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As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
In this session, you will be introduced to an overview of the Old Testament and be given a summary of each major section.
Read Luke 10:38-42.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’
41 ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things,42 but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’
There are often times when there are so many things demanding our attention that we get worried and distracted. When that pressure takes over, we can lose our joy. Jesus and his disciples were visiting in the home of Mary and her older sister Martha. It was a big deal, a very special occasion. Both sisters were excited and aware of the significance of the occasion, but they responded very differently.
Martha was driven by her desire to serve well by being the perfect host, doing all she could to honor and bless Jesus through her hard work. Mary, on the other hand, was driven by her desire to listen, learn and receive every blessing she could from Jesus. In frustration at her sister, Martha asked Jesus to direct Mary to come and help. Jesus affirmed Mary’s priority above hers.
We must never let our motivation of doing ministry for Jesus get in the way of personal time with him. Both are important, but first and foremost is the need to sit at his feet listening to him and avoid becoming worried and distracted by all the good work. Guarding this priority requires constant discipline helped by accountability. How do you maintain your priority of sitting at Jesus feet listening to his words?
Read your assigned verses and then tell the group:
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.38 He said to them, ‘Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.’
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to eat?’42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
44 He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’
45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.46 He told them, ‘This is what is written: the Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.48 You are witnesses of these things.49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’
39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel.’
8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
1 Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’
‘Here I am,’ he replied.
2 Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac – and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will show you.’
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
33 Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’
8 ‘Now then, tell my servant David, “This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel.9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.10 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people shall not oppress them any more, as they did at the beginning11 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also give you rest from all your enemies.
‘“The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you:12 when your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom.13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.14 I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands.15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you.16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.”’
1 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham:
13 ‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshipped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:7 “The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”’
5 Every warrior’s boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet:23 ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).
1 Marshal your troops now, city of troops,
for a siege is laid against us.
They will strike Israel’s ruler
on the cheek with a rod.
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’
21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Jesus Christ had been with his disciples for a long time. Jesus taught them with wisdom from Heaven and performed miracles and incredible signs. Toward the end of His ministry in the world, He told His followers that He would be given over to evil people who would kill Him. But three days later, He would be raised to life again. Indeed all these things happened just as He said they would. After Jesus rose again, He revealed that all of the things He did and that happened to Him were written in the Old Testament Scriptures (none of the New Testament letters were written at that time). There are still more prophecies like these which show the majesty of Christ.
The whole Bible is about the reign of God over what He created. God and His Kingdom are without beginning and without end. He will always be the King of the Universe and therefore God is your King. You are His subject, a citizen in His Kingdom. Regardless of your ethnic background, culture or birth place, your highest commitment belongs to the Kingdom of God.
The Bible is divided into two parts: 39 books are included in the Old Testament (or Old Covenant) and 27 books are in the New Testament (or New Covenant).
The Old Testament is comprised of four kinds of books:
Knowing which type of book we are reading is helpful for understanding the book’s meaning.
The Old Testament is a report about God’s revelation of Himself to mankind, especially to the Israelites. The Old Testament teaches us about God and how to live in His will. It was written over a period of 1,000 years when the prophets and certain other holy people received words from God by the Holy Spirit.
In other words, it was the Holy Spirit who wrote God’s Word. Although the Word was penned by men, it was the Holy Spirit who conveyed the message to God’s people. Perhaps you have already heard about people such as the prophet Moses. Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament.
First five books of the Bible written by the prophet Moses. These books are called The Law. The Law was given to the nation of Israel through the prophet Moses. Laws from this part contain the procedures for Israel’s religious ceremonies. These five books also contain ethical and moral laws related to everyday life in the nation of Israel.
The section following the Law in the Old Testament tells the history of God’s people, the Israelites. Both the positive parts and the negative parts are included in the history. That is why both the nation’s successes and failures were written. The history books note what actually happened, not what would hopefully happen. The good and the bad was recorded in order to teach us (1 Corinthians 10:11
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
The first book of Wisdom is Job, which tells how Job was befallen by many tragedies, however his faith remained strong. Finally, Job was healed and his life was restored.
9 His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!’
10 He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
The second book of Wisdom is Psalms. Much of the Psalms were written by King David, although some were written by the prophet Moses and other authors. The book of Psalms contains 150 psalms (songs or verses) – praises and struggles sung to God by His people. Further, the book of Psalms contains prayers of God’s people lifted to Him during both public and private worship. Psalms usually were written to be sung. The Psalms are used by God’s people for worship, devotions, and examples of how to live.
1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither –
whatever they do prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for ever.
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and pipe,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
The Wisdom of King Solomon is included in the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. Proverbs contains short verses about how to live righteously before God. Ecclesiastes is the story of King Solomon’s efforts to find happiness. Song of Solomon is a story of love between a husband and a wife.
Generally, advice in the books of Wisdom is not commanded yet it gives principles for practical living. Usually, the Wisdom books are heart-felt expressions to God from people just as they are. Finally, there is a way out of life’s problems through an attitude of the heart that fears God and obeys His commands. Proverbs and advice presented in the Wisdom books are things to remember, so they were written in the form of short phrases. Although there is no guarantee of prosperity in life, instruction from the Wisdom books teaches life principles in accordance with the will of God.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.
The prophetic books have two purposes: to call God’s people back to the covenant they had made with Him and to reveal God’s plan for redemption in the coming Messiah. The prophets made utterances in the name of the LORD to mankind at that time. All prophets spoke and applied their messages that were given from God. So, to understand the meaning of their messages and prophecies, the reader must know the problem that was being addressed by the prophet. Only then could the reader know how to apply the prophet’s message properly today.
The books of the prophets are separated into two sections: the “Major Prophets” are longer and the ‘Minor Prophets’ are equally important, but they are called Minor they were shorter in length.
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39 BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT Law
History
Wisdom and Psalms
Major Prophets
Minor Prophets
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Version 2.10
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