1. 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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Timeline Spring 2018 – Old Testament Courtesy of Stuart Houghton
Spring 2018 – Old Testament

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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 Doctrine

12. 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