How to Get the Most from God s Word 5 November 2008 Applying the Old Testament, Part 1

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1 How to Get the Most from God s Word 5 November 2008 Applying the Old Testament, Part 1 Read: 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Context: Tonight we continue our Wednesday night Bible study series How to Get the Most from God s Word. By discussing a number of relevant topics and through implementing some practical exercises, the goal of this series is to equip you to practically understand and apply God s Word to your daily life. Tonight we will begin discussing how we as New Testament Christians should apply the Old Testament. After tonight s brief overview of what is in the Old Testament, Lord willing, next week we will consider some specific principles for applying the first 75% of the Bible. Homework review: 1 John Application Exercise Discussion: I. From the 1 Corinthians 10 passage we just read: A. Who are our fathers in verse 1? Who are the individuals spoken of in this passage? What events are recalled in this passage? B. Can you identify Paul s purpose in reminding the Corinthian Christians of these events? C. What does the fact that the Corinthians church was comprised of almost exclusively gentiles mean for our application of the Old Testament? D. What is Paul assuming about the Old Testament in this section? What principles of Bible interpretation is Paul using in this section? II. When you contemplate reading and studying the Old Testament, what thoughts, feelings, impressions, etc. come to mind? III. What is your favorite book of the Old Testament and why? Study: I. The Challenge of Studying the Old Testament A. For the 21 st Christian, the Old Testament can be daunting. Imagine you were completely unfamiliar with the Bible. What thoughts or feelings would the following passages illicit? (e.g., don t give the good boy, Sunday school answers): 1. Exodus 4:19, 24: And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead." At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death Deuteronomy 22:6 If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young Chronicles 2:50-51: These were the descendants of Caleb. The sons of Hur the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kiriath-jearim, Salma, the father of Bethlehem, and Hareph the father of Beth-gader 4. 1 Kings 22:20-23: And the Lord said, 'Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?' And one said one thing, and another said another. Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, 'I will entice him.' And the Lord said to him, 'By what means?' And he said, 'I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And he said, 'You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.' 1 All Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

2 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you." 5. Psalm 88:14-18: O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; dreadful assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; companions have become darkness. B. The differences between the present day and the Old Testament are enormous: 1. Time Differences The oldest books were written about 3500 years ago; the most recent were written about 2500 years ago. 2. Language Differences The books of the Old Testament were written primarily in Hebrew, but some chapters in Aramaic. 3. Cultural Differences The people to whom the Old Testament was written and about whom the Old Testament was written were primarily farmers, shepherds, and nomads who were technologically primitive and had very little contact with the rest of the world. They all resided in Near-East Asia or Africa. 4. Experiential Differences The individuals in the Old Testament saw the Lord perform miracles we only read about. Some of them witnessed the parting of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho fall, the construction of the Temple, the observance of blood sacrifices, etc. Moreover, most Old Testament characters had firsthand experience handling sheep, cooking over an open fire, hunting with a bow and arrow, etc. 5. Salvation-History Differences The individuals in the Old Testament lived and sought to serve God before the death and resurrection of Christ. Consequently, their worship and spirituality are characterized by rituals, sacrifices, holidays, etc. that foreshadowed and typified the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those of us who live after the cross, such forms of worship can seem crude and primitive. C. Christians face a number of hurdles and temptations in studying the Old Testament (see if you can identify the problem(s) in the following attitudes toward the Old Testament): 1. Some avoid the Old Testament all together because it is too strange and obscure. 2. Some avoid the Old Testament because they are revolted by the primitive bloody sacrifices, harsh, cruel punishments (i.e., eye-for-eye), and seemingly angry portrayal of God. 3. Some avoid the Old Testament because it was superseded by the New Testament. 4. Some develop an attitude toward the Old Testament where they dip into it at random like a phone book or dictionary (e.g., they are familiar with Psalm 23 but not much more). 5. Some develop a human hero approach to the Old Testament where they view the book as a collection of stories and adventures we should seek to emulate (e.g., Noah and the flood, David and Goliath, Daniel and the lion s den, etc.). 6. Any other attitudes you can identify? Which one(s) do you lean toward? II. The Value of Studying the Old Testament A. Though there is great challenge in studying the Old Testament, in our opinion it is worth it. Here are some reasons why the Christian should study and know the Old Testament: 1. The Old Testament is inspired Scripture, just as much inspired as Jesus teaching. It contains a message from God relevant to your life.

3 2. The Old Testament comprises approximately 75% of your Bible. To ignore it is to ignore most of the Bible. 3. The Old Testament records the acts and character of our unchanging God. The same God who brought about the Exodus is the Father of our Lord Jesus. He has the same hates, same loves, same abilities, etc. today as He did in Moses day. 4. The New Testament builds upon the foundation of the Old Testament. They fit together as two parts of one story. 5. The New Testament assumes a familiarity with the Old Testament. Imagine trying to make sense of Hebrews 11 or 1 Corinthians 10 or Romans 4-5 (or countless other passages) without knowing something of the Old Testament. 6. The New Testament explicitly instructs us to know the Old Testament: a. 1 Corinthians 10:6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. b. 2 Timothy 3:15-17 and 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. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 7. The Old Testament prepares us for and points us to the person and work of Jesus Christ: a. Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. b. John 5:39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. 8. Can you think of additional reasons to study the Old Testament? III. The Framework of the Old Testament 1. Part of the challenge in studying the Old Testament in simple unfamiliarity. Some of us may know as much about the structure of the Old Testament as we know about the history of Uganda. Therefore coming to understand the basic framework of the Old Testament is a good place to begin. 2. The first thing that needs to be said about the framework of the Old Testament is that it is not one book but a collection of 39 different books written by several different authors over a period of about 1000 years (approximately 1500 BC 500 BC). The Old Testament is more a library than one sequential, running account. 3. The different books of the Old Testament are grouped according to their genre of literature (not according to chronological sequence; see below). The 39 books are broken up into 5 major categories (you might want to turn to the Table of Contents in your Bible): a. The Law (Sometimes called The Pentateuch): i. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy ii. Though these books are called Law, there is so much more in them than codes of conduct. 2 They record the creation of the universe, the Fall, the Abrahamic Covenant, the Exodus, and much more. 2 Part of the problem here is that the Hebrew word for law means something different from the English word for law. In English, the word law means a code of legal conduct (e.g., you can t drive 65 in a 55 mph, etc.). The Hebrew word, however, means something more like instruction or direction.

4 b. The Historical Books: i. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther ii. These books chronicle Israel s conquest of the Promised Land, the way Israel often strayed and sometimes returned to the Lord, the reigns of King David and King Solomon, the division of Israel into the Northern and Southern Kingdoms, and the Exile and the return of the Jews from captivity to rebuild Jerusalem. c. The Wisdom Books (Sometimes called The Writings): i. Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs ii. These books focus on some of the more personal experiences of the people of God. They are largely a collection of songs, poems, and maxims for godly living. They address such varied topics as suffering, corporate and individual worship, and marital intimacy. d. The Major Prophets: i. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel ii. The Major Prophets are mostly very long and contain the Lord s commentary on Israel s history (recorded in the Historical Books), particularly Israel s rebellion. e. The Minor Prophets i. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zechariah, Haggai, Zephaniah, Malachi ii. The Minor Prophets are called minor not because they are insignificant but because they are generally much shorter in length than the Major Prophets (e.g., while Isaiah is 66 chapters, Obadiah is only 1 chapter). Like the Major Prophets, these books are the Lord s commentary on Israel s history, with the exception of a few which are addressed to pagan (non-hebrew) nations. 4. Something very important to keep in mind is that the books of the Old Testament are not in sequential chronological order. While Genesis does record how the Lord created the universe and Malachi is often recognized as the final Old Testament book written, in between there is much overlap and not a little repeat. See final page entitled Chronology of Old Testament Books. IV. The Storyline of the Old Testament 1. Without looking at a Bible, draw a diagram or timeline containing what you see as the main events of the Old Testament:

5 2. There are a number of ways you can summarize the storyline of the Old Testament. You could organize it historically, moving sequentially through the main events in the Old Testament. You could classify it theologically, looking at what doctrines come to the fore. Many arrange the data according to dispensations, highlighting the different eras in the Old Testament. Or you could organize it thematically, tracing out what themes the Old Testament emphasizes. 3. Here we will provide you with two summaries of the Old Testament storyline, one historical and the other theological. a. Historical Summary of the Old Testament: 3 Creation of the universe Fall of Man Flood over the whole earth Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel) Patriarchs Formation of nation of Israel Exile in Egypt 430 years Exodus and wilderness wanderings 40 years Conquest of Canaan 7 years Reign of the Judges 350 years United Kingdom Saul, David, Solomon 110 years Divided Kingdom Judah/Israel 350 years Exile in Babylon 70 years Return and rebuilding of the land 140 years b. Theological Summary of the Old Testament: 4 Creation Garden of Eden God s Rule Unchallenged Fall Driven out of Garden God s Rule Defied Grace God s Rule Being Restored: o Seed of the Woman God s Rule Promised o Abrahamic Covenant God s Rule Revealed o Moses/David/Solomon God s Rule Foreshadowed o Jesus Life, Death, and Resurrection God s Rule Incarnate o Jesus Return & Millennial Reign God s Rule Restored Glory New Heavens and New Earth God s Rule Unchallenged Homework: To maximize your benefit from this series, each week will include a homework assignment for you to apply what we re learning. For next Wednesday (11/12/08): Select a self-contained section of the Old Testament (e.g., a story, a psalm, a proverb, a prophetic oracle, etc.) Record as many observations as you can about this passage. Spend maybe 20 minutes doing this. Then, using the principles of interpretation we discussed in our previous lessons, write a brief summary of what you think the passage is saying. 3 This summary is largely taken from John MacArthur, MacArthur s Quick Reference Guide to the Bible: Student Edition (Nashville: W Publishing, 2001), xi. 4 This outline is borrowed and modified from Graeme Goldsworthy, The Goldsworthy Trilogy (Waynesboro: Paternoster, 2000), 56ff.

6 Application: I. If a Christian claimed that the Old Testament was irrelevant, what reasons would you give to persuade him otherwise? II. Why should the average Christian spend more time reading, studying, and meditating on the Old Testament? III. How would you describe the Old Testament compared to the New? How much time have you spent studying the Old Testament? What percentage of the sermons you ve heard have come from the Old Testament? IV. What are some essential lessons about the Christian life that you have learned from the Old Testament? V. Do you think ordinary people among the Jews at the time of Jesus had a hard time deciding whether to believe Jesus or the Rabbis who disagreed with him? Did Jesus expect them to be able to decide? What source should they have turned to for identifying the true Messiah? What does this fact tell us about this source? VI. Is the God of the Old Testament an angry God? More angry than the God of the New Testament? Explain. VII. Does the Old Testament contain a coherent storyline? If so, what does this story move from and to? What does a coherent storyline tell us about the authors/author of the Old Testament? VIII. What one thing most stood out to you from tonight s lesson and why?

7 Chronology of Old Testament Books 5 Book...Approximate Writing Date... Author Job... Unknown... Anonymous Genesis BC... Moses Exodus BC... Moses Leviticus BC... Moses Numbers BC... Moses Deuteronomy BC... Moses Psalms BC... Multiple Joshua BC... Joshua Judges... ca BC...Samuel Ruth...ca BC...Samuel (?) Song of Songs BC...Solomon Proverbs BC... Primarily Solomon Ecclesiastes BC...Solomon 1 Samuel BC... Anonymous 2 Samuel BC... Anonymous Obadiah BC... Obadiah Joel BC...Joel Jonah...ca. 775 BC...Jonah Amos...ca. 750 BC... Amos Micah BC...Micah Hosea BC... Hosea Isaiah BC...Isaiah Nahum...ca. 650 BC... Nahum Zephaniah BC... Zephaniah Habakkuk BC... Habakkuk Ezekiel BC... Ezekiel Lamentations BC... Jeremiah Jeremiah BC... Jeremiah 1 Kings BC... Anonymous 2 Kings BC... Anonymous Daniel BC... Daniel Haggai...ca. 520 BC... Haggai Zechariah BC... Zechariah Ezra BC... Ezra 1 Chronicles BC...Ezra (?) 2 Chronicles BC...Ezra (?) Esther BC... Anonymous Malachi BC... Malachi Nehemiah BC... Ezra 5 Borrowed from John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville: Word, 1997), xxxi.