5: How to Read Old Testament History

LHIM Classes

5: How to Read Old Testament History

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Lesson 5 Notes

Old Testament history includes the following books:

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. 1 Samuel
10. 2 Samuel
11. 1 Kings
12. 2 Kings
13. 1 Chronicles
14. 2 Chronicles
15. Ezra
16. Nehemiah
17. Esther

Chronology of major OT events:

1. Creation and Eden
2. Rebellions and Consequences
3. Abraham & Sarah & Descendants
4. Sojourning in Egypt
5. 10 Plagues and Exodus
6. Receiving Torah at Mount Sinai
7. 40 Years of Wandering
8. Entering the Promised Land
9. Judges
10. Samuel (Hinge of History)
11. Kings of the United Kingdom
12. Succession of the Northern Tribes
13. Assyrian Deportation of Israel
14. Babylonian Deportation of Judah
15.  70 Year Exile
16.  Return from Exile

Cultural backgrounds:

• Pre-flood
• Patriarchs
• Egypt
• Tribes (Judges 17:6)
• Monarchy
• Empires

Their History vs. Our History:

• Real Events
• Ancient Historiography
• Biased but Honest
• Genealogies
• Etiologies

The Name of God:

• God’s Name is יְהוָה
• Hebrew Letters: yod hey vav hey (YHVH)
• Pronounced “Yahweh”
• Typically translated “the LORD”
• God’s proper name (Ex 20:2-3)
• “Lord GOD” = “Lord Yahweh” (Ezek 3:11)

Parallels

• Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
• Chronicles and Kings
• Prophets sometimes rehearse historical overview (Daniel 9:4-19; Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah 9:6-37)
• Assyrian threat to Jerusalem triply attested (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chron 32; Is 36-37)

Value of reading OT history

• Sacred history
• Your history
• Hones moral intuitions
• Necessary background

Review:

• Read OT history asking the question, “What does this tell me about God?”
• OT history serves as the backbone of the entire OT. Getting your bearings amid the chronology of major events will help you understand the rest.
• When you encounter “the LORD” or “GOD”, substitute in “Yahweh”, God’s personal name.
• Since the OT covers thousands of years, it’s helpful to determine the cultural background for the time period you’re reading.
• It’s fine to skim or even skip genealogies, though they do have value in establishing legitimacy in their culture.
• OT history is not objective or as concerned with precision as our modern history books.
• Names of individuals and places bespeak the parents’ faith in God, a historical event, or a play on words.
• Reading OT history influences your moral intuitions as you encounter positive and negative examples.