INTRODUCTION

The above graphic index to section four of this Web site shows the six main divisions under which we will now examine the whole Bible.  Unlike the more traditional ways of classifying the parts of the Bible, this index sets out all the Scriptures in function of the Messiah, or Christ.  The Hebrew Scriptures, symbolized by the white cubes, show the need for the freedom he would bring, raise the hope which he alone satisfies and show the preparation of the Jewish people for his coming.  Symbolized in yellow, the Greek Scriptures, at their first level feature writings by nine eye witnesses of his coming, on the next level present documents which further define the scope of his salvation and on the highest level illustrate the practical moral implications of his lordship.

Each of the lower case letters (a to r) represents a group of three or five Bible Books, found under a subtitle, to which it serves as an index.

LEVEL 1

FREEDOM FORFEITED

a) The Five Books of the Law of Moses

GENESIS

Adam and Eve, when first created, had everything needful, including a healthy occupation, caring for the garden. Above all, they knew God, their Creator, and had fellowship with him. They could have lived forever, as is signified by their access to the "tree of life". However, they disobeyed their Creator and lost all. Fear and guilt replaced the knowledge of God, the woman came under the domination of the man, they were expelled from their ideal environment, thorns and thistles took over the land and, more importantly, they became subject to spiritual and physical death.

The story also clearly implies that all the descendants of the first human couple were subject to the same separation from God and its consequences.  Their first child, Cain, became the murderer of his brother.  Abel too was a sinner, as seen in his offering of the firstlings of his flock, bloody sacrifices to atone for sin (Lev 17:11).  The sin of all the human race increased to such an extent that that God was obliged to send the flood to destroy them.  Although Noah "found grace" (Gen 6:8), he too was a sinner, for grace means undeserved favour.  The flood, the confusion of Babel and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were all made necessary by the same sinful nature of mankind.  However, God promised never again to destroy humanity with a flood, even though "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" (Gen 8:21).

In the lives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we see God preparing his remedy for the pitiful plight of mankind.  The blessing of all nations was to come through their descendants (Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4).  Abraham means "father of a multitude", the name he received because he was to become the father, not just of a nation, but of a multitude of nations (Gen 17:4,5).  Jacob and his eleven sons were preserved during a seven year famine by moving to Egypt, where the formerly despised brother, Joseph, had become the intendant of Pharaoh.  There they multiplied and became a nation.

EXODUS

The sojourn of the Israelites in Egypt led to the supreme manifestation of God's power for the nation, at the Exodus, their going out from slavery.  By the ten plagues inflicted on Egypt, by the opening of the Red sea to let them pass, by the glorious manifestation of God on Mount Sinai in Arabia with his dictation of the Ten Commandments, and by the provision of daily manna, God definitively proved to his people his power and loving providence.  He offered to make them his special treasure above all nations, if they obeyed him, a promise later extended to the Church (1Pe 2:9).

Unhappily, even after all these miracles, the people chose to doubt and disobey, worshipping a golden calf.  By Moses' intercession they were spared from destruction.  A large part of the Book of Exodus describes the construction of a tent, the tabernacle, in which God was to dwell among them, and the consecration of a priesthood, the sons of Aaron, to serve and offer sacrifices.  When all things were finally put in order, the glory of the Lord, which had previously led the people as a cloud by day and a fiery pillar by night, filled the tent.

LEVITICUS

During the time of all the Book of Leviticus, the people of Israel remained at the same place, before mount Sinai, receiving God's instructions for living a holy life.  God said, "You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy" (Lev 19:2). Leviticus contains laws of purity, holiness and cleanliness. Many of the laws and ordinances were only ritual shadows of holiness, to be replaced by the true sanctification which was to come with Christ (Col  2:16,17). They were none the less then very obligatory, as is seen in the death of the priests, Nadab and Abihu, who got drunk and made unauthorized offerings. Their importance is partly because the principles they manifested would later operate in the spiritual realm, as explained in the Epistle to the Hebrews.

On the other hand many of those moral and spiritual laws and principles, as opposed to ritual, are still absolutely valid, especially the one found in chapter nineteen, a form of the golden rule, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself!"  This commandment is often reiterated in the New Testament.

NUMBERS

In Numbers, Israel refused to enter the promised land, and so was obliged to wander in the desert for forty years, until all those who had rejected God's orders had died. The Book contains two numberings of the people, one before the forty years and one afterwards. There were 603,550 who were counted the first time (1:46) and 601,730 the second time (26:51), showing that their increase had halted.

Israel's guilt was compounded by the fact that they had seen God do so many unmistakable miracles for them, in delivering them from Egypt and bringing them through the desert. They tested God, demanding miracles ten times and getting them (Num 14:22), but then refusing to adopt an attitude of faith when called on to invade Canaan. Moses became angry with them and failed to follow God's instructions exactly and so could not enter Canaan.  Joshua and Caleb, who remained faithful, were told they would enter, along with the younger generation.  The conquest of Trans-Jordan was a sign to the new generation that God would be with them in the conquest of Canaan (21:21-35).  God caused Balaam, hired to curse the people, to utter blessings.

DEUTERONOMY

The word means Second Law, and this Book contains a covenant more suitable for the occupation of Canaan than was the Covenant of Sinai (Deut.  1:4).  God, through Moses, reminds the people of all He has done for them.  Moses tells them: "From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord" (Deut 9:7b).  Although they had outwardly seen the things God had done for them, their spiritual eyes and ears had never been opened.  In fact, Moses said that in the future also they would disobey and be punished (31:27b, 29).  God would, finally, "in the latter days", convert them (4:30; 30:1-6; 32:36) using three means:

1.  He would give them tribulation and send them into exile (4:25-31; 28:15-68);

2.  He would send them a prophet like Moses, whom they must obey or be judged (18:14-22; Acts 3:22-26).  Jesus, we believe, was that final legislator (Matt 5).

3.  A third instrument to be used to lead Israel to repent would be "a people which is no people" (32:21), to make Israel jealous.  Paul saw in this promise Christ's Church, made up of both Jews and Gentiles (Rom.10:19,20; 11:11-15,25,26).

b) Books recounting events before David's reign

JOSHUA

Joshua 11:23 summarises the Book as consisting of two accomplishments of Joshua.  First, he enabled Israel to conquer the land promised to them by God; secondly he distributed it to them as an inheritance.  Each action occupies 12 chapters.  Joshua's name is the Hebrew form of the name Jesus.  He pictures Jesus, who will also lead his people to final victory and give them the resulting inheritance (Rev 21:1,7).  However, Joshua's victory over the idolatrous Canaanites was violent while that of Jesus is peaceful and primarily by persuasion.

Joshua had been a servant of Moses for a long time before becoming the leader (Ex 33:11).  He had learned that nothing can be accomplished without prayer (Ex 17:8-16).  He loved to be in the presence of God (Ex 33:11) and faithfully did the little things before receiving the privilege of doing great things (Lk 16:10).

The people of Israel themselves were still prone to idolatry, and Joshua foresaw that they would not be able to fulfil their part of the covenant with God, by which they inherited the land (Josh 24:18-24).  The whole Old Testament period was meant to prove to Israel the impossibility of living a spiritual life without Christ (Jn 15:5).

JUDGES

The Book may be divided into three parts, each illustrating Israel's failure:

1.  In chapter 1, some of the tribes fail to conquer all the territory allotted to them.

2.  Chapters 2 to 16 tell of many cycles of sin, punishment, repentance and deliverance, which characterized the period. First Israel abandoned God and turned to idols. God then punished them by invasions by surrounding nations who either plundered them or completely reduced them to slavery, as did the Philistines. When, in their misery, they cried out to God, he answered their prayers and sent them judges, Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon and Samson, who delivered them from their enemies. However, at the death of each judge, they again returned to idolatry.

3.  In chapters 17 to 21 we see how the land degenerated into moral corruption, false worship and civil war. The tribe of Benjamin was almost destroyed. "Everyone did as he saw fit" (21:25). The people began to long for a king to bring peace and order.

RUTH

Ruth was a Moabite woman in the time of the Judges (1:1). She married Boaz, the great-grandfather of David, and thus became a Gentile ancestor of Jesus.

Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, had taken refuge in Moab, with her husband and two sons because of a famine in Israel. Her husband and two sons died, leaving her with only her two daughters-in-law. She returned to Israel taking Ruth, who began to glean grain for them in the fields of Boaz.

Boaz inquired who she was when he saw her in his fields, and learned of her faithfulness to her mother-in-law and of her willing integration into God's people.  He assured her safety and complimented her for her kindness to Naomi, who was a distant relative of his.  Through Naomi's clever scheming he was brought to realize his responsibility, under the law of Moses, to marry her, as the widow of a near relative.

JOB

Although he was a godly man, Job was not a descendant of Jacob, by whom God's promises were transmitted.  He may, however, have been an Edomite and thus a descendant of Abraham by Esau, since he was an inhabitant of Uz (Job 1:1), a land which is identified with Edom (Lam  4:21).  Although the Book of Job is largely poetic, the Apostle James assures us that Job was not a fictitious character (Jas 5:11).

The Book tells us that Satan tried to get Job to sin, to prove that no one would serve God with disinterested motives.  He obtained permission from God to test him, by taking away all his many possessions, his children and his health.  Job at first stood up well to the sufferings, but he poured out before God the expression of all his misery.  Three of his "friends" came and tried to convince him he deserved to suffer, because he had sinned.  Job defended himself and accused God of afflicting him without reason.

A young man appears, named Elihu.  It seems, for the following reasons, that Elihu was a sort of mediator, brought in to show that a suffering, estranged believer has need of a go-between who is also human, in his relationship with a holy, inscrutable God:

1.  Elihu describes himself as a man like Job, representing God, (33:5,6), such as Job had wanted (9:32,33), with whom discussion and counsel is possible.

2.  He professes to be formed by God and inspired by God (32:8-10,18-22) and nothing in the story indicates the contrary (38:1,2 speaks of Job not Elihu).

3.  Elihu's final message is that God is beyond our reach, but that men should trust Him (37:23,24).  God immediately speaks in a storm, at the end of the speech, so it seems that Elihu announced his coming (37:2-5,22,23; 38:1).  God then proves His power and wisdom with examples from nature, in chapters 38 - 41.  Job repents of his self-righteousness.

FIRST SAMUEL

In this Book Samuel, the last of the Judges, successively anoints two men to be king.  We have not classified this Book with the dynasty of David, because in it David, although anointed, does not yet replace the disobedient Saul.  In fact Saul, after recognizing David for his victory over Goliath, tries, in his jealousy, to kill him.  He chases David and his little band, who are eventually obliged to go and live among the Philistines. David thus becomes a picture of Christ, rejected in the present age, along with His few true followers.

The importance of Samuel himself is underlined in this Book by the space given to him, and also to his mother Hanna, who asks for him from God and then, while he is still a young child, gives him up to serve in the tabernacle, under Eli, the priest. She prophesies about God's future judgment of the earth, how he delivers of the humble, and his future deputation of his power to his Anointed one, or Christ (1Sam 2:10).

The First Book of Samuel illustrates how God delivers the humble. Because of the sins of the sons of Eli, Israel is conquered by the Philistines, who even capture the ark of God, the centre of worship in the tabernacle. However, when Samuel grows up, Israel is delivered by his prayers, and by the victories given to their new king Saul and his son Jonathan. Finally, however, because of the apostasy of Saul, the Philistines prevail, a great slaughter of Israelites takes place and the time is ripe for a more authoritarian system to replace the Judges and Saul, the Davidic dynasty.

c) Books describing David's reign and dynasty

2 SAMUEL

In the first four chapters of 2 Samuel, David establishes his reign over Judah, his own tribe. In chapter five, he becomes king of all Israel and immediately captures the fortress of Zion from the Jebusites and makes it his capital. He defeats the Philistines who immediately attack him and brings the ark to Jerusalem, putting it in a tent. He conquers all his enemies, the Moabites, the Arameans, the king of Zobah by the Euphrates river, Edom, the Ammonites and the Amalakites.

After David had put the ark in a tent, he suddenly realized how incongruous it was that he lived in a palace of cedar while God's sanctuary was a fragile tent.  However, the prophet Nathan informed David that God had never wanted an earthly dwelling made of cedar, but that rather he planned to build for David an everlasting dynasty.  David's ruling descendant would be treated as God's own son (7:14).  If however, he did wrong, men would be allowed to afflict him, as sons are disciplined.  The temple David wanted to build for God would be built by one of his sons.

Afterwards, David sinned greatly, committing adultery with the wife of one of his faithful warriors, whose death he secretly arranged.  As a result he always had trouble in his own family.  One of his sons violated his half sister and was murdered by her brother, Absolom.  The latter revolted against his father, chasing him from Jerusalem, but was later defeated and killed.

1 CHRONICLES

The first 9 chapters of First Chronicles contain genealogies from  Adam to the return from Babylon (9:1,2), for the Book was compiled, from various sources, some of which are named, long after the time when Israel had its own kings.  Chapter ten recounts the death of Saul.  The remaining chapters, like Second Samuel, cover the period of the reign of David, giving information not found in that Book, such as the exploits of more of David's mighty warriors, his preparations for the temple and the making of his son Solomon king with him before his death.

Since this Book was written very late, in the time of the second temple, it fondly looks back to David's preparations for the first temple and its worship.  It reiterates the promise of the coming of a son of David, but applies it, not to Solomon, for he was long dead, but to the eternally reigning, final King who would come and build God's house (17:11-14).  The Book of Hebrews says that it was Christ who was to build God's house, and that believers now form that house (3:3-6).

Both 1 and 2 Chronicles differ from 1 and 2 Kings by omitting or adding much material.  Added in Chronicles are: Shishak's invasion of Rehoboam, the Ethiopians' attack on Asa, the enterprises of Uzziah, the repentance of Manasseh and the great Passover of Josiah as well as further information about warnings from prophets.  Omitted are many negative things which would not have encouraged those who had returned from exile: the crimes of David, Amnon, Absalom, Adonijah, and Solomon.  The schismatic Northern Kingdom is mentioned only where its history touched that of Judah.  The Assyrians destroyed it, as the Babylonians later did to Judah.

1 KINGS

Half of this Book treats the reign of Solomon, recording facts about his sins and enemies not found in the shorter, parallel account of his reign in 2 Chronicles. He married the daughter of Pharaoh and took many wives from the royal families of other surrounding kingdoms. This was no doubt politically astute, but his loves and ambition corrupted his divinely given wisdom and led him into idolatry.

1 Kings then recounts the revolt and the reign of Jeroboam, whom God permitted to tear away ten of the tribes from Solomon's son Rehoboam and to establish Israel as a separate kingdom, setting up his own two idolatrous shrines to replace worship at Jerusalem. In Israel, all succeeding kings were also unfaithful, and one dynasty supplanted another. Omri built Samaria, as the new capital of the kingdom. The kingdom of Judah, however, had two faithful kings at this time, Asa and Jehosaphat.

The most notorious king of Israel was Ahab, son of Omri.  God sent the prophet Elijah to predict a great drought and subsequently to challenge the false prophets of Ahab and of his Sidonian wife Jezabel to a contest against Jahveh, God of Israel.  Their gods did not answer them, but when Elijah prayed, fire fell to consume his sacrifice.  Fearing Jezabel he fled to Mount Sinai.  God then sent him to anoint Elisha to replace him.

2 KINGS

Elisha, after asking for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, saw his master carried up in a chariot of fire.  He subsequently performed twice as many recorded miracles as Elijah, miracles mostly of a beneficial rather than punitive nature.

God chose Jehu to destroy Ahab's family and the religion of Baal in Israel, and as a result his dynasty reigned for 4 generations.  However he did not abandon Jeroboam's idol sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan, (10:30,31) and went too far in his slaughter of  the worshippers of Baal.  Therefore his dynasty too ended (Hosea 1:4).

The Assyrians deported the Israelites of Trans-Jordan (2Kngs 15:29) and later destroyed Samaria, ending the schismatic kingdom in 721 B.C.  (2Kngs 17:1-23).  They then brought in other subject peoples to occupy vacated land (2Kngs 17:24-41).

The rest of Second Kings therefore concerns only the kingdom of Judah.  It partly parallels Second Chronicles and chapters 36 to 39 of Isaiah.

2 CHRONICLES

This book, like 1 Chronicles, was written in the interest of the kingdom of Judah rather than of Israel.  David's lineage was preserved, although, more than once, all the heirs to David's throne but one were assassinated (2Chron 21:4,17; 22:10,11).  It begins with the end of David's life and the reign of Solomon and, as we have said, puts Solomon in a more favourable light than does First Kings, not mentioning his dangerous rivals and his sins.

From 10:1 to 36:23 the Book gives a positive commentary on the history of the kings of Judah.  It terminates with the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians, followed by the later edict of Cyrus, which permitted a small group to return from Babylon to rebuild the temple.  This is in line with the purpose of the Book, which seeks to glorify the first temple and its worship, in order to incite zeal for, and give prestige to, the second.

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