Picture. A Guide to Learning the Bible s Story. Marc Hinds

Transcription

1 The Big Picture A Guide to Learning the Bible s Story Marc Hinds

2 Contents Figures Maps Artwork Photos Acknowledgements Introduction vi viii viii ix x xi Lesson 1. The Layout of the Bible 1 The Old Testament Lesson 2. Before Abraham Was 11 Lesson 3. The Three Patriarchs 23 Lesson 4. Joseph in Egypt 39 Lesson 5. Going to Canaan 51 Lesson 6. Conquering Canaan 65 Lesson 7. The United Kingdom 79 Lesson 8. The Divided Kingdom 91 Lesson 9. Exile and Return 105 Lesson 10. The Books of Poetry 123 Lesson 11. The Books of Prophecy 137 The NEW Testament Lesson 12. The Life of Christ 149 Lesson 13. The Church 171 Lesson 14. The Letters 195 Lesson 15. The Book of Revelation 211 Index 225 Salt crystals on the shore of the Dead Sea.

3 Introduction Philip the evangelist approached a man who was reading from the prophet Isaiah. He asked him, Do you understand what you are reading? (Acts 8:30). Grateful for the help, the man gladly let Philip teach him about Jesus. It wasn t long before that man became a Christian. Reading the Bible for yourself is the best way to grow spiritually. This 15-lesson survey will help you with this goal. It is directed toward the student who wants to learn how the Bible fits together. This study may also serve as an excellent refresher for the seasoned Bible student. In either case, it is designed for someone who wants to quickly get up to speed with his or her Bible knowledge. The first lesson is introductory in nature. Lessons 2 11 survey the Old Testament and Lessons cover the New Testament. Figures, maps, photos and numerous sidebars throughout will help you make sense of the concepts and material. Throughout the lessons, emphasis is placed on Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the Savior of mankind. The Bible is ultimately all about him. May you grow closer in your relationship to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, as you read and study the Bible for yourself. xi

4 B.C. Abrahamic Promises B.C. Wilderness Wanderings B.C. Judges B.C. Divided Kingdom B.C. Babylonian Captivity 444 B.C. A.D. 26 The Silent Years (Intertestamental Period) A.D Th e Church Before Abraham Was Slavery in Egypt (Exodus from Egypt) B.C. Conquest of Canaan B.C. United Kingdom B.C. Judah Alone B.C. Return from Exile B.C. Ministry of Christ A.D Compare with Figure 23 on page 74. Lesson 1 The Layout of the Bible The word Bible literally means book. The Bible is a collection of numerous books a library, if you will. And, as with any library, there s quite a variety. Over 40 different people wrote these 66 books, including some pretty famous names like Moses, Paul, and Peter. Interestingly, Jesus didn t write any books of the Bible, although his words are included in many of them. In fact, the entire Bible is really all about Jesus. Two Parts The Bible contains two major parts: 1) the Old Testament and 2) the New Testament. Your copy of the Bible most likely starts with the first book of the Bible (which is Genesis) on page 1. But there s probably a lot of introductory material that comes first. Those pages are typically numbered with lowercase Roman numerals. Somewhere in your Bible s introductory pages is a table of contents which lists all of the books of the Bible with their starting page numbers. What s really great about this page is that it gives you a bird s-eye view by listing all the books in order. Do you notice that these books are listed in two parts? The Old Testament and the New Testament. Another word for testament is covenant. Those two words testament and covenant are used interchangeably through out the Bible. They mean the same thing. A testament is a covenant between God and humankind. It s a legally binding document, just like a modern last will and testament.

5 2 The Big Picture: Lesson 1 Why is the first testament called old and the second testament new? It s because of the wording in a prophecy made by Jeremiah (an Old Testament book) that refers to the future arrival of a new covenant. This passage is quoted in the New Testament book of Hebrews, after which the following comment is made: In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. The old covenant was in effect from the time of Moses until after Jesus was resurrected from the dead. In fact, while living on the earth, Jesus, as a Jew, was under the old covenant. And because the books of the New Testament hadn t even been written yet, the Jews in his day didn t go around referring to their Holy Scriptures as the Old Testament. It was their Bible. Orthodox Jew reading a Hebrew scroll at the Western Wall. Old Testament Before Christ b.c. New Testament After Christ a.d. The events of the Old Testament occurred before Jesus came to the earth. The years before Christ are referred to as B.C. For example, 1845 b.c. The years after Christ are referred to as A.D. For example, a.d. 30. In our politically-correct culture, the term Old Testament is offensive to many people. But the Christian recognizes that Jesus came to make the first covenant obsolete, just like the book of Hebrews said. Many Jews today deny that Jesus is the son of God and refuse to acknowledge the books of the New Testament as binding on people today. They still refer to the books of the Old Testament as their Bible and deny that the old covenant was ever made obsolete. So, what s a believer in Jesus to do? As long as we keep referring to the second part of the Bible as the new testament, then there must by definition always be an old testament. Referring to the Old Testament as Hebrew Bible or Jewish Scriptures would be an alternative. But because I understand the first part to be leading up to the second part, it makes better sense to call them the Old Testament and the New Testament. Keep in mind that just because it s old doesn t mean that it shouldn t be cherished and studied. After all, it is the word of God, too. But it is no longer a binding covenant (or testament) that needs to be obeyed today. The New Testament is what a Christian is obligated to follow.

6 The Layout of the Bible 3 The Old Testament Books The Old Testament in our English Bibles is divided into five sections Law (5 books), History (12 books), Poetry (5 books), the Major Prophets (5 books) and the Minor Prophets (12 books). There are 39 books in these five sections (Figure 1). Law (Pentateuch) abbreviation Major Prophets Genesis...Gen Isaiah...Isa Exodus...Ex Jeremiah...Jer Leviticus...Lev Lamentations...Lam Numbers...Num Ezekiel...Ezek Deuteronomy...Deut Daniel...Dan History Minor Prophets Joshua...Josh Hosea...Hos Judges...Judg Joel....Joel Ruth...Ruth Amos...Amos 1 Samuel...1 Sam Obadiah...Obad 2 Samuel...2 Sam Jonah...Jonah 1 Kings...1 Kgs Micah....Mic 2 Kings...2 Kgs Nahum...Nah 1 Chronicles...1 Chr Habakkuk...Hab 2 Chronicles...2 Chr Zephaniah...Zeph Ezra...Ezra Haggai...Hag Nehemiah...Neh Zechariah Zech Esther...Esth Malachi...Mal Poetry (Wisdom) Job...Job Psalms...Ps/Pss Proverbs...Prov Ecclesiastes...Eccl Song of Solomon. Song Figure 1. Old Testament 39 Books, written in Hebrew New Testament 27 Books, written in Greek The 5 books of Law are sometimes referred to as the Pentateuch, which literally means five-part book. These first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis Deuteronomy) were all written by Moses and are often called the Law of Moses.

7 4 The Big Picture: Lesson 1 The 12 books of History in our English Bibles are listed chronologically. The events of Joshua pick up where Deuteronomy leaves off; the events of Judges pick up where Joshua leaves off; and so on. The books of 1 2 Chronicles (this is pronounced First and Second Chronicles ) actually repeat much of the material contained in 1 2 Kings, but from a very different perspective. Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther occur after 1 2 Chronicles. The 5 books of Poetry cover very diverse time periods. They will be discussed in Lesson 10 starting on page 123. The 5 Major Prophets were written by four different men. Jere miah wrote both Jeremiah and Lamentations. Isaiah wrote Isaiah; Ezekiel wrote Ezekiel; and Daniel wrote Daniel. Like the books of history, they are arranged chronologically. The 12 Minor Prophets are not less important than the Major Prophets. They are called that because they are much shorter. In fact, the Hebrews sometimes collected the books together into one book, calling it The Twelve. The New Testament Books The New Testament contains four parts Gospels (4 books), History (1 book), Letters (21 books) and Prophecy (1 book) a total of 27 books (Figure 2). Why Four Gospels? Because they present Jesus life and death from four different viewpoints. Why Not Just One? Together they provide an invaluable four-dimensional presentation of our Lord. The 4 Gospels are about Jesus earthly ministry. The term gospel literally means good news. These gospels all report the good news about Jesus. Each book is named after its author. Only Matthew and John were actually apostles of Jesus. Mark and Luke were close associates of the apostles. The 1 book of History Acts was written by Luke. In fact, the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts are companion volumes. Acts picks up where Luke leaves off. Having dedicated a lengthy gospel to Jesus ministry, Luke wrote in Acts about the establishment of the church after Jesus ascension back to heaven.

8 The Layout of the Bible 5 Gospels Matthew...Matt Mark...Mark Luke...Luke John...John History Acts...Acts Luke and Acts are companion volumes. Acts picks up where Luke leaves off. Both were written by Luke, a friend of the apostles. Figure 2. Letters Romans...Rom 1 Corinthians...1 Cor 2 Corinthians...2 Cor Galatians...Gal Ephesians...Eph Philippians...Phil Colossians...Col 1 Thessalonians...1 Thess 2 Thessalonians...2 Thess 1 Timothy...1 Tim 2 Timothy...2 Tim Titus....Titus Philemon...Phlm Hebrews...Heb James...James 1 Peter...1 Pet 2 Peter...2 Pet 1 John...1 John 2 John...2 John 3 John...3 John Jude...Jude Prophecy Revelation...Rev Old Testament 1 2 Chronicles New Testament 1 2 Corinthians Watch out for these similar-sounding books. They re not the same at all! Old Testament Prophet New Testament Apostle The 21 Letters are the lifeblood of the Christian. These letters were written to Christians about what they needed to be doing on a day-to-day basis. Most of them were written within the first 30 years or so after the church was established (see Figure 63 on pages ). They are very practical for us today, too, letting us know how we should act every day of our lives. The 1 book of Prophecy in the New Testament is called the book of Revelation. (Not Revelations, but Revelation.) It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is written in a very different style from the rest of the New Testament. It gives Christians great hope for the future. Its main theme is that God is always in control, no matter what is going on in the world. In the Old Testament, God s special spokesmen were called prophets. In the New Testament, Jesus chose 12 apostles to be his special spokesmen.

9 6 The Big Picture: Lesson 1 Revelation is written in a very different style from the rest of the New Testament. Studying it requires a firm knowledge of some difficult Old Testament books, like Ezekiel, Daniel and Zechariah. Read it for yourself, but it is best studied by the advanced Bible student. Book Matt 5:43 48 Chapter Verses Say the above citation like this: Matthew chapter 5, verses 43 through 48. Figure 3. Book, Chapter and Verse Even though the entire Bible is several hundred pages in length, you can easily refer to a specific passage with the aid of chapters and verses. Chapters and verses are separated by a colon ( : ). The verses can refer to a single verse (43), a passage (43 48), or a combination of the two (43, 47 48). Throughout this series, citations that include chapters and verses will be abbreviated rather than completely spelled out. The reason why is because I want you to become proficient when reading and writing any material that refers to passages in the Bible. Memorize not only the Biblical books but also their abbreviations (see Figure 1 on page 3 and Figure 2 on page 5). Books with a number attached to it (e.g., 1 Kgs, 3 John) should always have the number in front of it, followed by a space, and then the book s name. Whether to include the traditional period following the abbreviated Bible book is up to you (see Figure 3). Conclusion If you can t recite your books of the Bible yet, you ve got some memorizing to do. It won t be long before you ll be thumbing through the books of the Bible, finding passages quickly and easily. There s still a lot to learn, but you re off to a great start.

10 The Layout of the Bible 7 What Did You Learn in Lesson 1? Match the key concept in the numbered list below with the letter of the phrase that best describes it. Answers appear upside-down at the bottom of the page. Key Concepts 1. Acts 2. Book, Chapter and Verse 3. Prophet 4. Gospel 5. Genesis 6. Bible 7. Letters 8. Apostle 9. Hebrew Bible 10. Pentateuch 11. New Testament 12. Covenant Descriptions A. God s special spokesman during Bible times. B. These documents were all written within the first 40 years after the church was established, teaching Christians about how they were expected to live their lives from day to day. C. The collection of 27 books in our English Bibles. D. The very first book of the Bible. E. An aid that allows you to more easily refer to and locate a specific passage anywhere in the Bible. F. A special spokesman for Jesus shortly before and after the establishment of his church. G. Literally means five-part book and collectively refers to the first five books of the Bible. H. The companion volume of the gospel of Luke that records in narrative form the events following Jesus earthly ministry, including his ascension into heaven and the establishment of his church. I. A collection of 66 books that was written by over 40 different people. J. A term that literally means good news and is also used to refer to the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). K. A word that is used interchangeably with testament and means a legally binding document. L. A politically correct term used to refer to the Old Testament. Answers 1H, 2E, 3A, 4J, 5D, 6I, 7B, 8F, 9L, 10G, 11C, 12K

11 8 The Big Picture: Lesson 1 What Did You Learn in Lesson 1? Do your best to answer the following questions. Some answers can be found in the text of Lesson 1, but not all of them. For others, you will be asked to look up passages in your Bible to find them. Fill in the Blanks. 1. Name the five divisions of the Old Testament. 1. How many books? 2. How many books? 3. How many books? 4. How many books? 5. How many books? 2. Name the four divisions of the New Testament. 1. How many books? 2. How many books? 3. How many books? 4. How many books? 3. Why do you think the first five books of the Bible are called the Law of Moses? 4. What group of Old Testament books were called The Twelve and why?

12 The Layout of the Bible 9 5. Luke and Acts are companion volumes. What does that mean? Read Luke 1:1 4 and Acts 1:1 2. To whom were both of these books written? Multiple Choice. Circle the correct answer. 1. What is the difference between the Major prophets and the Minor prophets? A. Only the Major Prophets are considered to be inspired. B. Only the Major Prophets are arranged chronologically. C. The Major Prophets are more important than the Minor Prophets. D. The Major prophets are much longer books than the Minor Prophets. 2. Which author of a Major Prophet book wrote Lamentations? A. Isaiah. B. Jeremiah. C. Ezekiel. D. Daniel. 3. The term gospel literally means... A. Good news. B. The message about Jesus. C. Christ. D. God with us. 4. Which of the following choices best describes how to properly say the citation, Num 6:22 27? A. Num six, twenty-two and twenty-seven. B. Num six, twenty-two through twenty-seven. C. Numbers chapter six, twenty-two beginning. D. Numbers chapter six, verses twenty-two through twenty-seven.

13 10 The Big Picture: Lesson 1 Application of Lesson 1. For Discussion. 1. If the Old Testament is obsolete and we are not under it today, then was it a mistake? In other words, is the New Testament God s second attempt to get salvation right? Explain your answer. 2. How can a New Testament Christian benefit from the study of the Old Testament? 3. The first four books of the New Testament are called the gospels, which means good news. What is the good news that they report?