Overview of the Bible: Job

 

Book of Job    

Title: Job – “persecuted one”

Date of writing: Patriarchal times, period of Solomon, prior to the Exile.  

Date of Narrative: Either patriarchal times, or times of the period of kings. 

Structure:

a. 1 – 2, Job un-created (formless, empty, dark)

  b. 3, Job curses his beginning

    c. 4 – 26, Job and three “friends”

      d. 27 – 31, Wisdom above the earth

    c’. 32 – 37, Job and Elihu

  b’. 38 – 42:6, God “breaths” a new life into Job

a’. 42:7-17, Job re-created (formed, filled, glorified)

Main themes:

As usual – struggles of life of an individual are picked as the main theme. But…

Challenges of leadership. Who is Job? And term “friend”.

Scapegoat theology and sociological functions.

Living by faith – the dialog between satan and God is hidden from Job during the whole time. He – Job – needs to operate based on what he believes, and not what he sees. (2 Cor. 5:7)

Main Characters: The LORD, sons of God and satan, Job, his wife, his children (boys and girls), his friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, Elihu.

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

The answer of the LORD (38-39) is built upon the theology of creation.

Prophet Ezekiel (14:14,20) mentions Job as a righteous man in the context of the speeches against Jerusalem (14:12-23). Which means that the story of Job was well known prior to the destruction of Jerusalem.

James (5:11) brings up the example of Job as a steadfast man in the midst of the suffering.    

The idea of doubling. At the end of the story all the “stuff” is doubled, the number of children stays the same though (cp. 1:2-3 and 42:12-13). Jesus uses the same principal in the parable of talents (Mt. 25:14-30). Yet, it should not be applied woodenly as a health/wealth theology.   

Lutheran teaching:

Apology of Augsburg Confession V(III):77/198 teaches that the godly person should learn to seek God’s will rather than the rewards: “This can be seen with Job, Christ, and other saints…”

Formula of Concord, Epitome I:10 affirms that the human created nature and the nature corrupted by the original sin can be separated only by God, and only after/through death in the blessed resurrection (Job. 19:26-27).  

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 461 – I know that my Redeemer lives.

Relevancy of the Book:

All of us have a fare share of troubles, losses, and rejections. The Book of Job is a sobering reminder that the life on earth is not an ideal – paradise-like – place. We keep our hopes and expectations high for the time when all fears, anxieties, and pains will be gone. While we are here, we can learn from the steadfast Job whose life and experience point to the ultimate rejection, betrayal, and death of Jesus by His friends, community, and the world.  

The book also teaches an important lesson against heath/wealth theology – Job did not “deserve” the pains and turmoil he went through. Then we see ourselves or our friends experiencing the hardship of life we need “to weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12:15b), not engaging ourselves into a quest of looking for a hidden sin.          

Memory verses:  

19:25-26 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth/dust. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God” 

Overview of the Bible: Psalms

 Psalms  

Title: Psalms - from Greek, usually translated as “instrumental music”. Hebrew – Tehilim – praises (though more than 30% of psalms are the psalms of sorrow and distress).    

Date of writing: goes between 1450 BC to 586-536 BC

Authors: from Moses to David, sons of Korah, Asaph and others   

Structure: Five books

Book I: 1 – 41 [41:13] (9+10 and 32+33) = 39 total = 22+17

Book II: 42 – 72 [72:18-19, 20] (42+43) = 29 total = 12+17

Book III: 73 – 89 = 17

Book IV: 90 – 106 = 17

Book V: 107 – 150 = 44 = 22+22

22 – number of the letters in Hebrew Alphabet (cp. Ps 111, 112, 119)

17 – number related to the nations of the world

12 – tribes of Israel     

Main themes: First two psalms lay out the landscape of the psalter: the word of God, ways of righteousness and wickedness, God’s creation as an image and reflection of life, spiritual warfare – distress and victories, worship of the Son, surrender of the earthly authorities to the King of kings.      

Main Characters: godly man, Son of God, wicked ones, stars, trees, rocks, Levites.    

Reflection in other parts of the Bible: Singing hymns on semi-regular basis became a part of Israel’s life during exodus – Ex. 15, Num. 21, Deut. 32 and 33. But, overall, the worship was “silent”, we have prescribed ritual, but not a prescribed “liturgy”. Only with the coming of king David we get “songs”. Interesting to see this development in the Book of Revelation ch. 4 the throne is empty; therefore, four living creatures say the words of Holy, holy, holy (4:8). Then in ch. 5 we see the ascension on the throne of Lion-Lamb – then the four living creatures and the elders immediately begin to sing (5:9-10).   

The Book of Psalms is the most quoted OT book n the New Testament. The liturgical usage of psalms made it very familiar for the people of God. Lex orandi – lex credendi.

Lutheran teaching: The Book of Psalms holds one of the longest list of quotations in the Book of Concord (the Confessions of the Lutheran Church). Therefore, I’ll point out only a few themes: godly rulers, human bodies as God’s creation.

Reflecting on the Ps. 2:10 A treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope states: the chief members of the Church, the kings and princes, should especially guard the interest of the Church [54]. This statement anole shows that the relationship between the civil and spiritual authorities is more complicated than a simple “separation of the church and state”.  

Based on the creation of any human (139:14-16) Formula of Concord states: Scripture testifies that God has created human nature not only before the fall, but that it is God’s creature and work also since the fall (SD, I:34-36).   

NB: the first lectures of Luther on the Bible were not lectures on Romans and Galatians, but the lectures on Psalms (1512,13 – 1515), discovering the Gospel.  

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 656, 657 – A Mighty Fortress is our God. 

LSB 709 – The King of Love My Shepherd is. 

Relevancy of the Book: Epistles of Paul (Eph. 5:18-19; Col.3:16) teach that it is important to sing psalms to overcome the spiritual, emotional, and communal struggles. The “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” – are types that can be found in the inscription of the psalms.

Peter (Acts 2:34-35) and the author of the Letter to Hebrews (1:13; 5:5,6) base their Christology on psalms – especially Ps. 2 and 110.     

Memory verses:

1:1-2: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, not stands in the way of the sinners, not sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law (Torah, teaching) of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

119:105: Your word is a lamp to feet and a light to my path.

Overview of the Bible: 1-2 Samuel

1-2 Samuel  

Title: 1-2 Samuel – named after one of the prophets during the reign of David, 1 and 2 are not different books – two parts,   

Date of writing: completed by about 950 BC 

Date of Narrative: ab. 1150 – 950 BC

Structure: from Peter J. Leithart, A Son to Me, p. 31.  

a. 1:1 – 2:11, birth of Samuel + song (2:1-10)

 b. 2:12 – 3:21, the corruption of Eli’s house 

  c. 4:1 – 7:17, exile and return of the Ark

   d. 8:1 – 12:25, Saul’s rise

    e. 13:1 – 15:33, Saul’s fall

     f. 15:34 – 20:42, David in Saul’s (king’s) house

      g. 21:1 – 27:12, Saul vs. David

       h. 28:1 – 2 Sam. 1:27, Saul’s death (song of lament)

      g’. 2:1 – 4:12, house of Saul vs. house of David

     f’. 5:1 – 9:13, David as king

    e’. 10:1 – 12:31, David’s fall

   d’. 13:1 – 15:12, Absalom’s rise

  c’. 15:13 – 19:43, exile and return of David

 b’. 20:1-26, Rebellion of Sheba

a’. 21:1 – 24:25, the True King + song (22:1 – 23:7)

Main themes:

House – there is symbolic play of words, the word “beit” in Hebrew can be translated as a building, house, family/clan, and house of the LORD is temple. 

Building the Davidic dynasty that will lead to the ascension of the Son of David to the eternal throne to rule the world. It begins with the conquering the Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:6-10) and goes ‘till the Descension of Heavenly Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22). 

The raising up the next generations: we continually see the leaders and their sons (good and bad). 

Main Characters: Hannah, Eli and his sons, Samuel and his sons, Saul and his sons, David and his sons, Joab, Nathan, Jedidiah  

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

1-2 Samuel in many ways resonates with the Book of Exodus: Israel goes through a troublesome time, the birth of a special child, who will lead the people into the new world, building of the house of God.

The life of “good” Saul resembles the characteristics of Gideon (Judges 6-7).

There are also some connections between the lives of David and Jacob (Gen. 25 – 27). 

Lutheran teaching:

LC I:45-46 explaining the First Commandment builds up on the example of both Saul and David and inability of Saul’s unrepentant heart to keep his priorities straight and deviated from the truth without repentance.

Ap. XIIa(V):36 brings up the difference between of contrition of Saul and Judas (without faith) and true repentance of David and Peter (faith grasps the forgiveness of sins, given as a gift for Christ’s sake).    

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 928 – Song of Hannah                             LSB 442 – All Glory, Laud, and Honor

Relevancy of the Book:

The book teaches us that God cares for His people. In the midst of their troubles, He sends or appoints a leader who will lead people into the place or time of rest.

On the other hand, 1-2 Samuel gives a sobering example on being a godly leader. We see time and time again how the godly leaders fall, being caught into the web of sin (pride, infidelity etc.). Yet, the LORD provides the way out through confession and absolution, contrition, and restoration.     

Memory verses:  

1 Sam. 16:7: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his statue, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

2 Sam. 7:13-14a: He (son of David) shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.    

Luke 10 - 11

 

Structure of Luke 10:25 – 11-54

a. 10:25-28, lawyer

  b. 10:29-37, Samaritan, “foreigner”

    c. 10:38-42, Martha and Mary – women

      d. 11:1-13, Prayer

      d’. 11:14-26, unclean spirit

    c’. 11:27-28, woman

  b’. 11:29-36, Jonah – “foreigner”

a’. 11:37-54, Pharisees and lawyers

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.