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Sermon Outline

30 Days to Understanding the Bible by M. Anders


THE OLD TESTAMENT
It is easy to be confused when you read the Old Testament. 

We like to read a book front to back and we usually find it in chronological order.

The Old Testament is ordered by literary type much like a library.

What happened through Jesus is a renewal and fulfillment of what we call the Old Testament.


Sections of The Old Testament 
The three primary sections of Old Testament:

  1. Law (Torah): 5 books of Moses
  2. Prophets (Nevi’im): beginning with Joshua
  3. Writings (Ketuvim): Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Ruth, Chronicles, Kings



Eras of The Old Testament 
Creation: Genesis 1-11

  • Summary: God creates the world and Adam, but Adam sins and destroys original plan & design.
  • Key events: creation, fall, flood, Tower of Babel
  • Key person: Adam

Patriarch: Genesis 12-50

  • Summary: God chooses Abraham to “father” a people to represent God to the world and unfold God’s story of redemption.
  • Key people: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

Exodus: Exodus – Deuteronomy 

  • Summary: Through Moses, God delivers the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt and gives them the law.
  • Key events: deliverance, the law, 40 years of wandering
  • Three kinds of laws in the Old Testament.
  1. Ceremonial Law: related to priesthood, sacrifices, temple and cleanliness, fulfilled by Jesus, no longer binding to us
  2. Civil Law: At this time, we are not a theocracy. 
  3. Moral Law: Things like sexuality, stealing, & lying. These are still binding as we love our brothers. Jesus in His teaching reinforces all the Ten Commandments except one, the Sabbath.

Conquest: Joshua

  • Summary: Joshua leads the conquest of the Promised Land.
  • Key events: crossing the Jordan, defeating Jericho, conquest of Canaan, finalizing dominion
    Remember, much of the Old Testament is a type of God’s work in our lives as believers.

Judges: Judges – Ruth

  • Summary: The judges were chosen to govern the people for 400 rebellious years. The end of Judges defines sin. “Every man did what was right in his own sight.”
  • Key subjects: Judges, leaders of Israel, rebellion, cycles of sin, discipline, repentance, deliverance, freedom.
  • Key person: Ruth - a model woman, follower of God

Kingdom: 1 Samuel - 2 Chronicles

  • David, the greatest King in the new monarchy, is followed by a succession of mostly unrighteous kings. God eventually judges Israel for her sin, sending the people into exile.
  • Key periods: united kingdom (1 & 2 Samuel), divided kingdom (1 Kings), northern kingdom (2 Kings), southern kingdom (2 Kings)

Exile: Ezekiel - Daniel

  • Summary: Daniel gives leadership and encourages faithfulness among the exiles for the next 70 years.
  • Key divisions: prophecy (Jeremiah), prophets (Ezekiel and Daniel), exiles, power change.

Return: Ezra - Esther 

  • Summary: Ezra & Nehemiah lead the people back from exile to rebuild Jerusalem.
  • Key subjects: disrepair (Nehemiah 1-3), temple rebuilding (Ezra 1-6), people (spiritual rebuilding; Ezra 7-10), walls (restoration complete, Nehemiah 4-13)

Silence: Between the Testaments 

  • Summary: No new prophetical speaking from God for 400 years. Jewish scriptures are completed and canonized. Pharisees and other religious groups enslave the Israelites in legalism.
  • Key subjects: changing guard (from Persian rule to Greek rule to Roman rule), political sects, religious sects, Messianic hope



Where Other Books Fit In
Poetry & Wisdom

  • Job was written sometime during the history of Genesis.
  • Psalms was written during the time of 1 Chronicles and 2 Samuel.
  • Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon were written during the times of 2 Chronicles and 1 Kings
  • Esther was written during the time of Ezra

Prophetical

  • During the time of 2 Kings and the divided kingdom
  1. To Israel: Hosea and Amos
  2. To Judah: Habakkuk, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Micah, Zephaniah and Lamentations
  3. To Assyria: Jonah and Nahum
  4. To Edom: Obadiah
  • During exile
    1. Ezekiel
    2. Daniel
  • During rebuilding
    1. Haggai
    2. Zechariah
    3. Malachi


Understanding the Bible:
1. What do we learn about God?

2. What do we learn about people?

3. What do we learn about relating to God?

4. What do we learn about relating to others?


Applying the Bible:
1. What does God want me to understand?

2. What does God want me to believe?

3. What does God want me to desire?

4. What does God want me to do?


Notes
Bible
Old Testament Chart