Hi Everyone!
Today, we will be looking at the Bible from a Legal point of view, in that we will be looking at the original languages of the Old and New Testaments, the Hebrew, the Aramaic, and the Greek languages, which were the inspired Word of God.
The Bible, as we have it today, consists of 66 separate books penned by over 40 Holy Spirit inspired authors over a period of several thousand years. The Old Testament (Covenant) consists of 39 Books, which were originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic and then ultimately translated into Greek, known as The Greek Septuagint Version of the Bible, of which Jesus, His Disciples and Apostles, quoted from in the New Testament. The New Testament (Covenant) consists of 27 Books, which were originally written in Greek. Greek is probably the most precise language known to mankind and it is very specific.
Most Protestant Bibles consist of a Masoretic Hebrew Text Old Testament and a Greek New Testament. The two do NOT correspond one to another. However, the Greek New Testament DOES match with the Greek Septuagint, to the point that there is direct quoting from each text.
As such, I will be using the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament, the King James Version, and the Aramaic New Testament. Also, I will be using Halley’s Bible Handbook by Henry H. Halley, Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps & Charts, The Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald, and The Student Bible Dictionary by Karen Dockery, et al. for the majority of this sermon series on the Bible.
Also, the Old Covenant (Testament) was a Covenant between Father YAHWEH and Israel. According to Jeremiah 31:31 – 32, “Behold the days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will make a New Covenant (Testament) with the House of Israel and the House of Judah. Not according to the Covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. Because they did not abide by this Covenant of Mine, therefore I took no care of them.”
The New Covenant (Testament) was made with the same groups of People. According to Hebrews 8:8 – 11, “For finding fault with them , He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah: not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in My Covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put My Laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: : and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know Me, from the least to the greatest.”
And remember what the Apostle Paul admonishes in First Corinthians 10:11 which states, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples): and they are written (The Bible) for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world (age) are come.” So, what the Apostle Paul is saying is that the Bible was written as an example and an admonition to all of us today – even the Old Testament! So, let’s delve into Part 1 of the Old Testament, in which we will cover the Torah, the Historical Books, and the Poetical Books.
The first five Books of the Old Testament are known as the Torah, and they are:
Genesis is the first Book in the Bible, which means “beginnings,” is a history book about Creation, the Adamic Race and the Fall in the Garden of Eden, the genealogy of Adam to Noah and the flood, then the history of Abraham, Isaac (the chosen seed), and Jacob/Israel and his 12 sons, who became the Patriarchs of Israel. Jacob/Israel moved from Canaan to the land of Goshen in Egypt under the guidance of Joseph, 2nd only to Pharaoh, where they multiplied into a multitude, and then went into bondage, under a Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph.
In Genesis, we see Father YAHWEH make Covenants with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, and the Nation of Israel. This requires in-depth study, and we do not have the time to discuss the Covenants in detail here.
Genesis is also a Book of Prophecy, which is basically history written in advance. For example, in Genesis 48, Jacob/Israel, who is basically near death, adopts both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, and blesses them by putting his name on them, Israel, and blessing them with all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and himself. Thus, they are included as part of the 12 Tribes of Israel. After this, Genesis 49:1 states, “Then Jacob called his sons and said to them, Assemble that I may tell you what will happen to you in the latter days.” Jacob/Israel blesses all 12 of the Patriarchs, while giving Joseph a double portion and Judah being the Royal Line. Remember, Jacob/Israel said that these were End Time Prophecies for the 12 Tribes of Israel.
Exodus is the history of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity and to the Promised Land, over a 40-year period. It is during this period where YAHWEH marries Israel at Mount Sinai and gives Israel its marriage vows, known as the Ten Commandments, thus giving birth to the Nation of Israel, thus making it a Theocracy ruled by YAHWEH. It is also in this Book in which we find the building of the Tabernacle.
Leviticus outlines the duties of the Levitical Priesthood and guidelines for the sacrificial system, purification, and the Feasts of Israel. The Levites were a Priesthood, which consisted of Aaron and his descendants. The Levites did not receive a territorial inheritance but were allowed to live in 48 cities. They performed their duties in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. The received support from the tithes and offerings given by the Israelites that they were commanded to do according to YAHWEH’s Law. This is the Book of the Law of YAHWEH.
Numbers contains the census of the Tribes of Israel, their wilderness wanderings, the murmurings of the people, the Levitical and other Laws, along with the preparation for the conquest of the Promised Land of Canaan.
Deuteronomy, which means The Second Law, reviews and explains YAHWEH’s work with His people, Israel, and encourages their renewed commitment to Him. In Deuteronomy 28, we find the Blessings for following YAHWEH’s Laws in verses 1-14, and we find the Cursings for disobeying YAHWEH’s Laws in verses 15-68. (As a side note, we are under these Cursings today as a result of our national and personal sins, and the rejection of His Laws.) Further, we see Moses commissioning Joshua as Israel’s next leader, the division of the land of Canaan for an inheritance to the 12 Tribes of Israel, as well as the death of Moses.
The Torah is followed by the 12 Historical Books, which are divided by two major events in Israel’s history: The Assyrian Captivity and Deportation of the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel, known as The House of Israel, from 745 to 676 B.C. (never to return to the Land of Palestine again) and the Babylonian Captivity of the 2 Southern Tribes of Judah, known as The House of Judah, from 606 to 586 B.C. of which only 42,000+ returned while the rest remained in Babylon.
Joshua’s name means “YAHWEH is Salvation.” Under the leadership of Joshua, during the three major military campaigns, the Israelites learned a crucial lesson in that victory comes through faith in YAHWEH and obedience to His Word, rather than through numerical or military superiority. The Book of Joshua is divided into two principal sections: Chapters 1 through 12 record the Conquest of Canaan which took 7 years; and Chapters 13 through 24 describe the assignment of tribal territories and the settlement of the tribes throughout the Promised Land which took 8 years. Nine and a half tribes were settled West of the Jordan River, while the remaining two and a half tribes settled East of the Jordan River. Joshua established six Cities of Refuge throughout Israel to provide a haven for people who killed other people by accident. In the last two chapters, Joshua gives his farewell address wherein he calls the people to absolute faithfulness to YAHWEH and renews their Covenant with them.
Judges deals with the history of the Israelites from the time of Joshua to the time of Samuel – the Time of the Judges. Basically, the Israelites served and obeyed YAHWEH until Joshua died. Then, another generation grew up who knew not YAHWEH and the works that He had done for Israel. As a result of this, the Book of Judges chronicles the repetitive cycle of Israel following YAHWEH, then falling away from (sinning against) Him and thus being judged by YAHWEH and therefore going into captivity, only for the Israelites to repent and be saved by YAHWEH. This cycle of events happened 13 times!
The lesson learned here is to follow YAHWEH and if you sin, immediately repent of it, because sin brings death! According to Romans 5:12-14, “Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so, death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: For until the LAW, sin was in the world: but sin in not imputed when there is no LAW. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of Him (Jesus Christ) that was to come.” So, the LAW, when affirmed at Mt. Sinai by YAHWEH and ISRAEL, defined sin and brought forth the death penalty, from which we are redeemed by the once and for all perfect sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ at Calvary. According to First John 3:4, “Whosever committeth sin transgesseth also the LAW: for sin is the transgression of the LAW.” Sin is perfectly defined as transgression of The Law. Whose Law? YAHWEH LAW as found in His Word!
The LAW was given to ISRAEL as an example to all the nations, so that IF Israel obeyed YAHWEH’s Law, then He blessed them. On the other hand, IF Israel disobeyed YAHWEH’s Law, then He cursed them. Very simple. Ultimately, Israel was to be a beacon of YAHWEH’s light to the nations, and if they obeyed YAHWEH’s Laws, they too would be blessed and vice-versa!
Ruth, which takes place during the Judges, is an example of the Kinsman Redeemer (Next of Kin) Law as found in Leviticus 25:25 which states, “And if thy brother who is with thee become poor and sell any part of his possession; when he who is next of kin to him cometh, he shall redeem what his brother hath sold.” The whole chapter of Leviticus 25 deals with the Law of Redemption and the Year of Jubilee. In order to be a Kinsman-Redeemer, one had: (1) to be a blood relative; (2) to have the necessary resources; and (3) had to be willing to buy (redeem) his brother, etc.
In the Book of Ruth, we find Ruth, who was an Israelite living in the land of Moab; hence she was referred to as a “Moabitess,” was redeemed by her next of kin, Boaz, and they were married. As a result, Ruth gave birth to Jesse, who was the father of King David. So, that makes Boaz and Ruth, King David’s Grandfather and Grandmother.
After the Books of The Judges and Ruth, are the records of the Kingdom of Israel itself.
First and Second Samuel are named after the prophet, Samuel, the last of the Judges. In the Septuagint Version, they are known as First and Second Kings. First Samuel chronicles Samuel’s life and death and King Saul’s life and death and introduces us to David. It documents the change in Israel from the rule by The Judges to the rule by Kings – Israel rejected their rule by YAHWEH. It emphasizes faithfulness to YAHWEH, no matter who rules. Second Samuel begins with King David’s anointing as King and includes most of his reign over Israel. The theme of both books is that faithfulness to YAHWEH brings success and disobedience brings disaster.
The first three Kings of Israel reigned 40 years each. King Saul was deposed by YAHWEH and killed in battle. King David, a man after YAHEH’s own heart, lived a long life, and YAHWEH made a permanent Covenant with him, that there would always be a man on his throne. King Solomon, David’s son, was the wisest man on the earth at that time and built YAHWEH’s Temple. However, according to First Kings 11:3, King Solomon had disobeyed YAHWEH and had married 700 foreign wives and had 300 concubines. The problem laid in the worshiping of foreign gods by his foreign wives, which YAHWEH had strictly forbidden. As a result, Solomon started worshiping the gods of Canaan, for example, Ashtaroth, Marduk, and Remphan. Because of this, YAHWEH took the Kingdom away from him and divided the nation of Israel into two: The Northern 10 Tribed House of Israel which was ruled by 19 Kings before going into captivity and ultimately dispersed by the Assyrians – never to return to the land, and the Southern 2 Tribed House of Judah which was ruled by 20 Kings before going into a 70-year captivity by the Babylonians. After this captivity, only 42,000+ Judahites returned to the land.
First and Second Kings, also known as Third and Fourth Kings in the Septuagint, cover the last days of King David through the division of the Kingdom of Israel after the reign of King Solomon into two different nations because of their sins, but especially idolatry: The Northern House of Israel (10 Tribes) and the Southern House of Judah (2 Tribes). Because of the sin of adultery against YAHWEH, the House of Israel was taken and captured by the Assyrians through 4 deportations: 745 B.C. and 741 B.C. under Emperor Tiglath-pileser, 721 B.C. under Emperor Shalmaneser (Sargon), and 676 B.C. under Esar-Haddon, in which 200 walled villages of the Southern House of Judah were taken as well. The House of Israel, according to YAHWEH, would NEVER return to the land of Palestine. On the other hand, what was left of the House of Judah was taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from 606-586 B.C. After the 70 years of judgment as pronounced by YAHWEH, according to Ezra 2:64, only 42,360 Judahites plus 7,373 men and maid servants came back into the land of Palestine; the rest remained in Babylon, where it was very comfortable for them to live.
First and Second Chronicles are a record of Israel’s family history. These books retell, from a different perspective, events recorded in the Books of Samuel and Kings. These books emphasize the faithfulness and greatness of YAHWEH as He uses events of history to work out His purpose. The Books also emphasize the importance of demonstrating one’s identity as a person of YAHWEH. The purposes of these Books are to show that YAHWEH still keeps His promises to His people in spite of disasters and to show the origin of the worship of YAHWEH in the Temple at Jerusalem. You will note that this is a continuation of the chronologies found throughout the Old Testament.
The major promise by YAHWEH to His People is found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 which states, “When My People, who are called by My name (1) humble themselves, and (2) pray to Me and (3) seek My favor, and (4) turn from their evil ways, (1) I will hear from heaven and (2) forgive their sins, and (3) heal their land.” That is what we all need to do on a national level as well as a personal level!
Ezra, who was an Israelite priest and scribe, describes the return of Judahite exiles from Babylon, where they had been held captive. Ezra documents the rebuilding of life and worship in Jerusalem. A first group of exiles, who returned under Cyrus the Persian Emperor, rebuilt and dedicated the Temple in Jerusalem. Other groups returned later, including a group under Artaxerxes II led by Ezra. Ezra helped them reorganize their religious and social life in a way that expressed their spiritual heritage.
Nehemiah tells of Nehemiah’s return to Jerusalem, his leadership in the rebuilding of the city walls, the dedication of the walls, and other reforms that he carried out. Nehemiah had the LAW and read it to the people and recounted to them their history with YAHWEH. As a result of this, the people of Judah made a Covenant with YAHWEH to follow His Laws.
The Book of Esther is a bit of a conundrum in that it is the only Book in the Bible which does not have the name of YAHWEH in it, with some scholars believing that it was not a part of the original manuscripts. Also, the Laws of the Medes and Persians, once written and signed, were permanent; whereas, in this Book, we see that “Artaxeres” changed his law every time Esther made a request of him. That was against the Law of the Medes and Persians. With that being said, this Book describes the events leading up to and the meaning of the “Jewish” feast day of Purim. This is not one of the 7 Feasts of YAHWEH. Another point to consider.
Which brings us to the five Books of Poetry – Job, which is the oldest Book in the Bible, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and The Song of Solomon.
Job, which is the oldest Book in the Bible, was the perfect example of what a true believer in the Almighty should be. Job focuses on YAHWEH’s arrangement with Satan concerning Job, Job’s many trials and sufferings, the responses of his wife and friends, and Job’s steadfastness toward YAHWEH. YAHWEH’s presence, not answers to questions, proved to be what Job needed, just like us today!
The main verses and attitude that we all should have, can be found in Job 1:21 which states, “The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed by the name of the LORD,” and in Job 28:28 which states, “The fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.” This is very wise counsel!
The Book of Psalms, which consists of 150 Psalms (five for each day of the month), was written by many different Israelites. 73 were written by King David, 12 were written by Asaph, one of David’s chief musicians; 10 were written by the Sons of Korah; 2 were written by Solomon; 1 is entitled “a Prayer of Moses, the man of God;” 1 by Heman and 1 by Ethan (both sages); and the remaining 50 Psalms are anonymous.
The Psalms can be divided into 5 groups: Book 1 (Psalms 1-41); Book 2 (Psalms 52-72); Book 3 (Psalms 73-89); Book 4 (Psalms 90-106); and Book 5 (Psalms 107-150). These Psalms were basically the hymnbook of the Nation of Israel, which not only contains beautiful hymns and praise but includes some incredible Messianic and Second Coming prophecies. The Psalms are made up of prayers, praises, and Thanksgiving. In general, most Christians turn to this Book as a Book of Comfort in their time of need.
The summation of the Psalms can be found in Psalm 1, which states, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the LORD; and in His Law doth he mediated day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore, the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Godly righteous people versus ungodly wicked people. Which camp do we want to be in?
The Proverbs, which consists of 31 Proverbs – one for each day of the month, was written by Solomon according to First Kings 4:32 which states, “He (Solomon) uttered 3,000 Parables (Proverbs), and his odes were 5,000.” These Proverbs can be divided into 6 parts:
Chapters 1-7: The simple difference between right and wrong
Chapters 8-9: The wisdom of goodness
Chapters 10-19: The folly of wrongdoing
Chapters 20-29: Various warnings and instructions
Chapter 30: The words of Agur
Chapter 31: The words of King Lemuel – the characteristics of a virtuous woman
Of all the Proverbs written, Chapter 3 is perhaps the most quoted:
Proverbs 3:5-7: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD and depart from evil.”
Ecclesiastes is a Book of wisdom and tells us plainly who the author was according to Chapter 1:1 which states, “The words of the preacher, the son of David, king of Israel in Jerusalem:” Now, we know that David had many sons, however, it was King Solomon who wrote this Book.
The main theme to the Book is found in Ecclesiastes 1:14b which states, “And behold they (all things on earth) are all vanity and vexation of spirit.”
Solomon further states in Chapter 3:1-8, “TIME is for all things: but there is a particular portion of time for every particular affair under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die – a time to plant and time to root up what was planted – a time to kill and a time to heal – a time to pull down and a time to build up – a time to weep and a time to laugh – a time to mourn and a time to dance – a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together – a time to seek and a time to lose – a time to keep and a time to throw away – a time to rend and a time to sew – a time to be silent and a time to speak – a time to love and a time to hate – a time of war and a time of peace.”
Solomon concludes the matter in Ecclesiastes 12:13, “As a conclusion of the discourse, hear thou the whole sum and substance. Fear God and keep His commandments: for this conclusion every man should draw, that God will bring the whole work into judgment in every case not taken notice of, whether it be good or whether it be evil.”
The Song of Songs also known as The Song of Solomon is composed of six love songs from a husband to his wife and a wife to her husband. This book celebrates the love between a married couple. Most Christians also see this Book as representing the strength of the relationship between YAHWEH and His People Israel and/or Jesus Christ and His Church.
This concludes Part 2 of our journey into the Bible. Today, we have covered the Torah, the Historical Books, and the Poetical Books. Next, we will delve into Bible Prophecy with regard to the 16 Prophetical Books of the Old Testament, which are made up of the four Major Prophets and the 12 Minor Prophets.
YAHWEH Bless!
Justin