In the last chapters of 1 Kings, the focus is on the evil of King Ahab and righteous prophet Elijah who condemned Ahab’s wickedness and Israel’s disobedience. The chapters covering the reforms of godly kings are key chapters in the way they illustrate the promise of 7:14. The various sources include the prophetic records by Samuel (1 Chron. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”. But for all practical purposes, it ignores the Northern Kingdom because of apostasy and total absence of any godly kings who patterned their life after David. Nehemiah surely portrays Christ in willingness to leave his high position in order to bring about His work of restoration. The Philistines and the death of Saul (31:1-13). Other purposes of Ruth are seen in the way it illustrates the truths of the Kinsman-Redeemer, the presence of a godly remnant even in times of great apostasy, and God’s faithfulness to those who will walk with Him by faith. In the typical fashion of the Bible which candidly tells the story of its leaders with warts and all, 2 Samuel portrays the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the life of King David. The content suggests a priestly authorship because of the strong focus on the temple, the priesthood, and the theocratic line of David and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Samuel may have assembled some of the accounts from the period of the judges and prophets like Nathan and Gad may have had a hand in editing the material (see 1 Chron. Then he calls on them to remember the necessity of their faithfulness or they would be consumed by the Lord. After a time, Abraham's descendants conquered and lived in this land until their rebellion led God to send them into exile. 2:22; 1 John 3:5). As in Chronicles, Ezra, as a priest, shows the centrality of the temple and its worship to the life of the nation as God’s people. Esther tells the story of a beautiful Jewish girl whom King Xerxes of Persia chose to be his queen. David illustrated the principle that, “the Lord does not see as man sees” (16:7). Joshua bridges the first five books of with the historical books. The consistency of style throughout the book indicates that though several sources were used in compiling the book, one editor shaped the final product. The Choice of Esther as Queen in Place of Vashti (1:1-2:23), B. Like David, Solomon is one of the greatest types in the Old Testament of Christ, portraying Messiah in His future reign on earth. The first five historical books of the Old Testament are discussed in the blog Books of Moses.. Genesis describes how God created the universe, including all the animals and humans. Like Ezra, Nehemiah also falls into two specific issues: (1) the rebuilding of the walls (1-7) and the restoration of the people (8-13). 5:-12), A. Elisha followed this up by going about, as Christ did, doing deeds of kindness, and by doing miracles attesting that the words of the prophets were from God.11. First and Second Kings, originally one book (like 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Chronicles) and simply called “Kings” in the Hebrew tradition (Melechim), are appropriately titled since they trace the history of the kings of Israel and Judah from the time of Solomon to the Babylonian captivity. THE OLD TESTAMENT. 2:5-8; Heb. 7:14 … and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Risking her own life, she appealed to the king and rescued the Jews. So Israel was carried away into exile from their own land to Assyria until this day. The Deliverance of the Jews (4:1-10:3), A. 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. 1:18-19); 3. be willing to redeem or pay the price (cf. The Governorship of Gedaliah, a Puppet Governor (25:22-26), J. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”, 11:11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant.”. The Accession of Solomon and Death of David (29:22-30). Other significant chapters that have key roles are 3 and 4 dealing with Solomon’s choice of wisdom and wise rule, chapter 8 the dedication of the temple, chapters 17 through 19 recording the great ministry of Elijah. I. Genealogies from Adam to David (1:1-9:44), E. Genealogies of the Twelve Tribes (4:1-8:40), II. In Kings the palace is central, but in Chronicles the temple is prominent. Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries (see Neh. 9-10), E. The Review of the Victories (11:16-12:24), III. Chronicles (originally both 1 and 2 Chronicles were one book) does not identify the author, but Jewish tradition has traditionally ascribed the book to Ezra. Although the name of God does not appear in this book, the theme and purpose of the book is to show God’s providential care of His people in their trials and persecutions. Chronicles emphasizes the role of the Law, the priesthood, and the temple. The Conspiracy of Haman Against the Jews (3:1-15), II. The book of Ruth gets its name from one of its main characters, a young woman of Moab, the great-grandmother of David and one who is in the genealogical line of the Savior (Matt 1:5). Key personalities include Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Joseph.