Overview of the Bible: Ruth

                                 Book of Ruth  

Title: Ruth (YouTube Lesson on Biblical Buffet)

Date of writing: 1: Samuel, about 1050 BC, 2: about 1000 BC (times of Solomon)

Date of Narrative: about 1350 BC

Structure:

a. 1:1-5, “genealogy” or descendance of Elimelech

  b. 1:6-7a, Naomi hears about YHWH’s visitation

    c. 1:7b-19a, death of Orpah 

      d. 1:19b-22, testimony of the women

        e. 2, search for the blessing (under the wings of YHWH)

        e’. 3, YHWH provides the blessing by the wings of Boaz

      d’. 4:1-12, testimony of the (elders of the) city

    c’. 4:13, birth of a son (anti-death)

  b’. Naomi is restored/visited by YHWH

a’. 4:18-22, genealogy of Perez

 

Main themes:

Faithfulness to the end – see Memory verse. Ruth goes through a death of her husband, silent rejection of women in Bethlehem, and hardship of poor life. Being faithful to the LORD she ends up being one of the grand…mothers of Jesus.

Godly leadership. There are examples of poor leadership in the book – the judges and Elimelech in the beginning of the book, and Boaz – an exemplary character. He presents the main features of a godly leader: strong faith (2:4), outstanding ethics (2:15-16), and very keen management skills (4:1-12).      

Main Characters: Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon, Chilion, Orpah, Ruth, Boaz, Perez, Salmon (husband of Rahab, Mt. 1:4-5, important for the themes of the Biblical chronology and acceptance), David.   

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Famine in the Book of Ruth is a continuation of at least three major instances in Genesis: ch. 12:10-20 Abram goes to Egypt because of the famine, Isaac goes into the land of Philistia – grandchildren of Egypt, Gen. 10:6, 13-14 – (ch. 26), and the whole story of Joseph is presented in the context of famine (Gen. 37-50).

Story of Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38) is picked up here – the first in the lineage of David is Perez: son of Judah by Tamar, which was a scandalous event in the Biblical History

Ruth is a Moabite. The genesis of Moabites is scandalous (Gen. 19:30-38). Therefore, we see two scandalous stories find their redemption in the union of Boaz (descendant of Judah) and Ruth (descendant of Lot).

Ruth together with Tamar and Rahab – all three are “foreigners” – find their place in the genealogy of David the king, and Jesus the Messiah (Mt. 1:3-6).               

Lutheran teaching: Book of Concord does not have references to the Book of Ruth.

Liturgical call to a congregation: “The LORD be with you” is based on the greeting of Boaz.

The theology of acceptance to the “communion of the saints” by faith (not because of gender, social status, or racial preferences) is deeply rooted in the plot and theology of the Book of Ruth.  

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 653 – In Christ There is No East or West. 

LSB 575, 576 – My hope is built on nothing less. 

Relevancy of the Book:

Acceptance of the “strangers” into the communion of the saints. This acceptance should be happened not on their terms, but the LORD’s. The book encourages the Church to be accepting, not inclusive. 

Living through the hardship (famine, emigration, and death etc.). God is faithful in His Fatherly promises to us.

Memory verses:

1:16-17 Ruth said: “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you will go I will go, and where you will lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you will die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Overview of the Bible: Judges

 Book of Judges  

Title: Judges – the title of the leaders of Israel during this pre-monarchial period  

Date of writing: traditionally, by Samuel around 1020 BC

Date of Narrative: 1406 – 1048 BC – period of Republican confederation

Structure:

A. Two introductions:

 A1, 1:1 – 2:2, Compromised conquest

 A2, 2:6 – 3:6,

  B. Two exemplary Judges:

   B1, 3:7-11, Othniel – “Lion of God”

   B2, 3:12-30, Ehud – “Joining together”

     C. Two unlikely Judges:

      C1, 4 – 5, Deborah (bee, cp. Is.7:18), a woman

      C2, 6 – 9, Gideon (Cutter down, brave soldier), a youth

  B’. Two compromised Judges:

   B’1, 10 – 12, Jephthah (whom God sets free)

   B’2, 13 – 16, Samson (solar, like the sun)  

A’. Two conclusions:

 A’1, 17 – 18, Levite failed to guard the worship of Israel

 A’2, 19 – 21, Levite failed to guard the moral of Israel      

 

Main themes:

As the seventh book of the Bible Judges is very concerned with the true worship. Lack of it leads Israel to a constant cycle of disasters, being rejected by God.

We also see leaders of worship – Levites who do not carry out their mission properly (two last stories).

Similarly, the civil leaders of Israel exhibit immaturity (Barak), impatience (Gideon and Jephthah) or careless about the mission of the LORD (Samson).   

Main Characters: Joshua, Caleb, Othniel, Ehud, Barak, Jael, Deborah, Gideon/Jerubbaal, Abimelech, Jephthah, Jephthah’s daughter, Samson, Delilah, Micah, tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin.     

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Judges picks up the story of conquest but take a very different angle.

Ps. 19:5-6, 10 gives a poetical depiction of Samson

In Judges we see the seed of the woman (Gen. 3:15) fights back with “the serpent” (ch. 4-5, 9, 13). Later on, Isaiah picks it up in his prophesy of Emanuel (7:14). We see the fulfillment of this in the birth of Jesus the Messiah from Mary.  

The appearance of God as the Angel of the LORD continues from Genesis (ch. 18 and 32) and Exodus (ch. 24) through Joshua (ch. 5) to Judges (ch. 6 and 13). We see Him a number of times in the Old Testament (f.ex. Dan 10:5-6) as it leads us to the conclusion of the Bible (Rev. 1:12-20).     

Lutheran teaching: Luther uses the examples of God’s actions in the Book of Judges to summarize the theology of grace” And in the Book of Judges one can see the good that God did through… (list of people) … though the people were not worthy of it.” (LW: 46:192-193). See further in Relevancy of the Book.

Lutheran hymnody:     

LSB 666 – OLittle Flock, Fear not the Foe (v. 2, about Gideon).

Relevancy of the Book: The Book of Judges gives us a hard, sobering, and comforting lesson. The hard part is that sin brought Israel – the chosen vehicle of His will in the world – to the brink of destruction. The sobering fact is our society does not differ much from the society Israel (in its morals and godlessness). Yet, we can find comfort in the fact that the LORD did not give up then – time and time again He would provide a savior. Sending His Son to be our Savior, God tells us that He does not give up now.     

Memory verses:

21:25: In those day there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

Overview of the Bible: Joshua

 Book of Joshua 

Title: Joshua – “whose salvation is YHWH”, in Num. 13:16 he is called Hosea  

Date of writing: around 1400 BC, after the completion of the Conquest

Date of Narrative: 1406 – 1400 BC – period of the Conquest

Structure: David A. Dorsey, p. 93, 94

Conquest of Canaan, ch. 1 -12

Settlement in the Land, ch. 13-24

a. 1, Intro to first phase  b. 2, Believing Canaanite: Rahab     c. 3-4, stopping the Jordan    d. 5, ceremonies at Gilgal     e. 6, conquest of Jericho      f. 7:1-8:29, faithless Israelite       g. 8:30-35, conclus. of phase 1 a’. 9:1-2, Intro to phase 2  b’. 9:3-27, believe. Can.: Gibeonites   c’. 10:1-15, stopping the sun    d’. 10:16-31, ceremony Makkedah     e’. 11:1-15, conquest of Hazor      f’. 11:16-23, hardened Canaanite       g’. 12, conclusion of conquest

a. 13:1-7, Introduction  b. 13:8-33, Transjordanian tribes   c. 14:1-5, Levites    d. 14:6-15, personal lot – Caleb     e. 15, non-Rachel: Judah      f. 16 – 17, Rachel tribes: Joseph       g. 18:1-10, Allotment to 7 tribes      f’. 18:11-28, Rachel: Benjamin     e’. 19:1-48, non-Rachel: Simeon    d’. 19:49-50, personal lot – Joshua   c’. 20 – 21, Levites  b’. 22, Transjordanian tribes a’. 23-24, Conclusion

 

Main themes:

As the sixth book of the Bible the Book of Joshua picks up the theme of creation of man – we see the maturation of Joshua from the one who needs encouragement from the tribes (Ch. 1) to the one who has strength to challenge them (24:14-15).  

The theme of faithfulness in the service – both Achan (Ch. 7) and Joshua (Ch. 8 and 9) fall into the trap of “thinking for themselves”.

The desire of nations (gentiles) to join the covenant is depicted in the story of Rahab (Ch. 2) and Gibeonites (Ch. 9).   

Theme of unity of the tribes is reflected in the altar by the Jordan river accident (22).

Main Characters: Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Five Amorites kings.

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Joshua first time appears in Ex. 17 where he leads the Israel army against Amalekites. He is the one out two spies who stays faithful in the outburst against the conquest the first time (Num. 13-14).

Rahab became a part of the genealogy of Messiah (Mt. 1:5).

Although Assyria took over the Northern Kingdom and carried the Israelites away (2 Kings 17:6) we meet the representatives of all twelve tribes around the throne of God (Rev. 7:1-8).

Jesus entering the Jordan river recapitulates the story of Israel entering the Promised Land.

The initial layout of the Book of Acts resembles the sequence of the first part of the Book of Joshua.       

Lutheran teaching: The Book of Concord has no reference to the Book of Joshua.  

Lutheran hymnody:     

LSB 494 See, the LORD Ascends in Triumph (v. 4).

LSB 918 Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer (v. 3).

Relevancy of the Book:

Reading the Book of Joshua, we begin to comprehend the ginormous plan of God – just think of how the stories of Joshua and Rahab are intertwined with each other, but also how each of them influenced the future of Israel.  

Memory verses:

1:8 This Book of Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.

Overview of the Bible: Deuteronomy

 Book of Deuteronomy

Title: Deuteronomy, from Greek Deuteros – “second” and Nomos – “Law”, second time when the Law is given.

Hebrew: D’varim – Words, cp. Ex. 4:10 (lit. I am not the man of words)      

Date of writing: 1446 – 1405 BC

Date of Narrative: 1406 – 1405 BC

Structure:

A. 1:1-4, Moses speaks on the plane of Moab

  B. 1:5-4:43, Historical Overview of the Journey

    C. 4:44 – 5:33, Introduction into the Teaching

      D. 6 – 27, Sermon on 10 Commandments

    C’. 28 – 30, Sanctions on keeping or breaking the Teaching

  B’. 31 – 33, Historical succession: person and song

A’. 34, Moses dies on the Mountain Nebo      

Main themes:

Seriousness of sin – Ch. 4:1-6, Ch. 27:9-26

Godly leaders – ch. 17 – 18

Succession of power – ch. 31 – 33

Israel as a beloved nation – 4:7-8; Ch. 7

Relationship with the neighboring nations – 16:9-12  

Main Characters: Moses, Joshua, 12 tribes of Israel, King Sihon of Heshbon, King Og of Bashan. 

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Blessing of 12 tribes (33) – Genesis 49, Rev. 7

The reason for Moses’s death (1:37; 3:26; 4:21-22) – Numbers 13-14, 20

Rules for a king (17:14-17) – 1 Kings 10:14 – 11:8

New prophet like Moses (18:15-22) – Structure of the Gospel of Matthew

Lutheran teaching:

Teaching of the people of God and – particularly – young generation the articles of faith is based on Deut. 6:7 (SC, Pref:6-7; LC, I:61, III:79).

The Ten Commandments (both Ex. 20 and Deut. 5) – SC, I and LC, I

The doctrine of the Third use of the Law is drown from the Book and supported by Deut. 12 (FC, SD, VI:20).   

Lutheran hymnody:     

LSB 581 – These are the Holy Ten Commandments

LSB 814 – O Bless the Lord, My soul (stanza 6)

Relevancy of the Book:

Reading the Book of Deuteronomy, we see the rules and regulations that people of Israel should follow upon their entrance into the Land. Many places in the New Testament show that in Christ we reached the Promised Land. Therefore, many of these rules and regulations, commandments and testaments can/should be a helpful guiding line for the life of a Christian.

Notice also that Jesus, being in the wilderness (Lk. 4:1-13), uses the words of Deuteronomy only: Deut. 8:3; Deut. 6:13, 16. Jesus shows us an example how to engage properly into a spiritual warfare – using the Word of God that teaches us the great doctrines of God’s love.         

Memory verses:

6:4-9 Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house on your gates.

Overview of the Bible: Numbers

 Book of Numbers

Title: Numbers – numbering the people in the wilderness,

Hebrew: B’midbar – in the wilderness (cp. Is. 40:3, Mt. 3:3, 4:1-11).

Date of writing: around 1406 BC

Date of Narrative: 1446 – 1406 BC

Structure:

A. 1 – 10:10, Census and Arrangement of the Camp 

  B. 10:11-36, Israel leaves Sinai

    C. 11 – 14, Bad leadership at the entrance into the land

      D. 15:1-36, Rules of proper conduct

        E. 15:37-41, A sign of royal priesthood

          F. 16, Rebellion of Korah (attempted power grab)

          F’. 17, Aaron’s rod blossoms (God’s answer to the attempt)

        E’. 18, Duties of Priests and Levites

      D’. 19, Rules of proper purification      

    C’. 20 – 21, Old leaders die

  B’. 22 – 25, Unfaithfulness at Moab

A’. 26 – 36, New census and arrangements in the Land

Main themes:

The presence of God in the midst of the structured and numbered encampment turned the people of God into His army (cp. Is.6:3). This will develop into the theology of Church Militant (cp. Mt. 16:18; Rev. 7).

Faithfulness and unfaithfulness of the leaders and the people (cp. Deut).

Centrality of God’s provision and redemptive grace regardless of the unfaithfulness of men.

Important role of women in the Israeli society.   

Main Characters: Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Joshua and Kaleb, Korah, Balak and Balaam, Eleazar and Phinehas, Daughters of Zelophehad, Tribes of Reuben, Gad and a half of Manasseh (trans-Jordan settlement).  

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Numbering the tribes has celestial meaning (f.ex. 1:36-37) as Gen. 5 (:23-24), the theme of people as lights.

God has given power and authority to the people in the ministry – Korah’s rebellion vs. Psalms of the sons Korah; John 20:19-23 and Acts 6.

The unity of “distant” tribes – Joshua 22 (:10-34).

Supremacy of the Word over the feelings/inclinations of the heart (15:37-31) – Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:13-25; Heb. 5:11-14.

Lutheran teaching:

The proper relationship between the Nazirites and monastic vows – Ap. XXVII (XIII):58.

An example of typology of Christ-centered worship is found in the three-folded rite of daily offering, Num. 28:4-8 – Ap. XXIV (XII):36-37.

Christian oath as a proper use of God’s name: Num 30:2 – LC, I:64.

Lutheran hymnody:   

The Aaronic blessing is found in Num. 6:22-27

LSB 837 – Lift High the Cross (Num. 21:4-9 to John 3:14)

Relevancy of the Book:

The Book of Numbers shows that God takes the sin of disobedience very seriously, especially done by the leaders (priests and/or princes). Yet, regardless of people’s disobedience God will execute/complete His plans.  

Memory verses:

15:15, For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the LORD. 

Overview of the Bible: Leviticus

 Overview of the Bible: Book of Leviticus

Title: Leviticus – the book about “Levites”, the servicemen of God.

Hebrew: Va’-yikra’ – “And called” 

Date of writing: 1446 – 1444 BC (mostly dictated to Moses)

Date of Narrative: 1446 – 1444 BC (Tent of meeting – not Tabernacle)

Structure:

A. 1 – 7, Sacrifices – Holy rights of God

  B. 8-10, Priests - Holy people of God, and story inserted (ch. 10)

    C. 11 – 15, Clean-unclean

      D. 16, Day of coverings

    C’. 17 – 22, Holy-profane (Code of holiness)

  B’. 23 – 25:22, Calendar – Holy days of God, and story inserted (24:10-16)

A’. 25:23 – 27, Proper rights for men: redemption, obedience, and vows     

Main themes:

Closeness to God (Lev. 1 – 3)

Holiness of God and how it should be reflected in/by His people (Lev. 19:2)

The ways that priests mediate between God and the people.  

Main Characters:

Moses, Aaron, their sons – Nadab, Abihu, and Eleazar and Ithamar   

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Leviticus 1 – 16 follows the Narrative of Gen. 1 – 4. 

Any part of the Bible that mentions the sacrifices, feasts, vows etc. (f. ex. Ps. 51:16-17; 56:11-12; Mic. 6-6-8; John 2 and 7; Acts 2).   

Lev. 16 is an important background from interpretation of Luke 15 – drawing near (v. 1), animals of the feast (v. 27-29).

Correlation of Leviticus 23 with the Book of Revelation:

	Feast	Lev. 23	Revelation	Theme
1.	Sabbath	:3	1	Lord’s day
2.	Passover	:4-8	2-3	Judgement and salvation
3.	First fruits	:9-14	4-5	Christ’s Ascension (Waving)
4.	Pentecost	:15-22	6-7	Seals of the Book (the Word)
5.	Trumpets	:23-25	8-14	Trumpets
6.	Atonement	:26-32	15-19:10	Chalices of wrath
7.	Tabernacles	:33-44	19:11-22:21	New World

 

Lutheran teaching:  

Eucharistic services are sacrifices of praise (Ap. XXIV (XII): 25) – based on Lev. 3 and 7.

Lutheran liturgy has three main parts (Confession-Burnt offering + Service of the Word-Grain offering + Service of the Sacrament-Peace offering) following the pattern of Lev. 1 – 3.

Relevancy of the Book:

The Book of Leviticus tells us that God pays very close attention to the worship. The primary purpose of the worship is not for us to feel good, but for us to give glory to God the way He likes (1 Cor. 14:40).

The Book of Leviticus shows that someone must die for a sin. The sacrificial system shows that sins can not be simply excused – the sins should be atoned for (Rom. 6:23). Therefore, any sacrifice – one way or another – points to the ultimate atonement that the world experienced in Jesus the Messiah (2 Cor. 5:19).     

Memory verses:

19:1-2, And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, you [plural] shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”.

Overview of the Bible: Exodus

 

Overview of the Bible: Book of Exodus

Title: English: Exodus – leaving of Egypt          Hebrew: Sh’mot – the names (of)  

Date of writing: 1446 – 1406 BC

Date of Narrative: about 1600 – 1444 BC

Structure: Following structure adapted from Keil and Delitzsch [K&D] I:416-417

	Part I 1:1 – 15:21	Part II
1	Israel in Egypt, 1 – 2	March from the Red Sea to mountain Sinai, 15:22 – 17:7
2	Call of Moses, 3 – 4	Gentiles: Amalek (enemy) and Jethro (friend), 17:8 – 18
3	Mission of Moses to Pharaoh, 5 – 7:7	Establishment of the Covenant, 19 – 24:11
4	Negotiations between Moses and Pharaoh, 7:8 – 11	Arrangement of the Sanctuary – Tabernacle, 24:12 – 31
5	Consecration of Israel as the covenant nation	The rebellion of Israelites and the renewal, 32 – 34
6	Exodus of Israel, 12 – 13:16	The building of the Tabernacle, 35 - 39
7	Passage of Israel through the Red sea, 13:17 – 15:21	Consecration of the Tabernacle, 40

1. A. 1 – 6, Preparation of Israel for Exodus

2.  B. 7 – 10, 9 plagues

3.    C. 11 – 18, Exodus and arrival to Sinai

4.       D. 19 – 24, Covenant 

5.    C’. 25 – 31, Plan for Tabernacle

6.   B’. 32 – 34, Golden calf

7. A’. 35 – 40, Building and consecration of the Sanctuary

Main themes:

* Life under pressure, ch. 1-2

* Faithfulness of God, ch. 2:24 – 4 (2:24 to 3:6)

* Sanctuary, ch. 25 – 40; the setting undergoes three stages: forming (25-31), filling (35-39), “lighting”/glorification (40).  

* Both Tabernacle and the desert are the reflections on the Firmament (2 day of Creation motive)   

Main Characters:

Pharaoh(s), Moses, Aaron, people of Israel - Shiphrah and Puah (ch. 1), Jethro    

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Exodus as a theme – Ps. 90, 106, Lk. 9:30 (ESV “departure”, Greek “exodus”)

Songs of Moses and Israel – Num. 21:16-18; Deut. 32; Rev. 15:3-4

Sanctuary – 1 Kings 6 – 8, The structure of John   

Lutheran teaching:

Sacraments: [Private] Confession – Smalcald Articles, 3:VIII, based on Ex. 3:2-15  

The Law of God – Small and Large Catechism, part I, based on Ex. 20

Theology of worship – Ap. of Augsburg Conf., XXIV (XII):35, based on Ex. 29:38-39 

Lutheran hymnody:   

Ex. 3-4 & 33-34 – Swiftly pass the Clouds of Glory (LSB, 416)

Ex. 12:5 – A Lamb goes Uncomplaining Forth (LBS, 438)  

Relevancy of the Book:

The Book of Exodus tells us that God is faithful always – when the people of God undergo suffering, He sends His servants to support them and resist the evil.

Also, the structure of traditional church buildings follows/resembles the structure of the Tabernacle (Ch. 25 – 31).   

Memory verses:

3:14-15 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” And He said, “Say this to the people of Israel, I AM sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

15:11 Who is like you, o LORD, among the gods? Who is like, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?