jerusalem. The temple Solomon had built 1004 BC, was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in BC 588. Ezra laid the foundation of the New Temple in 536 B.C. Later,458 B.C., Ezra followed and restored the law and ritual. The Jewish nation as a whole and most of the princes remained by preference in Babylonian and Assyria where they were prospering. The post-captivity books with the remnant which alone remembered the covenant God.
  The book is in two parts.

Nehemiah

  Nehemiah, one of the great characters of the Old Testament, has never received the recognition that really belongs to him. He was private secretary to the emperor of the then greatest nation of the world. He was a man of prayer; he was heroic; he was a leader. He was utterly fearless. He left Shushan and came to Jerusalem, and by sheerest bravery and courage rebuilt the wall, restored true worship, and gave the law to the common people; separated Israel from the nations around them.
  This book covers a period of about 10 years.

Esther

  The book of Esther is one of the most beautiful in Old Testament literature. Though the name of God does not occur in it, yet it is a book that shows the hand of God, as almost no other book does.
  Esther becomes the favorite wife of Ahazuerus. By her absolute obedience to her uncle, she becomes the saviour of the chosen people the Jews. No more beautiful character of heroine can be found in the chronicles of the Old Testament.
  This book covers a period of 11 years.

The Poetical Books

  We have studied the historical books of the Old Testament, and now we take up the study of the Poetical books. The Poetical books are God's song books. Here we find the heart cries of God's people of their fears and faith and their longings. Job is the first book written. It was written before Genesis. Tradition puts the date about 1700 BC. Job was a relative of Abraham. He gathers the universal desires of the human race and puts them into this great poem of agony. One of the problems he faces is: "How can man born of a woman stand right with God?" Here he gives us a suggestion of the fall. Showing the extent of man's treason he says: "The stars are not clean in God's sight." He recognizes man's need of a mediator, and cries, "Oh, if there were an umpire betwixt us who might lay his hand upon both of us." Thus he cries for restoration based on righteousness.
  In these longings of Job, we see the longings each race has had and has expressed in its human religion. Job stood the testings of Satan. He never lost the favor of God. We can see in this book the whole plan of redemption portrayed. He begins in the garden of Eden, and goes through the agonies of a long struggle of suffering man. He gives to us the suggestion of a redemption that ends in Eden restored. It is the most ancient classic of "Paradise lost and regained."

The Psalms

  The Psalms are Israel's song book. They are the expression, longings, and heartaches, tears and desires of the people of the first covenant. They represent the daily experiences in some respect and in others they are prophecies utterly beyond them, only found in the New Creation.
  The books are generally divided into five sections: 1-41; 42-72; 73-89; 90-106; 107-150.
  The imprecatory Psalms are the cry for vengeance upon their enemies. This has bothered many devout people, but when we realize that Israel were not Christians, they had never been born again, they were just Jews under the blood of bulls and goats, you can understand then how these Psalms can be written. The miracle is that Psalms like the 23rd, 27th, 37th, and 91st, could be written by natural man. It proves the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The Proverbs

  The book of Proverbs is the wisdom of the old covenant. It is the interpretation of the law in life. It is what the book of James is in the New Covenant (New Testament). James is writing for New Covenant folks and is giving wisdom for their daily walk. Proverbs should be read with great care. Personally if I could do it, I would like to give every boy and girl a nice, leather-bound copy of the book of Proverbs. It should be given to every youth in our grammar schools. The man who absorbs the wisdom of Proverbs will seldom fall into the snares of modern life.

Ecclesiastes

  Ecclesiastes, is the most unique book in the Old Testament. It is a picture of a spiritually dead man trying to find pleasure and lasting satisfaction in the world. He tries to find it in building, in architectural ambitions; he built great buildings. He tried to find it in horticulture; he had the most beautiful gardens perhaps the world had ever seen up to that time. He tried to find satisfaction and happiness in vast public works. He tried it with wine, he tried it with women and song, and in the conclusion of things, he said, "Vanity of vanity, all is vanity." In the last chapter he sings the song of failure of natural man to achieve the desires of the human spirit.

The Song of Solomon

  The Song of Solomon are the Idylls and Sonnets of Christ and the Church. It is filled with beautiful imagery.
  It is a love dream put into poetic expressions. It gives pictures of broken fellowship and of loneliness of heart that has lost its love. It gives the triumphs of fellowship when the heart walks in the fullness of its privileges.

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