The Old Testament
The books of our English Old Testament are grouped into: the law, also known as the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy), history (Joshua to Esther), poetry (Job to the Song of Solomon), and the prophets (Isaiah to Malachi). The books in each division have been organized by man, broadly speaking, chronologically. God, however, is not constrained by time, and He sometimes chooses to present things in a moral order. This is true of Judges and it is also true of at least two of the Gospels. Within the Old Testament we find common principles that form a thread throughout all of Scripture.
A brief summary of the whole may be given. Beginning with Adam, we have man’s history up until the time of the antediluvian fathers and the flood. Following the flood we read of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel) and his twelve sons. Genesis ends with the children of Israel in Egypt. Then comes the exodus from Egypt under Moses which is followed by the conquest of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. The time of the Judges follows; this in turn gives way to the establishment of the kingdom, first under Saul and then according to God’s purpose in David and Solomon. With the dividing of the kingdom during the reign of Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, the histories of Israel (the northern ten tribes) and Judah run parallel. Israel’s history concludes with their captivity under the Assyrians. The kingdom of Judah continued for one hundred and fifty years after Israel’s captivity but ultimately ended with her exile in Babylon. In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah we have the return of a remnant from Babylon to Palestine. The book of Esther, meanwhile, tells of God’s providential care for the Jewish people during their captivity.
Overlaying this historic framework we can place the poetic books and the prophets. An exact date for Job cannot be given, but it predates the law — in fact, it probably comes between the flood and the call of Abraham. The remaining poetic books are intimately connected with David and Solomon. Of the one hundred and fifty Psalms, seventy four are directly attributed to David; twelve are from the pen of Asaph, a contemporary of David and a leader among the singers (1 Chron. 15:17). Thirty four psalms give no author — some of these may also have been written by David. The Proverbs are largely, though not exclusively, the writings of Solomon; Solomon is also the author of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs.
The prophets began their ministry during the reign of the kings and continued into the post-captivity period. Among the Minor Prophets we find the earliest prophetic books: Jonah, Joel, Hosea, and Amos. The Major Prophets are ordered chronologically with Isaiah prophesying during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah — making him a contemporary of Hosea, Amos, and Micah. Jeremiah prophesied during the final days of the Kingdom of Judah, as did Habakkuk and Zephaniah. Ezekiel is found among the captives whereas Daniel prophesied in the courts of Babylon and Persia. Obadiah’s prophecy comes after Judah’s captivity. Jonah and Nahum are both occupied with Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria; Nahum prophesied some hundred and fifty years after Jonah. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi are post-captivity prophets. When reading the prophets, it is important to recognize whether they were sent to Israel, Judah, or both nations. Also, keep in mind that we have been speaking of the prophetic books. There were other prophets besides these authors. Samuel, Elijah, and Elisha immediately come to mind; their lives may be found interwoven throughout the history of the Kings.
Perhaps the question has been asked: Why worry about dates and chronologies, or the rise and fall of this kingdom or that? Hopefully, however, one is beginning to see the larger picture. The Old Testament scriptures give us a single, cohesive revelation concerning the God of heaven on the one hand, and His ways with men on the other, all pointing to, and leading up to, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Genesis – Exodus
The book of Genesis covers a period of more than two thousand years, a span of time greater than all the rest of Scripture. Given the breadth of time covered, the details are sparse. God has given us just what we need to know and no more. In it, however, He develops key principles. Truly, in Genesis we have the foundation for the remainder of Scripture. In fact, we find all the great principles of God’s relationship with man without bringing in redemption — for that, we must wait until Exodus.
With the Adamic creation, the scene is set; man’s place in it and his relationship to the Creator God has been established. Adam and Eve enjoyed their earthly paradise in the absence of evil and in the presence of God. One thing was asked of them, and that not because it was evil; they were forbidden to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil — it was purely a question of obedience. The eating of the forbidden fruit is not an allegorical reference to some moral evil; to suppose this is to miss the point entirely. Adam transgressed in this one command and in so doing, man acquired a conscience. With a sense of shame awakened in them, Adam and Eve covered their nakedness with fig leaves. In the presence of God, however, the total inadequacy of their covering was keenly felt and they attempted to hide. It was God Himself who, in His sovereign grace, provided a covering suited to their condition; it necessitated, however, the death of an animal.
Judicially driven from the garden and the presence of God, they found themselves subject to the miseries of a new world. Shut out from the tree of life, the prospect of death alone lay before them. Man was no longer in that relationship in which God had formed him to be with Himself; he was in sin. One without Christ today is yet in this condition.
God did not leave man, however, in hopelessness. There was a promise given: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel” (Gen. 3:15). The Seed of the woman, in being trodden down, would crush the power of the Enemy. Until that time, however, man’s approach to God would rest upon the sacrifice. A sacrifice, however, could not be the product of man’s labor — no, this would never do; toil was the fruit of man’s sin. It must be that which God alone could provide — the life of another as represented in the shed blood (Lev. 17:11).
By faith Abel offered the firstborn of his flock, and in so doing he found favor in God’s sight: “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous” (Heb. 11:4). Abel’s sacrifice was not in response to a specific sin; it was a sacrifice suited to his state before God. It was not a question of “What is this that thou hast done?” (Gen. 3:13), but rather, “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3:9). Man is ready to protest his innocence as to the first, but he avoids the second question altogether. Abel was at a distance from God and he felt it; the only way to approach God was through the offering up of those lambs. The sacrifices were a necessary thing and reflective of man’s state. It was not that God delighted in the slaughter of animals — to suppose so is to altogether misunderstand God. In that the sacrifice pointed to and prefigured Christ, God saw value in the shed blood and in the life given. A sacrifice made without faith was of no value to the offerer and was repugnant to God (1 Sam. 15:22; Prov. 15:88The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. (Proverbs 15:8); Isa. 66:3; Hos. 6:6, etc.).
Cain offered the fruit of a cursed earth — the labor of his own hands. In this God took no pleasure. The same approach is taken today; man recommends himself to God through his own merits. There is no thought of sin, neither is there any consideration as to what sin means in God’s sight. When God rejects his works, man responds with the same self-righteous indignation and anger as did Cain. We can be left in no doubt as to the condition of Cain’s heart; the evil in it was fully expressed when he murdered his brother. Likewise, the whole of mankind is indicted at the cross for their complicity in the murder of the Lord Jesus.
Despite knowing good and evil, Cain’s descendants continued in a path of willful independence from God. They pursued happiness and immortality apart from God in a world marked by violence and corruption (Gen. 4:16-24). In short, with Cain we find the origins of the world system as we know it. It is a system that seeks to provide for every need of man — spirit, soul, and body — but quite apart from God. Cain’s descendants made advances in the arts and technology, but there was no reformation — nor has there ever been nor can there ever be. Instead, man sank deeper into bloodshed and debauchery until the imagination of his every thought was evil. “Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually . ... The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” (Gen. 6:5, 11). With God excluded from their thoughts, great men of renown became the super-heroes of that day (Gen. 6:4). We can see the same thing in our present world with its adulation of sports and entertainment superstars. The parallels don’t end there; we are reminded daily of the violence that surrounds us, and the abandonment of every moral principle established by God is not only openly flaunted but is also protected by the courts. “As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be” (Luke 17:26).
With Seth, on the other hand, we have a man after God’s own counsel; in type he prefigures the Lord Jesus Christ. In the midst of an evil world, a faithful lineage is to be found from Adam, through Seth, to Enoch, and on down to Noah. The Genesis record of Enoch is limited: “Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years ... and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him” (Gen. 5:22-24). But if we turn to the book of Jude, the Spirit of God gives us Enoch’s announcement concerning the coming of Christ in judgment upon this world (Jude 14-15). In Enoch we have pictured those saints of God who will be spared that terrible trial which will come upon this world; they are a heavenly company (Rev. 3:10; Rev. 4:1). Noah, on the other hand, prefigures an earthly remnant who will be preserved in the midst of judgment to inhabit a new world.
Of that vast throng, who populated the world immediately prior to the flood, only one is identified as having found favor in the eyes of God — Noah. “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God” (Gen. 6:9). No doubt, he enjoyed the fellowship of those twos and threes who seem to characterize a remnant testimony. Lamech, Noah’s father, died just four years before the flood, whereas Methuselah (his grandfather) died the very year of the flood. Adam’s life overlapped all of the antediluvian fathers with the exception of Noah! The knowledge of the creation, Adam’s transgression, the lives of Cain and Abel, these things were all known through first and secondhand accounts.
A new world began with Noah. It was founded upon sacrifice, specifically the burnt offering (Gen. 8:20). The burnt offering was not for specific sins or guilt (as with the sin offering) but sin certainly underscored it. The shed blood of the sacrifice was propitiatory and addressed itself to all that was odious to God’s holy and righteous nature. The postdiluvial world began, therefore, cleansed morally by water and judicially by the blood of the sacrifice.
Not only was this new world cleansed, it had also changed. For the first time we read of seasons and rainbows (Gen. 8:22; 9:13). More than this, however, God promised Noah that the earth would never again be judged by inundation; but rather, He would place magisterial authority in the hands of man: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made He man” (Gen. 9:6). Prior to the flood man was left to his conscience and there had been no institutions, religious or otherwise, established by God. This principle of government continues into this present day (Rom. 13:3-4). Noah’s new world, so recently cleansed by water judgment and now ordered by government, quickly became a scene of shame — Noah’s drunkenness led to his dishonor by his son Ham. As another has noted: It is striking to observe in man’s history, that whatever good thing God set up, the first thing that man ever did was to ruin it.55
The postdiluvian world is divided under three heads: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Gen. 10). Of these three, God takes up with the family of Shem. As to the other two families, as a result of Ham’s behavior, his descendants through his son Canaan were cursed to be servants of servants; in Japheth, on the other hand, we have the vast bulk of the gentile nations. Despite man’s new beginning, and the memory of God’s judgment fresh in his mind, mankind quickly abandoned all knowledge of God and sought his own greatness and immortality: “Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name” (Gen. 11:4). Worse yet, having departed from the knowledge of the true God, man “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25). Idolatrous worship began with the adulation of God’s handiwork — the sun, moon and stars, the animals and the fish of the sea — but ultimately it degenerated into the worship of human-like gods as corrupt as himself: “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself” (Psa. 50:21). When man fails to learn what he is in the presence of God, the god of his own making will be just like himself. The truth must never be allowed to bend to our state — we see it happening in the history we have been considering, and we see it again in Christendom today. Behind it all, we recognize the handiwork of Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4).
Out of this idolatrous, postdiluvian world, God, according to His own sovereign will, calls Abram and makes him a stranger and pilgrim on this earth. With Abraham, we see one living according to the principle of faith. He took God at His word and acted upon it, having received it as the Word of God. From Abraham’s seed sprang the nation of Israel, and in it, for a time, God made known His ways of government to the world. But all was overshadowed, from the beginning to the end, by the failure and sin of the people.
Israel’s unique position as the people of God was not based on their own merit — indeed, it was according to the promise given to Sarah that the child Isaac was born, and that, after her body was well past the age of childbearing. Furthermore, it was God’s sovereign election that chose Jacob over Esau: “The children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calleth” (Rom. 9:11).
In type, Isaac is a heavenly man having been brought back, as it were, from the dead: “I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven” (Gen. 26:4). Jacob (Israel), on the other hand, is heir to God’s earthly promises: “thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth” (Gen. 28:14). In contrast, the seed of the flesh, Ishmael, Isaac’s half-brother, has proven to be nothing but an adversary to the seed of promise. Likewise, we find with Esau (Edom), the brother of Jacob, a perpetual hatred for Israel (Ezek. 35:5). Esau is typical of the profane man; he treats as common that which is divine. By his own doings, Esau has brought down God’s hatred upon his own head (Mal. 1:3).
Before we move on to a more cursory outline of the remaining Old Testament books, we must touch briefly on some further principles of great importance. In Exodus we have redemption. Redemption is not simply the act of being bought back. No, as a principle, it goes far beyond mere purchase. In redemption we have also been set free. Redemption stands in contrast to bondage.
The story of Israel’s twelve sons, and especially the story of Joseph, should be familiar. Joseph’s life illustrates to us the Lord Jesus Christ and His rejection by His people; it also presents to us Israel’s restoration and Christ’s future glory in His earthly kingdom: “Ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt” (Gen. 45:13). The book of Genesis ends with the children of Israel in Egypt under Joseph’s protection. However, with the rise to power of a pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph, the descendants of Israel found themselves under a cruel bondage (Exod. 1:8). God was not, however, indifferent to their plight, nor had He forgotten them: “God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (Exod. 2:24). And so God raised up Moses to deliver His people.
But how could God deliver Israel? Were they any better than the Egyptians? No, both were in sin. Provision was made, however, for all to escape the cruel taskmaster; it must be through the blood of a lamb. The Egyptians could have availed themselves of it just as the Israelite did. Nevertheless, though the blood sheltered all who placed themselves under its protection, they were still in Egypt. God does not want us to be under the shelter of the blood and yet remain in Satan’s servitude. This is not God’s way and it will never do. And yet, many Christians find themselves in this very position. Not knowing deliverance from the power of Satan they live their lives in fear and bondage (Exod. 14:10-12). They do not know salvation at all. It is not until the Israelites are on the other side of the Red Sea, and Pharaoh and his army are seen dead on the sea shore, is redemption complete and salvation known and enjoyed (Exod. 14:13, 30). Until we have redemption, we never once read of singing — “The Lord is my strength and song, and He is become my salvation” (Exod. 15:2).
Redemption brings the children of Israel into a new relationship with their Redeemer. In Genesis we read of the Creator God, Elohim; the patriarchs knew Him as El Shaddai, God Almighty, but now God introduces Himself to His people by His name Jehovah: “I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by My name Jehovah was I not known to them” (Exod. 6:3). The name Jehovah brings before us His character as the Eternal One: “I AM THAT I AM ... Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (Exod. 3:14).
For the first time we read of God making His habitation with His people: “Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation” (Exod. 15:13). God could not dwell in the midst of a people in bondage and in Egypt. Egypt was a land of idolatry; the Egyptians worshipped every god, or so it seemed, except the true God. It was imperative that Jehovah separate His people from such a scene for Himself. This principle has not changed. The church is the habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22). As such, she has no concord with this world. Though in the world, she is not of the world (John 17:11, 14). As Christians, our pathway is to be separate from this world and its principles: “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (2 Cor. 6:17).
Up until the nineteenth chapter of Exodus, all is the exercise of God’s sovereign mercy and grace. The children of Israel could not attribute their deliverance to any merit on their part, but rather, they owed it all to the faithfulness of God. Ready to perish in Egypt, Jehovah had redeemed them, bearing them on eagle’s wings and bringing them unto Himself (Exod. 19:4; Deut. 26:5-8). At this juncture, however, the law is introduced: a law which the people, not knowing their own hearts, readily submitted to. “All the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do” (Exod. 19:8). A pledge, which we might note, they continued to repeat throughout their history despite their constant failure: “Ye cannot serve the Lord: for He is an holy God; ... And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:19-21). The children of Israel took themselves off the ground of grace and voluntarily placed themselves under law. Under law, the acceptance of a person depends upon his or her conduct. Grace, on the other hand, does what it pleases in the goodness and in complete conformity to the nature and character of Him who acts.
The law gives us God’s mind as to what man ought to be — it is holy, just, and good (Rom. 7:12). Man, on the other hand, is neither holy, nor just, nor good! Though he knows right from wrong (and with the law he is without excuse) he finds himself powerless to do that which is pleasing in God’s sight. With the giving of the law, God’s Word was out in the open for all to hear — the Israelite was in the privileged position of having received a revelation from God; His Word was near to them (Deut. 30:11-14).
The law continues to do its work to this day. Man’s great mistake is to suppose that the law reforms whereas it reproves. The law makes a demand on man; a demand which man has proven to be powerless to meet. Without grace (that which God supplies) man’s condition is quite hopeless. Indeed, even under the Jewish economy, things were not administered according to pure law — if that had been the case, the people must surely have been destroyed after the episode of the golden calf. Indeed, Jehovah presents Himself to Moses as “Jehovah God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and truth” (Exod. 34:6 JND). Moses, seizing upon this, intercedes for the people: “If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance.” (Exod. 34:8-9). Moses as a mediator is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. He pleads “if now I have found grace,” and it is on this basis that he mediates for the people. A stiff-necked people are in need of grace; it is no longer a question of obedience — in that they had already utterly failed.
Much of the remaining chapters of Exodus are occupied with details concerning the tabernacle. “Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them” (Exod. 25:8). It was from within the Holy of Holies of the tabernacle that Jehovah was looked upon as dwelling in the midst of His redeemed people. The subject is very rich and worthy of further study, but, unfortunately, we must pass over it. Now that the foundation has been laid, it is necessary to continue our outline using much broader brush strokes.
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
Superficially, I suppose, the books of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy may appear repetitive. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. The book of Leviticus is the priests’ handbook. The only way for an Israelite to approach God was through a priest and with the appointed sacrifice. What a contrast to our present position: “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19). There is but one Mediator between us and God: “There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). The Levitical sacrifices anticipated and typified the life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Consequently, they are full of instruction and much is to be gained from their study.
The book of Numbers covers the wilderness journey from Mount Sinai (where Exodus leaves off) to the plains of Moab. This is borne out in the Hebrew title for the book, In the Desert. Numbers, however, contains far more than history. It opens with Levitical service — in fact, a good summary of the book is walk and service. We should observe that worship, that which we find in Leviticus, comes before service. Our natural heart’s desire is to display devotion through service; the Father, however, seeks worshipers. Service springs from devotion and not devotion from service.
Deuteronomy is not a second law, nor is it a second giving of the law, as the Greek title from the Septuagint suggests. This book gives us the last words of Moses before the people enter the Promised Land (Deut. 1:1). One can picture the aged Moses, with his heart full of the ways of God and yet deeply burdened for the people, instructing and exhorting them before his death. Deuteronomy views the people as being in the Promised Land (though still on the East bank of the Jordan) and the laws given address themselves to that state of things.
Joshua, Judges, Ruth
The book of Joshua begins where Deuteronomy ends. With the death of Moses, Joshua, by divine appointment, now leads the people in the conquest of their land. God promised Israel that “every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you” (Josh. 1:3). There was a responsibility on the part of the people to make the land their own. The energy of faith, however, quickly flagged and we read: “Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed” (Josh. 13:1). Indeed, by the end of Joshua’s life, Canaan was a patchwork of conquered lands intermingled with possessions of the Philistines, Canaanites, Hivites, Jebusites, and various other peoples (Judges 3:3-5).
The book of Judges is not chronological; furthermore, parts of it overlap the book of Joshua. At this time in Israel’s history they were a strict theocracy; God appointed no leader in Joshua’s place. The tabernacle — God’s dwelling place in the midst of His people — was at Shiloh. Nevertheless, every man did that which was right in his own eyes; this is the characteristic condition of things in the time of the judges (Judges 21:25). Rather than displacing the inhabitants of the land, leagues were formed with them (Judges 2:2). As a result of this disobedience (Deut. 7:2), these nations became a thorn to Israel and their idols a snare (Judges 2:3). From time to time, God, in His mercy, raised up judges to deliver His people from their oppressors. Thirteen in all are named: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson. There are some very familiar names in this list — some whose faith inspire; the conduct of others, however, leave us wondering if they had faith at all. And yet, we read: “What shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae” (Heb. 11:32).
The little book of Ruth falls during the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1). In the midst of failure and weakness, we find the bright light of faith — faith in the person of a young, gentile woman. Ruth lays hold of grace and appropriates it for herself. In addition to faith and grace, we also have life — life in the child Obed, born to Ruth, and raised up as the offspring of Naomi. And it all takes place in that little town with such a significant name, Bethlehem-Judah! The book of Ruth forms a vital link between the time of the judges and the kings. In it we have introduced the royal line of David, which is, of course, that of the Messiah: “Jesus Christ, the son of David” (Matt. 1:1).
1 Samuel – 2 Chronicles
The books of Samuel and Kings form a continuous history; the divisions between them have been introduced for our convenience. Samuel was the last of the judges. Though he appointed his sons to judge in his stead (1 Sam. 8:1), it was their corruption which led to the people’s demand for a king, “like all the nations” (1 Sam. 8:5). The transition to a kingdom began with the reign of Saul — a leader of the people’s choosing (1 Sam. 12:13). Saul proved to be a failure, both spiritually and politically, and at his death he was superseded by his rival, the man of God’s own choosing, King David (1 Sam. 16:7-13). Thus began the dynastic reign of David, which continued to exercise power up until the Babylonian captivity.
The failure of man in responsibility marks the entire kingdom period. Under the watch of the high priest Eli, the priesthood sank into total corruption through the behavior of his sons (1 Sam. 2:12-26). God, at this point, raised up His prophet and judge, the young Samuel. With Samuel, however, there is a breakdown of righteous judgment in his sons. Even after Saul’s sad reign and ignominious death, it took seven years before the entire nation pledged allegiance to David as king (2 Sam. 5:1-5). Certain promises were specifically attached to the family of David; the hopes of Israel were renewed in this house. Nevertheless, it, too, failed in responsibility. David surely stumbled Solomon, whose indiscretions far exceeded those of his father (1 Kings 11:1-8). Because of Solomon’s sin, God rent the kingdom in two during the reign of Rehoboam his son (1 Kings 11:11). Only Judah and Benjamin were left to the house of David. Jeroboam, a ruler over the house of Joseph (1 Kings 11:28), assumed the kingship over the breakaway northern ten tribes. This breach has never been healed.
The history of the northern ten tribes is a sad one. Jeroboam created a false system of worship to discourage his people from going up to Jerusalem as the law required (1 Kings 12:26-33). Not one monarch of the northern kingdom ever did that which was right in the sight of Jehovah. Instead, we read example after example of those who “did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin” (1 Kings 15:34). Consistent with the lives of these godless kings, we read of intrigues and overthrows; in all there were nine ruling families. Four kings from the house of Omri sat upon the throne, including the infamous King Ahab with his wife Jezebel — this dynasty was second only to the next in length. Jehu was raised up of Jehovah to overthrow and destroy the house of Omri; his descendants held the throne the longest — five kings and for close to one hundred years. In all, the northern kingdom lasted just two hundred years before God allowed the King of Assyria to take the ten tribes captive and disperse them among the nations.
Judah’s history, though likewise disappointing, did contain some bright moments; for this reason, Jehovah patiently persevered with them for almost twice as long as the northern kingdom. Faithful kings, such as Hezekiah and Josiah, brought about revivals and for a moment attained to, or surpassed even, the brightest days of the kingdom under Solomon. “Surely there was not holden such a Passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah” (2 Kings 23:22). Nevertheless, these revivals were short-lived and limited in their influence. Many, it seems, were caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment but their hearts were never in it. In the days of Josiah, Jeremiah the prophet received the following word from Jehovah: “Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? ... And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord” (Jer. 3:6, 10).
God’s patience is not limitless. The closing chapter of Chronicles gives us a brief summary of God’s dealings with His people: “The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because He had compassion on His people, and on His dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought upon them the king of the Chaldees” (2 Chron. 36:15-17).
Before we pass from the time of the kings, a brief mention must be made concerning the character of the books of Chronicles. These were written during the captivity (1 Chron. 3:17-24; 6:15; etc.). Whereas in Samuel and Kings we have man in responsibility, in the books of Chronicles we have Israel’s history from God’s standpoint — His sovereignty, acting in grace to fulfill His promises and accomplish His purpose. As such, David’s kingly line is prominent; indeed, Saul’s entire reign is introduced and dismissed in just one chapter. With responsibility came failure; and, as we have observed, there are many failures recorded in Samuel and Kings. In Chronicles, however, these are, by and large, omitted; just those incidents needed to explain the history are given.
Ezra – Esther
Israel’s history under the old covenant ceased with the destruction of Jerusalem. The history of the Jews in captivity is not given to us. Certain events are recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah, and especially the book of Esther; nevertheless, God’s sentence of lo-ammi (literally, not my people) has passed upon Israel (Hos. 1:9). Only one thing remained and that was the presentation of Christ, the Messiah. The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther lay the foundation for that presentation some four hundred and fifty years later. We should note, however, that the setting aside of Israel is not forever. Just as surely as Hosea chapter one is true, so is chapter two: “I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people, Thou art My people; and they shall say, Thou art my God” (Hos. 2:23). God will again take up the cause of His people once His church, the heavenly bride, is raptured out of this scene (Rom. 11:25-26).
The significance of Nebuchadnezzar’s rise to power and the Babylonian captivity is to be understood from the book of Daniel. With the captivity of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem, God’s throne upon this earth ceased. The times of the gentiles had begun — a time that continues in this present day and will continue until the last of Daniel’s four beasts is overthrown by the Son of Man at His coming. Consistent with this, the expression, “the God of heaven,” is uniquely characteristic to the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Daniel. As another has written: The God of heaven rules everywhere and over all things, doing according to His will in heaven and on earth; but not yet reigning over the earth as the king of the earth.56
The book of Ezra recounts the history of a small remnant who returned from among the Jews in captivity to Jerusalem under the auspices of Cyrus king of Persia. Zerubbabel (a royal descendant of David) led the return of the first group; the second came with Ezra the priest eighty or so years later. The book of Ezra takes up the rebuilding of the temple and the restoration of the ecclesiastical order of things. Nehemiah, on the other hand, describes the restoration of civil government under Nehemiah the governor. Nehemiah’s arrival in the province of Judea followed closely on the heels of Ezra — for a time the two worked together, one the high priest and the other the governor (Neh. 8:9). Under Nehemiah’s leadership the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, though not without opposition. All, however, was conducted under the patronage and authority of the kings of Persia — Daniel’s second beast.
And where does Esther fit into all of this? With respect to time, the book of Esther falls between chapters six and seven of Ezra. It tells us of God’s providential care toward His people (without ever publically owning them as such) in thwarting the schemes of their enemies to destroy them. God’s presence remains hidden and He is never once mentioned. If Haman’s wicked plan had succeeded, then that small remnant of Jews in Judea would have been annihilated along with all the Jews throughout all the provinces of Persia. Unbeknownst to them, God, working behind the scenes, uses the young girl Esther and her faithful cousin Mordecai, to preserve that little company in Jerusalem.
Isaiah – Daniel
Rather than proceed with the poetic books, it makes sense to look briefly at the prophets. The lives of the prophets are closely intertwined with the history of the Kings.
Many misconceptions surround the subject of prophecy. However, given the number of Old Testament books that are prophetic, it surely does us well to understand something as to prophecy. Much is made of prophecy’s foretelling of events, and in this regard, it has been abused by modern soothsayers. Skeptics, on the other hand, have reduced prophecy to an allegory of uncertain meaning. Prophecy may certainly look forward to future events, and the prophet may, from time to time, employ allegories. And yet, such characterizations are hardly an accurate depiction of prophecy. Quite simply, the prophet was God’s spokesperson to Israel, and, where necessary, those with whom Israel interacted.
When Israel’s corruption extended to the priesthood — the very ones through whom the people were to approach God — God brought in a new means whereby He might maintain a right relationship with His people. In His great mercy, God raised up the prophet and identified Himself with the faithful heart of His messenger. In the person of the prophet a testimony to Jehovah was kept up in the midst of an apostate nation. We see this especially borne out in the lives of Elijah (meaning, whose God is Jehovah) and Elisha (whose salvation is God); both were prophets to the apostate, northern ten tribes. God’s messenger, however, must feel the weight of the people’s unfaithful conduct — Jeremiah and Hosea are vivid examples. No prophet felt that burden, however, as did God’s Prophet and faithful Witness, the Lord Jesus Christ; He not only felt it, but He was made sin, He who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21).
The prophets addressed themselves to the condition of the day in which they lived. Nevertheless, circumstances were often used to unfold future events. Sometimes this was for the encouragement of the people; at other times, however, it came as a result of their faithless indifference. When Isaiah spoke to Ahaz, king of Judah, he spoke to his conscience (Isa. 7). Ahaz had forsaken Jehovah and had set up an altar to a strange god in the temple. The Lord first seeks to encourage Ahaz to act in faith and thereby glorify God. Isaiah tells Ahaz that the alliance between the kings of Syria and his northern enemy, Samaria, would come to nothing. Though Ahaz responds with an outward piety, it is nothing but an empty form. As a consequence, Jehovah then makes known what must become of the house of David and Judah. Two key events are revealed: the gift of Immanuel, the virgin’s Son, and the complete desolation of the land by the northern confederacy of which Assyria was an archetype.
Prophecy is occupied with this earth at the center of which is Israel and Jerusalem. The subject of the church is never once mentioned, though it leaves room for this present parenthesis in God’s dealings with His earthly people. When prophecy speaks of Christ, it is in connection with His first coming and then His return as the Son of Man (Dan. 7:13-14). That which comes between the two is not addressed. If we fail to recognize this, and attempt to force the church upon the subject of prophecy, all is confusion.
Isaiah was sent as a prophet to Judah during the final years of Israel’s history (the Northern ten tribes). His prophecy concerns Judah and Jerusalem (Isa. 1:1). In the days of king Hezekiah Israel was finally taken captive by Assyria, and, with that nation conquered, Jerusalem was besieged. It is against the backdrop of these events that God speaks to Judah. God’s chastisement upon the northern ten tribes, and His final judgment for their apostasy, failed to deter Judah: “they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isa. 1:4). Concerning the prophecies of Isaiah, another has written: Isaiah is the most complete of all the prophets, and perhaps the most rich. The whole circle of God’s thoughts with respect to Israel is more given here. Other prophets are occupied with certain portions only of the history of this people.57
Given the limited scope of this outline, we cannot delve into the prophecies themselves. For the remainder of the prophetic books we must limit ourselves to those circumstances surrounding the prophecy. The book of Jeremiah follows Isaiah. It comes quite a bit later, at the very end of Judah’s history. It is no longer the Assyrian who is threatening, instead it is Babylon — a power such as the world had never before seen. Again, Judah’s unfaithfulness and God’s impending judgment is the subject. But if Judah is to be judged, then the surrounding nations must also come under judgment. God has not, however, cast off His people forever: “the Lord will not cast off for ever: but though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies” (Lam. 3:31-32). In the book of Lamentations, we very much see the prophet Jeremiah feeling the weight of the people’s misconduct as his own.
Ezekiel, like Jeremiah, prophesied during the closing days of the kingdom of Judah. Unlike Jeremiah, however, Ezekiel was not found at Jerusalem, for he was among the captives (Ezek. 1:1). From this viewpoint, the people are exiles among the gentiles. In contrast to Daniel, however, who found himself in a similar position, Ezekiel’s prophecy is not occupied with the gentile powers but is focused on all Israel, both Ephraim and Judah. Ezekiel chronicles the departure of the glory of Jehovah from the temple but also looks forward to its restoration during the millennial reign of Christ. “I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. And I will make with them a covenant of peace” (Ezek. 34:24-25). “I looked, and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (Ezek. 44:4).
Daniel was probably a contemporary of both Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and, although there is no record of them physically meeting, Ezekiel mentions Daniel and Daniel mentions Jeremiah (Ezek. 14:14; Dan. 9:2). Daniel, like Ezekiel, was taken captive. We first read of him in Babylon under the charge of Ashpenaz, the master of the eunuchs. Daniel, along with his three friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, represent a faithful remnant, preserved by God, during the time of the gentiles — this is the subject of Daniel’s prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar, in carrying out God’s judgment against Judah, set aside Jehovah’s throne upon this earth (1 Chron. 29:23), and he himself is given the place of universal dominion. Nebuchadnezzar was that head of gold (Dan. 2:37-38). Following Babylon there would be a succession of three kingdoms, Persia, Greece, and Rome. These will ultimately be replaced by a kingdom, established by the God of heaven, which shall never be destroyed.
The fourth kingdom, Rome, is diverse from the previous three and in its final form is dreadful and terrible (Dan. 7:7). The Roman Empire declined and fell, and out of the various pieces arose the nations which form modern Europe. Daniel tells us that Rome will revive as a fragile, ten-nation confederacy which will then give way to a dictatorship (Dan. 7:24-25). This final power is destroyed by the coming of Christ who will establish His earthly kingdom. Through it all, God’s eye is upon His people of old. Seventy weeks have been determined upon Daniel’s people (the Jews) and upon Daniel’s holy city (Jerusalem), “to make an end of sins, and to make expiation for iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal the vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies” (Dan. 9:24 JND). God has fulfilled sixty nine of the seventy weeks; the last week of seven years remains to be fulfilled.
The Minor Prophets
The Minor Prophets are not arranged chronologically. Hosea, Amos, and Micah were contemporaneous with Isaiah. Unlike Isaiah, however, they address both Israel and Judah. The Assyrian is again the threatening enemy. Amos, it seems, was raised up for a short time in view of an impending earthquake (Amos 1:1); if God is going to judge, He will warn first (Amos 3:1-8). Each prophet pleads with the people and warns of judgment that must come; each also very clearly tells of Israel’s restoration (Hos. 14:4-8; Amos 9:8-15; Micah 5:5-9).
Obadiah, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah prophesied around the times of Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Only Judah remained, and Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian, was the rod of God’s judgment. Obadiah appears to be the last of the three, and he addresses himself to Edom (the descendants of Esau) and especially their behavior during the Babylonian attack upon Jerusalem (Obad. 11-14). Edom’s judgment will be complete: “There shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the Lord hath spoken it” (Obad. 18). Judah’s recovery, on the other hand, is spoken of by each prophet (Obad. 17-21; Hab. 2:2-4; Zeph. 3:14-20). Habakkuk is less direct in this regard, but only because of the nature of the book. Habakkuk is representative of that faithful remnant who, despite all circumstances and with no sign of outward blessing, live by faith, trusting in Jehovah.
Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were post-captivity prophets. We read of Haggai and Zechariah in the book of Ezra; they were sent to stir up and encourage the Jews who had returned to Palestine to complete the rebuilding of the temple. Their prophecies are distinct: Haggai speaks to the low state of the people, whereas Zechariah lifts their eyes to look beyond their present situation. Malachi comes later; he addresses the relapsed condition of things. Though the people had not returned to idolatry, they snuffed at the offerings of Jehovah; theirs was an empty religion. Once again, each prophet looks forward to the restoration of Israel (Hag. 2:20-23; Zech. 14 etc.; Mal. 3-4).
There remain just three of the Minor Prophets to be touched upon: Joel, Jonah, and Nahum. These are diverse from each other, and their prophecies came at very different times. Joel is difficult to place historically; his prophecy speaks of the day of the Lord (Joel 2:1). A devastating plague of insects is but an alarm for a more terrible day, a time of judgment — in that day, Jehovah will openly intervene in the affairs of men (Joel. 1:4). Jonah probably predates all the prophets, major and minor, having prophesied either prior to, or very early in the reign of Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:25). The book of Jonah itself is distinct from his prophecies. Jonah’s life is the sign itself. Jonah could not accept God’s mercy toward the gentiles to whom he had been sent — Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. Nevertheless, through Jonah’s failings Jehovah was made known to the gentile mariners; furthermore, Jonah was raised up from the depths of the sea (as Israel will be) to be a witness to the gentiles in a future day (Matt. 24:14). Nahum comes less than one hundred and fifty years after Jonah and is directly addressed to Nineveh. As is so often the case, their latter state was far worse than their former, despite their reprieve in the days of Jonah. God would judge Assyria: “There is no healing of thy bruise; thy wound is grievous” (Nah. 3:19). Each of these prophets, in their unique way, speak of the restoration of Israel. In the case of Nahum, Nineveh’s destruction foreshadows the destruction of the future northern confederacy who will seek to destroy them.
Job – Song of Songs
Returning now to the poetic books we begin with perhaps the earliest book of the Old Testament, the book of Job. Job addresses the nature of trials though it goes far deeper than that. Man naturally assumes that affliction is a sign of God’s disapproval and that prosperity indicates His approval. Nothing could be further from the truth: “Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?” (Job 21:7). Job’s trial, in fact, had nothing to do with what he had done — the great error his friends fell into. Considering again those two questions asked by God in the Garden of Eden: “What is this that thou hast done?” (Gen. 3:13) and “Where art thou?” (Gen. 3:9) — man, if he deigns to think upon it, occupies himself with the first and makes excuses; the second, however, is the more fundamental question. Job had to learn that he could not stand before a holy and righteous God on the basis of his own righteousness. In the presence of God, Job learned his true state as a man, apart from the grace of God.
The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, meditations, and praises. They give expression to the sentiments of that faithful remnant from among God’s earthly people, who will, in a soon-coming day, pass through great tribulation. In them we also have the Spirit of Christ expressed, both in association with the godly remnant and concerning Himself personally. No other book expresses the thoughts and feelings of the Lord’s heart in such a manner. In reading the Psalms we should keep in mind that they are the expressions of a people under law, knowing only temporal salvation, and whose aspirations and hopes are earthly. As Christians, we are not under law; we possess eternal life, and our aspirations and hopes are heavenly. Though the Psalms offer much to comfort the soul, they should be read in communion with the mind and ways of God — as such, they cannot be rightly understood without recognizing their prophetic character.
The three books of Solomon — Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon — also have a prophetic character. They give us: Israel in covenant relationship with Jehovah; that relationship broken; and finally, her restoration. This is especially important when reading the Song of Solomon; its subject is not the church. The spouse is the faithful remnant from among the Jews and Christ is the King: “the King hath brought me into His chambers” (Song of Sol. 1:4; see also Hosea 2:14-20). Proverbs deals with God’s ways in government on this earth — a man reaps what he sows. It has been described as heavenly wisdom for an earthly pathway; the man who heeds its precepts is spared a great deal of trouble in this world. Ecclesiastes is a most fascinating book, and in some ways it is the counterpart to Job. Whereas one speaks of trials, the other takes up the subject of human happiness. Ecclesiastes views things from the perspective of a man under the sun; a revelation from God is not known, although God is acknowledged. Just as surely as the Song of Solomon is the song of songs, Ecclesiastes is the sigh of sighs. It concludes where Proverbs begins: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments” (Eccl. 12:13). Without a revelation from God, man cannot hope to understand either his trials or the secret to happiness.
The New Testament
The books of the New Testament may be arranged, for convenience, into the following groupings: the Gospels; Acts; the epistles of Paul; the catholic epistles of James, Peter, John, and Jude; and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The first three Gospels are synoptic, although only Mark is chronological in its presentation.
The book of Acts completes Luke’s historic account which he begins with his gospel. Starting with Christ’s ascension, Acts takes us through the early days of the church, first in connection with Peter and then the Apostle Paul.
The epistles are ordered by author, length, and whether they are to an assembly or to an individual. Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians was probably the earliest written; John’s gospel, his epistles, and the Revelation were the last.
As we saw in the first part of this book, some have struggled to reconcile the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New. Of course, reconciliation is not needed — it is the one and same God throughout. It is a grave mistake to suppose that the New Testament is a different book to the Old — together they form a single, harmonious volume, the Word of God. The types illustrated in the Old Testament help us to understand the antitypes of the New; and contrariwise, the antitypes of the New bring into the light those things which were formally mere shadows.
On the other hand, it is equally harmful to suppose that the New Testament is little more than a spiritualization of the Old — that is to say, apart from some additional light there is little to differentiate it. The distinctive feature of the Old Testament is God’s government, while the distinctive truth of the New Testament is His grace. Government and grace are totally distinct; government is always concerned with man, whereas grace is the revelation of what God is and does.58 The God of the Old Testament was truly hid behind a veil. In the New Testament, He has been revealed in the person of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, man’s only approach to God was through the animal sacrifice. In the New, we have “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). This has opened the way for God to show Himself propitious toward man. Such an astonishing act changes everything! As a result, the Gospel of the grace of God can go out to all — it is now “whosoever believeth” (John 3:16). Furthermore, that work of Christ — by which we now stand accepted before God in the very place in which Christ Himself stands — places us in a position markedly more blessed than any of the Old Testament saints. With Israel having been temporarily set aside, God has formed a new and distinct body, one in which there is no longer Jew or Gentile. This is His church — the bride of Christ. Everything about the church — its character, blessings, and hopes — are all heavenly, even as Christ its head is in heaven.
The Gospels
From the very earliest days of Israel’s history there had been the promise of a Prophet, like unto Jehovah God. “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto Me” (Deut. 18:15). There was also the promise of a King, the Lord’s Anointed: “I set My king upon My holy hill of Zion” (Psa. 2:6; see also 2:2). Likewise, we read of the Branch: “The Branch ... even He shall build the temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne” (Zech. 6:13). In Isaiah, we have the virgin bearing a son: “a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). Many more verses concerning the promised One could be given, but we conclude with: “Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). And so it was, “when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. 4:4-5).
The Gospel of Matthew especially brings before us the Christ, the fulfilment of prophecy and promise. He was the King of Israel: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). No other Gospel contains as many Old Testament quotations and references (Matt. 1:23; 2:6, 15, 18; 3:3, etc.). Although the prophecies concerning a victorious Messiah were recognized by the Jews, those which spoke of the suffering Messiah were not: “It is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad” (Matt. 26:31; Zech. 13:7). Rejected by His own people, the Lord Jesus was crucified. And yet, through His atoning sufferings He has laid the foundation for all of Israel’s future blessing. “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner” (Matt. 21:42).
The Gospel of Mark, perhaps the first written and the most chronological, presents Jesus as the perfect Servant: “And now, saith the Lord that formed Me from the womb to be His Servant” (Isa. 49:5). As such no genealogy is given. His deity, however, is carefully guarded from the outset (Mark 1:1). Though the Son of God “emptied Himself, taking a bondman’s form” (Phil. 2:7 JND), it is an error of the worst kind to suppose that the Lord divested Himself of His divine nature — that was an impossibility. In His humility and dependence He relinquished His glories, and for a moment the prerogatives of His deity, but never once did He cease to be God. Jesus was no mere manifestation of God as man, but rather: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
The Gospel of Luke is a divine portrait of the Lord Jesus; a Man among men, perfectly meeting their need in grace — He is the Son of Man. Though His personal and official glories were veiled, His moral glories shone forth; He could be nothing less than perfect in all that He did. Peter’s presentation of the gospel to Cornelius aptly summarizes Luke’s Gospel: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38).
The Gospel of John is generally accepted to be the last penned. As such, it addresses itself to the heresies of the day, albeit indirectly. Jesus is especially presented in this Gospel as the Son of God, the Word which became flesh (John 1:14). The rejection of Christ by His own people is given at the outset (John 1:11). Throughout this gospel there is a setting aside of the old order and the establishment of something entirely new. Christian truths (before we have Christianity, in fact) are seen throughout. “I lay down My life for the sheep. And I have other sheep which are not of this fold: those also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock, one Shepherd” (John 10:15-16 JND). The fold of Judaism must give way to one flock gathered about the person of the Good Shepherd.
The Acts
In Luke’s second discourse, the Acts, we have the one and only historic account of the early church as given to us by God. Although the time period covered is little more than thirty years, the book of Acts brings before us an outline of Christianity — from its inception to its ruin. With the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost we have the formation of the church (Acts 2). It is not, however, until the ninth and tenth chapters — with Paul’s arrest on the Damascus road and the baptism of the gentile believers into the one body by the Holy Spirit — do we see the unique character of the church (as something quite distinct from Judaism) begin to unfold practically. In the twentieth chapter, however, Paul warns the Ephesian elders of grievous wolves who would come in among them not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29). The book closes with the Apostle Paul under house arrest. No longer free to come and go, he receives all who come to him (Acts 28:30). In his second letter to Timothy, we learn that many had turned away from the Apostle (2 Tim. 1:15). That doctrine concerning the church, which had been exclusively committed to Paul, had, by and large, been rejected by Christendom. This remains the general state of things to this day.
Pauline Epistles
Following the Acts we have Paul’s fourteen epistles. The subject of Romans is the gospel of God (Rom. 1:1). The gospel of God is the testimony of the righteousness of God; that is to say, how God is able to save sinners without compromising that which He is in Himself.
The many problems in the assembly at Corinth led Paul to write his First epistle to the Corinthians. In it he addresses, firstly, the administrative responsibility of the local assembly, and then secondly, the assembly as the local expression of the body of Christ. The Second epistle to the Corinthians came in response to the positive reception of the first letter. Its tone is more personal and exhortative. Paul still, however, had his detractors at Corinth — a subject which he most carefully and delicately addressed.
In his epistle to the Galatians the Apostle makes short work of those who sought to corrupt the gospel of God with the legal principles of Judaism. Such teaching exalts the flesh and places the saints of God back into this present evil world. “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you ... having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Gal. 3:1, 3). Ephesians stands in stark contrast to that which precedes it; in it we have the most elevated development of truth — the Apostle unfolds the counsels of God concerning Christ and the church. Paul’s letter to the Philippians neither takes up matters of doctrine nor does it address moral issues. It is a letter thanking the Philippian saints for their kind gift of fellowship. The imprisoned Apostle was deeply touched by their remembrance of him at the last; however, if there was one thing that would complete his joy, it was that they might be “likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Phil. 2:2). Christ is set before them as their life, pattern, object, and strength (Phil. 1:21; 2:5; 3:14; 4:13). Colossians, like the epistles to the Corinthians and Galatians, is corrective. The corrupting leaven on this occasion is philosophy and ritualism. The one, high and lofty, appeals to the intellect; the other, natural and sensual, pleases the flesh. In turning to these worldly elements, the Colossians had turned away from Christ; they had failed to own Him as their Head — He in whom “dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2:9 JND).
Paul’s epistles to the Thessalonians address two aspects of the Lord’s coming: first for His own and second with the saints. The Thessalonians awaited the Son of God from heaven (1 Thess. 1:10) but were uncertain as to the future of those who died before His return. They were comforted, however, by the word of the Lord given to the Apostle Paul: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). In the second epistle, we learn that the saints had been shaken by a claim that the day of the Lord, a day of terrible judgment, was upon them. This day, however, cannot come until we have been gathered to Him (2 Thess. 2:1); and as to the remaining empty profession, there will be a general apostasy and the antichrist will be revealed (2 Thess. 2:3).
Paul’s four pastoral epistles follow — these are addressed to individuals rather than assemblies. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul instructs the young man as to godly conduct in the house of God: “that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God” (1 Tim. 3:15). In his second letter the house of God is once again the subject, but it is now a great house where “there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonor” (2 Tim. 2:20). The epistle to Titus is likewise concerned with godly conduct, but not now in connection with the house of God but rather this world. Titus was sent to Crete to set things in order. The Cretians had quite the reputation, but one wholly at variance with the teachings of a Saviour God (Titus 2:10). In his short letter to Philemon, Paul exhorts his beloved brother to receive Onesimus, a runaway slave but now a brother in Christ. This was a rather delicate situation. Onesimus had wronged Philemon, perhaps even stealing from him, but he was now a different man — one profitable to Philemon and, furthermore, a brother (Philemon 1616Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? (Philemon 16)). Paul closes this short letter with: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Philemon 25).
The authorship of the epistle to the Hebrews is disputed — despite the fact that it has been found with Paul’s writings from a very early date. Its human authorship, however, is deliberately concealed and any debate on this question misses the point; Jesus is uniquely the Apostle and author of this letter (Heb. 3:1). For the faithful among the Hebrews — those who had received Jesus as Messiah — His death, resurrection, and ascension, along with the affliction that they were experiencing, was perplexing. Their one hope had been the redemption of Israel, but this had not happened. In fact, Jerusalem and the temple were about to be destroyed. The writer to the Hebrews lifts their eyes heavenward to see a glorified Christ sitting at the right hand of God; He was their example and faithful High Priest. Theirs was a far, far better portion than anything they had ever considered.
James, Peter, John, Jude
The epistle of James has caused much consternation, principally because it is widely misunderstood. It does not stand in opposition to Paul’s epistles, but rather, it presents an altogether different view of faith and justification. James’ message is quite simply: Could the real Christians please stand up! He speaks of the visible effects of faith, as it may be observed by others, as the evidence of inner reality: “A man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works” (James 2:18). And how do we display our faith? Is it by religious observances and practices? Is it by so-called good works and charity? There is an aspect to the latter that is important (James 2:26), but how about: Our reaction to trials? The kindness and respect we show others? Our ability to control our tongues? Faith is neither jealous nor does it strive to be something. Faith does not produce pride. We love philanthropic works because it makes us look good; these others, however, manifest our true character; how we struggle with them!
The epistles of Peter, like James and Hebrews, are addressed to the Christians from among the twelve tribes. They were suffering persecution and needed encouragement. Each writer takes up a different aspect of their circumstance and they address themselves to a different need. Christians find themselves in a similar situation today — the faithful amidst an increasingly apostate Christendom. In Peter’s epistles, our earthly trials are the theme; consequently, these epistles have a wilderness character. In his first letter, Peter encourages the righteous in their trials. In the second, righteousness amidst wickedness (and especially as practiced by those outwardly professing the name of Christ), and God’s judgment upon them, is the subject.
The epistles of John go beyond the state of things addressed by Peter. As we have seen, Gnosticism grew to become a formidable opponent of Christianity. Never satisfied with what God has given, it is our nature to seek something new. And what man comes up with always exalts self at the expense of Christ. John looks beyond experience and takes up Christianity in its very essence. He speaks of the nature of God and of those in His family: “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin” (1 John 3:9). In his first epistle we have the character of eternal life in the believer. His second letter is to a sister, one whose kindness could lead to fellowship with those who had gone beyond the doctrine of Christ in their wicked works. John’s third epistle encourages a brother, Gaius, in his hospitality towards the saints despite the malicious behavior of one, Diotrephes, who tolerated no opposition to the prominence he had established for himself in the assembly.
Whereas Peter addresses wickedness within Christendom, Jude warns against apostasy: “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
Revelation
Finally, we come to the last and final book of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is not simply the last book of the New Testament but the Bible as a whole; it completes the revelation of God (not concerning Christ and the church — for that was given to the Apostle Paul; see Col. 1:25) but as to heaven and earth. It ties together the close of this age with all the prophecies of the Old Testament. The Revelation may be divided into three parts: the things John saw (chapter 1), the things which are (chapters 2-3), and the things which shall be hereafter (chapters 4-22). The first eleven chapters are, for the most part, chronological; they consider things from the apostles’ day, through the history of Christendom (its apostasy and ultimate rejection), to the resumption of God’s dealings with Israel, and the final judgments. The remaining chapters, through a series of prophetic sketches, give us further detail; they also bring us into the eternal state (Rev. 21:1-8). The church, the bride of Christ, is not the focus of Revelation. From the call, “Come up hither” (Rev. 4:1), and the heavenly scenes in chapters four and five, the church does not appear until the marriage supper of the Lamb in the nineteenth chapter. In between, there is no church on this earth since it has been caught up in the rapture; in its place, we once again read of Israel and the twelve tribes.
In conclusion, we must note, as another far more able has expressed: The divine glory is ever the end of all things; but I speak now of the effect of divine counsels in which God glorifies Himself. Now this is altogether in Christ, known in the various glories in which He is revealed.59 God will be glorified, in both heaven and earth, in His Son.