Posts with the tag “old-testament”

Some of the most well-known Bible stories and often-discussed Bible prophecies come from this Old Testament (OT) book. But what is the purpose of this book? Why were these stories and prophecies given...  Read More

Of the four major prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel – Ezekiel may seem like the most unfamiliar and elusive. In reality, however, it may be one of the most familiar, since a large amoun...  Read More

Jeremiah is the longest prophetic book in the Bible and the second longest book in all of Scripture, behind only Psalms. What is the purpose for this outsized prophetic record?Background InformationJe...  Read More

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Like the Song of Solomon, Lamentations is uncomfortable to read, but it is uncomfortable for a very different reason. Whereas Song of Solomon is awkward and uncomfortable due to its openly romantic ma...  Read More

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Ecclesiastes is a fascinating entry in the Old Testament (OT) wisdom literature. It has solicited a variety of impressions, some interpreting the book as presenting a disenchanted, existential, and me...  Read More

Proverbs stands out as the primary collection of wisdom literature in the Bible. To be sure, all Scripture provides wisdom, but by “wisdom” here we refer to a specific kind of Hebrew poetry called “wi...  Read More

Psalms may be the most familiar, well-known book in the Bible. It is the largest book in the Bible, features the shortest (Ch. 117) and longest (Ch. 119) chapters in the Bible, and is quoted more time...  Read More

Historical SettingThe events of this book occur in patriarchal times, which is that period during or near the lifetime of Abraham. We conclude this in because of Job’s lifespan (42:16), how he offered...  Read More

IntroductionThough we don’t say it in words, we often live as though the details of our lives are guided by fate rather than God. We expect God’s involvement at church, when we read the Bible and pray...  Read More

Do you ever get your hopes up, only to be disappointed again and again? In the U.S., we get our hopes up every four years for a President who will finally solve our nation’s problems. Every year we ge...  Read More

As with Samuel and Kings, though Chronicles appears as two books in our English Old Testaments, it was originally given as one unified book in Hebrew. Like these books, it gives detailed historical in...  Read More

Like the book of Samuel, Kings was written as one complete book (though our English Bible divides it into two). It provides a continuation of Israel’s history from the end of David’s reign to the midd...  Read More

In our English Bibles, the Old Testament (OT) features a special six-book series: 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, and 1-2 Chronicles. These are actually three books in the Hebrew Bible: Samuel, Kings, and Chro...  Read More

A Series of Unfortunate EventsDoes the story of your life ever feel more like a tragedy than a triumph? Like a nightmare instead of a happy-ever-after? The book of Ruth begins this way – with a series...  Read More

IntroductionHave you ever had one of those days that went from bad to worse? The book of Judges feels like one of those days, only it describes far more than one day! This period probably lasted from ...  Read More

BackgroundThe book of Joshua serves as the sequel to the first five books written by Moses called the Torah (or “Law”). It serves as a climax to all that Moses had written.Joshua also begins a new Old...  Read More

BackgroundSometimes we believe the mistaken idea that generations just gradually decline, that the next generation will automatically be less spiritual or godly that the last. The book of Deuteronomy ...  Read More

Two Names for the BookTwo names describe this fourth book of Moses. The Hebrew name is “In the Wilderness.” This name fits because the book describes the experiences of Israel as they journeyed from S...  Read More

IntroductionCan you guess which Old Testament (OT) book Jewish children studied first in the synagogue? The answer is Leviticus.Unfortunately this is not the case for believers today. If anything, we ...  Read More

Exodus means exit or escape. The Old Testament (OT) book by this title gives the record of how God caused Israel to escape from oppression in Egypt. This book is more than history though because it is...  Read More

Scripture was provided for us by God through inspiration. (1 Tim 3:16) The words themselves carried a “God-breathed” quality.God provided his inspired words to us through prophets. (2 Pet 1:20-21)OT –...  Read More