First of all, the Bible is divided into these big sections.
The Torah: The 5 books of Moses
It gives us a glimpse of what we have lost. Then, slowly but surely, God unveils the design for the restoration of our relationship with Him. It is in these books that God really fleshes out the minute details of all that God desires for us. The 5 books of Moses are filled with promises of what is possible if we simply trust God and obey Him.
The law is an amazing barometer of our relationship with Him. It reveals whether we trust Him or not. So, in these books, God lays out the heights of future glory and excellence that will be, as the direct result of obedience today. On the other hand, He also clearly portrays what life would be like apart from Him. The focus of Torah, is the glorious future of all that they could be, if they simply trust Him with the future and obey Him.
The Historical Books: Joshua – Nehemiah
Things are looking good! They conquer territory after territory. God’s dreams for them is beginning to take shape. But, here, we begin to see a problem arise. We see that the Israelites start distrusting God. They decide that they could manage without going out of their way to gain all the territory. The decided that they didn’t need to trust God and obey Him completely.
But the next book, Judges, tells us that very quickly, the situation has turned bad and is no longer manageable. Their distrust in God’s command to conquer all the territory and to destroy all the idols, seriously backfired. The began to worship these idols of the people they conquered. Their departure from following God’s way also led them to live and act as no different than the pagans around them. Read the book of Judges when you get a chance, things are bad. Judes 21:25 is a telling portrait of the situation.
“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes”
This signaled the eventual downfall of Israel. But let it be known that God had no part in their downfall. The Torah clearly specified that God wanted only the best for them, and that by departing from Him, they would reap the consequences. This they did. The rest of the historical books only clarify this point most vividly. The history of the nation is plagued with a long series of kings who didn’t care about what God had said in the Torah. There were good kings, but even they couldn’t turn the tide. This is why the historical books end with Ezra and Nehemiah. They have just returned from the single worst consequence of their disobedience to God, the Babylonian captivity.
Simply put, the historical books shows us just how quickly and thoroughly they fell from the ideals that God had promised them. A very disheartening reality.
Wisdom Books: Job – Song of Solomon
In Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes as well as Job we see how they feel about life in a world that has rejected God. To summarize the book of psalms, it says that life on earth is hard because we are all sinners. Proverbs and Ecclesiastes tell us a simple message. I’ve lived my life apart from God to its ultimate conclusion. I’ve tried and had everything. The phrase he uses is “everything under the Sun”. And it is devoid of meaning and purpose, so what is the final conclusion of Solomon’s writings?
The conclusion, when everything has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. (Eccl 12:13)
The Wisdom books were written interspersed throughout the history of Israel as they lamented the results of their disregard for God’s promises for them. To put it another way, it is the best expression of the human emotional reaction to the situation that came as a result of their disbelief in God.
Prophets: Isaiah – Malachi
Now, it is God’s turn. He removes His gloves and gives it to the rebellious people as it is.
But allow me to establish something here really quickly. And that is that without understanding the Torah, History and the wisdom books, we cannot appreciate the prophets. We can’t. We’re simply going to be ignorant as to why in the world God is being so direct and so emotional. It’s because He is heart broken! He has promised only good things for the nation of Israel and they rejected Him. Their continual refusal to return to Him turned out just they way God predicted. Israel was destroyed by Assyria and Judah is taken captive by the Babylonians for 70 years!
Now, do you know when the prophets were written? All around the time of the Israel’s destruction be Assyria and the seventy year of captivity in Babylon.
The wisdom books have clearly said that they were tired of the way things are and God here makes it clear that He’s sick and tired of it all too. So, what does God say? Prepare yourselves, it’s going to strong.
The Lord appeared to him long ago, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you out with kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)
We go back a few chapters in Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
We’ve seen this verse quoted so many times. But do you know when this message was given? Let’s look at the context. (29:10-14)
This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity.
So here’s the point. God’s most raw emotional pleas from the depths of His heart of love is seen, in response to their worst situation.
Read the Bible, and you will see that some of the most beautiful promises of Scripture, are found, not only in the Gospels, not only in the Writings of Paul and John, but in the Prophets! Here, they are freely expressed!
But when we read it, they won’t have its full power unless we understand firmly the set up! We won’t appreciate its beauty unless we place it against the ugliness of the situation that they upon themselves!
Listen to Isaiah 1:18.
Come now, and let us debate your case,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They shall become as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be like wool.
The promise to make our us white as snow means little unless we can see just how deep the scarlet color is..
But the question still stands, How? How can God be so hopeful in the face of utter sadness?
The prophets gives us an unanimous answer. The best is yet to come. The greatest expression of God’s love is still yet to come! The prophets are enthusiastic about the future because they all know that the Messiah is coming! God does not serve humanity its divorce papers without showing us the ultimate expression of His Love. This is where Jesus comes!
Before we get to the Gospels, I’m going to spell out something here that I hope was obvious already. And that is, that unless you appreciate the Old Testament’s set up, the ultimate punchline, Jesus’ won’t make sense at all. I promise.
No matter how awesome the punch line, it won’t make sense without the set up! Unless we understand the situation before the first Advent of Jesus, we won’t understand why Jesus is such a big deal! He is THE Messiah that Adam and Eve looked forward to to undo their failure. He is the reason why David and other Psalmists can be so raw with God, knowing that He understands! He is the reason why, despite years and years of betrayal of their trust, Israel can hope to be right with God.
Because of Jesus, a sinner like myself can stand before God without shame or guilt. In Him, all the promises of the the Law is fulfilled.
Unless we understand the Big Picture of the OT, we cannot understand Jesus as we should. This isn’t my words. Listen carefully to the words of Jesus.
Gospels: Matthew – John
‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” Luke 16:31
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;” John 5:39
What scriptures? The Old Testament! They didn’t have the New Testament at the time of Jesus.
It is when we come to know Him as He wants to be known, when we see the set-up from the Old Testament, we will be set free from the guilt of our past and filled with hope for the future.
Paul wrote in his letter to Timothy that it is the Old Testament Scriptures that are able to make use wise unto salvation.
“and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15
Unless we have taken the time to investigate the message of the Old Testament, we may not be wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. My friends, it is high time to start.
History: Acts
This book is the ultimate example of what Christians look like when they meet this Jesus. History always repeats. And when people meet this Jesus, it always results in their absolute longing to share Him with others.
“The spirit of Christ is the spirit of missions. The nearer we get to Him, the more intensely missionary we become.” Henry Martyn
Martin is clear. The Spirit of THE Christ, not the different Jesus from the denominational disputes. This isn’t the methodist Christ, not the catholic Christ, this isn’t the non-denominational Jesus, this isn’t the Christ that is ok with everyone doing whatever they think is right, whatever we would prefer based on our fanciful denomination, no! It is the Spirit of Christ Jesus, whom Moses predicted and the Prophets Promised as the answer to our problem! It is this Jesus! When we know Him, the near we come to Him, the more intensely missionary we become!
The very first impulse of the renewed heart is to bring others also to the Saviour. Those who do not possess this desire give evidence that they have lost their first love; they should closely examine their own hearts in the light of God’s word, and earnestly seek a fresh baptism of the Spirit of Christ; they should pray for a deeper comprehension of that wondrous love which Jesus manifested for us in leaving the realms of glory and coming to a fallen world to save the perishing. 5T 385.4
But, If the longer we attend church, the less missionary we become, then, it begs to ask the question, what is happen to us?
Epistles: Romans- Jude
When you read through the writings of Paul, John, Peter and others, you will see one and only one burden at hand. They want their readers to come to the point of a heartfelt acknowledgement of the fact that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, is the Savior of the World! Furthermore, their free-handed use of the Old Testament references, show that the Jesus that they are preaching is not a new God, but the same as the God of the Old Testament.
Prophecy: Revelation
Then in Revelation, the message is very very very simple. This same Jesus, the Jesus that Moses prophesied and the prophets foretold, the Jesus that the apostles spent their lives preaching, this same Jesus, is coming again.
Jesus himself said, in John 17:3.
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
This is the Bible summarized.
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