OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY 2 CGCM 200

OLD TESTAMENT SURVEY II

THE HISTORICAL BOOKS

INTRODUCTION

As previously mentioned, the Old Testament can be divided into four basic sections with each providing a specific focus with regard to the person to Christ. With Joshua through Esther, we come to the second group of twelve books that deals with the history of the nation of Israel. These books cover the life of the nation from their possession of the land down to the two deportations and loss of the land because of unbelief and disobedience. Covering about 800 years of Israel’s history, these twelve books tell about the conquering and possession of Canaan, the reigns of the judges, the establishment of kings, the division of Israel into the northern and Southern Kingdoms, the fall of the Northern Kingdom to Assyria, the exile of the Southern Kingdom into Babylon, and the return to Jerusalem under the leadership of men like Nehemiah and Ezra.

As these books prepare us for the coming of Christ, the Messiah, they can be seen as follows: Canaanites. Then he calls on them to remember the necessity of their faithfulness or they would be consumed by the Lord.

KEY PEOPLE: Joshua, Rahab, Caleb.

CHRIST AS SEEN IN JOSHUA:

Though there are no direct Messianic prophecies of Christ, there are a number of types which point to the Savior. Joshua is a type of Christ in two very important ways. 

First, his name, Yeshua, a contracted form of Yehoshua, meaning, “Yahweh is salvation,” is the Greek equivalent of the name Jesus. Joshua is actually called by the name Jesus in Acts 7:45. 

Second, Joshua is seen as a type of Christ in his work of leading Israel triumphantly into the rest of their promised possession, the land of Canaan (cf. Heb. 4:8). This is but a foretaste of the rest we enter by faith in Christ. He surely foreshadows the Savior who leads “many sons to glory” (Heb. 2:9-10). Further, Joshua was met by the Commander of the Lord’s army in 5:13-15. This is undoubtedly a Christophany, a preincarnate appearance of Christ who was there to teach Joshua that He had come not to take sides, but to take over as commander. Finally, Rahab’s scarlet cord (2:21) portrays salvation through the blood and death of Christ (cf. Heb. 9:19-22). This Gentile prostitute heard of the mighty works of God, believed, hid the spies, was delivered when Jericho was destroyed, and is found in the genealogy of Christ (Matt. 1:5).

OUTLINE:

I. The Invasion of Canaan (1:1-5:12)

A. The Commissioning of Joshua (1:1-9)

B. The Command of Joshua to the People and Their Response (1:10-18)

C. The Canvassing of Jericho (chap. 2)

D. The Crossing of the Jordan (chap. 3)

E. The Commemoration of the Crossing (chap. 4)

F. The Consecration of the People (chap. 5:-12)

II. The Conquest of Canaan (5:13-12:24)

A. Conditioned for Victory: 

The Divine Commander (5:13-15)

B. The Campaign in the Central Portion (chaps. 6-8)

C. The Campaign in the South (chaps. 9-10)

D. The Campaign in the North (11:1-15)

E. The Review of the Victories (11:16-12:24)

III. The Division of Canaan (chaps. 13-21)

A. The Inheritance for the Two and One-Half Tribes (chap. 13)

B. The Inheritance for Caleb (chap. 14)

C. The Inheritance for the Nine and One-Half Tribes (15:1-19:48)

D. The Inheritance for Joshua (19:49-51)

E. The Cities of Refuge (20:1-9)

F. The Cities for the Levites (21:1-45)

IV. Conclusion (chaps. 22-24)

A. The Dispute About the Altar (chap. 22)

B. The Discourse of Joshua (23:1-24:28)

C. The Death of Joshua (24:29-33)

Like David, Solomon is one of the greatest types in the Old Testament of Christ, portraying Messiah in His future reign on earth. Solomon especially does this as his fame, glory, wealth, and honor all speak of Christ in His earthly kingdom. Solomon also portrays Christ in the great wisdom he demonstrated.

OUTLINE:

First Kings naturally falls into two sections: the united kingdom (1-11) and the divided kingdom (12-22).

I. The United Kingdom: 

The Forty Year Reign of Solomon (1:1-11)

A. Solomon’s Accession (1:1-3:1)

B. Solomon’s Wisdom (3:2-4:34 )

C. Solomon’s Temple (5:1-8:66; cf. 2 Chron. 2:1-7:22)

D. Solomon’s Fame (9:1-10:29; cf. 2 Chron. 8:1-9:28)

E. Solomon’s Decline and Downfall (11:1-43)

II. The Divided Kingdom: 

The First Eighty Years of the Two Kingdoms (12-22)

A. The Cause of Division (12:1-24)

B. The Reign of Jeroboam in Israel (12:25-14:20)

C. The Reign of Rehoboam in Judah (14:21-31)

D. The Reign of Abijam in Judah (15:1-8)

E. The Reign of Asa in Judah (15:9-24)

F. The Reign of Nadab in Israel (15:25-31)

G. The Reign of Baasha in Israel (15:32-16:7)

H. The Reign of Elah in Israel (16:8-14)

I. The Reign of Zimri in Israel (16:15-20)

J. The Reign of Omri in Israel (16:21-28)

K. The Reign of Ahab in Israel (16:29-22:40)

L. The Reign of Jehoshaphat in Judah (22:41-50)

M. The Reign of Ahaziah in Israel (22:51-53)

OUTLINE:

Second Kings also naturally falls into two section. The first section, The Divided Kingdom (1:1-17:41), selectively traces the reign of the kings of both nations until the dispersion of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The second section, The Surviving Kingdom of Judah (18:1-25:30), then traces the reign of the surviving kings of the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

I. The Divided Kingdom (1:1-17:41)

A. The Reign of Ahaziah in Israel (1:1-18 )

B. The Reign of Jehoram (Joram) in Israel (2:1-8:15)

1. The translation of Elijah (2:1-11)

2. The beginning of Elisha’s ministry (2:12-25)

3. Jehoram’s expedition against Moab (3:1-27)

4. Elisha’s ministry (4:1-8:15)

C. The Reign of Joram (Jehoram) in Judah (8:16-24)

D. The Reign of Ahaziah in Judah (8:25-29)

E. The Reign of Jehu in Israel (9:1-10:36)

F. The Reign of Athaliah in Judah (11:1-16)

G. The Reign of Jehoash (Joash) in Judah (11:17-12:21)

H. The Reign of Jehoahaz in Israel (13:1-9)

I. The Reign of Jehoash (Joash) in Israel (13:10-25)

J. The Reign of Amaziah in Judah (14:1-22)

K. The Reign of Jeroboam II in Israel (14:23-29)

L. The Reign of Azariah (Uzziah) in Judah (15:1-7)

M. The Reign of Zechariah in Israel (15:8-12)

N. The Reign of Shallum in Israel (15:13-15)

O. The Reign of Menahem in Israel (15:16-22)

P. The Reign of Pekahiah in Israel (15:23-26)

Q. The Reign of Pekah in Israel (15:27-31)

R. The Reign of Jotham in Judah (15:32-38)

S. The Reign of Ahaz in Judah (16:1-20)

T. The Reign of Hoshea in Israel (17:1-41)

1. Israel’s Defeat (17:1-6 )

2. Israel’s Sins (17:7-23)

3. Israel’s Dispersion (17:24-41)

II. The Surviving Kingdom of Judah (18:1-25:30)

A. The Reign of Hezekiah (18:1-20:21)

B. The Reign of Manasseh (21:1-18)

C. The Reign of Amon (21:19-26)

D. The Reign of Josiah (22:1-23:30)

E. The Reign of Jehoahaz (2 Chron. 36:1-4) (23:31-33)

F. The Reign of Jehoiakim (23:34-24:7)

G. The Reign of Jehoiachin (24:8-16)

H. The Reign of Zedekiah (24:17-25:21)

1. Rebellion against Babylon and destruction of the Temple (24:17-25:10)

2. Third deportation to Babylon (25:11-21)

I. The Governorship of Gedaliah, a Puppet Governor (25:22-26)

J. The Release of Jehoiachin in Babylon (25:27-30)

I. The Restoration; 

The First Return to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel (1-6)

A. The Decree of Cyrus (1:1-11)

B. The Census of the People (2:1-70)

C. The Construction of the Temple Begun (3:1-13)

D. The Opposition (4:1-24)

E. The Construction Renewed (5:1-6:12)

F. The Temple Completed (6:13-22)

II. The Reformation of the People; the Return Under Ezra (7:1-10:44)

A. The Return to Jerusalem (7:1-8:36)

B. The Revival of Jerusalem (9:1-10:44)

I. The Danger to the Jews (1:1-3:15)

A. The Choice of Esther as Queen in Place of Vashti (1:1-2:23)

B. The Conspiracy of Haman Against the Jews (3:1-15)

II. The Deliverance of the Jews (4:1-10:3)

A. The Decision of Esther for the Jews (4:1-5:14)

B. The Defeat of Haman (6:1-7:10)

C. The Decree of King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) and Mordecai (8:1-17)

D. The Defeat Over the Enemies of the Jews (9:1-19)

E. The Days of the Feast of Purim (9:20-32)

F. The Declaration of Mordecai’s Fame and Exaltation at Court (10:1-3)

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