Step by Step Thru the Old Testament Week 1 Introduction Step by Step Thru the Old Testament Discipleship University The heights baptist church Chris Besser me@cjbess.com

Introduction A little about me… A little about you (what do you want to get out of this class?) Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Revelation – How Does God Reveal Himself? General Revelation God is revealed through His creation to everyone Psalm 19:1-6 1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of His hands. 2 Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge. 3 There is no speech; there are no words; their voice is not heard. 4 Their message has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a groom coming from the bridal chamber; it rejoices like an athlete running a course. 6 It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat. Romans 1:19-20 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse. Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Revelation – How Does God Reveal Himself? Special Revelation God is revealed through special (miraculous) means to certain people Dreams, Visions, Theophanies, Angels… JESUS CHRIST THE BIBLE “So the Bible, then is both the record of aspects of special revelation and revelation itself” - Charles Ryrie Spring 2018 – Old Testament

The Bible – Old Testament Pentateuch (law) – 5 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy Historical – 12 Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther Wisdom (poetry) – 5 Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon Major Prophets – 5 Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel Minor Prophets – 12 Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Major Epics Creation and Fall Abraham and Sons Moses and Exodus Joshua and Conquest Judges (cycles) David and Sons Divided Kingdom Fall of Kingdoms Return and Rebuilding Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Timeline Spring 2018 – Old Testament Courtesy of Stuart Houghton https://stuarthoughton.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/an-old-testament-timeline/ Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Canon Canon - From a Semitic word meaning reed, which yielded the figurative sense of a measuring rod or ruler It refers to those writings, because of their divine and prophetic origins, that are esteemed as the rule or standard for the Christian faith God Created the Canon of Scripture Man Recognized It Not the Other Way Around Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Canon - OT God, Himself, started the canon with the first writing Exodus 31:18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. God, Himself, started the canon with the first writing Moses added writings Exodus 34:27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Canon - OT Joshua added writings Other prophets added writings And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the Lord. Joshua added writings Other prophets added writings Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord God does nothing Unless He reveals His secret counsel To His servants the prophets.. Spring 2018 – Old Testament

Canon – “Intermission” The book of Malachi completes the OT around 435 BC The “Silence of the Heavens” No more prophets 1 Maccabees 9:27 (~160 BC) It was a time of great trouble for Israel, worse than anything that had happened to them since the time prophets ceased to appear among them. Fall 2017 - Doctrine

Principles to Interpret Scripture Determine the kind of literature Determine the context Determine the historical situation Determine grammatical meaning Determine you own spiritual condition Spring 2018 – Old Testament