Introduction To The Ot - Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig
[Introduction to the OT (Bible 1, 2a), 37:02 min.]
Introduction to the Old Testament

The Order of the books of the OT
Yesterday we discussed how Christians divided the bible into two major sections, the
OT and the NT. The old covenant was given at Mt. Sinai and that was the major
event of the OT. This covenant was a two-sided covenant. In it God committed
himself to his people as their holy God and he gave them the divine service. On
Israels side, God gave them the Ten Commandments and Israel, as his holy people,
was to keep those commandments. In that covenant God gave his people limited
access to himself. The priests mediated the peoples access to God. In the New
Covenant God writes his Torah (teaching) in peoples hearts. They all have access to
God. In this covenant everyone knows the Lord, that is, has intimate access to
God. The book of Hebrews uses the Greek word for covenant, but it can also mean
testament, as in will and testament, and Christians , especially at the time of the
reformation, preferred testament. They preferred testament because it emphasized
pure grace. All that the beneficiaries of a testament do is receive what is given to
them.
Now, on to the order of the OT books. The books have been very carefully arranged
in order. The arrangement of books in the English Bible comes from the Septuagint,
the Greek Bible (represented as LXX for the 70 scholars that translated it from
Hebrew). The books to be included in the OT were settled upon in 90 AD. The
English Bible has 4 categories of books:
the Pentateuch (means 5 scrolls),
the Historical books (Joshua to Esther),
Poetic/Wisdom books (Job to Song of Solomon),
and the Prophetic books (5 more scrolls one scroll each for Isaiah,
Jeremiah/Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the minor prophets).
The books in the Hebrew Bible (Masoretic text, MT) are in a different order. It has 3
categories: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. What is the significance of the
two different arrangements? In the Hebrew Bible:
the Law is the same as our Pentateuch.
The Prophets have 6 so-called historical books (the Former Prophets), which
are regarded as prophecy. Then there are the Latter Prophets (Is., Jer., Eze,
and the Twelve).
The Writings include the poetry books plus some surprising books. It starts
with the Psalms, then Proverbs, then Job, then the 5 festive scrolls (read on

liturgical occasions in the synagogue), then Daniel, then Ezra, Nehemiah, and
1 and 2 Chronicles.
We will look at two passages that give the rationale for this 3 part listing.
Jer. 18:18 - Then they said, Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for
the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise , nor the
word from the prophet . Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us
not pay attention to any of his words. This was spoken around 600 BC.
Eze. 7:26 - Disaster comes upon disaster; rumor follows rumor. They seek a
vision from the prophet , while the law perishes from the priest and counsel
from the elders . This says there will be a point where God will stop speaking
his word to his people. This was spoken about the same time as Jeremiah.
These two passages show that around 600 BC it was agreed that God spoke his
Word to them in 3 different ways.
First he spoke his Law (Torah/teaching about worship) through the priests to
the Israelites. This has to do with divine service, worship, liturgy. Moses was
the first teacher of the Torah. He is the father of the Law. The focus here is on
the temple. This has to do with the way God is at work in worship.
Second, counsel or advice was spoken by elders/community leaders. The
most important of these is parents. Wisdom is practical advice. It is counsel
on how to live a good, godly life. The focus here is on the family, which is
extended family. This has to do with the way God is at work in the family and
community.
Third, God speaks his Word through the prophets. Prophets speak or hand on
Gods Word to the people. The prophet receives Gods Word in two ways.
Either a prophet hears God speaking or he sees God speaking (vision). The
focus here is on the whole nation. This has to do with Gods work in the
nation.
The order of importance for the Jewish people was first the Law, then the Prophets,
and then Wisdom. This coincides with the order of the books in the Hebrew Bible.
The order that the books will be discussed in this class will be:
The Pentateuch
The Former Prophets and the Latter Prophets
The Writings
[Introduction to the OT (Bible 1, 2b), 37:14 min.]
In the Greek and English Bibles, the books are arranged by literary category and
then chronologically within category. All parts of the OT are regarded as the
authoritative Word of God. But the OT in the English Bible ends with the prophets.

Why? The prophets look toward the future and the predictive prophecy of the
prophets still needs to be fulfilled. Therefore the arrangement of the books in the
English Bible convey that there is more to come, the Bible is not finished at the end
of the OT. The effect of this arrangement is that it is like the last 10 minutes of a
movie not being shown or the last chapter of a book has been torn out. We dont
know how it ends. (Thankfully God gave us the NT which shows how Jesus fulfilled
the OT.)
Introduction to the Pentateuch

The Five Books of the Pentateuch
In the Hebrew Bible the first five books are called simply The Law or The Law of
Moses. In the Greek Bible it is called the Pentateuch, which means five scrolls. They
did not have paper to write on so they used panels of leather that were stitched
together to make their scrolls. They wrote on them with a quill and a kind of ink. The
Pentateuch is to be taken as one story which has been broken into five scrolls. Jesus
refers to these books as either Moses or The Law.
What is the structure of this book called the Pentateuch? It is one book that tells the
foundational story of Israel (how God created the nation of Israel) and it tells this
story in six stages.
1. Gen. 1 -11: The primeval history of humanity. It tells about the creation of the
world and the human nations. The Bible, as opposed to other religions, says
that humanity is one big family (all nations came from Adam and Eve). And it
says that all of the nations were created by one God (not many gods as the
pagans believed). It also shows that Israel is just one ordinary nation among
the many nations of the human family.
2. Gen. 12 - 50: The history of the patriarchs, the founding fathers and mothers
of Israel. A Jew is a descendant of Abraham and Sarah. A Muslim is a
descendant of Abraham and Hagar through Ishmael. Genesis ends with the
Israelites in Egypt.
3. Ex. 1 19: This tells us about the deliverance of Israel from slavery by God.
4. Ex. 20 40; Lev. 1 27; Num. 1 10: God brings the Israelites to Mt. Sinai
where he makes his covenant with them. In it he commits himself to them
and gives them access to himself in the divine service. And he gives Israel
the Ten Commandments and the other laws that they need to live by as his
holy people.
5. Num. 11 - 36: The journey to the edge of the promised land.
6. Deut. 1 34: Moses farewell speeches to Israel as they camp just outside the
promised land.

There are some strange things about this story. Why does this story about Israel
begin with the creation of the world and Adam and Eve? Why is it that the center of
the story is Gods covenant with them at Mt. Sinai? And why does the story end
before they enter the promised land? Wouldnt you expect the story, where God had
promised the land to Abraham, to end with the entry into the land? It is like the
book is unfinished.
We will look at some of things as we go, but lets look at the ending of it now why
does it end before the entry into the land? One might expect the last book to be the
book of Joshua where they do enter the land. Why doesnt it end there? Most of the
time the identity of a nation is given by its land. For instance, those who live in the
land of the USA are citizens of the USA. Here God is establishing a new nation. But
its identity will not be based primarily on the land. This is a foundational story and a
foundational story tells who you are and why you exist. Israels story says that they
are a holy people, different from all the other nations. God created them from
Abraham, rescued them from Egypt, and made a covenant with them. In that
covenant he gave them the divine service, which gave them access to God.
Because of this access, they can meet with God and share in his holiness and
blessing. This is what makes them his special people. So the focus for Israel is less
about the land and more on the covenant God made with Abraham, the covenant he
made with Israel, and the divine service that he gave them.
So why is the account cut short by the omission of the entry into the land? There
are two reasons.
The land was never fully occupied by the Israelites in their entire history. They lived
in the land, but there were always other people who lived there with them. So
Israels existence as Gods people did not depend on possession of the land. They
were the people of God when the patriarchs wandered without possessing the land.
They were the people of God when they were slaves in Egypt. They were Gods
people as they wandered in the desert. They were Gods people when they went
into exile in Babylon. And they were still the people of God when the Romans
scattered them around the world. Their identity did not depend upon them living in
the land, but rather it depended upon their access to him in the divine service. And
it is the same for all Christians. What makes Israel special then is: (1) the covenant
God made with them and (2) the divine service that he gave them.
The Importance of the Pentateuch
The Pentateuch is the heart and core of the OT. If you want to understand the
prophets and the writings, you have to understand the Pentateuch. The Pentateuch
gives the answer to the question of what makes Israel different from all the other
nations. It explains how they are the people of God.

1. First, God made foundational promises to them in the covenant he made with
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They are Gods people because of Gods Word
and promises.
2. Secondly, they dont make themselves holy. They are made holy by Gods
presence with them at the tabernacle and later at the temple. It is God that
makes and keeps them holy.
3. Thirdly, as his holy people, they have access to God and his blessings by
means of the divine service at the tabernacle.
In summary then, the Pentateuch tells the foundational story of Israel, which tells
them who they are and what God requires of them, their mission in life.
If all of this true, what problem do Jews have today? They have no temple; there is
no Holy of Holies, no altar, no atonement. They have no access to God through the
divine service. Because they have no altar and no sacrifices, they have no
forgiveness and therefore, in Christian terms, they have no absolution. Without
forgiveness there is no direct access to and meeting with God. They have not rebuilt
the temple because God specified exactly where the temple was to be built and the
Muslim mosque, the Dome of the Rock, is built there. (Muslims believe this was the
spot where Mohammed ascended into heaven.) The problem of not having a temple
for the Jews began in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the temple.
[Pentateuch - Genesis (Bible 1, 3a), 44:42 min.]
Introduction to the Book of Genesis

Genesis, the Book of Origins
In the ancient world the title of a book came from the first word of the book. That is
the case for Genesis as well. Genesis is the Greek word that means origin,
generation, genealogy. Your genealogy shows your origin. Genesis is the book of
origins. It is a book about the origin and interrelationship of three things:
1. The origin of the universe and its order, the origin of the cosmos, the seen
world.
2. The origin of the human race and the nations and clusters of nations that
make up the human race.
3. The origin of Israel, the people of God.
Genealogies and the Structure of Genesis

In reading Genesis we need to think in a different way. Here is an example of what I
mean. I introduce myself as John Kleinig. What is the first question they ask me?
They ask, What do you do? But in some societies and in most ancient societies they
ask a different question. They ask, Who is your father? Or Who is your mother? And
where did you come from? These are two different ways of looking at the world:
function versus origin. They both address how you fit into the world. This helps to
explain the structure of Genesis. Genesis has all kinds of genealogies and
genealogies are used throughout the Bible. We tend to be bored by them and skip
them because they are just lists of names. But what is a genealogy and what is the
function of a genealogy? It gives your family tree, your family roots. It tells where
you fit in to the whole picture. We tend to go from ourselves back to our father and
grandfather, a three-stem genealogy, because we are only interested in nuclear
families, not in larger communities.
Outside of modern societies genealogy is of great importance. Why? First of all it
gives people their identity, who they are. Second, it also determines relationships
and who they were connected with. Third, it determines a persons land rights. And
fourth, it determined social status and your job, what you will do in life. Typically, if
your father was a farmer, you would be a farmer. Each generation would teach the
next generation that vocation.
Note that when looking at genealogies, they will often skip generations. This is
typical in genealogies all over the world. Normally you have the following kinds of
genealogies:
Three-stem genealogy person, father, grandfather. Shows your place in the
nuclear family.
Five-stem genealogy goes back five generations to show your place in the
extended family. It might be that there was an important person in your clan,
so in that case you might list yourself, your father, your grandfather, skip
several generations, and then list the important person of your family.
Seven-stem genealogy found in the OT but not often elsewhere. Seven is a
holy and complete number in the Bible.
Ten-stem genealogy shows your place in the big picture. Ten is used
because you have ten fingers which can be used mnemonically. This makes
sense because the OT came out of a society where writing was not the norm.
In that society everything was memorized and passed down orally.
The important thing to remember is that when you beyond three generations you
tend to skip and jump over generations. Beyond three you get the most important
people in your ancestry.
So what does the genealogy of Israel show the people of Israel? It shows who they
are and how they interact with and are related to other people.

Lets
look at the genealogies in Genesis.

First you have the genealogy of the heavens and the earth (Gen. 2:4).
Then you have the genealogy of Adam for 10 generations (Gen. 5:1-32).
Then there is the genealogy of Noah for 1 generation (Gen. 6:9).
Next is the genealogy of Shem (the Semites) for 10 generations (Gen. 11:1026).
The genealogy of Terah, the father of Abraham, for 1 generation (Gen. 11:27).
The generation of Abraham for 1 generation.
The generation of Isaac for 1 generation (Gen. 25:19).
The generation of Jacob for 1 generation (Gen. 37:2) leads to his twelve sons.
To see the function of a genealogy, you must look at the beginning and the end of
the genealogy. All of the genealogies listed above when put together make a large
family tree. But there is one thing that is out of place in this tree. The beginning
does not start with a person; it starts with the universe. It begins with a genealogy
of something, not someone. There is also something unusual about the end.
Normally genealogies go from one person to the next, but at the end it goes to a
whole group, to 12 people. So the heritage of the family tree goes down not to 1
person but to all 12 sons of Jacob. These 12 sons are important because they each
form a tribe that runs throughout the whole OT.
Some of the other genealogies in Genesis are listed to show where the various
nations that Israel will have contact with come from. The genealogies list the
founding father of each nation.
What is the function of all of these genealogies?
1. It shows Israels connection to the first human beings in Gods ordering of his
creation. This is shocking in the ancient world that all human beings go back
to the same ancestors. It shows that Israel is like every other nation; they are
all equal. All human beings are created by God; all human beings are equally
blessed by God; all human beings are equally fallen into sin.
2. It shows which family group Israel is part of. It belongs to the Semitic group of
nations.
3. It shows the nations/neighbors closest to Israel. Who you are is not only what
family you come from but who you are related to. It shows how you connect
to other people. Israel is close to the Arameans, the Ammonites and the
Moabites (descendants of Terah), the Ishmaelites, and the Edomites.
4. Most importantly, the genealogy shows that Israel consists of 12 tribes. All
Israelites come from one of those 12 tribes. It gives them their identity and
their land rights
The Overall Structure of Genesis

The key to making sense of any book is to understand its structure, the way it is
arranged, where it begins, where it ends. Genesis falls into three blocks. The three
parts of Genesis are:
1. The prologue (Gen. 1:1 2:3). A prologue is not only the opening introduction,
but it also gives the foundation for everything that follows. It contains the
most important themes that are developed in the book. The focus in the
prologue is Gods blessing of creation. God blessed the animals, human
beings, and strangely he even blessed the seventh day. Blessing then is an
important theme in Genesis.
2. The pre-history, the time before recorded history (Gen. 2:4 11:32). This
involves Gods blessing of humanity in spite of sin. And right at the beginning
of this part there is a catastrophe, the fall of Adam and Eve. We might have
expected God to withdraw his blessing after Adam and Eve sinned, but the
strange thing is that God continues to bless human beings even when they
sin against him and violate the order that he established in creation. One
example of Gods blessing is that human beings can have children. Gods
blessing works even in a fallen, disordered world. We see this in this part of
Genesis when:
2a.Even after being kicked out of the Garden, Adam and Eve have
children.
2b Cain kills Abel but then is protected by God.
2c The world is filled with violence. There is violence by angels, human
beings, and animals. There is anarchy. In the flood God brings order out of
violence and chaos. After the flood there is the spread and growth of the
human family even though humans built a tower to join God in the
heavens.
3. Then the focus shifts to the origin of Israel, patriarchal history (Gen. 12 50).
In this part God blesses one special family that he has chosen, the family of
Abraham. There are three parts to this section.
3a Gods gift of blessing to Abraham.
3b The transmission of the blessing from Abraham to Isaac and Jacob.
3c The reception of Jacobs blessing by all 12 of his sons.
[Pentateuch - Genesis (Bible 1, 3b), Not available]
[Apparently Dr. Kleinig forgot to turn on his microphone for this segment. This
lecture on the creation of the world was unavailable. I will give you a couple of
things that he mentioned that he talked about when he summarized this session at
the beginning of the next session.]

The Prologue to Genesis (Gen. 1:1 2:3)
It begins by stating very simply and matter of factly that God created the universe.
But the state of the creation in the very beginning was chaos. It was formless,
empty, and dark. A main emphasis then in the first chapter is how God ordered the
world he created. He gave the world form; he filled the earth; and he created light.
God is a God of order. Where there is disorder, there are forces at work against God.
Sin brings chaos and disorder. The entire Bible then is about God working to bring
order back to his sin induced chaotic creation.
God worked for six days in creating and ordering his creation and on the seventh
day he rested. In doing so he set a pattern for human life on earth. Gods design
was that we work together with him and that we rest together with him. The people
God created were created to live with God, to work with God, and to have a
relationship with God.
On the seventh day God rested and made it holy. Anything that is holy is associated
with God, for only God is holy. God gave people a day of rest, not only for their
physical well-being, but also for their spiritual well-being. And as people were to
physically rest from their labors on the seventh day, so also they were to rest
spiritually. Later on this concept would be formalized with the third commandment
and the tabernacle and temple. While the people rested at home, the priests at the
temple represented them before God and offered the sacrifices through which the
people would receive forgiveness and life. Worship for people then was a matter of
divine service, of God working to give people his blessing and holiness. They
contributed nothing; they simply rested.
An important theme of creation and the rest of the Bible is Gods blessing. Blessing
has to do with life power and the maintenance of life. During the first week of
creation, God blessed three things: animals, people, and the Sabbath day. In
blessing animals and people, God gave them the ability to procreate. Hence, we see
Gods instruction to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth. But it seems strange
that God would bless a day. In blessing and sanctifying the seventh day, it was
Gods intention to use the seventh day to give his blessing and his holiness to the
world.
In the creation story there was a pattern set. Each day God did his creating and
ordering and each day ended with the phrase, And there was evening and there
was morning, the _____ day. But the pattern was broken on the seventh day. The
seventh day was left open; it was like a never ending day. It has been described as
the eternal day. The seventh day, the day of rest, remains open throughout the age.
It will remain open until Jesus comes again on the Last Day. We join in this day and
Gods rest each time we participate in the Divine Service (worship services where

God comes to us in Christ and proclaims the Good News to us and makes us holy
through the holy body and blood of Christ). In leaving this day open, God provides a
way for humankind to join him in eternal, heavenly rest.
Gen. 2:4-25 - The Human Family

Genesis 2 shifts the focus from the big picture of the creation of the universe to the
little picture of Gods establishment of marriage and family. Gods design was that
he would bring a man and woman together in marriage. They would have children.
The children would grow up and get married, etc.
There are two sets of Hebrew puns that are used in Gen. 2 that will help you
understand the story of the worlds first people and marriage. The first has to do
with the Hebrew word adam. Adam can mean human being or all of humanity
(this is the basic sense of the word) or it can mean a male person. It is also used as
the proper name for the first male person God created. So for example the adam
used in Gen. 1:26 is used in the sense of all humanity, both male and female (Gen.
1:27). The other Hebrew word that is used and is related to adam is adamah.
Adamah means ground or soil. In Hebrew you add ah to the end of a word to
indicate direction. So another way of understanding adamah is it means to or
from the ground.
So it says that God shaped adam (a male person) from the adamah (the ground)
(Gen. 2:7a). God shaped the body of the first human being like a potter shapes a
pot and then breathed life into him. Man therefore is made up of a physical body
and Gods life-giving spirit. Before God created man it says there was no adam
(human being) to take care of the adamah (ground). Then God created trees from
adamah (the ground) (Gen. 2:9). Next God says that it is not good for the man
(adam) to be alone, so he creates a helper for him. God has made the plants, man,
and animals from the ground. You would expect that the helper would be made from
the ground. But she wasnt! She was created from the man (adam). The climax of
this story is the creation of the woman. The crown of Gods big creation is humanity
and the crown of his little creation, the family and the home, is the woman.
This is one of the most profound stories about the nature of marriage. We could
spend hours and hours on this, but we cant for this introduction class. This leads to
the second set of puns. In Hebrew the word for a male person is ish. It can also
mean husband. The word for woman and wife in Hebrew is ishah. Remember that
an ah ending to a word is directional, meaning from and to. This means that a
woman comes from man and is oriented to man. The man on the other hand comes

from the soil and is oriented to the soil. So the first part of the story shows the
relationship between human beings with each other and the soil. We have in
common with the plants and the animals the earth. Everything physical about us
and plants and animals comes from the earth; we are dependent on the soil.
The main point of this story is to explain the unique relationship between husband
and wife. God created the first man and woman and brought them together with the
common task of working the earth together.
Then we come to the differences between the sexes. We will focus on three main
points.
(1) In Gen. 2:22 it says that God made the woman from Adams ribcage and then
God brought her to the man. In the ancient world the person that brings the woman
to the man for marriage is the matchmaker and wedding celebrant. In this case and
really in all cases God is the Matchmaker and Celebrant. Jesus said no one should
separate what God has brought together. God brings men and women together in
marriage.
(2) Gen. 2:18-20 gives the second purpose for marriage. It says God did not create
us to be isolated individuals. He created us to be and live in community. So the first
purpose that God created marriage for is companionship. The second purpose for
marriage is found in the word helper. To us helper sounds like someone who is
inferior to the main doer. But the Bible says that God is my helper. Is he inferior to
us? Obviously not. Helper means coworker/equal partner in working out a common
task. A helper is someone who works together with you and you both see the work
as our work. So in marriage you dont work at life alone, you work at it together.
(3) The third reason for marriage might not be so clear. Still in Gen. 2:18, it says the
helper was suitable or fit for him. This word is impossible to translate from
Hebrew to English and get the whole meaning. Suitable is not bad. It means it
works well because it complements and fits together. That is why in many
marriages husbands and wives are opposites. In Hebrew God is making the helper
as the mans opposite. This is not so we oppose each other. Rather, we each see
only half. Its like you when you face each other you cant see what is behind you
but your spouse can. You see things from two different points of view. This is the
way God designed us; he designed us to complement each other or to complete
each other. We are incomplete human beings and God brings us together to make
us complete. God makes us different so that those differences complement each
other. In successful marriages, the longer you are together, the better you
complement each other.

Dr. Kleinig says he spent a good amount of time on marriage because it is so rich
and of such great importance today where marriage is misunderstood and
devalued. Now we look at the unity of marriage.
(1) Take a look at Gen. 2:22-24. God made the woman from the ribcage of Adam.
When the rabbis comment on this they say, God didnt create the woman from
mans head to rule over him; he didnt create her from his feet so that she was
under him; he created her from his ribcage so that she would be next to his heart.
Notice that Adam had to sacrifice or give up part of himself for the woman and
when God brings the two together he receives back what he sacrificed. So for a
marriage to work properly the man must treat and love his wife like Christ loved the
church. And Christ sacrificed himself for her. So sacrifice lies at the very heart of
marriage.
(2) The second thing in terms of the unity of marriage is seen in Gen. 2:23. Normally
the closest relationship people have is with their parents and their brothers and
sisters. In the ancient world they were called his flesh and blood. Here Adam
recognizes that Eve is flesh of his flesh. He will now have this close flesh
relationship with his new wife. But it is even closer than that. He says she was made
from his bone. The bones last for some time after death. The bones are the
foundation for the body, the essence of it. So this makes the relationship even
stronger than a kinship relationship.
(3) Adam names this new person woman (ishah). He calls her this because she
was taken from man (ish) and is oriented toward him (ah). Her identity is tied up
with his identity.
(4) Read again Gen. 2:24. This is the most profound sentence on marriage
anywhere. For a marriage to work God says three things need to happen and they
must happen in this order.
The first thing is that a man leaves his father and mother. This is surprising
because normally in our societies it is the woman who leaves her family. She
gives up her name and takes his name. But for a marriage to work the man
must commit himself to his wife. Men today have a hard time doing this
because he still sees himself under the authority and control of his father and
mother. So the first thing you need to have a marriage to work, you have to
have leaving, especially on the male side.
The second thing is after the man leaves his parent he sticks to/cleaves to his
wife. Again this is opposite of the way it works many times in our society. How
does a man cleave to his wife? He commits himself to wife for the rest of his
life. This happens at the marriage ceremony; its all about a public
commitment.

And thirdly, after the first two things happen, they become one flesh. One
obvious meaning of this is sex. Sex results in one flesh. But it is bigger than
that. It means having children. And the physical aspect of becoming one is
symbolic of becoming one in every other way. For instance, when a spouse
dies, the grief of the surviving spouse is not just emotional, but physical too.
They say its like half of you is missing.
Lets apply this. This relates to one of the biggest problems we face in the church
today. Gods order is: leaving, cleaving, and one flesh. The pattern of how people
enter marriage in our society is: one flesh first, then comes the cleaving and
leaving. Theyve got it backwards. It defies Gods standards and it creates
unnecessary problems. God designed it in the way that he did in order to give us joy
and blessing. When we go against it, we deprived ourselves of the joy and blessing
he wants to give us.
The three steps must go in the order God lays out. The leaving must come first
because if you dont disentangle yourself from your parents, you cant give yourself
to someone else. Once you leave then you can commit yourself. Then only after you
commit yourself (cleave) will you have the trust that is necessary for sex to work
properly. God wants to bless through sex. If the order is changed Gods blessings
wont flow to you.
[Pentateuch - Genesis (Bible 1, 4b), 39:36 min.]
Gen. 3 - 11 How the World Got Messed Up

The basic point of these chapters is to answer the question: Given that God created
a good, ordered world, and given that he created human beings in his own image,
and given that God blessed his creation, how did the world get so messed up? And
the answer is that people messed it up and they messed it up already in the
beginning. Our first ancestors disrupted Gods order. And then their descendants not
only went along with it, but they rebelled even more and the disorder increased.
The second question it answers is this: Since human beings rebelled against God,
can they destroy Gods creation? And because of their rebellion will God withdraw
his blessing? And the answer is that God continues to bless humanity in spite of
their sins and rebellion.
Here is the big picture.
The trouble started with the relationship between God and human beings
(Gen. 3). Human beings wanted more than the image of God. They wanted to
be their own gods. This disrupts the religious order.

Then the trouble spread to relationships within the family (Gen. 4:1-16). Cain
killed his brother Abel. The family order was disrupted.
Then violence spread across the earth (Gen. 4:23-24; 6:11-12). This violence
included animals and people. The social order and biological order was
disrupted.
And then worst of all the sons of God (fallen angels) took the daughters of
men (human women) and father monsters (Gen. 6:1-4). The barrier between
human beings and angels is broken. The spiritual order was disrupted.
There is a pattern in these chapters.
(1) The snake tempts Eve to mistrust God and his goodness and implies
that God is holding back something good from them. The temptation is to eat
the forbidden fruit so that they can become like God, so that they themselves
can become divine and know everything and have power over everything.
(2) Adam and Eve fell for it and this resulted in Gods judgment on them. It
is important to know that when God judges, he judges not to punish but to
save. His judgment was to expel them from the Garden. This judgment is
actually good for Adam and Eve because had they eaten from the Tree of Life
in their sinful condition they would have lived as sinners forever.
(3) Then God does something to continue to bless them and protect them .
Because of their sin, Adam and Eve felt shame and realized they were naked.
They tried to cover their nakedness (shame) with fig leaves. This is what
happens when we sin. We try and cover up and present ourselves in the best
light to others. The clothes they made of fig leaves were inadequate [just like
our cover-up of our sin is inadequate] and God in his mercy made permanent
clothes from animal skins to cover them [just as he permanently covers our
sin with the blood of Christ]. This is symbolic of our spiritual condition. If we
were to see each other in our true spiritually naked sinful state, we could
never have relationships. The fact that we wear clothes indicates something
about the shame and guilt we have because of our sin.
(4) And even though God kicked them out of the Garden, Adam and Eve have
children; their blessing continues. The cycle is: sin, judgment,
preservation, and blessing . We will see this again and again. This is the
disruption between God and people.
In the second story the family order is disrupted.

(1) Cain envies Abel because God favors Abel. In his jealousy he killed his
brother. He knows that he is guilty because he buries his brother in the soil
and then acts like nothing happened. God confronted Cain and he responded
with, Am I my brothers keeper?
(2) Gods judgment is, since Cain shed his brothers blood in the soil, to ban
Cain from the soil. So he went and built a city.

(3) Then God puts his mark on Cain to protect him. If anyone tries to punish
Cain for his murder, he will have to deal with God. Cain feared retribution but
God protected him.
(4) Then God blesses Cain by giving him children and that begins city culture.
Then comes the third cycle where things get completely out of hand on a
cosmic scale. Take a look at Gen. 6:1-12.
(1) The most common use of sons of God in the Bible is for angels. So in
this case fallen angels/demons take human women and father super-human
children by them. At this time violence ruled on earth; violence at all levels
animals, humans, and demons were all violent. If this violence continued,
human kind would be wiped out. So God had to act to prevent violence from
getting completely out of hand. In 6:12 it references all flesh. Flesh refers
not just to humans but also to animals. There is a breakdown of order in
Gods creation by corruption and violence on a cosmic scale. In a sense there
was de-creation in both the physical and spiritual world. If it were not stopped
the world would go back to the chaos of Gen. 1:1-2.
(2) Gods judgment (making right what is wrong), which is a merciful
judgment, is to clean out the mess with a flood. God wants to save human
beings and animals from themselves so he uses a flood.
(3) He saves a remnant of people and animals to start over with a new
creation. He has Noah build an ark on which the people and animals he saves
are loaded into. The ark kept them safe during the flood.
(4) After the flood God established a completely new order. Sin is still there
but he creates an order where sin is hemmed in and controlled. Lets look at
Gen. 8:20-22. This is the first burnt offering in the Scriptures. Burnt offerings
are always made for atonement for sin. Noah was making atonement for his
sin and the sin of the whole world. (This is a hint of how God will deal with sin
in the future.) In response to the offering, God promised to never destroy all
living things again; he promised to uphold the order of nature despite all that
humans do to mess it up. God backed up this promise by making a covenant
(a legally binding agreement) with all flesh. This is a perpetual covenant that
applies to all human beings and all animals for all time. This is a one-sided
covenant. In it God makes a commitment to all flesh. In the covenant God
gives the same blessing that he gave to Adam be fruitful, multiply, and fill
the earth. Through Noah he is beginning a new creation. As part of the
covenant God allows people to kill and eat animals and he allows limited
capital punishment for murder. This was Gods way of dealing with the
violence on the earth. Dealing with it in this way would prevent it from
escalating and getting completely out of control. In the covenant God
promised to never destroy the earth again with a flood.
We see the pattern again in the next story.

(1) Sin still exists after the flood. If God began a new creation after the flood,
then the tower of Babel is a kind of second fall (Gen. 11:1-32). To understand
the story we have to understand how pagans worshipped their gods. They
built temples on top of mountains because that was the place closest to their
gods. When they lived in places where there were no mountains, they built
artificial mountains called ziggurats. They did this to get access to the
heavenly realm and to exercise divine power. This was the sin of people after
the flood. They used their common language, their technology, and their
organization to accomplish this sinful feat.
(2) Gods judgment was to break down their communication. So the project of
building the tower collapses.
(3) God doesnt wipe them out because their sin. Instead, he uses the
language barrier to cause them to scatter and fill the earth as he had
commanded them to do. His confusion of language preserved the human race
from once again going completely out of control.
(4) Out of this then came Gods call of Abraham, a descendant from the line
of Shem. Through Abraham God promised to bless the world. The people tried
to make a great name for themselves, but as it turns out God would make a
great name for Abraham.
Patriarchal History (Gen. 12 50)

Foundational Promises (Gen. 12:1-7)
First we will look at one of the most important passages in the Bible. It is
foundational Gen. 12:1-7. Abraham originated in the city of Ur, one of the oldest
cities in the Middle East. He moved north to Haran and then later God told him to go
to a land that he would show him. God led him to Canaan, to Shechem. He moved
very long distances. It would have been very uncommon to move like that in that
day and age. They would have been cutting themselves off from their families and
the family land and their customs. Also note that Abraham and Sarah were old when
they moved, 75 and 65 years of age, and they had no children. To move away from
family with no children to care for them in their old age would have been looked at
as being a suicidal act.
Within this passage there are two commands and 6 promises which are obscured by
the English translation.
The first command is to leave your country, your people, your fathers house
- the normal sources of blessing and go to a land God would show him.
Then comes three promises: And I will make of you a great nation, and I will
bless you and make your name great.

The last part of verse 2 is an imperative (a command). It should read: Be a
blessing.
Then comes 3 more promises: I will bless those who bless you, and him who
dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be
blessed.
Abraham is to be a blessing to all of humanity. How ironic. The man without a family
is to be a source of blessing to all families. Notice the first promise I will make you
a great nation. Whats funny about that? They are old and childless. How can they
become a great nation? The second promise is: I will bless you. What is funny about
that promise? In the ancient world if you did not have any children, you were
considered cursed. So God promises to bless a person who from a human point of
view is cursed. The third promise was to make his name great. To be a great person
one has to be known far and wide. Abraham left everyone he knew. He left his
culture and everything he knew. Humanly speaking he stood little chance of having
a great name. In the last three promises God promised to bless others through
Abraham. This will happen when anyone acknowledges that Abraham bears Gods
blessing and anyone who does not acknowledge it will be cursed. God wants to
bless the world through Abraham. Later on this is explained to be through
Abrahams seed. Seed can mean Abrahams descendants or it can mean seed
singular, a particular descendant.
When Abraham arrived at Shechem, Yahweh appeared to him and said, To your
offspring I will give this land. The funny thing is that the land he promises to
Abraham is already occupied by the Canaanites. Also notice that throughout
Genesis, God appears to the patriarchs and when he does they build an altar there
to Yahweh. What is the significance to these appearances and these altars? His
appearance and the building of an altar establishes a holy place. Later on when
Israel came back from Egypt these places were places where there were
sanctuaries, holy places. God appeared to the patriarchs in these places and he will
appear to their descendants in those places too. At those places they could be sure
that they would be able to access God and his blessing.
There is another dimension to the building of these altars at different places in
Canaan. According to pagan theology the land belongs to the Canaanites and their
gods. By the appearance and building of an altar to Yahweh at these places, Yahweh
was claiming the land from the Canaanite gods. He is reclaiming the land that they
had stolen from him.
God not only makes these promises to Abraham but he makes a covenant where he
binds himself and commits himself to keep these promises. The covenant is made in
Gen. 15. The focus here is on the fact that Abraham still does not have any children.

God makes clear here that Abrahams heir will be his own son from his own body
and that Abraham will have descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.
Then the focus changes from descendants to the land and there is this strange
ceremony. This is the only time that a ceremony like this happens in the Bible. This
ceremony was actually fairly common in the ancient world. Two people make a
binding commitment in a holy place and in doing so they put their lives on the line.
When the covenant is made before the god, the two walk between the cut up
animals and say, If I dont keep this covenant, I will die like these animals and I ask
you god to kill me. But something unexpected happens in the covenant God makes
with Abraham. It is God who walks between the cut up animals and Abraham does
nothing but sleep. In walking down, God commits his life, he swears by himself to
keep this promise of giving the land of Canaan to Abrahams descendants. God
promised to do this no matter what, even if the people continually rebelled.
In Gen. 17 God confirms, affirms, and assures his covenant. God gives two
commands. The first is walk before me. This means live in my household where you
have access to me, be my personal deputy. In those days, the person who walked
before the king was his personal deputy. And secondly, Abraham is to do this
blamelessly, with a clear conscience, with integrity, serving faithfully and loyally.
God promises that Abraham will be the father of many nations. And then God
changed Abrahams name. Abrahams name change will reflect what God is doing
for and through him. Abraham will go from an exalted founding father (Abram) to a
father of many nations (Abraham). Next God promises to be their God, to act as
their God, to do for them what Gods do for their people. This is fulfilled at Mt. Sinai
where God gives them the tabernacle, priesthood, and divine service. That is when
he acts as their God. And this is a perpetual covenant.
As a sign of the covenant God tells Abraham to circumcise himself and his male
sons. What God does here is take an existing ceremony (circumcision was practiced
in various parts of the world) and change it. Everywhere else circumcision took
place as an initiation into adulthood. God has Abraham circumcise his sons when
they are 8 days old. God makes these babies full partners in the covenant as if they
were men. They become part of Gods family and beneficiaries of Gods covenant
promises when they were circumcised. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant. It
said not only that you belong to the covenant and are the people of God but it was
also the means by which you actually entered the covenant and became the people
of God. For instance, the marriage ceremony is not just a sign that you are married,
it is the ceremony that actually marries you.
Gods Blessing

The story from this point forward of Abraham and his descendants is a story of
Gods blessing, how the blessing is passed on, and how the blessing works itself out
in concrete circumstances. It tells how Abraham, in an attempt to have a male heir,
had a child with Hagar, Sarahs maidservant, named Ishmael. But God made it clear
that his child was not the bearer of his promises. Eventually Sarah had a child of her
own in her old age named Isaac and he was the bearer of Gods blessing. Isaac had
two sons, twins, and the blessing was passed to Jacob, the younger son. Jacob had a
large family. He had twelve sons, who would become the twelve tribes of Israel, the
foundation for the nation of Israel. The blessing concerning kingship went to Judah,
the fourth son. And the blessing concerning the land, went to Joseph, Jacobs
favorite son, through his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. So throughout the story
God is blessing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but none of them ever possess the land.
Everywhere in the ancient world blessing comes through family and land.
Now that was a very high level look at the patriarchs. Lets take a little closer look.
Right off the bat there are threats to Gods blessing to Abraham and Sarah. Two
kings try and take Sarah into their royal harems. Then there are the problems
between Sarah and Hagar. The greatest threat to Gods blessing is Gods command
to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Isaac was the son of promise. Gods command
contradicted his promises. Remarkably Abraham trusted God enough to follow Gods
command. At the last minute God stopped Abraham and provided a substitute
sacrifice. The mountain where this takes place is Jerusalem, the place where Jesus
carried the cross up the mountain and was sacrificed on the cross. In doing so God
fulfilled his command to Abraham.
Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. The Scriptures tell how they struggled for the
blessing. The struggle starts in the womb where the babies struggle and at birth
where Jacob grabs Esaus heel. Later Jacob tricked Esau into selling his birthright for
a pot of stew. The birthright related to the whole inheritance issue. The firstborn son
inherited the family name and status. He was the head of the family. Later through
trickery Jacob received the blessing from Isaac that should have gone to Esau, the
firstborn. As a result Esau is exceedingly mad and is out to get Jacob. Therefore
Jacob had to flee for his life.
Even after all of this God goes with Jacob to a foreign land and God blesses him.
Jacob spent 20 years in Haran and throughout the whole time and through strange
circumstances God blessed him. When Jacob came back to the promised land he
came back with his wives, his many sons, and all of his flocks and herds. Jacob
heard that his brother was coming to meet him. Jacob believed that Esau was
probably still angry so he stayed in back by himself. That night, while by himself at
the river Jabbock, a man came to Jacob and wrestled with him. The man threw
Jacobs hip out of joint and so after that all Jacob could do was hold on. As the day
was dawning the man said, Let me go. It was then that Jacob realized that he was

wrestling with God who had taken the form of a man. Jacob would not let go until
the man (God) blessed him. And indeed the man blessed him and gave him a new
name Israel, which means one who fights with God and wins.
In all of this Jacob receives Gods blessing despite the fact that he is a tricky,
manipulative person. Lets look at two passages where he receives the blessing.
First there is Gen. 28:10-17, Jacobs dream. As Jacob travels he stops for the night
and goes to sleep and has a dream. There is a stairway from earth to heaven;
angels are ascending and descending upon it; and God is standing next to Jacob
(see the variant reading on 28:13). The most important part of the story is that God
promises that all the people of the world would be blessed through Jacob and his
descendants. The promise first given to Abraham is applied to Jacob. Luther
explains this quite well. The ladder or stairway is not the ladder by which Jacob
ascends to heaven but by which God descends to earth. This is what happens in the
Divine Service. We dont ascend to God in heaven, but God comes down the ladder
to meet with us in order to bless us. And that ladder is Jesus Christ. The place where
this happened was called Bethel (the house of God).
The second passage we will look at is Gen. 35:9-12. This occurs after Jacob has
returned to the promised land. Once again God appears to Jacob at Bethel. So
Bethel is the book end to both ends of the journey. When he returns Jacob fulfills his
promise that if God went with him, blessed him, and brought him safely back, he
would offer one tenth of all he has to God. Here God calls himself God Almighty.
That was the same name he called himself when he appeared to Abraham. God also
adds something new. He said be fruitful and multiply to Jacob. He first said this
blessing to Adam. He said the blessing again to Noah, a second Adam starting a
new humanity. And now he says it to Jacob, a third Adam through whom blessing
will come to a new humanity.
JohnKleinig.com
[Pentateuch - Genesis (Bible 1, 5b), 28:05 min.]
God has blessed Jacob. What would you expect a family that has been blessed by
God to look like? You would expect a good family, a family where everyone gets
along good with each other and nothing goes wrong. But when we look at Jacobs
family it is nothing of the kind. It was one of the most dysfunctional families you will
ever see. The trouble starts right away when Jacob got married. He had two wives
and favored one over the other and then added on to that two more concubines.
Then Jacob played favorites with his sons, favoring the sons from his favorite wife
Rachel over his other sons. This is summarized in Gen. 37:3-4. Because of this the
brothers hated Joseph and sold him off as a slave in Egypt.

You would think that that was the end of Joseph, but the story goes on and we see
that Joseph is a bearer of blessing in Egypt. Lets read Gen. 39:2-6, 21-23. This
shows how the descendants of Abraham are mediators of Gods blessing. Potiphar
and his house were blessed by God through Joseph. And God even blessed the jail
through Joseph. The story is a wonderful story. Joseph, who had been sold into
slavery, ends up being the one who saves his family and many other people from
starvation. And the theology of this story is summarized in two passages. In Gen.
45:5-8 Joseph is speaking to his brothers and making himself known to them when
they came to get food. On the one hand, Josephs brothers did a terrible thing they
sold their brother into slavery. Yet God was at work using their evil to accomplish
good, to save many lives. This is reiterated in Gen. 50:15-20. The key verse is verse
20: you intended it for evil but God intended it for good, to save many people. Gods
blessing works in a strange way. God doesnt stop evil from happening, but he uses
evil to bring about good. He does the impossible. Where do we see the greatest
example of this? We see it in the crucifixion of Jesus. The killing of Jesus, the
innocent Son of God, leads to forgiveness for all sinful humanity. The story of Joseph
points forward to Jesus. In a small scale Joseph is like Jesus.
Notice that the blessing from God instead of going to only one son now fans out to
all of Jacobs sons. But there are special blessings for Judah (the blessing of
kingship) and Ephraim (the best and most fertile part of the promised land).
Lets summarize the theology of Genesis. Genesis is the book of blessing and Gods
blessing works by grace. God transmits his blessing to Abraham and his
descendants through his word of promise. Normally blessing comes through family,
land, custom, and law. But here it comes through promise and grace. Abraham and
his descendants didnt have family in Canaan but God blessed them. Abraham and
his descendants didnt own any of the land (except a burial plot) but God blessed
them. Normally one is looked at as being blessed when they have children. Sarah
and Rebekah were barren. But God blesses them in spite of this. Normally blessing
came through the firstborn son. But God bypasses this to give his blessing. And
many times blessing comes through the plans of people and the carrying out of
those plans. In Genesis Sarah and then Rebekah and Jacob try to manipulate
circumstances in order to obtain Gods blessing. But God works in his own way to
bless. And most significantly Gods blessing continues in spite of human sin. And
Gods blessing even works through human sin. Jacobs family is perfect example of
this. That is completely counter-cultural and goes against the way we think. Blessing
comes completely by grace. [Thats the theology of the cross.]
Main Themes of Genesis

Now lets take a look at the main themes of Genesis.

1. First is the theme of creation. God creates the world, the nations of the world,
and the nation of Israel. So all of Genesis deals with creation.
2. Second is the importance of Gods Word and the power of Gods Word. Gods
Word creates and sustains the world. It creates and sustains Israel. Gods
Word is at work in creation, in history, and in Israels history.
3. Two covenants in Genesis. The first is with Noah and the second is with
Abraham.
4. Genesis shows how Gods blessing operates in a fallen world. It happens
through procreation in spite of human sin and it happens through Abrahams
descendants.
5. Genesis shows the origins of the most important sanctuaries in the promised
land. They are at the places where God appeared to the patriarchs. There
werent temples at these places. Rather they focused on an altar.
6. It shows Gods hidden providence, the hidden way that God brings good out
of evil. There is no attempt to show Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as good moral
examples. It shows the evil they do and how God brings good out of it.
The Purpose of the Book of Genesis

Genesis means beginning, origin. Genesis is the book of beginnings that shows four
things.
1. It shows how the world and Israel were created by Gods Word and upheld by
it.
2. It shows how Gods blessing works constructively and creatively even in a
fallen world.
3. It shows Israels place among the nations. It shows their relationship with
some of the closer nations and helps them identify who they are and how
they fit in to the scheme of things.
4. It shows how the Israelites came to live in the land of Egypt.
Framework for the Pentateuch

Here is some preliminary stuff for what follows. The Pentateuch is divided into five
books. The five books go together and tell an on-going story. There is a narrative
framework that holds it all together. And the framework is basically the story of a
journey. Its a story of how the Israelites came from Egypt to the promised land. The
journey has a number of stages and goes to a number of places.
In Genesis the Israelites journeyed from the promised land to Egypt.
In Exodus the Israelites journeyed from Egypt to Mt. Sinai (Ex. 1-19).
There is a large amount of material at Mt. Sinai. It goes from Ex. 20 to Num.
10.
Then Israel journeyed from Mt. Sinai to Kadesh. Kadesh was a large oasis in
the wilderness (the rest of the book of Numbers).

Then Israel journeyed from Kadesh to the plains of Moab which is the site for
the book of Deuteronomy.
At each place along the journey God appears to his people and speaks his
Word to his people. Egypt to Mt. Sinai to Kadesh to the plains of Moab.
It is significant that the Pentateuch finishes before Israel reaches its goal
the promised land. But actually the journey does not end with the promised
land because the Israelites never take full possession of it.
The Book of Exodus

JohnKleinig.com
[Pentateuch - Exodus (Bible 1, 6a), 56:59 min.]
The Big Picture in Exodus
Looking at the big picture, what is it that makes the nation of Israel special and
different from the other nations? God chose them to bless the world through them,
to have access to him. He chose them to be a holy nation who had access to him
and who were mediators of his blessing.
The name Exodus means journey out. The Israelites go out from the land of Egypt;
they depart from the land of Egypt to Mt. Sinai. This ties right in to the journey
theme of the Pentateuch. Exodus is important because it gives Israels divine
constitution. It gives Gods foundation for Israel as his holy people. That foundation
is given in the covenant that God makes with them at Mt. Sinai. At the beginning of
Exodus Israel is already Gods people. What God does in Exodus is make them his
holy people. He does this by giving them the tabernacle, the divine service, the
priesthood, and everything that goes with that.
Back in ancient history the Jews were always confronted with the question: Why do
you regard yourselves different from all the other nations? Do you think you are
better than everyone else? The answer they gave pointed back to the book of
Exodus. They said, We are a holy nation. The pagans would say, So do you think you
are morally better than other people? Their response was, No, we are not a
righteous or superior nation, but we are a holy nation. What then makes you holy?
They would give three answers, all of which came from Exodus.
1. God chose us and redeemed us from slavery in Egypt. According to ancient
law, if you were a slave and I redeemed you, then you belonged to me. It
should be clear to the nations then since God redeemed them, Israel
belonged to God.
2. God made his covenant with Israel at Mt. Sinai.

3. And most importantly, when he gave the covenant, he gave his presence to
Israel and access to his presence to them. And it is by his presence that he
makes and keeps them holy.
For what purpose did God make them his holy people? Since they have access to
God, his holy presence, and his blessings, they can use their access for the benefit
of others. God called Israel to be his priestly people. Priests are mediators between
God and people. Israel was to be the mediators between God and the nations. There
are two sides to being a mediator. First, they bring Gods blessing to the nations.
And second, they stand in for and intercede for the nations before God. So when
you come across the terms holy people and royal priesthood in Exodus you will
know what they mean. They are very important.
The Structure of Exodus

Now the big picture of how Exodus fits in with the other books of the Pentateuch.
Weve already spoken about the journey of Israel. It ties the books of the Pentateuch
together. It occurred in three stages.
1. Egypt to Sinai.
2. Sinai to Kadesh.
3. Kadesh to the plains of Moab.
In each of these three locations God gives his laws which establish Israels national
institutions.
1. In Egypt he gives them the laws about the Passover.
2. At Sinai he gives them the laws for the divine service and the tabernacle.
3. At Kadesh he gives laws about the holiness and purity of the priests and the
people.
4. On the plains of Moab he gives them legislation for life in the promised land.
One would think that since God chose Israel and redeemed them that things would
start off good and then maybe turn bad later. But Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers
show us that despite all the good things God did for Israel, the Israelites murmured
against God from the very beginning. In fact at every stage of the journey they
murmured and complained. There are seven basic acts of complaining in their
journey. They complained about the lack of food and water. They complained about
the powerful and well-fortified Canaanites.
Now the structure of the book itself. To understand a book you look at where it starts
and where it ends. Where does Exodus end? Lets look at Ex. 40:34-38. This will help
us understand the purpose of Exodus. It talks about Gods glory. That has to do with
his visible presence. His presence is both hidden by the cloud but also revealed by
the cloud. The glory cloud first appeared when Israel left Egypt. It led Israel out of
Egypt. It led them to and through the Red Sea. It led them to Mt. Sinai. It then

settled on Mt. Sinai. Then after the tabernacle was built, the glory cloud moved from
the mountain and covered the tabernacle and Gods glory filled the Holy of Holies.
Then whenever God wanted the people to move on, the cloud lifted into the air and
it led them to the next part of their journey. In this way God led them all the way to
the promised land.
So Exodus starts with Israel as slaves in Egypt and it ends with Israel at Mt. Sinai
with the cloud of Gods presence over the tabernacle and with Gods glory filling the
Holy of Holies. Why? What was Gods purpose for this? God rescued and released
them from slavery so that he could take them on a journey. And the journey he was
taking them on would end in the promised land. He had them build the tabernacle
so that he could be present with them, go with them, and lead them to the
promised land. By being present with them in this way, God was giving them access
to himself in all stages of the journey.
The First Half of Exodus (Ex. 1-18)
Now that we know the overall purpose for Exodus, we can take a look at its
structure. The book of Exodus falls into two parts. The first part is the journey from
Egypt to Mt. Sinai Ex. 1 18.
Ex. 1 4. It begins with the commission of Moses to be the deliverer, to be Gods
agent. Moses was sent to take on pharaoh (who was the incarnation of the sun god),
pharaohs magicians, and all the gods of Egypt. To do battle against these powers
God gave Moses one thing his Name, Yahweh. And then by the use of the name
Yahweh Moses does everything. So in this first section Moses is commissioned and
given Gods holy name. We will take a closer look at this later.
So when Moses went to Egypt to confront pharaoh, a battle begins. From a human
point of view it looks like a battle between Moses and pharaoh. But behind them
were their gods. It was really a battle between Yahweh and all the gods of Egypt. It
was spiritual warfare. To understand this part of Exodus you must understand what
the Egyptians believed. They believed there were three classes of gods: the sky
gods, the earth gods, and the under-world gods. The chief sky god was the sun god,
Ra, who was the god of order. The chief under-world god was Seth, the god of death
and chaos. According to Egyptian theology, there was a battle between Ra and Seth
for control of the earth. Every day Ra descends from his throne high in the sky and
at sunset enters the under-world. There he does battle with Seth and the other
demons. He doesnt completely defeat them but he puts them back in their place.
Then in the morning he rises victorious and announces his victory to the people on
earth.

This is Egyptian theology in a nutshell. But how does pharaoh fit into it? He is the
incarnation of the sun god and he has super-natural powers. He performs certain
rituals every morning and every evening to protect Ra, to make sure that he is safe
when descends to the under-world and to make sure he has the power to rise and
escape from the under-world.
So this battle is Yahweh against all the gods of Egypt. Lets look at three passages
that will make this clear.
1. Ex. 6:6. Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring
you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from
slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with
great acts of judgment. To redeem is to set free. Yahweh will set them free
with an outstretched arm. Yahweh is the General who gestures his troops to
attack. Note that judgment in Hebrew means to make right what is wrong.
What is wrong is that Gods people have been made slaves. His judgment
against Egypt will set his people free.
2. Ex. 7:4. Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and
bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by
great acts of judgment. Bring my hosts is a military term. God has 12
armies, the 12 tribes of Israel. The picture here is warfare. God will wage war
as an act of judgment to bring his people out of Egypt.
3. Ex. 12:12. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will
strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all
the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. Who will Yahweh
bring judgment on? All the gods of Egypt.
Moses uses Gods name to demand that pharaoh let Gods people go. Pharaoh
refused and the battle began. There were 10 battles which led to the final
culminating, decisive battle at the Red Sea. The 10 battles are the 10 plagues. In
the first three plagues Yahweh battled and defeated the gods of the under-world. In
the second three plagues (plagues 4-6) Yahweh battled and defeated the earth
gods. In the third three plagues (plagues 7-9) Yahweh battled and defeated the sky
gods. In the tenth plague Yahweh battled and defeated the incarnation of the sun
god pharaohs son. In all three domains Yahweh is the victor. Then Israel leaves
Egypt. Pharaoh changes his mind and pharaoh and his army go after them and trap
them by the Red Sea. There Yahweh led the Israelites into the Red Sea. In doing this
God goes into the under-world and leads his people through the under-world and out
of it. When pharaoh and his army followed them, Yahweh caused the under-world to
swallow them up.
Notice that there are certain patterns in the ten plagues. In the first two plagues the
Egyptian magicians are able to duplicate the plagues. There is demonic power in
magic sorcery. But starting with the third plague they cant duplicate the plagues
anymore. Then comes the second cycle, the earth gods, where there is a distinction

made between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The Egyptians are affected but the
Israelites arent. Special note is made that the boils affect the Egyptian magicians.
Magic sorcery is protective, but here the magicians cannot protect themselves.
Then begins the third cycle, the sky gods. The distinction between Israel and the
Egyptians continues. Something unique happens. Pharaoh confesses that he has
sinned. In Egyptian theology this is impossible. Pharaoh is a god; he cant sin. But
he has to admit that in the face of Yahweh he has done wrong and sinned. The worst
of all the plagues to this point is the darkening of the sun. Why is that? This is the
utter defeat of the chief god of Egypt. After that comes the death of the firstborn,
including pharaohs firstborn, who was an incarnation of the sun god. In all of this
God judges and shows the true nature of the Egyptian gods.
The question always comes up about God hardening pharaohs heart. Part of the
problem is our English verbs. At first pharaoh hardened his own heart. Later God
didnt make pharaohs heart hard but he caused pharaohs heart to be hard. How
did he do it? By having Moses keep coming back and say, Thus says Yahweh.
Pharaoh rejects what Moses says and then every time thereafter his rejection
becomes more and more adamant. This is hard to get across in the translation into
English.
Then you have the exodus from Egypt itself. The glory cloud leads them to the sea.
This is where God wins his final victory over pharaoh and his armies. So the sun was
darkened, pharaohs son was killed, and now pharaoh himself is drowned in the sea.
In this great victory God brought his people down into the under-world in order to
save them from the under-world. This is a pointer to baptism, descending into the
water in order to save, and to Christs death, after which he descended into hell and
on the third day rose from the dead. (There is something similar in Johns gospel.
There are seven signs/miracles that are pointers forward to the great sign/miracle,
his death and resurrection. So the 10 miracles in the plagues look forward to Jesus
great miracle of salvation.)
The Second Half of Exodus (Ex. 19 40)
From Ex. 15 19 there is the journey from the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai. The journey is
through the desert. On the journey God goes with Israel and guides, protects, and
provides for his people. The people grumble along the way and God provides water
for them. He also provides manna for his people to eat. The people grumble some
more and God provides water from a rock. God also protects them from the
Amalekites. And God gives them a legal system because its too much for Moses to
bear alone. Later this leads to the 70 elders, the supreme court of Israel.

Then comes the climax of the book at Mt. Sinai. The basic focus here is on God
making Israel his holy people. They are already the people of God, but this is their
consecration as his holy people. Ex. 19-24 deals with two very important things.
The first is Gods theophany. Theophany is the appearance or making known

of God. Pagan theologies center on theophanies, the appearance of gods to
people. Wherever that occurs they make an idol for the god and build a
temple for the god. A current example of this is India. There are thousands of
gods and thousands of shrines to those gods. This is called visual theophany,
a visual appearance by a god. At Mt. Sinai there is thunder and lightning and
a cloud covers the mountain. If this were a pagan theophany the clouds
would have parted and God would have appeared. But what happens
instead? God speaks from the cloud. He makes himself know and reveals
himself through his Word. It is a verbal theophany. And he doesnt just speak
to Moses, he speaks to all the people. He speaks two things to them. (1) He
says first, I am Yahweh. He gives them his personal name. In doing so he
gives all of them access to himself. And he continues, I am Yahweh your God.
He commits himself to them. (2) The he speaks the Ten Commandments to
them.
After that he gives the law of the altar because the altar will be the new ongoing Mt. Sinai. He will appear to his people at the altar. Going forward the
altar will be the place of Gods theophany. It will be the place where God
meets with his people instead of Mt. Sinai.
In Ex. 21-23, he gives them the regulations of how he expects them to live as
his holy people.
Ex. 24 is the consecration of Israel by the sprinkling of blood. (We will take a
closer look at this later.)
Then Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the instructions on the tabernacle,
the priesthood, and the divine service (Ex. 25-31).
But as Moses was receiving these instructions for 40 days, the people think
that Moses will not return. They want to continue the journey to the promised
land but have no leader. They then resort to what pagans do. They made an
idol for Yahweh (the golden calf) so that they would have access to him so he
could lead them (Ex. 32). In the Ten Commandments God had forbidden them
to make an idol and he had given them access to himself through his holy
name. They broke the covenant and desecrated their holiness and Gods
holiness.
Moses then had to deal with this terrible sin (Ex. 33-35). He did this through
intercession.
Then the tabernacle was constructed and consecrated (Ex. 36-39).
Exodus ends with Gods glory cloud leaving the mountain and going into the
tabernacle (Ex. 40).
One more thing before we break. There were three parts to the mountain.
There was the peak of the mountain where God is.

Then there was the bottom part that Moses had to fence off. The people could
go no further than the fence. On this bottom part was the altar that Moses
built.
Then there was the part in between. Only a few people were allowed to go
past the fence and up the middle part of the mountain.
These three parts of the mountain correspond to the three parts of the tabernacle.
The peak of the mountain where Gods glory was corresponded to the Holy of
Holies.
The middle part of the mountain corresponded to the Holy Place where the
priests met with God.
And the bottom where the people and altar were corresponded to the
courtyard with the altar for burnt offering.
The tabernacle was built to be moveable. It was like a moveable Mt. Sinai. Its
purpose was not for the Israelites to climb up to heaven. Rather, it was for God to
descend so that he could be with his people on earth. That is what makes Israelite
worship different from pagan worship. Thats the structure of the book. Next we will
look at the themes of Exodus.
The Themes of Exodus

Taken from JohnKleinig.com
[Pentateuch - Exodus (Bible 1, 6b), Not Available.]
[Pentateuch Exodus (Bible 1, 7a), 50:31]
[Pentateuch Exodus (Bible 1, 7b), contains only 13 minutes of the 50 minute
lecture.]
[In the three sessions listed above Dr. Kleinig covered the themes of Exodus. But
the next lecture session (6b) and most of another lecture (7b) were not available.
Thankfully there was another class that Dr. Kleinig taught on Exodus called: Exodus
From Slavery to Divine Service. In teaching that class Dr. Kleinig took several days
to teach about Exodus. I took the themes from this class and summarized them
here. I am fairly certain that this is what Dr. Kleinig discussed here. I also added to
this the parts that were available in this lecture series.]
Theme 1 Accessing God by his Personal Name
When you meet someone, you introduce yourself to them. The way you introduce
yourself makes a big difference in how you open yourself up to the other person.
Some examples:

Hello, I am Dr. Kleinig. This gives formal and academic access. Offering an
academic relationship. So it is limited access.
Hello, I am professor Kleinig. Presenting myself as a teacher and giving a
person access as a student. Offering a teacher/student relationship.
Hello, I am Mr. Kleinig. It is very formal and impersonal, a business
relationship. The relationship goes no further than business.
Hello, I am pastor Kleinig. Establishes a pastoral relationship. Offering myself
as a pastor to you.
Hello, I am John Kleinig. Offers a more familiar and more personal
relationship.
Hello, I am John. Offers the most intimate personal relationship.
In giving someone your name, you are doing something extra-ordinary. In each case
you give access to yourself. And not only that, but also the level of access, the
degree of access, and the kind of access. In Exodus God introduced himself with his
personal name, giving Israel the most access possible. He does this when he says, I
am the LORD [Yahweh}.
Gods name is extremely important in Exodus.
In. Ex. 3:13-15 Moses asked God what his name was. God gave him his
personal name Yahweh.
In Ex. 3:16-17 Moses uses the holy name to promise the deliverance of Israel.
In Ex. 3:18 and throughout the ten plagues Moses uses the holy name to
demand that pharaoh release the people of Israel.
In Ex. 6:6-8 Gods name is associated with redemption and the covenant with
Abraham. Therefore the Israelites will know God as their gracious Redeemer.
At first in Ex. 5:1-2 pharaoh thinks of Yahweh as a nobody and refuses to
acknowledge him. But by the end of the plagues in Ex. 9:13-16 he is forced to
recognize that there is no one else on earth like Yahweh. He now knows
Yahweh. But he knows him not in grace but in judgment and power.
In Ex. 20:2 Gods first words to the Israelites are I am Yahweh your God. In
these words God verbally introduced himself to his people, giving them full
access to himself and committing himself to them.
In Ex. 20:7 God tells Israel that they are not to misuse his holy name.
The most important reflection on the holy name in Exodus is found in the
aftermath of the golden calf incident (Ex. 34:6-7). There he tells what kind of
God he is. He is merciful and gracious and slow to anger. He is a God who
abounds in steadfast love and faithfulness. He is a God whose grace
completely out weighs his wrath.
Gods name is the most holy thing God has given to his people and the worst act of
desecration is the desecration of his holy name. By giving them his personal name,
God gives them full access to himself, his grace and mercy, and his blessings.

Theme 2 the Wordplay around Which Exodus is Constructed
The most important Hebrew word in Exodus is a word that can be translated: to
work, serve, perform service, or slavery. There is a wordplay in the Hebrew that is
hard to pick up in English. God delivers the Israelites from slavery (service to
pharaoh) so that they can (serve) him. Or put another way, God delivers Israel from
serving pharaoh and the Egyptian gods so that they could serve him in worship
(divine service). Lets take a look at it.
Ex. 1:13-14: So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves
[serve ruthlessly] and made their lives bitter with (hard service), in mortar
and brick, and in all kinds of work [service] in the field. In all their work
[service] they ruthlessly made them work as slaves [forced servers]. In
these verses Pharaoh forced the Israelites to serve him.
Ex. 3:12: He said, But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you,
that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you
shall (serve) God on this mountain. The purpose of the exodus is so that
Israel could serve Yahweh at Mt. Sinai. This is done later when they worship
God, when they participate in the divine service (Ex. 24).
Ex. 5:1: Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus says
the Lord, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to
me in the wilderness. The purpose that pharaoh should let them go is in
order that they can go on a pilgrim journey in order to feast with Yahweh. God
will provide a holy festival for Israel in the desert. So Israel will serve God by
feasting on the holy meal that he provides for them.
Ex. 7:16: And you shall say to him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent
me to you, saying, Let my people go, that they may (serve) me in the
wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed. This is Gods demand made
before each plague. He is to let them go so that they might serve Yahweh in
the wilderness.
So the purpose of the exodus is so that Israel can leave their service of pharaoh and
the Egyptian gods and instead serve Yahweh, the true God. And they serve him by
feasting, by eating at his table. We see an example of this in the Passover where
Israel feasts already in Egypt.
Ex. 12:14. Notice the word feast is used twice in verse 14. This is a
technical term for a pilgrim feast. For such a feast, one journeys from your
home to a holy place in order to eat a meal in the presence of God.
Ex. 12:21-27. Notice again the word service. This gives the main part of the
Passover. First a lamb is killed and its blood is put on the doorframe. This
blood keeps them safe; it creates a clean holy place. Inside the house the
family eats the meat from the Passover lamb. This service commemorates
when God passed over the Israelites and struck down the Egyptians. God
rescued his people in order that they might serve him by eating holy meat in
his presence as they were doing here in the Passover.
Ex. 13:3-4. There was the original Passover and then there was the ongoing
commemoration of the going out. This is where the word exodus comes
from. Exodus has multiple meanings. Israel was going out, leaving Egypt.
Israel was going out on a journey. And Israel was going free from their slavery.
Theme 3 The Deliverance of Israel by God

Pagans saw themselves as slaves to their gods. But God does not see the Israelites
as his slaves. In Ex. 4:22-23 God calls Israel his son. And in fact they are not just his
son, but his firstborn son. And as the firstborn he had a special status and special
responsibilities. The firstborn carried on the fathers name and was responsible for
the extended family. In this verse Moses was to say, Let my firstborn son go that he
may serve me. (Again serve is a term for ritual work. It refers to divine service.)
The picture is this. God is over all the nations of the earth. They are all his family.
Israel is Gods firstborn son who serves on behalf of the rest of the family. Israel will
perform divine service on behalf of all the nations, the other sons of God.
Gods firstborn son had been made into a slave. In their misery the Israelites cried
out for help. God heard their cries and had come to deliver them from their
bondage. Yahweh chose to work through Moses. God officially called and
commissioned Moses on Mt. Horeb (Sinai) to work with him in delivering the people
from Egypt. Moses was to go up against pharaoh, who had all power politically,
militarily, and spiritually.
The deliverance of Israel can be seen in three ways.
(1) First it was an act of redemption. To understand this, we must first
understand what a redeemer is. A redeemer is the male head of the family,
which is normally the oldest male in the family. This is not just the nuclear
family, but the extended family. What is the function of a redeemer? He
protects the life, livelihood, and status of all family members. He is the
protector of the family. A redeemer protected family members in court when
they were falsely accused; he was their defense council. If a family member
fell into slavery because of debt, the redeemer got the money together to
buy the person back. When a family member lost land because of debt, the
redeemer bought the land back. If a family member died without a male heir,
he fathered a male child to continue the family name. If a family member was
taken as prisoner of war, it was the job of the redeemer to rescue him from
captivity. It was the job of the kinsman redeemer to ensure that the status of
the family (social, economic, and religious) was preserved. So how does this
apply to Israel in the situation they are in? Israel has been treated unjustly
and God, their Redeemer, intervened to make sure that justice was done.
Because of slavery Israel had lost its inheritance and status. As the head of

the family God came in to liberate them and restore them. God acted to
redeem his people.
(2) Secondly, the deliverance of Israel was an act of liberation. Moses repeatedly
told pharaoh to let my people go or liberate my people. When pharaoh
would not let them go, Yahweh compelled him to by a mighty arm. Yahweh
freed them from their captivity. Seeing deliverance as liberation is
straightforward and very well known.
(3) Thirdly, the deliverance of Israel was a victory. Not only was this a victory
over pharaoh and his army but it was also a victory over chaos, the powers of
darkness, and the Egyptian gods. Here we see God as the divine Warrior; he
was like Israels Goliath. He was a Champion on behalf of his army, a person
who fights single handedly against the enemy. In this war God the Champion
fought not another champion but against all the powers of pharaoh, his
magicians, his armies, and his gods. As Israels Champion, Yahweh fought for
Israel; he was their Protector. Israel was Yahwehs army, but they did no
fighting. They were told to simply watch their Champion win the victory. And
when he did they plundered the enemy.
Theme 4 Divine Theophany
Theophany is a revelation of Gods glory, a manifestation of Gods presence. Gods
presence in Exodus is shown in the glory cloud. Theophany has two sides to it.
When God reveals himself there are two equal and opposite effects. He manifests
himself in both grace and in wrath, judgment and salvation, darkness and light. The
purpose of the ten plagues was so that God could reveal his glory to the Egyptians,
to Israel, and to the world. God revealed himself to the Egyptians when they
experienced his wrath and judgment. At the same time he revealed himself to Israel
in grace as their Redeemer and Savior.
Gods glory is manifested paradoxically. It is revealed by being concealed; his glory
is revealed when he conceals it in a cloud. God had to conceal his glory because if
sinful people are exposed to the fullness of Gods holy presence they would be
annihilated. Paradoxically, the closer God comes to his people, the more concealed
he is to make himself available in a non-threatening way.
There
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
are seven important theophanies in Exodus and Leviticus.

The theophany in the fire of the burning bush made the ground holy.
The theophany of the glory cloud that leads Israel out of Egypt.
The theophany at the Red Sea.
A theophany in the Desert of Sin in connection with the manna and quails.
The climactic theophany was at Mt. Sinai, the glory cloud on top of the
mountain.
6. The revelation of Gods glory on the face of Moses.

7. In the inauguration of the divine service (Lev. 9) Gods disclosure of himself
culminates in the fire on the altar of the tabernacle. It produces a column of
smoke that rises up every morning and every evening. Lev. 9 is the first
divine service at the tabernacle. In it the fire of Gods glory comes from the
Holy of Holies to the altar for burnt offering lighting the sacrifices. After that
the holy fire was not allowed to go out. The holy fire on the altar is
theophanic fire. The cloud that rises from the sacrifices on the altar everyday
is Gods theophany to his people.
Theme 5 The Institution of the Passover
The last plague, the death of the firstborn, protected Israel, delivered them, and
started their journey out of Egypt. Their journey to the promised land began with
the ritual enactment of the Passover.
The firstborn men and male animals of Israel were spared in the Passover. Since
these firstborn were saved by God, they belonged to God; they were holy. If they
were holy then they could only be used in the divine service. They couldnt be used
for secular purposes. Therefore the firstborn cattle, sheep, and goats were
presented to Yahweh as holy offerings. Since the unclean animals and men could
not be sacrificed, God provided a means by which they could be redeemed, bought
back. If it was not redeemed it had to be killed because something holy cannot be
used for common purposes.
On Passover night, both Israel and God kept vigil. Israel had to watch and be ready
to leave at any time. God watched over Israel and protected her. The Israelite
families slaughtered lambs and put the blood on their door frames. The blood
protected those in the house and caused the angel of death to pass over the house.
The lamb had to be roasted and then entirely eaten by the extended family and
invited guests with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. The Passover was like a
peace offering offered at home. In both the peace offering and the Passover the
meat from the offering was given by God to the family to eat as a holy meal. The
meal was eaten with the family dressed to travel. They stayed in the house until
morning and then the journey began.
The initial Passover was celebrated in Egypt, but it was also to be celebrated every
year thereafter. It was a divinely instituted commemoration. Like all such
commemorations, it had the following elements: (1) It was divinely instituted by
divine command. (2) It had attached to it a physical ritual element (in this case the
Passover lamb and the blood). And (3) it had a promise of Gods blessing. The
Passover was a family meal that focused on the education of the children. Through
ritual enactment the children learned about their deliverance from bondage. The
Passover was celebrated every year and kicked off the seven day Feast of
Unleavened Bread.

What is the overall purpose of the annual Feast of the Passover? Every Passover is a
sacramental reenactment of the original Passover. A key text for the Jews is Ex.
30:4. It uses a present participle. Because it is in the present tense it means that
every Passover you go free, you go on a journey to a new place. So every
generation relives the original exodus. Every generation experiences a journey from
slavery to the new divine service. Its a journey from ritual impurity to ritual purity.
Its a journey from death to life, from sorrow to rejoicing.
Theme 6 The Enactment of the Covenant
The covenant that God made with Israel was a two-sided covenant. Lets take a look
at it.
First God makes an offer to Israel. Look at Ex. 19:4-6. God says if you keep
this covenant you will be a holy people, my treasured possession, a kingdom
of priests. As priests they will have access to God. As priests they can
approach God and receive blessing and they can bring those blessings to the
nations. This is what the covenant is all about Israel being Gods holy
priestly people.
Ex. 20:1-2 is Gods side of the covenant. God speaks to all the people out of
the cloud at Mt. Sinai. The first thing they hear God say is, I am Yahweh, your
God. He introduces himself by name and then immediately commits himself
to them as their God. So God commits to Israel first. That commitment is
fleshed out later in Ex. 25-31 when God gives them the tabernacle, the
priesthood, and the divine service. Thats Gods side of the covenant. He
gives them a place where they can meet with him (the tabernacle). He gives
them priests who can represent them. And he gives them the divine service
where they can approach him and receive his gifts.
The Ten Commands are the peoples side of the covenant (Ex. 20:3-21). Dont
get this wrong. God does not say, Keep the commandments and you will be a
holy people. Rather he is saying, You are a holy people therefore keep these
commandments. The Ten Commandments dont have to do with ethical living,
but holy living. The Ten Commandments are about things that can defile them
and desecrate their holiness. The first three commandments are particularly
important. They are not to have any other Gods because Yahweh is their
source for holiness. They are not to take Gods holy name in vain because
they have access to God through that holy name and that name keeps them
holy. And the Sabbath day is given to them as a holy day. Even the rest of the
commandments, the second table of the law, apply to holiness because they
belong to a holy community and they are not to do anything that would defile
themselves or the community.
Ex. 20:22-24 is the law of the altar. At first this passage seems to be out of
place. Once again we note that Israel is forbidden from making an idol for
Yahweh. Rather God will come to them and meet with them and bless them at
an altar. When pagans make sacrifices they do it to serve their gods. But it is
the opposite for the Israelites. When they make sacrifices, God comes to
them through the daily sacrifices and serves them by blessing them.
The covenant then has to do with the divine service (Ex. 25-31). In the divine
service sacrifices are made each day on the altar at the tabernacle by the
priests. And when the sacrifices are made God comes to his people and
blesses them. Through the divine service God shares his holiness with them
and then they as his holy people are to respond by keeping the Ten
Commandments. Ultimately in the divine service God gives them his glory,
which is his hidden, gracious, accessible, and holy presence. God makes
himself accessible to them at the tabernacle.
So in summary, the covenant has to do with holiness. In the covenant God proposed
to make his people a holy, priestly people. He showed them how holy people live
when he gave them the Ten Commandments and laws that touched all parts of life.
He then made them holy by the sprinkling of blood. And finally he provided a way
for them to continue to receive his holiness through the tabernacle, priesthood, and
divine service.
Most people think that the covenant was given in Ex. 19-24 and they tend to focus
on the peoples obligations. But God has much more to say and offer in Ex. 25-31.
Lets take a moment and focus on Gods side of the covenant. Before anything else,
in Ex. 20:2 God gives Israel three things. First he gives them his personal name.
When you introduce yourself by name, you give the other person full access to
yourself. God gave Israel full access to himself through his personal name Yahweh.
Secondly, God made a commitment to Israel when he promised to be their God.
Thirdly, he reminded them what he had already done for them. He had redeemed
them and brought them up out of slavery in the land of Egypt. Then after telling
Israel how they were to live as his holy people (Ex. 20-23), he made them holy
through the sprinkling of blood (Ex. 24). Then he gave Israel the means by which
they could remain holy and continue receiving his holiness (Ex. 25-31). This is truly
a two-sided covenant.
God has delivered his people out of Egypt in order that he might dwell with them
and lead them and go with them to the land he promised them. But there was one
major problem. God is holy and Israel is sinful. How can a holy God live amongst a
sinful people? If the covenant stops at Ex. 24, the problem of sin is not dealt with. In
the last part of the covenant (Ex. 25 31) God tells how he will take care of this
problem. Through the blood of the sacrifices made at the tabernacle atonement will
be made, covering the sins of the people. Because of the forgiveness of sins God
can take up residence in the midst of Israel in the tabernacle. His personal quarters
will be in the Holy of Holies. He will do business with his top officials in the Holy
Place. And he will meet with his people in the courtyard at the altar for burnt
offering. Through theophanic fire and smoke and the resulting sweet aroma God will
show his pleasure in his people. In this way sin is dealt with and God can safely live

amongst his people without his holiness being desecrated. The divine service
performed daily at the tabernacle gave the people access to God and his grace,
favor, forgiveness, and blessing.
Theme 7 The Consecration of Israel as Gods Holy Nation
A key passage in Exodus is Ex. 19:4-6. It pictures God as the Emperor over the
whole world and choosing Israel from all the nations as his special nation. They are
his private treasured possession. As his treasured possession, what was Israels
vocation to be? God says if they keep listening to his voice (better translated as
listen than obey) and keep on observing his covenant, they will be a royal
priesthood and a holy nation. That is Gods proposal to them. As King of the
universe, God wishes to use Israel as a priest for the nations. A priest has access to
God. A priest is a mediator. A priest represents God to the people and the people to
God. Israel then is to be the mediator between God and the nations. You can see
this in the psalms. Israel praises God on behalf of the nations and it praises God to
the nations. Through this role, they function sacramentally and sacrificially.
But how can Israel, a sinful people, represent the nations before God? The only way
that they can stand in Gods holy presence and represent the nations is because of
atonement, that is, through the blood of the sacrifices. It is only by atonement that
the problem of sin is dealt with. Therefore Israel cannot fulfill the vocation that God
has for them unless he gives them the tabernacle, priesthood, and divine service. In
the divine service the priests make atonement at the altar in the courtyard of the
tabernacle for the people. This then is the reason why Ex. 25 31 is included in the
covenant. Without the tabernacle, priesthood, and divine service they cannot be
Gods holy priests to and for the nations.
So in Ex. 19:4-6 God told Israel that he wanted them to be his royal priesthood and
holy nation. Three times Israel agreed to this by saying, All that the LORD has
spoken we will do (Ex. 19:8; Ex. 24:3, 7). Then chapter 24 tells us how God made
them his holy, priestly people. This happened when Moses splashed some the blood
of the sacrifices on the altar and sprinkled the rest of the blood on the people. This
was a onetime enactment in scripture. The closest act to it was when the priests
were sprinkled with the mixture of blood and holy anointing oil. When the priests
were sprinkled they were made holy (Lev. 8:10; Ex. 30:22-33; Ex. 40:9-15). And in a
similar way so were the Israelites when they were sprinkled with blood. Israel was
now his holy, priestly people.
The holiness of Israel was not something they possessed but was received from
God. God shared his holiness with them. In order for them to remain holy they had
to continually receive Gods holiness. Ex. 29:42-44 tells how Israel would continue to
receive Gods holiness. It would be through the daily divine service. Through the

daily divine service, Israel, the sanctuary, and the priests daily received and shared
in Gods holiness.
Note that God instituted these means of sanctification (the sacrifices at the
tabernacle by the priests) by his Word. And he instituted them in order that he
might share his holiness with them and make them his holy and priestly people.
Only when Israel hears Gods Word given in Exodus and daily enacts these rituals
can they receive Gods holiness and carry out the priestly role God had assigned to
them.
Theme 8 - The Institution of the Altar
Throughout Genesis we see the patriarchs setting up altars at places where God
appeared to them. Because God was present there they were holy places. The altar
at the tabernacle was no different. The altar was the place where God appeared to
and met with his people. It was at the altar that God came to his people to meet
with them. He met with them there at particular times. He made himself available to
them twice a day, every morning and evening, every day.
The altar was the place where blood atonement was made. The blood from the
sacrifices was splashed against the sides of the altar. The purpose of this was to
provide cleansing. The people were cleansed of the sins they committed and of the
sins committed against them. God could not be approached with a sacrifice until
blood atonement had been made.
Gods instructions for Israels altar were in contrast to the way that pagans used
their altars(Ex. 20:22-26; 29:38-46). Pagan altars were setup before the idol of their
gods. It was used as a table for a meal. The sacrifices they brought provided food
for their gods. Israel brought sacrifices to Yahweh but for a different purpose. The
entire sacrifice became holy when any part of it touched the altar (the fire on the
altar came from Gods holy presence in the Most Holy Place and was a theophany
(appearance by God) to his people). Any part of the sacrifice that was not burned on
the altar was given by God to his priests and to his people as a holy meal. So the
sacrifices were not food for God but holy food from God for his people. In this way
God shared his holiness with his people.
From the altar Yahweh showed his favor for his people. The result of the sacrifices
on the altar was a cloud of smoke that had a sweet smell. This sweet smelling cloud
showed that God accepted their sacrifices and was pleased with them. It was a daily
reminder of Gods grace for them.
It was also from the altar that God blessed his people. After the sacrifice had been
made, the priest stood in front of the altar facing the people. From there he gave

the Aaronic benediction. When he did this, he placed Gods name upon them and
blessed them. So in leaving the tabernacle the people took home with them Gods
name and Gods blessing.
Theme 9 - The Institution of the tabernacle
God instituted the tabernacle when he spoke to Moses on top of the mountain (Ex.
25-27). He did it through a series of 7 speeches. Moses constructed the tabernacle
exactly as God commanded (Ex. 36-38). Then the tabernacle was erected (Ex. 40:133).
The tabernacle is a model of the heavenly sanctuary (Ex. 25:9, 40). God showed
Moses the heavenly prototype of the earthly tabernacle. The tabernacle was to be a
copy of the heavenly reality. The craftsmen are given Gods Spirit in order that they
might make the tabernacle like its heavenly counterpart.
The tabernacle was rectangular in shape. It was twice as long as it was wide. It
could be divided in half and each half made a square. The entrance to the
tabernacle was on the east side. Exactly in the middle of the eastern half and the
focal point of it was the Altar for Burnt Offering. Exactly in the middle of the western
half and the focal point of it was the Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant.
Mt. Sinai itself was also a pattern for the tabernacle. Different parts of the mountain
corresponded to different parts of the tabernacle.
Only Moses could go to the top of the mountain and meet with God. This
corresponded to the Most Holy Place, which was entered only once a year by
the high priest.
The elders went up on the mountain and ate before God. This corresponded
to the Holy Place where the priests came before God.
The people were at the foot of the mountain where the altar was. This
corresponded with the courtyard where the people brought sacrifices and
where the sacrifices were offered on the altar for burnt offering.
The tabernacle was the place where God resided, the place where he lived. When
Israel camped the tabernacle was always in the middle of the camp. So Yahweh
lived in the midst and among his people; he was present with his people. From his
residence God made himself accessible and available to his people. He met with the
priest in the Holy Place and he met with the people at the altar for burnt offering.
He met with them every day, twice a day. And he met with them at other particular
times, at special festivals.
Through his Word God instituted the tabernacle and all of its furnishings. Through
his Word he established that he would meet with his people at the tabernacle.

Through his Word he established the times when he would meet with them. At the
tabernacle he would meet with them, show his favor to them, and bless them in the
divine service.
Theme 10 The Institution of the Divine Service
Gods institution of the divine service is the heart and core of everything (Gen.
29:38-46). Every morning and every evening the divine service was enacted by the
priests on behalf of the people at the tabernacle. In the morning there was the
public offering. And in the evening there was the public offering (basically a
duplicate of the morning offering). During the time between the two, personal
offerings were made. It appears to be three separate offerings but in reality it was
one single enactment.
Here is the order of the daily offering, the regular ritual performed each day,
morning and evening. We will explain the morning sacrifice. The evening sacrifice
follows the same pattern.
-First there was the preparation for the divine service 1. The priest on duty cleared the altar of the ashes from the previous day. He
then took the hot coals from the previous day and used them to start up a
fresh fire for the new day.
2. Then on the north side of the altar, the priest slaughtered the year old male
lamb that was to be presented to God as the morning offering. It was
slaughtered in such a way that all of the blood was drained from the meat.
The priest caught the blood in bowls and put them aside. The rest of the lamb
was dressed. The important thing is that you had two things - the meat/body
and the blood.
- Then came the divine service proper 1. The first important ritual enactment was that the priests took all of the blood
of the lamb and splashed it against the sides of the altar. This act of splashing
blood was the rite of atonement. God instituted the rite of atonement as the
way that people and things were cleansed from impurity. That means if
people have sinned, they are forgiven. If they have been sinned against, then
they are cleansed. So the atonement cleanses the people, the priests, and
the tabernacle itself from impurity. Why would atonement come first in the OT
divine service? Unless one is clean and pure, one cannot come into Gods
holy presence. An unclean person who comes into Gods holy presence
comes under Gods wrath. It allows one to enter safely into Gods presence.
2. Then the priest washed his hands and feet (to walk on holy ground and
handle holy things). He entered the Holy Place carrying the Israelites on his
shoulders and on his chest (the names of the 12 tribes were on his
vestments) and offered incense on the incense altar which stood before the
curtain before Gods holy presence. This caused the entire Holy Place to be
filled with a powerful smell from the incense. And the vestments of the priest

were filled with this powerful smell. As the priest came out of the tent, he
came out bringing with him the sweetness from God to the people. So priest
went in and interceded for the people through the incense offering and he
came out bringing Gods grace and favor to the people.
3. When the priest came out, he washed again and then went up on the altar.
He put the parts of the lamb for the burnt offering on the altar and then put
the grain for the grain offering on the altar. The burning of these sacrifices
created a thick cloud of smoke. This cloud of smoke was reminiscent of the
pillar of cloud that led Israel out of Egypt. The purpose of these sacrifices was
to create the cloud of smoke which was a theophany of God in which he made
known his acceptance of and favor for his people.
4. Next the priest poured wine on the altar. The alcohol in the wine would cause
it to flame up, again a theophany of God.
5. After the smoke has been produced, the priest came down from the altar and
stood in front of the altar and delivered the Aaronic benediction. He did this
facing the congregation. The priest raised his hands and said, Yahweh bless
and keep you. Yahweh make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.
Yahweh look on you with favor and give you peace. According to the book of
Numbers, when the priest did this, he placed the name of God on the people.
And then Numbers continues with Yahweh saying, I will bless them. So the
benediction communicates Gods name and blessing to the people.
Everything that has happened to point had been done for the purpose of
Gods name being placed upon his people and God giving his blessing to his
people. If Gods name is on them that makes them holy. That ended the
divine service proper.
- After the daily sacrifices came the priests personal grain offering 1. Part of the priests personal grain offering was offered to God on the altar.
The rest was given by God to the priests as their daily ration. They baked this
as bread and they ate it as a most holy meal. It had to eaten in Yahwehs holy
presence. So the daily offering ended in a priestly meal. God feeds his
servants holy food.
The daily burnt offering was instituted in Ex. 29:38-46. So what is the purpose of the
divine service? Ex. 29:41 says, ... for an aroma that puts at rest [or that gives rest],
a gift belonging to the Lord. This refers to the smoke that rises from the burnt
offering and the grain offering. It gives off an aroma that puts you at rest; it gives
you a good conscience; it signals Gods approval. Ex. 29:41-46 says that God does
three main things in the divine service:
1. He meets with Moses/Aaron/the high priest at the tent of meeting in order to
speak to them.
2. In the divine service God makes everything holy. His presence sanctifies the
tent of meeting, the altar, and the priests and the Israelites.

3. God dwells with and in the midst of his people. That is remarkable! God
comes from heaven to earth, to be their God, to serve them, and to care and
provide for them.
Theme 11 - The Institution of the Priesthood
God instituted the priesthood in order that the priests could stand in as mediators
for the people. When the priests served at the tabernacle they were required to
wear special vestments. These vestments held great meaning. Lets take a look at
these vestments.
The high priests vestments:
Over everything else he wore an ephod. On its shoulder pieces were two onyx
stones which were inscribed with the names of the 12 tribes of Israel.
He wore a breast piece with had twelve precious stone, each engraved with
the name of one of the tribes of Israel. It also had a pocket in which were 2
lots that were used to determine Gods will.
Underneath the breast piece was a long robe. On the bottom of it were bells.
Bells were associated with good news. So every step he took would bring
good news.
He wore a turban which had a gold plate on it. The gold plate was inscribed
with holiness to Yahweh. The high priest was holy to Yahweh. When he
gave the blessing, he gave the name on his forehead to the people.
Underneath these vestments, the high priest wore the normal vestments of a
priest.
The vestments of the priests:
The priests wore a tunic made of white linen. It went from his shoulders to his
knees.
He had a girdle around his waist.
He had a cap on his head.
Underneath he wore a loin cloth as a kind of underwear.
The main purpose of these vestments was to cover up their nakedness. After Adam
and Eve sinned they were ashamed of their nakedness. Therefore nakedness is
associated with the shame of sin. God covers the priests with holy clothes which
symbolizes that he covers their sin with his holiness. Sinful people cannot stand
before holy God. God covers the priests with his holiness so that they can stand
before him without worrying about being destroyed. He covers them so that they
can work with him in the administration of his holiness.

Lets also take a look at the ritual for the ordination of the priests. The following
things were done to the candidates for the priesthood. (The candidates were
completely passive; they did not do anything themselves.)
They were all washed.
The high priest was clothed in his vestments.
The high priest was anointed with oil being poured on his head.
The priests were clothed in their vestments.
A bull was offered as a sin offering by Moses. As a bull is the head of herd, so
the priests were the head of the nation. The blood from the sin offering
removed impurity and sin.
A ram was offered as a burnt offering. The blood was splashed against the
altar, consecrating the altar. The altar and the priests were consecrated in the
same service. One cannot work without the other.
A ram was offered as the ordination offering. In it blood was applied to the
priests right ear, thumb, and toe so that he could hear Gods holy Word,
handle holy things, and walk on holy ground. Blood along with holy anointing
oil was sprinkled on the priests. This made them holy.
Then parts of the ram were given to Moses and the priests to eat. The holy
meal was eaten at the sanctuary.
This ceremony was repeated everyday in the morning for 7 days.
The location of the vestments on the high priest helps us see the purpose of the
divine service:
1. First, the ephod with the memorial stones was on his shoulders. Shoulders are
used to carry things. The high priest carried the Israelites before Yahweh on
his shoulders. The ephod had to do with the high priest doing the work of
God.
2. Second, the breast-piece with the names of the Israelite tribes and the two
lots was worn over the heart, the center of his being. This involves
ministering to people from the heart of God.
3. Third, he wore a crown on his head. This is ministering in Gods name. As the
head controls the whole body, so Gods name controls his whole ministry and
life.
4. Fourth, the robe was worn over the whole body. His whole body is covered
with Gods holiness to do Gods holy work.
The work of the priest is very simple. A priest is a person who has access to Gods
gracious presence. He is then in a position to mediate between God and people. So
on the one hand, the priests stand in for the people before God. Priests intercede for
the people. On the other hand, they represent God to the people. They mediate
Gods presence, grace, and love to the people. God chose Israel to be a holy,
priestly nation. They have access to him and his grace and they are to use that
access to bring blessing to the nations.
JohnKleinig.com

lecture. The final lecture on Exodus was cut off.]
Theme 12 The Golden Calf and Moses Intercession
In the first commandment God forbid Israel from having idols. Pagans used idols to
access their gods but God gave Israel his name to access him. Pagans believed that
their gods were present with them and communicated through idols. So they had
idols in their homes and on their persons so that the gods were with them.
While Moses was on Mt. Sinai receiving Gods instructions for building the
tabernacle, for consecration of the priests, and the laws for the daily divine service,
the people of Israel were waiting for him on the bottom of the mountain. After 40
days they didnt think he was coming back. Moses had been their mediator to God.
If he was no longer there, they wanted to insure some way for God to be with them
as they journeyed to the promised land. So thinking in pagan terms, they made an
idol for Yahweh so he could go with them. So Aaron built an idol of Yahweh for them
(a golden calf). This made God very angry and he wanted to destroy the people. No
sooner had Israel been made holy (Ex. 24) than they desecrate their holiness by
making an idol (Ex. 32). Contrary to what they thought, an idol did not guarantee
Gods presence with them, but it threatened their existence. Lets take a look at it.
Ex. 32:1-10. What is translated as gods could just as well be translated as

god, the term can be used either way. Here God threatens to wipe out the
people and start all over with Moses and his descendants. Since Moses has
access with God he uses that access to intercede for the people. In fact there
are four acts of intercession by Moses. The first intercession is for the survival
of Israel (Ex. 32:11-14). In doing so he appealed to Yahwehs reputation and
his covenant with the patriarchs.
Ex. 33:1-3. In the second intercession God told Moses, You take the people. Ill
send an angel with you, but I will not go with you because if I do I will destroy
the people. In Ex. 33:12-17 Moses responds. Moses tells God, These are your
people. And God says, Ok, Ill go along on the journey; Ill give you [Moses,
you is singular] rest. Then Moses takes Gods promise of his presence going
with him and extends it to the Israelites. So God agrees and promises to go
with the people. But there is still the problem that this is a sinful people. How
can holy God go with this sinful people? The answer comes in the fourth
intercession.
Ex. 34:9. In the final intercession Moses prays for the forgiveness of sins, that
God will be present with them as a forgiving God, forgiving the sins of this
stiff-necked people. He can pray this prayer because God has told him that he
is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and

faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin (Ex. 34:6b-7a).
Israel survives because of Moses intercession. Moses is the great intercessor of the
OT.
The Book of Leviticus

From JohnKleinig.com
lecture. The very end of the Exodus lecture was cut off and the beginning of the
Leviticus lecture was cut off. ]
[Pentateuch Exodus (Bible 1, 8a), 56:09.]
Basic concepts needed to understand Leviticus

The key to understanding Leviticus is found in Lev. 10:10-11. The task of the priests
is to distinguish between what is holy from what is common and what is clean from
what is unclean. Being spiritually clean is not the same as being holy. For instance a
person can be clean. He can have clean sex or clean food but its not holy sex or
holy food. Holiness and purity (cleanness) are not the same. Likewise what is
common is not the same as what is unclean. Something that is common can be in
one of two conditions, clean or unclean.
We must recognize that God is the only source of holiness. Again and again God
says in Leviticus, I Yahweh your God am holy. Nothing and no one is holy apart from
God. Holiness is never defined in the Bible. It is what makes God God. Human
beings are not able to define holiness [because we define things in terms of other
things and since we are not holy we dont know how to describe it.] The only
description of holiness in the Scriptures is in negative terms. For instance Gods
holiness cannot tolerate impurity. Holiness and impurity are opposites of each other,
like darkness and light. When Gods holiness comes into contact with something
unclean, it destroys it. There is a problem then when unclean people come into
contact with holy God. They should be destroyed and will be destroyed unless they
are somehow insulated from Gods holiness. Gods presence can make things holy
but only if those things are clean. So God can only make people holy if they are
clean. God makes people holy through holy things.
So life in Gods realm brings life and light and blessing to people. The realm of
impurity is the realm of Satan, which is the realm of chaos, darkness, death, and
curse. So life on earth has three domains that overlap each other.
1. Where God is present there is a holy domain. In this domain everything is
clean. Gods domain is holy and pure.

2. The human realm, as God designed it, is common and clean. If something
that is common and clean comes into Gods presence, its status changes
from common to holy and it still remains clean.
3. The demonic realm is the realm of darkness and impurity. In this realm
everything is unclean.
So we have three domains or realms:

Gods holy realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The common realm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The
demonic realm
Clean and pure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Can be clean or unclean . . . . . . . . . . . .
Unclean and impure
To help you understand this, lets look at a couple of examples. First take for
example food. It normally belongs to the common realm. If we go to the store and
buy a loaf of bread, it is common and it is clean. That bread can become holy bread.
How? Simply by saying grace over it. The holy name of God used in saying grace
makes that clean food holy food because it becomes connected with God. Some
bread can even become most holy bread. That is the bread used in Holy
Communion.
On the other hand, bread can also be unclean. Uncleanness here is not referring to
moldy, unhealthy bread. An example of unclean food for Israel was pigs. The reason
they were unclean was that pigs were used by pagans in Canaan for working with
the gods of the underworld or occult powers. In Christian terms, pigs were
associated with Satanism. (There are only hints of this in the Bible and the reason
for this is the Bible is not interested in teaching about the Satanic realm. The more
it is talked about, the more peoples curiosity is peaked and the more people want
to explore it. When you try it you get hooked on it and it leads you farther and
farther into it. Remember the story where Jesus drove the demons into the pigs who
then were drown, taking the demons back to the underworld.)
Lets go back to our example of bread. How does something become unclean? It is
unclean if it is connected to Satan or his allies. For instance, the Hare Krishnas
believe in a god called Krishna that is over all other gods. They used to have
vegetarian restaurants. So the food there was associated with a false god. That is
unclean food. Many who ate there had no idea of its demonic connections. (In
Corinthians Paul addresses this issue.)
Lets take another example sex. Sex is in the common realm and God designed it
to be clean. What is clean sex? That is sex within Gods design. It is heterosexual
sex within marriage. Through this means God gives blessing. Whether you are a
Christian or not, if it is done according to Gods design it is common and it is good
and it is clean. What is unclean sex? It is sex outside of marriage. That includes

premarital sex and adultery and homosexuality and all the other sexual perversions.
That takes what is common and makes it unclean and it opens a person up to
spiritual attack and an ever deepening hole.
So what about a Christian who lives with someone outside of marriage? What is
their status? Well, it is ambiguous. As a Christian they are holy but by their
decisions and actions they are desecrating their holiness and defiling their bodies.
This leads to a bad conscious and when they come before God they will experience
shame and guilt and condemnation not blessing.
How can common clean sex and marriage be sanctified (made holy)? Paul says it 1
Tim. 4:6 that everything is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer. First very
simply, that is the reason why Christians dont just go to the justice of the peace to
get married. They come into Gods holy presence at church so that the Word of God
and prayer sanctifies their marriage. And everyday Christian marriage is sanctified
through the regular reading of Gods Word and prayer. In doing so the Christian
sanctifies the marriage, the house, the children, everything a Christian does. Even
all the secular stuff a Christian does becomes holy through the Word of God and
prayer.
I want to make sure you understand this. If a Christian has sex outside of marriage,
he desecrates his holiness and defiles his body. But thats not the end of the story.
What did Jesus come to do? Why did he come in the flesh and live as we do? He
came to forgive us of our sins and to justify us, to bring us back into a holy state.
Jesus came to purify us, to give us a clean conscience. Without it we cannot
approach God and live with God. Jesus sanctifies us so that we can stand before God
with a clean conscience. All of the Divine Service has to do with this. In the Divine
Service God provides us with the means to purify us. Baptism, absolution, the Word,
and the blood of Christ received in the Supper are all means by which God cleanses
us. John says, the blood of Jesus purifies or cleanses us of all sins.
You must have an understanding of what we just discussed in order to make you
way through and to understand all of the rituals in Leviticus. The rituals of Leviticus
are given in order to make someone who is unclean clean. And they help someone
who is clean to become and remain holy. Thats the whole point of Leviticus
cleansing and sanctification.
The Structure of Leviticus

The book of Leviticus is broken up into three parts.
1. Lev. 1-16 contains legislation for the various offerings that people are to bring
and legislation for impurity and how to deal with it. This culminates in the
great day of purification, the great Day of Atonement.

2. Lev. 17-26 contains legislation for the ongoing reception of Gods holiness
and participation in his holiness.
3. Lev. 27 is an appendix.
The First Part of Leviticus (Lev. 1-16)
Now let go into the first part in more detail. In Exodus God had instituted the daily
sacrifice. Here in Leviticus we get all the other sacrifices that God uses to either
cleanse his people or to make them holy.
Chapters 1:1 to 6:7 deal with the offerings from the laypersons point of view,
what a layperson needs to know when they bring the various kinds of
offerings and what the purpose of those offerings are.
Next comes the laws for the priests and what they do with those same
offerings already described in earlier chapters (Lev. 6:8 7:37).
This then culminates in the consecration of the priests and the inauguration
of the divine service (Lev. 8 10).
Lets look at a couple of passages which are given in Leviticus in Lev. 8 10 (where
the divine service is inaugurated) that give us the purpose of the divine service.
Lev. 9:4-6. The purpose for the offerings is for God to appear to his people, for
his glory to appear to them. How does he appear to them? Lets go to the end
of chapter 9 to see.
Lev. 9:22-24. Remember how Gods glory appeared in a cloud and led the
people from Egypt to Mt. Sinai. Then God spoke to Israel from the cloud and
Moses entered the cloud and received instructions about worship from God.
Then after the tabernacle had been built and anointed, the glory cloud moved
from the mountain to the tabernacle and filled the Holy of Holies. His glory
was hidden from the people inside the tabernacle. Now the purpose of the
daily offerings was so that the glory of God could appear to his people in a
safe way, in a way that did not destroy them, in a way that brought blessing.
In this inaugural divine service, first, atonement was made to cover their sin
and purify them. Then the priest made intercession for the people in the Holy
Place. Then the priest laid the sacrifices on the altar. After the offering was
laid out, the priest stood in front of the altar and gave the benediction. After
Moses and Aaron had done all of this and while they gave the benediction,
fire came from the Holy of Holies to the altar and consumed the offerings.
That was the holy fire that came from Gods holy presence; that fire was to
never go out. So the people saw the glory of God in the form of fire on the
altar and a pillar of smoke going up from the altar. So every day, morning and

evening, God showed himself and his glory to his people in the cloud of
smoke from the daily offering. The glory appeared in connection with the
benediction. This shows that God appeared to his people each day in order to
give them blessing.
No sooner had the divine service been inaugurated than two of Aarons sons
tried some improvised worship (Lev. 10). In doing so they used ordinary fire
instead of the holy fire. When they brought this fire into Gods presence they
desecrated Gods holiness and God struck them dead. It is in this event that
God gave the commandment that the task of the priests is to distinguish
between holy and common, clean and unclean. (Earlier we said this passage
was the key to understanding Leviticus.)
Lev. 10:3. Dr. Kleinig provided his own translation: God said, When I am
treated/regarded as holy by those who approach me [the priests], I appear in
glory before all my people. But the reverse is also true. When the priests
dont respect Gods holiness, God appears as Judge. So instead of life you get
death, instead of blessing you get curse.
After the divine service is inaugurated comes:

Lev. 11 16 which are laws that deal with impurity.
Chpt. 11 clean and unclean meat.
Chpt. 12 impurity that comes from childbirth.
Chpts. 13 14 impurity from skin disease and fungus in houses.
Chpt. 15 impurity from sexual discharges.
This culminates in a statement on the need for purity and purification.
Lev. 15:31: Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their
uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that
is in their midst. What does it say is the purpose for keeping the Israelites
spiritually clean? It is to keep them from defiling the tabernacle and dying
because they have desecrated Gods holiness. It is to keep the people
spiritually safe.
Then comes the most important day of purification (Lev. 16).
There were other minor ways of purification washing and presentation of
sacrifices and the splashing of blood against the altar but the Day of
Atonement was a day of comprehensive purification for the tabernacle, the
priesthood, and the whole nation (Lev. 16). On this day the blood of the
sacrifices is applied to things 50 times to atone for sin and to purify from sin.
The purpose for this ritual is given in Lev. 16:33. It is as we said, to provide
atonement for the tabernacle, priests, and people.

The second part of Leviticus (Lev. 17-26)
This part of Leviticus deals with the preservation of holiness.
Lev. 17. It begins with the use and abuse of blood from animals. There is an
important statement about atonement here that we will be looking at when
we look at the theology of Leviticus.
Lev. 18 touches on the area of sexuality and the importance of Israel avoiding
sexual immorality, not just because it is immoral but for spiritual purposes.
Because they are holy, they are to avoid all forms of sexual impurity.
Lev. 19 26 gives us the basic teaching on holiness.
Lev. 19-20 talks about the holiness of the congregation.
Lets look at a couple of passages about the holiness of the people. Let me stress
that holiness is not something you possess. It is something you keep on receiving,
just like friendship, air, and sunlight are not possessed but continually received.
Lev. 19:1-2. This is addressed to the whole congregation. Knowing Hebrew
helps you understand this. There are three ways to understand this. (1) You
will be holy. (Perfect tense, an unfinished action.) Because God is holy, he
promises to make his people holy. In this sense it is a promise. (2) Secondly, it
is a statement of fact You are holy because I Yahweh am holy. God makes
and keeps his people holy by sharing his holiness with them. (3) A demand
Be holy or You shall be holy. Which of the three is the correct translation here?
All three. The problem in English is that we have to choose one. This is the
reason why we learn the original Biblical languages. There is stuff that you
cant see in a translation.
Lev. 20:26. God says they are to be holy because he has set them apart from
the nations to belong to him. It is the same thing here as we just looked at in
Lev. 19:1-2; it has the same three understandings a promise, a fact, and a
demand.
[Pentateuch Exodus (Bible 1, 8b), 37:53.]
After the holiness of the congregation (Lev. 19-20) comes the following:
Lev. 21 22. Next is the holiness of the priests and there is a distinction made
between the holiness of the high priests vs. the regular priests because the
high priest comes closer to God. This brings up a difference between the OT
and NT. In the OT there are degrees of holiness. The people are holy but the

Levites are more holy. Then the priests are more holy than the Levites and
the high priest is more holy than the regular priests. The closer one comes to
God, the more one shares in Gods holiness and the holier you are. In the NT
there are no degrees of holiness. Why? Because Jesus, our most holy High
Priest, shares his holiness with us. We have the holiness of Christ; we have
the holiness of the High Priest.
Lev. 23 has the holy times for worship, the liturgical calendar. God not only
meets with his people at a particular place but also at particular times
morning and evening every day, but also on Sabbaths and other special
festivals. These are holy times.
Lev. 24. Then there are holy things. Chapter 24 deals with 3 kinds of holy
things. The first two things are in the Holy Place the bread which stood on a
table before Yahweh and the oil for the lampstand. The third thing is the most
holy thing of all Gods name. The name Yahweh is most holy and is to be
kept most holy (second commandment).
Lev. 25. Then comes the holy land. The land is holy because of Gods
presence in the land.
The culmination of this section comes in Lev. 26 which maps out for us the
results of either right worship of God which respects Gods holiness, or wrong
worship of God which desecrates Gods holiness. Blessing comes if people
respect Gods holiness. Curse comes when Gods holiness is disrespected. But
even when people disrespect Gods holiness there is always the possibility of
repentance and restoration.
The book of Leviticus ends with an appendix, an attachment (Lev. 27). It speaks
about votive offerings and tithes. Votive offerings are made because of a vow one
makes to God. Say you have cancer and you say, God if you heal me of this I will
become a pastor. And then God heals you. To fulfill your vow, you become a pastor.
In that case you have offered yourself to God as a votive offering. A tithe is
different. It is a payment to God for the use of his land. The land that Israel would
live on belonged to God. So a tithe was a form of rent for living on Gods land.
Because of this tithes were holy. People outside the land of Israel dont pay tithes. It
is only for those who live on Gods land.
The Themes of Leviticus

Theme 1

God provides the divine service to give life and holiness to his people. In it
he gives them his life and his holiness.
Lev. 18:1-5. The statutes and rules talked about here are not moral laws but
have to do with worship. God says, Worship me in the way that I command
you and you will have life, the fullness of life that comes from God. Jesus said
he had come that we might have life and have it to the full.
Theme 2
Purity is the prerequisite for approaching God, for involvement in the
divine service.
If this is true that one must be pure to approach God, it is dangerous for people to
come into Gods presence. To come into Gods presence with confidence, one must
be clean and pure.
Lev. 7:19-21 touches on this. Offerings are brought to God; he makes them
holy; and then he offers them as holy food back to his people. To make those
offerings and to eat that holy food one must be clean. People instinctively
know this. They know that they are sinful and that it is a bad thing for sinful
people to come into Gods presence. [And they are right!] Their conscience
tells them if they come into Gods presence they are in trouble. This is a
problem for the way we do evangelism today. We think that we just need to
get people to church. But if people come to church with a bad conscience
they will experience condemnation. Spiritually they will be worse off than
they were before because the small voice of their conscience will become a
roar of condemnation. The reason we begin every Communion Service with
Confession and Absolution is so that we can approach God to receive the Holy
Food with a clear conscience, as clean people.
Theme 3
We share in Gods holiness; we receive Gods holiness not through people
but through the most holy things.
There is a very common theology today (Evangelical theology and Pentecostal
theology) that sees people as the means of the Holy Spirit, as people
communicating holiness. There is only one person that communicates holiness and
that is Jesus and he does it through the most holy things. Lets look at what the
most holy things of the OT are and how this works.
Lev. 6:17-18. It says whatever touches a most holy thing becomes holy. So
whoever eats the bread from the grain offering becomes holy. Whoever eats
the meat from the sin offering and guilt offering becomes holy. Anything that
touches the altar becomes holy. There is a whole list of most holy things in
the OT that make holy. This is true in the new covenant as well. What are the

most holy things that make and keep us holy in the NT? Holy Baptism and
Holy Communion make us holy because of the name of Jesus and the Word of
Jesus. So the means of grace are also the means of sanctification. Gods holy
Name and his holy Word are active in the holy sacraments and in the
preaching of Gods holy Word. They are the means that make and keep us
holy.
This has practical consequences that are rather puzzling and can be seen
rather clearly in Lev. 20:7-8. When you read this, see if you can spot what
looks like a contradiction. On the one hand God says, Consecrate yourselves,
therefore, and be holy, but then he says, I am the LORD who sanctifies you
[who makes you holy]. So, can we make ourselves holy or does God make us
holy? The key to it is the statement in between: Keep my statutes and do
them. What are these statutes? They are the statutes that have to do with
worship. So God makes his people holy by establishing the divine service
through his Word. And then when the people use the divine service as God
instructs them they become holy. Therefore the Israelites make themselves
holy and God makes them holy when they go to the tabernacle/temple, when
they make offerings there, and when they eat the holy food that results from
the offerings. And they are also made holy when they receive the benediction
in which the holy name of God is placed on them. How then do you in the NT
make yourself holy and how does God make you holy? Gods Word sanctifies
us. When we go to church we receive absolution, hear Gods holy Word, and
receive Christs holy body and blood. When we use the means of worship that
God has given us and has established through his Word, we make ourselves
holy and God makes us holy. We make ourselves holy at home through
devotional study of Gods Word and through the holy name of God used in
prayer.
Israel is called to share in Gods holiness without desecrating it with their

behavior. God doesnt say, Observe these laws so that you become holy.
Instead he says, Since you are holy, dont do anything that desecrates your
holinesses. So the laws about holiness in Leviticus have to do with
maintaining and preserving holiness. In regards to this lets read Lev. 11:4445. Here the command is not to defile yourselves by touching anything that is
unclean.
Theme 4
The consequences for desecrating Gods holiness are severe.
What is puzzling to modern people is that things seem to be disproportionate in the
OT. For instance we regard things like murder, child abuse, and sexual abuse as
some of the worst sins that you could commit. What are the worst sins in the OT
that bring with them the sentence of death? The worst sins are not moral sins but

spiritual sins. The worst sins are sins where one desecrates Gods holiness.
Desecrating something that is most holy is the worst thing that could happen to
you. What is the penalty for desecration of holiness? If an individual desecrates
Gods holiness, the penalty is death. Think here of the sons of Aaron. The penalty
when the whole nation of Israel desecrates Gods holiness is that God will vomit
them from his land. He drives them out of his presence because if he doesnt he will
destroy them.
Lev. 18:24-28. If I take something that is poisonous my body will protect itself
by vomiting it out. Thats the picture here. The land belongs to God. It is to be
a clean land. His presence makes it holy. If they defile the land, God will
defend the land by vomiting them out of the land. So exile is the
consequence if the nation desecrates Gods holiness.
Theme 5
The sacrificial ritual, the divine service, is the means by which God meets
with his people in order to sanctify them and bless them.
The result of holiness is blessing. So the purpose of the divine service is to purify his
people and then to sanctify them so that he can bless them. The most important
means by which the people are purified is by the blood of sacrifices. Lets go to
chpt. 17, which deals with the use and abuse of blood.
Lev. 17:10-12. The important verse is verse 11. To understand this you must
realize that for animist people like the Canaanites blood is the most important
spiritual substance there is. Blood straddles the spiritual world and the
material world. For them blood has supernatural life power. So these people
will drink blood in order to gain its life. So if you want supernatural life power,
you drink blood. But here God forbids his people to drink blood. Instead they
are to use the blood to make atonement for their sins. Atonement is made
when the blood of the sacrifices is drained from the animal and then sprinkled
or splashed against the sides of the altar. This cleanses their uncleanness. By
it their sin is forgiven; their impurity is covered over. It makes them clean in
Gods sight.
A second use of blood in Lev. is that the blood splashed on the altar becomes
most holy and is put on a priest at his consecration, making him holy.
Remember too that when Israel was at Mt. Sinai, Moses took some of the
blood and sprinkled it on the people. He made the people holy through the
sprinkling/application of blood.
What is it that cleanses us from sin? The blood of Jesus. In the NT we do

something that was not allowed in the OT. We drink Jesus most holy blood in

Holy Communion so that his purity, his life, his holiness is in us. Therefore
both our bodies and consciences are cleansed.
[Pentateuch Exodus (Bible 1, 9a), 57:38.]
A Summary of our discussion on holiness so far.
We have mapped out a theology of holiness. Holiness and worship belong together.
It is through the most holy things in worship that God shares his holiness with his
people. Holiness is not a thing possessed but something that is continually received
from God. Its like light bulbs. They can continue to shine only if they keep on
receiving electricity. If it is cut off from its source then it can no longer shine. Its the
same with Gods holiness. If the Israelites cut themselves off from contact with God,
they lose Gods holiness. Gods holiness is a power, divine power, a life-giving
power. That power flows through the Israelites through physical contact. Gods
holiness is communicated to his people through the altar, through the animals that
are sacrificed, through the tabernacle and its furnishings, through physical things.
And the closer people come to God the more they share in his holiness. (But this
aspect is not true in the NT, as we all have the holiness of Christ. We therefore are
totally holy.)
Now a continuation of theme 5, the divine service and how God sanctifies through
it.
If all of this is true, then the most important thing for Israel is the divine
service because it is through the divine service, the sacrificial ritual, that God
shares his holiness with his people. And it is through his holiness that God
gives his people his blessings the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, and fellowship
with God. Blessing is a result of holiness.
Through the divine service the holy God meets with a sinful people in order to
purify them, to sanctify them, and to bless them. What should happen when
holy God meets sinful people is death. But the sacrifices insulate the peoples
sin from Gods holiness and Gods holiness is insulated from the peoples sin.
Gods holiness can be life-giving or death-dealing. The sacrifices make Gods
holiness life-giving for Israel.
Whats most important here is the use of blood. Weve already taken a look at
it. God forbade his people from drinking blood. Pagan people drank blood to
receive its supernatural life power. But God gave his people blood to be used
on the altar to make atonement for sin, to cover sin, to remove the impurity
of sin, and to give forgiveness of sin. In the OT God forbid his people from

drinking blood, but in the NT Jesus commanded his disciples to drink his
blood. That is the most counter-cultural thing that Jesus ever did.
Now we take a look at the different classes of offerings. In the OT there are two
different kinds of sacrifices. (1) There are sacrifices offered for the whole nation. The
daily sacrifices were sacrifices for the whole nation. The priests offer these sacrifices
on behalf of the whole congregation. (2) There are also personal offerings that a
person or a family could offer. All of the different offerings fit into one of these two
categories.
We cant go into much detail here but these sacrifices are very important for OT
worship and even for NT worship.
First we look at a couple of personal offerings, the sin offering and the guilt
offering. The sin offering provides cleansing if you have broken one of Gods
commands and made yourself unclean. It deals with the impurity of sin. As a
sinner, not only am I unclean but I also dirty the tabernacle with my sin. The
application of blood on the altar cleanses both me and the altar of the effects
of my sin. A person brings a sin offering because he has a guilty conscience
for a sin that he has committed. This is primarily a sin against your neighbor.
Now if you have a guilty conscience because you know or suspect that you
have desecrated something holy you offer a guilt offering. This is an offense
against God.
The most important offering is the daily public burnt offering. Along with the
burnt offering is the grain offering. Included in this offering are: the lamb,
flour and olive oil, incense, and wine, the basic food stuff of the ancient
world. Here are the basic steps of the burnt offering. (1) The priest slaughters
the lamb and drains its blood. (2) The priest takes the blood and splashes it
against the side of the altar. This cleanses and removes the sin of Gods
people. God makes his people ritually pure; he justifies his people. (3) The
priest washes his hands and feet, enters the Holy Place, and burns incense in
front of the curtain before the mercy seat, the throne of God. (4) Then he
washes again, goes up on the altar, and lays out the lamb on the altar. (5) He
then takes a hand full of the flour, olive oil, and incense and puts it on top of
the lamb. The purpose for putting these three things on the altar is to
produce a sweet-smelling column of smoke. (6) Lastly, the priest stands in
front of the altar and gives the Aaronic benediction. (7) Then the rest of the
flour/olive oil mixture is taken and made into bread. This is the priests ration
from God and he eats it within the tabernacle complex because it is most
holy.
There is a reason why the daily burnt offering is carried out in this order (1.
atonement, 2. incense burned, 3. burnt offering, 4. blessing, 5. meal).
(1) Why is the rite of atonement first? What would happen if the priest forgot
to make atonement and went straight into the tabernacle? The priest would
be struck dead. The rite of atonement makes it safe for him to enter into
Gods holy presence in the tabernacle. He is covered and forgiven. Its like
our confession and absolution. This removes the obstacles between God and
the people.
(2) What is the purpose of burning incense in front of God? The priest is
bringing and presenting the people to God and receiving the sweetness and
favor of Gods grace. And he brings that sweetness out of the tent to the
people, showing that God accepts and approves of them.
(3) What is the purpose of the burnt offering? According to Exodus, this is the
means by which God meets with his people. On the altar there is holy fire and
the burning of the sacrifice produces a cloud of smoke. The fire is Gods holy
presence and it is veiled in the cloud of smoke. All that the people see is the
cloud of smoke. This is the meeting place between God and his people.
(4) Why does this service culminate in the benediction? The purpose of God
meeting with his people is to bless them.
(5) Why do the priests eat holy food from the daily offerings? God provides for
his servants, the priests, just like a king would provide food from his table for
his servants. He provides them with most holy food.
Note that all of this looks forward to what God would do in Christ.
(1) The blood of Christ cleanses us of all sin.
(2) Because of what Christ has done God accepts us and gives us the
sweetness of his grace.
(3) Veiled in the person of Christ, God meets with us.
(4) Through Christ God blesses us.
(5) In the holy body and blood of Christ, God provides us, his priests, with
holy food.
Note the progression in the OT and the NT. First in the OT, God brings people
from pagan sacrifices to sacrifices to God. Then in the NT he will take it one
step further. In the NT it is God who brings the sacrifice (his Son) to provide
for human beings what they need most, cleansing and holiness.
Another type of offering that Individuals and families can bring is a peace
offering. A peace offering is somewhat like a burnt offering but in the peace
offering not all of the meat is burned on the altar. In the peace offering only
the fat is burned on the altar. Because part of the animal is burned on the
altar, it makes the rest of the sacrifice holy. The forequarter of the sacrifice is
given to the priest and his family to eat. The rest of the meat from the animal

and the rest of the flour and bread is given to and eaten by the family that
brought the offering. In the peace offering the people eat holy meat and eat
holy bread.
The order of the offerings was as follows: the morning sacrifice was made
around 9 AM, the peoples personal sacrifices were made between 10 AM and
3 PM, and the evening sacrifice was around 3 PM. The peoples sacrifices
were enclosed within the daily morning and evening sacrifices. The personal
sacrifices were laid on top of the morning burnt offering and the evening
burnt offering was put on top of the peoples sacrifices. In the NT all of our
offerings are included in and covered by the Great Offering, the offering of
Jesus for us. Jesus was crucified at 9 AM and died at 3 PM. This was no
accident. His sacrifice replaces all OT sacrifices. He fulfills all the OT
sacrifices. And when he died the curtain in the temple was torn in two,
indicating that the way to God was now open through the sacrifice of Christ
for all people.
Theme 6
The results of right worship is Gods blessing and the consequences for
wrong worship is Gods judgment.
This is brought out very clearly in Lev. 26. First we look at the blessings.
Lev. 26:1-3. What are the statutes and commandments that he is referring to
here? They have been summarized previously. They are: dont use any idols;
observe my Sabbaths; and reverence my sanctuary. If they observe these
ritual commandments which deal with worship they will have blessing. If they
dont, they wont receive blessing.
Lev. 26:4-5. The blessing promised in these verses for right worship is rain
and good crops.
Lev. 26:6-8. The blessing in these verses is peace in the land. That means
security from wild animals and from their enemies.
Lev. 26:9-10. Here the blessing is an increase in numbers and more than
enough to eat. The great question when you have a lot of children is, will you
have enough food to feed them all? So God promises the blessing of children
and of enough food to feed them.
Lev. 26:11-13. The blessing here is that God will walk with them; he will
commit himself to them and be with them. They will access to him. He will
tabernacle (dwell) with them. He didnt release them from slavery in order for

them to be his slaves. He would walk with them and they would walk with
their heads held high as free people as sons of God. They would walk
confidently and with a good conscience. Worship of God leads to freedom. He
will be present with them not to judge them. Rather, he will be with them to
favor them.
The blessings are followed by the curses and judgments if they reject God by
worshipping other gods (idols) or by worshipping in the wrong way. We dont have
time to read through them. You can read through them on your own (Lev. 26:14-39).
And when you do, notice that an ever increasing amount of resistance to God and
his commandments by the people is met by an ever increasing amount of judgment
from God until they realize the gravity of their sin. Gods intent in judging them is to
lead them to repentance.
But even if they break Gods covenant and dont worship God as he has
commanded, even if they come under Gods judgment and experience the worst
judgment of all, being kicked out of Gods land, thats not the end of the story.
Lev. 26:40-45. No matter what they do, their two covenants with God still
stand. God remains committed to them as their God even if they are not
committed to him. The covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the basis
for Gods relationship with the Israelites. They can break the covenant but
they cannot annul the covenant. Notice here that contrary to modern
theology which puts all the emphasis on our commitment to God, the OT
really puts all the weight on Gods commitment to his people. That is the
bedrock on which everything else stands.
The Purpose of Leviticus

Leviticus is an unpopular book. Its unpopular because of peoples dislike for OT
worship and ritual. But there is much that we can learn from it. If we ignore this
book there is much in the NT that will not make sense. As an example, if you dont
understand Leviticus, you wont understand the whole book of Hebrews. The
purpose of Leviticus is that it is first and foremost a handbook for the priests to help
them carry out Gods commandment to distinguish between clean and unclean and
between holy and common. But even though much of Leviticus is addressed to the
priests, if you look at it closely much of it is addressed to the people as well. The
goal is that the people may worship God in the way that God prescribes. Leviticus
does three things.
1. It helps the priests carry out the commandment to distinguish between holy
and common, clean and unclean by teaching Gods provision for the
acceptable performance of the divine service at the tabernacle. If they

perform the divine service as God prescribed, God will be pleased with them
and they will receive the blessings that God gives through it.
2. It helps the priests explain Gods interaction with them in the divine service
through the offerings and the sacrificial ritual.
3. It helps the priests teach the people about their participation in Gods
holiness. They dont make themselves holy. Rather, they receive Gods
holiness and share in his holiness. And what is given in Leviticus is the
template for the temple later built by Solomon. It finds its fulfillment in the
temple.
The Book of Numbers

[Pentateuch [Numbers] (Bible 1, 9b), 35:43.]
The Name of the book
The book of Numbers gives the practical consequences of the theology given in
Leviticus. The Hebrew name for the book is Wilderness, which is the first word of the
book. This refers to a land where you can graze your flocks but you cant grow
regular crops on it every year. This includes some hills that cannot be cultivated.
The Greek name for the book is Numbers which comes from the two censuses given
in the book. One is a military census. They will travelling to the promised land and
will be under the threat of attack so they need to organize as an army to protect
themselves. So they need to know how many men there are that can fight. At the
end of the book there is a second census that is used for land distribution between
the tribes and clans and families.
The Location and Content of the Book
The events in Numbers come at the end of Israels time at Mt. Sinai. And it covers
Israels journey from Mt. Sinai to the plains of Moab. So it comes after Leviticus
which deals with Gods gift of the divine service and before Deuteronomy which
deals with Gods gift of the land. It covers the journey in three stages. They begin at
Sinai; they journey to Kadesh; and then they journey to Moab. We might think this
would be the honeymoon period of Israels relationship with God. But it is anything
but that. It is a stormy period in the relationship. Israel continues to sin and rebel
against God throughout the journey.
The book has to do with the organization of Israel as a nation. Its organization was
unique in the ancient world. It provides the foundation for modern democratic
government. In the ancient world there were two basic kinds of countries. (1) One
was based around tribes. All power was concentrated in the tribal chiefs. The chief
was the religious leader, the military leader, the social leader, and the economic
leader. (2) The second type of country was a nation state. The leadership role there
was in the king. He had all power.
Israel was different in a couple of ways. (1) It had no human king. God was the King
of Israel. It had no human law makers because God was the Law Maker. It is the
beginning of constitutional government where everyone was under the law. No one
was above the law. (2) Moses was the man in charge in Israel. When he died one
would have expected that he would have appointed someone to take his place as
the leader. But instead Moses divided the responsibility and power that he had

amongst several people. From this come several very important institutions in
Israel.
(1) There was a tribal head for each tribe that was responsible for his tribe. Then
each clan had a head and each sub-clan had head all the way down the line. The
tribal chiefs had total responsibility for their tribe.
(2) A separate person is responsible for the military. Moses delegated this to Joshua.
(3) One tribe was assigned the responsibility for worship.
(4) Then there was justice. Tribal chiefs dealt with justice within their tribe but if
there were troubles between tribes there was the council of 70 elders that settled
those disputes. So we see here the beginnings of the division of church and state
and the division between the administration and justice.
So the main concern of Numbers is the organization of Israel as a nation with God as
its Leader/king and with Moses as Gods deputy. One might have expected that
Moses would be king under God but he is never spoken of in that way. He acts as a
prophet, a priest (from the priestly tribe), etc. But he is always spoken of as Gods
servant. After being established as a nation, the powers that Moses had as Gods
servant were divided and delegated.
Concerning the military, the army comes from the tribes. If there is war, there is no
standing army. Joshua calls up the tribes to send troops. The census helps them
know how many men between the ages of 20 and 30 in each tribe are available to
fight. Each tribe sends its units as part of the whole army. Its a tribal militia. Each
tribe is a division in Gods army. The ultimate Commander-In-Chief is God.
In the liturgical organization, the tribe of Levi was responsible for everything that
had to do with worship. The heads of the tribes were responsible for providing the
resources for worship but worship itself was conducted by the tribe of Levi.
In terms of justice, the council of 70 worked nationally to settle matters between
tribes. They were the Supreme Court of Israel.
This system of government is called theocracy. God is the head of the nation. So the
purpose of Numbers has to do with the organization of the Israelites as a nation
under God in practical ways.
A second concern is to prepare Israel for life in Canaan, which is elaborated on in
the book of Deuteronomy. So there is legislation, regulations, and organization put

into place for when they enter the land. This covers the allotment of the land to the
tribes and to the clans.
Two chapters cover the liturgical calendar that will kick in when they enter the
promised land. It has to do with bringing offerings and the offerings will come from
the land therefore it cannot go into effect until they enter the land.
The Structure of Numbers
The structure of Numbers is complex and is difficult to put in a simple form. We will
look at just a broad outline of the major parts.
Num. 1 4. The first part deals with the organization of the people of God as
they march as the army of God to the promised land. Chapters 1 4 give us
the census for the organization of Israel as Gods army.
Num. 5 9 deals with two important issues. (1) The first issue is ritual purity.
Since God is the Commander-in-chief and he is marching with Israel his army,
Israel needs to be ritually pure. If they arent pure God will not fight for them
but against them. (2) The second issue is making provisions for the divine
service. This is important because it is through the divine service that God is
with his people to march with them as their Commander.
This can be subdivided further:
First there are regulations about purity, holiness, and blessing (which come
out of holiness).
Second comes the provision the tribes are to make for worship, worship
where God speaks to and through Moses.
Third, the Levites are responsible for Israels purity. The priests are
responsible for Gods holiness and the Levites are responsible for the peoples
purity.
Num. 10. Next comes Gods leadership of his army as he leads them through
the desert to the promised land.
Num. 11-12 covers the journey from Sinai to Kadesh.
Num. 13-19 begins with Moses sending 12 spies into the land to investigate
on how to best occupy the land (Num. 13-15). They come back saying its a
great land but it is inhabited by giants and military geniuses and we dont
stand a chance against them. This leads to a rebellion against God. Chapters
16 to 19 deal with the most terrible incident in the desert. The clan of Korah,
a priestly clan, thinks that Moses and Aaron are too big for their boots. They

say all the people are holy and therefore all should be priests. So there is a
rebellion. In connection with that there is legislation on the responsibility of
the priests to prevent desecration. It maps out the priests responsibility for
holiness and the Levites responsibility for purity.
Num. 20-25. Then there is the journey from Kadesh to the plains of Moab. The
people once again murmur against God and Moses gets fed up with them.
This is the episode where Moses was to speak to the rock to provide water,
but instead he hits the rock with his staff. Water comes out but Moses is told
that because of this act he will not be able to lead the people into the
promised land. (If you are going to be a leader in Gods church, you must
listen to and carry out Gods Word.)
Then comes the journey to Moab and the death of Aaron and a terrible
incident at Baal Peor. To understand what happened in this terrible incident
you must understand the Canaanite religion. The basic form of worship in
Canaan involved Baal, the sky god, and Asherah, the earth goddess. The
Canaanite religion was sexual in its orientation. They believed that Baal
inseminated the earth (Asherah) with rain which then produced crops. In the
Canaanite religion they had priests for Baal and priestesses for Asherah. And
the way you worshipped was to come to a priest or priestess at the shrine
and have sex with them. They did this after puberty and before marriage and
this was supposed to insure fertility in the marriage. Doing this was supposed
to tap into divine fertility.
What happened at Baal Peor was that the Israelites met some Baal
worshippers and the end result was a sexual orgy. If that werent bad enough,
one of the Israelite men took one of the Moabite women into the Holy Place
and had sex. This of course desecrated Gods holiness. Moses had to
intercede with God to spare the people. The couple was put to death. And
God sent the fiery serpents to punish the Israelites. This then provides an
example of the dangers they will face when they enter the promised land.
The Israelites are always tempted by the Canaanite religion.
Num. 26-27. Then came the second census for the distribution of the land.
What follows that is legislation that addresses particular cases that would
cause problems in the distribution. One of these situations is that God makes
provision for families that have no male heirs (this is very uncommon in the
ancient world). God allows daughters to inherit the property of their fathers if
there is no male heir.
Num. 27. Then Joshua is appointed as Moses successor as the military

commander.
Num. 28-31. This is followed by the liturgical calendar for the offerings that
are to be brought to God when they are in the promised land. And then there
are regulations for votive offerings. The most important of these are the
votive offerings brought to God after battle. Since God was the Commanderin-Chief of Israel his army, all of the booty of war naturally went to him. But
God doesnt always keep it all for himself. Sometimes he keeps some for
himself and the rest he divvies up among his soldiers, the Israelites.
Num. 32-36. The book ends with the division of the land. The area on the east
side of the Jordan was given to Rueben and Gad and Manasseh. Then comes
a summary of the various stages of the journey from Sinai to the edge of
Canaan. Then comes the division of the rest of the land which will be given
out when they take possession of the land. The Levites didnt inherit land but
they had special cities scattered throughout Israel.
Num. 33:50-55 describes how the land would be divided. As you read this
remember that the people never own the land. It is Gods land and he is
allowing them to lease his land. Note three things.
(1) First they are to take the land from the pagan people. The pagans had
forfeited their right to the land when they worshipped false gods. (But Israel
didnt completely take the land as they were supposed to.)
(2) They are to destroy all of the pagan high places in the land. This was
Gods land. There is no place for any idols in his land. (Christians are not to
take this and try and destroy all pagan shrines and idols. The application for
this is within the church. God is present with his church and there is no room
for false gods within the church.)
(3) The land is to be distributed by allotment. The high priest carried out the
allotment as he stood before God at the tabernacle. So it is God who
determines which tribe receives which portion of his land. So the land
remains Gods land and that is why they could never sell their land. They
didnt own it, therefore they could not sell Gods land. The land was always to
remain in the family and be passed down to the next generation. You need to
know this because a lot of stuff will only make sense if you know that there is
no land ownership in Israel. A lot of stuff in the book of Deuteronomy will only
make sense if you keep this in mind.
Themes of Numbers
[Pentateuch Numbers (Bible 1, 10a), 50:40.]
Theme 1
God was with and led his people in the form of a cloud and with the Ark.
Num. 9:15-23. This text is deliberately repetitious. When God wanted the
Israelites to move on, the glory cloud lifted and led the Israelites on the next
stage of the journey. Wherever the cloud stopped the Israelites camped. This
is how God led them through the wilderness. The people watched the cloud of
Gods presence to determine if they were to remain camped or to continue
journeying. This was God the General leading his troops. Most generals lead
from behind, but God leads from the front.
Num. 10:33-36 tells us the significance of the Ark. The movement of the Ark
is connected to the movement of the Lord. If this were a pagan story, the
people would be led by an idol. But Israel is led by the Ark of the Lord. The
Ark was normally in the Holy of Holies. The Ark was Gods royal throne. It was
the box which was capped off by the Mercy Seat with Cherubim on top which
formed the sides and back of the throne. So the Ark is the portable throne of
God. Wherever the Ark goes God goes. Gods presence is connected and
associated with the Ark. The Ark going before the people showed that God
was travelling with his people.
The significance of Gods presence leading his people is underscored by the

arrangement of the Israelite camp and by the order in which they march.
In the center of camp was the tabernacle. Geometrically the tabernacle was
made up of two cubes. The center of one cube was the altar for burnt
offering, the place where God met with his people, and the center of the
other was the Holy of Holies and the Ark, Gods holy residence. So the
Commander-in-Chief is in the middle of the camp in the tabernacle and the
divisions of his army camp around him. Camped closest to God are the priests
and Levites, Gods body guards. The entrance to the tabernacle was on the
east side, so the priests camped there. Then the Levites camped around
other three sides. The priests and Levites then protect from people
desecrating Gods holiness. They make sure that nothing unclean comes into
Gods holy presence. The rest of the tribes then camp on the outside of the
priests and Levites. Three tribes camp on each of the four sides. This
underscores the presence of God with his people as their King and as their
Commander-in-Chief and General.
Now we look at the marching order. An army is most vulnerable when it

marches. Thats when ambushes and attacks are likely to happen. The front
and the back are the most vulnerable points when they are marching. The
safest place is in the middle. It is not said explicitly but the Ark most likely
was out front leading Gods army. Next came the tribe of Judah. And at the
rear there were two tribes because that would be the most likely place for an

attack. In the middle the Levites carry the tabernacle and all its furnishings.
What is the significance of this arrangement for marching? First of all God
leads and takes one of the most vulnerable positions. And secondly the holy
things are in the middle where they are most protected because they are the
means by which they have contact with God and interact with God.
Theme 2
Ritual purity in the camp
The emphasis here is not just Gods presence with his people but of Gods holy
presence with them and their participation in Gods holiness. Since God was present
in the midst of his people, they had to be ritually clean.
Num. 5:1-4. Since God dwells with his people in the camp, all unclean people
are excluded from the camp. When they were in the desert the camp had to
be clean.
When they entered the land, what applied to the camp was extended to the
land. The land had to be a clean land because of Gods holy presence in it.
Num. 35:33-34 shows this. Because of Gods presence the land should not be
polluted/defiled/contaminated/made unclean by bloodshed, murder.
Theme 3
Gods holy presence with Israel is a source of blessing; it is life-giving; it
protects his people.
One of the most important tasks of the priests was to pronounce the benediction at
the end of the morning and evening sacrifices. The Aaronic benediction is the only
spoken text that God institutes for the divine service.
Num. 6:22-27. This is the Aaronic blessing which we use at the climax of our
Divine Service just as it was the climax of the OT divine service. When the
priests said this blessing, they put Gods holy name Yahweh on the people.
So they carry the name of God with them in their bodies. Their bodies
become temples of God. They carry with them not only Gods presence but
also his blessing. This is not a prayer or a wish but a performative utterance;
it does what it says. God gives his blessing through the performance of the
benediction. Notice that God gives the very words that are to be said.
Therefore they are important and need to be said exactly as he says. How
does Gods face shine on them? The people see Gods glory in the face of the
priest. The priest faces the people and reveals Gods shining face by
pronouncing his gracious blessing on them.

What does the blessing do for the people of God? Lets look at Num. 22-23
where we see a pagan prophet who is called upon to curse Israel, but who
cant. First in Num. 22:12 Balaam speaks about the protection of Gods
people by Gods blessing. Anyone who is blessed by God cannot be cursed.
Sorcery, magic, the occult will not work against people who are blessed by
God. Thats even made more clear in Num. 23:18-24. The terms used in verse
21 are not just bad things happening but are terms for the occult. Sorcery
(black magic) and divination (fortune telling) do not work because God is
present and has blessed them. (This is important for us too. Sorcery is
powerful but not against Gods people. Gods people need not be afraid of it.
We are covered by Gods holiness and blessing. No curse can harm us.)
Theme 4
The Israelites are holy and there are grades of holiness in the OT
The closer one is to God, the more one shares in Gods holiness in the old covenant.
And that also means they have greater demands for purity. The most holy person is
the high priest and therefore he has to follow the most stringent rules for purity. All
Israelites are holy.
Num. 15:37-41. This is speaking of a prayer shawl which was white. And on
the end of it they were to put blue tassels. Blue is the color of holiness. Blue
is an important color in the symbolism of the tabernacle and vestments of the
priests. The blue tassels were to remind the people that they were holy, and
since they were holy they were called to do Gods commandments; they were
not to desecrate their holiness. They use the prayer shawl every morning and
every evening when they say the shema Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is
one the confession of their faith.
Any Israelite can reach a levitical priestly status of holiness by becoming a

nazarite. A nazarite is an Israelite person who takes a vow dedicating himself
or herself to God. And during the period of that vow they do not cut their hair
and they avoid all alcohol. At the end of their vow they shave their head to
signal they have become an ordinary Israelite again. An example of a nazarite
is Samson.
The priests are most holy and their job was to prevent the desecration of
Gods holiness. There is a difference between the priests and the Levites.
Lets look at the duties of each. First well look at Num. 18:2-7. The priests
bear iniquity if anyone desecrates the tabernacle. They cover for the
people. Both the Levites and priests are to do guard duty. The priests make
sure that the most holy things of God are not desecrated. The job of the
Levites is to make sure that every layperson that comes into the tabernacle is

in a state of ritual purity. The Levites guard purity and the priests guard
holiness. The flip side to this is that they bear iniquity. This means that if
someone unclean comes into the tabernacle it is the Levites that will come
under Gods wrath and judgment. And if something holy is desecrated the
priests will come under Gods wrath and judgment. This is a vicarious bearing
of iniquity. They bear the sins of the people. (This is familiar to us, as Jesus
bears the sins of our defilement and desecration.)
[Pentateuch Numbers (Bible 1, 10b), 47:55.]
Theme 5
Moses is Gods Servant
Moses is Gods deputy. He acts as a prophet, speaking Gods Word to the people.
And he acts like a priest, interceding of the people. What we have here is a model of
spiritual leadership. How do you lead a holy community? Moses hears the Word of
God. He doesnt make the Law of God or give his ideas, rather he speaks Gods
Word to the people. He is Gods spokesman, Gods prophet. Another side of Moses
leadership is that he intercedes for the people. He has access to God and he uses it
for the benefit of the people. When the people sin, Moses stands between the
people and God, putting himself on the line for them.
Moses is Gods servant, his deputy, the steward of the house of God.
Num. 12:1-8 gives a clear description of the status of Moses. This addresses
to whom God speaks and how. Aaron and Miriam challenge the role of Moses
as the spokesman for God. God says that Moses is his servant, his
representative. He is responsible for the house of God. God distinguishes
between the way that he speaks to prophets and the way that he speaks to
Moses. Prophets receive the message of God in a dream or vision. But God
speaks to Moses directly. So Moses is a prophet but he is more than a prophet
because God speaks directly to him. Moses is unique.
How does God speak to Moses? And where does God speak to Moses? Go to
Num. 7:89. God speaks to Moses from the mercy seat, from the throne. So
Moses is standing before the curtain that separates the Most Holy Place from
the Holy Place and God is on his throne behind the curtain. And they speak to
each other. No one else after Moses communicated with God in this way. So
this is unique in the OT.
Theme 6
How leaders lead Gods people through intercession

Since Moses can speak to God in this way, Moses leads the people by interceding
for them. This shows us how a spiritual leader leads. It shows how a leader deals
with problems in the community. It shows how a leader deals with sin within the
community. You might expect Moses to really lay down the law and he does to some
extent but Moses primarily leads by interceding for the people. In Exodus Moses
interceded four times. In Numbers Moses intercedes seven times. People continue
to sin against God and Moses continually intercedes for them. Lets look at the big
picture of these seven intercessions.
1. The people hate being in the desert. They grumble against God and Moses.
God sends judgment on the people and Moses prays for the people and they
are spared Gods judgment.
2. The people complain about the lack of meat. They grumble against God and
Moses. God wants to destroy the people but Moses intercedes for the people.
3. In the incident we just read, Miriam and Aaron rebel against Moses as Gods
spokesman. They said: were prophets too; hes not better than us. Gods
judgment on Miriam is that she had leprosy. Moses prayed for he and she was
healed.
4. Then we have the incident of the spies that come back saying that they could
never take the land. The people react by wanting to go back to Egypt. God is
really fed up with them. Moses made a great intercession to save his people.
5. Then there is Korahs challenge against Moses. Korah is a leading member of
the Levites and he wants to be a priest. Moses and Aaron pray for the people
to be spared. They prostrate themselves and put themselves between the
people and God and Aaron uses incense to protect the people from Gods
judgment.
6. This incident is the lack of water. Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses
struck the rock. Again Moses and Aaron prostrate themselves before God on
behalf of the people. They put themselves on the line.
7. Then there is the incident at Baal Peor that we spoke about the sexual cult
and sex within the Holy Place. Moses pleaded with God to spare the people.
God brought the judgment of the snakes and Moses put the snake on the pole
and he prayed for Gods people.
Lets take a look at the model intercession. This will show us what interceding is.
Num. 14:11-20. God said the same thing at Mt. Sinai. He says, I give up on
these people. Ill finish them off and start all over with you Moses. What is the
basis for Moses intercession? He appeals to Gods reputation. He is a good
and gracious God, but if he does this his reputation will be shot. His
reputation will be that he is malicious and vindictive and cruel. So prayer
always has to do with the name of God. The second thing Moses does is take
Gods Word about himself, that he is slow to anger and abounds in steadfast
love, and throws it in his face. Intercession then challenges God and appeals

to Gods grace when God wants to administer his law. We can do this because
Gods grace overrules his wrath. This is a model intercession for those who
have sinned against God. This gives the answer of what to do when people
sin in the church. Leaders not only speak the Word of God but they also
intercede. (The apostles in the book of Acts dedicated themselves to two
things: the Word of God and prayer. They were the leaders of the church.)
Theme 7
The delegation of responsibility by Moses
Moses is Gods servant. He carries out many roles. There is no one else like Moses in
the OT. The second Moses in carrying out all these roles is Jesus. Moses delegates
his responsibilities to others.
He delegates religious responsibilities for holiness to the priests.
He delegates responsibility for purity to the Levites.
In military matters, he delegates the military responsibility to Joshua.
He delegates the administration of law and justice to the council of 70.
Theme 8
The promise of a king
This is the first promise of a king.
1. Num. 24:15-19. This looks to the future. The star and scepter refer to a new
king. And the king will come from Judah. And the king will wield Gods power
and defeat Gods enemies. This is where the Star of David comes from. It is
the symbol of David but also of the coming Messiah. The Jews still wear the
star because they are still waiting for the king. Christians wear the cross
because it refers to Jesus the King who has already come.
The Purpose of Numbers

It is rather complex. We will highlight five things.
1. This is the most important purpose. It shows that in spite of all of the sins of
the people their holy God does not abandon them. He sticks with them
because of his grace and mercy but more importantly because of the
intercession of Moses. By his intercession Moses insured the survival of Israel.
God doesnt destroy his people because of Moses intercession.
2. It shows the origins of Israels basic social and religious institutions. It shows
things like military leadership, the difference between priests and Levites,

etc., the things that would govern the life of the Israelites once they came
into the land.
3. It demonstrates the nature, requirements, and the results of Gods holy
presence with his people. What does it mean that a holy God is with a sinful
people?
4. It differentiates between the holiness of the priests, Levites, the nazarites,
and the laity. All of Gods people are holy but they dont all share equally in
Gods holiness. And with holiness comes responsibility. The holier you are the
more you are responsible not only for your own holiness but also the holiness
of others. In a community Gods judgment comes on the leaders before it
comes on the people. (Its different in the new covenant because we all
equally share in Gods holiness. Therefore we all have the same demands
placed on us.)
5. The book ends with God allocating his land to his people. He determined who
got what plot of land.
The Book of Deuteronomy

[The first major assignment for the class was on the book of Deuteronomy.
Therefore Dr. Kleinig only spent 10 minutes on Deuteronomy. Dr. Kleinig sometimes
refers back to Deuteronomy when he covers other books. When he does I will take
what he says and add it here to try and get a fuller picture of Deuteronomy.]
The Setting of Deuteronomy
There are two settings. First there is the geographical setting the plains of Moab.
This is significant because the setting is across the Jordan from Jericho just outside
the promised land, at the place where they will enter into the land. Then there is the
temporal setting. It is the end of the 40 years in the desert and its just before the
death of Moses and the entry of the people into the land. So both the temporal and
geographical settings emphasize the land. That is what is critical.
The Purpose of the Book in Light of the Setting
Moses outlines the terms for the gift of his land to the people as well as the
conditions for their residence in it and the reception of its blessings. The land is a
gift and God will give his blessings through the land to the people provided that
they remain faithful to God.
The Structure of Deuteronomy
There are two ways of looking at the structure. First, you can see that the book
consists of 4 farewell speeches of Moses with some concluding appendices.
The other way of looking at it is that the speeches are arranged in the form of a
covenant enactment which is like a vassal treaty. A vassal is an under-king. A high
king making a treaty with a lesser king is known as a suzerain-vassal treaty. And
that kind of treaty took on a specific form. So the book takes the form of a vassal
treaty in which God grants his land to his people. The covenant treaty consists of a
preamble, stipulations of the covenant, the blessings and curses for keeping and not
keeping the covenant, the enactment of the covenant, and the publication of the
covenant.
The Main Themes of Deuteronomy
We have the gift of Gods land to his people in three cycles.
1. First is the cycle of blessing. God is the owner of the land. God loves his
people and gives them his land. Through the land he will give them life and

blessings. Blessing comes from God through the land. The land is merely the
instrument through which God gives his blessings to his people. In return for
the blessings, the people were to bring offerings, which were like their rent
for living in and using the land. They were to worship God and acknowledge
him as their one and only God. Their allegiance was to be to him alone. If
they worship God only then they will keep the land and enjoy the blessings
from God. Everything hinges on their faithfulness to God.
2. This leads to the second cycle, which is the disruption by idolatry and
apostasy. What happens if the people come into the land and break the first
commandment and worship other gods? If this happens they dont love God
and worship him only. Rather, they forget God and hate God. What will be
Gods reaction? He will turn his face away from the people in wrath. Then
they will experience curse rather than blessings. If the nation does this, it
means they will be exiled from the land. If individuals or families do this, it
means that person or family will die out in the land. They wont have life in
the land; they will experience death in the land. That is the cycle for apostasy.
3. But that is not the end of the story. Deuteronomy is rather prophetic because
it ends up being the story of Israels life in the land. And its the story of
humanity as well. Even if they turn to other gods there is always the
possibility of repentance. If Israel persistently worships other gods, God who
is the owner of the land will kick them off his land. They cant have the land if
they reject the Owner of the land. He will kick them out and they will go into
exile. In exile, if the people turn away from their idols and return to God
(repent), then God will restore them to the land and they will enjoy blessing
once again.
So the whole theology of Deuteronomy deals with the land and the blessing of God
in the land.
Theme 1 Gods covenant with his people through Moses. In it he gives them
the land and the blessings of the land. What God promised to Abraham is enacted
through Moses who gives the land to the people.
Theme 2 The reason for the gift of the land is Gods love for his people and his
passionate commitment to them. Why does God do this? He does this to fulfill his
covenant to Abraham. And what lies behind his promises? His love for Abraham and
his people. He is fully committed to them.
Theme 3 Since God loves his people and is committed to them, he demands
the same in return. He wants their love and he wants their commitment and
faithfulness. He wants their exclusive allegiance. So the most important

commandment is the first commandment love the Lord your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Thats the positive side to the first
commandment. All the other commandments flow out of the first commandment.
Theme 4 If they remain faithful to God and keep the first commandment, then
they will enjoy the blessing of God in the land. So allegiance to God leads to
blessing.
Theme 5 But the reverse is also true. If they worship other gods, then Gods
curse will come upon them in the land. They wont enjoy Gods blessings. Instead
the graded curses will come on them.
The Main Purpose of Deuteronomy
The main purpose then was to show the Israelites how they could remain in Gods
land and enjoy their blessings.
The Theology of Deuteronomy
[This section was taken from lecture 12b which gives an overview of the prophets.]
Some modern scholars called the 6 books of the Former Prophets the Deuteronomic
history. Why do they call it this? In Deuteronomy Moses predicts what is going to
happen in the future history of Israel in the land. These six books cover the history
of Israel in the land. It begins with their entry into the land and it ends with their
exile from the land. Moses prophesied that the Israelites would worship other gods.
And because of their rejection of God, God would have to bring his judgment on
them. He would have to exile them from the land so that they would realize their sin
and repent. It was Gods land. If they refused to acknowledge him as their God, he
would take his land from them. Thats the theology of Deuteronomy. So what Moses
warns against in Deuteronomy in fact happens in the history of Israel.
...
So the book of Deuteronomy was used in the compilation of Israels history in the
land to give the theological reasons for the exile in Babylon. This helped them
understand what had happened and what was going on [the exile]. And it gave
them hope for the future because if God did this, then they could repent and God
could give them back the land and give them back the temple and restore their
kings.
[This section was taken from the lecture in 12b. In covering the main themes of
Joshua, Dr. Kleinig had this to say:]

Most importantly, and this picks up the main point of the book of Deuteronomy,
while in the land they must obey Gods covenant. They must listen to God, be
faithful to him alone, and serve him. That is the condition for their on-going
existence and prosperity in the land. They cant have the land if they reject the
Owner of the land and his terms for their occupancy of the land. In Jos. 23:1-13
Joshua addresses all the leaders of Israel about being faithful to the Lord. What
Joshua warns them about at the end of this passage is what happens. They did
intermarry. They did serve other gods. They did this persistently, rebelling against
the Lord. And so God had to drive them from the land [as he threatened to do in
Deuteronomy]. Then Joshua assembled all of Israel at Shechem and made a
covenant with them. In it he promised to faithful to God and they joined in that
commitment. This is in Jos. 24:14-25. To serve God is to worship God. Their problem
will be that they break the covenant by breaking the first commandment. They will
serve/worship pagan gods. God always remained faithful to them but they did not
remain faithful to him. And because of that they would lose the land he had given
them.
Introduction to the Former Prophets

[The Former prophets: [Introduction to Former Prophets] (Bible 1, 11), 38:15.]
Who and What are Prophets
Weve come now to the second major collection of books in the OT, the Prophets.
Today we will discuss who and what prophets are and the nature of prophets. It is
important that you understand this so that you will understand the books of the
prophets. The OT speaks about prophets in a different way than we do in modern
English. Most people today believe a prophet is someone who predicts the future.
That is not what a prophet is. A prophet is a messenger or spokesman for God.
Think about a culture before there was newspaper, TV, radio, internet. If you were a
king in the ancient world, how would you communicate your message or decrees to
the people in your kingdom? The kings herald would be sent to proclaim the
message or decree to his people. So a prophet is Gods herald. He proclaims Gods
Word. This is clear in Isaiahs call to be a prophet (see Is. 6:8-9a). This is part of the
vision that Isaiah had in which he sees the glory of God. God has been meeting with
his angels and they have made a decision about what they are going to do with the
people of Israel. Now they need to communicate that message to the people. Since
Isaiah has been allowed to look in on and hear what the heavenly council has
decided, he volunteers to be the herald, to go tell the message. And then God sends
Isaiah and gives him the message to proclaim. So a prophet is a person who has
been called and sent by God to speak Gods Word to people.
What are the prophets credentials? If a prophet goes and proclaims Gods Word,
how do the people know that he is a real prophet with a message from God? There
are no schools to learn how to be a prophet. His credentials are that he has been
called and sent by God. Lets look at a case where a prophet is challenged and the
prophets response is to give his call. Take a look at Amos 7:14-15. Amos, who is a
simple farmer from the sticks in Judah, is sent by God to Bethel the religious center
of the northern kingdom. There he is challenged by the high priest, Amaziah.
Amoss response is basically, Listen Im just a farmer. Im not trained to be a
prophet. God just came and took me and called me and sent me and told me to go
prophesy this message. So you dont train to be a prophet. Its not something
inherited. God calls those whom he chooses and sends them to proclaim his Word.
And when he does, he empowers them by his Spirit.
Gods Word and Gods Spirit always go together. You can see that in Zech. 7:12. A
prophet speaks the Spirit-filled Word of God. A prophet is inspired by the Holy Spirit
and speaks the Words of the Spirit. This is what we say in the Nicene Creed. The
Holy Spirit spoke by the prophets.

A prophet is a spokesman for God. And that is indicated by the stock formula that is
used to introduce prophecy. When a prophet goes to tell his message, he starts off
by saying, The word of the Lord came to me. This indicates that he has heard the
Word of God that he is about to tell. Another formula is Thus says the Lord which
means, this is what the Lord has said. What the prophet speaks is not from the
prophet but from the Lord. The authority of the message comes from God and not
from the prophet. The third formula is very interesting and is very hard to capture in
a translation. Literally it is something whispered by the Lord. It is a variation on
the first formula. If we had spiritual ears to hear, we would hear God speaking to us
all the time. God is always speaking but we dont always hear because we have
hearing problems. God opens the ears of the prophet so that he can hear and then
speak Gods Word. Or if the prophecy comes in a form of a vision, God opens the
eyes of the prophet to see it, so he can communicate it to the people. Our eyes are
naturally blind to see the spiritual realities that surround us, to see God at work in
our lives.
Lets go to Jer. 23:18, 21-22. In this passage Jeremiah is confronting false prophets.
The picture here is that God is the heavenly King and Judge. The angels are the
members of his council. And the decisions that God makes are made in the
heavenly council. A prophet stands in the council of God and hears the discussion
and hears the decision that God makes. False prophets do not sit in Gods council
and they have not heard Gods discussion with the angels and they do not know
what Gods decisions are and they have not been sent by God. False prophets do
not preach Gods Law and judgment. Rather, they always preach good news. They
preach what people want to hear instead of the truth of their sin. A true prophet
always announces Gods judgment on sin and calls people to repentance.
This is very clear in Micah 3:8. The picture here is that God is the Judge and God is
holding court. Now what is the role of a prophet in Gods court? In this case the
prophet is sent to speak Gods Word of judgment and accusation. The prophet is the
prosecutor in Gods court. He speaks Gods verdict which is condemnation of sin.
This is by far the most common prophetic oracle. And it consists of accusation,
verdict, and sentence.
There is something that we must make very clear. Lets go to Is. 55:10-11. What is
the unique feature of the word of a prophet? God sends his Word through the
prophet. And the function of the prophecy is not so much to predict the future but to
make the future happen. Just as rain produces plants which are harvested, so
prophecy produces a harvest. It makes the future happen. Most of the time the OT
prophecies are oriented toward the present and they enact the Word of God in the
present. When God speaks things happen.

This is illustrated well in Jeremiah. Turn to Jer. 1:9-10. Notice how radical this is. God
puts his Word in the mouth of Jeremiah and that Word creates history. If God wants
to end a nation, he simply speaks his Word and that is the end of the nation.
Because the word of the prophet is Gods Word, it creates and shapes history. Gods
Word and history go together. The history of Israel is the history of the prophetic
Word of God. When studying the history of Israel, notice how important the words of
the prophets are in shaping the history of Israel.
How did a prophet receive the Word of God? First, the most common way was by
audition; they heard Gods Word with their spiritual ears. Thats the way that
Jeremiah received prophecies from God. Then you have other prophets like Isaiah,
Zechariah, and Micah who receive Gods Word through a vision. They see in a vision
and are therefore called seers. Lets look at an example of this in Is. 2:1: The word
that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
True prophets receive Gods Word by either hearing it or seeing it. False prophets
claim to hear Gods Word in dreams. Go to Jer. 23:25-32. A false prophet speaks
words that he claims are the Word of God but which are really not. Their false
message does not come from God. Instead it comes from their own imagination or
they feed off of each other or it comes from Satan (hinted at with Baal worship).
Gods Word is like a hammer that smashes hard hearts to pieces or fire that sets
ablaze. It attacks sin and cleanses sin. Today the church is bedeviled by false
prophecy. People have a fascination with prophecy but most of it is dubious at best
and some of it is diabolic.
[The Former prophets: Introduction to Former Prophets (Bible 1, 12a), 43:45.]
[Dr. Kleinig finished grading the papers on Deuteronomy and made a few comments
on it. The basic thing about Deuteronomy is the setting of the book. Israel is on the
plains of Moab about to enter the promised land and Moses is about to die.
Deuteronomy is a series of Moses farewell speeches to the people. In these
speeches Moses is looking forward to the problems the Israelites will be facing in
the promised land. The biggest problem they will face will be other religions,
especially the seductions of the Canaanite fertility religion. They will be tempted to
worship other gods. So the focus of Deuteronomy is on the first commandment and
idolatry and apostasy in the land. Deuteronomy focuses on Gods gift of the land to
Israel, and either the blessings they will enjoy in the land or the curses they will
experience.]
Today we will finish the work we began on the nature of prophecy and prophets in
the OT. A prophet received Gods Word from God and then spoke that Word to the
people. But since a prophet had access to God, a prophet was also an intercessor. In
addition to hearing and speaking Gods Word, the prophet can speak to God and get

an answer from God. So because a prophet has access to the heavenly council, a
prophet can influence Gods decisions through his prayers. So because of this,
sometimes people came to a prophet seeking an answer from the Lord. It was true
that any person in Israel could pray to God, but a prophet could get an answer from
God, a specific word. A prophet receives a clear and direct answer from God. As an
example lets say I pray to God to heal by daughter. In time God may or may not
heal her. But if I go to a prophet and the prophet prays for her, he will receive an
answer. There are cases in 1 and 2 Kings were a prophet says your son will live or
your son will die. He gets the answer from God. There are other cases where a king
purposely did not go to a prophet because he suspected the answer would not be
what he wanted. And once a prophet has spoken Gods Word it was as good as done
because Gods Word is performative; when God speaks it happens. [In his handout
Dr. Kleinig provided the class with a number of cases where people came to a
prophet seeking an answer from the Lord, but there was no time in class to read
them and discuss them.]
Distinguishing Between a True and False Prophet
One problem Israel had was distinguishing a true prophet from a false prophet. And
that is still a problem to this day. If someone came to you and said, God told me this
or that, how do you know if it is true? The scriptures give us certain criteria.
1. The first criterion is in Deut. 18:19-22. This is the fundamental criteria. There
is a pun used here. The word in Hebrew translated as word can also mean
a thing or event. So the pun is: If the word of the prophet becomes an
event then it is the Word of the Lord and he is a true prophet of the Lord. If
what he says is fulfilled or comes true then he is a true prophet. This is
particularly true if this is a prophecy of judgment.
But this criterion can only be applied if the prophet speaks a word about a
future event. If he does not speak about a future event or if the future event
is beyond your lifetime then you will not be able to verify it. Also false
prophets can in a way predict the future because Satan knows his own plans
and the evil that he is going to do. And he knows the evil people do and he
knows if people follow his script then what he plans to happen will happen.
2. The second criterion is in Jer. 28:5-9. Here Jeremiah is confronting one of the
false prophets from his day. The false prophet prophesied that the people
taken into exile by the Babylonians in 597 BC would be coming home and the
vessels from the temple would be brought back. Jeremiah says that if a
prophet prophesies Gods judgment before it takes place listen to him. In that
case you dont have to wait for fulfillment. If a prophet prophesies prosperity
then shouldnt pay any attention to it until it actually comes true. The reason
for this is that God judges people in order to lead them to repentance and

Satan is not interested in people repenting. Listen to a message of judgment
because it comes from God. If it is a message of prosperity reserve your
judgment until what he says comes true. The reason for this is that all false
prophets prophesy that things will get better. False prophets prophesy
prosperity because this gives them popularity and people will give them
money. This is especially true today. There are many false prophets and false
teachers today that preach prosperity. Evangelicalism is riddled with
prosperity teachers.
3. The third criterion has to do with the first commandment. This is found in
Deut. 13:1-5. If a prophet predicts something miraculous and it comes true,
but then he tells you to worship some other god other than Yahweh or to
worship Yahweh in a way that is contrary to his Law, then you must not listen
to him. He is a false prophet even though his prophecy came true. You know
he is a false prophet because God would not tell him to say something that
contradicts what God has already said in his Law. So if a prophet came and
contradicted anything in the Pentateuch, he was a false prophet. On the other
hand, if the prophet called people back to the word of God, back to the
Pentateuch, back to the Law of God, then you know that he is a true prophet.
(There are many who claim to be prophets in the church today. The number
one way for determining if they are a true or false prophet is to test what
they say against the OT and NT. If what they say is inconsistent with Gods
Word then you know they are a false prophet. Even if that person performs
healings and miracles, if he contradicts Gods Word, he is a false prophet.)
4. The last criterion we will look at is in Jer. 23:13-15. Here we have prophets
who use their prophecy to justify sin. So instead of justifying sinners, they
justify sin. They excuse sinners. They say, Yes youve sinned, but dont worry
about it. God forgives you. They justify sin in order to justify themselves and
their own adultery. The main function of a prophet is to call people who have
gone away from God and his Word back to God and his Word. The main
theme you will find throughout all the prophets is repentance. A prophet that
does not proclaim repentance is a false prophet. In the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus warned against false teachers and false prophets. And he said you will
know them by their fruits. If they live a life that is contrary to Gods Word,
they are a false prophet. A person once said the mark of a false prophet is the
3 Gs: greed, girls/guys, and glory. So a false prophet prophesies to become
wealthy or to get girls/guys sexually or to receive fame and glory. A true
prophet will not take money for prophecy. A true prophet will be morally
upright, particularly in the sexual area. There is a close connection between
the spiritual unfaithfulness of false prophecy and the sexual unfaithfulness of
adultery. And a false prophet does not accept the authority of someone else.

A false prophet does not listen to Christ and his Word. A true prophet always
points to Christ and away from himself.
[The Former prophets: Introduction to Former Prophets (Bible 1, 12b), 56:38.]
Prophetic History
According to the Hebrew Bible there are three major clusters of books: the Law, the
Prophets, and the Writings. The Hebrew Bible lumps together what we call the
Prophets and the six Historical books (Joshua 2 Kings). In the Hebrew Bible these
six historical books are called the Former Prophets. We are going to look at the
Former Prophets next. The Hebrew Bible divides the Prophets between the Former
Prophets and the Latter Prophets. The Latter Prophets consists of four big scrolls:
Isaiah, Jeremiah/Lamentations, Ezekiel, and the Twelve Prophets (the Minor
Prophets).
The Prophets in the Hebrew Bible include:
... The Former Prophets
... ... Joshua 2 Kings
... The Latter Prophets
... ... Isaiah
... ... Jeremiah/Lamentations
... ... Ezekiel
... ... The Twelve Prophets
Why does the Hebrew Bible consider Joshua 2 Kings as prophecy? These books
give the origin of prophecy and the historical background of the written prophets.
1. One thing about prophecy is that it always arises in a particular historical
situation and speaks to that situation. So history and prophecy always go
together. To understand a particular prophecy, you must understand the
historical situation that it comes from and speaks to.
I will give you an example of this from the early church. In 66 AD a prophet
came to the congregation in Jerusalem and said that Jesus words about the
destruction of Jerusalem and the temple were about to take place. Because of
this, he told the Christians to leave Jerusalem. So as a result all the Christians
in Jerusalem left. In 67 AD there was a revolt against Rome and this led to the
destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD. So the message of the
prophet was leave Jerusalem. The only way that the prophecy makes sense
is in that historical situation. To make sense of the prophecy, you have to
understand the historical situation in which it was given. You must
understand who it was spoken to, when, and why.

Prophecies are always spoken in a particular situation and they interpret that
situation theologically and they are interpreted in its light. It helps people see
how God is at work in that situation. God is at work in everything that is
happening. But the problem is that we cant see it and we dont know how he
is at work. The only way to know for certain is for God to speak a specific
word about it. So out of history you get prophecy where God tells what he is
doing and/or what he is about to do. So prophecy arises out of history; it
creates history; it makes history; it helps us make sense of history or of Gods
activity in history. History and prophecy always go together.
The Former prophets give the history of when the prophets were being sent
by God and played an important role in the life of the nation of Israel.
2. The second reason why the books of history are put together with the
prophetic books is that they show that the history of Israel in Canaan was
made, shaped, and formed by the prophetic Word of God. During this period
of history, all of the important events that happened occurred as a result of a
specific prophetic Word of God.
Joshua told to go into and occupy the land.
Saul would be the first king.
Deposing of Saul as king.
The choice of David as king.
The building of the temple.
Etc.
The destruction of the temple and exile.
This was all a result of prophecy.
For modern people today there are three things that shape history. One is
politics, the decisions of the rulers and governments of the world. Second, we
see that economics shapes history. Third, and this is a new modern insight,
culture shapes history. The OT doesnt deny any of these things but it views
them as secondary. The basic thing that shapes history as the OT sees it is
God. History is shaped not so much by human factors but by supernatural
factors. The OT sees that worship and prophecy shape history. If the Israelites
worship God then certain things happen to them. If they worship other gods
then other things happen to them. So it interprets history in light of the Law
of Moses and the messages of the prophets.
The books of Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings are called the
Former Prophets or the Prophetic History. Why? Because the words of the
prophets basically shaped the history of Israel from the time of the entry into
the land until the exile from the land. So the most important people in the
history of Israel in the land are not kings but prophets. The Word of God that

they speak shapes the course that history takes. History was created by the
prophetic word and therefore history had to be understood in terms of
prophecy.
3. Some modern scholars called the 6 books of the Former Prophets the
Deuteronomic history. Why do they call it this? In Deuteronomy Moses
predicts what is going to happen in the future history of Israel in the land.
These six books cover the history of Israel in the land. It begins with their
entry into the land and it ends with their exile from the land. Moses
prophesied that the Israelites would worship other gods. And because of their
rejection of God, God would have to bring his judgment on them. He would
have to exile them from the land so that they would realize their sin and
repent. It was Gods land. If they refused to acknowledge him as their God, he
would take his land from them. Thats the theology of Deuteronomy. So what
Moses warns against in Deuteronomy in fact happens in the history of Israel.
In 586 BC the unthinkable happened. God turned against his people. The
same God that had given them kings took kings away from them. The same
God that had given them the land took the land away from them. And most
radically, the God who had given them the temple as his dwelling place with
them allowed a pagan god and his people to sack Gods city, depose Gods
king, exile his people from the land, and, worst of all, destroy Gods temple.
What kind of God is it that doesnt defend his people and himself? This was
the problem and question that faced the Israelites. It looked as if God had
been defeated by the god of the Babylonians, Marduk.
So the question in the minds of the Israelites who had been exiled was: Why
did this happen? There were a couple of possibilities. Either God did not exist.
Or God was weak. Or God allowed this to happen. Or God made it happen. If
he made it happen, why? The people in exile looked back at the book of
Deuteronomy and it gave them the key to understand why. Moses had
warned them about having other gods. And the prophets during their history
in the land also warned them that if they worshipped other gods, they would
be exiled from the land.
So to summarize, the Deuteronomic history or the prophetic history was
compiled during the period of exile in Babylon to explain why God took his
land, his king, and his temple away from his people. It was because of their
sin and disobedience. It was because they worshipped other gods. So the
book of Deuteronomy was used in the compilation of Israels history in the
land to give the theological reasons for the exile in Babylon. This helped them
understand what had happened and what was going on. And it gave them
hope for the future because if God did this, then they could repent and God

could give them back the land and give them back the temple and restore
their kings. The first two happened in the post-exilic period. They went back
to the land and they rebuilt their temple. But their kings were not restored.
And that is important for the NT. From 586 BC to 33 AD, Israel had no king.
Herod was king but he was an imposter. He was not a descendant of David.
[Of course Jesus was the descendant of David who became King and whose
kingdom will last forever.]
So this history was not just doom and gloom. It not only explained why Gods
judgment was on them, but it also gave them hope. It taught that God exiled
them from the land because of their persistent idolatry, apostasy, and
improper worship of him in the high places and their neglect for the temple.
But it also gave them hope that if they recognized him as the one true God
and worshipped only him, he could restore what he had taken away.
So the Former Prophets cover the time of Israels living in the land, from their
entry into it to the exile from it. Joshua covers the entry and possession of the
land. Judges covers the time in the land before they had kings. 1 & 2 Sam.
cover the first two kings of Israel Saul and David. 1 & 2 Kings covers the
descendants of David, the history of the temple built by Solomon, the history
of the northern kingdom which broke away from the south and then was
destroyed long before the Babylonians came and destroyed the southern
kingdom.
So the history in these books covers Israels time of living in the land. And it
focuses on three big gifts given by God to Israel. In Genesis the big gift was
Gods covenant with Abraham. In Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers the big gift
was the Divine Service. Then comes these three new gifts. 1) Joshua deals
with the gift of the land. 2) Judges makes the case for kings. And then 1 & 2
Sam. deal with Gods gift of kings to Israel. 3) 1 & 2 Kings deals with the gift
of the temple. It gives the history of the first temple. Thats the big picture.
Now we will focus on each one of these books.
The Book of Joshua

[The Former prophets: Introduction to Former Prophets (Bible 1, 12b), starting at
31:15.]
The Structure of Joshua
The structure is clear. It falls into three distinct parts.
1. Josh. 1 12. The first deals with the entry into the land and the occupation of
the promised land. Notice that the ark of the covenant plays an important
role. It leads them across the Jordan. It leads them around the city of Jericho.
It leads them into battle. The ark represents Gods presence with Israel. So
God is the real leader, not Joshua.
2. Josh. 13 22. This section deals with the distribution of the land. There is a
summary of this in Jos. 14:1-5. The land was divided by lot. Eleazar, the chief
priest, drew the lots in the presence of God. So in this way God gave the land
to the people. The Israelites never owned the land. They were tenets on
Gods land. This was Gods land that he leased out to them. Because of this,
the land could not be bought or sold. It had to remain in the tribe and clan
that God allotted it to.
3. Josh. 23 24. The book ends with the death of Joshua and his legacy to the
people of Israel. That is, the human covenant in which Israel agrees to be
faithful to God in the land.
The Main Themes of Joshua
1. Joshua as the military successor of Moses. He did not take over all of the roles
that Moses held. Josh. 1:1-9. Here God promises to be with Joshua and his
people as he was with Moses. It emphasizes here Joshuas role in the entry of
the land and the division of the land. There is little emphasis on his role as
military leader because the real military leader was God. Another emphasis
here is the book of the law. It was to guide Joshua. This refers to the book of
Deuteronomy.
2. The gift of the land by God to Israel as their place of rest. Josh. 1:10-15. What
is meant by place of rest? Up to this stage, the Israelites have been
nomads. They havent had land of their own or a house as a permanent place
to live. And rest is also a safe place. So they had rest from their wandering
and they had rest from their enemies. And later in Kings there is a third since

of rest where the Israelites rest with God. He will live with them in the temple
in the land. See Jos. 21:43-44.
3. Gods fulfillment of his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the gift of
the land to Israel. Gods promises to be fruitful and multiply cannot be
fulfilled unless Israel has an economic base. They had to have a secure
livelihood. The land provided this. You can have a lot of children but if you
have no food for them it is a curse rather than a blessing. God provided
blessing through the land.
4. Most importantly, and this picks up the main point of the book of
Deuteronomy, while in the land they must obey Gods covenant. They must
listen to God, be faithful to him alone, and serve him. That is the condition for
their on-going existence and prosperity in the land. They cant have the land
if they reject the Owner of the land and his terms for their occupancy of the
land. Jos. In 23:1-13 Joshua addresses all the leaders of Israel about being
faithful to the Lord. What Joshua warns them about at the end of this passage
is what happens. They did intermarry. They did serve other gods. They did
this persistently, rebelling against the Lord. And so God had to drive them
from the land. Then Joshua assembled all of Israel at Shechem and made a
covenant with them. In it he promised to faithful to God and they joined in
that commitment. This is in Jos. 24:14-25. To serve God is to worship God.
Their problem will be that they break the covenant by breaking the first
commandment. They will serve/worship pagan gods. God always remained
faithful to them but they did not remain faithful to him. And because of that
they would lose the land he had given them.
The Main Purpose of Joshua
The main purpose is three-fold:
1. It shows how the land was Gods gift to his people.
2. It warns against apostasy from God in the promised land and threatens the
loss of the land if they reject God. See Jos. 23:15-16.
3. The book of Joshua introduces the prophetic history of Israel (Joshua, Judges,
1&2 Sam., and 1&2 Kings). The prophetic history covers Israels life in the
land. And Joshua gives some indication of the problems they will face in the
land. The next five books after Joshua show how the Israelites forfeited their
right to live in the land and therefore were exiled from the land.
The Book of Judges

[The Former prophets: Judges - First and second Samuel (Bible 1, 13a), 50:54.]
The Former Prophets in the Hebrew Bible consists of six books. Weve already
looked at Joshua which tells us about the fulfillment of Gods covenant promise to
Abraham of God giving Israel the land. The next set of books, Judges and 1&2
Samuel, deal with Gods gift of kingship to Israel. In a way this was problematic
because everywhere in the ancient world kings were considered gods. So kingship
and idolatry went together. For instance, Pharaoh was considered to be the
incarnation of the sun god. The problem for Israel after they had taken over the
promised land was their surrounding neighbors, especially the Philistines. The
Philistines tried to invade Egypt but were repelled. The Egyptians allowed them to
settle on the Mediterranean coast and there they founded seven city-states. And
they threatened the Israelites. Because of the military threat from the Philistines
and others there was a demand for kingship in order that they might protect
themselves. So in Judges and 1&2 Samuel God gives them the gift of kingship, but it
is a different kind of kingship than the other nations.
Structure of Judges
To understand Judges, you must understand that it is giving the case for kingship. It
deals with the need for kingship. The book falls into three clear parts.
1. The first part is Judges 1-2. It basically summarizes the theology of the book.
Therefore it is very important. Read Judges 2:11-23. The Israelites served the
Baals. Baal was the sky god of the Canaanites. They believed he gave rain
and fertilized the earth. The earth was the god Asherah, the earth mother.
The book is called Judges, which means to right something that is wrong.
This is not a judge that sits in a court of law. A judge is someone who
administers justice as a military leader. The situation outlined in this passage
is as follows. 1) As soon as Joshua died, the very things that Joshua and
Moses had warned about started to happen. The Israelites started serving
other gods (Baal and Asherah). 2) Gods reaction is to deliver them into the
hands of their enemies. 3) They are then in great distress and cry out to the
Lord. 4) The Lord hears their cries and gives them judges in order to deliver
them from their enemies. 5) Everything is ok while the judge lives, but as
soon as he dies they go back to serving other gods. So there is this cycle. The
basic problem is given in Judges 2:19. The problem is not really a threat from
their enemies. The problem is really a worship problem. They dont worship
the Lord; they worship other gods.

The Israelites lived under a tribal system. This system worked well in dealing
with conflicts within the tribe but it renders them weak when they are
attacked from the outside. The biggest threat will be the Philistines as they
push up from the coastland to the hills. So there is a need for judges to deal
with this threat.
2. The second part of Judges is Judg. 3 16. This shows the cycle given in the
first two chapters being repeated over and over again. It is repeated six
times. There were more than six judges but the cycle is given six times. The
cycle is: 1) the Israelites forsake God. 2) God delivers them to their enemies.
3) God raises up a judge who beats back their enemies and delivers the
Israelites. 4) While the judge is alive, the people serve the Lord. 5) When the
judge dies, the people go back and serve other gods and start the cycle all
over again.
As we said there is a pattern here. And each cycle begins with the same
phrase. This phrase is used 6 times. The first cycle is found in Jud. 3:7-11; it
sets the pattern. The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord and they
served is the introductory to phrase to a new cycle. 1) They did evil. 2)
God gave them over to their enemies. 3) They cried out to God. 4) God raised
up a judge, a deliverer. 5) They served God until the judge died. And then
they started all over again. This pattern happens six times in Judges. There
are more than 6 judges, so the story could have been told more times. Why
six times? From creation we know that 7 is the complete number. The 7 th
judge will be the judge that fixes things forever. He will do it completely and
perfectly. So in the short term this points forward to the kings. Saul, the first
king, messed things up. David was a man after Gods heart, so this points
forward to David. [He will deliver Israel from their enemies and he will set
them on course to worship the true God.] And David points forward to Jesus.
[Jesus will eternally save his people from their enemies and they will eternally
serve God and will never again serve other gods.] So this gives the case for
kingship. It anticipates king David and more importantly it anticipates Jesus,
the King of kings. The judges are only a temporary solution to the problem.
3. Then in the last section you get two strange stories in Judges 17 21. These
begin in Judg. 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did
what was right in his own eyes. Other places it says the same thing: 18:1,
21:25. It gives a basic report of what people did when there was no king. The
two stories illustrate two problems that exist because people did what they
wanted to.
The first story deals with the migration of the tribe of Dan as they were
displaced by the Philistines. They went north looking for a new homeland and

territory. On their way they passed through the territory of Manasseh and
Ephraim and they stole an idol and a priest. And in their new territory they
set them up for worship. The idol was an idol of Yahweh. So they worshipped
the right God but in the wrong way. They had the proper priest, a descendant
of Levi. But they worshipped God through an idol. So the whole tribe was
guilty of idolatry. Thats the first problem.
The second story deals with a gang rape of a concubine of a priest who was
passing through Benjamite territory. As a result of this the whole tribe of
Benjamin was nearly wiped out. It is a lurid story.
So what is the point of these two stories? They show two sets of problems.
Tribal rule and judges can deal with the number one problem, which is
military leadership. If Israel is threatened by an enemy, God can raise up a
judge who can gather an army from across the tribes. But there are two
problems that a judge cannot deal with. 1) One is the problem of uniformity
of worship. If a whole tribe worships another god or worships God in the
wrong way, there is no one to call them to account. 2) The second problem is
intertribal justice. The leaders of a tribe can deal with any disputes within
that tribe. But if there is a dispute between two tribes, like there was with this
gang rape where eleven tribes ganged up on one tribe, there was no
mechanism to handle this situation.
What does this show? The whole book of Judges basically maps out the duties
of a king. 1) The king would be the military leader for the nation. 2) Secondly,
a king would make sure that all people worship the right God and in the right
way. The king was the head of the nation when it came to worship. He was
not a priest but he did have a religious duty to lead the congregation in its
worship of the true God. 3) Thirdly, the king was to settle disputes between
tribes. He was like the chief magistrate, the supreme judge.
The Main Themes of Judges
Weve touched on most of these already.
Theme 1 The recurring apostasy of the Israelites in their worship
of other gods. Read Judges 8:33-35 as an example of this. Gideon died and
Israel prostituted themselves by worshipping other gods.
Theme 2 Gods judgment and deliverance of Israel. Gods reaction
to Israels apostasy was to allow their enemies to overtake them. But then
God would answer their prayers and he would raise up another judge to
deliver them. Judges 10:6-16 records one instance of this. Notice which gods

they worship. They are not just the local gods. But the gods from the nations
all around them. They continually looked for new gods to help them. When
Israel finally repented, God had pity on them; he couldnt bear their misery.
And this story is repeated over and over again.
Theme 3 When God raises up a Judge, he empowers him with his
Spirit. God empowers him with his Spirit so that he can deliver the people
from their enemies. So a judge can do what is humanly speaking impossible.
The Theology of Judges

The theology is expressed in the cycle that occurs over and over again. At the
end of Joshua, the Israelites had rest in the land; they have security. 1) But
they are not satisfied, so they worship other gods. 2) As a result, they are
oppressed by their enemies. 3) They cry to God for help. 4) The Lord delivers
them through a judge. 5) They are then obedient to the Lord for a period of
time (until the judge dies). As long as they are obedient they have peace. But
then it starts all over again.
The Purpose of Judges
1. The first purpose was to call the Israelites, in all times and places, to repent,
to turn from their apostasy. First read Judges 2:1-3. The angel of the Lord calls
them to account for breaking the covenant. Second read Judges 6:7-10. This
is the constant call to account, the call to repent.
2. The second purpose was to show the need for a king, to be a military leader,
to organize worship of the one God, and to administer justice between the
tribes. Being a military leader is something a judge could do. So kingship was
built upon and continued the work of a judge. The other two things are new
for kingship. Most of the emphasis going forward in 1 & 2 Samuel is on
organizing worship of the one true God. If that is in place then everything else
will fall into place.
The Books of 1 & 2 Samuel

[The Former prophets: Judges - First and second Samuel (Bible 1, 13a), 50:54,
beginning at 36:00.]
This deals with the foundation of kingship in Israel. It shows how kings arose, how
God reluctantly gave in to the demands of Israel and gave them kings. First there
was Saul. And then when he failed there is David who was the foundation of the
royal family in Israel. And that continues all the way to Jesus. These two books cover
a very short time period. They begin around 1060 BC and ends around 970 BC close
to the end of Davids reign. It covers only 90 years but it is a very dramatic and
important period in Israels history. Israel goes from being a bunch of loose knit
tribes to a kingdom and even an empire that is politically significant.
Lets look at a few dates so you can get a chronology of the book.
In 1050 (about 10 years after the call of Samuel) came the destruction of the
sanctuary in Shiloh and the capturing of the Ark by the Philistines. Later the
Ark is sent back and relocated at Jerusalem. The story of the Ark is very
important for 1 & 2 Samuel.
Next is Sauls reign from 1020 1000 BC.
Davids reign was from 1000 961 BC.
Structure
As Ive said before, it is very important to understand the structure of a book in
order to make sense of a book. The structure helps us understand the purpose and
themes of the book. 1 Samuel is primarily about the kingship of Saul and 2 Samuel
is primarily about the kingship of David.
1. 1 Sam. 1-7 deals with Gods rejection of Shiloh as a holy place, as a place for
his ark, tabernacle, and altar, when it was destroyed by the Philistines. It also
deals with the establishment of Samuel as the first of the major prophets. But
Samuel is also the last of the judges.
2. 1 Sam. 8-10 is the story of the election of Saul as king. Since the books of
Samuel have to do with kingship, you might have expected this to come first.
But Samuel is the king-maker. Samuel is a prophet. So God speaks through
Samuel to anoint Saul as king.
3. 1 Sam. 11-15. As it turns out Samuel is also the king-unmaker. God rejected
the kingship of Saul through Samuel.
4. 1 Sam. 16-31 Through Samuel God would then choose David to be Sauls
successor.
5. 2 Sam. 1-5 The election and making David king of Israel.

6. 2 Sam. 6-9 Gods covenant with David and the establishment of Davids
dynasty of kingship.
7. 2 Sam. 10- 21 Davids failure, Gods judgment on David and his family (but
not a judgment of the dynasty. He will judge individual kings but not the
covenant dynasty.)
8. 2 Sam. 22-24 Ends with a summary of David as an intercessor, as a singer of
the psalms, and as the builder of an altar.
Notice something interesting. The book begins with the story of the sanctuary and
altar at Shiloh. And it ends with the building of a new altar at Jerusalem. Notice that
the accent is not strictly on kingship but also on worship. Why? Because it indicates
the primary role of the king as one who leads the nation in worship of the true God.
[First and second Samuel (Bible 1, 13b), 39:04]
The Beginning and Ending of Samuel
Lets continue looking at the beginning and ending of Samuel. The book of Samuel
has to do with kingship. So why does it begin with the call of Samuel, the judgment
of God on Eli the chief priest, and the loss of the ark? There are four main points
here and this is important for the whole book.
1. Samuel is the last of the judges. Lets read 1 Sam. 7:5-17 which shows that
Samuel was the last of the judges. Notice that Samuel is the leader of Israel
as a judge but in a different way than all the other judges. The other judges
got an army together and went out front into battle. Samuel on the other
hand leads by making offerings and by interceding to God. God answers his
prayer by throwing the Philistines into confusion. Israels army doesnt even
have to fight, just like at the Red Sea.
2. He is also a prophet, the forerunner of the prophets, and the king-maker,
the founder of kingship in Israel. You remember the call of Samuel. He doesnt
come from a priestly family. His mother cant have children. She promises if
God gives her a son she would give her son to the Lord. He is then given to
the Lord and he becomes a priest, not by birth but by adoption. And then he
is called to be a prophet. Lets look at the summary verses where Samuel is
called to be a prophet in 1 Sam. 3:20-21. Samuel was recognized by Israel as
a prophet of the Lord. He received Gods Word at Shiloh, the place where the
tabernacle was. As a prophet, Samuel is the king-maker. He makes Saul and
David king. And he is also the king-breaker. In accordance with Gods Word he
deposes Saul.

3. Gods judgment on Eli as high priest in Shiloh is a prelude to Gods
establishment of a new dynasty of priests in Jerusalem under the man called
Zadok. Remember that Elis sons were killed when they went into battle. That
was the end of Elis family. God brought this judgment on Eli and his family
because they helped themselves to the offerings of the Lord and they had sex
within the holy area. They desecrated Gods holiness therefore God rejected
them from the priesthood. This is referenced in 1 Sam. 2:35. The anointed
one is David. God rejects Eli and will raise up a new and faithful priest who
will serve with his anointed king.
4. 1 & 2 Samuel begins with the loss of the ark. This is a prelude to the
restoration of the ark from the Philistines and Davids bringing of the ark to
Jerusalem which is the place where he builds the altar at the end of the book.
Then it is around that altar and that ark that Solomon builds the temple. We
dont have time to read those passages but you know the story of the loss of
the ark to the Philistines.
Notice in these four points that the emphasis in the beginning of Samuel is on
worship and not on kingship.
Now lets take a look at the end of Samuel, 2 Sam. 24. Chapter 24 begins with the
census that David took. Weve already seen two censuses in the book of Numbers.
There God had Moses and Aaron take a census for two purposes. The first census
was to organize Israels army, to find out how many men were of military age in
each tribe, family, and clan. The second census was for the distribution of the land.
God commanded both of those censuses.
Here David is at the peak of his power and he does something that is very
understandable from a military point of view. David is not only over Israel, but he
also rules over other people as well. If you are going to rule over other conquered
people, you have to have an army to keep control. Under the tribal system, they
didnt have a standing army. David wants to have a standing army with officers and
trained fighting men. So what is wrong with David taking a census? Because of this
census taken by David, Gods judgment came on David. The reason why was
because God had not commanded it. David has put himself in the place of God. God
is the Commander-in-chief and only he can take a census and if he does, he does it
through his priest. But David takes the initiative of taking a census.
Lets pick up the story in 2 Sam. 24:10 ff. David admits his sin and God gives him
three forms of judgment to choose from: 1) Three years of drought, 2) three months
of being defeated by his enemies, or 3) three days of an epidemic. David chose the
three days of epidemic and 70,000 people died from it. The only part of the country
spared was Jerusalem and the angel was about to destroy it when God had him

pause. The angel was at the threshing floor of Araunah when he paused. It was big
flat rock where grain was threshed. David prays for the people and offers his own
life instead of theirs because he knew he was the one that had sinned. The prophet
Gad told David to build an altar on the threshing floor so that sacrifices could be
offered and the plague stopped.
This then sets a precedent. There is a connection between the altar and kingship.
This altar is the kings altar. The kings will come to this altar and pray and offer
sacrifices for Israel to avoid Gods judgment and instead receive blessing. That is
the basic role of the king. The king will intercede for the people and present
offerings for the people at the altar for his and/or their sins so that they can instead
receive Gods blessings. The king is not a priest. He brings the offerings but the
priest performs the sacrifice. (Note that kings, priests, and prophets are three
separate offices in OT Israel. Jesus brought them all together. He is our prophet,
priest, and king.)
So why does the story of kingship in Samuel end with the construction of the altar at
Araunah?
(1) First, it answers the criticism of the people of Israel about the temple being in
Jerusalem. Looking at Israels history, one might have thought that the
temple should have been built at Shechem or Bethel, the ancient sites where
their ancestors first built altars. Later in Israels history, the northern kingdom
did build an altar in Bethel. And Shechem was the place where Samaritans
worshipped God (remember the story of the woman at the well?).So this story
gives legitimacy to building the temple in Jerusalem and not at one of these
other sites. Through the prophet Gad God told David to build the altar at the
threshing floor of Araunah. So David is the altar-builder at Jerusalem and
Solomon will be the temple-builder.
(2) The second point, which will be important for 1 & 2 Kings, is the connection
between kingship and the altar and the temple in Jerusalem. One of the jobs
of the king was to make sure the temple worked the way it was supposed to
work and to take care of the temple and the priests.
(3) Thirdly, the king is the patron of the temple, that is, he provides the sacrifices
and offerings which the priests sacrifice to avert Gods wrath and to insure
Gods blessing.
The Overall Purpose of the Book of Samuel

Taken as a whole, the book shows the origin of kingship in Israel and of the royal
dynasty of David in Israel and outlines the role of the king as the patron of worship
in Jerusalem.
The Themes of Samuel
Lets look at the two main themes. The first theme is the theme of prophecy and the
second one is kingship.
1. 1 & 2 Samuel tell us about the role of the prophets in the foundation of the
monarchy. Look how important the prophets are in this role. Samuel was the
first of the prophets. He announced Gods judgment on Eli and his sons.
Through Samuel, God chose and anointed Saul as king. Later through Samuel
God rejected Saul as king. Then Samuel anointed David as king. And even
when he is dead, he still acts as a prophet. (The witch of Endor conjured up
the ghost of Samuel and Samuel then announced the death of Saul.)
Another important prophet is Nathan. Through Nathan God make his
covenant with David and his descendants. Also through Nathan, God
announces his judgment on David for adultery with Bathsheba and for killing
her husband Uriah. David the great holy king was shown by this to be the
great sinful king. He was guilty of adultery and murder, but yet he never
broke the first commandment. So through Nathan, God announces to David
that you are the man and gives his judgment on David. When Bathsheba
had the baby that was conceived by the adulterous affair, Nathan tells David
that he is to name the baby Jedediah, which means beloved of God. By doing
this God was indicating that this child, which was Davids tenth son, was
going to be Davids successor.
Then through the prophet Gad God told David to build the altar at the
threshing floor of Araunah. This was the most important thing that David did.
[First and second Samuel (Bible 1, 14a), 40:00]
2. We now will look at the theme of kingship in 1 & 2 Samuel. It is helpful when
reading the Bible to read it against what was the ordinary thinking of that
day, the things that were taken for granted. You wont understand the kind of
kingship that was established in Israel and the difficulties that God had with
kingship unless you see it against the backdrop of kingship in all the other
countries in the ancient world. In the ancient world a king was regarded as a
god or at least as a semi-divine human being. For instance, in Egypt pharaoh
was considered the incarnation of the sun god who was the supreme god of
the Egyptians. He was considered a god and he lived on earth until he died

and then he was thought to have gone to live with the other gods in the
pantheon. Another example was in Babylon and Assyria. The king was
thought to have become a god at his coronation. He was believed to have
been a divine being after that point. When the king spoke it was considered
gods law. He didnt speak for the gods; he was god. This meant then that the
people of the kingdom were slaves to the king. They were expected to obey
the king and worship the king as if he were god.
Do you see then why God was reluctant to give Israel kings? Because kings
were associated with idolatry. In the ancient world, kingship and idolatry went
together. Now when God gave Israel kings, it was the beginning of a new kind
of kingship. It is what we call in modern times a constitutional monarchy.
Theologically the king was not a god, but the servant of God. Here is how it
worked. Yahweh was the only God and he was the supreme King and really
the only King. He makes the laws and he gave the laws through Moses. And if
there were any changes to the law, he made it known through the prophets.
So the king of Israel was not a law-maker like in other countries. God himself
appoints the king of Israel as his
servant/slave/worker/employee/deputy/administrator/worshipper. Which
sense most applies to the king? He is Gods deputy.
The king of Israel was anointed with the most holy anointing oil. (The high
priest was also anointed with the most holy anointing oil.) When one is
anointed, one is empowered by Gods Spirit to be his deputy. The king of
Israel was a king under the King; he was a regent. The task of the king as
Gods regent was to administer Gods law. He was under Gods law like
everyone else and he carried out Gods law in three area: (1) in justice, (2) in
defense, and (3) in worship. Because kings were associated with idolatry and
with abuse of power, God initially appointed judges instead of kings. From the
beginning God had been reluctant to give them a king and we can see why.
So when God did institute kingship in Israel, it was a constitutional monarchy
with the king as his servant and anointed one. We can see that in 1 Sam.
12:12-18. If the king and the people observe Gods law, it will go good for
them and they will prosper. But if the king and/or the people do not keep
Gods law, then there will be trouble for them and their king.
Now we come to one of the most important passage in the entire OT. This is a
key passage for both Christians and Jews. Jews wear the star of David. Why?
God made a promise to establish David as king and establish the house of
David as king forever. Jews look for God to fulfill that promise; they look for a
coming king, the messiah. Christians on the other hand wear a cross. They
believe the messiah had come in the person of Christ. The foundation for this
promise to David is Gods covenant with David.

This story is told in 2 Sam. 7:1-17. There is a pun used here in the word
house. David has built himself a house in Jerusalem and now he wants to
build God a house. House can mean a building where you live or it can
mean your family or it can refer to the dynasty of a king. David wants to build
God a place to live in, a temple. But God declined Davids offer to build him a
house. Instead, God promises to give him a house (in 2 Sam. 7:11b-16).
Notice that the word forever is used 4 times (ESV-forever, not depart,
forever, forever). It begins with God saying he would establish a house for
David, meaning a dynasty of kings. In a secondary sense, it could mean God
was going to build a temple for David. This refers to a person. Jesus said,
Destroy this temple [Jesus body] and in three days I will raise it up again.
Gods covenant with David gives the charter for the Davidic dynasty and is
the foundation for all subsequent messianic promises. This covenant is
forever; God will never rescind it. God promises 7 things here and they are all
interrelated. (1) First, he promises a house or dynasty of kings from David.
(2) Second, he promises that Davids own son will be his heir. (3) Thirdly, and
this is very important for 1 & 2 Kings, God promises that Davids heir (his
seed) will build Gods house, Gods temple. Both Solomon and Jesus are the
seed of David and God fulfills this promise through both of them. (4) Fourthly,
God promises that the kingship of this seed and the throne of this successor
will last forever. The kingship of Israel came to an end with the exile in
Babylon. So this promise points forward to Christ whose kingship does last
forever. (5) Fifthly, God says I will be his father and he shall be my son. That
is the normal formula for adoption in the ancient world. So it could be
referring to an adopted son or alternatively it could be an acknowledgment of
a natural son. (6) Sixthly, if one of the successors of David sins against God,
God will punish that particular king, but God will not punish his dynasty. This
becomes important in 1 & 2 Kings. (7) And the last promise is for the
permanence of Davids dynasty. If there is a king in Israel, it will be a
descendant of David. 29:30
If a king sins, how will God bring him into line? Through a prophet. Prophets
made the kings. Prophets unmade the kings. Prophets spoke Gods word of
judgment or salvation to the king. Prophecy and kingship go together in this
period of Israels history. The prophets serve as intermediaries between God
and his king. Lets see how this works in 1 Sam. 12:19-25. The prophets teach
the king and the people Gods law, what God requires of them. They bring the
word of the Lord in judgment and instruction and they also pray for the king.
The Purpose of Samuel
To summarize then, the purpose of 1 & 2 Samuel is to show
how Israel received their king,
that God was too pleased with it,
that Saul was the first king but God rejected him because he offered
sacrifices when he did not have the right to and he took the booty for
himself that belonged to God and he consulted the witch at Endor,
that God instituted a different kind of kingship than the world knew.
God was supreme and his king served him as his regent. The king of
Israel was under Gods law like everyone else.
That the prophet prays for the king and calls the king to repentance
when the king has sinned. This was illustrated when David was called
to account by the prophet Nathan.
The Books of 1 & 2 Kings

[First and second Kings (Bible 1, 14b), 53:15]
General Information about 1 & 2 Kings
What 1 & 2 Kings are All About
1 &2 Kings deals with the history of the kings of Israel but the focus is on the
temple. 1 Kings begins with Solomon building the temple of the Lord and 2
Kings ends with the destruction of the temple of the Lord.
Also 1 Kings begins with kingship in Israel and 2 Kings ends with the loss of
kingship.
At the beginning of 1 Kings Israel is in the land and they have security in the
land. At the end of 2 Kings Israel has lost the land.
So 1 & 2 Kings is the story of how Israel lost the three great gifts God gave to them:
the land, kingship, and the temple.
To understand this, you need to see it in its historical setting. This covers 400 years
of history. Here are the dates of some of the big events that occurred during this
period.
961 BC David died and Solomon was crowned as king.
892 BC Solomons kingdom is split into two parts, the kingdom of Israel in
the north and the kingdom of Judah in the south.
721 BC the Assyrians capture and destroy the northern kingdom.
701 BC the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians during
Hezekiahs reign.
621 BC Josiah tries to implement the book of Deuteronomy (centralized
worship and closed down all pagan shrines).
609 BC Josiah killed.
597 BC Babylonians capture Jerusalem.
587/586 BC the end of kingship in Israel, the end of the temple, the
beginning of Babylonian captivity.
560 BC the liberation of Jehoikim. Given a role as an advisor on Jewish
affairs in the Babylonian bureaucracy.
The Structure of 1 & 2 Kings
1. 1 Kings 1 11 begins with Solomons succession to David and his building of
the temple.
2. 1 Kings 12 2 Kings 17. After the death of Solomon there is the division of the
kingdom, the split of the 10 northern tribes from the south. Two stories are

being told at the same time, the story of the north and the story of the south.
So it is hard to follow. The recurring theme is the idolatry of Jeroboam and all
the kings that came after him in the north. That section concluded with the
destruction of the northern kingdom.
3. 2 Kings 18 25 covers the destruction of Jerusalem. This section begins with
Hezekiahs limited reform. God delivered Israel from the Assyrians under
Hezekiahs reign. Then comes Hezekiahs son, Manasseh, who was a terrible
king who led Israel into apostasy. This is followed Josiah and his reforms. The
book of 2 Kings ends with the destruction of Jerusalem and the deportation of
the citizens of Jerusalem to Babylon. There is a little note at the end of the
release of king Jehoichin from prison. Why is this important? He is from the
line of David. If God is going to keep his promise, that line has to continue.
God has not forgotten his promises. Eventually from Jehoichins line would
come Jesus.
The Main Themes of 1 & 2 Kings
1. Kings is part of the Former Prophets. So what is important in shaping this
400 years of history is not so much the decisions of the kings, but the word of
God which came through the prophets. Look at 2 Kings 17:13-15. This
passage looks back at the history of the northern kingdom from the time of
its split with the south to its destruction. We talked about what shapes Israels
history. Its the word of God, in terms of his promises, and its the word of
God, in terms of judgment that shapes Israels history. So looking at this
passage, why was it that God rejected the northern kingdom and allowed the
Babylonians to destroy the southern kingdom? Was it because of their sin?
Was it because of their idolatry? No, not completely. It was because they did
not repent. They did not listen to Gods word which was spoken to them by
the prophets. David repented when he was called to repentance, but the
story after that was mixed. Some kings did repent, but most did not. Most
refused to listen to the prophets and therefore you have the sad story of
Gods judgment.
2.
The second theme is Gods gift of the temple , Gods earthly palace, the
place where God meets with his people. Lets take a look at some of the
teachings about the nature of the temple. 1 Kings 6:11-13 is Gods promise
to Solomon before he builds the temple. Notice that Gods presence with
them is conditioned on their observance of the Law of God. If the Israelites
break the first commandment, then God will abandon his temple. But if they
faithfully serve God, he will dwell with them. Gods presence at the
temple is a gift, but it is a gift that can be rejected.
The next passage tells us how God is present in the temple. Read 1 Kings
8:10-13. This is part of the consecration of the temple after Solomon had built

it. The same thing happens for the temple that happened for the tabernacle.
God was present in the temple in a dark cloud. The glory of his
presence is hidden in the cloud. Even though the heavens cannot contain
God, God deigns to dwell with his people in a particular location on
earth.
Weve already come across the third point and youve come across it in the
book of Deuteronomy. For pagan people, their gods were present with them
and they had access to them through their idols. But God prohibited the use
of any idols for him. So what was it that replaced the idol as a means for
them to access him? Lets look at 1 Kings 9:3. Gods name replaced an idol.
God put his name in the temple and it was through his name that
Israel had access to him , not an idol. He says his eyes and heart will
always be there. Pagans access the face of their god through an idol. Israel
accesses the eyes and heart of God through his name. In worship the Lord
turns his face toward them and looks on them with favor (Aaronic
Benediction). They also have access to Gods heart, his love, by using his
name at the temple.
1 Kings 8:27-30 gives us the purpose for the temple that Solomon has built.
Wouldnt we have expected Solomon to focus on the sacrifices and their
importance to God? Instead, he says the temple is a place of prayer.
Here is how it works. God is in heaven. He makes himself available to the
people through the sacrifices. Thats the bridge between heaven and earth.
Because of this connection, the people can come to the temple or turn toward
the temple (turn to God) and pray to God. When they do God will see them
with his eyes and hear them [and the sacrifices reveal that God is with them
and is favorably disposed toward them.] In the NT Jesus is the bridge. He is
not only the sacrifice, but he is also our intercessor. He is the new temple. He
is the place of prayer. [Hence, we pray in Jesus name.]
1 Kings 9:1-9. This the second time God appeared to Solomon. Notice what it
says about the temple. It says, if Solomon and his successors are faithful to
God. That doesnt mean they dont sin. It means if they sin and dont repent.
If they are faithful, if they continually turn to God in repentance,
they will continue as kings. But notice the warning. The rest of Kings
shows how this in fact comes true. If they worship other gods, two
things will happen. First, God will kick them off his land. Thats a
theme in the book of Deuteronomy. Second, the great temple that
has been built for the holy God will be destroyed. The rest of 1 & 2
Kings shows that what God warned about here did in fact happen.
3.
The third theme that runs all the way through 1 & 2 Kings is Gods
commitment to David and the descendants of David. No matter what

happens, the covenant stands. One case of this is found in 1 Kings 9:4-5,
which we just read. David is the model of a good king. In what way was he
the model king? Lets read 1 Kings 11:4. Like Solomon is here, every
descendant of David is measured against David. Either their heart was
devoted to God like David or it wasnt. So in what way was David the model
for kingship? He wasnt perfect. He sinned. David is the model of
kingship because he repents of his sin. David broke commandments,
but he never broke the first commandment. And when he does break a
commandment he repents. Thats what makes him a model king. He was
also the model king in a secondary way. David saw that his most
important duty was not political or social or economic, but to care for
the holy things of God, to care for the Ark.
(How do we as sinners keep the commandments? We do like David, by
repenting and seeking forgiveness. In Gods eyes then its as if it never
happened. So the judgment of God did not come on the Israelites because
they sinned. It came on them because they did not listen to the prophets
when they called Israel to repent. So what is it that damns you? Its not
repenting and seeking forgiveness. This is the entire message of Jeremiah.
Todays Christianity goes off in two extreme ways. First, some teach if you sin
youre damned, forgetting about repentance. Others teach that God forgives
you so it doesnt matter if you sin. The Gospel is meant to justify the sinner,
not the sin. This is very dangerous because it does not take sin and Gods
Word seriously.)
[First and second Kings (Bible 1, 15a), 53:15]
We continue today with the third theme, Gods commitment to Davids
dynasty. Even when God allows the Babylonians to destroy the monarchy,
God does not allow the royal family to be wiped out. In contrast to
Davids faithfulness to God, you have Jeroboam as the model for
negative kingship. He led the way on idolatry. Lets take a look at two
passages that show that God did away with the northern kingdom and later
the southern kingdom because of idolatry. The first is 2 Kings 17:21-23. Then
we will look at 2 Kings 21:10-15. God removed the northern kingdom from his
sight because they persisted in the sin of Jeroboam and that sin was idolatry.
The same was true for the southern kingdom.
Here is a quick history of Jeroboam. David was succeeded by Solomon.
Solomons successor was Rehoboam, who stupidly provoked a revolt in which
the ten northern tribes broke away and formed the northern kingdom.
Jeroboam was their first king of the north. His problem involved worship. The
Ark and the temple were in the south. So he established two religious

centers, one in Bethel and one in Dan. So now, what was the sin of Jeroboam?
Lets look at 1 Kings 12:26-33. Jeroboam set up two golden calves as idols for
the Lord. So he doesnt want them to worship other gods, but he wants to use
an idol to worship God who brought them out of Egypt. He also put up shrines
for the Lord where there used to be pagan shrines. Then he not only brought
the offerings but he went up on the altar himself as if he were the high priest.
So what was the sin of Jeroboam?
1) He worshipped the right God but in the wrong way. He used idols
that were forbidden.
2) He established unauthorized shrines on high places. The only
place where they were authorized by God to build an altar was in
Jerusalem.
3) He built an unauthorized altar at Bethel.
4) He established an unauthorized festival. He moved the Feast of
Weeks back one month.
5) He consecrated and ordained unauthorized people to be priests.
6) He established himself as chief priest at Bethel.
That is the sin of Jeroboam.
(This is happening in the church today. People perform unauthorized worship,
worship that is contrary to Gods Word. Can you give us an example? In some
churches people insist on speaking in tongues and at the same time they
dont baptize in the name of the Triune God, which is clearly commanded.
They dont pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus. They dont pray the
Lords Prayer, even though Jesus says when you pray, pray like this. They
dont celebrate Holy Communion. They insist on speaking in tongues, which is
not forbidden but neither is it commanded. Ill give you another example.
Some churches dont use the Trinitarian name for God. They pray to a general
god or to God as mother. Heresy is not only wrong teaching but also wrong
worship. Wrong teaching and wrong worship always go together.)
We were talking about idolatry before we got side tracked. Idolatry is not just
using an idol to worship God; its also worshipping God in the wrong way. The
right way is the way that God has established through his Word. The wrong
way is worshipping in a way that God has forbidden in his Word or is
inconsistent with God has commanded in his Word. So the Word of God
determines what idolatry is or what right worship is. God sets the
agenda on worship and he does it through his Word. (This is important today.
We are having pastors and congregations worshipping in ways that they find
enjoyable and not based on the Word of God. This is our basic, fundamental
problem in the church today.)

Jeroboam is the yardstick for the condemnation of the evil kings. In the south
every king is measured against David. The question is asked of each king, did
they do as David did or did they not? In the north the question was, did they
walk in the way of Jeroboam? And the answer almost every time was, yes.
(There were a couple of exceptions.) David is the model of positive
kingship and Jeroboam is the model of negative kingship. And both
of those models have to do with worship and use religious criteria.
Idolatry came into Israel through Jeroboam. At first it was worshipping the
right God in the wrong way. But look at how idolatry escalates. It goes
from worshipping the right God in the wrong way using idols to worshipping
other gods. Idols opened up the door to worship other gods. (And the same
thing is happening in the church today. When determining how to worship, we
no longer consider the Bible. Instead we want to worship in more relevant
ways. Its always for the sake of mission, evangelism, cultural relevance. That
opens the door for paganism to come into the church, syncretism. This is
what leads to stupid things like mother god. This is not just ignorance. It is
sin and sacrilege.) The escalation doesnt stop at worshipping the wrong
gods. There were three classes of gods in the ancient world: the sky gods
establish order, the earth gods, and the underworld gods of death, chaos, and
disorder. For Israel, it escalated to their worship of the underworld god
Molech. This worship was terribly bad because they sacrificed their firstborn
children to the god Molech. In exchange for the firstborn, Molech was to
guarantee good crops. (Before we point the finger at how terrible this is, is
this much different than our practice of abortion? People practice it for
economic reasons just like the ancients did.)
Jeroboam introduced the worship of idols. Ahab outdid Jeroboam by bringing
back the worship of the god Baal and Asherah. Ahabs reasoning was that
there were many people in his kingdom that did not worship Yahweh, so he
wanted to be inclusive. What Yahweh was for Israel, Baal was to the
Canaanites. So in his mind Yahweh = Baal. And then Baal means husband or
lord. So if you have a husband youve got to have a wife. So Israel needs a
female god. They need Asherah. From a human point of view it makes sense,
socially and culturally. But it was forbidden by God as the worse possible sin.
(There are two modern dogmas: tolerance and inclusivity. Ahab had the same
ideas.) God used the prophets to call the kings back to right worship. They
pointed them to the Law of Moses. Most kings didnt like it because that was
exclusive and intolerant. (Just like today.)
In the south King Manasseh was the successor of one of the great reforming
king, Hezekiah. He did something terrible. He brought the worship of Baal and
Asherah right into the temple. Most scholars believe that he brought it into

the Holy of Holies. With the worship of Baal and Asherah came child sacrifice,
astrology, divination, sorcery, magic, etc. So again notice the escalation. First
idolatry is permitted; then the use of idols for the Lord; then Baal is equated
with God; then bringing Asherah together with the Lord; then this stuff came
to the holy city and the temple; then added to that was worship of the sun
and moon in the temple; and on top of all that came the occult.
Josiah the next king is horrified when he sees what Deuteronomy says
because they are doing the very things that God forbids. According to Gods
Word God would judge them by taking the land away. So he gets rid of all
these evil things. But his reforms merely delayed the judgment of God. See 2
Kings 22:15-20. Gods judgment would have come sooner but he delayed it
for Josiahs sake, because Josiah repented.
[First and second Kings (Bible 1, 15b), 37:43]
In the north Jeroboam set the standard for evil and all the kings of the north
followed his lead. David set the standard for good kings and some of the
kings in the south followed his lead. Some kings are commended for their
orthodoxy (right teaching and right worship, Christian doctrine/teaching is
always connected to worship. Right teaching leads to right worship; wrong
teaching leads to wrong worship. Heterodoxy means other teaching/worship).
Five kings are singled out for special praise because of their orthodoxy. First
king Asa is commended for his attacks on idolatry and cult prostitution in the
south. This drove the prostitution underground. Second, Jehoshaphat also
attacked cult prostitution and he basically wiped it out. Third, Joash renovated
the temple. Joashs entire family was wiped out by his grandmother. Only he
escaped when he was hidden as a baby. Then came the two great reformers.
Hezekiah was king during the time when Isaiah was a prophet. He
implemented part of Deuteronomy. One emphasis in Deut. was that God
would choose one place for an altar, a sanctuary, and where sacrifices were
made. So it took 700 years from the time of Moses to the time of Hezekiah for
this law, the centralization of worship in one place, to be implemented. This
produced an enormous backlash.
Then finally came the great reformation of Josiah. This reformation inspired
the protestant reformers. Because of this we will take a few minutes to look
at it. So what was it that Josiah did? Let take a look at 2 Kings 23:1-25. He
read the book of the covenant (Deuteronomy). Josiah makes a covenant with
God. He says I am going to do this and the people agree to it. Then he
actually takes action. He removed anything from the temple that was
connected to Baal, Asherah, and astrology. He did away with the priests of
the false gods. He did away with cult prostitution. He wiped out the shrines

on the high places. He also wiped out the low places where child sacrifice
occurred to Molech, the god of the underworld. He did away with the things
that had to do with sun worship. (To spread human bones or the ashes of
human bones on a place desecrated it so that no shrines could ever be built
there again.) He celebrated the Passover as a nation which had not been
done since the days of the Judges. He also got rid of all the mediums and
spiritists and household idols. He did all this in accordance with the Law of
God (Deut.). Josiah is the model of a repentant king. (This set the stage for
the canonization of the Pentateuch, where it was considered the Word of God
and used as the standard for worship in Israel.)
The main purpose of 1 & 2 Kings
1 & 2 Kings is part of the Deuternomic history, prophetic history (Joshua, Judges, 1 &
2 Samuel, and 1 & 2 Kings). People who were in exile in Babylon looked back on
history and asked the question, why did this happen? To answer that question they
compiled 1 & 2 Kings. It answered the questions of why God had taken the land
away from them and why God allowed his temple to be destroyed and why God had
taken their kings away. The short answer was: they didnt keep the first
commandment. They didnt follow the book of Deuteronomy.
1. So the purpose of Kings is to show the people in exile why God allowed the
Assyrians to destroy the northern kingdom and the Babylonians to destroy
the southern kingdom.
2. But its not just negative. Because of the message of repentance that runs
through it, it shows hope for the future. The hope for Israels restoration was
in Gods covenants with Abraham and with David. Those covenants are
eternal covenants. The people may break the covenant but God never will.
When they repent God will restore them.
A Summary of Samuel and Kings The main Themes of these Four Books
Its good to take these four books together when looking at the themes because
they are a continuous story.
1. They show the origin, character, and failure of kingship in Israel.
2. Secondly, and most importantly, they show Gods unconditional commitment
to the dynasty of David, not to the individual kings, but to the house of David.
3. Thirdly, it shows the far-reaching consequences of Davids faithfulness to God
and of the idolatry of Jeroboam. Modern people do not see that both good

deeds and evil deeds have consequences. It seems as if evil is more powerful,
yet God limits evil and puts no limits on good. So even though David
committed adultery and murder, his repentance overcame his sin. Thats how
he could become the model king.
4. The origin and destruction of the first temple in Jerusalem, a place of sacrifice
and prayer.
5. The centralization of worship at the temple. Over the time from David
building the altar and Solomon the temple to Josiah, worship was gradually
centralized. That is a key point of the book of Deuteronomy.
6. 1 & 2 Kings as well as all the prophetic history emphasizes right worship
according to the Law of Moses and the message of the prophets.
7. The origin and development of prophecy. Samuel was the founder of
prophecy in Israel. In the next stage of this course we will look at the classical
prophets. What is important is the word that prophets speak. The Word of
God that the prophets speak creates Israels history. It creates kingship. It
creates the temple. But it also judges; it corrects whats wrong. It is the basic
factor that shapes Israels history.
8. The Purpose of 1 & 2 Kings and Deuteronomic History/Prophetic History.
Under the influence of Deuteronomy, all of the terrible events (the
destruction of Jerusalem, the end of the monarchy, the end of the temple)
were prophesied by Jeremiah. He kept calling Israel to repent. After 604 BC
God told Jeremiah that he was no longer to intercede for the people. Why?
Things had gone so bad that God had decided to bring judgment, to exile
them from his land. So then different, unknown people, compiled this great
history from the entry into the land to the destruction of Jerusalem and the
freeing of Jehoikim from captivity for the people in exile to show them why
God had taken away these things from Israel but also that through
repentance he could restore them. Isaiah has many of these same themes
but his focus is on the city of Jerusalem.
The Latter Prophets

The Book of Isaiah
[Isaiah (Bible 1, 16a), 53:20]
The Subject Matter of Isaiah
Today be begin another big section in the Bible. Weve already covered the Torah,
the first five books of the Bible, the Law or Teaching. The second large section is the
Prophets. There are the Former Prophets (Joshua 2 Kings), which is the prophetic
history where the words of the prophets shaped Israels history. Now we begin to
focus on the words of the Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor
Prophets). There were many other prophets in Israel besides the ones that we have
recorded in the Scriptures. Most of the time a prophets words are given to a
particular person or people in a particular time and place and it is not relevant
beyond that. But there were some cases where Gods Word was written down and
canonized because it didnt just address a particular person or time. It had
relevance way beyond that. There are four big prophetic scrolls that made up the
Latter Prophets. The Pentateuch has five scrolls. There are five scrolls of the Former
Prophets. Now we come to the four scrolls of the Latter Prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, and the rest of the prophets, the Twelve or the Minor Prophets.
Why does Isaiah come first? He is not the first chronologically. He is put first for
hermeneutic reasons. This means that you need to understand the work of all the
other prophets in the light of Isaiah. The vision of Isaiah gives the big picture. If you
dont get the big picture, you will not understand the rest of the prophets correctly.
As an example of something similar, consider the Pauls letters in the NT. One of the
last ones he wrote was Romans. But Romans is listed first because in Romans Paul
gives a summary of his theology. So the other letters of Paul need to be interpreted
in light of Romans.
Isaiah is the most difficult book in the OT but it is also an amazing book. Isaiah is
big. It is 66 chapters. It also deals with events over 200 years. But its actual scope is
from creation to the end of the world. So it gives the big picture but in some cases it
also focuses in on some small details. Lets take a look at what Isaiah says he is
writing about. Take a look at Is. 1:1, the heading of Isaiah. It gives us a clue on how
we need to read this book. It says this book is a vision that concerns Judah and more
narrowly Jerusalem. There are two main points here. First, as modern people when
we read the Bible we look for ideas and concepts and we find it difficult to see

pictures. The question you need to ask when reading Isaiah and much of the OT is
not what is the basic idea here, but what is the picture here or what is the image
here? If you dont get the picture, you wont get the content. It is a matter of seeing
it and imagining it. Secondly, its a vision about Jerusalem. It is not primarily about
Israel or Judah but the focus is on Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not only the royal city but
it is also the holy city because the temple was there. Keep that in mind as you read
Isaiah. The focus of every single part of Isaiah is on Jerusalem. Put another way,
what we find in Isaiah is Gods plans for Jerusalem and the place of Jerusalem in
Gods dealings with the whole of the world. Jerusalem is central to Gods vision of
what he intends to accomplish for all human beings.
Isaiahs Call in Is. 6:1-13
Lets go now to the call of Isaiah the prophet, which we find in Is. 6:1-13. Isaiah
receives Gods Word by seeing it and this is the foundational vision that he has.
There are a couple of things you need to know in Is. 6:1-4. (1) You need to know that
Isaiah was well educated, and closely connected to the royal family. He served king
Uzziah. When he died, he was called from the service of an earthly king to service of
the heavenly King. (2) This vision is in the temple. He believes that Gods glory is
hidden in the Holy of Holies. Now on this day he actually sees what he believes and
it blows his mind. He sees the train of Gods robe in the temple and he hears the
seraphim singing Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, the whole world is filled with
his glory. Its a prophetic proclamation. He is saying that Gods glory that is hidden
in the Holy of Holies will one day be revealed to the whole world. This of course is
fulfilled in Jesus.
Lets continue with 6:5-7. Why does Isaiah say when he sees this, Im as good as
dead? To be a sinner and to see holy God meant death. Then an angel picks up a
coal from the incense altar, which originally had come from the altar for burnt
offering, and touched his lips to cover his sin. Why does he touch his lips? First, that
is where the sin is. Second, going forward Isaiah is going to use his lips to speak
Gods word, to speak prophecy. He needs to have clean lips in order to speak Gods
holy word.
Lets go on with Is. 6:8-13. The picture here is the heavenly court. Isaiah has been
permitted to see it. A decision has been made and God asks who shall I send? God
needs a messenger to bring the message from heaven to his people on earth. And
Isaiah now knows why he is having this vision. God is calling him to be a prophet. So
Isaiah accepts the call by saying, Send me. Isaiah is being sent to people who are
deaf, dumb, and blind. And he is to speak Gods word for a strange purpose, to
make them even more deaf, dumb, and blind. He is being called to bring a message
of judgment on them. People dont want to hear and see, so God says, Ok, you get
what you want. God lets them have their own way. Isaiah then asks, How long will I

have to keep preaching this message? Gods answer is that Isaiah is to continue
until the people and the land are completely decimated. But there is a glimmer of
hope. The nation will become like a stump, but from it a new tree will grow. This
gives us a principle that runs all the way through the prophets. God judges people
not because they sin, but because they refuse to repent. He does so by simply
giving them what they want or what they ask for. And he does this so that they will
finally reach the point where they do repent. So he judges to save. He unmakes us
in order to remake us. He reduces us to nothing so he can make something of us.
The Prevailing Theology in Isaiahs Day
To understand Isaiah, you have to understand it knowing the common ideas of
Isaiahs day. Jerusalem was the royal city and the temple had been there almost 200
years. A theology developed that involved the king, the city, and the temple. You
might call it imperial theology or political theology. And it is still with us today. In
Isaiahs day it was believed that the king of Israel was going to establish a world
empire. Jerusalem would be the capital city of this world empire. They believed that
the Davidic king would be appointed as the emperor of this world empire and Israel
would be the ruling nation. They saw it as the nations were Gods enemies and
Israel was Gods friend. So God would use Israel to defeat the rebellious nations.
God would establish Israel as the ruling class and he would rule by the sword and
establish peace by the sword. (To a large extent that is the vision of many
evangelical Christians today. They speak of a millennium where Jesus is king and will
rule over the nations for 1000 years. In this view, they see that God doesnt work
through the church and means of grace, but through politics.) In this vision,
Jerusalem and its king is the key to everything.
There were two challenges to this theology. If Jerusalem was to be the center of a
world empire, why was it that Jerusalem was destroyed and ruled by the apparent
enemies of God? If this was the case, why had Jerusalem had such a bad history?
After David and Solomon, the glory of Jerusalem steadily diminished until it was only
a religious center. It had no political importance. The problem with this theology is
that God doesnt deliver in making Jerusalem the center of a world empire. And why
would God allow his temple to be destroyed by pagans? That means the Babylonian
gods defeated Israels God. Contrary to the imperial theology of that day, Isaiah
predicts the destruction of Jerusalem and he also speaks of Gods ultimate purpose
for allowing it. Jeremiah and Ezekiel also do the same. The prophets not only
announce Gods judgment, but they also reveal Gods purpose for allowing the
judgment of his people. Going back to Isaiahs original vision, God is going to chop
everything down. Why? They worshipped other gods. They refused to repent. But
that is not the end. All that is left is the stump, but from the stump will come a new
beginning brought about by God. That is the central vision.

The Big Picture Purpose of Isaiah
God paints through Isaiah a counter vision to the political theology of that day. This
is the big picture that you will need to understand.
(1) Gods purpose for Zion with its temple was to make it, not the center of a world
empire, but to make it a place for international pilgrimage and worship. Instead of
Jerusalem being a capital city with the temple as Gods palace where he rules the
world, Jerusalem will be the center of worship, the only place of worship, where
people can meet with God and God with people. The rule of God will be established
liturgically rather than through politics. Isaiah sees the nations of the world
worshipping God together with the Jews.
(2) Secondly, and this is most scandalous of all, Isaiah says that the worst enemies
of all were the Jews. Therefore Gods judgment will first fall on the Jews. And the
worst of the Jews were those in the south, the priests and kings in Jerusalem. Not
because they were more immoral, but because they were more obstinate in refusing
to repent.
(3) Thirdly, God judges in order to save. The picture Isaiah uses is a man who smelts
metal, who removes precious metal from the ore it is in by burning it. The pure gold
is extracted by burning away the dross. Isaiah says that God will first purify
Jerusalem before he judges all the rebellious nations of the world, and beyond that,
he will judge the cosmos, which includes Satan and all the evil powers. Gods
judgment on Jerusalem is a prelude to his judgment on the whole world, the Day of
the Lord. But the opposite is also true. Gods deliverance of Jerusalem under
Hezekiah was a prelude to Gods deliverance of all the nations of the world. He
judges in order to save. God chops down the old tree in order to create a new tree.
God refines impure metal in order to produce pure metal. So Gods deliverance of
his people from the Assyrians and then from exile in Babylon is a prelude to the
salvation of all penitent sinners. All people who repent will be saved in the final
judgment, Jews and Gentiles.
(4) Lastly and most importantly, God made wonderful promises of what he had in
mind for the holy city. But those promises for Jerusalem will not be fulfilled in this
age but in the age to come. Gods promises about the earthly Jerusalem will be
fulfilled in the heavenly Jerusalem. (This is important in our day because there are
many evangelical Christians who look for the fulfillment in this world during this
age. Looking ahead to the NT, what is prophesied about Jerusalem applies to and is
fulfilled in the church.)
(Dr. Kleinig then, based on a question, explained what is meant by the old age and
the new age. The old age goes from creation to the end of the world. In the old age

we live on earth. The new age goes from Jesus first coming to this world and
extends through eternity. In the new age we live in heaven or the church. The two
ages overlap from the time of Jesus to the Last Day of this earth. So Christians live
in both ages. We live in two kingdoms. During this time of overlap, we can see the
earthly realities but not see the heavenly realities (except with the eyes of faith). In
worship those who repent and are baptized have access to heaven while they are
still on earth. Unbelievers are still and only in the old age.)
[Isaiah (Bible 1, 16b), 45:12]
Historical Background to Isaiah -Three Crises
Isaiah has three main parts and it focuses on three crises in the history of Jerusalem
and the temple in Jerusalem.
1. The first crisis involved Jerusalem during the Assyrian period. Is. 1 39 covers
this period. The call of Isaiah comes in 742 BC. Here is the basic political
background. From 742 701 BC the Assyrians threatened everyone in the
ancient world. Around 730 BC the northern kingdom formed an alliance with
Syria in opposition to the Assyrians. They wanted Judah to join this alliance.
But under the influence of Isaiah, Judah did not join the alliance because God
had said not to. The Assyrians were angry and they came and wiped out Syria
and the northern kingdom (721 BC). From that time on, the Assyrians put
increasing pressure on Judah and Jerusalem. This came to a head in 701 BC
when they had captured the whole kingdom of Judah except for Jerusalem.
And it looked like Jerusalem was about to fall. Some advisers to Judahs king
wanted him to make an alliance with the Egyptians, but God said through
Isaiah, Dont get into any alliances. Rely on me and I will save you. Everyone
thought Isaiah was stupid. One day the city was surrounded and about to fall
and the next day the Assyrian army disappeared. Two things happened. There
was a plague, an epidemic that swept through their army. And there were
also rumors of a rebellion back home. So they left Judah and went back home
to put down the rebellion and Jerusalem was miraculously delivered. So God
judged Judah; he chopped it down to the stump (Jerusalem). Out of that came
a new beginning. That was the first crisis.
2. The second crisis came about 100 years later. The politics were very
complicated. The super powers were jostling for position and poor little Judah
was caught in the middle. The Babylonians had reemerged and had wiped out
the Assyrians and established the Babylonian empire. Egypt was also flexing
its muscles. In 597 BC the Babylonians captured the city of Jerusalem for the
first time. They deported some important members of the ruling classes. And

there were two very important people who were deported, Daniel and Ezekiel.
Later, after a rebellion by Judah, the Babylonians came and utterly destroyed
Jerusalem, including the temple. And they took with them all of the temple
treasurers and carted off all the citizens of Jerusalem into exile in Babylon.
This occurred in 586 BC. In 539 BC the Persians defeated Babylon and
established their own world empire.
3. The third crisis involved the people in exile coming back to Jerusalem. They
started coming back in 537 BC. In 520-515 BC they rebuilt the temple. They
believed that everything they had lost they would get back (land, temple, and
kingship). They believed they would have a king and he would reestablish
Jerusalem as the capital city and he would conquer the world. But in reality
none of this happened. After 586 BC there was no king in Israel. After they
had been in exile and repented and God brought them back, they asked
themselves, how come God did send them a king again?
The Structure and Themes of Isaiah Structured Around the Three Crises
These are the three big crises in the history of Jerusalem and the three parts of
Isaiah focus on these three periods of history. The first crises occurred during the life
of Isaiah and the second two occurred 100 and 150 years after Isaiah. Isaiahs
prophecies go from 741 BC to around 500 BC when the temple had been rebuilt and
restored. Because his prophecies refer to future events and to specific people (Cyrus
for instance), modern scholars, who dont believe in predictive prophecy, believe
there are two or three authors. So they talk about Proto-Isaiah who wrote Isaiah I (Is.
1 39), Deutro-Isaiah (Is. 40 55), and Trito-Isaiah (Is. 56 66). They believe these
authors lived during the time that each of these events happened. (It seems likely
that the prophecies of Isaiah were handed down orally and then compiled later by
Isaiahs disciples.)
So we know that there are three parts to Isaiah and they deal with three different
crises. The focus of the book is the place of Jerusalem in Gods plans for the whole
world. The subject is narrow Jerusalem, but the focus is wide the whole world.
Ultimately these prophecies would be carried out at the end of the age, the Day of
the Lord, when a new heaven and new earth were created. Take note of Is. 63-66
because it indicates when these prophecies will ultimately be fulfilled.
The Structure of Part 1 of Isaiah
Now lets look at each of the three parts of Isaiah separately. Were going to spend
some time on this because it is so important and the book of Isaiah is one of the
most difficult to understand. So lets start with Is. 1 39. It falls into six parts. It is
difficult to sort out. It looks like everything is just thrown together, so its hard to get
the rhyme and reason of one prophecy following another.

1. From Is. 1-6 we get the account of Gods remedy of Israels sickness, which
was her refusal to repent, as well as Gods purpose for Zion/Jerusalem in the
future. It clearly shows Gods vision for Jerusalem as a place of worship.
2. Then in Is. 7-12 the focus is on Gods use of Assyria as his ax. The ax in the
hand of God that chops down the tree is the king of Assyria. He will use the
king of Assyria to judge the northern kingdom. Thats one focus, but on the
other hand, God promised that he would save the southern kingdom and the
city of Jerusalem (the time of Hezekiah).
3. Then Is. 13-27 you get big picture stuff. God uses Assyria to judge not just the
northern kingdom but many other kingdoms as well and paradoxically God
uses the evil of the Assyrians to promote his purposes for Jerusalem and the
temple and the people of God.
4. Then chapters 28-33 focuses on the people of Jerusalem and anyone who
resisted his plan for them would court disaster, would come under judgment.
But anyone who trusted God would be saved in the future, in the Day of
Judgment.
5. In chapters 34 and 35 there is a stark contrast between Gods judgment of
the godless nations as represented by Edom (if you dont point [add
vowels] the word Edom, it is spelled exactly the same as Adam. So Edom
represents fallen Adam.) and the glorification of Zion on the other hand.
6. The next part (Is. 36-39) is very strange. Some historical data from 2 Kings is
inserted here. And the material deals with Gods deliverance of Jerusalem
from the Assyrians at the time of Hezekiah and the announcement of the
forthcoming exile in Babylon.
Themes from Part 1 of Isaiah (Is. 1 39)
The Foundational Prophecy
Lets have a look at the first prophecy which is one of the most important
prophecies which gives Gods purpose for Zion as a place for international worship
. It is in Is. 2:1-4. I cant emphasize enough how important this vision is. All of the
other visions amplify this fundamental, key, foundational vision.
2:2 - It is a vision about Jerusalem and it is about the latter days. That period
refers to the period where the old age overlaps the new age. So its not a vision of
the present; its a vision of the future, the ultimate future. It says what is going to
happen in the last days. A picture is being described. At the highest place in
Jerusalem was the temple. Jerusalem is on a mountain, but it is surrounded by
higher mountains. In the last days, this mountain, the temple mountain is going to
be higher than all other mountains. So the picture is that God will level all the other
mountains and leave this one mountain which has the temple on it. In the ancient
world mountains were the place where heaven and earth meet. So the picture is of
all nations streaming to the temple mountain. But that is rather funny because

rivers flow away from mountain, not up mountains. At the time of Isaiah, the people
of Judah would come to mount Zion three times a year (three great feasts) to
worship, to meet with God at the temple. But this is not just Judah, but all nations of
the world flow up the mountain to the temple. All the other mountains being
flattened symbolizes that all other places of worship would be removed.
2:3 People from all over the world will come to Jerusalem in order to learn the ways
of the Lord. The ways of the Lord are that he is merciful and gracious and forgiving.
They will learn what we call the Gospel. They will learn that God forgives so they
can forgive, that he is generous so they will be generous, that he is merciful so they
will be merciful. They will walk in Gods ways. The picture is one where God leads
and they follow and do as he does. Why will people come to Gods mountain? The
word/teaching of God will go out from Zion and in response the people of the world
come to worship God with his people. Which book of the NT is the fulfillment of this?
Acts is where the message goes out to the ends of the world.
2:4 What is the result of Jews and Gentiles worshipping together? God will establish
peace. The way that peace is usually established on earth is by the sword. Here we
have peace that comes as a result of worship and hearing Gods word and learning
his ways in worship. This is happening today. People come together and the only
thing they have in common is their worship of God. Remember, in the peoples
political vision that we talked about, the Messiah would wage war against the
enemies of God and force them to submit to God by the edge of the sword and rule
by the edge of the sword. But in this vision God will disarm the nations as they
worship him and follow his ways and as a result the sword will not be needed
anymore and therefore they will use them for other peaceful purposes. This is Gods
plan to use worship to establish his rule over the world, liturgically, not politically,
not by the sword but by his Word of the Gospel. (The irony is that this verse is the
motto of the United Nation. But they use it to try and establish peace politically
instead of spiritually, not by the worship of God but by establishing a political
system.)
Make sure you understand this vision because the rest of Isaiah explicates it.
The themes of Part 1 of Isaiah (Is. 1 39) continued.
1. The most important passage, which we just discussed, is 2:1-4 because it is
the key vision, the inclusion of the Gentiles with the Israelites in the worship
of the one true God at one place Jerusalem .

2. The next vision is chapter 4:2-6 and it deals with the city of Jerusalem. Here
we have a picture of a fruit tree. Remember the stump. This is a new branch
that comes from the stump and it is a fruit tree that provides food for all the
land. This is a picture of a coming king. The picture continues with Jerusalem
as the mother and its inhabitants as her daughters. All of its inhabitants will
be clean and holy. They will be cleansed by Gods Spirit of fire and judgment.
And since they are all holy, they all have access to God; they are all priests.
Notice then that the glory cloud of Gods presence doesnt just fill the temple,
but it fills the whole city. The whole city is a holy place, the temple of God. All
people in the city have access to God. And the city will be a sanctuary, a safe
place from all evil and destructive powers. So this is a vision where the
whole city is Gods temple, all people of the city are holy and have access to
him, and God is with them and protects them.
3. Now we have a complex vision of Zions transformation in the age of the
Messiah . Take a look at Is. 35:1-10. Here we have a picture of a desert, a
wilderness being transformed into a place with forests and trees. The cedar of
Lebanon is a symbol of kingship and divinity. And the desert here is the city of
Jerusalem. Instead of the people being weak and fearful, they will be strong
and courageous. It is Gods presence that will transform them. Gods
presence turns a desert into an oasis. Jackals in the ancient world
represented demons. So a demonic place will be changed into a holy place.
The people who were blind and deaf and lame to God will be transformed to
see and hear and speak and walk in Gods ways. The main street in Jerusalem
was called the Holy Way or the Way of the Sanctuary because it went through
Jerusalem to the sanctuary. Thats the street he has in mind in the last verses.
He is describing the way into Gods presence. This way excludes predators,
the unclean, the demonic, and atheists (a fool is one claims there is no God).
The Lord brings the redeemed to himself by this way. The Lord is performing
a miracle turning a desolate people into an oasis and he does it by bringing
them into his presence in the holy city. This is fulfilled in the church. People
coming into the church come into Gods presence and are transformed from a
desert to an oasis.
4. Before this transformation occurs, God will judge. He will judge Jerusalem for
its unrighteousness and uncleanness, for its spiritual pollution. He judges
not just for its injustice, its breaking of the second table of the law, but for
breaking the first table. Theyve desecrated Gods holiness. Gods judgment
begins with his people, with those closest to him, with Jerusalem. But
remember that God always judges to save and to purify.
5. Gods judgment of Jerusalem is a prelude of his judgment of all nations and
actually to a cosmic act of judgment. Read Is. 26:20-27:1. All the days of
judgment point to the final day when God will punish the inhabitants of the

earth for their iniquities. He will also judge the heavenly hosts and
Leviathan, that is, Satan. The final judgment will be a day of cosmic
judgment, when God judges evil on a cosmic scale. So the judgment on
Jerusalem points to Gods judgment on all nations in history, which in turn
points to the great day of the Lord when God will judge the whole world,
including Satan.
6.
In the face of Gods judgment, there is only one safe place, one way to be
safe from Gods judgment. Lets look at Is. 7:1-9. This is an incident that
occurred during the reign of king Ahaz. The northern kingdom had allied
themselves with the Syrians against the Assyrians. And they threatened the
southern kingdom if they did not join the alliance. The kings advisers wanted
him to make an alliance with the Egyptians. In these verses we see what God
tells king Ahaz to do. In the face of the threat from the north, the Lord
through Isaiah says that no alliances are necessary. He needs simply to trust
God. This is a theme that runs all the way through Isaiah.
7. Now we come to the first of a whole series of important Messianic prophecies.

When we read 1 & 2 Kings, its basically a story of failure. Even king David
failed. The prophets then have a message not only against kings that fail but
also a message of a king who would come that would not fail and who would
do everything that the kings of Judah never did . We will look at three of the
most important messianic prophecies. These are familiar because we read
them at Christmas time.
First we read Is. 7:10-17. Note that a sign is a miracle. God offers Ahaz a
miracle. Ahaz refuses a sign. Isaiah responds by telling him to stop dithering
around and make up his mind in whom he will put his trust. Ahaz knows if
God gives him a sign, he has to trust God and say no to all alliances. Saying
no to all alliances looks from a human point of view as if he is stupid and
committing political suicide, putting his kingdom on the chopping block. But
then God gives him a sign anyway. The sign is that a virgin will have a son
and he will be a king. What does this refer to? There are two possibilities and
it refers to both. First it probably refers to the fact that the wife of the king
who is a virgin will have a son. In this case Ahazs son was the great king
Hezekiah. But that in itself is a sign of future birth. And of course it refers to
the virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus who was also called Immanuel (God with
us) . Jesus would be a king and God would be with his people through Jesus.
Therefore the people can put their trust in God. God would defend them
against their enemies.
This first messianic prophecy is amplified in two remarkable and amazing
visions. The first one has to do with the birth of a second Solomon as the
prince of peace. There are a number of pictures here in Is. 9:2-7. We begin in

Is. 9:2. This should be familiar to you from our Christmas readings. The
picture is of a people who live in total darkness and a light has appeared and
shone on them. There is another picture in Is. 9:3-5. When the light dawns,
the people rejoice, not because its harvest time, but because they are
burning the yoke, staff, and rod of burden and oppression, and the boots of
trampling warriors. So the darkness is that the people have been oppressed
by a terrible enemy. But then someone has come and freed them and
destroyed the enemy and they are rejoicing at this great victory. Another
picture comes in Is. 9:6 and it tells us who won this victory. God had
prophesied earlier that a son of Solomon would be Gods son. So this verse
refers to the birth of that royal child. And this child becomes a king and is
given four throne names at his coronation. The first name is Wonderful
Counselor. Wonderful means miracle working. A counselor is one who makes
good policy. So this son will make miraculous policies. The second name is
Mighty God. He is powerful and he is divine. The third name is Everlasting
Father. And the fourth name is Prince of Peace. These four titles give an
indication of what he will do. Is. 9:7 spells out what he will do. The reign of
this king will have no end and it will be a kingdom of peace. He will establish
Gods justice and righteousness among the nations on earth . All of kings of
Israel failed in this regard.
Now lets look at a second vision (Is. 11:1-10) that amplifies the messianic
prophecy. Just prior to this is a prophecy that God will use the king of Assyria
as his ax to chop down trees. It begins by speaking of the stump of Jesse.
Jesse was Davids father. He is the father of kingship in Israel. It is the royal
family that is being chopped down. But out of its stump will come a new
shoot, a new king. Is. 11:2-3a describes the character of this new king.
Remember how the Spirit of the Lord came on Saul but later left him. On this
king, the Spirit will come and stay with him. And he will be empowered by
this six-fold Spirit. He will be a second Solomon (wisdom and understanding).
He will be a second David (counsel and might). He will be a second Hezekiah
(knowledge and fear of the Lord). He will fear, rely on, and trust in God. What
will he be empowered to do? What kind of king will he be? Read. Is. 11:3b-5.
Instead of dealing with evil with a sword, he will deal with it by speaking
through his word. Another point, to kill the wicked sounds as if it refers to
the wicked people. But in Hebrew its singular; it refers to the wicked one,
Satan. And he will kill him with the breath of his lips, which in Hebrew is
Gods Spirit. Word and Spirit always go together. You cannot speak words
without breath. He deals with evil and the Evil One through his Spirit-filled
Word. This king will vindicate the poor, those who rely on God, and punish the
wicked. But the most important thing is that he is Gods agent and he is
given Gods Spirit and he uses that Spirit and Gods Word to deal with evil.
What will be the result of this kings actions on behalf of God? Read Is. 11:6-9.
Paradise will be restored. This is shown in two ways. Predators and prey will

live together in peace. There wont be any spiritual predators anymore. A
snake in the ancient world always represented demonic evil. Demonic powers
will no longer exist. Where will this happen? On the holy mountain, on Mount
Zion paradise will be restored and the king will reign from there. Finally we
read Is. 11:10. His place of rest will be glory not glorious. This refers to
Gods glory which is on the holy mountain in the holy city. The king will live in
Gods presence and he will be a banner to the nations; he will be a rallying
point; all the nations will come to this king in this place because he does
away with evil, vindicates the poor and restores paradise. (Here Zion is still
the church. Christ is the King who does these things.)
Now lets look at another astonishing prophecy in Is. 25. Read Is. 25:6. The
mountain here still refers to the city of Jerusalem. Remember the Israelites
would go on pilgrimage to Jerusalem to present their offerings and that most
of the offerings would be eaten as a holy banquet. God was the host. They
were the guests. He would give them holy bread, holy wine, and holy meat to
eat. This looks to a future day when God will throw a banquet for all people.
What will this meal celebrate? Read Is. 25:7-9. It celebrates salvation from
death. In the ancient world death gobbles up life. But here God reverses it. He
will gobble up death; he will destroy death. When mourning death, women
covered their faces with a veil. A shroud refers to a coffin. He will do away
with death; he will do away with mourning; he will do away with shrouds; and
he will throw a great banquet meal in which they celebrate the death of
death. What is that meal? It is Holy Communion.
Lastly, and we dont have a lot of time, Isaiah prophesies that the people of
Israel will go into exile. Gods judgment will fall on them and those who do
not repent will be destroyed. But there will be a remnant, some survivors
who will return. Those who repent will be those who return. Read Is. 10:2023. Note that in Hebrew the word for return is the same as repent. A remnant
is a small surviving group.

[Isaiah (Bible 1, 17b), 46:56]
The structure of Part 2 of Isaiah (Is. 40 - 55)
Now we look at the second part of Isaiah. The first part revolved around the
Assyrian siege of Jerusalem when Hezekiah was king in 701 BC. The prophecies
from this second part of Isaiah are prophecies of exile and the return from exile. The
focus of this part of Isaiah is on the events that occurred from 539 537 BC. In 539
BC the Babylonian empire was destroyed by the Persians. And in 537 BC the Persian
king ordered the Jewish leaders to go and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The

pagan king Cyrus commanded the temple be rebuilt. This part revolves around that
command and the small remnant that returned to rebuild it. The focus here then is
on Zion at the time of Babylonian exile.
As far as the structure goes, there are 3 very important pointers: commands to
leave Babylon in 48:20, 52:11, and 55:12. Lets look at the first of these 3
commands in Is. 48:20. It says, Leave Babylon; God has redeemed his people. Its
hard to divide the second part of Isaiah because it is all so intricately interwoven
together. But you can divide it into three general parts.
1. First you have Gods preparation to bring his people back home from exile to
Zion in Is. 40.
2. Secondly, and this is the part that the Jewish people found so hard to accept,
God didnt raise up a second Moses to rescue his people, but God used a
pagan king. He used king Cyrus to free his people and rebuild his holy city (Is.
41-48).
3. Thirdly, from Is. 49 to 55 the focus is on an unnamed figure called the servant
of the Lord. He is called by God to restore his people and to fulfill the mission
that God had for Zion, which is to reach out to the nations and to include the
nations in the worship of the Lord. That is important for the second part of
Isaiah and it is terribly important for Christians.
The Main Themes of Part 2 of Isaiah (Is. 40 55)
1. First lets look at Is. 40:1-11. A lot of things in this passage are only seen if
you read the Hebrew text. What we have here is the return of Gods people
from exile to Jerusalem is presented as a second exodus . God brought his
people from Egypt to the promised land. Now God plans a miraculous way in
which he can bring them back to the promised land from exile. Read Is. 40:12. Here we have God speaking in the heavenly court to the angels. The
angels are to comfort Gods people by telling them that God has forgiven
them and is going to restore them. Then we get the voice of a messenger
from God in verses 3 to 5. This is a message that God will come to his people
and bring them back home. And he will do it with a sort of spiritual super
highway. And when he does his glory will be revealed to the nations. Verse 6
is probably another angel or the same angel. He speaks to the prophet and
tells him to cry or preach. And the prophet responds, What shall I cry? Then
we get the objection of the prophet. He says, Whats the point of speaking
your word? People come and go and wont last. Then comes the answer of
the angel (Is. 40:7b-8). The angel agrees that people cant accomplish
anything, but the Word of God can. Proclaim the Word of God because it is
strong and will accomplish everything. And then we get the prophecy of the
return back home of Israel (Is. 40:9-11). There are two options here. Either
the angel tells the prophet to be a gospel messenger to Zion and the cities of
Zion. Or Zion is called to be a messenger to the cities that surround

Jerusalem. Both are possible and probably both are meant. What is the good
news that is to be spread? It is something miraculous. Instead of God telling
the people to come back home, God goes to his people and rescues them and
bring them back home to himself. The Shepherd gathers his flock and gently
leads them back home. Repentance is returning to God. The way that
repentance is normally understood is that we must return to God. But this
turns that on its head. The way of repentance is God coming to bring us back
on his way to himself.
2. The next passage that we will look at for the next theme is Is. 44:24 45:13.
This is very strange. God doesnt appoint a second Moses to lead a second
exodus. Instead he appoints the pagan king Cyrus to be the deliverer of
Israel. Lets read Is. 44:24-28. God chose Cyrus to shepherd his people.
Normally the king of Israel was its shepherd. Here God chooses a pagan king
to be shepherd and to rebuild his city and to rebuild his temple. Then there is
more about Cyrus in Is. 45:1-7. Look at verse 4. God bestows on Cyrus a title
of honor. Cyrus is the Lords anointed one, which in Hebrew is messiah. God
uses Cyrus even though Cyrus does not acknowledge him. The people of
Israel would find this hard to take. This was prophesied before 539 BC, before
Cyrus defeated the Babylonians and before Israel was freed from captivity.
3. Now Id like to take a close look at four very important passages in Isaiah, the
three so-called Servant Psalms. First I need to give you a little bit of
background. The Hebrew word translated as servant primarily means
someone who works for another. And the way that it is used here is as Gods
deputy. The following people are called the servant of the Lord in the OT: (1)
Abraham, (2) high priest, (3) each prophet, (4) most importantly David and all
his successors, and (5) Israel and every Israelite. Service can mean deputy,
but it can also mean one who performs divine service, one who worships, one
who works with God and for God. In these passages God is about to speak
about his servant. The possible exegetical options of who the Lord is speaking
about are the five just listed above. The prophecies here are some of the
most important in the whole OT. Lets look at them one by one.
First we will look at Is. 42:1-4. When reading, think about who God is talking
about: a second Abraham, a high priest, a prophet, or a Davidic king. (Choice
#5 Israel - does not seem to fit the servant here.) God is speaking here and
he is introducing his servant. Its like there is an assembly and God is
introducing his chosen servant or deputy to everyone. Based on the language
describing him, the servant could be a prophet because it speaks of
law/teaching, but it seems to fit a king who is empowered with Gods Spirit
(remember God had promised to put his Spirit on the shoot from the stump of
Jesse). His task is to extend Gods rule and justice over the nations. How does
he deal with people? He is gentle with the weak; he doesnt use his power.

How does he operate? He brings justice to the nations, not with the sword,
but by teaching. This is a different kind of king.
Lets look at the second psalm, Is. 49:1-7. Here we have the servant himself
speaking and he addresses all the nations of the earth. He is reporting about
the mission God has for him. God has chosen the servant as his agent and he
was chosen even before he was born. God had determined that he would
display his glory through his servant. The servant reports that he had failed in
his task. His initial task was to bring Israel back to God. But he failed in that
task. Yet he relied on God for vindication. So what does God say? Bringing
Israel back to me was just the beginning. Ive got something bigger for you to
do. Usually someone is given a small task and if they succeed they are given
greater responsibilities. Here its turned upside down. God says, Youve failed
at that task, Ill give you an even bigger one. Not only are you to bring Israel
back to me, you also are to bring my light and salvation to the nations.
The third psalm is Is. 50:4-9. Notice the picture here. The servant says in
verses 4 and 5, Every morning God opens my ears to hear his word so that I
can speak his word of comfort to this people. Out of the list of five choices,
who does that sound like? This sounds like a prophet. The servant was
obedient despite terrible persecution and ridicule (Is. 50:5-6). The people
reject both Gods word and his servant/prophet and yet he remains faithful
and relies on God for his vindication. We have a theme of suffering here and
that will be the main theme of the last and greatest of the servant psalms.
Lets go now to Is. 52:13, the most important servant song. As you read it,
get the big picture. First God reports about his servant. Then we have the
peoples report about him. And finally we get Gods appraisal of the servants
mission. In Is. 52:13-15 God reports that even though his servants
appearance was marred and disfigured, God exalted him. He says that his
servant will sprinkle many nations. Who sprinkles in the OT? The high priest
sprinkles blood. So here the servant sounds like he is a high priest. The
first two prophecies spoke of the servant primarily as a king and secondarily
as a prophet. The third prophecy spoke of him as a prophet. Now it speaks of
him as a priest. Keep this in mind as we hear what the people say about the
servant in Is. 53:1-10. The picture here is not so much of a priest but of a
sacrifice, a victim. So instead of people being punished, the servant is
punished. He suffers for the sins of the people. He is a guilt offering. So the
servant is both the priest who sprinkles blood for atonement and also the
victim who suffers on behalf of the people and whose life is sacrificed on
behalf of the people so that the people can return to God and receive healing.
Now in Is. 53:11-12 we have Gods appraisal. God says that the servant will
justify many or account many as righteous because he bore their iniquity. He
will receive the spoils of victory along with his followers. He will justify

sinners because he bore their sins and gave his life for them and he makes
intercession for transgressors. Who intercedes in the OT? Prophets can;
priests do; and Abraham interceded for the sake of Lot and his family. [So the
fact that the servants task is to reach out to the nations and to intercede for
them, points us Abraham. God promised to bless all nations through
Abraham.]
So we have here a future figure who is the servant of the Lord who will suffer,
die, be raised from the dead, and will establish Gods rule over the nations,
Jews and Gentiles. The is extremely important to Christianity because this
suffering servant is Jesus. And Jesus is prophet, priest, and king all in one.
4. Remember that God said he would establish a banquet on Mount Zion. Lets
look at a passage that has a look at the messianic banquet. Lets begin with
Is. 55:1-3a. What kind of banquet is this? It is strange because it is a banquet
of hearing. It is feasting with the ear. By hearing you have life. It is a lifegiving, life-sustaining meal of hearing Gods word. In Is. 55:3b God says he is
going to extend his covenant with David to all the people who are invited to
this banquet. What God promised to David [kesid=his steadfast and sure
love] will be given to all of these people. In Is. 55:4-5 God said David was a
witness to the nations and the leader and commander of the people. David
was a witness in the songs of praise that he sang. In those songs of praise he
commanded the nations to repent, return to God, and come join him in
praising God. So just as David was a witness to God and commanded the
nations to praise God, all the people who indulge in this meal will praise
God, bear witness to God, and call on the nations to repent. The next part
that we will read is the message that they will proclaim to the nations.
Continue with verses 6 and 7. Based on this, who is the meal for? Its for
sinners. So the Messiah is hosting a meal in which he invites sinners from all
over the world. Its a free meal. Its a meal of hearing and feasting on the
Gods Word. Its a meal where sinners are invited to come and repent and
receive mercy and pardon. This describes the Lords Supper. It is a banquet
of forgiveness. It is a banquet in which sinners are invited to repent and in
which he offers them forgiveness. Its a meal that is free and where we hear
the Word of God and where we receive life.
Part 3 of Isaiah (Is. 56 66)
[The first part of the lecture on Part 3 is missing, probably the first 15 minutes. The
structure of part 3 of Isaiah is missing and the first part of the themes is missing. I

will fill in the basics the best I can using the notes Dr. Kleinig provided for the class
(see http://www.johnkleinig.com/files/9013/8984/4345/BI_09_Course_Notes.pdf ).]
The Structure of Part 3 of Isaiah
Part 3 can be broken into three parts:
1. In Is. 56 59 God vindicates the righteous people of Zion. [This includes all
Jews and Gentiles (foreigners and eunuchs) who trust in the Lord and who live
faithful and righteous lives. The righteous stand in contrast to the unknowing
and uncaring shepherds of Gods people and to those who have forsaken the
Lord for idols and live unrighteous lives. The righteous confess and turn from
their sins to the Lord. They seek to help those in need. The unrighteous go
through religious motions but their hypocritical hearts continue in wickedness
and oppress the hungry, homeless, and naked. The unrighteous flout Gods
grace and will and therefore receive his wrath.]
2. In Is. 60 62 God glorifies Zion as an international place of worship. [The
light of Gods salvation offered at Jerusalem will draw men out of the
darkness of sin. Israels deliverance from extinction in Babylon serves as a
predictive prophecy of the release of all repentant sinners from the sentence
of eternal death. Just like exiled Israel, they will experience the Great
Reversal. A Messenger announces and carries out this Good News. The once
desolate and deserted Jerusalem will be rebuilt and be once again the place
of Gods sanctuary. To it her Savior will come and its inhabitants (the
repentant people of God, both Jews and Gentiles) will be redeemed and made
holy.]
3. In Is. 63 66, after his final judgment, God makes Jerusalem his temple in
the new heaven and new earth. [God had graciously redeemed Israel from
slavery in Egypt and given them the promised land. But Israel spurned his
grace and time after time worshipped other gods. Therefore God would send
them into exile. Having repented of their sin, Isaiah led Israel in prayer,
asking God to come down and be gracious to them again. Gods response
was that those who persist in rebellion and idolatry will face his wrath, but
those who turn to him and remain faithful can look forward to joy and peace.
The story of Israels return to the promised land and its rebuilding of
Jerusalem looks forward to the End. Those who ignore the one true God will
face his eternal wrath. Those who turn to him in repentance and faith can
look forward to the peace and joy of the heavenly Jerusalem. The Good News
will go out to the nations and the nations will come to the heavenly temple in
the heavenly Jerusalem where their praise to God will never end.]
Main Themes of Part 3 of Isaiah (Is. 56 66)

[The first three themes come from the outline Dr. Kleinig used for the class. They
are not on the video or audio tape. Sometimes he does not cover everything on the
outline but I dont know if he skipped over them or if they were just not recorded. I
will include them here.]
1.
Sin is an obstacle to Zions deliverance (Is. 59:1-3, 9, 12-15) . [Israels sin

has separated them from God. They have not acted justly or righteously. They
have turned away from God. Their transgressions multiplied and testified
against them. God saw it and was displeased with his people and sent them
into exile.]
2.
God comes to Israel as both Savior and Judge (Is. 59:15b-21). [When God
sees that there is no one to intervene to set his people free he comes himself,
defeats his enemies, and redeems the repentant people of Zion. His act of
judgment on his enemies is at the same time his act of salvation for his
people.]
3.
The mission of the Messiah as Israels comforter (Is. 61:1-3) . [The

promised Messiah will be anointed in the power of the Holy Spirit (Is. 61:1a).
He will proclaim divine amnesty (Is. 62:1b-3a). He will bring a transformation
of Gods people from lament to praise (Is. 61:3b). And then He will appoint his
people to reveal Gods presence to the nations (Is. 61:3c).]
[The audio and video pick back up here.]
4.
Gods glorification of Zion in his new creation (Is. 60:1-7; 65:17-25) . All the
people of Zion will be appointed by God to reveal and to proclaim his glory
and presence to the whole world. God would use the whole city to reveal
himself to the nations of the world. Already in chapter 60 this theme, Gods
promise of the glorification of Jerusalem, is picked up on. Lets read Is. 60:1-7.
The person that this is addressed to is the city of Jerusalem. The picture
here is that the whole world is in darkness. There is the dawning of a new
day, but this dawning occurs in only one place on the earth in Jerusalem.
This passage tells us about this light that has come to Jerusalem. The glory of
the Lord will rise upon this city. Remember in the old Jerusalem the glory of
God was hidden in the Holy of Holies. But now in the new Jerusalem the glory
of God will fill the whole city and be a light to the whole world. What will be
the result of this? People from all the nations will come in pilgrimage to
Jerusalem. And Jews scattered all over the world will be brought back. And the
people coming to the holy city will bring offerings with them.
Now lets read one of the most important passages for understanding the
whole book of Isaiah, Is. 65:17-25. After the day of judgment of the whole
world, God will create a new heavens and a new earth and a new city of
Jerusalem (which will fill Gods new creation). The last verses are an echo of
chapter 9, which spoke of the Messiah who would come and restore paradise.
Thats the picture here of paradise or Eden restored.

5.
The performance of worship by the Gentiles with the Israelites in Zion (Is.
66:18-23) . This is the fulfillment of the basic vision. Remember in chapter 2
there was the vision of the temple mount on Mt. Zion becoming the only
place of worship for all the nations of the earth. At the end of Isaiah there is
the fulfillment of this vision. Of particular importance here is the inclusion of
the Gentiles with the Jews in the worship of God in the new Jerusalem. Lets
read these verses now. God will gather people from all nations into his holy
city. God will send people out as missionaries to tell the people about the
glory of God. And as a result the nations will come in pilgrimage to see the
glory of God in Jerusalem. This passage is a wonderful prophecy that is a
culmination of the whole book. Notice that God will select some Gentiles to
be his holy priests. In this new city, everyone will be a priest even the
Gentiles, not just Jews and not just Levites. And Gods people will continue
forever before the Lord. And the ultimate goal of all this is the constant and
continual adoration of God, day and night, by all human beings.
The Main Themes of Isaiah

1. Isaiah speaks about the kingship of God and his presence in Jerusalem . His
kingship is not exercised politically but liturgically. He is a holy king who
reigns in a holy way using holy things. He rules as king on earth through his
holy word.
2. Isaiah tells us what Gods plan and purpose is for Zion. It speaks of the
destiny of Zion and its role in Gods plan for the whole world . If you want to
understand what God is going to do for the whole of his creation, look at
Jerusalem.
3.
God will judge all the wicked beginning with Jerusalem and the Israelites and
extending to all creation . So the judgment of God does not begin with the
enemies of God or the enemies of Israel. It begins with Jerusalem and the
people of Israel and then extends to all the nation of the earth.
4.
Israel will be exiled from Gods presence because of her sins against God
but then a holy remnant will return from exile, people who repent of their
sins.
5.
6.
God will defeat his enemies and unmask the heathen gods.
God will deliver Jerusalem and reveal his glory to all people of the earth
through the holy city. Jerusalem will become a sanctuary, a safe place.
7. Very importantly for Christians, Isaiah shows that the Suffering Servant of
God will play a decisive redemptive role in all of Gods plans.
8. And the result of the work of the Suffering Servant is that God will create a
new heavens and a new earth and a new city of Jerusalem.

9. Most importantly, and this is the main theme of the book of Isaiah, God will
save people from all nations through Zion. And he will bring them to Zion and
along with the people of Zion, they will worship the Lord.
10. Through the Messiah God will establish universal justice, righteousness, and
peace on earth.
The Purpose of Isaiah
1. It shows us why God allowed his holy city Jerusalem to be destroyed and its
citizens to be exiled.
2. It shows us what Gods plans were for Zion in dealings with the whole world.
3. It shows us when and how Gods promises for Zion, the city of Jerusalem,
would be fulfilled.
Generally speaking, this book is most important for us Christians because all the
prophecies of Zion/Jerusalem ultimately have to do with the church and the role of
the church in Gods plan for the whole world. The church is the city of God. The
church is the New Jerusalem. The church is the place where we have access to God
and his presence here on earth. The church is the place where the Messiah reigns
here on earth. Etc., etc. So all these prophecies have to do with the church and have
been, will be, and are being fulfilled in and through the church.
The Book of Jeremiah

[Isaiah/Jeremiah (Bible 1, 18a), 40:51, starting at 17:25]
Introduction to Jeremiah
While Isaiah has many themes, Jeremiah a one main message: Repent! He warns
Israel that if they dont repent the Day of the Lord, the Day of Judgment will come
on them.
Here is an introductory story about Jeremiah to give you an idea of what kind of guy
he was. One night God told Jeremiah to buy a new pair of underpants. So he went
and bought the best pair he could find. Then God told him to put them on and go on
a long trip to the Euphrates River. He went all that way and by that time his
underpants were very dirty and sweaty. Then God told him to take them off and
bury them under some rocks next to the river. Jeremiah did it. When he heard
nothing else from God he went all the way back home. Once home, God told him to
go back. So he went all the way back to the Euphrates River. Then God told him to
dig up the underpants. They were decaying and smelly and he carried them all the
way back to Jerusalem. That night he left them outside because of the smell. In the
morning God told him to pick up the underpants and take them to the Jerusalem
town square. He did so and went to the speakers platform and held up the
decomposing, stinking underpants. News spread quickly that Jeremiah had lost it. So
everyone came and started to make fun of him. When the people were all gathered
around, Jeremiah said, You see this stinking pair of underpants? God made you to
cling to him like underpants clings to a man. But you refuse to cling to the Lord, so
the Lord is going to throw you away. You just imagine when he said this that he
threw them into the crowd at the nearest loud mouth as he walked out. This was a
prophecy of judgment against the people because they rejected the Lord.
The Historical Context of Jeremiah
The prophet Jeremiah prophesied the end of the southern kingdom, the kingdom of
Judah. So he prophesied just before the capture of Jerusalem, the destruction of
Jerusalem and its temple. He prophesied that all of this would happen before it
happened. There are four periods in Jeremiahs career as a prophet.
1. The first period (627 622 BC) is during the reign of king Josiah, leading up to
the reformation that Josiah led when he tried to implement the Book of
Deuteronomy.
2. The second period was from 609 BC to 597 BC. In 604 BC God forbad
Jeremiah from interceding for the people any longer. During this period there
was a lot of political intrigue when Judahs king (Jehoiakim) tried to outwit the
king of Babylon. He was unsuccessful and in 597 BC the Babylonians
captured Jerusalem and deported the first group of people to captivity in
Babylon. We know the name of a few important deportees: Ezekiel, Daniel,
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

3. The third period was the most trying and terrible period of Jeremiahs life.
During 597 BC to 587 BC, the puppet king (Zedekiah) that the Babylonians
put on the thrown broke his alliance with the Babylonians and tried to form an
alliance with the Egyptians. As a result the Babylonians came and sacked the
city and deported everyone but Jeremiah and his supporters. During this
whole period, Jeremiah had one message: the city of Jerusalem is going to be
destroyed; you have only one hope - surrender to the Babylonian king and
trust in Gods mercy. Zedekiah refused to do this and instead imprisoned
Jeremiah for treason. At its worst, Jeremiah was thrown into the sewers of
Jerusalem. He only survived because some his supporters lowered food down
to him. Just before the city was conquered, the king had a bad conscience
and he released Jeremiah from prison.
4. The last part of Jeremiahs life (586 BC- 583BC) deals with the period after the
destruction of Jerusalem. There was a group of people left behind by the
Babylonians. They rebelled and then tried to escape by going down to Egypt.
They took Jeremiah with them. Jeremiah suffered as much as anyone for
serving the Lord as his prophet.
The Structure of Jeremiah
There are four main sections.
1. The first section (Jer. 1) is Gods call of Jeremiah.
2. His call is followed in Jer. 2 24 by Gods judgment on Judah and Jerusalem
because of their apostasy from the Lord and their worship of other gods.
(2a) Chapters 2 6 deal with the consequences of apostasy. Go to Jer.
6:27-30 to see Jeremiahs role as a prophet. What does it say his task is as a
prophet? The picture here is of God as a refiner of metal. He is trying to
produce gold and silver from raw ore. He is in the process of refining his
people. Jeremiah is an assayer or tester here. An assayer tests the purity of
metal. Jeremiah was called to test the purity of Gods people of Judah and
Jerusalem. So Gods judgment was not done to destroy but to refine what is
good. Gods judgment came as a result of their apostasy and was done to
remove their impurities.
(2b) Chapters 7 10 Not only do they worship the wrong gods. They also
worship the right God but in the wrong way.
(2c) Chapters 11 20 They break their covenant with God; they break the
first commandment. The people have broken the covenant, but instead of
them suffering, it is Jeremiah who suffers, the one righteous person suffers.
(2d) Chapters 21 24 Announce Gods judgment, not so much on the
people but on their leaders. The kings and prophets and priests come under
Gods judgment. They should have stopped the false worship.

3. Then comes a section (Jer. 25 51) that says God judges his people in order
to save and restore his people.
(3a) Chapter 25 A prophecy that God would judge the whole world, but
God would judge Judah first. The judgment of Judah and Jerusalem would be a
prelude to Gods judgment of the whole world. Lets take a look at this in Jer.
25:15-18. Jeremiah is to give the cup of Gods wrath to the nations, but he
begins with Judah. A list of the nations then follows. Then Jer. 25:27-31 shows
that Gods judgment of each of the individual nations is a prelude to his
judgment of all human beings.
(A question was asked about whether this judgment and curse was still in
effect. Gods judgment is commonly referred to as the Day of the Lord. There
are many Days of the Lord and these days all point forward to the future and
final Day of the Lord. On these days God judges and saves. On the final Day
of the Lord, the Lord will deal with evil and wickedness and vindicate and
save the righteous. The final Day of the Lord came when Jesus was crucified.
Paradoxically the judgment and curse came on Jesus. And the wicked are
vindicated and made righteous. It all points to Gods judgment of the world in
Jesus. The results of this will be evident at the end of the world Judgment
Day. Jesus came and announced that the Lords Day was near. You would
have expected that he would have condemned sinners and justified the
righteous people. Instead Jesus justifies sinners and pronounces Gods
judgment on those who think they are righteous. So each persons final
destination depends upon their attitude towards Jesus.)
[Jeremiah (Bible 1, 18b), at the beginning]
(3b) Chapters 26 29. An account of Jeremiahs interaction with the false
prophets. There were many prophets in Jeremiahs day, so Jeremiah stood
out. All of the other prophets prophesied prosperity for Judah. Jeremiah alone
prophesied Gods judgment and called them to repentance.
(3c) Chapters 30 33. The Gospel according to Jeremiah. Here Jeremiah
proclaims Gods deliverance for those in exile that repent. Lets look at a
summary of this message of comfort that Jeremiah proclaims in Jer. 30:1-4, 811. God says he will restore them to the land after the exile. God will
discipline his people in exile but he will not destroy them. He will bring them
back and restore them. That is their hope for the future.
(3d) Chapters 34 39. Next comes some historical material, incidents from
the reign of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah that lead up to the capture of Jerusalem.
(3e) Chapters 40 45. Jeremiahs experiences after the fall of Jerusalem
and the destruction of the temple. His sufferings didnt end when Jerusalem
fell.

(3f) Chapters 46 51. Jeremiahs oracles against the nations. Jeremiah is a
prophet to the nations as well as to Israel. These are Jeremiahs words that he
spoke to the nations around Israel. Take a look at Jer. 46:1, which is the
heading to this section.
4. The final chapter, chapter 52, is an appendix from 2 Kings that shows that the
prophecies of Jeremiah came true.
The Symbolic Acts of Jeremiah
[Dr. Kleinig skipped over this portion of his outline. It lists 10 symbolic acts that are
scattered throughout Jeremiah.]
The Main Themes of Jeremiah
1.
Jeremiah's authority to break down and build up God's people. Lets take a
look at Jer. 1:4-19. This is Jeremiahs call to be a prophet. Notice that Jeremiah
was a prophet to the nations. And he is called by God before he is even born.
Jeremiah objects to this call. He is only a teenager. And he says he not good
at speaking. But God said, Good, Ill put my word into your mouth. You wont
have to worry about what to say. The words that Jeremiah will speak will
make and break history. Through Jeremiah God will speak a word and that will
be the end of a nation. And through another word, Jeremiah will speak a
nation into existence. Gods Word shapes the history not just of Israel, but of
the whole world. Then God gives his first sign. As one watches for the almond
tree to start to flower to know that spring is just around the corner, so God is
watching for his Word to take effect. The flowering almond tree is a sign of
Gods faithfulness, of God keeping his Word. Then comes a second sign.
There is a pot on a fire and it is tilting away from the north. When it tilts it will
spill its contents and it will flow to the south to Judah. God will bring armies
and kings from the north to punish his people for worshipping other gods.
God tells Jeremiah that Jeremiah will take on all the leaders of the nation
single handedly (kings, priests, officials). They will all stand against him, but
God will be with him and protect him. Because of this Jeremiah was very
lonely. This comes out on almost every page of Jeremiah.
2.
The reasons for Gods judgment on Judah and Jerusalem. Look at Jer. 11:117. This is basically a summary of the whole message of Jeremiah. Notice as
you read that the language used here by Jeremiah is the language of the
book of Deuteronomy. The words of the covenant that they are to obey
refers to the book of Deuteronomy. The people have not listened to God. They
are stubborn and refuse to listen. They dont repent. They dont ask for
forgiveness. God sends prophets calling them to repentance, but they refuse
to listen. As a result God will implement the covenant curses. The ultimate
curse was that God will kick them out of his land. Because the people refuse
to listen to God, when disaster comes God will refuse to listen to them when
they cry out to him for help. And on top of that Jeremiah is forbidden to pray
and intercede for the people. God must and will deal with the evil of the
people. This occurred in 604 BC. It was not until 596 BC when disaster came.
For that entire period of time Jeremiah kept calling the people to repentance

and announcing Gods judgment. He told them so many times that the people
just ignored him and made fun of him.
3.
Judahs need to repent and her refusal to do so. . Now lets take a look at
Jer. 8:4-7. In many ways this summarized the message of judgment in
Jeremiah. The people of God are like those who fall to the ground but never
get up. They refuse to return to God. They says to themselves, Yeah weve
sinned, but so what? Everyone sins and God forgives them. They dont take
their sin seriously. He uses two pictures to show that theyve lost their
spiritual common sense. First there is a horse charging in battle. A panicked
horse is uncontrollable; it goes straight ahead without considering its own
life. The horse charging into the enemys line will be killed. The people of
Judah are the same. They are committing suicide and they dont even realize
it. The people of Judah are then contrasted with birds that migrate. The birds
know when to come and when to go. They know what needs to be done in
order to survive. On the other hand, the people of God dont know the
requirements of God that they need to do in order to survive even though
Jeremiah tells them over and over.
4.
Failure of the prophets, priests, and kings to correct Judahs evil-doing.

Continue with Jer. 8:8-12. The wise here are the kings and particularly the
priests who are supposed to teach the word of God. But they distort it; they
handle it falsely. The prophets and priests are using Gods word to excuse sin
instead of using it to expose sin and call people to repentance. They say
Peace when the people are in open rebellion. Its like they cover a dirty
wound instead of cleaning it out. They make the infection worse. Why do the
excuse sin? They are greedy for gain. They give the people the words they
want to hear prosperity, God loves you. The effect of this is that they lose
their sense of shame. One of the most terrible things that can happen to a
person spiritually is to lose your sense of shame. If you feel guilty then there
is some hope for you spiritually. Unfortunately in the West, we have created a
culture of shamelessness. That is why we are so spiritually sick. Because
weve not used Gods word rightly (the Law isnt preached and the Gospel is
used to excuse sin), God has no choice but to let us suffer the consequences
of our sins. We refuse to repent our sin so God lets us have what we want.
5.
Desecration of the temple and its resultant destruction. At that time there
were two courts for the temple. There was the outer court. Then there were
15 steps that led up to the inner court where the altar was. The gate between
the two courts was called the Gate of Righteousness or the Gate of the Lord.
At this gate the priests were supposed to stand and screen the people. The
people were to ask, Who may enter the hill of the Lord? And the priests were
to check the righteousness of the people (the priests responded with the
words of the psalm - Those who have clean hands and a pure heart). It was a
kind of confession and absolution. If they had sinned, the priest prescribed
repentance and a sin offering. But at the time of Jeremiah the priests let
anyone in. They said, You are all welcome to come and receive Gods blessing
no matter what youve done. The passage we are going to read is Jeremiahs
famous temple sermon. On a feast day when all the people were there,
Jeremiah stood on top of the steps and addressed everyone.

Lets read the dramatic account in Jer. 7:1-15. Jeremiah says, Reform
yourselves. God says, Dont break the commandments and then come stand
before me and call on my name, and declare that you are saved and then go
right back and commit the same sins. They should know that if they break the
commandments and come into Gods holy presence, God will have to bring
judgment on them. Note the irony here. A den of robbers is where robbers go
to hide from justice. What the people are doing is like a criminal trying to
escape the police by going to the police station. God says, I see what you are
doing. Im not stupid. At the time of Eli and Samuel the Ark of the Covenant
was located in Shiloh until the Philistines came and captured the Ark. The
people at that time desecrated Gods holiness and he handed the Ark over to
his enemies. And now the situation is similar and God will do the same to
Jerusalem; hell hand it over to their enemies. Jerusalem will be destroyed just
as Shiloh was destroyed. What was the reason God was going to do this (see
v. 13)? When they broke the commandments, God sent prophet after prophet,
but they refused to listen and repent. This sermon got Jeremiah into a heap of
trouble. You can read more about it in Jer. 26. As a result of this the high
priest and king brought charges against Jeremiah for treason. He was charged
with treason because he spoke against God by saying that the temple was
going to be destroyed. Some people stood up for Jeremiah and they used a
precedent to save him. They said that at the time of Hezekiah the prophet
Micah said the temple would be destroyed. The king and the priests listened
to the prophet Micah and because of that the temple was not destroyed. So
they said instead of the king punishing Jeremiah, the king should listen to him
as Hezekiah did to Micah. They saved Jeremiahs life, but the king and people
still not listen to Jeremiah. So, long before it happened, Jeremiah prophesied
the end of the temple because they were desecrating it. Its destruction was
unthinkable to them.
[Jeremiah (Bible 1, 19a), at the beginning]
Jeremiah is the prophet of repentance. For when we hear the word repentance, we
think of feeling sorry for our sins. But repentance in the OT is simpler than that. It is
simply turning back to God. When we sin we turn our back on God. Repentance is
turning back to God. In Jeremiahs day things were very bad. They worshipped God
but in the wrong way and on top of that they also worship the Canaanite god Baal.
When God sent prophets to them, they refused to repent of their sins. So God
decided to bring his judgment on them. God had no other option. C.S. Lewis depicts
it in this way. When we first turn away, God uses a gentle whisper in our conscience
to call us to repentance. If we dont listen, God sends someone to us to tell us off.
This call to repentance comes from outside of us, usually from someone who is close
to us. If we dont listen to the voice of Gods messenger (like a pastor or parent),
then God uses his megaphone or stick. His megaphone is an event in life that
occurs. He lets us suffer the consequences of our actions.
Last period we looked at some of the themes of Jeremiah: (1) Jeremiahs authority
as a prophet; (2) Jeremiahs announcement of Gods judgment on Judah and

Jerusalem because of their disobedience in breaking Gods commandments; (3)
Jeremiah told them they need to repent, but they refused; (4) the prophets, priests,
and kings not only failed to correct Israels wrongdoing, but they excused their sin;
and (5) we ended with Jeremiahs famous temple sermon where he stood in the
gate and announced the coming destruction of the temple.
6. Next comes a rather surprising theme. If the leaders of the country
encouraged the people to sin and excused their sin, who would you expect to
come under Gods judgment and to suffer for it? The leaders. But do you
know who suffered the most? Jeremiah did. This is one of the strange features
of the book of Jeremiah. At first it seems as if Jeremiah suffers because he
speaks the word of God. The people turn on him and mock him and several
times he nearly loses his life. Lets look at one of the laments of Jeremiah in
Jer. 4:19-22. Read verse 18 first as a lead in. He says the peoples own
actions have led to Gods judgment on them and it pierces the heart. The
question is, whose heart does it pierce? Starting in verse 19, Jeremiah speaks
and he speaks in the language of a heart attack. What has brought on this
pain in his heart is the news of an invasion by foreign armies. In the middle of
verse 20, Jerusalem begins to speak. The tents that it speaks of are the
armed fortresses that are outside Jerusalem. They are being destroyed. Then
in verse 22 God speaks. So Jerusalem, the heart of Judah, is being attacked
and Jeremiah is experiencing what Jerusalem is experiencing. And what
Jeremiah is experiencing is what God is experiencing. The heart of God is
being attacked and the heart of God is in Jerusalem at the temple, the place
where God said earlier he would place his eyes, ears, and heart. So the pain
and suffering caused by Gods judgment on the people is shared by Jeremiah
and by God himself. So God is a God who suffers and is affected by the
sufferings of his people. God suffers with his people.
7. Jeremiah does not just prophesy Gods judgment on Jerusalem and the
temple, but he also prophesies that after 70 years they will a return from
exile. So Gods judgment on Jerusalem would last 70 years. God judges in
order to save. God judges them in order to get them to repent. When they
repent he will bring them back.
(The people refused to repent, so God had to discipline them and he did that
by sending them into exile. This plan to prosper that Jeremiah prophesies is
often misinterpreted. First of all, it is specific to Israel. It is for the people
going into exile who repent (the church if you like, those who turn back to
God). Secondly, its only half the theology. Jeremiah preached the Law first.
Some people leave out the Law; they only preach prosperity. Its what we call
prosperity theology. This is what people want to hear. One thing that yuppies
and baby boomers dont want to hear is Gods judgment on sin, particularly
his judgment on sexual sin. Preach this and you will be very unpopular. We
must preach both Law and Gospel. [At this point there was a side discussion
on the three uses of the Law and some more about prosperity.] )
8. Jeremiah said God would send the people of Jerusalem into exile and then
they would return. It would be logical to think that God would raise up a
second Moses to lead them out of exile just like in Egypt. But that is not the

case. Take a look at Jer. 23:1-8. The picture here is that the people are the
flock and the kings are the shepherds. The shepherds have exploited and
scattered the sheep, therefore they will receive judgment and God will
become the Shepherd of his people and place other shepherds over them.
The word pastor means shepherd. Then God promises to raise up a new
king, a new David, to shepherd his people in righteousness. Notice that there
is something funny about the name of this king God will raise up: The Lord
(Yahweh) our righteousness. This king is called Yahweh our righteousness
(one word in Hebrew). This is the name that God gives to this king. After this
king brings them out of exile, they will have a new confession of faith. The old
confession of faith had to do with Yahweh bringing his people up out of Egypt.
The new confession of faith will be about how this king brought them up out
of exile. So God promises to establish a new David to lead the people back
from exile and to establish God's righteousness through him.
9.
The most important of the promises of Jeremiah is the promise of a new

covenant. Jer. 31:31-34 is quoted frequently in the NT. The old covenant is
Gods covenant that God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai. In it he promised to be
their God and he made them his holy people. The law spoken of here is
torah or teaching. It is practical teaching. Its not teaching theories but
showing you how to do it. Torah is also what he is teaching and what he
teaches is his Word, which is both Law and Gospel. The first difference
between the two covenants is that Gods teachings will not come from the
outside but from the inside. Its not teaching from someone but teaching from
the conscience. In the old covenant the Ten Commandments were written on
stone. But now his teaching will be written in peoples hearts. The teaching at
Mt. Sinai was about worship and living a life consistent with worship. So now
this teaching of right worship of God will be in the heart. Because of this each
person will know the Lord personally. They will have direct access to God.
The OT people of God could never get to the Holy of Holies. In the new
covenant everyone will have equal access to God and they will be able to
know God. Why will this be? What is the foundation for the new covenant?
The old covenant was based on Law in the sense of the Ten Commandments.
The new covenant is based on grace, the forgiveness of sins. He wont
remember their sins; he wont hold their sins against them.
Question: When he writes the Law on our hearts, is that talking about the
conscience? No but it affects our conscience. The conscience is like a
compass. A compass has to have a magnetic pole to determine direction
correctly. This pole is outside of the compass. You can have a bad compass
because it is fixed on the wrong magnetic point. Childrens consciences are
usually formed based on what their parents say is true or false or right or
wrong. But what is right and wrong can be twisted. As a child grows up and
gets married, the conscience is influenced by what their spouse says. And
society can also influence it (political correctness). And some people form
their own standards. But your standards may not be in accord with Gods
standards. In the new covenant the conscience is guided by the Word of God,
the Law and the Gospel. The teaching of God written in peoples hearts is put
there so that peoples consciences will work accurately. In our society and
even in some of our churches we dont teach the Ten Commandments.

Because of this our consciences cant work accurately. People will feel guilty
about the wrong things and excuse themselves from bad things. They will
have a good conscience when they shouldnt. So for instance you can have a
man who doesnt feel guilty about committing adultery but he feels terribly
guilty about being wealthy. God seeks to plant his Word in peoples hearts so
that they know right from wrong and will feel guilty about the right things. We
need both Law and Gospel for our consciences to work properly. This shaping
of our consciences happens all our life. The basic task of pastors is deliver
people a good conscience that is based on Gods Word. Thats what God
wants people to have. But there is a problem in the church today. Full Law
and full Gospel are not taught. You have antinomianism which is a rejection of
Gods Law. The other extreme is legalism which stresses Gods Law above all
else. There is Gospel reductionism, which excuses sin (dont worry about it,
God forgives everyone). The Gospel is meant to justify sinners, not to justify
sin.
Question: How does repentance fits in to Gods way of salvation if salvation is
pure grace? The whole life of a Christian is a life of repentance. Our whole life
is a journey back to God. Our life is God putting to death our old sinful self
and creating a new person in Christ. So every day through his Law God
exposes our sin, not just what we do, but what we think and desire. He does
this in order to lead us to repentance, to seek forgiveness. Look at Luthers
small catechism. See his explanation for Baptism. Paul says in Romans 6 that
Baptism is us being put to death with Christ in order that we are also raised
with Christ. Someone who is born again shouldnt sin; theres no excuse for it.
But when we do sin, we have an advocate before the Father, Jesus Christ.
Unless you correctly divide Law and Gospel and use Law and Gospel, you will
never be able to give people a good conscience.
10.For the last theme, lets look at Jer. 3:15-18. Here Jeremiah prophesies a time
in the future when there will no longer be an Ark of the Covenant. Inside the
Ark was the Law of God. And the Ark was the throne of God located in the
Holy of Holies. Why will there no longer be an Ark of the Covenant? The whole
city of Jerusalem will be the new temple and the whole city will be the throne
of God, the place where God rules. And he rules in the hearts and minds of
people. And when this happens, Gentile nations will come to worship God in
the New Jerusalem together with the Jews. Note that these promises that
have to do with the New Jerusalem have to do with the church. Its in the
church that God will give new shepherds. He will be enthroned in the church.
In the church (the New Jerusalem) both Jews and Gentiles will worship
together in one community. So this is a prophecy about the church.
The Purpose for the Book of Jeremiah
The book of Jeremiah was compiled after his death, by scribes such as Baruch and
Seraiah, who were two disciples of Jeremiah. This group of scribes was also
responsible for the prophetic history from Joshua to 2 Kings. They gathered material
that was already written and edited it. And they put it together for the people who
were in exile. And they did it for two reasons.

1. It showed people who were under Gods judgment why God had rejected his
people and allowed them to be taken into exile.
2. It called Gods people to repentance and encouraged them to hope in God for
the restoration of Jerusalem.
The final version of Jeremiah was not spoken to people before the exile, but to
people who were in exile. Lastly, the book of Jeremiah calls the church in all times
and all places to repent and to hope in God for forgiveness. It is a great book of Law
and Gospel.
The Book of Ezekiel

[Ezekiel (Bible 1, 19b), 44:18]
Background
Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel came from priestly families. Jeremiah came from a
priestly family that was not very well connected to the establishment. Ezekiel came
from the high priestly family. He came from the house of Zadok. So he was right in
the center of the establishment. At the age of 25 in the year of 597 BC Ezekiel was
deported from Jerusalem to Babylon with the first group of people who were
deported. Ezekiel was half way through his seminary course. Training for priests
began at the age of 20 and continued to the age of 30. At the age of 30 Ezekiel
would have been consecrated as a priest. It is obvious from reading Ezekiel that
Ezekiel knew the Pentateuch inside and out. At the age of 30, Ezekiel, when he
would have been consecrated as priest, was instead called to be a prophet of the
Lord in Babylon. Remarkably, Gods glory, his visible presence appeared to Ezekiel
in Babylon. As a priest he knew Gods glory was in Jerusalem at the temple. Because
he saw it in Babylon, that meant that God had withdrawn his glory from the temple
and therefore had withdrawn his protection from Jerusalem. This meant that the
temple and Jerusalem would be destroyed. Whereas Jeremiahs focus was on the
covenant and Isaiahs focus was on Jerusalem, Ezekiels focus is on the temple, the
destruction of the old temple and the promise of a new temple. Everything in
Ezekiel focuses on the temple. And if you know Hebrew very well, when you read
Ezekiel, you hear Leviticus and Exodus. His language and the way he thinks is in
terms of Leviticus. He thinks like a priest.
Setting
Notice that all the prophecies of Ezekiel focus on the events before and after the
destruction of the temple. The first set of prophecies came from 592 BC to 587 BC
and they deal with Gods judgment on Judah (Eze. 4-24) and the nations around
Judah (Eze. 25-32). And the prophecies focus on the unthinkable for Ezekiel, the
destruction of the temple. Then came the second period of Ezekiels work as a
prophet after 587 BC after the destruction of Jerusalem. And these prophecies have
to do with the restoration of the temple, how God would purify his people and
restore them. (A comment was made how if one took only the second half it
sounded like prosperity theology. That is what prosperity teachers do. They take bits
and pieces out of context.)
Structure
The book is divided into two clear parts by the reference to Ezekiel being Israels
watchman. The first part (Eze. 1 32) has to do with Gods judgment on the people
left in Judah.
(Eze. 1-3) It begins with Gods call of Ezekiel to be a watchman.
(Eze. 4 24) Next comes Gods judgment on the people of Jerusalem for
defiling and desecrating Gods holy things.
(Eze. 25 32) The next chapters have to do with Gods judgment on Israels
neighbors for their mistreatment of Gods people.
The second half of the book (Eze. 33 48) deals with the promised restoration of
Israel and its temple.
(Eze. 33) It begins with the role of Ezekiel as a watchman. A watchman

announces not only trouble but also good news to the people. In this part of
the book he announces good news.
(Eze. 34-37) Then comes Gods promises of restoration.
(Eze. 38-39) These chapters reveal Gods acts on a cosmic scale. God will
vindicate his holiness before all the nations by defeating a mysterious figure
called Gog.
(Eze, 40-48) These chapters describe a new temple and its services. The
temple it describes is not a literal, physical temple.
[Dr. Kleinig skipped over two sections that were in the class notes.
The Vision of Gods Chariot Throne in 1-3, 8-11, and 43:1-5
The Symbolic Actions of Ezekiel]
Themes of Ezekiel
1.
The first theme is Gods appointment of Ezekiel as Israels watchman to call

Israel to repentance. Imagine a city that is round. Its surrounded by a wall
and there are gates to the city in the wall. And at each gate is a watchtower.
In the towers were watchmen. What would their task be? Their first task
would be to look outward for any invading armies. If he saw an enemy army
coming, he would sound the alarm by blowing a horn and call the city army to
take up positions on the wall. The role of a watchman was most important
between 3 AM and 6 AM because that would be the time for an early surprise
attack. If a watchman fell asleep he would lose his life because he was
responsible for the lives of all the people of the city. Secondly, a watchman
would also look inward, into the city. The watchman was in charge of the city
police. If he saw thieves or robbers, he would sound the alarm and the police
would apprehend the robber. Thirdly, if the city was surrounded by their
enemies and they had sent word to their allies, the watchman could also see
relief coming from an allied army. In that case, he would sound the alarm
which was good news for the people and a summons for the city army to
attack, catching the besieging army from two sides. Thats the role of a
watchman.

Keep this in mind as we read the next prophecy, Eze. 3:16-21. In this passage
the focus is on a sinner in the city and the enemy or savior outside the city is
God. If God tells Ezekiel that someone is sinning, he is obligated to warn him
and tell him. If the sinner listens, then his life is saved. In that case God
becomes the Savior. But if Ezekiel fails to warn the sinner, which means the
sinner cant repent and receive life, then God becomes the enemy and both
the sinner and Ezekiel the watchman will be held accountable. Therefore
Ezekiel is responsible for calling the people to repentance in a general way
but also in specific cases. A watchman can tell either good news or bad news.
He tells people they have sinned. If they repent, he can announce the good
news of Gods forgiveness. If they dont repent, he announces the bad news
that they will die.
(When this is applied in the NT, first of all we see the watchman as Christ. But
then we see pastors as watchmen who are on sentry duty keeping watch over
the members of their church. And the way they do sentry duty is in prayer. If
you see your members sinning or in spiritual need, you pray for them. It is
applied to individual Christians by Paul when he says that each one of us
most do sentry duty for the people God has placed in our lives. We intercede
for them.)
2. The second theme is the rebellion of Israel with its defilement of Jerusalem
and the temple results in Gods judgment . Lets read Eze. 5:5-12. The
picture here is Jerusalem is the center of the world. She is surrounded by
nations. But the sad fact is that Jerusalem has out sinned the sinful nations.
And this is still true. When the church goes wrong, it goes spectacularly
wrong. Because of this, what does God do to Jerusalem? God says, Not only
havent you met my standards, but you havent even met pagan standards.
God will bring judgment against Jerusalem; God becomes the enemy of
Jerusalem. Jerusalem has become more unclean than the unclean nations.
Because of their uncleanness they defile and desecrate Gods temple,
therefore God withdraws his favor and his judgment comes on them. And the
situation will be so bad that they have to resort to cannibalism. And then
when the city falls, some will die and the rest will be scattered.
3. What is the purpose of Gods judgment on Jerusalem? God will pour out his
wrath on them in order to purify them . This is brought out in Eze. 22:17-22.
The picture hear is a silversmith who melts down the metal. He pours out the
pure metal and that leaves the dross. Jerusalem has become dross, worthless
rubbish. The fire burns up the dross. God is using the fire of his wrath to burn
up the sinfulness of Jerusalem to purify his people. His judgment seems to be
destructive but he does it in order to refine and make his people pure.
4. Based on his theology Ezekiel knew that Gods glory was located within a
cloud in the Holy of Holies in the temple. Then every morning and every
evening there was a cloud of smoke that rose from the altar that revealed his
glory there at the temple. When Ezekiel received his call, God appeared to
him in mobile ark of the covenant. He sees the ark and the mercy seat and
the cherubim. And they have multidimensional wheels that will go in any
direction. And he sees Gods glory above this chariot. But where is it that he

sees Gods glory? He sees it in Babylon. Theologically what kind of place was
Babylon? It was pagan and therefore it was unclean. So the holiness of God
appears to Ezekiel in this unclean place. This is his call to be a prophet, to be
the watchman of Israel. Notice that he is a watchman from Babylon for
Jerusalem. Strange indeed. He knows Gods glory should be in Jerusalem but
he sees it in Babylon. That puzzles him. Then God gives him a series of
visions which shows that God has withdrawn his glory from the temple in
Jerusalem because it has been desecrated and relocates it with his people in
exile (see Eze. 8-11) . So Gods glory is no longer in a building but in a
community that is away from the promised land. In a series of visions, Ezekiel
sees how the glory of God comes out of the Holy of Holies and comes to the
threshold (the inner gate) of the temple (9:3). Then it goes to the eastern
gate, the outside gate (10:4-5, 18). Then he sees the glory of God go to the
mountain across the valley, the mount of olives (11:22-23). And then lastly he
sees the glory in Babylon (1:28). Since God has withdrawn his presence from
the temple, the temple is no longer holy.
(Now does this remind you of anything in the NT? The temple, withdraw from
the temple, Mount of Olives, the destruction of the temple. These are the
events of holy week. Jesus entered the city and headed for the temple.
During that week Jesus taught at the temple, but the leaders rejected him. So
Jesus withdraws from the temple and goes to the Mount of Olives. There he
tells the disciples that the temple will be destroyed. So Jesus, who is the glory
of God and the presence of God, withdraws from the second temple just like
Gods glory was withdrawn from the first temple.)
[Ezekiel (Bible 1, 20a), 51:37]
5. Remember at this time there are two groups of people, Jeremiah and the
people still in Jerusalem and Ezekiel and the people in exile. Next we will look
at Eze. 11:14-21. The focus in this text is on the people in exile. The people in
Jerusalem are saying that the people in exile are far from God. God is in the
temple close to us. God has punished the people who are in exile. We are
righteous, therefore we can take possession of their land. But God says he
is the temporary sanctuary for the people in exile. So in this picture the
people in exile are the temple and God is with his people in exile as their
temporary Holy Place. So God does not dwell in a building but in community.
There is a paradox here. They are sinners who are under Gods judgment, yet
God chooses to dwell with them in order to purify them and to make a new
beginning with them when he brings them back to the land.
(Whats the temple in the NT? Jesus is the Holy of Holies, where the glory of
God is. And the church is the temple, the place where God dwells with his
people. Whats happening in Ezekiel is a prelude to what will happen later in
the NT. As God withdrew his presence from the first temple so he did the
same with the second temple when Jesus withdrew. As God dwelled with his
people as they were in exile, so God dwells with his NT people in the church.)

6. How can the people in exile make sense of how God is at work? How is it that
Gods judgment works? What is he going to do if he is not going to annihilate
them? We read now the most important theological passage in Ezekiel Eze.
36:16-32. We see in Eze. 36:16-21 that the Lord is in a dilemma. They defiled
the land by their worship of idols. If God doesnt do something about that, to
the nations it will look as if God is impotent. It will look like he cant even
defend himself and that he doesnt do anything about evil and sin. Now if he
gives them what they deserve by scattering them among the nations, then
the nations will say that he is not a loving, merciful, forgiving God. Who wants
that kind of God who punishes with a heavy hammer and is not merciful? So
either way, Gods holy name is profaned. Either way they give God a bad
reputation. Lets continue with Eze. 36:22-23. God has scattered them among
the nations. And he says what he is about to do, what he is going to do in
order to clear his holy name. By what he is going to do, the nations will see
and know what kind of God he is. He has already shown his holiness through
his justice. Now he will show his holiness in a different way, a most surprising
way. You would expect it would work like this: the people sin; God judges
them; the people repent; and then God forgives them and has mercy on
them. Continue with verses 24-32 and look for the unexpected. Do you see
the sequence here? God acts first and then the people will remember and be
ashamed of their evil deeds and practices and repent. Its the opposite of
what we would expect. God put them into exile because they defiled the land.
Now he is going to bring them back to the land. But he is not going to put
them back into the same situation so that they fall into the same cycle like
they did in Judges. He will bring them back and he will purify them and he will
transform them from the inside out. The problem with them is not so much
their evil behavior but their evil heart. He will take out their old stony heart
and replace it with a new soft responsive heart. How will he do this? He will
give them his Holy Spirit. The Spirit will cleanse them. The Spirit will
transform them. The Spirit will change their hearts. What will happen when
they have the Holy Spirit? They will not only be able to keep Gods Law, they
will want to keep his Law. They will delight in it. And most remarkably,
because of all that God has done for them, they will repent. They will live
repentant lives. Each day they will be ashamed of their sins and will turn back
to Gods Holy Spirit to be empowered to walk in Gods ways. So through his
actions of judgment, salvation, and renewal of his people, God clears his holy
name and vindicates his holiness.
(We see here a direct connection to Baptism: the gift of the Holy Spirit, the
drowning of the old sinful self and raising up of a new person, removal of the
old heart of stone and replacing it with a new heart. Baptismal life is a life of
daily repentance and daily resurrection to new life. The whole life is one of
turning away from sin and receiving the Holy Spirit and being renewed by the
Spirit. This is all driven by Gods holiness. He cant go soft on sin. He has to
act in justice. Yet in his mercy he not only saves sinners, but he transforms
sinners through his Spirit. His holiness requires that he act in this way:
judgment, deliverance, transformation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit.)
7. Everyone knows the next passage that we will look at in Eze. 37 - the vision
of the valley of the bones. Its very dramatic and the same thing we just

looked at in Eze. 36 is said again but from a different point of view, a view of
resurrection. Lets read Eze. 37:1-14. As it is read, realize that the same
Hebrew word can mean spirit or breath. There is a close connection between
speech and breath. You cant speak without breath. The power in speech is
breath. You will see all of this tied together in this passage. Ok, lets read.
From a human point of view, dry bones cannot live. Yet these dead bones
were raised. How? Ezekiel prophesied to them; he spoke the word of God to
the bones. There are two prophecies. First he spoke the word to them and
flesh came upon the bones. But there was no breath in them. At this point he
has a bunch of corpses. In the second prophecy, he prophesies the Spirit into
them and they then become breathing, living creatures. This is like in Genesis
where God breathed into man the breath of life/the Spirit and man became a
living being. Then in Eze. 37:11-14 we get the explanation. The people in
exile say that they are like dry bones, as good as dead. But God says he will
resurrect Israel. There seems to be two references here. It prophesies the
return of Israel from exile to the promised land. But it also references raising
them up from their graves. So the return of Israel looks forward to the
resurrection of the whole people of God. This is one of the few passages in
the OT of a prophecy of the general resurrection. It points forward to the
resurrection of Jesus, the resurrection of Baptism, and the resurrection on the
Last Day. Until we are baptized, we are dry bones. And when Gods Word and
Spirit are prophesied to us, we come alive. Gods Spirit not only gives power,
but it also gives life. So Israel, as good as dead, will be raised back to life by
God through his Spirit. And in a similar way in the NT God raises spiritually
dead people to life through the Holy Spirit.
8. We have a Sunday in the church year that we call Good Shepherd Sunday and
one of the OT readings for this Sunday comes from Eze. 34. Its an allegory of
God shepherding his people. Lets take a look at Eze. 34:11-24. The
shepherds of Israel were the kings and the leaders. The flock is the people. As
shepherds watch over and care for the flock, so the kings were to watch over
and care for the people. Israels shepherds (kings) have failed. What would
you expect God to do? Get a new human shepherd/king who would succeed.
But instead God says that he himself will shepherd his flock. And God
promises a second David as their shepherd. This obviously points forward to
Jesus who is God and who is the second David. Jesus said, I am the Good
Shepherd. When he says this, he is thinking of this chapter of Ezekiel. The
rams of the flock lead the flock. But Israels leaders exploit the flock. They eat
all the good grass. They drink and then muddy the water so the flock cannot
drink.
9. Given that Ezekiel focuses on the temple, the last theme is of great
importance. Ezekiel prophesied that the temple would be destroyed because
the people desecrated it. But then God promises to provide a new temple. Go
to the very important and culminating prophecy in Eze. 37:21-28. As we read
it, notice that this comes after the dry bones prophecy. This is the culmination
of that prophecy. God says he will bring his people back who were scattered
in exile. They will have one king, a second David, and they will be united as
one nation, not two nations. God said he would dwell among them. He will
dwell in a holy place right in the midst of his people. He promises to purify

them of their idols, detestable things, and transgressions. And he promises
to make an everlasting covenant in which his sanctifying presence is in their
midst forever in a new temple. This is almost a summary of the whole NT.
The second David he refers to is Jesus. He was from the line of David and was
anointed as King with the Holy Spirit. And all Christians share in his Kingship
because they too were anointed with the Holy Spirit.
The Purpose of Ezekiel
1. To show why God allowed his temple to be destroyed.
2. To show how God would once again live with his purified people and make
and keep them holy.
Introduction to the Minor Prophets

[The lecture for the Introduction to the Minor Prophets and the beginning of Hosea
was missing. Therefore I have constructed the basics of the Minor Prophets based
on the Class Notes provided by Dr. Kleinig.]
The Scroll of the Twelve
Location of the Minor Prophets
In the Hebrew and English Bibles, the Minor Prophets come after the Major Prophets.
In the Septuagint they come after the Poetic Books and before the Major Prophets.
The Main Theme of the Minor Prophets
The main theme for the Minor Prophets is the Day of the Lord, a day in which the
Lord comes and acts in judgment and deliverance.
Arranged into Four Groups
The minor prophets were sent by God to the northern kingdom of Israel and to the
southern kingdom of Judah during the period of the kings. The minor prophets can
be grouped together based on where they were sent and when they were sent.
1. Gods Use of the Destruction of the Northern Kingdom as a Type and Warning of
Gods Judgment on Judah and the Nations
Hosea: Gods threat against the northern kingdom for its unfaithfulness
should serve as a warning to the southern kingdom.
Joel: Through a locust plague, the prophet warns Judah of Gods coming
judgment and urges them to repent in order to escape Gods judgment. This
is a prelude to Gods judgment of the nations and the salvation of Gods
people on the Day of the Lord.
Amos: Gods judgment and destruction of Israel announced and should serve
as a warning for Judah and the nations.
Obadiah: Gods judgment of Edom is a prelude to his judgment on all nations

for their mistreatment of Zion.
2. Judah during the Assyrian Period
Jonah: Gods shows his compassion even for his enemies through his use of
Jonah to lead Assyria to repentance.
Micah: He announced Gods judgment against Samaria and Jerusalem and

Gods deliverance of Zion.
Nahum: Gods judgment on Assyria and his deliverance of Judah.
3. Judah during the Babylonian Period
Habakkuk: the wicked will be punished Judah, the Babylonians, all the
wicked. Those who live by faith, trusting in God will be vindicated.
Zephaniah: Gods judgment on Judah and the nations before he restores a

humble remnant in Zion.
4. Judah during the Persian Period
Haggai: Encouragement to rebuild Gods temple so that he can bless them

with his presence.
Zechariah: The post-exilic restoration of Zion will lead to Gods rule over the
whole earth through a humble king.
Malachi: Encouraged the demoralized Jews to remain faithful to the Lord as

they wait for the day of the Lord.
The Book of Hosea

[The lecture for the Introduction to the Minor Prophets and most of Hosea was
missing. Therefore I have constructed the basics of Hosea based on the Class Notes
provided by Dr. Kleinig.]
Setting
Takes place in the Northern Kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam 2 between 750725 BC. It is a time of economic prosperity and religious syncretism.
The Riddle of Hoseas Marriage in Hos. 1 3
Through prophets God communicates his Word. And the main message of all the
prophets was: repent. God communicated that same message through Hosea to the
northern kingdom. But Hoseas communication was not strictly by speaking. In fact
the primary way that God drove his point home through Hosea was through Hoseas
life. God had Hosea marry and have children with a prostitute. Of course being a
prostitute she was unfaithful. God used the unfaithfulness of Hoseas wife to give
Israel a picture of herself and to help her understand how her unfaithfulness to him
caused God to suffer. Hoseas marriage to Gomer is symbolic of Gods marriage to
Israel. Knowing the symbolism helps one understand the point that God is making.
Hosea represents God.
Hoseas wife, Gomer, represents the land of Israel.
Gomers children represent the people of Israel.
The marriage of Hosea and Gomer represents the covenant made at Sinai
between God and Israel.
The adultery that Gomer commits represents the worship of Baal and the
alliances made with pagans by the Israelites.
Gomers lovers represent foreign gods and pagan kings.
The wilderness represents Israels exile from the land.
Hoseas redemption of Gomer represents Gods redemption of Israel which
resulted in their return from exile.
The betrothal and remarriage of Hosea and Gomer represents a new
covenant between God and his people Israel.
Hoseas marriage to the unfaithful prostitute, Gomer, mirrors the history and future
of Gods unfaithful people, Israel. God took Israel as his wife when he made a
covenant with her at Mt. Sinai. In her honeymoon in the wilderness Israel found
herself completely dependent upon her new husband. When she entered the
promised land, she turned away from her husband, the Lord, and turned to the false
gods of the Canaanites. She committed adultery with these false gods and produced
generation after generation of illegitimate children who continued to worship these
false gods. God was in agony over his wayward wife. By her continuous and
sustained efforts, Israel broke the marriage covenant and dissolved her relationship
with the one true God. The results of her apostasy, as shown by the names of
Gomers children, would be that Israels kingdom would come to an end, God would

no longer show them special marital love, and they would no longer be Gods
people. In his judgment God would send her away to foreign land and bring shame
upon her. But this was not the blind fury of an outraged husband. Rather, it was a
disciplinary act that in the end would lead to the restoration of the marriage. While
in exile God would block every way that they tried to go except for the one way that
led back to him. In exile she would recognize the error of her ways and see how
helpless she was without her husband. Then the Lord would show love to her again
by redeeming (buy back) her and bringing her back to himself. He would bring her
back home where he would once again be her husband and there would no longer
be any other lovers (baals). The one time prostitute and adulteress would learn her
lesson and return to her husband and seek only him. And once again she would be
treated like a virgin bride. God would once again shower her with the gifts of his
love, compassion, righteousness, and faithfulness. One of Gods greatest gifts to his
people would be long promised Messianic King whom God would give her in the
latter days.
The Structure of Hosea
1. (Hos. 1:1) Superscription
2. (Hos. 1:2 3:5) The message of Hoseas marriage (see above).
3. (Hos. 4: 14) Unfaithful Israel and her faithful Lord.
Chapters 4 14 serve as one long commentary on the infidelity of Israel as
portrayed in chapters 1 3.
.. 3a (Hos. 4:1 6:3) Israels unfaithfulness.
.. .. 3a1. (Hos. 4) Gods charge against Israel.
Israel has broken the covenant, both the first table and the second table. The
responsibility for this corruption is laid at the feet of the priests, who fail to teach
the Law of God. Their failure has caused the idolatry of Israel.
.. .. 3a2 (Hos. 5:1 6:3) Gods judgment on Israels leaders.
God knows and sees all. He finds them guilty of whoring after other gods.
Therefore God will punish Israel. He will withdraw from them until they
acknowledge their guilt and once again seek him.
.. 3b (Hos. 6:4 10:15) Israels punishment.
.. .. 3b1 (Hos. 6:4 7:16) Gods case against Israel.
Through the prophets God has confronted them with his Word. But they do not
listen. They do not acknowledge God. They shed blood. They deal falsely. They
steal. None of them call on the Lord, not the kings, the princes, or the people.
They do not return to the Lord nor seek him.

.. .. 3b2 (Hos. 8 10) Gods judgment on Israel.
Gods judgment is that he has found Israel guilty of breaking his covenant and
rebelling against his Law. They have alienated themselves from God and
opposed him. Because of this their confession is false. Their kings and gods are
false. Instead of relying on the Lord, they ally themselves with and rely on the
nations. As a result of all this, God will remove them from the land. Because of
their wickedness he will drive them for his presence. God had planted Israel as a
vine in a good land. But it yielded degenerate fruit. Its religion was idolatry. Their
kings spoke meaningless words, made worthless covenants, and perverted
justice. So Gods judgment will be carried out as they are taken away to Assyria
and as God gathers the nations against them. God had called on Israel to sow
righteousness and reap steadfast love. Instead they plowed iniquity and reaped
injustice. Because they trusted in their warriors and fortresses instead of God,
through the horrors of war they will be destroyed.
.. 3c (Hos. 11 -14) The Lords faithful love
.. .. 3c1 (Hos. 11:1-11) Gods fatherly love.
The Lord reviewed Israels history. He called them out of Egypt as his son. When
the One who freed them and made them a nation called out to him, he rebelled
and worshipped other gods. He cared for his son, but he would not listen to him
and obey him. Because his son was bent on turning away from him, the Father
had to discipline his son by sending him away. But he loves his son and has
compassion for him and will not leave him in exile forever. With a roar like a lion
he will call him back home.
.. .. 3c2 (Hos. 11:12 13:16) Consequences of Israels unfaithfulness.
The consequences of Israels faithlessness are that Israel is filled with lies,
falsehood, and violence. In their deception, they are like their father Jacob. If
only they would strive with God, hold on to him, and wait for him as Jacob did.
God sent prophets to expose their iniquity and idolatry, but they would not
listen. They worshipped Baal and other images made by craftsmen. They forgot
the gracious One who saved them in Egypt, cared for them in the wilderness,
and brought them into this good land. Because of this, God will pounce on them
like a lion, a leopard, or a bear robbed of her cubs. God will destroy Israel.
.. .. 3c3 (Hos. 14) Repentance and restoration.
For Israel there is only one way to rebirth and new life, and that is the way of
repentance. They are urged to confess their sins, to throw away their idols and
worship the true God, and trust in God and his mercy. Turn back to God and he
will heal them, love them, and bless them.
Main Themes of Hosea
1.
Gods judgment on Israels adultery in her worship and politics. Look at

Hos. 4:9-14 and at Hos. 9:1-3. Israel belongs to the Lord, but she prostitutes

herself out to any and every god that comes along. She looks to these gods
instead of the Lord for fertility and blessing. Her children follow her example
and they too worship false gods. Because she has left her Husband and
forsaken him, the Lord will punish her. She will not be permitted to stay in the
promised land. She will be exiled to Assyria.
2.
Gods suffering love for his faithless people. Look at Hos. 11:1-9. The Lord
was like a parent with a wayward child. He called Israel out of Egypt to
himself. He raised his son, taught him to walk, and cared for him. But he went
astray, sacrificing to Baals and burning offerings to idols. The more God said
to him the more he went away from his Father. His son was bent on pursuing
other gods. Therefore he disciplined his son by allowing the Assyrians to
come in and destroy Israel. But God did not give up on his son. In his
compassion for him, he would bring him back from where he sent him to his
home.
3.
Gods demand for kindness and knowledge from Israel. Look at Hos. 4:1-3
and Hos. 6:4-6. God demands that Israel keep the Ten Commandments. He
demands they keep the first table, acknowledging him as God and that he is
faithful and that he shows steadfast love. He demands they keep the second
table and not lie, cheat, steal, and shed blood. God wants them to show
steadfast love toward him and their neighbor. God wants them to
acknowledge in their heart that he alone is the true God.
4.
Gods promise of a new covenant as a second marriage. See Hos. 2:16-23.

After disciplining her, he will take Israel as his bride once again. She will no
longer speak of or remember the other gods she chased after. He will make a
new covenant with her, re-marrying her. And this time the marriage will last
forever. And this new relationship will be one of righteousness, justice,
steadfast love, and mercy. This time she will be faithful and know the Lord. He
will reverse her fortunes. He will have mercy on them and call them his
people. And they in return will call him their God.
5.
Gods promise of restoration and healing for repentant Israel. See Hos.
1:10; Hos. 3:5; Hos. 14:1-8. When God sent Israel into exile, it appeared as if
the nation was as good as dead. But God promises that the nation will not die
out. In the future they will have an uncountable number of people. And they
who were once called Not My People will then be called Children of the Living
God. He says when they return, they will seek the Lord as their God and fear
him and trust that he will be good to them. In him they will find mercy,
healing, and love. He will bless them and protect them.
The Purpose of Hosea

1. First of all it explains why God brought disaster on the northern Israelites
(Hos. 9:17; 13:9, 16) and it calls Israel to repentance (Hos. 14:1-3).
2. Secondly, it provides a model of how God deals with his people in wrath and
in love (Hos. 14:9).
The Book of Amos

[Hosea/Amos (Bible 1, 21a), 45:04, starting at 13:00]
Introduction to Amos
Amos was a sheep farmer from the sticks in Judah. Amos was called by God from
being a farmer to go prophesy in the northern kingdom. He prophesied at two main
places. One place was Bethel, the religious center of the northern kingdom. This is
where the majority of prophecies took place. The second place was Samaria, the
capital of the northern kingdom.
Here is the story of Amos. You are in the city of Bethel and you hear a town crier. If
there was an announcement to be made, it was made by the town crier. He would
tell the news in a loud chant. If it was good news, he would use a happy chant. If it
was bad news, he would use a dirge-type chant. When the people heard the crier,
they would immediately pay attention and listen for the type and tone of the chant.
But this time the voice you hear is not the normal town crier, but of some rough
farmer from the south. He says, Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel.
Imagine the shock. This man announces the death of the northern kingdom.
Setting to Amos
Amos prophesies in the northern kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam II between
750 725 BC, at approximately the same time as Hosea. The places that Amos
focuses on to prophesy were Bethel, the religious center, and Samaria, the
flourishing capital. This was a time of great prosperity in the northern kingdom. And
so the theology goes like this: God is blessing them with great prosperity because
God is pleased with them. So the people want to hear only good news prosperity
teaching. This is the context into which Amos steps into.
God, the Roaring Lion, Announces Judgment
1. It begins with a heading and introduction in Amos 1:1-2. The picture here is
God roaring like an angry lion from Mt. Zion, producing a draught. And two
years later the angry lion will produce an earthquake. You will find hints of
this picture in several places in Amos.
2. So why is God angry? Lets take a look at Amos 1:3 2:5. It is likely that Amos
delivers his message during the Feast of Tabernacles, the great harvest
festival, a great time of celebration. All the leaders of Israel have assembled
at Bethel for this festival. It was quite common for prophets to come to the
festival and deliver their prophecies. So Amos takes the speakers podium
and he starts telling people what they want to hear. First he says God will
attack and punish Syria. Syria was the main enemy of Israel. This is good
news. Second, he says God will attack and punish the Philistines. Third, God
will bring his judgment on Tyre and Sidon. Fourth, God will punish the people
of Edom. Fifth, God will punish the Ammonites. Sixth, God will punish the

Moabites. So far Amos says God will punish 6 nations. 7 is the perfect
number, so you expect 1 more. And so Amos announces that the 7 th nation
God will punish will be Judah. The people of Israel would be glad to hear all of
this. So through Amos God has announced his judgment against seven of his
enemies.
With Gods full judgment against all these nations, the people of Israel would
next expect to hear that God would bless them. But then comes a surprise,
an eighth nation that will come under Gods judgment. Take a look at Amos
2:6-8. Gods wrath will come against Israel. Why? The rich people lend
money to the poor farmers. They hold the land as collateral (the sandals
serve as the deed to the land). When they cant pay them back they sell the
people into slavery and they take the land from them. When the little people
take them to court, they bribe the judges because they are wealthy and the
wealthy oppressors receive a favorable verdict. Gods law said that land could
not be sold outside the family. In actuality it was Gods land and he was
allowing the family to use it. So by taking their land, they were stealing it
from God. On top of that, they were engaging in sex with the sacred
prostitutes at the altars of the Canaanite religions. And also they take the
wine that theyve taken from the poor people (basically stolen) and then turn
around and present it to God in the festival. So it is clear why God is angry
with them.
3.
Gods judgment against Israel culminates in Amos 3:1-2. God had chosen
Israel and had a relationship with her like that of a husband to a wife. And
because she has been unfaithful to her husband, judgment will be brought
upon her.
(Just a word here about the mistranslation of punish instead of judgment.
Punish gives the wrong connotation. What God is saying is I will visit your
iniquity upon you. This is not really even discipline. God is saying he will
allow you to suffer the consequences of your own actions. Normally God
removes iniquity. He cushions the impact of sin upon people. He protects us
from ourselves. So what God does sometimes is remove his protecting hand
and lets us suffer the consequences of what weve done. This is the judgment
that Israel will face.)
(A short discussion on what the word iniquity means. It literally means
crookedness, twistedness, pervertedness. The Hebrew word can means a
crooked person or a crooked act or the consequences of a crooked act or the
penalty for a crooked act. So a person who is crooked does something that is
crooked which has consequences and which incurs a penalty. So at times God
allows us to face the consequences and penalty for our crookedness. The
word iniquity has within it the word equity, which means fairness or
straightness. Iniquity is the opposite of equity. Iniquity is not straight but
crooked.)
Structure of Amos

1. (Amos 1:1-2) First there is the heading of the book, picturing the Lord as an
angry lion.
2. (Amos 1:3 2:16) Gods wrath is on all the enemies of his people but it is also
on Israel.
3. (Amos 3 4) Gods judgment is on his chosen people just because they were
his chosen people (Amos 3). The NT says: Judgment begins with the
household of God. Gods judgment starts in the church. We see it today. Take
for example the problem of sexual abuse that riddles our society. Where is
God dealing with it first? In the church. His people are supposed to know
better. If Gods judgment comes on his people who are crooked, who will God
judge first? It will come on its leaders first. In this case it will come on the
unrepentant leaders of Israel in the capital city of Samaria (Amos 4).
4. (Amos 5 6) Then Amos announces Israels death. Its a kind of suicide. They
have cut themselves off from God, therefore they will die. It is announced by
means of a dirge (Amos 5:1-3). This is followed by a call to seek God in order
to have life instead of death. But ironically they should not go the holy places
to seek God because they are unclean. Bringing uncleanness into Gods holy
presence means certain death. They must first repent (Amos 5:4-15). Then a
woe is spoken (Amos 5:16-6:7). When that term is uttered, it announced
that a person was doomed to die. So for instance when Isaiah saw God in his
vision, he said, Woe is me; Im doomed. Here God pronounces his woe on the
people of the north for their perverted worship (Amos 5:16-27) and for
complacency of the leaders of the nation (Zion and Samaria) about their sin
(Amos 6:1-7). This culminates then in Gods decision to destroy Samaria, the
capital of the northern kingdom, the center of the problem (Amos 6:8-14).
5. (Amos 7:1 9:10) Then comes five visions of Israels end. To understand
these visions, you need to remember that prophets are intercessors. There
are five visions in which God shows Amos a possible way in which he is going
to judge the northern kingdom. (1) The first vision Amos has is of a locust
plague (7:1-3). Amos interceded and God listened and relented. (2) The
second vision is of a fire, a volcanic fire that would burn up the whole land
(Amos 7:4-6). Once again Amos interceded and God listened and relented. (3)
In the third vision God shows Amos not only how he would judge the people,
but also why he would judge the people (Amos 7:7-17). Amos has a vision of
a wall. And next to the wall God is standing with a plumb line. When God
applies a plumb line to Israel, it shows that they are like a crooked wall that is
leaning over. So the judgment will be that this wall (Israel) will fall over. In this
vision Israel will be taken into exile in a foreign land. (4) In the fourth vision
(Amos 8:1-14) Amos sees a basket of fruit. The fruit looks and smells
wonderful. But on the inside the fruit is rotten. This stands for the nation of
Israel. Despite its prosperous veneer, its rotten inside. One sees its
rottenness by its treatment of the poor. It tramples on the poor. It cheats the
poor. Because of it, their prosperity and feasting will be turned into a famine.
(5) The fifth vision (Amos 9:1-10) of Israels end is of an earthquake.
Remember from the beginning of Amos that he had this vision two years
before the earthquake. People try and escape the earthquake by coming into

the temple at Bethel, but the temple falls on them. Others try and hide in
various places, but no matter where they go they meet their end. The
earthquake that did occur was a pointer to the final destruction that occurred
in 721 BC.
6. (Amos 9:11-15) After forecasting Israels death, Amos ends with prophecies of
hope. First he prophesies the restoration of the Davidic monarchy (Amos
9:11-12). This means that the north will one day be united with the south and
ruled by a descendant of David. Secondly, he prophecies that after the
devastation of judgment God will restore them to the land and there will
again be a time of prosperity in the land (Amos 9:13-15).
[Amos/Obadiah/Jonah (Bible 1, 21b), 54:09]
The Day of the Lord
An important term used in the prophets is: the day of the Lord. This day is the day
in which the Lord intervenes in human history to judge evil doers and/or to
vindicate/save righteous people. Lets think about the day of the Lord for you. This
is a day when God either visited your iniquities upon you and held you to account
for your sins or saved you. When was the day of the Lord for the northern kingdom?
It came with the Assyrian invasion in 721 BC. The day of the Lord for the southern
kingdom came when the Babylonians destroyed Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC.
When was the day of the Lord in Jesus day? It came when they rebelled against the
Romans and the Romans destroyed the temple. Now, in both Joel and Amos there is
a cosmic day of the Lord. By this we mean the Last Day. It is The Day of the Lord.
These others were a Day of the Lord. So The Day of the Lord is when God once
and for all deals with the problem of evil and it is when God once and for all
vindicates and saves people. This day is also called Judgment Day. Now, when we
look at the NT, what was the day on which sin and evil were dealt with and judged?
It was on Good Friday, the day that Jesus died. It was a day of judgment and a day
of salvation. When did the day of the Lord come for you personally? It came on the
day you were baptized. Because for those who have been baptized there is now no
condemnation, we will not come under Gods judgment. On the cross evil was
judged. But that is not evident to us because evil is still all around us. It is hidden
from our sight that God has dealt with evil and that we already have eternal life.
That will be revealed on the Last Day. So keep all this in mind as we come to the
main themes of Amos.
The Themes of Amos
1. For the first theme lets take a look at Amos 5:10-13, 18-20. Why would the
people of the northern kingdom long for the day of the Lord? They longed for
it because they believed it would be a day of judgment on their enemies and
it would be a day in which God would bless and prosper them. But Amos turns

it around and says that the day of the Lord for them will not be a day of light
but a day of darkness. On the day of the Lord the first people who will be
judged will Gods people. He uses a graphic picture to get his point across. On
that day it will be like a man who is trying to get away from a lion. As he tries
to escape he will run into a bear. Then if he runs to a house to escape the
bear and goes inside and leans up against a wall in relief that he escaped, he
will be bitten by a snake. There will be no escape on the day of the Lord.
Now lets go to Amos 8:4-8, 11-12. It explains why Gods judgment will come
on them and how. Why will there be an earthquake? Remember what we said
previously about the wealthy taking advantage of the poor. They end up
taking their land and they have to sell themselves and their children off as
slaves to pay their debts. Now in these verses we get another aspect to their
corruption. The sellers in the market do not deal honestly with their buyers.
They work it so that the buyers get less than what they pay for so they can
get more money. Their whole society is corrupt and unjust. What judgment
will God bring on them? Read Amos 8:11-12. This is a strange judgment and
its very terrible. The worst judgment God can give is a famine of his Word.
God will stop speaking to them; they will no longer receive Gods Word. This
means they will not hear his Word diagnosing evil and they will not hear his
Word announcing salvation. A famine of the Word means that God will not
communicate with them through his prophets. (The same is as true for us as
for them. If we say we dont want to hear Gods Word, then God says, Fine,
you wont hear it and you will have to suffer the consequences of it. This is
happening in many parts of western society today.) So Gods judgment will
come on Israel because of the exploitation and injustice of their whole
society.
2. What will Gods judgment be? Take a look at Amos 9:7-10. God will destroy
Israel but will graciously allow Judah to remain. The day of the Lord will be
like shaking a sieve and separating the good grain from the chaff, stones, and
other foreign objects. All sinners (chaff, stones, and foreign objects) will be
caught up in the sieve. They will not escape.
3. We come now to one of the most famous passages in Amos, a passage that is
very often misunderstood and misapplied. So pay close attention as we read
Amos 5:21-24. What is it that God hates and rejects? The stock interpretation
of this passage is that God hates the religiosity of the people while they live
lives of injustice. To many people this means that God doesnt want ritual
worship, he wants social justice. Does God reject all religious festivals? Does
he reject all offerings? Does he reject all of the psalms they sing? He hates all
these things when they do not have repentant hearts. The same hands that
had blood on them and the same hands that were used to rip people off were
being used to bring offerings to God. The same wine, oil, and lambs that they
had stolen, they turned around and offered to God. Their hearts, hands, and
offerings were polluted. They and their offerings were unclean. They have
broken the Ten Commandments and they dont care. They say, God forgives
us; its no big deal.

Look at verses 23 and 24. In worship God gives his justice and righteousness
to the people. Amos says they are to let justice and righteousness flow like a
river. How does this flow work? Justice and righteousness are to flow from
God to them to others. They have received Gods righteousness, so they are
to deal righteously with others. The picture is of a life-giving river. It flows out
from God through Israels worship to irrigate Israels whole society. They are
not doing this. This is not something they can do, but something that they
must allow to happen. They are stopping it from happening.
4. What is Gods basic message to his sinful people? Read Amos 5:4-7, 14-15.
What does it mean to seek God and live? It means to turn back to God, to
repent. Dont go to the religious sanctuary with unrepentant hearts and try
and buy God off with your sacrifices. If one goes to Gods sanctuary with an
unrepentant heart, he will not escape Gods judgment. Rather, He will receive
Gods judgment. Instead, first repent. It is further explained in verses 14 and
15. Seeking God is seeking the good that comes from God and then doing
good to other people. Seeking God in repentance is the only way to have life
and to receive the good things God provides.
5. Even though the book uses stark terms to announce Gods judgment on the
northern kingdom, it does not end on such a note. The book of Amos ends
with a promise of restoration. Look at Amos 9:11-15. When David was king,
all of Israel (north and south) was united under him. So God promises that in
the future Davids tent (his people over whom he ruled, his kingdom) would
be extended from Judah to Israel to Edom to the nations. God promises that
the people taken into exile will be brought back to the land and there will be
great prosperity. Its told in a way that is by nature impossible. It describes
paradise. It describes heaven.
The Purpose of Amos
The purpose of Amos is to announce Gods sentence of death on Israel and the
reasons for his judgment against them.
The Book of Obadiah

[Amos/Obadiah/Jonah (Bible 1, 21b), 54:09, starting at 34:00]
Obadiah is a one page book and it seems to be out of place. After we go through it,
you should be able to answer the question, Why does Obadiah come directly after
Amos, even though chronologically it seems to come much later?
The Setting of Obadiah
The setting of the book is the period after the Babylonians captured Jerusalem in
597 BC or the sack of Jerusalem by the Babylonians ten years later in 587 BC.
Something terrible happened when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem. The
Edomites were Israels blood brothers. They were descendants of Easu who was
Jacobs brother. When Jerusalem was sacked, the Edomites joined with the
Babylonians in plundering Judah and Jerusalem; they turned against their blood
brothers.
The Structure of Obadiah
In order to understand Obadiah you must keep in mind that the Hebrew word for
Adam and Edom is the same when the vowels are removed.
1. First there is a title and introduction (Obad. 1:1).
2. Then there is the announcement of Gods judgment on Edom (Obad. 1:2-7)
and the reason for its destruction (Obad. 1:8-14), because they plundered the
holy city of God.
3. And there is a strange jump. Gods judgment on Edom will serve as a prelude
to and a pointer to Gods judgment on all the nations of the earth. All people
will be judged and he will deliver only those who take refuge in Zion (Obad.
1:15-18). This is like the message of Joel. After Gods judgment on Edom and
all the nations, then the kingdom of God will be established over all the earth
from Zion (Obad. 1:19-21). When Edom is judged, then it shall be
incorporated into the people of God.
Why Obadiah Comes After Amos
Why was Obadiah placed after Amos, even though chronologically they are over 200
years apart? Amos ends by prophesying that the house of David would be restored
and his tent (kingdom) would be expanded to include Edom. So Obadiah comes
immediately after it because it builds upon that prophecy.
The Themes of Obadiah

[The themes and purpose were not mentioned in the lecture. They are taken from
Dr. Kleinigs course notes.]
1. Gods destruction of the Edomites for their pride and cruelty (1:3-4). Note the
link of 19 and 21 with Amos 9:12.
2. God's day of judgment for all the nations who attack Zion (1:15-16)
3. Zion as a holy refuge on the day of the Lord (1:17)
4. God's reign from Zion after judgment day (1:21)
The Purpose of Obadiah
1. To understand the judgment of Edom as a prelude to the judgment of all
nations for their mistreatment of Zion.
2. To give hope to the people of Zion after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586
BC.
The Book of Jonah

[Amos/Obadiah/Jonah (Bible 1, 21b), 54:09, starting at 39:00]
The Character of the Book of Jonah
The book of Jonah is completely different from all the other Minor Prophets. Whereas
the other books contain the words of the prophets, the book of Jonah is a parable. It
tells a story and it is the only book of the Bible that ends with a question. Lets take
a look at the final question. It is the place to start if we want to make sense of the
book. Turn to Jonah 4:11. The question God asks is: Should I not be concerned with
Nineveh?
You will remember that the Ninevites were the great enemies of Israel. They were
the butchers of the ancient world. They were like terrorists. They ruled by terror.
In thinking about the day of the Lord, logically we would think that Gods judgment
would first come on the most wicked people, which in this case unquestionably
would be the Ninevites. The story of Jonah questions that theology. That theology
has always been popular and is appealing to us too. If we were God, we would wipe
out all evildoers and we would reward all good people, especially the little people.
Whats the problem with that theology? If God wiped out all evildoers, none of us
would remain. We are all evil.
The Structure of Jonah
1. The first part of Jonah deals with the deliverance of Jonah (Jonah 1 2).
Jonah is disobedient when God tells him to go to Nineveh (Jonah 1:1-3).
Then God brings judgment on Jonah for his disobedience (Jonah 1:416). He was supposed to go to Nineveh and preach Gods judgment.
Instead he went in the opposite direction, taking a ship to Spain. God
raised up a storm and Jonah is tossed into the sea.
Then miraculously God delivers Jonah by means of a whale (Jonah 1:17

2:10). Notice that the psalm that Jonah prays equates the whale with
sheol, the underworld. God takes him down to the underworld, a form
of hell. And then God delivers him from the grave and puts him back
on the land.
2. The second part of the book deals with Gods deliverance of Nineveh (Jonah 3
4). Notice how this part parallels the first part.
This time Jonah is obedient when God told him to go to Nineveh. Then
Jonah preaches Gods judgment (as little as possible) and calls Nineveh
to repentance (Jonah 3:1-4).
Miraculously, the people and king of Nineveh repented (Jonah 3:5-9).

How ironic. The people of Nineveh repented and God relented. Jonah
never repented and yet God saved him from the whale.
Jonah went up on a hill that overlooked the city and waited to see what
would happen. As evildoers and enemies of Gods people, Jonah wants
to see them suffer. The story ends with God rebuking Jonah (Jonah 3:10
4:11).
The Themes of Jonah

1.
The purpose of Gods judgment is always to lead people to repentance.

God judges in order to save (see Jonah 1:2; 3:3-10).
2.
God doesnt just have compassion on his own people, but he has
compassion on all people, including the most wicked people (such as the
Ninevites). He also has compassion on animals. Lets read Jonah 1:9. God is
the Creator of both sea and land. It was stupid of Jonah to think he could run
away from God by sea. Now read Jonah 4:1-2. Being that the Ninevites were
so evil, you might have thought that Jonah would have jumped at the chance
to go and preach Gods judgment against them. But Jonah didnt want to go.
Why? Because he knows that God is a gracious and merciful God. He doesnt
want to go because he doesnt want to give the Ninevites an opportunity to
be saved. He wants salvation for himself but not for others. He wants
salvation for himself; he wants them to have judgment. Notice how gentle
God is with Jonah. He responds by simply asking a question. And he asks the
same question of the church. We are always dividing people into two groups:
good people and bad people. We think the bad people get what they deserve
and the good people get what they deserve. But God has compassion for all
people. And if he is compassionate towards all, shouldnt we also?
3. Jonah is a representative of all the prophets and he is a representative of

Israel and the church. What is the temptation that faces all prophets and all
of the people of God? The temptation is to make themselves judges. Gods
people have received grace from God. But they are not to keep it to
themselves. Rather, they are to share it with the nations. That is Israels
mission. Israel is to bring the message of Gods judgment on wickedness
and his deliverance of the penitent to the nations. They are to preach both
law and gospel. What tends to happen is that we want gospel for ourselves
and law for others.
The Purpose for Jonah
1. First it is to show the universal scope of God's compassion which extends
even to his enemies and to encourage his people to exercise the same
compassion.

2. More importantly this book introduces the next two books, Micah and Nahum.
Both of those books announce Gods final judgment on Nineveh and Assyria.
What would be the wrong conclusion that the reader could have if the book of
Jonah didnt exist? We would go from the day of the Lord where God punishes
the nations to the prophecy of the destruction of Nineveh. It would appear
that if Jonah wasnt here God had not given them a chance to repent. It would
appear that God does not care about those who are not his people.
Paradoxically, God destroyed Nineveh because he cared for them. In his
judgment he gives all nations and people a chance to repent. Gods mercy
extends to all the nations. It shows how God deals with all of the world. He
doesnt single out so called Christian nations.
The Book of Joel

[Joel/Micah/Nahum/Habakkuk (Bible 2, 1a), 1:03:37]
[It appears that most of the lecture on Joel is missing. I will try and recreate what is
missing based on the class notes provided by Dr. Kleinig. The setting is from the
lecture. The rest is reconstructed from the class notes.]
The Locust Plague
The setting is a grasshopper plague. It is quite obvious that the grasshopper plague
is a prophecy of the future Day of the Lord, the day in which God will deal with sin
and vindicate the righteous. What is the lesson to be learned from it? When the
grasshopper/locust plague hits the kingdom of Judah, through his prophet the Lord
called for a day of fasting and prayer at the temple in Jerusalem. The people came
to the temple, repented, and asked God to spare them. And God delivered them
from the plague by having a wind drive the locusts into the sea and their prosperity
was restored. So those who repented and took refuge in God at the temple in
Jerusalem asked for Gods deliverance and were delivered. Now this plague is a
pointer to and a lesson about a future Day of the Lord. The same thing was
repeated when the Assyrians came. The people who took refuge in God were
delivered from the Assyrians. It most assuredly points forward to the final Day of the
Lord when all those who take refuge in the Lord and call on his name will be saved
God will forgive them, save them, restore them, and give them his Holy Spirit. This
is fulfilled in the NT.
[The audio and video for Joel ends here.]
The Structure of Joel
1. Joel 1:1 is a superscription.
2. Joel 1:2-4 is an introduction which calls the elders and people to teach the
lesson of the locust plague to future generations.
3. In Joel 1:5 2:27 the locust plague serves as a prelude to the day of Gods
judgment and deliverance.
The people and the priests are called upon to lament, to cry out to the
Lord (Joel 1:5-14). The plague has put an end to her blessings and her
worship. It has disrupted her relationship with the Lord. She is like a
bride who is burying her groom, her hope is gone. The prophet calls
upon them to recognize the dire situation they are in and to call out to
God in repentance. How do the people respond? They lament the
seriousness of the situation and call upon the Lord (Joel 1:15-20).
In chapter 2 the locusts are called the northerner. This is an ominous

name for the people of Israel, for it was out of the north that the world

powers came (Assyria, Babylon, Persia) and attacked Gods people. It
was out of the north that Gods judgment came upon Israel. The
locusts would be like an invading army who would usher in the day of
the Lord. Blow the trumpet to sound the alarm, for this vast army
would come and devour and decimate the land (Joel 2:1-11). Return to
the Lord so that instead of calamity he might instead bring blessing
(Joel 2:12-14). Blow the trumpet to call the people to a day of fasting
and prayer, appealing to the honor of Gods holy name (Joel 2:15-17).
Then the Lord relented and promised to deliver them from the locusts,
to remove the northerner from them (Joel. 2:18-20).
Because they have penitently turned to the Lord, the Lord will bring
about a great reversal. The land, the people, and the animals are
called upon to rejoice in the Lords promise to provide plenty (Joel 2:2127). They shall eat plenty, praise his name, know the Lord, and know
that he is the only God.
4. The locusts now disappear as their purpose was to announce and prepare for
the future Day of the Lord for the nations, which is the topic of these verses
(Joel 2:28 3:27).
In the last times God will pour out his Spirit on his people [Pentecost
and the time of the church] (Joel 2:28-29). His people as a whole will
become like the Spirit-led prophets of the OT. They will interpret the
will and work of the Lord to the nations. Through them the Spirit will
expose sin, convict sinners, and call people to repentance. God will
also use a tottering universe to warn people of their coming doom (Joel
2:30-31). Those who heed his call and call on the name of the Lord will
be saved (as happened with the locusts when the people turned to the
Lord). Those who call on the name of the Lord are those who are in Mt
Zion and Jerusalem (symbolic of the church). They will escape and
survive because the Lord called them and they heeded his call (Joel
2:32).
At the End will come the Final Judgment. God will be the Judge and his
verdict will be for his people and against the nations (Joel 3:1-8). His
decision will be based upon how they have dealt with and treated his
people. The nations treated Gods people and his temple with
contempt (scattered them, took their land, and sold them as slaves;
took the silver and gold of Gods temple). The Lord identifies with his
people. What they have done to Israel, they have done to him. He will
return payment on them swiftly and speedily. He will cause a reversal.
He will restore his people and scatter the nations.
The judgment is then pictured in three ways (Joel 3:9-21). (1) First it is
pictured as a great war (Joel 3:9-12). This stresses the rebelliousness of
sinful man. Man revolts against God and lines up to do battle with him.
Strangely the battle is not pictured. Instead, God sits as Judge, ending
the rebellion suddenly. (2) Second, the judgment is pictured as a

harvest (Joel 3:13). This stresses the deliberateness of Gods decision.
Before the harvest takes place, soil is tilled, seeds are planted, and
plants grow over a long period of time. Likewise, Gods judgment is a
long-prepared for, long-due, deliberate settling of accounts. (3) Third,
the judgment is pictured as a decision. The multitudes of people gather
in the Valley of Decision for the Day of the Lord. Suddenly the Lord
announces his decision as he roars from Zion. He has decided for his
people and against their oppressor and enemies. Gods verdict will
render his people safe and secure. They will have the plenty of
paradise and live in unbroken communion with the Lord their God. He
will avenge the mistreatment of his people.
The Main Themes of Joel
1.
The locust plague is a prelude to the day of Gods judgment. First, it

portends Gods judgment on his own people (Joel 2:10-11). They have left the
Lord. So similar to the Lord sending locusts as his army to devour and destroy
the land, he will send an invading army to destroy the land (Assyria,
Babylon). In their helplessness he will call them to repent and return to him.
Second, it portends Gods judgment of all people on the Last Day (Joel 2:31).
All people have rebelled against their Creator. Therefore God will judge the
world on the Last Day.
2.
The only way to be delivered from Gods judgment and to experience

renewed blessing is through repentance and prayer to the Lord (Joel 2:12-27,
32). The situation is dire. The only hope to escape Gods judgment is to
repent and call upon the Lord to have mercy. In response the Lord relents,
delivers his people, and restores his bounteous blessings. The Lord calls for
people to return to him and when they do he saves them and they escape his
wrath.
3.
God promises to send his Spirit to all his people in the last days (Joel 2:2829). As the prophets by the power of the Spirit called Israel to repentance,
so all of Gods people in the last days (the time from Jesus ascension to the
End) by the power of the Holy Spirit will call all people to repent and turn to
the Lord.
4.
God will judge the nations for their mistreatment of his people and fulfill his
promises about Zion on the Lords Day. On the Last Day God will restore the
fortunes of his people and rule favorably on their behalf. At the same time he
will rule against the nations because they have mistreated his people (Joel
3:1-3). The nations will gather to make war against God but God will stop
them in their tracks with his word of judgment against them.
5.
God promises his saving presence with his people in Zion and the
restoration of paradise to them (Joel 3:16-18). The Lord never forsakes his
people. At the End, he will be with his people as their refuge and stronghold.

While on earth they have been persecuted. But in the end they will
experience the Great Reversal, as he restores them to paradise.
The Purpose of Joel
Joel uses the events of the locust plague to:
6.
To teach God's people to repent in the face of future judgment.
To encourage them to take refuge in the Lord by calling on him for

deliverance from judgment.
To hope for the salvation of Zion and the restoration of paradise through
God's presence in her.
The Book of Micah

[Joel/Micah/Nahum/Habakkuk (Bible 2, 1a), 1:03:37, starting at 8:00]
The Setting of Micah
Micah is a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea. He comes from Moresheth, a little
village in the Judean countryside, which is about 30 miles south and west of
Jerusalem. He prophesied against Samaria and Jerusalem during the reigns of
Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah from 742-687 BC (Micah 1:1). He prophesied during the
time of king Hezekiah which was during the time when the Assyrians had captured
the northern kingdom in 721 BC and taken the people of the north into captivity.
And in 701 BC the Assyrians besieged Jerusalem and God miraculously delivered the
city during the reign of king Hezekiah. So Micah announced three major events: (1)
the fall of Samaria in 1:6 (722-721 BC), (2) the devastation of Judah by the
Assyrians in 1:9-16 (701 BC) and (3) the sack of Jerusalem and destruction of the
temple in 3:12. Hezekiah listened to Micahs prophecy and he and the people
repented and God delayed the destruction of Jerusalem until later. Hezekiahs
response of repentance to Micahs prophecy of the temples destruction was used
later to save Jeremiahs life (Jer 26:17-19).
The Structure of Micah
The structure of Micah is very straightforward.
1. It begins with a heading (Micah 1:1).
2. Then comes Gods case against Samaria, the capital of the northern kingdom,
and against Jerusalem, the capital of the southern kingdom (Micah 1:2
2:13). Their basic sin was idolatry and God would judge them for it (Micah 1:2
2:11). But there is also a promise that after the judgment God will gather a
remnant of the people sent into exile and restore them (Micah 2:12-13).
3. Then the focus is on Gods judgment and deliverance of Zion (Micah 3 5).
The particular problem that Micah focuses on with Jerusalem is the greed of
their leaders and the systemic corruption of the whole nation (Micah 3).
Because of this Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins. Chapters 4 and 5 look
to the latter days when God will restore and reestablish a purified Jerusalem.
4. The last two chapters deal with what God wants from his people and then the
vindication of Israel (Micah 6 7). Here God presents his case against Israel
(Micah 6). Then Zion laments the faithlessness of its people (Micah 7:1-10).
And it ends by giving Israel hope that one day God will have compassion on
and will vindicate Zion by raising her up as he did when he brought them up
out of Egypt (Micah 7:11-20).

(As we have been going through the prophets, have you noticed how many
prophesies there have been about Zion? Just as an aside, when the scriptures talk
about Jerusalem, it is talking about the city as a whole, as a political entity. But
when the term Zion is used for Jerusalem, it is referring to the fact that God has his
temple in Jerusalem. So Zion is a theological term; Zion is the theological city.
Jerusalem is the city of David. Zion is the city of God. It is the same city looked at
from two different points of view. Its called Zion because the temple was built on
Mt. Zion. Whats important for us to remember is that the prophecies of Zion are
fulfilled in and through the church. So when you read Zion in the OT, think church in
the NT.)
The Themes of Micah
1. First lets look at Micah 1:2-7. The transgression of Jerusalem and Samaria is
idolatry. That is the reason God is turning against these two cities. But that is
not the only problem. Lets go now to Micah 2:1-2. The problem here is not
just that the wealthy are ripping off the poor people, but that they are taking
away their inheritance from them. Remember that the land belongs to God
and the people are leasing it from him. So by taking the land from the
vulnerable people, they are actually stealing from God. Lets continue with a
graphic picture in Micah 3:1-4. Here God chides the leaders for their
exploitation of the people. Its like they are cannibals, living off of the weak
and vulnerable people. So when these leaders cry out to the Lord, the Lord
will not hear them. Now look at Micah 3:8-12 to see what Gods judgment will
be. Notice that its not just that the leaders are guilty of injustice and
exploitation, but the judges take bribes, the priests take money to teach what
the people want to hear, and the prophets tell fortunes for money. Everyone
is on the take; everyone wants money and that is what determines the way
they act. Gods judgment is that he will destroy Jerusalem. This is the first
prophecy of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its temple. (For a
cross reference see Jer. 26:14-17 where this is picked up on about 100 years
later.) So in summary, Gods judgment will come upon Jerusalem and
Samaria because of their idolatry, stealing land, the leaders exploitation of
people, and caring only about money.
2. What does God want of his people? Go to Micah 6:1-8. The picture here is of
God as Judge and the mountains are the jury who will listen to Gods case
against his people. You might expect God to accuse his people of idolatry and
injustice. But the people have accused God of failing them, of dereliction of
duty, of piling on them great burdens. So God asks them, How have I
burdened you? Then God rehearses the history of his dealings with his
people. Then starting in verse 6 we get the peoples reaction. Their response
is very sarcastic they have contempt for God. They never answer Gods
question. Then in verse 8 we hear what God wants of his people. God wants
them to act justly just as he does, to show mercy just as he shows mercy, and
to live humbly in Gods presence. The picture here is that God is with them
and is leading them step by step. And he wants them to walk with him on
their journey through life.

3. The next two themes are based on two specific prophecies. The first one is in
Micah 4:6-13. This looks forward to the future when Israel is in Babylonian
captivity. In the future God will gather his people; he will restore the city; he
will rule over his people on Mt. Zion (4:6-8). Thats the remote future. Next
comes the nearer future. Micah prophesies that God will send them to exile
in Babylon, but he will not leave them there. He will rescue them and redeem
them from the hands of their enemies (4:9-10).
4. Now we come to the most important prophecy in Micah for the NT. Micah 5:25a is a messianic prophecy. Ancient days could also be translated as from
eternity. Originally David came from Bethlehem. Now a new king will come
from Bethlehem. This new king will shepherd Gods flock, act in the name of
the Lord, bring security to Gods people, and bring peace to the earth. You
know how important this was for the NT. The wise men came and the Jewish
theologians, based on this passage, said the king of the Jews would be born in
Bethlehem. So God promises that a second David will be born as the king of
Israel.
The Purpose of Micah
The purpose is to encourage the people of Zion to put their hope in God and to
trust that he will vindicate them. Take a look at Micah 7:7-10 and 18-20. The name
Micah basically means, who is like God. Notice how the final prophecy in verse 18
begins. There is a pun here on the name of Micah. The only hope for Israel is in
Gods forgiveness.
The Book of Nahum

The Setting of Nahum
Notice that this prophecy is spoken at the time of the Assyrian crisis (about 625 BC,
around 100 years after Micah). It deals with Assyria and it capital city, Nineveh.
Nahum prophesies sometime before the fall of Assyria in 612 BC.
The Structure of Nahum
1. Nahum 1:1 is a heading, which says this is a vision about Nineveh.
2. Then comes a prophecy about God coming as a Judge of Nineveh (Nahum
1:2-8).
3. Then comes Gods judgment on Assyria and his deliverance of Judah (Nahum
1:9-15).
4. The last part of the book focuses on Gods destruction of Nineveh for its
violence and greed (Nahum 2 3). After 612 BC Nineveh was destroyed and
was never rebuilt. To the present day there is nothing there. It was excavated
in the 1800s. The British Museum in London has a whole large section on this
that includes stone cuttings that depict the latter part of Assyrian history.
The Themes of Nahum
1. Gods justice in punishing the Assyrians and all his enemies for their
wickedness (Nahum 1:2-3, 9-11, 14).
2. Gods passionate jealousy in saving his people from the oppression of their
enemies (Nahum 1:2, 7-8, 12-13). Gods love is passionate love, jealous love,
ardent love.
The Purpose of nahum
So the purpose of Nahum is to assure the oppressed people of Israel that God would
free them from the oppression of the Assyrians and all other wicked people who
oppress them.
The Book of Habakkuk

The Setting of Habakkuk
Habakkuk comes in between the defeat of the Assyrians and the defeat of the
Babylonians. He prophesies somewhere around 605 BC, making him a
contemporary of Jeremiah.
The Structure of Habakkuk
1. Heading to the book (Hab. 1:1)
2. What is unique about this book is that it is a debate between God and the
prophet. Habakkuk is fed up with the way that God does things and he
questions God about it. He has two issues with God.
... 2a His first issue is the perversion of justice. He complains to God that
injustice seems to rein supreme and God does not do anything about it (Hab.
1:2-4). Gods response is that he used the Babylonians as agents of justice
against the wicked Assyrians (Hab. 1:5-11). There is something very profound
here. How does God deal with evil on an international scale? God raises up a
Stalin to deal with a Hitler. He uses evil to undo evil. In this case he uses the
Babylonians to do away with the Assyrians.
... 2b Gods answer does not satisfy Habakkuk at all. He complains about Gods
use of the Babylonians to punish the Assyrians (Hab. 1:12 2:1). He asks, How
can a good, just God use evil to do his work? Shouldnt God use good people to
bring about his judgment? Once again God answers Habakkuk. But every time he
answers, more questions are raised. His answer is that he will reveal the final
destruction of the wicked and the vindication of the righteous at the end of the
world (Hab. 2:2-5). Again there is something profound here. What we want is
Gods justice here and now. But there is a problem with that. Whats the problem
if God brings complete justice? No one would go unpunished because all people
are sinful. So God has a different way of dealing with sin and there are two parts
to it. First, he will completely deal with sin at the end of the world. That is when
the final judgment will come. Secondly, when God deals with sinful people, his
criteria is not whether they are good or bad, just or unjust, but whether they
have faith in him or not. Paul takes this truth from Habakkuk and develops
Romans from it. So when we talk about the vindication of the righteous, they are
righteous not because of their works, but because of their faith in God.
3. Then there are 5 woes against Babylon (Hab. 2:6-20).
4. This is followed by a prayer for Gods deliverance of his people and the defeat
of their chaotic enemies (Hab. 3:1-19).

The Themes of Habakkuk
The first two are fairly straightforward and weve already talked about them. The
third one is the most important one.
1. Read Hab. 1:2-4. Habakkuk complains that God does not act when injustice
occurs.
2. Read Hab. 1:12-13. God uses the wicked to destroy the wicked. But when
he does, righteous people suffer also. When you have war, its not just evil
people who suffer, but innocent people also suffer. Everyone suffers.
3. Now we look at the very famous passage, Hab. 2:2-5. First read verses 2 and
3. God gives Habakkuk a vision about the end of human history. And he is to
write this vision on a tablet that is small enough so that a herald, a runner,
can hold it in his hand and take it with him. Now, what is that prophecy about
the end? Read verses 4 and 5. There are two parts to it and it is a very
difficult prophecy. The first is the righteous will live by his faith. Live here
is not just survive, but the righteous will have full life. The person who has
faith will be righteous. So at the end when there is the final judgment, who is
it that will survive the final judgment? The just/righteous. And who are the
righteous? They are not those who are innocent [no one is innocent before
God], but those who have faith in God. Those are the ones who will survive,
have life, have eternal life in the final judgment.
Now in contrast to this is a much more complex picture in verses 4a and 5.
What lies behind it is the Canaanite picture of the god of death, Mot. This god
is pictured as all mouth swallowing up all living creatures. He is puffed up,
never at rest, arrogant, and greedy as the grave, never satisfied. He gathers
all nations for himself. Who is this it is talking about? By the end of the book
is it clear that it is the chaos monster, which in the NT is Satan. The picture
here is of a carnivore that keeps on eating and eating until it blows itself up.
The picture here is of evil eating up itself and destroying itself. So in the
end, God will vindicate the faithful and destroy the wicked.
Lets look at the other prophecy that is connected to this. Read Hab. 3:2 and
11-15. We have a picture here of the Day of the Lord, the day when God will
intervene to deal with evil. In verse 13a we see that God intervenes to save
his people. The anointed is the king, the messiah. In the NT this is Jesus.
God intervenes to save his people and his messiah. Who does he save them
from? The leader or head of the land or house of wickedness. This is Satan.
Then how does God deal with the evil one? He uses the weapon of the evil
one against the evil one. He pierces him with his own weapon, his own spear.
He uses death against the prince of death. This becomes clear from the NT,
when God defeated Satan by the death and resurrection of Jesus.
So the theme that is very important for the NT is that God will vindicate and
justify the faithful when he destroys the wicked one on the final day of
judgment. And when he does Gods glory will be revealed over the whole
earth (Hab. 2:14). So eventually Gods glory will not just be hidden in the

Holy of Holies in the temple, but it will fill the whole earth. The whole earth
will be Gods temple, Gods presence.
The Purpose of Habakkuk
The purpose is to encourage the righteous Israelites to wait faithfully for their
vindication when God judges their enemies and to rejoice in him as their coming
deliverer. This is brought out in the final verses, in Hab. 3:16-19. There is
something unusual here. Usually people rejoice in Gods past acts. But here he
rejoices and praises God not for what he has done, but for what he will do, for how
he will deal with the wicked one by turning evil against him. That is a very important
prophecy.
The Book of Zephaniah

[Zephaniah/Haggai (Bible 2, 1b), 32:51]
[Once again part of the lecture is missing. The Author and Setting are missing, as
well as the first half of the Structure. I will recreate what is missing based on the
Class Notes provided by Dr. Kleinig.]
The Author and Setting of Zephaniah
Zephaniah was the great grandson of Hezekiah. He prophesied in the early days of
king Josiah before he implemented the Deuteronomic Reformation in 621 BC (Zeph.
1:1).
The Structure of Zephaniah
1. The heading of Zephaniah (Zeph. 1:1) (see Author and Setting).
2. The Day of the Lord as judgment for the wicked (Zeph. 1:2 3:7).
Gods universal judgment on the wicked (Zeph. 1:2-3).
Gods judgment on Judah and Jerusalem for their idolatry and

complacency (Zeph. 1:4-13).
A call for Israel to seek the Lord to escape his wrath (Zeph. 1:14 2:3).
The day of the Lord will be a day of wrath, disaster, and darkness. The
only hope to escape disaster on that day is to humbly seek the Lord.
Oracles of judgment against Judahs enemies (Zeph. 2:4-15). An oracle

against the Philistines (Zeph. 2:4-7). An oracle against the Moabites
and Ammonites because of their taunting and boasting (Zeph. 2:8-11).
An oracle against the Cushites (Zeph. 2:12). An oracle against Nineveh,
the Assyrian captial (Zeph. 2:13-15).
Gods woe on Jerusalem for her refusal to accept his correction (Zeph.
3:1-7). The people will not listen and are corrupt. The officials and
judges act like predators ready to pounce. The prophets are fickle. The
priests profane what is holy.
[The video and audio pick back up here.]

3. Now the other side of the Day of the Lord, the Day of the Lord as a day of
deliverance for the righteous (Zeph. 3:8-20).
Who are the righteous? Not people who are innocent, but people whom
God has purified. And they are not just Jewish people, but people from

all over the world. God purifies people from all over the world so that
they can join with his people in the divine service in worshipping God
(Zeph. 3:8-10).
God will remove all proud and arrogant people from his holy city
Jerusalem, leaving the humble and lowly who seek the name of the
Lord and do justice and speak the truth (Zeph. 3:11-13).
Praise for Gods presence with his people in Zion (Zeph. 3:14-17).
A promise of Judahs restoration and glorification by God (Zeph. 3:1820).
The Themes of Zephaniah

1.
Gods judgment of the whole world and all nations (Zeph. 1:2-3).
2.
Gods judgment on Jerusalem for her idolatry (Zeph. 1:4-6). Instead of

worshipping the Lord, they worship Baal, the host of heaven, and Milcom.
They practice syncretism; they play it safe by mixing together religions and
gods. And another reason why God would bring judgment on Jerusalem was
because they refused to accept correction (Zeph. 3:1-7). Jerusalem will not
listen. Her leaders are predators. God tried to teach his people by judging
other nations. He had hoped they would get the message but instead they
became more and more persistent in their corruption and their rejection of
Gods correction. So its not just that they have sinned, but they have refused
to accept correction. They have refused to repent.
3.
Call for Gods people to seek the Lord in repentance to escape Gods wrath
(Zeph. 2:1-3). The day of the Lord is coming. Those who are sensible will seek
the Lord before that day comes.
4. Which people will survive the day of the Lord? A humble remnant in Zion will
survive the day of the Lord (Zeph. 3:11-13). Those who are humble and who
have been purified by God will survive the day of judgment.
5. Next comes a rather unique feature that picks up on themes from Isaiah. It is
the only passage in the OT that touches on this theme, so it is rather
remarkable. Read Zeph. 2:8-10. God is going to do an awesome deed. He is
going to destroy all of the pagan gods, one after another, until there are no
gods left. What is his purpose in doing so? He does this so that people from
all over the world will come and prostrate themselves before him and accept
him as their God. Lets also read Zeph. 3:8-9. Verse 8 speaks of God pouring
out his wrath on all evil nations. But that is not the end. Why is he going to do
this? In verse 9 it says, he will do it to purify people so that they might call on
his name and serve him shoulder to shoulder. So Gods wrath on the
Gentiles is meant to purify, so that they might pray to him, praise him, and
confess him rightly. They will do this in Zion, which looks forward to the

heavenly Zion, the church. Gods purpose is to bring people from all nations
into his holy city, the heavenly city, the church. There Jews and Gentiles
worship God together.
6. Zephaniah is unique because of the following prophecy. Read Zeph. 3:14-17.
What is unusual about this is that God will rejoice over the daughter of Zion.
Usually the people of God rejoice in the Lord. On the day of salvation, it will
be the other way around. The NT picks up on this. Jesus rejoices over his
people and their joy will be full. You rejoice not only for the good things God
does for you, but also because God rejoices in you. So Zion rejoices in Gods
presence with her and in his rejoicing over her. It is good to be happy and to
be happy with someone. But it is doubly good if that person is happy with
you.
The Purpose of Zephaniah
The purpose of Zephaniah is to announce God's Day of Judgment on Judah and all
the nations before the restoration of a humble remnant in Zion.
The Book of Haggai

[Zephaniah/Haggai (Bible 2, 1b), 32:51, starting at 19:25]
The Setting of Haggai
Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 586 BC. In 536 BC the people started
coming back to Jerusalem and they rebuilt the altar and laid the foundation for the
temple but then they stopped for various political and economic reasons. In 520 BC
God sent two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, and their message was to rebuild the
temple (Ezra 5:1-2). So in 520 BC, almost 20 years after they first started, they
resumed the reconstruction of the temple. The rebuilding of the temple took 5
years. So they finished rebuilding it in 515 BC (Ezra 6:13-18). This is a very
important event in Jewish history. It begins what is called the second temple period.
The Structure of Haggai
1. The book begins with Gods command to the people of Judah and Jerusalem
to rebuild Gods temple (Hag. 1:1-11).
2. Then there is an account of the resumption of work on the temple (Hag. 1:1215).
3. This is followed by a promise of future splendor of the temple (Hag. 2:1-9).
Now this is not clear whether its talking about this temple or a future temple.
Its ambiguous. The rebuilt temple was rather modest compared to Solomons
temple. So modest in fact that when some people who remembered
Solomons temple saw it, they wept. So it may refer to a future temple.
4. Next the focus shifts away from the temple itself to the worship that occurs at
the temple (Hag. 2:10-19). God basically says, It doesnt matter if the temple
is glorious. Its more important that you perform the right kind of worship of
me at the temple in order to receive my blessing.
5. The book ends with Gods promise to Zerubbabel, who is a descendant of
David, to bless him for his work in rebuilding the temple (Hab. 2:20-23).
The Themes of Haggai
1. The first theme gives us the purpose for the rebuilt temple. Read Hag. 1:8.
The purpose of the temple is for God to appear in glory and so the people can
honor God.
2. The second then answers the question, what does God want to do through
the temple? Read Hag. 2:9 and 2:19. Through the temple God will bring his
blessings and peace to the people.

3. Next comes a very important prophecy for the NT. Read Hag. 2:6-9. God will
turn the world upside down and create a new order. The key verse here is
verse 7. The question is whether the desired refers to a thing or person? It
seems obvious that it refers to a person. The person that all the nations
desire will come and that person will fill this house with glory. He will reveal
Gods glory to people. This of course refers to Christ. There are many Advent
hymns that talk about Jesus as the Desired of nations. They are picking up on
this prophecy. The Messiah will come to the temple and reveal Gods glory
and he will bring blessing to people all over the earth.
The Purpose of Haggai
The purpose of Haggai is to encourage the rebuilding of the temple, so that God
could bless his people by his presence with them.
The Book of Zechariah

[Zechariah/Malachi (Bible 2, 2a), 58:05]
The Setting of Zechariah
Zechariah is important because it is quoted quite frequently in the NT. In 520 BC
God sent two prophets to tell the people to resume the building of the temple. It
was resumed and it was finished and dedicated in 515 BC. The fact that God sent
two prophets meant that it was very important.
The Structure of Zechariah
The book of Zechariah falls into two fairly clear parts. Scholars speak of protoZechariah and deutro-Zechariah.
1. Proto-Zechariah speaks of Gods promises of Zions restoration after the
rebuilding of the temple (Zech. 1 8). This is the immediate future.
The book begins with a call for the people who have returned from
exile to repent (Zech. 1:1-6). You will remember from our study of
Jeremiah that the reason for the exile was that the people did not heed
Gods call for them to repent. Zechariah once again calls them to
repent. When we sin we turn our back on God and walk away.
Repentance is turning around and coming back to God, face to face.
Then comes 8 visions of the restoration of Zion (Zech. 1:7 6:8). So we

have here another visionary prophet like the prophet Isaiah.
Then comes a very important incident. The leader of the community at

the time that the temple was rebuilt was the high priest Joshua. He was
in charge of the rebuilding of the temple. God told Zechariah to tell the
people who had returned from exile to make a double crown for Joshua.
Obviously this is unusual because it prophesies that a future high
priest will rule as king (Zech. 6:9-15). This future figure will be both a
priest and a king.
Zech. 7 8 deals with a very practical question. From the time of the
destruction of the temple until the rebuilding of the temple, the people
in exile had commemorated the various stages of the destruction of
the temple in a series of days of fasting. Now that temple is being
rebuilt, the question is, Should they continue to fast to commemorate
the destruction of the temple? And the answer is, no.
2. The second part deals with Gods ultimate purposes for Zion, the holy city
(Zech. 9 14).

... 2a. Chapter 9 11 deal with Gods future care for his flock and its shepherds.
So the picture is one of congregation (flock) and pastor (shepherd).
Gods possession of the nations (Zech. 9:1-8).
Zions future king and the liberation of her people (Zech. 9:9-17).
The good shepherd and the worthless shepherds (Zech. 10 -11).
... 2b. Chapters 12 14 are an apocalyptic oracle about Zion in the end times. It
tells about Gods future plans for Zion at the end.
Gods protection of Zion from her enemies (Zech. 12:1-9).
Purification of Zion (Zech. 12:10 13:9).
Gods rule of the nations from Zion (Zech. 14:1-12).
The Themes of Zechariah

1. Zechariah begins with Gods call for them to heed his call for repentance
that had come to them via the pre-exilic prophets. (Zech. 1:2-6).
2. One of the most important themes of this book is Gods promise to return to
Zion and to dwell in the rebuilt temple (Zech. 1:14-17; 2:5, 10-12).
Remember in Ezekiel that God had left the temple. But now God promises
that the temple will be rebuilt and he will inhabit the temple once again. And
not only will God live in Jerusalem again, but many people from many nations
will be joined to the Lord and worship the Lord at Jerusalem with the Jews.
3. Next God promises to gather his people (Zech. 10:6-12) and protect them
(Zech. 2:5, 8-9).
4. Now lets take a look at the three very famous messianic prophecies. In the
post-exilic period, Israel received their land back and their temple back, but
they had not received their kings back. These three prophecies explain why
they dont have a king and how one day in the future God will give them a
king, but a different kind of king.
(..4.1) First, lets take a look at Zech. 3:6-10. The Branch refers back to Jesse,
king Davids father. From David would come a dynasty of kings. The Branch
refers to a coming king from Davids line. Joshua, the high priest, and his
friends are symbolic of the coming messiah/king. Remember that the high
priest wore a turban on his head. On the turban was a gold plate on which
there was a jewel. And the jewel was inscribed with the words: Holiness to
Yahweh. Joshua was to make a new turban with a new plate and a new jewel
on it. And on it he was to inscribe on the seven sides of the jewel the words: I

will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. In Hebrew that is seven
words. Those seven words are going to be on the head of Joshua the high
priest. Why? Because Joshua will be symbolic of a new king who will also be a
high priest. And this king will purify the people of Zion on a single day.
What day did that happen? It happened on Good Friday. This King would rule
in a different way. Instead of ruling by law and power, he rules by removing
sin. And the result will be that people will live in peace with each other.
(..4.2) The second messianic passage is Zech. 6:9-15. As we read it, notice
that it mentions the Branch once again. The Branch will be a king who will
build a temple of the Lord. This is not the temple that they are building now,
but a temple that will be built in the future. The Hebrew word for crown is not
the singular form, but dual form. You could translate it as two crowns but that
doesnt make sense here. Rather, it is a dual crown. In Egyptian history the
Egyptian king wore a dual crown. Two crowns were put together to make one
singe crown. Thats the picture here. The prophet makes a dual crown for
Joshua, but Joshua will not wear it because Joshua is not a king. The dual
crown will be kept in the temple. The dual crown symbolized a coming king
who is also going to be a priest. This king/priest will build a new temple and
will reign as king/priest. And as he reigns, people from far away Gentiles
will come and help build the temple. They will be included in the
congregation of Israel.
(..4.3) The third messianic passage is Zech. 9:9-10. Jerusalem is supposed to
rejoice because her king comes to her. The picture here is the coronation of a
king. When the successors of Solomon became king, their coronation
ceremony began with a procession with the king on a donkey from the Kidron
Valley, through the streets of Jerusalem, to the temple. So this future king will
come riding on a donkey to Jerusalem. There is nothing unusual about that.
This king with be righteous and have salvation; he will be vindicated by
God. He has been saved from death and he brings salvation. This king is
gentle. Instead of extending his kingdom with a sword, he will disarm people.
His kingdom will be a kingdom of peace.
5.
In the future when Jerusalem has been restored, Gentiles will be included in
the worship of the Lord. Lets read Zech. 8:20-23. This describes the Day of
the Lord, the day in which God makes things right. Since God is with his
people in Jerusalem, people from the nations will want to come with the Jew
in pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship God. Now lets read Zech. 14:16-19.
The survivors here are those who survive the final Day of Judgment. They are
those that repent.
6. The last theme, the eschatological kingship of the Lord, is found in Zech.
14:9. It is very important for the NT and Jesus proclamation. Jesus message
after his baptism was very simple: repent and believe the Good News
because the kingdom of God is here. In the end there is one God with one
name which is Yahweh and he is over all the earth. That kingship is made
known in Christ.

The Purpose of Zechariah
The purpose of Zechariah is to show how the post-exilic restoration of Zion with its
temple would eventually lead to the triumph of God's rule over the whole earth.
What God will do in this one little place, is the beginning of extending his rule over
the whole universe. And the key figure in doing this is the coming priest/king. We
tend to see Jesus as King, but most people dont think of Jesus as a Priest. One book
that stresses Jesus role as a priest is Hebrews. Its theology is built around Jesus
being a priest/king.
The Book of Malachi

[Zechariah/Malachi (Bible 2, 2a), 58:05, starting at 34:15]
The Name and Setting of Malachi
Malachi is the last of the prophets. Malachi means my messenger. It is a symbolic
name. In Mal. 3:1 God said before the great and final Day of the Lord he would send
his messenger. So Malachi (my messenger) is a symbol of the coming messenger
who is John the Baptist. We will come to that in a little bit.
We dont know the exact time that Malachi prophesied. We know that it was in the
post-exilic period. The temple has been rebuilt. The city has been restored. So it was
somewhere between 450 300 BC and it is a time when the people who had
returned from exile were discouraged because God had not yet fulfilled his promises
to them. What were his promises? He had promised to send a new king and that
Jerusalem would be the center of worship of all the nations of the world and that
Gods rule would extend over all the earth. The people were disillusioned because
God had not fulfilled these promises.
The Structure of Malachi
1. The book consists mainly of an argument between God and his people (Mal.
1:2 4:3). There is a series of six arguments / difficulties / problems that the
people have with God. They are as follows:
(Mal. 1:2-5) Dispute over Gods love for Israel. The first dispute is
summarized in Mal. 1:2. God says he has loved his people, but the people
question it. Why do they doubt Gods love? Because it looks to them like
God has failed to deliver on his promises.
(Mal. 1:6 2:9) Dispute over the profaning of Gods name. The next
dispute is summarized in Mal. 1:6-7. God says the priests have not
honored him and have despised Gods name. The priests question how
they have done this. God points them to the polluted offerings that they
offer on the altar.
(Mal. 2:10-16) Dispute over their faithfulness to God. This dispute is

summarized in Mal. 2:10.
(Mal. 2:17 3:5) Dispute over Gods justice. This dispute is summarized in
Mal. 2:17. This picks up on the theme of Micah. People weary God by
saying God favors evildoers and he doesnt reward the righteous.
(Mal. 3:6-12) Dispute over sacrificial repentance. It is summarized in Mal.

3:7-8. God asks them to return to him. And they are to do this by bringing
him the offerings he has asked them to give.
(Mal. 3:13 4:3) Dispute over prosperity of evildoers. It is summarized in

Mal. 3:13-15. The people say, Whats the use of serving God? We dont get
any benefit from it.
2. (Mal. 4:4-6) The book ends with a closing admonition and promise, which is
the final word of God in the OT.
The Themes of Malachi
There are two main themes.
1. The first theme is the importance of worship and the importance of
worshipping according to the law of Moses because through the divine
service God brings blessings to his people. Lets read three passages that
show this. First read Mal. 1:11. Notice that this is a promise. At some point in
the future Gods name will be respected among the nations and the nations
will call on Gods name and present the right offerings to God. Not just Jews
but Gentiles too. The next passage is Mal. 3:1-4. (Verse 1 will pick up the
second theme as well a promise to send a messenger to prepare the way of
the Lord.) There is a sequence of three things here. First of all God will send a
messenger to prepare for his coming. Secondly, God will appear to his people
in his temple. Thirdly, when the Lord appears he will be like a refiner to purify
the people so that they can offer pure offerings to him. And all of this is in
connection to the coming Day of the Lord. The last reference concerning the
theme of worship is Mal. 3:10-11. [Dr. Kleinig did not go over this passage.]
2. The second theme is Gods promise to send a messenger to prepare the way
for the Lords coming (Mal. 3:1a). See theme 1 above.
The Purpose of Malachi
For the purpose of Malachi we read Mal. 4:4-6. These are the last words of the OT.
Immediately after this we have Matthew and the story of John the Baptist. There are
two things here. First there is a warning about the importance of keeping Gods Law
and secondly there is a promise that God will send a second Elijah to prepare people
for the coming Day of the Lord. Now what is unexpected about what Elijah will do?
You would think that God would send Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers and children
back to God. But repentance has two dimensions. Its not just turning back to God,
but also repenting with each other. Repentance prepares people for Gods coming.
And when he comes, he comes to purify people so that they can worship God
appropriately.
So the purpose of Malachi is to encourage the demoralized Jews in the postexilic period to remain faithful to God and his law as they waited for the day
of the Lord.
And secondly, note how these verses provide the link with the New Testament
and the ministry of John the Baptist (Matt 11:14; 17:11; Mark 9:12; Luke

1:17).
Jesus message was that the times have been fulfilled, the kingdom of God is
at hand, repent, and believe the Gospel. When he said, the times have been
fulfilled, Jesus was saying the Day of the Lord is here. And when a Jew heard
that, they would automatically think that the Messiah was also here. And if
the Messiah is here then the kingdom of God is here because the Messiah
ushers in the kingdom of God on earth. These three things belong together,
the Day of the Lord, the coming of the Messiah, and the coming of Gods
kingdom. And these things are connected with two things: repentance and
Good News, Law and Gospel.
Gods kingdom is Gods rule on earth. The whole of the OT says that God
exercised his kingship through his king. Those earthly kings failed. So God
was going to send a future king who would establish his kingdom. The picture
here is God sitting on his throne and at his right hand is his deputy. Who was
a kings right hand man? Usually it was his son, his heir, the one who would
be the next king. The son would normally administer the affairs of the
kingdom. Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father. This means that he
reigns together with God the Father; he administers the Fathers kingdom on
earth. He has been given all authority over the church and the world. Jesus
reigns in a strange way though. He rules not just as king, but as a kingly
priest. He does not reign politically but liturgically as priest, as a mediator.
And if you want to see the reign of Jesus, you wont see it out in the political
realm but youll see it most clearly in the church. And if you dont see it in the
church you wont see it in the world and you will misread what is happening
in the world. Surprisingly God dwells with sinners and uses sinners as
administrators of his grace. Why does he use sinners? Because he doesnt
rule through his law but through his grace. They can bring grace to others
because they themselves have experienced and received grace. They have
received grace therefore they can give grace. They have been forgiven
therefore they can forgive. They can intercede for others because Jesus has
interceded for them. There is some important stuff here that the church is
confused about. What we want is a perfect church. As a pastor, dont ever fall
into the trap of looking for a perfect congregation. And dont ever think you
will be a perfect pastor. If you do, you will be a sitting duck for the evil one.
No congregation is perfect and every congregation is an unnatural
community. Its unlike any other group of people in our society. Pastors need
to learn to love the bride of Christ, love the church. If you cant do this, then
leave the seminary. Otherwise you will damage people and yourself. You are
called to be ministers of grace in Gods kingdom of grace.
Introduction to the Writings

[Introduction to the Writings / Psalms (Bible 2, 2b), 40:27]
The Hebrew Bible has three groups of books:
1. the Law/ the Torah (practical teaching, training),
2. the Prophets (the Former Prophets (historical books) and Latter Prophets (4
scrolls=Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve))
3. the Writings
In looking at the list of books that make up the Writings, the book of Daniel seems
to be out of place. It seems like it belongs with the prophets. It also seems like the
following books are books of history: 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra/Nehemiah, and Esther. It
would seem like all of these books dont go together. To be a good scholar and
pastor one must learn to ask questions. And the most important question to ask is,
why? This holds true for the scriptures and it also hold true for people. So we will be
asking why these books were put together under this category.
This third category of books may have been influenced by the notion of inspired
wisdom as in Jeremiah 18:18. Jeremiah was written about 600 BC. At that time the
people recognized that Gods Word came to them in three different ways. This verse
reads as follows:
Then they said, Come, let us make plots against Jeremiah, for the law shall not
perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet.
Come, let us strike him with the tongue, and let us not pay attention to any of his
words.
So Gods word comes in three ways. (1) The Law taught by the priests. (2) The Word
taught by the Prophets. (3) Counsel/wisdom/advice taught by the elders, the wise
and experienced leaders.
In determining the canon, the agreed on books of the Bible, the Law was agreed on
first, somewhere around 600 BC. Then came the Prophets, somewhere between 300
200 BC. But even during the time of Jesus, the list of books of the Writings had not
been set. These books were settled on by the Rabbis around 90 AD. There were two
books in which there was great dispute: Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs.
Ecclesiastes was disputed because there are certain passages that if taken out of
context, they seem to contradict other parts of the OT and even other parts of
Ecclesiastes. The problem with the Song of Songs is that it is R rated because it
describes sex. And it does it in a way that it has always been described all over the
world until modern times. It does it euphemistically or indirectly. Another problem
with it is that the name of God is never mentioned in it. So why was it included? It
was recognized that it was wisdom literature. We will have to do some more work
here in class before that makes sense to you.
The writings contain the books that were not set down for continuous reading in the
synagogue. In the synagogue even up to today, there are two readings, the Law and

the Prophets. On a normal Sabbath day there are no readings from the Writings.
There will be a psalm that is read and on five special occasions one of the five
festive books of the Writings is read. So in a regular service the Writings are not
read or preached on. In fact the sermon is always on the Law. The sermon is not on
the Prophets. Take note of that because when Jesus preached his first sermon in
Nazareth, what did he preach on? He preached on the prophet Isaiah. That was the
first time it had ever happened.
Lets glance at the five festive scrolls. (1) The first one is the Song of Solomon. It is
read on the feast of Passover. (2) The book of Ruth is read at the feast of Pentecost.
(3) Lamentations is read on the day of fasting that commemorates the destruction
of the second temple. (4) Ecclesiastes is read at the feast of tabernacles. (5) Esther
is read at the feast of Purim, which commemorates Gods rescue of the Jews from
the Persian king.
The order of the books varies according to tradition. In the Palestinian tradition
Chronicles comes first. Some traditions place Job before Proverbs. In our English
Bible Daniel is among the Prophets. In the Hebrew Bible it is in the Writings. This is
because the book of Daniel was used by Jewish zealots in 67 AD as the basis for the
revolt against Rome. And ever since then people use the book of Daniel to try and
predict the end of the world. It is abused and misinterpreted the most. So the
Rabbis shifted it from the Prophets, where it was viewed as prophecy about the
future, to the Writings, where it is looked at as wisdom. This was done after the
destruction of the second temple. Wisdom helps us understand Gods work in
human history. So Daniel was looked at from that perspective. So there was less
emphasis on prophecy and move emphasis on understanding the way that God is at
work in the world in human history and what Gods goal is in human history.
There are two different kinds of books in the Writings. There is wisdom material and
liturgical material. The liturgical books tend to focus on the temple and worship.
Lets see what each book is.
Psalms liturgical
Proverbs wisdom
Job wisdom
Song of Solomon wisdom
Ruth wisdom
Lamentations liturgical
Ecclesiastes wisdom
Esther wisdom
Daniel wisdom
Ezra/Nehemiah liturgical
1 & 2 Chronicles liturgical
The theological principle that is at work here is the connection between wisdom and
piety/spirituality or wisdom and worship. This is summarized in: The fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom has to do with spirituality and piety, living
the spiritual life. What is the foundation for wisdom? Where do you get wisdom
from? You get it from God and from fearing God, meaning you get it by participating
in worship. So worship of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Wisdom and worship
go together.

The wisdom books from Proverbs through to Daniel are framed or bracketed by
Psalms and Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles to show that wisdom comes from
involvement in the divine service. This is so because God is the teacher of divine
wisdom. God teaches wisdom in the school of life.
The Book of Psalms

[Introduction to the Writings / Psalms (Bible 2, 2b), 40:27, beginning at 30:30]
Introduction to the Psalms
We call this book Psalms, which comes from a Greek word that means to pluck a
stringed instrument. So a psalm is a song that is sung to a plucked string
instrument. This then is music and poetry together. In the Hebrew Bible it is not
called Psalms but instead is called Praises the Book of Praises. Whats strange
about it being called the Book of Praises? For every psalm of praise you get 2 or 3
psalms of lament. So think about that. What kind of complaining is actually
praising? You can learn to praise God through suffering. In a lament you go on a
journey, you face your trouble. Then you bring your troubles to God. And every
psalm of lament ends with a promise to praise God. This is paradoxical. You would
expect that good times would teach you to praise. But it is suffering that teaches
you to praise. Jonah learned to praise God in the belly of a whale. We learn to praise
God, fully, rightly, properly through suffering. This is wisdom.
Lets put it another way. How is complaining to God about the fact that he hasnt
kept his promises or hasnt dealt with people fairly praising God? It shows faith and
trust in God as a just, gracious God. So you end up praising God when you lament.
In a lament you acknowledge that God is good, gracious, and loving. Then you are
bold into coming to God asking him why he is allowing this stuff to happen. This
stands on its head one of the most prominent modern dogmas about worship. To
many, worship is just a matter of being happy. Most churches will avoid any kind of
negativity. In these churches joyfulness is identified with being happy, but they are
not the same thing. You can be joyful even when you are very sad. Joyfulness is a
state whereas happiness is a fleeting emotion. There is a place in worship for
happiness. But there is also a place in worship for lamenting, sadness, and misery.
We tend not to look at it this way. Notice how there is a section in the hymn book
called Cross and Comfort. We hardly ever sing these songs because they are
considered too negative.
The Basic structure of Psalms
There are 5 books of the Psalms just like there are 5 books of the Law. In the first 3
books laments dominate. And in the last 2 books you get most of the praises. So the
Psalms take us on a journey from lamenting to praise and that is the journey from
earth to heaven. In heaven there will be no more lamenting. We will be able to
praise without lamenting. As long as we are on this earth, lamenting will be a part of
praising. That is something our generation has to learn all over again.
[Psalms (Bible 2, 3a), 40:27]
As we said last time there are 5 books of the Psalms. As the 5 books of the
Pentateuch are connected to Moses, so the 5 books of the Psalms are connected to

David. The Psalms are connected to David because he introduced a new practice,
the singing of psalms at the divine service. We will talk more about this in due
course.
Right now lets take a look at the 5 books of the Psalms and what they do.
Remember, structure always indicates purpose.
Lets start out by reading Ps. 41:13. When we bless God we acknowledge God
as the Giver of blessing.
Next we look at Ps. 72:18-20. This is similar, yet a bit more complicated.
Working backwards from the last verse, we see that this indicates that at one
time there was a collection of the psalms of David. This collection is Psalms 3
72. This passage starts out like the previous one we just read, but then it
adds Blessed be his glorious name forever. It focuses on the name, Yahweh,
as the source of blessing and then it has the benediction, may the whole
earth be filled with his glory. As Gods glory fills the Holy of Holies in heaven,
there is the wish that one day Gods glory will fill the whole earth.
Next we read Ps. 89:52. This one is short and similar to the others we read.
Next is Ps. 106:48. There is something different here that may not come
through very well with your translation. Praise the Lord in Hebrew is
Hallelujah. This is the first hallelujah in the Psalms. It is a call to praise
Yahweh. And from this point forward, the last book of psalms is filled with
hallelujahs. Hallelujah is a call to praise God because he has won the victory
over evil and evil powers. It is a victory cry and call to celebrate and praise
God for winning the victory. But notice it is not addressed to God. When we
say hallelujah, we are speaking to congregation. We are saying to everyone,
Join with us in praising God.
Now we look at the end of Psalms, Ps. 150. This psalm is bracketed at the
beginning and end by hallelujah. And between is a bunch of hallelus
(praise). So as we work our way through the Psalms there is a progression
from blessing God to praising God. We bless God for what he gives and we
praise God for who he is. If Bob gives you $1000, you dont say, Praise you
Bob. You say, Thank you Bob. Now after youve received the $1000, you
might go to a friend and say, Bob is a great generous guy. You praise him.
And usually you dont praise someone to their face, but you praise them to
others. So the Psalms are first meant to teach people to bless God and then
they teach people to praise God. The last psalm calls everyone from
everywhere to praise God in every possible way. So the end goal of the
Psalter is to teach people to praise God. It is a handbook on praising.
The Six Main Types of Psalms

There are many different types of psalms, but they can be grouped under 6 major
types or genre. So take a hymnbook for instance. Its genre is religious songs that
are meant to be sung in church. Another example of a genre might be a car manual.

It is meant to show you where everything is on the car and what it does. The Bible
has many different kinds of genres of literature. And even within the Psalms there
are various genres, various kinds of literature. The Psalter consists of songs. But
there are different kinds of songs that are sung for different purposes.
1. The most common type of psalm is the lament. Laments are complaints.
When something has gone wrong you complain to the person in charge who
can fix what is wrong. And you only complain if you think they might do
something to fix the problem. If you know they are not going to listen, you
probably wont even bother to complain. When you make a formal complaint,
you do it assuming it will be remedied. And you assume the person making
the decision is trustworthy, good, fair, and just, and that he has the power to
and will make it right.
Lets take a look at a typical individual lament. Lets look at Ps. 13. The
reason people make complaints is because something bad has happened.
And bad things happen to Gods people just like they do to anyone else. The
most significant experiences Gods people have spiritually are those where
bad things happen. There are five aspects to this psalm.
(..1a) Firstly, when there is trouble, one calls on God by name (Ps. 13:1, 3).
When something goes wrong, we would normally address the person who is
wronging us. So it is not obvious to us that when we have trouble that we
should turn to God. But God has given people his name so that they have
access to him. Through his name they can pray to him and even complain to
him. In the OT God gave Israel the name Yahweh to give Israel access to
himself. In the NT he gives his people the triune name (Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit) to give us access to himself. The creeds tell us this. The whole book of
Psalms shows us how to use the proper name of God.
(..1b) Secondly, the trouble is described and a complaint is made to God (Ps.
13:1-2). (a) One describes what the trouble is. The trouble in Ps. 13 is very
vague. It could fit almost any trouble. (b) When one describes the trouble,
one also names the enemy. The enemy is the one who has wronged you. The
enemy here is not specific because the psalm is meant to fit any situation.
For Christians, the ultimate enemy is Satan, and the enemy is evil spirits. (c)
Then one complains to God about the trouble. The complaint is made to God
because he can fix it and because he is loving, gracious, and merciful, and
because he helps people in times of trouble. There is a disconnect between
what your faith tells you about the character of God and the current situation.
If you are dying of cancer, it feels like God has forgotten you because he
hasnt healed you.
(..1c) Thirdly, one petitions to God for help (Ps. 13:3-4).
(..1d) Fourthly, there is a confession of faith in Gods grace and help (Ps.
13:5). This is the trust in God that motivates the complaint.
(..1e) Lastly, there is the promise of praise when the Lord provides the help
that has been requested (Ps. 13:6). When God delivers someone, the proper

response is to praise God to others. While thankfulness focuses on the gift,
praise focuses on the Giver.
In making this complaint, the psalmist assumes that God is good. How does
God prove he is good? By hearing his prayer and rescuing him from trouble.
So paradoxically, what is it that teaches us to praise God? How do we
discover from our own experience that God is good? Through pain, suffering,
and trouble. We discover from our own experience how good God is. The
laments are an underutilized resource in the church. The modern charismatic
movement is big on praising God, but they are not big on lamenting. They
and most Christians teach you have to be happy in Gods presence, but you
cant be miserable in his presence and dump on God. And yet, if there is one
thing the Psalms teach, its that you can dump on God.
Lets take an example familiar to most of us. You have a friend or family
member who has cancer. You complain to God and ask that he heal them.
Then they die. Did God answer your prayer? Did God deliver them from their
trouble? When they died, we are inclined to say that God did not answer our
prayer. But our prayer was only that he might have a few more years on this
earth. Instead God healed them through death and resurrection. They will
never again experience the pain, suffering, and death of cancer.
Notice that each of the laments ends with a vow of praise. Here is what would
happen in the OT. You would come to the temple and make your lament or a
priest would help you make a lament. Then if God answered your prayer, you
would return to the temple and offer a thank offering. In the thank offering, a
small part would be offered to God and the majority of it would be served in a
thanksgiving meal to your family and friends. As part of the thanksgiving
meal, you would pay one of the Levitical singers to sing a psalm of
thanksgiving for you to thank God for what he has done. So psalms of lament
and psalms of thanksgiving go together. The psalm of lament looks forward to
thanking God for his grace and goodness. The psalm of thanksgiving looks
backward to the trouble that God helped you with.
2. Now lets look at Psalm 30, a typical individual psalm of thanksgiving. As you
read through it, you can see how this looks back at the previous situation.
And this is told in general terms. So it could apply to almost any kind of
trouble a person was in. The psalmist thanks God for hearing his lament and
delivering him from trouble. And therefore he presents a thank offering to
God.
Notice the structure of the psalm.
(..2a) First, there is the act of thanksgiving with the presentation of the thank
offering (Ps. 30:1-5). He exalts God because he has lifted him from the pit and
not let his enemies gloat over him (Ps. 30:1-3). Then he calls for his guests
and the whole congregation to join him in praising God (Ps. 30:4-5). Notice
that trouble and complaining isolates you. But praise joins you to community.
(..2b) Then the reason is given why they should praise God, an account of the
deliverance (Ps. 30:6-11). There is a description of the trouble he was in (Ps.
30:6-7). There is the cry for deliverance (Ps. 30:8-10). And then there is Gods

act of deliverance (Ps. 30:11).
(..2c) Then the psalmist vows to praise God forever (Ps. 30:12). The rest of his
life he will be a praise singer.
So to summarize, he was doomed to death. God gave him a new lease on life.
And God turned him from a complainer to a praise singer. And he is going to
dedicate the rest of his life to praising God.
Why is it that God wants him to praise him? Remember we dont praise God
to his face. We praise him to others so that when they are in trouble they too
will call on the name of the Lord and discover for themselves what this
person has discovered and join the community of praise. What is the church?
A community of praise singers, as well as a community of complainers. We
complain for ourselves and we complain for others. We take our troubles and
the troubles of others to God and ask him in his grace to deliver us from
them.
3. So far weve had individual psalms of lament and individual psalms of
thanksgiving. There are also individual psalms of confessions of faith, psalms
of confidence and trust in God. The laments have a small section of
confession of faith. You can also have whole psalms of confessions of faith.
One of these is Ps. 23. There are two pictures in this psalm. In one God is the
Good Shepherd and in the other God is the Host who gives a person VIP
treatment in his house. Read it. One note of translation. In verse 6, the
Hebrew verb means hunts down, chases you. Normally it is used in a
negative sense, as evil hunts you down. Here it is Gods goodness and mercy
that pursues him and hunts him down. The idea is that no matter how much
goodness and mercy he has shown you, he is eager to show you more and
more. Isnt that a beautiful picture?
4. Now corresponding to these individual psalms there are corporate psalms. So
there are national laments and national thanksgivings and national
confessions of faith.
[Psalms/Proverbs (Bible 2, 3b), 51:10]
On what kind of occasion would a national lament be called? Think of the
book of Joel the grasshopper plague. The priests called a national day of
fasting and prayer. In the book of Joel we have a summary of that lament.
Other occasions might be a drought or most commonly an attack or defeat by
an enemy. Lets take a look at a national lament. It has all the features of an
individual lament. Lets read Ps. 79. As we read, figure out what the occasion
for this lament is. The occasion is that they have been invaded by an enemy
and it looks like the enemy will destroy them as a nation. Notice that an
attack on Israel is also an attack on God so they ask for Gods help to deliver
them and to give them justice. And notice that it ends with a promise of
praise.

5. Lets say now that God has heard the national lament of Ps. 79 and that
Israels armies have defeated the enemys armies. What would happen? The
king and army would come to the temple in Jerusalem and the choir and
musicians would lead them in procession into the temple. They would come
into Gods presence and they would thank and praise God for their
deliverance.
Ps. 118 is a very famous psalm of deliverance and thanksgiving. Well run
though it very quickly. As we read, imagine the victory has been won and the
king comes at the head of the army. The I that is speaking here is the king.
First, read verses 1-18. Here the king representing the whole nation describes
what happened. They were surrounded by their enemies. They called on the
Lord. And the Lord destroyed their enemies. And now they are celebrating the
victory, not that they won, but that God won for them. Read verse 19.
Imagine Solomons temple. There was an inner court and an outer court. The
gateway from the outer court to the inner court had 15 steps that led up to
the altar. This is the Gate of Righteousness referred to in verse 19. The only
people allowed to go through that gate are the people who are righteous,
people whose sins have been forgiven, who have been cleansed. The
procession has entered the outer court and now the king requests that the
gate be opened to enter into Gods presence to give him thanks. And then in
the rest of the psalm we get a dialog between the king and the priests who
are the gatekeepers. Verse 19 is the king. Verse 20 is the priest. The dialog
goes back and forth. This is a psalm of national thanksgiving. Its a royal
psalm because the king is leading the nation in thanksgiving to God. Notice in
verse 27 that the procession comes and goes around the altar. The soldiers
dont have swords in their hands, but palm branches, which is the mark of
victory in the ancient world. And they go around the altar, they touch the four
horns of the altar with the palm branches and then they go out again.
6. Lastly, we get national hymns of praise. They were sung in the divine service
as part of the regular liturgy. From the Pentateuch you remember that every
morning and every evening a lamb and a cereal offering were burnt upon the
altar. As the lamb was burnt on the altar, two priests sounded the trumpet
and the Levitical choir standing on their platform would sing a psalm of praise
in front of the altar. So as the smoke went up from the altar, the song of
praise would begin and they would sing praise about God addressed to the
congregation. In doing so, they would invite the congregation to praise God.
The psalm of praise announced that God was present and that God was
graciously present. Therefore people could come and pray to him for help.
Lets take a look at Psalm 100. As it is read, see if you can find references to
the location where this praise is being sung. To enter his gates with
thanksgiving and his courts with praise, one enters the temple. This psalm is
part of the daily liturgy.
What is the origin of the psalms of praise? Lets look at two significant
passages which tell us how this became a regular feature at the temple in
Jerusalem. First in 1 Chron. 23:30-31, David is making arrangements for the
temple that his son Solomon would build. What was it that David established

for the Levites? The Levites were the assistants to the priests. And within the
Levites was the Levitical choir, the praise singers. They were to sing praise
songs every morning and every evening while the burnt offering was being
presented on the altar. Why did David establish this? Read 2 Chron. 29:25-30
which gives us the origin of this very important practice. This is a story of
what happened during the reign of Hezekiah when he restores the temple
and its services after his predecessor closed down the temple. David
instituted it because he was told to by two prophets of the Lord. In the last
verse, it says that Hezekiah ordered the Levites to sing the Psalms of David
and Asaph regularly as part of the daily service. David instituted the praise
singing, but Hezekiah instituted the collection of psalms. Hezekiah compiled
the first Psalm Book. And it grew from that point on. It was probably closed
some time in the post exilic period. Notice that three things occurred
together: as the daily burnt offering was made, the Levitical choir sang the
song praise to the congregation, and at the end of every verse the people
prostrated themselves before the Lord.
The Purpose of the Psalms
What is the Psalter? It was the hymn book of the second temple. Although hymn
book might be slightly misleading, because it is first and foremost a choir book. It
not only has the words to sing, but it also has little notations that say what tune to
sing it to. The psalms could also be used by ordinary people just like our hymn book
can be used at home as well as at church.
What then is the purpose of the Psalter?
1. You can see it by the way that the book is arranged, by looking at the
beginning and ending of the book. Lets read Ps. 1 which will give us a clue to
one purpose of the book of Psalms. It has no title which indicates that it is
part of the heading for the whole book. So it tells you something about the
whole Psalter. Who is a righteous person? It is a person who delights in the
Law of the Lord and therefore he meditates on the Law of the Lord day and
night. That makes him a fruitful person, like a fruit tree planted near water.
On the other hand, a wicked person is like chaff that the wind blows away. So
why has this psalm been composed and put at the head of the book? It shows
us what the book of Psalms is meant to be used for. It is to be used for
meditation. For many years Dr. Kleinig has been teaching Christian
spirituality. And part of spirituality is mediation. Many times people ask what
is the best book to meditate on? Without hesitation, he recommends Psalms.
What is different about the Psalms from other books today that teach about
meditation? Other books tell you what to do and how to meditate. The Psalms
actually give you meditations. They do it for you. For the first 1000 years of
the church, to meditate was basically to say the Psalms to yourself. So one
purpose for the Psalms is to teach us to meditate on Gods Word as a guide
for a fruitful life.
2. The second purpose of the Psalter is shown in Ps. 2. This purpose is not quite
so obvious. This is a royal psalm. This psalm would have been used at the
coronation of a king. Remember that the Psalter was compiled in the post

exilic period when there was no king in Israel. There is a lot here and we dont
have time to go over it all. Lets focus on that last verse. Blessed are all who
take refuge in him. Who is him? It is the Son. It is the Messiah, the
Anointed One, the coming King. This is a bit unexpected because normally
you would take refuge in God. But this psalm encourages one to take refuge
in the Messiah and after the exile there was no king. So this pointed them
forward to the future Messiah that was promised. So it teaches the Jews to
look forward and to hope for and to take refuge in the coming Messiah. Look
to him for help and salvation. As Christians, we read this psalm as having
been fulfilled by Jesus. He was the promised Messiah. We take refuge in him.
3. Lastly, the whole book of Psalms ends with Hallelujah psalms. The Hallelujah
psalms begin at Ps. 104. And the book ends with a whole series of Hallelujah
psalms, Pss. 145-150. Since the book ends this way, it teaches the church to
praise God. Praise God not just in worship, but in the whole of life and in
anticipation of heaven. Because in the age to come we will continually praise
God.
The Book of Proverbs

[Psalms/Proverbs (Bible 2, 3b), 51:10, beginning at 32:25]
Introduction to Proverbs
Whereas the book of Psalms focuses on worship and the role of praise in worship,
the book of Proverbs focuses on educating in the classroom. This is somewhat like a
primary school curriculum that is religious and not secular in nature. Pretend you
are in a school that Solomon established to help train people to work in his
administration. To do this, you need to be able to read and write and think. So first
of all you need to read. The teacher would start writing and the students would copy
what the teacher wrote, letter by letter. Then the teacher would read it to the
students and have the students write it out, say ten times, to practice writing. Then
the teacher would look at it and see how they were doing. So the teacher would use
these short proverbs to teach his students to read and then to write and then to
think. The curriculum is different from our curriculum because it teaches you more
how to think and not what to think.
Basic Genres of Proverbs
I want to show this to you using three different proverbs to illustrate what I just said.
1. The first proverb we will look at is Prov. 27:17: As iron sharpens on iron, so a
person sharpens the face of his friend/neighbor. So what does proverb
mean? What is the basic picture in this proverb? The picture is iron rubbing
against iron. In older times you had shears (like a large scissors) where the
blades were made of iron. Iron was used because if iron shears are setup
correctly it wont lose its sharpness. When the iron blades rub against each
other they will sharpen each other. If other metals are used, they will get dull.
There is such a thing as self-sharpening scissors. Its the same principle. It
cuts and sharpens at the same time. In the ancient world iron was the
hardest metal and therefore the only way to sharpen it was to use iron
against iron. Thats the picture.
So what does this picture mean? Its speaking of one person sharpening
another person. What kind of person sharpens another person? As two blades
that are opposite of each other sharpen each other, so two people who are
opposite of each other sharpen each other when they cross each other. Now
the unexpected word here is face. What is meant by face? Its speaking of
interaction between people. If someone is passionate about something, we
say he got into my face about it. When two people, who have strong but
opposing views on a matter, get into a discussion about that matter, they
have a heated discussion. They get into each others face. When they
strongly disagree with each other, they have to really understand their own
position as well as their opponent in order to make their case. Your critic
causes you to think more deeply than a person who agrees with you. So your
thinking is sharpened; your mind is sharpened. Are there other kinds of

sharpening? Yes. Your character, your heart, your feelings, your spirit, your
personality. It knocks off the rough edges. It helps you understand and feel
what the other person understands and feels. You learn to understand the
way the other person thinks.
What we have been doing here is put ourselves in the shoes of an ancient
teacher. We havent really gotten into an interpretation of the proverb.
Actually there are thousands of possible interpretations because it all
depends on the situation you are in. In different situations you use the
proverb in different ways. So a proverb doesnt teach you what to think. It
teaches you how to think. You take the proverb and connect it to your own
experiences. We started with something we knew iron sharpens iron. You
start out with the known and use it to explore the unknown. You use it to
explore your experiences. So wisdom has to do NOT with abstract
knowledge, but with the knowledge that comes from experience, from
practical experience that comes from relationships. You draw on your
experience as a husband or wife or times when you were criticized.
In teaching the proverb, the teacher has the students write it out over and
over again. By the time they are done, they have the proverb memorized. In
Hebrew it is a little poem and it is easy to memorize. So then you have the
proverb with you and it helps you think through and get through lifes
experiences. It doesnt give you an explanation of life, but it gives you a tool
to make sense of and understand life. You might think that you would learn
the most from people who are like you, who think like you, but who do you
learn the most from? From people who are opposite-minded, people who
challenge you. They teach you to sharpen your mind. But this can only
happen if we interact with other people. This tells us about the importance of
face to face interactions. So who is it that spiritually sharpens us the most?
Many times we learn more from unbelievers than we do believers. This is one
of the reasons why the seminary primarily has classes face to face. It involves
the whole person. Its not just mental.
So what is the basic difference between wisdom and knowledge? Knowledge
is learning facts and wisdom is applying those facts. Is wisdom and
intelligence the same thing? No. Where would you expect to find the wisest
people? In the universities? In our society we think theyre the wisest. But
many times the biggest fools are the intellectuals. Some of the wisest people
are farmers or fisherman, ordinary people. What is the basic classroom for
getting wisdom? The home and the world, the school of hard knocks. Only
experience teaches wisdom. The basic credential for a wise person is that he
has white hair; hes had a lot of experiences.
[Proverbs (Bible 2, 4a), 53:46]
The first genre is a proverb. We looked at a proverb last time (Prov. 27:17). A
proverb is just a statement of reality. It doesnt tell you what to think, but it is
an aide in helping you to think. It helps you examine and make sense of an

experience. Remember that a proverb is a little two-part sentence. Each
proverb is a little poem that was used to teach people to read and write and
think.
2. The second genre that we will look at is an instruction. It tells people what
they need to do in order to get wisdom or to live wisely. One way to
understand a proverb is to look for an unexpected twist. A fool briefly looks at
a proverb and says, Ok I understand, and then quickly moves on. The mark of
a fool is that he thinks he knows everything, that there is nothing to learn. He
only half listens instead of having a close listen and close look.
Lets take a look at an instruction in Prov. 16:3: Commit (lit. roll) your work
to the Lord, so that your plans may be established. What does this proverb
deal with? It deals with our work. What is unexpected here? It speaks of your
plans and not Gods plans. Thats one thing that is unexpected, but there is
something even more unexpected. What is the normal sequence of carrying
out your work? You plan, you work, you are successful. Everyone wants to be
successful. So what would most people say is the secret of being successful?
Planning. And sense God is in control and determines who is successful and
who isnt, the normal thought is to get God in on your plans. But what does
this passage say? It says, commit your work to the Lord. The emphasis in the
sequence is not on planning and not on success. It is on your work. Now, Dr.
Kleinig said he would not take this any further. He was going to leave it and
let you think about it [although he actuality does speak about it some more].
Notice that most proverbs take a clich (a common thought that everyone
knows, an automatic mental reflex when a particular thing happens) and
turns it on its head. The question here is, Why should you commit your work
to the Lord rather than your plans to God or your success to God? The point
of this proverb is to get you to reflect on the way that God is involved in your
work. It raises the question of how do you determine if you are successful or
not? Or what is real success? You can plan. You can work. It looks as if it is
successful. But yet it might be a failure. There is something in between
working and the end result that determines if it is truly successful or not.
Dr. Kleinig said we could go on for hours wrestling with this, but he was going
to leave it at this. His main objective here is to show how proverbs are used.
It is totally different than our modern way of learning. As a modern student all
we want to know is, what the meaning of the proverb is and then move on to
the next thing. But a proverb is meant to make you think and reflect on your
own experience and make sense of it. It makes you see that things that look
ordinary are in actuality extra-ordinary. There is a proverb that Dr. Kleinig
likes that speaks to this. It says, the eyes of the fool are always on the end of
the world, on the horizon. The fool is always looking for what is on the other
side and is missing out on what is right in front of his face. There is extraordinary stuff happening right now. This proverb means you should listen
carefully and look carefully at your own experiences, to make sense of them.
3. The next type of proverb is the riddle. It is found in Prov. 17:16: Why is there
this payment in the hand of a fool to buy/get wisdom, when he has no
heart/mind. Whats the basic point of this proverb? The basic question is,

Why is wisdom even available to a fool when he doesnt have the capacity to
take it in? The situation is that you have a student coming to a teacher
expecting the teacher to just give him an answer without him having to think
for himself. The idea some have is that wisdom is something you can buy,
that the more you pay the more you get. They have the impression that you
can acquire wisdom second hand. This is one of the biggest problems in the
whole education system today. Most of the most important things cannot be
taught; they are caught. The individual has to put in the work and then when
they catch on, theyve got it. Each individual needs to work and think things
out for himself. A fool is not an ignorant person. He can be very intelligent.
Sometimes the biggest fools are the most intelligent people. The fool is the
one who wants short cuts to get wisdom. The most important thing in getting
wisdom is to have the right heart, the right character, the right mind, the
right mentality. You have to think mathematically to understand math. You
have to think imaginatively to understand art. You have to think musically to
make sense of music. You have to think Hebrew to make sense of Hebrew.
Weve far too much time on this, lets move on to the books structure.
The Structure of Proverbs
1. It begins with a prologue on Woman Wisdom and the getting of wisdom (Prov.
1 9). Read Prov. 1:1-7. The mark of a fool is that he despises wisdom. And
he despises wisdom because he despises discipline. There is a certain
discipline that is required to get wisdom. The purpose of Proverbs is to attain
wisdom and discipline. Each subject has a certain discipline to it. And you
dont just start out on your own, rather you go to someone who has already
mastered the discipline, who has insight. You listen to what they say so that
you can have a disciplined and prudent life. To get wisdom, you have to have
a disciplined life. If you have an undisciplined, careless life, you will never
discover wisdom for doing what is just and right and fair. It helps in the
formation of your conscience. So your conscience is more important in the
getting of wisdom than intelligence. This is basically about teaching wisdom
to young people, but even older people can learn wisdom. So the point of this
collection of proverbs is to help young people and old people to get wisdom
and to increase in wisdom.
What is the secret in getting wisdom? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom. Fear of God, respect for God and his involvement in your life is the
beginning, the foundation of wisdom. Why is this so? Because it is God who
teaches you discipline in the school of life. And how does he do it? First of all
through your own experiences. And secondly you learn from others. It would
be stupid to start off from scratch every time. You use your eyes to see
whats happening to you and you use your ears to listen to and learn from
other people. You then bring the two together. You use what you hear to make
sense of what you see. And you use what you see to make sense of what you
hear. Thats the secret of the getting of wisdom. Thats the way that God
teaches wisdom in the school of life.

So Prov. 1:1-7 is the introduction for the main figure who is a woman who
embodies wisdom. In the prologue this wise woman is contrasted with Miss
Folly. We will be talking some more about them.
2. Then we get seven books of wisdom (Prov. 10 31). Why seven? Seven is the
perfect, complete number.
(Prov. 10:1 22:16) Prov. 10:1a introduces the first book of wisdom. So the
first collection is the proverbs of Solomon. So this indicates that this
material comes from the school that Solomon established in Jerusalem for
training his courtiers.
(Prov. 22:17 24:22) Read Prov. 22:17-21, the introduction to the second
book. This is an introduction to thirty sayings of the wise. We dont
know who put these sayings together. The point of these sayings is teach
people to put their trust in the Lord to guide them into getting of wisdom
in their lives.
(Prov. 24:23 34) Read Prov. 24:23a, the introduction of the third book.
This is another collection of the sayings of the wise.
(Prov. 25 29) Prov. 25:1a is an interesting introduction to the next book.

Solomon was around 960 BC. And Hezekiah was around 700 BC. So this is
a revised collection of proverbs which was collected by the courtiers of
Hezekiah. This is the one clear historical reference in the book of Proverbs.
So this is Hezekiahs collection of Solomons proverbs.
(Prov. 30:1-33) The fifth book is introduced by Prov. 30:1a. This collection
is the words of Agur. Who is Agur? No one knows. All of proverbs are not
Solomons proverbs. He has many, but there are also sayings by wise men
and Agur.
(Prov. 31:1-9) Prov. 31:1a says these are the words of king Lemuel. Who
was king Lemuel? No on knows. We dont even know if he was a Jewish
king. It is his oracle, but it is what he learned from his mother. The most
important people for the teaching and getting of wisdom are your parents,
your spouse, and then others, usually older people who mentor us.
(Prov. 31:10-31) The book of Proverbs ends with an acrostic poem. An

acrostic poem is a poem built around the letters of the alphabet. Each
verse begins with the next letter of the alphabet. This poem praises the
good wife who is the teacher of wisdom. So why does the book of
proverbs end with a poem that praises a good wife? A mans wife will be
the most important teacher of wisdom for him.
This is a very unusual book and it busts many modern clichs. It touches on what is
missing in most modern education and modern life wisdom. We have a lot

emphasis on knowledge. But it seems like the more knowledge we have, the less
wisdom we have.
The Themes of Proverbs
1. Wisdom has to do with not just fitting in with other people, but of Gods
ordering of his creation. It presupposes that God has created the world and
that he created an orderly world. First lets look at Prov. 3:13-20. God created
the world with wisdom. And he created the world as a home, a habitat for
human beings and animals, and plants. God created the world with
everything in it that was necessary for life. The picture here is of God as a
master builder, creating the world as a house for people to live in. Within his
creation is wisdom. And it is wisdom that gives people life. So if you get
wisdom, you will have a full, rich life. But if you despise wisdom, you will
reject life. Notice that wisdom is described as the Tree of Life (remember the
Garden of Eden?). If you partake of this tree, you will have life. If not, you will
commit suicide. So the first theme is that God uses wisdom in ordering and
maintaining his creation and life in it.
2. The second theme is the destructiveness of folly in defying this order of
wisdom. If God gives life in the orderly world he has created by wisdom,
then to reject wisdom is to reject life, to commit suicide. In Prov. 1:20-33 we
have Wisdom speaking. Where is it that Wisdom teaches? Not closed up in a
classroom, but out in public. She is out there available to everyone. And who
is it that Wisdom addresses? It addresses three groups. (1) First she speaks to
the simple, to those who are gullible, ignorant people. These are silly people,
not necessarily evil or foolish, just silly. (2) Then she addresses the mockers
and scoffers. They mock anyone who does the right thing in order to defend
thier own silliness. You can see this in teenage peer groups. (3) Finally she
addresses fools. Fools deliberately reject insight, knowledge, and wisdom. All
three of these groups are on the road to folly. They are at the beginning,
middle, or end of the road of folly. Wisdom rebukes these three groups, telling
them they are going the wrong way. And she offers to give them her spirit,
her power to resist evil and stupidity, her way of thinking. She confronts them
with a stick and a carrot. The stick is her rebuke and the carrot is her spirit,
her way of thinking. Since they refused to listen to Wisdom, Wisdom will
laugh or scoff when calamity comes to them. The tables are turned. Because
they hated knowledge and did not fear the Lord and would not listen to
Wisdom, they are allowed to go their own way and reap the consequences of
their actions. So there is a contrast here between those who listen to Wisdom
and have safe, secure life and those who refuse to listen to Wisdom and lose
the vitality of life. Wisdom then has to do with listening. Its a strange
downward spiral. People refuse to listen and the more they suffer the
consequences of their refusal to listen, the more adamant they are in refusing
to listen. We all have a listening problem. We all like to listen to ourselves.
That is original sin.
3. The third theme is Wisdom is the product of the fear of the Lord: respect for
God and trust in his management of life. Weve read Prov. 1:7, which is the
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Now lets read Prov. 3:3-8 and

11-12. There is something unexpected in verse 3. I would have expected it to
say, Dont give up being loving and faithful. But instead it says, Let not
steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you. Whose love and faithfulness is it
talking about? Other people and God. The love and faithfulness of other
people and of God is the beginning of wisdom. Dont reject the love and
faithfulness that God and others show you. One little note on verse 6. Instead
of acknowledge him, it should be know him or discover him or be
intimate with him. These instructions are about the fear of the Lord. What
is the fear of the Lord? First of all it focuses on Gods love and faithfulness.
Dont be afraid of someone who is evil, but be afraid of losing Gods love.
Hold on to his love. And then that leads into trusting God with all your heart
and not trusting in yourself. Know God in every part of your life. Know that
God is with you and travelling with you in every part of life. It also means not
being wise in your own eyes. Dont think that you know everything. Then a
person who fears God shuns evil and loves what is good; he lives morally.
This results in health, starting with a healthy conscious, and honoring God by
bringing God the offerings he requires in worship. So fearing God means: (1)
holding on to Gods love; (2) trusting God; (3) shunning evil; (4) worshipping
God in the way that he requires.
Now look at verses 11 and 12. The picture here is that the teacher is the
father and the student is the son. You might expect the teacher to say, Dont
despise my discipline but instead he says, Dont despise Gods discipline.
What is Gods discipline? When you do something wrong, God will discipline
you with the stick. What is the stick? The consequences of your actions. Most
of the time God stops you from suffering the consequences of your actions.
But if you refuse to listen to his telling you off through your conscience and
other people, God will let you suffer the consequences of your actions. The
problem is that when we suffer the consequences of our actions, we feel that
God doesnt love us. But that is silly. Lets say there are two fathers. One
father never disciplines his child and the other does discipline his child. Which
one loves his child? The one who disciplines his child. The one who doesnt
discipline his child is indifferent towards that child; he doesnt care about the
child. And that child will do things purposely to provoke the father to find out
if the father really loves him. So in summary, wisdom is first of all the product
of the fear of the Lord. And secondly, we learn wisdom from Gods instruction
and our experience in the school of life. The fear of the Lord is the foundation
of wisdom.
4. The fourth theme is learning from instruction and experience in the school
of life. [Dr. Kleinig did not go over this theme, probably because he covered
it in the second half of the previous point. For this theme he references Prov.
19:12.]
5. The fifth theme is getting wisdom by living wisely with God and with people.
Lets read Prov. 2:1-22. This is a lengthy poem about the getting of wisdom
and in Hebrew it is one single sentence.
First read verses 1-5. The teacher is the father addressing the student
who is his son. Where does the getting of wisdom begin? It starts by

listening to and meditating on the wise words of the teacher. And that
leads to the realization that one doesnt have wisdom and leads one
pray to God for wisdom. This results then in the student understanding
the fear of the Lord and gaining knowledge of God.
Continue reading verses 6-11. God gives and speaks wisdom and that
wisdom gives the student success in life and protects the student from
going the wrong way. Why will this happen? Because the student will
understand what is right and wrong. He will get a sharp conscious.
Instead of relying on someone outside of himself or even his intellect to
guide him, he will instead rely on the compass that is within him, his
conscious. It will direct him in life. It will tell him what to avoid and
what to embrace in life. He will have true discernment. This is because
wisdom enters his heart as his guide and will save him from folly.
Now lets read the rest, verses 12-22. This tells about the salvation that
wisdom brings. One of the biggest perils in life is falling in with the
wrong group of people and going the wrong way in life. But even more
perilous than that is being sucked into sexual misbehavior. Folly comes
as an adulterous woman who promises life, being sexual enjoyment.
She invites them to her house and anyone who enters her thinks they
are entering heaven, but in reality they are entering the underworld. It
is the wisdom of God that keeps you from becoming involved with the
wrong people and the wrong woman. Notice that wisdom has much
more to do with living than with thinking. It has much to do with
morality but it also has much to do with theology, getting to know God.
It all comes back to the foundation. If you fear God, know God, trust in
God, rely on God you will have wisdom and wisdom gives you the
compass to live wisely. Wisdom is life-giving. Folly is death-bringing.
(An observation by Dr. Kleinig. The baby boom generation is the worst
generation of all that has lost wisdom. They dont live a wise life.)
6. The sixth theme is patronage of Lady Wisdom and reception of her gifts to
her students . Take a look at the way that Lady Wisdom is presented in Prov.
4:1-9 and then we will see the way her opposite (Lady Folly) is presented.
Here we see what Lady Wisdom has to offer her students. This is the teaching
handed down from generation to generation. You might expect a father to say
to his son, be good and dont be bad. But his commands for his son are: get
wisdom (if you do you will get understanding), love wisdom, esteem wisdom,
and embrace wisdom. So his teachings all have to do with wisdom. What
does wisdom promise? She promises vitality and life; she promises protection
from evil and disaster; and she promises to promote the student to a position
of honor. The imagery changes here. First wisdom is presented as a wife and
then it changes to a woman who is a patron, like a queen. She likes a young
man and she makes sure he is successful. She is the patron of the young man
and she gives him a place of importance in the royal court. If you get Lady
Wisdom, you get everything you could possibly want in life.
7. Lastly, and this is very important for the NT, is the picture of Lady Wisdom
as the mediator between God and humanity. Lets go to Prov. 8:32 9:6. (By

the way, chapter 8 is very important in terms of Christology.) Wisdom stands
between God and human beings. Those who find wisdom and love wisdom
receive Gods favor. They receive life and they enjoy life. Those who reject
wisdom, reject Gods grace and favor. They reject the gift of life.
At the beginning of the next chapter (ch. 9) we get wisdoms invitation.
Wisdom is teaching, but she does not invite her students to a lesson or a
classroom. Instead she invites them to a feast. And in this feast she offers
life. Lady Wisdom and Lady Folly both offer life, but only Lady Wisdom
delivers it. This is important for the NT because Jesus is the incarnation of
wisdom. Lukes gospel in particular shows Jesus involved in many peoples
meals. He invites them to eat and drink with him. Within the church what is
the life giving meal of wisdom? The Lords Supper. Holy Communion is the
meal where we receive instruction in wisdom - a meal that teaches wisdom.
8. The counterpart of Lady Wisdom is Lady Folly. Lets read about Ms. Folly in
Prov. 9:13-18. As we read see if you can get the irony here. She mimics Lady
Wisdom. What is the picture of Ms. Folly that is presented here? Who would
sit there and try and accost men as they pass by? She is pictured as a
prostitute. Note that she invites the same people that Lady Wisdom invites.
And her invitation is out in public just like Lady Wisdoms invitation was out in
public. What she offers in verse 17 is full of sexual euphemisms. She is
offering sex. Lady Folly promises heaven but in reality she leads them into
the underworld so that they join the dead.
The Purpose of the Book of Proverbs
Proverbs was used as a text book in the wisdom schools. The first wisdom school
was established by Solomon and it continued after that. If you want to see what
education should be in our schools, look at the book of Proverbs.
It was used as the primary school curriculum. (The secondary school

curriculum is Ecclesiastes. The tertiary book of curriculum is the book of Job.)
It was used to teach young men to read and write and think. It prepares them
for public life.
It also teaches young men how to get wisdom by leading a God fearing life.
The Book of Job

[Proverbs/Job (Bible 2, 4b), 45:02, beginning at 21:00]
A Summary of the Book
As we finished Proverbs, we said Job was the tertiary curriculum. It was like a
college level curriculum for Israel. (1) What is the most important way that we learn
wisdom in life? It is through the experience of living, through making mistakes and
the suffering that results from it. But the deepest wisdom comes from innocent
suffering. (2) If you are going to communicate wisdom to foolish people, people
trapped in the consequences of their folly, how can you best communicate wisdom?
First, if you are going to communicate with someone who is suffering, you have to
have suffered at some point in your life. Otherwise you will not have any credibility.
But what do you do to communicate wisdom? You, as pastors, will be faced with this
all the time. Thats what being a pastor is. You will need to be a good listener. To
answer the question of what you do, lets take a look at Job in a general sense. He
starts off as a God fearing, just man. He acts justly. He is an advocate for justice. By
the end of his life, God changes Job from a law man into an intercessor, a person
who prays. What is the most important thing that God will be teaching you for the
rest of your life? To be an intercessor for others who are in trouble. That then is a
summary of the book. I give it to you now because it is a complicated book. Note
that as we delve into Job, by universal acclaim, Job is considered one of the greatest
pieces of world literature ever written.
The Structure of Job
To understand Job you have to understand its structure. Job starts out life with
everything. And then in quick succession he loses his goods, his kids, and he almost
loses his own life. God allows these things to happen and Job suffers for no apparent
reason all of the worst things that a human can suffer except for the loss of his life.
1.
(Job 1 2) Satan tests Jobs integrity. The first two chapters of the book of
Job is the prologue, which tells the story of Job. Lets take a look at a couple of
passages that summarize the message of the prologue. Lets read Job 1:6-12.
There are a couple things that give us the key to the whole book. The picture
here is that Satan, which means accuser, is a prosecutor in the court of God.
So Satan goes around looking for what is wrong with people so that he can
accuse them before God. God called Satans attention to Job. Job is a model
for what it means for a person to fear God. God considers Job to be an ideal
human being. Satan, the ultimate cynic, says, Youve got to be kidding. He
fears you only because youve given him everything. He fears you only
because of all the things hes gotten from you. But I bet if you take
everything from him then he will curse you. God has such confidence in Job
that he says to Satan, Ok, you can take everything from Job except his life.
The key phrase is, does Job fear God for nothing? Does he fear God because
he is God or does he fear him because he gets all these things from God?

[Satan then took away from Job all of his flocks and herds, his servants, and
all of his children.] The story continues in Job 2:1-6. Notice that it says the
things that were taken from Job were taken for no reason. Job has done
nothing wrong. This is not a punishment for wrong doing. In Gods eyes Job is
a man of integrity. Again we see Satans cynicism as God tells Satan that Job
still fears God even though all these things have been taken away from him.
Satan says, I grant you that Job does not fear you because of what he can get
out of you. As long as you dont touch him, hes happy. But if you attack him
personally, he will curse you. So then Satan caused Job to have this terrible
skin disease that was pure torture. His wife then told Job, you should just
curse God and die. But Job refuses to do so.
2.
(Job 3 27) Job and his comforters. Job is suffering and his three best
friends come to visit him. At first they do a good job with Job. For 7 days and
7 nights they stay with Job and they dont say a word to him. They simply
stayed with him and listened to him. This is a hard thing to do. At the end of
the 7 days, Job doesnt curse God, but he curses the day he was born (Job 3).
He wished that he had never been born. This annoys his friends because they
think it is blasphemy against God. From this comes three rounds of speeches
by his friends (Job 4 26).
In their speeches, his friends give basically two kinds of arguments. (1) The
first argument they give is: You are suffering because you did something
wrong and God is punishing you for it. And they ask him, What have you done
wrong that God is punishing you like this? They push this because they are
not suffering and therefore they are good. They dont want to be where Job is.
They bring their own agenda into the argument. They say, You have done
wrong and people suffer the consequences of their own actions. Job was
prepared to grant that evil leads to suffering. But he maintained that he had
done nothing wrong. So he kept on challenging his friends. He told them, If
Ive done something wrong show me. (2) The second argument they use then
is: Human beings are ignorant. The wise thing to do is to repent of the sin
that you dont know youve committed and go to God and ask him to forgive
you. Job said no. I cant repent unless I know what I need to repent of.
There are three rounds of arguments between the three friends and Job. And
interestingly, in the final round the third friend is silenced and they have
nothing else to argue about. There is something funny going on here. They
came to comfort Job. But what do they end up doing? They end up accusing
him. So whose side do they end up siding with? Satan. They think they are
siding with God, but in fact they are siding with Satan. Now watch out. That is
the basic peril of being a pastor and being in pastoral care. This book of Job is
the best handbook on pastoral care that there is. The danger is that you learn
your theology and you use your theology to explain peoples suffering. If you
explain their suffering people will hear it as accusation and in fact that is
what you are doing. And without realizing it, you will be siding with Satan. You
think you are siding with God and doing his work, but it reality youre siding
with Satan and doing his work.

The speeches end with Job being frustrated (Job 27). He turns his back on his
friends and he challenges God by swearing an oath of innocence. Let look at
that oath of innocence in Job 27:1-10. As God lives in Hebrew is the way you
swear an oath. It means, by the life of God I swear ... . Here Job swears that
he is innocent and will always maintain his innocence. Now since he swore, if
he was not innocent he would die. Then he brings a curse upon his enemy,
his accuser. But who are the ones accusing him? His friends. His curse will
come upon his friends if what they say is untrue. And so by the end of the
book the curse does come upon them and Job has to intercede for his friends.
3.
(Job 28) A poem on the hidden wisdom of God. This poem has nothing to
do with Job. It is an editorial insertion about Gods hidden wisdom. Human
beings cant see it. In this book it is hidden in the sufferings of Job. Instead of
Jobs sufferings contradicting Gods wisdom, they reveal Gods wisdom.

[Job (Bible 2, 5a), 44:07]
(A quick review of Job so far. Satan is allowed to attack Jobs goods, family,
and finally Job himself. Jobs friends come to comfort him. They start out well
but then offer their own pastoral care. The theology they use is not wrong.
They use the right theology, but in the wrong situation because they
assumed that Job has sinned. So they end up joining with Satan in accusing
Job. They think they are siding with God but in fact they are siding with Satan.
There are three cycles of debates between Job and his friends.)
4. (Job 29 42) Job and God. Finally the debate is silenced and Job turns to
God and decides to force Gods hand.
(.. 4a) (Job 29 31) Jobs complaint and oath of clearance. To force Gods
hand, Job does four things.
First he takes an oath of clearance. Basically he says, I am innocent.

In modern terms he says, Everything I am saying is the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Then he couples that oath with a curse on the wicked, the wicked one.
So if Job is guilty then the curse will fall upon Job.
Then he follows this with a complaint about the injustice of his

suffering.
And then he takes a second oath of clearance. He thinks about all of

the things he could have done wrong and basically says, God, if Ive
done this then judge me. If Ive done that then judge me.
Because Job has taken these oaths, if Job is guilty then God will have to
punish Job. But if Job is innocent then God will have to vindicate Job and end
Jobs suffering. By doing this he tries to force Gods hand.

(..4b) (Job 32 37) Elihus attempt at arbitration. Next comes a clumsy
attempt by a young theologian who tries to do justice to both God and to Job.
He tries to justify Gods actions and he tries to justify Job. But he completely
misses the point. God doesnt need to be defended. Job doesnt need an
explanation or reason; he needs deliverance from the innocent suffering he is
going through and vindication. (This is what you need to know when you are
doing pastoral care. You think people need explanations about what is
happening, and they will raise those issues, but they really need help in their
suffering and deliverance from their suffering.)
(..4c) (Job 38 42) God's appearance to answer Jobs charges of
incompetence and injustice. Then the unexpected happens God appears.
In his previous complaints Job had accused God of two things: injustice and
incompetence. Job accused God of incompetence because if God is wise, he
doesnt seem to act wisely in dealing with Job and in dealing with suffering
people like Job. Or the other possibility is that God is not interested in justice
and hence he condones injustice. In response God does something very
interesting. He doesnt defend himself and he doesnt attack Job.
(Job 38:1 40:2) God challenges Job to prove that he is not wise or
that he is incompetent. Basically God says, Youve made these
accusations against me, prove to me that I am incompetent in running
the world. Lets take a look at Job 38:1-11. Gods counsel is Gods
strategy, his plan for running the world. So God accuses Job of
ignorance of Gods plans. God basically says, If you think Ive bungled
creation, show me where Ive gone wrong. God takes Job on a journey
across all of creation, looking at its foundation, measurements, and
cornerstone, etc. He says to Job, Since you are so wise and know so
much, show me where I am incompetent in managing the world.
(Job 40:3-5) Jobs answer is: I get the picture. I am too small. I dont
understand how you run the world. I withdraw my charges of
incompetence against you.
(Job 40:6 41:34) Now the next charge is addressed. In this charge,
Job accused God of being indifferent to injustice, that he rules the
world unjustly. Lets take a look at the first part of Gods address of the
charge of injustice in Job 40:6-14. God asks Job, Would you discredit
my justice in order to justify yourself? Thats the issue. So God says,
Youve accused me of injustice. Ill give you all my power. What will
you do about the problem of evildoers?
Now, as it continues on, God runs by Job two chaos monsters,
Behemoth and Leviathan. This is mythological language. They
represent chaos in creation. God doesnt eliminate evil; he doesnt
eliminate chaos. God is just. But if Gods justice meant that he would
destroy everything that was truly evil, what would that mean? The
whole world would cease to exist. God uses the example of the two

chaos monsters to show how he deals with evil. He tames and
domesticates these two monsters. What does he do in his wisdom? He
does something wonderful. He brings good out of evil. He brings order
out of chaos.
(Job 42:1-6) Jobs response is to retract his charges of injustice.
5. (Job 42:7-17) Epilogue: the intercession of Job and his restoration. Lets read
Job 42:7-10. God says that the three friends had not spoken rightly about
God. Yet, they are orthodox in their theology. Dogmatically speaking they are
totally correct. Why does God say this? What did they say about God that was
wrong? They had said that God had judged and punished Job with all these
calamities for his sin. They used their theology to damn an innocent person.
They spoke for God in a way that was not appropriate for that situation.
This is the climax of the book and it ends in a strange way. Let me summarize
the movement of the book. It starts off with Job as a man of justice. He
advocates for people and administers Gods justice. He is a God-fearing, just
person. As a result of his suffering, God does something wonderful to him.
God turns Job from an advocate of justice into an intercessor. And as an
intercessor, he uses his access to God to claim grace and forgiveness of
others. Looking at this in another way, what should his three friends have
done when they came to comfort him? They should have interceded for him.
But instead of interceding for him, they accuse him and side with Satan. This
is a wonderful book on pastoral care.
Jobs Problem
Any Israelite who was a victim of injustice could always appeal to God against his
enemies with an individual complaint (remember that from the Psalms?) and get
justice from God. So if you have an enemy who does injustice to you, you could
appeal to God who is your Redeemer/Defender and God would make sure you had
justice against your enemies. (There are dozens of Psalms where this occurs.)
But what is Jobs problem? The problem for Job is that his apparent enemy is God. If
God were his enemy, he had no one to appeal to to prove his innocence.
While the book of Job has been influenced by the structure of individual complaints,
it also differs from them at certain decisive points, since God himself is Job's enemy.
Jobs solution to this problem is two-fold. (If you can understand this, then you will
get the essence of this book.) (1) First, He appeals to his friends to act as his
advocates with God. In his laments he asks his friends to put in a word with God.
But they dont side with Job; they become his enemies. (2) Secondly, when they fail
him, he turns to God and he challenges God to act with an oath of innocence (Job
27:1-6) and an oath of clearance (Job 31).
Because of this God must reveal Job's innocence or guilt, by either punishing him or
restoring his prosperity. This, however, puts God in a difficult dilemma as it assumes

that either Job, or God, is guilty. Hence, if God fails to punish Job, he, in fact, admits
his own guilt in the matter. The reality is that both Job and God are innocent.
So what does God do? He appears to Job. And by his appearance, God vindicates
both himself and Job.
The Main Themes of Job
1.
The suffering of the righteous, innocent suffering, is not an indication of sin,

but is a test and vindication of spiritual integrity. God allows Job to suffer to
test his faith and to prove his integrity, to show that he is a man of God. Job
however does not know this until the very end. (See Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; 42:7.)
2. In his suffering what does Job demand from God? Lets have a look at Job
13:13-23. This marks one of those points where Job turns from his friends and
challenges God. In verses 13-19 Job is addressing his friends. He is telling
them to be quiet because he is going to take his life into his own hands and
assert his innocence to God. Verse 20 begins his prayer to God. There are two
things that Job demands of God. First, he demands that God lay off. And
secondly, he demands that God show him where he had sinned and gone
wrong. Of course Job had not sinned. Therefore this puts God in an awkward
spot. So Job wants justice from God in the face of Gods apparent hostility
toward him.
3. Because of his suffering Job doesnt just despair of Gods justice, Job also
despairs of Gods apparent mismanagement of the world. (Dr. Kleinig did not
go into any detail on this. See Job 9:2-3,13-24; 16:6-14.)
4.
The injustice that Job faces opens his eyes to see that there is human
injustice and misery caused by suffering all over the world. (Again, Dr.
Kleinig did not go into any detail on this. See Job 24:1-17 where Job expresses
his awareness of the suffering and pain of people all around him.)
5. In talking to his friends, Job expresses that what he wants, and what others
who are suffering want, is to have solidarity from his friends in his suffering.
They dont want explanations. They dont want justification. They dont want
answers. He wants them to stay with him, to be with him, to listen to him and
then to act on what they hear.
6. Then comes Jobs demands. These three passages (Job 9:33-35; 16:18-21;
19:23-27) are the three most important passages in Job. You need to take
note of these passages. They are very important for the NT and Christian
theology. A clue to these three passages is: what Job demands is given in
Jesus.
Lets read the first one, Job 9:33-35. This is what Job wants. When you
have two people who are angry with each other, you need to separate
them and have a mediator intervene. In this case Job wants God off his
back and he wants a mediator between himself and God.
What kind of mediator? That is explained in the next passage, Job

16:18-21. Job assumes he will die and he wont get justice on earth and
he will not have a mediator between himself and God while on earth
(like his friends). So he expresses his wish or hope that already now he
has a witness or advocate in heaven who will stand between God, who
is angry with him, and Job and will mediate between them, the way a
man mediates between friends. He wants one who will plead with God
on his behalf.
The third passage is Job 19:23-27. To get the context first read verses
13 to 22. Job is alienated and isolated from all human beings. The one
thing he asks of his three friends is that they have pity on him. In this
context then, he makes his wish and his confession of faith. Continue
with verses 23 and 24. The words that he wants inscribed are the
declaration of his innocence. A book isnt permanent enough. He wants
it on something more permanent like lead, which doesnt erode, or a
rock with an iron tool, so it will last forever. He wants his declaration of
innocence and the following confession of faith engraved so that it
bears witness to him forever. Read his confession of faith in verses 2527. This is Jobs yearning in his heart. This is the yearning of every
human being who has endured injustice. Even if Job doesnt get justice
in this life, he will get justice in eternity. He looks for someone who will
redeem him. In ancient Israel, the redeemer was the oldest male in the
family. He would stick up for you and care for you. Job looks for his
Redeemer who will stick up for him and get justice for him. And as a
result, Job will be able to stand before God and see God face to face
and receive his vindication, Gods acknowledgement of Jobs
innocence.
So the overall theme is the need for a mediator between God and humanity.
7. Lastly for the final theme, we have a wonderful poem about Gods wisdom
(Job 28). The poem makes the point that even though Gods wisdom is at
work everywhere in the world, our human problem is that we cant see it; its
hidden. And it works in a strange way. When you look at the world, does it
look like God is in charge? No, we see trouble, chaos, and disorder. When you
look at the world, does it seem like God is a God of justice? Not really. This
poem talks about the hidden justice of God which is revealed in the last part
of the book. In what way does God show his wisdom? What is Gods wisdom
in dealing with evil and injustice? We would love it if God would eliminate evil.
But what does God do instead? He brings good out of evil. The final word of
God is not justice but grace! And with that comes the change in Job. In the
beginning Job saw wisdom in terms of justice everyone getting what they
deserve. But God changes and transforms Job from a man of justice to a
minister of Gods grace. And how does Job administer Gods grace? By
praying for others, by becoming an intercessor. So the final theme is: Gods
hidden wisdom in administering the world and dealing with evil.
The Purpose of Job

The book of job is a book of wisdom to help righteous people cope with innocent
suffering and to show how God uses the suffering to turn a righteous person, who
had been an agent of divine justice (Job 27:7-17), into an intercessor and agent of
divine grace to others (Job 42:7-9).
(Thats the point of the book and that is the secret to pastoral care. When you
minister to people who are in trouble, your job is not to preach at them or even to
teach them. Your job is to pray for them, to stand in for them before God and to
represent God to them, to bring them and Gods grace together. They dont need
human help, but divine help. How can you bring divine power and help to people in
their suffering? By interceding. Note that this is not just the job of the pastor. Every
Christian is called to be a priest and a priest is a go-between between God and
human beings. Every Christian is to be an intercessor.)
The Book of Song of Solomon

[Song of Solomon/Ruth/Lamentations (Bible 2, 5b), 47:54]
[Dr. Kleinig forgot to turn his microphone on for a few minutes at the beginning of
this lecture.]
The Five Festive Scrolls
We now start the five festive scrolls or books. They are called this because each of
the five books is read each year for one of the five festivals of the church year.
Since these books are read each year at these festivals that commemorate great
events in Israels history, they are liturgical books. The five books are: Song of
Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther.
Names of the Book
The Hebrew name of the book is Song of Songs, which means the Best Song. The
English name of the book is Song of Solomon, which indicates that it is a wisdom
text. Or it is sometimes called the Canticles, which comes from the Latin Bible.
The Structure of the Song of Solomon
The book is a chain of loosely arranged love poems in the form of a dialogue
between a Lover, a woman called the Shulamite (6:13), and her Beloved, called king
Solomon (3:11), that is occasionally interrupted by her interaction with a chorus of
women called the daughters of Jerusalem (1:4b-6,11-14; 2:3-7; 3:1-11; 5:1b-6:3, 1113a; 8:3--5a,8-9). The repetition of the adjuration (or oath) to the daughters of
Jerusalem in 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4 divides the book into four cycles of poems.
[The tape picks up again here.]
1. (SoS 1:1-4) The introduction to the Song is a bit strange. Read the
introduction. It starts out with the heading for the book: The Song of Songs,
which is Solomon's. Then the wife speaks. The woman speaks to her friends
and tells them what she wants. She wants her husband to kiss her. But there
is more to it than that. The kisses of his mouth we can see from what
follows is not just physical kissing, but speaking kissing. So speaking is
compared to kissing. There is the sexual side and the verbal side and they
are brought very closely together.
2. (SoS 1:5 8:4) The cycle of poems. What follows then is all talk. There is no
description, just dialog in the form of poems.
(SoS 1:5 2:7) The first cycle.
(SoS 2:8 3:5) The second cycle.
(SoS 3:6 5:8) The third cycle.
(SoS 5:9 8:4) The fourth cycle.
3. (SoS 8:5-12) The cycle of poems ends with a conclusion about the power of
love.
4. (SoS 8:13-14) The book ends with a strange epilog in which there is a
conversation between Lady Wisdom and her student.
The Themes of the Song of Solomon
1. First lets read SoS 2:3-7. This is the woman talking and she is talking about
her lover. She talks about how much she enjoys him. The imagery here is,
frankly, sexual, not in the modern sense where it is pornographic. It doesnt
give descriptions of sexual organs or sexual intercourse. Rather it uses
beautiful pictures to hint at what is happening. So what this passage does
then is to show the womans delight in her beloved and his response of her
love for him. So its a way of speaking love and not just experiencing love.
And love is then appreciating and delighting in the partner. And the poem is
intensely physical and full of deep feeling and involves all the senses.
2. For the second theme, lets read SoS 4:10-15. As we read, note that sister
in the ancient world was a common expression for ones wife. This is the
husband speaking about his wife and he describes his wifes body as a
garden. He is the gardener who enjoys the beauty of the garden. The focus
here is on all the senses. The garden here is compared to the Garden of Eden.
So we have these comparisons. The wifes body is like a beautiful garden.
That beautiful garden is a mirror of the Garden of Eden. What is being
expressed here is that at its best married love between a woman and man
recaptures something of what was lost in the Fall in the Garden of Eden.
The Liturgical Use of the Song of Solomon
This song was set to be read in the Synagogue during the Feast of the Passover,
which commemorates God deliverance of his people from Egypt. The Passover came
in the spring, at the spring equinox. Spring is the time when the plants come back
to life and grow. In marriage a new life begins. The two become one and then the
marriage and love grow in many ways. And spiritually the Exodus was a time of new
life for Israel as they were released from the bondage of slavery and the Lord took
her to be his holy bride. SoS 2:11-13 gives this spring setting.
The Purpose of the Song of Solomon
So why was this book set to be read on the Feast of the Passover? What does sex
have to do with exodus? There are three layers to the purpose of the book.
1. First of all, it celebrates the love of a man and woman for each other as
expressed in their verbal intimacy and their delight in each other. Read SoS
8:6-7. This says something of the power of love. Note that at the end of verse

6 there is the only hint of God in the whole book (a flame of Yah). It is the
woman speaking here. She says love is stronger even than death. Love is
worth more than anything else. And even the waters of chaos cannot quench
love. No water can quench the fire of love that is lit by God. So human love is
a reflection of divine love and its power.
2. Now lets go to the end of the book where there is a strange jump. Read SoS
8:13-14. A woman is being addressed. She is in the garden. She has a series
of young men around her who are admiring her and paying attention to her
and listening to her. The man speaking to her wants to join in. He wants to
hear her speak words of love to him. And then comes the womans invitation
to the man to come and enjoy her love. And he enjoys her love by listening to
her voice. This is an epilog that has been added to the poem to interpret the
poem. The woman who dwells in the garden is Lady Wisdom. And Lady
Wisdom speaks Gods Wisdom. Who are the young men? They are the
students of Wisdom. The man who speaks is a potential student of Wisdom.
Those who hear Gods Wisdom through Lady Wisdom are Israel. So one of the
purposes of the book is to put potential students of Wisdom in the shoes of
Solomon (The student of Wisdom) and get them to listen to the voice of
Wisdom speaking through their beloved.
3. Another purpose for the book is to articulate Israels delight in her divine
royal Lover who rescued her from Egypt and ennobled her by his love and
speaks words of love and wisdom to her. So why was it set to be read on the
feast of Passover? Because of this last point.
Question: Didnt Solomon have many wives? Yes. This is not a description of
Solomons marriage, for as you said, he had many wives. This is not a description of
what was, but of what should have been. Its not a description of your marriage or
my marriage. It is a description of what God wants to do with your marriage. Why
did God create men and women and marriage? Partly reproduction. Partly
companionship. But its far better than that. Marriage is a great mystery because
its meant to mirror Jesus love for the church. That is Gods purpose for marriage,
not just Christian marriage, but all secular marriages too.
The Book of Ruth

[Song of Solomon/Ruth/Lamentations (Bible 2, 5b), 47:54, starting at 18:20]
Ruth is another book where a woman is the main character. And she is a very
significant woman. What is it that made her so significant? First of all she is a pagan
woman. It is significant that a pagan woman is the main character of a book in the
OT. Second, she is in the lineage of Jesus Christ. She is the ancestress of David and
therefore of Jesus. She is one of our spiritual mothers.
The book of Ruth is set to be read at Pentecost, which is the time of the completion
of the barley harvest.
The Structure of Ruth
The structure of the book is very straight forward and clear. It is beautifully
constructed.
1. (Ruth 1) Naomi, who is a Jewish woman, and her husband and family went to
live in Moab because of a drought in Israel. While there her sons married
Moabite women. Her husband died and then her two sons died. She was in a
terrible situation. With no husband or sons, she had no means of support. So
she decided to go back home to the tribe of Benjamin. One of her daughtersin-law (Ruth) wouldnt leave her. She insisted on going back with Naomi. Ruth
was not only devoted to Naomis son (her husband), but she was also
devoted to her mother-in-law and to the God of her mother-in-law. So Naomi
returned from Moab to Israel as a childless widow with Ruth.
2. (Ruth 2) After they returned, Ruth went out into the fields to glean grain. Poor
people were allowed to go through the fields and pick up the ears of grain
that fell on the ground so that they would have enough food to eat. While
gleaning Ruth is discovered by a relative of Naomi whose name was Boaz.
He was probably a cousin to Naomis deceased husband.
3. (Ruth 3) Naomi sent Ruth to spend the night with boaz. The purpose in this
was to have Boaz act as their kinsman-redeemer (more on this below). But
there was one kinsman who was closer.
4. (Ruth 4) This chapter deals with the redemption of Naomis family as well as
the land. She gets the family land back. She gets a male heir. And the family
line is continued. The redemption of Naomis family occurs when Boaz
marries Ruth and they have Naomis grandson.
The Themes of Ruth
1.
There is a focus on the loyalty of Ruth, a pagan woman, to Naomi and to the
Lord, Naomis God. She becomes a believer through her husband and

mother-in-law. Lets read Ruth 1:16-17. Ruth decides that her mother-in-law
and her mother-in-laws God are more important to her than her own family
and her prospects of having a second marriage. Realistically speaking, her
only future as a widow would be to get another marriage. Her family could
arrange such a marriage. If she goes with Naomi, she has very little prospects
of marriage.
2. Technically speaking Boaz is Naomis kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew goel). And
Boaz was faithful in carrying out his duties as the kinsman-redeemer for
Naomi. So what is a kinsman-redeemer? The oldest living male on your
fathers side of the family was the familys kinsman-redeemer. What was the
duty of a kinsman-redeemer in the tribal society of Israel? In general the duty
of a kinsman-redeemer was to preserve the livelihood and the continuation of
the family on its tract of land. So the focus is on family and not on the
individual. What specific things did a kinsman-redeemer do?
First, if need be, he was to ransom a family member from debt,

slavery, or captivity. If you were in debt, it was his duty to raise money
to get you out of debt. If you had become enslaved because of debt,
he had to get you out of slavery. If you are in captivity as a prisoner of
war, then he was to ransom you from your captors.
Second, it was his duty to buy the family estate or a part of it to

prevent it from leaving the family. The land in Israel was distributed to
tribes and then to extended families. So there might be 5000 acres of
land given to the whole Adams clan. Then that will in turn be parceled
out to each of the families in the clan. The land could not leave the
clan. Individual parcels could be sold within the clan but not outside
the clan.
Third, it was his duty to defend a relative against injustice in the local
court of law. In Israel the court would meet at the village gate. The
village elders would be the judges. On the left-hand side of the person
accused would be the people who were his accusers. On the right-hand
side of the person accused would be his kinsman-redeemer. The male
relative would defend him in a court of law.
Fourth, if any member of the family was murdered, it was his duty to
avenge the death of that person. He would do it by killing someone
from the family that had killed his relative. He may not do it himself. He
could get one of the younger men from his family to do it for him.
Fifth, and this applies to this story, he was to provide an heir for a
brother or a close relative who died without a male child to carry on
the family name and retain the property of the family. It was his duty to
impregnate the widow until she had a male son who would carry on the
family name and be an heir to family property. He was to make sure
the family line continued and he was to make sure that the land did not
leave the family.
Lastly, it was his duty to protect all members of the family from losing
social status and identity.
3. The third and main theme of Ruth is Gods kindness in preserving Naomis
family, despite drought and death, and in blessing it with descendants, so
that eventually it became the royal family of David. Just think about it. God
is not just interested in caring for Israel as a whole, but he also cares for
individual, little people like Naomi. And in this case, by the care of this
woman, God provides not just for her future but for the future of Israel and
the whole world through the Messiah that would come from her family. So
Gods plan for this individual is part of his plan for taking care of all of
humanity. Lets take a look at Ruth 4:11-14. It extols the Lord for providing a
redeemer for Naomi and granting a son to her through Ruth and Boaz.
The Liturgical Use of Ruth
Ruth is set to read during the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), which commemorates the
conclusion of the barley harvest. Look at the last verse of the book, Ruth 4:22. The
last word of the book is David, who would be a great king and who would be an
ancestor of Jesus. So the Feast of Pentecost looks for a second David, the Messiah.
The Purpose of Ruth
The purpose of Ruth is:
To show how God cares for a faithful family in trouble and uses it to care for
his people by raising up the dynasty of David from it and
To show how God provides for his people in the Promised Land.
The Book of Lamentations

[Song of Solomon/Ruth/Lamentations (Bible 2, 5b), 47:54, starting at 38:55]
The Origin of Lamentations
It was originally composed for the national days of fasting to commemorate the
destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 587 BC. The book of
Lamentations is ascribed to Jeremiah in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the
OT. But in the Hebrew Bible that connection is not made. In the English Bible, the
book of Lamentations comes directly after the book of Jeremiah and in that way a
connection is made to Jeremiah. It is placed after Jeremiah because Jeremiah
predicted the end of Jerusalem and the end of the temple. So it laments the
destruction of the temple.
The Structure of Lamentations
The book consists of 5 cycles of poems.
1. (Lam. 1) The first poem is an acrostic funeral song for Zion with a lament by
Zion. An acrostic means that it goes through the letters of the alphabet. Each
verse is a letter of the alphabet. In this poem Zion laments its own
destruction. In the poem Zion is a woman who has lost her house and family.
2. (Lam. 2) The second poem is another acrostic funeral song by Zion.
3. (Lam. 3) The third poem is an acrostic individual lament by Zion. Here Zion
laments the loss of her house, the loss of her children, the loss of her
husband.
4. (Lam. 4) The fourth poem is another acrostic funeral song for Zion.
5. (Lam. 5) The fifth poem is a national lament for the destruction of Zion.
The Main Themes of Lamentations
The main points of Lamentation are fairly straight forward. We dont have time to go
into any detail. Youll have to read the supporting texts for yourself.
1. The first theme is the bereavement of mother Zion and exile of her children
(Lam. 1:1-3). The picture here is of Zion as a mother and the citizens of Zion
are her children. And the city is her house. What has happened to her is the
worst thing that could happen to any mother. She loses all her children. She
loses her house. She loses her husband. She loses everything.
2. The second theme is that Zions sins are the reason for Gods judgment on
her and her citizens (Lam. 1:8, 17-20). Zion has sinned against God

therefore God has divorced her and let the Babylonians destroy her house
and take away her children from her. All of her children arent dead. Theyve
been stolen from her and sold as slaves.
3. The third theme is that the only hope for the future of Zion is Zion's reliance
on God's mercy and compassion (Lam. 3:22-26, 32-33). Her only hope and
prayer is that her husband will show mercy to her, redeem her, and have
compassion on her. We have a little time. Lets read Lam. 3:22-26 and then
3:32-33. The only hope that Zion has is Gods mercy and compassion for her.
That is what motivates Zion to lament her destruction and to pray for her
deliverance.
4. The fourth theme is Zions plea for Gods judgment of her enemies and her
vindication by God (Lam. 1:21-22; 5:19-22). She prays that God would
restore her and bring her citizens back to her.
The Liturgical Use of Lamentations
This book is set to be read during the feast/fast of Ab on the 9 th of Ab, which is in
late July or early August, to commemorate the destruction of the first temple in 587
BC as well as the second temple in 70 AD.
That is when it is read for the Jewish people. When do you think it is traditionally
read in the Church? What part of the church year? It is used on Good Friday because
Jesus is the new temple and on Good Friday that temple (Jesus body) was
destroyed. And then the temple of his body was rebuilt three days later, as Jesus
said it would, on Easter morning.
The Purpose of Lamentations
The purpose is to lament the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and to plead
with God for its restoration.
The Book of Ecclesiastes

[Ecclesiastes (Bible 2, 6a), 1:06:56]
The book of Ecclesiastes has to do with enjoyment and enjoying life. And it has to
do with the secret of enjoying life. If you go to a party and you dont know most of
the people, you introduce yourself to others. When you do, you normally say your
name, and they ask, what you do for a living. That is very telling, especially if you
are a housewife or retired. If you are retired, you might say, I used to be an engineer
or whatever job you used to have. There are two assumptions here. 1) The first is
that your identity is determined by the job you have. 2) And deeper than that, is the
idea that we make ourselves by the work that we do. Instead of our identity being
given to us, we view it as something that we achieve for ourselves by what we do.
And what lies behind that is an assumption about the importance of work. Despite
our talk of long weekends and taking vacations, our basic philosophy is that work is
the most important thing in our lives. We all like happiness. And the basic
assumption is that work will make us happy. Not directly. We work to earn enough
money to buy those things that will make us happy. So the thought is that happiness
will be the end result of work. Now if there is one book that puts that philosophy
under scrutiny, it is Ecclesiastes, as it talks about the value of work.
The Structure of Ecclesiastes
1. (Eccl. 1:1-11) It starts out with an introduction. In verse 1 is the title: The
words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Interestingly, in
Hebrew, each letter is associated with a number. So for instance, it would be
like saying, A = 1, B = 2, etc. And if you add up all the numbers for the son
of David, king in Jerusalem in Hebrew, you get the total number of verses in
Ecclesiastes.
After the title comes the motto (Eccl. 1:2): vanity of vanities or vapor of
vapors, everything is vapor. And then there is the question in Eccl. 1:3, what
does a man profit from all of the work he does under the sun? We will come
back to this, because they are two key thoughts in the book. The motto gives
an answer or a partial answer to the question.
And then in Eccl. 1:4-11 comes a poem on the human lot. It is about the fact
that we live in a human world that we do not control.
2. (Eccl. 1:12 11:6) Then comes the investigations of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes
is like a philosopher or researcher and he wants to exam what the profit from
work is.
This large, main section has its own introduction (Eccl. 1:12-18). And in it he
introduces the two things he is interested in. He wants to know what we profit
from the physical work we do and he wants to know what we profit from the
mental work we do, that is, what wisdom profits us.

So he begins by looking at the profit one gains from work (Eccl. 2:1 6:9).
The work he is thinking of is that of farmer, business man, or craftsman
working with your hands.
Then the second part deals with what one profits from wisdom (Eccl. 6:10
11:6). Here is talking about ones reflection on work, about working with your
mind.
3. (Eccl. 11:7 12:14) Then comes the conclusion. First there is a poem that
calls for enjoyment (Eccl. 11:7 12:7). Not enjoyment occasionally or on
holidays or weekends, but continual enjoyment of every moment of life. This
is followed by a repetition of the motto of the vanity of work (Eccl. 12:8) and
it ends with an editorial epilogue (Eccl. 12:9-14).
The Basic Question of Ecclesiastes
Lets take a look at the basic question of Ecclesiastes. You will not understand the
book until you understand that every single line deals with this question. Read Eccl.
1:3. The basic question is: What is the profit from human work on earth? The
English translation is a bit misleading. What does man gain? It is quite obvious
that one gains a lot from work. A better word to use instead of gain is profit.
Profit is an accounting term. You have profit and loss. At the end of the day when
you balance the books, do you make any profit from your work? What extra do you
get from your work?
The Cultural Context of Ecclesiastes
To under this book you have to understand the cultural context and historical
setting.
1. Proverbs was old wisdom going all the way back to Solomon. Proverbs
marked a huge cultural shift in the ancient world. The original goal of wisdom
was how to adjust to the God-given natural and social order in order to enjoy
Gods blessings. In modern terms, it was the discovery of ecology. How do
you fit into the world so that you can enjoy its benefits?
Let me give you two examples. (1) First, people used to hunt wild animals and
gather fruit and grain that grew wild. But then human beings learned to
domesticate animals. And they learned to domesticate wheat and barley and
fruit trees. That is wisdom. Wisdom is learning how to use the natural order
for your advantage. People do this all the time. They learn how to use Gods
order for their own advantage. This was the beginning and origin of modern
technology and science. (2) Another example is when people learned about
copper, that you could beat it into shape and make a sharp tool and use it as
a better ax rather than a sharp stone. Then that progressed to bronze and
iron, each making a better ax. And this type of thing happened in many
different areas in human life.
2. People became very successful in turning things for their own advantage.
(The height of it came between 800 BC 600 BC and that was about the time

that Ecclesiastes was written.) So out of this came technology to manipulate
the natural world for personal gain outside and apart from God. So instead of
just trying to fit into nature, they tried to control nature. And they had the
illusion that they had become gods or at the very least that they didnt need
God anymore because they thought they were in charge of the natural world.
3. So this carried over into peoples thinking about human life. Life was no
longer viewed as a gift from God. Instead humans thought they could
manage life and manage society and create their own world apart from God.
So humans believed that they controlled the world. And even more
importantly, they believed that happiness and enjoyment of life came as a
result of controlling ones world and life.
4. Ecclesiastes criticizes this technological approach to life with its focus on
human performance and achievement, rather than on the fear the Lord. What
is fear of the Lord? Its respect for God and acknowledging that he is the
Creator and is in control, that he manages things. We should trust in Gods
management of the world and not in human management. We call it science
and politics. That is what many people put their trust in.
That gives you the basic context of Ecclesiastes. When was Ecclesiastes written? We
dont know. The assumption is somewhere between 700 400 BC. It is in the
tradition of Solomon and the school of Solomon, therefore its ascribed to Solomon,
even if he didnt write it.
Main Themes of Ecclesiastes
1. [Dr. Kleinig skipped the first theme in his class notes. The first theme is that
there is a hidden order to human life on earth. This is shown in Eccl. 1:4-11.
In the notes Dr. Kleinig points out that human beings are only transient
residents on Gods earth. They are only on this earth for a short time. And
while they are on the earth God provides order for them to live by. He does
this through governments. Governments provide the order and stability that
people need to live. People are generally ignorant of this order and even if
they recognize it they are unable to change it. People live and work within
that order and accomplish things, but those accomplishments are transitory.]
2. The second theme is about the futility of human toil. The motto is: what
profit does a human being gain from all the toil he toils under the sun?
Under the sun means what profit does one gain while alive on this earth.
Its a question that is asked by most people who are getting around
retirement age. At retirement age they basically ask, what do I have to show
for all of that immense effort that I put into work? Many people at that age
dont have an intact marriage. They may have alienated their kids. They
might have a bunch of cash but they are worried about it because thats all
they have. And with the hard economic times, their pile of cash is dwindling
down. So they ask themselves, what was the point of all that work?

One answer is given in Eccl. 1:2. The Hebrew word here means vapor. Its like
when you see your breath on a cold morning. Its there and then its gone. Its
insubstantial. Its passing. Stick with that picture of a breath of air. It can also
be a derogatory way of speaking about an idol. An idol is like a breath of air.
In a moments time, it vanishes. Some translations translate vapor as
meaningless. But work is not meaningless. It just doesnt last. Its real. It
exists. But it doesnt last. You cant take control of, possess, and keep what
you created through your work.
There are three basic points that are made about work. First, there is a focus
on the human inability to create happiness. If you ask people why they
work so hard, they say so that they can make money, invest it, and live a
happy life. Ecclesiastes looks at happiness and says that you cannot create
happiness, that it is elusive. Take for instance, you so look forward to
vacation. But then when you go on the vacation you find out that it doesnt
live up to your expectations. Happiness is elusive. Students think they will be
happy when they go to college. And then when they graduate, they think
they will be happy when they get married. And then when they get married,
they think they will be happy when they have children. Then they will be
happy when the children grow up and leave home. Then they think they will
be happy when they retire. And finally they think they will be happy when
they die.
We also tend to identity happiness with pleasure. But Ecclesiastes points out
that when life is lived in the pursuit of pleasure, its empty. The problem is
that the more you pursue pleasure the less you enjoy the things you once
enjoyed. Lets say that I enjoy a beer after a hard days work. So if I enjoy one
beer, then I try and find more enjoyment by having several beers. But as it
turns out, you enjoy it less. Another example is sex. If sexual enjoyment is
your goal, then you focus on it, the less you enjoy it.
Ecclesiastes also talks about the anxiety of wealth. Many people think that
money will make you happy. The problem is that the more you have the more
you worry about losing it. And the biggest problem when we pursue
happiness by whatever means is that we lose the capacity for enjoyment. You
end up like Howard Hughes. He was the richest man in the world, but he was
a miserable coot. He got to the point where he could no longer enjoy
anything. The capacity for enjoyment is a funny thing. Often who is it that
enjoys life? Many times the people who have least enjoy life the most. But
that is not always true. There are some people who are wealthy who enjoy life
and some who are poor enjoy life. They have a capacity to enjoy life but not
everyone has that capacity. Everyone eats but not everyone enjoys eating.
Everyone works, but not everyone enjoys work. Ecclesiastes is interested in
the capacity to enjoy life.
The second point about human work is that there are threats to human
achievements. Think of yourself as a business man or a farmer. You work to
build up your business or your farm. But whats the problem? You have bad
luck. Or you can have injustice. Someone cheats you out of your business.
Another threat is death. You can be working towards a goal, but at any time

you can die. Whats the point of the business if you die? Or lets say you build
up the business and you hand it on to your children. And they dont want it or
they abuse it or they waste it away. Lastly, lets say you work hard and write
some books. They serve as your legacy. What happens? The book may end up
in a library and someone might read it. But even if they do, they dont know
you.
The third point about human work is that you can work hard in order to make
some achievements to attain some happiness. But there are human
limitations in undertaking any project. One limitation is that we dont know
the future. Say for instance you build up a business. You dont know if there
will continue to be a demand for your product or if something else will make it
obsolete. Or you dont know if the economy will take a down turn and
devastate your business. Also you dont always know what will be good or
bad for the business. You think if the economy is good then your business will
be good. But it might turn out the opposite. Or if the economy is a bust, you
cant predict where there will be new opportunities. Another limitation is that
humans do not know how God will manage events. We can predict what we
will do and maybe we can guess what other human beings will do, but we
cant guess what God is going to do.
In pointing all this out, Ecclesiastes is clearing the way for something that is
amazing. It will be laying out the ways that we can enjoy life in the midst of
all these uncertainties.
3. That leads us to the third theme: Enjoyment is a gift from God. And in
Ecclesiastes God gives us seven counsels of enjoyment, the secrets of
enjoyment. To put it in a nutshell, most human beings do what they do in
order to get something that they think will make them happy. The secret for
enjoyment is not to look at the future to what you can get out of work, but to
enjoy your work every day, to find enjoyment in life. Let take a look at the
seven counsels of enjoyment. (It is likely in the future in the western world
that Ecclesiastes will be very useful to pastors and that they will use it to do a
lot of teaching. It applies particularly to men who get caught up in work.)
Lets look at the (1) first counsel of enjoyment in Eccl. 2:24-26. Some
translations have find satisfaction. The underlying Hebrew means to find
what is good in his work. Now, that means that there is something good in
work but that it is hidden. If you dont look for it, you wont find it. There is
nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find what is
good in his work. That summarizes the whole book. It goes on to say that
God gives wisdom and knowledge. The greatest wisdom and knowledge you
can have is the finding of joy. The purpose of wisdom and knowledge is not
for you to control your life and create happiness for yourself, but to discover
what is good in your work and to enjoy your work and to enjoy your leisure.
Every day you have meals and you have work. Enjoy them. Thats wisdom.
The wise person is the one who enjoys life. And that is a gift from God. On the
other hand, what is the mark of a foolish person? A foolish person is one who
doesnt consider God at all in life. They work and work and they never
experience enjoyment. What they achieve is handed on to someone else. And

then that person follows on the same path and they find no joy either. And
the pattern keeps repeating itself.
Lets look at the (2) second counsel of joy in Eccl. 3:1-14. It starts out by
saying there is a time for everything, for every task, for every kind of work.
There are seasons for work and enjoyment. It then lists a bunch of opposites.
Given that there is a time for all these things, it asks, What does a man gain
from all his work? Then comes something very interesting. God has made
everything enjoyable in its time. So what is Ecclesiastes saying here? There
are certain things that an eight year old is given to do and enjoy. But they are
not the same as a fifteen year old or a twenty year old or thirty year old.
There are certain things to do at certain times of life and there are certain
enjoyments that go with them. There is nothing sadder than to see an older
person chasing after the enjoyments of a teenager, like a forty year old
woman dressing like a teenager. Everything is enjoyable in its time. The
problem is that we want enjoyment to last forever and we want the bad
things to stop immediately. Why has God given people bits of enjoyment
rather uninterruptable enjoyment? First of all, we would try and possess it.
And enjoyment cannot be possessed, it can only be received. But there is
something deeper than that. He gives bits of enjoyment in order to whet their
appetite for heaven where there will be perpetual enjoyment. So every joy
that God gives us here on earth is a foretaste of heaven. We have a yearning
for eternity in our hearts, a yearning for continuous joy. We are not satisfied
with just passing enjoyment; we want eternal enjoyment. And God wants to
give us lasting enjoyment. Note also that God is only whetting our appetite
for heaven. The joys of our childhood and the joys of teenagers whet the
appetite for the joys of later life. You should know then that whatever joys
you have enjoyed, God has something even better ahead for you. Now, that
turns our whole modern philosophy upside down because we think young
people have everything to enjoy and the older you get the less you have to
enjoy. Gods gift to humanity is enjoyment in all seasons of life.
The (3) third counsel of enjoyment is found in Eccl. 3:22. There is nothing
better than all human beings rejoicing in their work. It says that is his lot.
Lets make sure we understand what lot is. It is very important for Luthers
theology. Originally a lot was the portion of land that God gave to people in
order to give his blessings to people. Ecclesiastes takes this and says God
doesnt just allot land to us, but God allots us a life span and he allots work to
us. He gives us an allotted task. Whats the purpose of the allotted work? To
bring enjoyment. God gives us work as a means of enjoyment. We are to
enjoy our work now and by enjoying it, we glorify God. In doing your work you
work with God. Have any of you worked with someone who actually enjoys
his work? When you work with that person, you not only get the work done,
but you also learn to enjoy it. That person shares and spreads his enjoyment.
And then if you enjoy it too, you double his enjoyment. So God gives us work
to do, not for the sake of what we get out of work, but to give us enjoyment
in work. And the wise person is the one who enjoys the work he is doing right
now.

The (4) fourth counsel of joy is found in Eccl. 5:18-20. This counsel adds
another dimension to this. A mans lot is to eat and drink and find what is
good in his work. So God gives you food and he gives you work and he gives
you enjoyment in your work. Notice that the ability to enjoy ones work is a
gift from God. And the ability to enjoy your work only comes if you accept
your lot. If instead of enjoying my work, I am always tempted to think: If only
I could only have this job or that job, then I will enjoy my work. So God gives
three things: the ability to enjoy ones work and possessions, the ability to
accept ones lot in life, and most importantly, the ability to rejoice in your
work. Lastly, a strange phenomenon is mentioned in verse 20. It says that a
person who finds joy in his work will not much remember the days of his life
because hes been so occupied with joy. Have you ever noticed that when you
are utterly engrossed in what you are doing and thoroughly enjoying it, how
time flies? An hour only seems like five minutes. This is a great gift from God.
The (5) fifth counsel of joy is in Eccl. 8:15. It says that joy will accompany him
or go with him. This is a concrete picture. Think of joy as a crown that is on
his head every day of his life. What is the point here? In the ancient world,
people had particular times of rejoicing, the great festivals. Passover,
Tabernacles, weddings, etc. were times of rejoicing. Ecclesiastes is saying
that God doesnt just want to give us occasional times of rejoicing, he wants
to give us joy all of our life. God wants to make our whole lives a festival, a
time for rejoicing.
The (6) sixth counsel of joy is in Eccl. 9:7-10. First read verse 7. Quite often
people do things with a bad conscience. But Ecclesiastes says that if God has
given you food to eat and wine to drink then God wants you to enjoy eating
and drinking it. Its a sign that God is pleased with you if you can enjoy your
work and your life. You dont need to have a bad conscience about it.
Continue with verse 8. This picks up the point from the last passage (Eccl.
8:15). People dress in white and put on perfume at festivals. So it says to
always live as if its festival time. Who then are you to party with (verse 9)?
God has given us spouses in order that we might enjoy life with them. Shared
work and shared eating and drinking bring doubled and tripled enjoyment.
And in the last verse God tells us to do our work with all our might. Put
everything you have into it. To get great enjoyment out of it, you need to put
a lot into it. Put yourself into it because you wont have this work forever.
Make the most of it while you can. So dont feel guilty about enjoying life,
youve been called by God to a divinely approved enjoyment of life.
And now the (7) seventh counsel of enjoyment, which is found in Eccl. 11:7
12:7. We will read Eccl. 11:7-10. Read verse 7. Light is something you dont
have to work for. Its there all the time. It does not depend on you. Light is a
gift that you simply receive and enjoy. Now read verse 8. However long your
life is, enjoy every day for life is fleeting. At some point you will die. If you
dont enjoy the gifts God gives you today, they will be gone tomorrow. The
things God gives you today are meant for your enjoyment today. Read verse
9. When you are young, teenagers, you should enjoy life. One of the saddest
things about life is that young people are the most miserable. So the secret is
start off rejoicing when you are young. In whatever way you go and in what

God has placed in your life, enjoy them. The Rabbis explain it this way. On
judgment day God will call you to account for not enjoying all the good things
he placed in your life each day. Now read verse 10. What is common when
you are young is that when something goes wrong you go to pieces easily by
exaggerating the seriousness of the situation. You let it affect you mentally,
emotionally, and physically. When you do this you lose the capacity to enjoy
anything. Ecclesiastes says put it away, life is too short.
Question about over indulging. The point is to enjoy what God has given you.
When you over indulge, you take something that God has not given you and
look to it for enjoyment. You will never find joy when you do this. Lets take
something obvious. As a man I like women. But God doesnt give me all
women to enjoy. He gives me one woman to enjoy, my wife. If I take more
women to enjoy, it wont bring enjoyment. Its much more likely to bring hurt
and pain. So enjoy the one God has given you.
Weve spent a lot of time on Ecclesiastes, but I hope you can see why. Its
important not just for the church, but for everyone. It has a lot to say to us
and our society today.
Liturgical Use of Ecclesiastes
Remember that this is one of the festive scrolls which might seem funny. Because
on the one hand, it seems to be one of the gloomiest books in the OT. But on the
other hand, its one of the most optimistic books in the OT. It is set to be read each
year at the Feast of Tabernacles, at the time of rejoicing at the end of the
agricultural year. Remember that the Israelites were farmers. At this feast they look
back at their year of work; they look at the results of their work; and they look
forward to the work of the year to come. So this book warns about the limitations of
work and the true value of work. That is why it is read at this time.
The Purpose of Ecclesiastes
The purpose of Ecclesiastes is:
To investigate the profit from mental and physical work on earth.
To encourage God's people to rejoice in their lot and to regard joy as Gods
best gift for them in this life.
The Book of Esther

[Esther/Daniel (Bible 2, 6b), 32:15]
The book of Esther explains the origin of the Feast of Purim and is therefore one of
the festive scrolls.
The Structure of Esther
1. (Est. 1) Esther is set in the court of a Persian king. After the Babylonians
came the Persians were the next world super-power. They were the dominant
power from around 550 BC to 330 BC. The story begins with Ahasu-erus, the
Persian king, deposing his wife Vashti, the queen, because she disobeys him.
2. (Est. 2) After he gets rid of Vashti, he begins the search for a new wife. Now
Mordecai, who is a prominent Jew, proposed that Esther, his niece, put herself
forward as a candidate for queen hood. She was so beautiful that when the
king saw her he made her queen. But Esther kept her identity as a Jew secret.
Then Mordecai happened to discover a plot to assassinate the king. He told
Esther. She told the king and credited Mordecai with saving the king.
3. (Est. 3 5) A man named Haman is the prime minister of the empire. And he
demanded that whenever people came into his presence that they bow down
before him. Mordecai refused to bow down to him because he only bows
down before God. This irritated Haman very much. When he found out that
Mordecai was a Jew, he devised a plan to exterminate the whole Jewish
community. He pitches the idea to the king, saying they were strange people
who didnt fit in. Figuring that his prime minister knows what he is doing, the
king goes along with Haman and gives permission to exterminate the Jews.
4. (Est. 6:1 9:19) The tables are turned on Haman when Esther exposes him
and intercedes with the king. The king changed his mind and had Haman
executed. (There is more to this story. Take time and read if for yourself.)
5. (Est. 9:20 32) The Jewish community instituted the festival of Purim to
commemorate the salvation of the Jews. Purim means lots which has to
do with the casting of lots which was part of the story.
6. (Est. 10) In the end Mordecai was promoted to be the deputy to the king.
The Main Themes of Esther
[Dr. Kleinig did not go into any detail on the themes of the book.]
1. The threat of pogrom (destruction) of the Jews by their enemies in Persia (Est.
3:7-11, 13).

2. The concern of Esther for her people (Est. 4:15-16; 8:3-6). Once she was
queen, she could have very easily forgotten about them, but instead she
interceded for them and saved them.
3. The triumph of the Jews over their enemies (Est. 9:15-17; 10:3).
The Liturgical Use of Esther
Esther was set for reading at the Feast of Purim in late February or early March.
The Purpose of Esther
1. One purpose was to show how the Jews triumphed over their enemies (6:1213).
2. A second purpose was to explain the origin of the Feast of Purim (9:20-22, 2628). Lets read these verses.
The Book of Daniel

[Esther/Daniel (Bible 2, 6b), 32:15, starting at 7:15]
This book might be entitled: Gods Rule and the End of Human History. The focus in
Daniel is on Gods work, not in the history of Israel, but in the history of the whole
world. Its an eschatological book because it has to do with Gods plans and
purposes for all of humanity. And it deals with the end of the world, the end of
human history.
The Basic Theology of Daniel
Its also a wisdom book. Here is its basic theology. There are two sides to this
theology. (See diagram below.)
1. God appoints kings to rule over nations. And God works through those kings
that he has appointed. It doesnt matter whether they are believers or
unbelievers, all kings do Gods work here on earth. He empowers them in
their rule and if they disobey him, if they rule unjustly, God dis-empowers
them and dethrones them. So the basic theology is that it is God who raises
up and tears down politicians. It is God who steers world history. God uses the
nations, not to fulfill their plans, but to fulfill his plans. And you wont see the
plan of God by looking for it at any point in history; youll see it at the end of
human history. Gods rule over history is like Gods wisdom in the life of an
individual. You dont see and understand what God is doing at the time. Its
only when you look back and see where God has brought you that you can
see that the hand of God has been guiding you the whole way. You can see
this when you look at the tyrants of history. They rise up to power and seem
invincible and then they are suddenly deposed. Whereas, when rulers are
just, the fruit of their just rule hangs around and has a bigger impact. They
cause their country to prosper over a longer period of time than the time of
their own rule. Take for instance the Roman Empire. Their great legacy is that
kings are not over the law but under the law like everyone else. This is a
lasting effect. It wasnt until towards the end of the empire that they started
treating the Caesars as gods and then God brought the empire to an end. The
deification of kings as gods is one of the points of this book.
2. The second side of the theology of Daniel is that God gives wisdom to Daniel
and to the people of God so that they can understand the way that God is at
work. The problem for normal people is that they dont see God at work and
they dont understand what Gods plans are. It is only the people that God
gives his wisdom to so that can make sense of what God is doing in their
history and in world history. Thats the big picture of Daniel.
This can be illustrated by this diagram.
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. . . . . . . . . . . . God
. . . . . . . . . . . / . . .\
Gives wisdom . . . . / . . . .\ . . . . Works, empowers, dis-empowers
. . . . . . . . . . / . . . . .\
. . . . . . . Daniel & . . . . Kings &
. . . . . . His people . . . . Political Leaders
. . . . . . . . . . \ . . . . . /
To understand . . . .\ . . . . / . . . To fulfill
. . . . . . . . . . . \ . . . /
. . . . . . . . . . . His Plans
The Structure of Daniel

One of the funniest features of the book is that it is written in two languages. Half of
it is in Hebrew (1:1 2:4a; 8:1 12:13) and half is in Aramaic (2:4b 7:28). Aramaic
was the common language for the Persians and then for Greeks in their world
empires. Dan. 1 6 has stories about Daniel and his friends in the Babylonian court.
Dan. 7 12 contains the visions of Daniel and their interpretation by angels.
1. (Dan. 1) Prologue: Daniel in the Babylonian court. Daniel and his friends were
taken to Babylon, educated in Babylonian ways, and made a part of the
kings court.
2. (Dan. 2 7) The God of Israel is the Most High God and the God of all the
nations.
(... 2a. Dan. 2:1-49) It begins with Nebuchadnezzars dream of four
successive kingdoms and Gods kingdom. These kingdoms are depicted as a
statue made up of different kinds of metals. Gold represented the first
kingdom. Silver represented the second kingdom. Bronze represented the
third kingdom. And then iron mixed with clay represented the fourth kingdom.
The metals go from the most precious to the ordinary. The last one looks
strong because its made of iron but it is more brittle because the iron is
mixed with clay. Then there is a great stone that comes and smashes into the
fourth kingdom and destroys it. This last kingdom is destroyed in order that
God can bring in his kingdom. Gods kingdom is God rule. So when Jesus
says, The kingdom of God is near, he is thinking about the book of Daniel.
(... ... 2a1 Dan. 3:1-30) Then king Nebuchadnezzar glorified himself by
setting up an idol of himself and demanding that people worship him as god.
Daniels three friends refused to bow down to the idol of the king. So as
punishment they were thrown into a fiery furnace and God delivered them
from it.
(... ... ... 2a1a Dan. 4:1-37) God brought judgment on Nebuchadnezzar for
his pride. God took away his sanity. He imagined himself to be God, but he
became dehumanized. He lost his humanity and in the end when God
restored him he had to admit that God was Lord.
(... ... ... 2a1a Dan. 5:1-31) God brought judgment on king Belshazzar, the
last of the Babylonian kings, for his desecration of the temple vessels. He
used the temple vessels to drink wine out of at a big party he threw for all of
his officials. God announced his judgment when a hand appeared and wrote
on the wall that said that his rule had been weighed on the scales and had
been found wanting.
(... ... 2a1 Dan. 6:1-28) The Persians defeated the Babylonians and Darius
became king. He repeated the error that Nebuchadnezzar made in chapter 3
by glorifying himself. He demanded that every day every person in his
kingdom should pray to him. Daniel refused to pray to the king. Instead he
continued to pray to God. The king was informed of this and threw Daniel in
the lions den. But God saved Daniel from the mouth of the lions.
(... 2a Dan. 7:1-28) Up to now, Daniel interpreted other peoples dreams. But
now he begins to have visions and dreams and an angel interprets them for
him. Daniels first vision was a vision of four kingdoms. The first kingdom
was the kingdom of the lion, which was followed by the kingdom of the bear,
the kingdom of the leopard, and the kingdom of a beast. These kingdoms
come in succession and the last kingdom is supplanted by a strange figure
called the Son of Man. God gave kingship, judgment, and rule to this Son of
Man and the Son of Man shares his rule with the saints, the holy people of
God. This of course applies to Jesus. Jesus always referred to himself as the
Son of Man. This is where he gets that from.
3. (Dan. 8:1-27) Daniel has another vision of a ram and a he-goat. The he-goat
comes and drives off the ram. The angel interprets the vision, explaining that
the ram is the Persians and the he-goat is the Greeks.
4. (Dan. 9:1-27) Chapter 9 is very interesting and is important for a lot of
speculation. Daniel is reading the book of the prophet Jeremiah. He reads
Jeremiahs prophecy that the people of God will be in exile for 70 years. And
he asks God to help him understand what is meant by 70 years. Are they
literally 70 years or are they symbolic? The angel comes and interprets the
70 years as 70 sabbatical years. A sabbatical year happened every 7 years.
So as it turned out, it was 70 x 7 years or 490 years. This is important
because Jehovahs witnesses and others who try and predict the end of the
world start off with this prophecy. The point of this vision is that at the end of
the 490 years Jerusalem and the temple will be restored, God will fulfill all
prophecy, God will atone for all sin, God will get rid of all wickedness, and he
will anoint the Most Holy One or Most Holy Thing (its a bit ambiguous). This
of course refers to Jesus, the Anointed One, the Messiah, the King (the Most
Holy One). Jesus was also the new Temple. So he is also the Most Holy Place
where God dwells.
5. (Dan. 10:1-12:13) The book of Daniel ends with a very complicated set of
scenarios. Its a bit like a movie with snapshots of the future. Daniel has a
vision of a heavenly messenger who reveals to him what is going to happen
at the end of human history. And the most important thing that he reveals is
that there is going to be a resurrection of both just and unjust people. And
the last judgment will come after human history. It will come after the
resurrection. At that time, Gods people will be vindicated. They will be
delivered from exile in this world; they will shine like stars; and they will
receive their heavenly allotment.
The Themes of Daniel
1. The first theme is God's kingly wisdom and power that raises up and
overrules even the greatest pagan kings. God has wisdom and he has great
power to fulfill his wisdom. We will look at two passages that speak about
Gods kingly wisdom, which raises up and overrules human kings. The first
passage is Dan. 2:20-23. The two things we take from this are that God raises
up kings and deposes them and he gives wisdom. Now look at Dan. 4:34-37.
God humbles those kings that are proud. After humbling Nebuchadnezzar, he
has to acknowledge two things. First, he acknowledges that God is King. And
secondly, he acknowledges that what counts is not his kingdom but Gods
kingdom. The purpose of history is to establish Gods kingdom on earth.
2. The second theme is God's gift of his wisdom to his faithful people to
understand his purpose for the nations and for them. Lets read Dan. 2:2730. God gave wisdom to Daniel so that he could understand Gods plans and
purposes. Also read Dan. 2:47. Mystery means something that is hidden. If
you study world history, what is the mystery that no historian will be able to
figure out? You can see what human beings are doing, but you wont be able
to see what God is doing and what Gods purpose is. God is not just involved
in the history of the church, but he is involved in world history, in what we
call secular history.
[Daniel/Ezra/Nehemiah (Bible 2, 7a), 55:20]
We are about half through the book of Daniel. As we discussed last time, the
main theme of Daniel is that God uses pagan kings to do his work. And
secondly, he gives wisdom to his people, like Daniel and his friends, to
understand what he is doing. Gods purpose of using the pagan kings in
human history is revealed finally and completely only at the end of human
history.
3. The third theme is God's judgment on the pagan kings for their acts of
sacrilege (desecrating Gods holy things) and self-deification (proclaim
themselves to be gods). They are actually servants of God, but begin to act
as if they are gods. Lets have a look at two passages. The first is Dan. 4:3133. Nebuchadnezzar had set himself up as a god and as a result of Gods
judgment he lost even his humanity. God brought him to a point where he
had to acknowledge that only God was sovereign and Lord. The next passage
(Dan. 5:18-28) is about Belshazzar. He had thrown a party and used the holy
vessels that were taken from Israels temple to drink wine out of. This
passage then is Gods judgment on him. He desecrated Gods holiness,
therefore his kingdom would be taken from him and be given to the Medes
and Persians. (Gods judgment came on the kings of Israel for a different
reason. They received Gods judgment if they did not worship God as God
required.)
4. The fourth theme is the ongoing exile of God's people (from his presence to
some extant) and their oppression by earthly and heavenly powers until their
deliverance at the final judgment and resurrection of the dead. Remember
that one of the things that puzzled Daniel was Jeremiahs prophecy about the
70 years of exile. God showed to Daniel that those 70 years did not just refer
to the 70 years from the destruction of the first temple to the rebuilding of
the second temple. But it refers to Gods exile from his people from the
destruction of the first temple to the coming of the Messiah. Its only after the
final judgment and resurrection that Gods people will be restored to Gods
presence. First lets read from Dan. 9:16-24. The passage tells Daniel the 70
years are sabbatical years, 70 x 7 years or 490 years. It will be 490 years
before the following things happen concerning Israel and the holy city(see
verse 24). God will put an end to transgressions and an end to sin. Only then
will God deal with the problem of sin, finally, once and for all. At that time
God will also atone for wickedness and bring everlasting righteousness. He
will deal with sin by atoning for sin and by bringing everlasting righteousness.
In doing so he will finally vindicate his people. Thirdly, he will seal up vision
and prophecy. Sealing up means that all visions and prophecies will be
fulfilled, theyre finished. Lastly and most oddly, he will anoint the most holy.
In the OT three things were anointed: the high priest, the king, and the
temple. Which of these does it mean, a most holy priest, a most holy king, or
a most holy place? Its left ambiguous. Later we have a reference to an
anointed one, so it obviously applies to a person who is probably a king. But it
is not exclusively any one of the three - its all three. It is a most holy priest
who will atone for sin and put an end to all wickedness and fulfill all prophecy.
This same person will also be the promised Messiah who will usher in Gods
righteousness and justice and rule over Gods people. And this same person
will be the new holy temple of God. Jesus referred to his body as a holy
temple. This is a very important passage that summarizes and draws
together the most important themes of the whole OT.
The second passage well look at is Dan. 12:1-3. This tells about three things
that will happen at the end time. First, at that time Gods people will be
delivered, saved. There will be no salvation for the people of God until the
end time comes. Secondly, all people who have died will be resurrected from
the dead. Thirdly, those who are wise will shine like the stars. God will
vindicate those who are righteous. This is one of the few passages in the OT
that prophesies the resurrection from the dead, which is very important for
the NT.
5. The last theme is very important for the NT. It is the prophecy of the coming
of the Son of Man. The Son of Man means son of Adam and is the final, last
Adam. Lets read the prophecy about the coming of the Son of Man and the
role of the Son of Man in Dan. 7. First read verses 9 and 10. Ancient of Days is
the term for God Almighty. This is a picture of God in the final judgment. God
the King is seated on his throne surrounded by the hosts of heaven. The court
is seated, the books are opened, the final judgment of God at the end of
human history is ready to begin.
Now read Dan. 7:13-14. The final court has been convened and you would
then expect the judgment of God to begin. But instead the Son of Man was
brought to the Judge. Now the Judge, who is also King, gives his kingdom to
this man. God delegates his Kingship to the Son of Man; he becomes King. He
is given an everlasting kingdom. He is Gods deputy. The Kingdom of God is
given to him. And all human beings worship him. So if they worship him, hes
not just a human being, he is divine. It gets even odder than that in verse 18.
The Son of Man then gives the Kingdom to the holy ones, the saints. They
receive the Kingdom. They possess the Kingdom forever and ever.
Continue with verses 21 and 22. Four beasts came and attacked the people of
God. The last beast with the horn attacks and beats the people of God. And
then God exercises judgment. He defeats the beast with the horn and
pronounces judgment in favor of the saints and gives them the Kingdom. So
the judgment is against the beast and all evil powers and is in favor of the
saints who are vindicated and given Gods Kingdom. They reign together with
the Son of Man.
Lets jump ahead to verses 26-27. The power of the beast will be taken away
forever. This passage is very important for NT theology. We have God the
Judge who is King. And we have the Son of Man. God gives the Kingdom to
the Son of Man. And that Kingship involves the defeat of the beasts, the
demonic powers of human history, who attack Gods people. The Kingship
given to the Son of Man is shared with the people of God, so that they reign
with the Son of Man. In doing so, God vindicates the saints. He judges in their
favor. So the Son of Man receives the Kingdom, gives the Kingdom to the
saints, and defeats the beast.
When Jesus started his ministry, he was anointed as the Messiah but he never
refers to himself as the Messiah. Why? He said the kingdom of God had come
but he never said he was the Messianic King. Why does he call himself the
Son of Man but not the Messiah? By calling himself the Son of Man he is
saying that he will do the things pointed out in these verses. The Messiah and
the Son of Man provide different pictures. Why did he choose the picture of
the Son of Man instead of the picture of a King, a second David? (1) Number
one, he wanted to stress defeating the beast. The Messiah would have been
seen as one with political power. But this goes beyond that. He has the power
to defeat the demons. (2) Number two, Jesus came to share the kingdom and
kingship with the saints. (3) Number three, by stressing the Son of Man, he
stresses that all nations will worship him. This then means that he is God.
There is nothing about the Messiah that says he will be both divine and
human, but there is for the Son of Man.
So in the end all earthly kingdoms will give way to Gods kingdom. And God
will give his kingdom to his Son and to the saints.
The Purpose of Daniel
1. One purpose is to encourage God's people in all times and in all places to
remain faithful to God in the face of pagan persecution. Christians will
always be persecuted. So it is natural for them to want God to intervene and
rescue them and to put an end to all the evil on earth. But Daniel says that
this will not happen until the end time, until the final judgment. So as we wait
for Gods final triumph over evil, we will be persecuted and we must remain
faithful to God, trusting that he will keep his promises.
2. Since God will not do away with sin and evil until the Last Day, the saints
need to wait patiently until the end comes. Lets take a quick look at Dan.
12:12-13. Daniel has number symbolism (1335 days), but we cant go into
that right now. The one who waits for God to act at the end will be delivered
and will be blessed. At the end you will receive your final inheritance, not an
inheritance here on earth, but an inheritance in Gods kingdom, in the new
heavens and new earth after the final judgment.
The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah

[Daniel/Ezra/Nehemiah (Bible 2, 7a), 55:20, starting at 32:25]
The Post-Exilic Situation A New Identity
We now begin the last group of books, the post-exilic books. We will look at a cluster
of books that belong together. 1 &2 Chronicles leads to Ezra and Nehemiah. The
ending of 1 & 2 Chronicles is also the beginning go Ezra. They are linked together.
You need to understand the angle and the problems that led to the composition of
these four books. The people came back from exile. They rebuilt the temple. They
rebuilt the city of Jerusalem. In their history God had given Israel certain gifts. But
Israel lost those gifts when they were unfaithful to God. God sent them to exile. Now
after the exile God was restoring some of those gifts. (1) One gift he restored to
them was the gift of the land. They were allowed to return to their land. (2) Another
gift was the temple. It had been rebuilt. (3) God had made them into a nation. But
now they were part of the Persian Empire. (4) Before the exile God had given them
kings. But now after the exile, God had not restored Israels kings. Not having some
of these gifts restored changes everything.
Back in 1 & 2 Kings you will remember there was a close relationship between kings
and the temple. The kings built the temple and were responsible for the
maintenance of the temple. There were a lot of problems in the post exilic period.
(1) First, most of the people of Israel did not live in the land. They lived scattered
among the nations. Only a small number of people came back to the promised land.
(2) They rebuilt the temple, but now they dont have kings to take care of it as they
did in the past. (3) They were allowed to return to Jerusalem, but they were not a
separate nation. So the question is: What determines their identity? They dont all
live on one land. They are not ruled by a king. They are not an independent nation.
It is the temple that will now determine their identity. They are no longer a political
identity. They now exist as a religious community. The temple becomes the center of
their existence.
Practically speaking, who would have to take over the responsibility for the temple
since there was no king? The priests would take on more responsibility, as would the
people. In the past the kings would finance the temple but now the people would
have to finance it. The people would have to provide the provisions for the temple.
So the people become a liturgical community, a worshipping community.
Before the exile, the kings kept law and order. Since there were no more kings, what
took the place of the regulations provided by the kings, in terms of laws of society
and laws of worship? Gods Law had always been there, but now it takes center
stage.
So from this point forward, two things are of paramount importance: the temple
with its worship and Gods Law. The people are no longer an ethnic, political, social
community, but are now a religious community focused on one place, the temple in
Jerusalem. They become a liturgical community. So these four books help define
Israel as a liturgical community in the post-exilic period.
The Origin and Connection Between Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1 & 2 Chronicles
1. Ezra and Nehemiah both center on the rebuilding of the temple and
Jerusalem.
2. It all begins with the decree by Cyrus to allow the people to return. This
decree is found in Ezra 1:1-4 and 2 Chron. 36:22-23. Notice that it is Cyrus, a
pagan king, who determines that the temple is to be rebuilt.
3. Ezra 1 6 begins with the history of the return of the exiles under
Sheshbazzar in 538 BC, which led to the dedication of the rebuilt temple in
515 BC. It tells of the return of some of the exiles, the rebuilding of the altar,
the restoration of the daily services, and finally of the rebuilding of the
temple.
4. Then we have the story of Ezra. Ezra was appointed by the Persian king as
the Persian commissioner of Jewish worship in Jerusalem. Around 428 BC He
came to Jerusalem to bring the community together. Ezra established the
Pentateuch, the Law of Moses, as Israels religious constitution. He
established the Torah as the foundation for Israels worship and for Israels
life. Then he applies and uses the Torah to deal with the problems they
encountered in the post-exilic community, problems with intermarriage and
problems with worship. This establishment of the Law of Moses is found in
Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah 8-10.
5. Next there are the memoirs of Nehemiah in Neh. 1-7, 11-13. Nehemiah was
the Persian governor of the sub-province of Judah and he rebuilt the walls of
Jerusalem and the city of Jerusalem at about 445 BC. (In looking at the
chronology, we note that the books of Ezra and Nehemiah do not present
themselves in chronological manner.)
6. What is the common theme of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah? If you get
this straight in your mind, then everything will fall into place for
understanding Ezra and Nehemiah. Israel is now organized as a liturgical
community, as a religious community, centered on the temple in Jerusalem
and on the Law of Moses, rather than as a political community, centered on
land and king. This meant that the temple was not just the place of worship
for the Jews that lived in the promised land, but for Jews scattered around the
Persian Empire. What united Jews no matter where they lived, whether in
Jerusalem or Egypt or Mesopotamia or Persia, was that they had one place of
worship, the temple, one service of worship, the divine service, one
priesthood, and one Law of Moses, which governed their religious life.
(Question concerning the obligation to go to the three religious festivals
yearly. Obviously those who lived far away could not come to Jerusalem. Only
those who lived in the promised land were obligated to go up to Jerusalem for
the three festivals. This was optional for those who lived far away. Like some
Moslems today, they may have tried to make the pilgrimage at least once in
their lifetime. And it was during this period that two other things became very
important to fill that gap. (1) First there was the Law and the synagogue. The
synagogue was the place where the Jews prayed and heard and studied the
Law of God. (2) The second thing we already saw in the book of Daniel. We
saw Daniel pray three times a day while facing Jerusalem because that was
the place where heaven and earth overlap. He puts his prayers on the
sacrifices and they rise up to God and God hears those prayers from heaven.
This is first mentioned in 1 Kings 8, where Solomon, in his prayer to dedicate
the temple, said that Jews who were not in the promised land should pray
facing Jerusalem. So synagogue worship became important and daily prayer
became important.
(The rest of this class period strayed from Ezra and Nehemiah.)
Today there is no temple. There are no temple services. There is no
atonement for sin. That radically changes everything. Instead of having both
Law and Gospel, since the temple was destroyed, the Jews only have Law. So
the only hope they have is to live a good enough life. The most important day
of the year for Jews is the Day of Atonement. They dont actually receive
atonement on that day, but they pray for atonement on the Last Day, that
their repentance will atone for their sins. Today the Jews lament that they
have no temple, that Gods glory has left them, that they have no services
and no atonement and no forgiveness of sins.
There was a rabbi that Dr. Kleinig got to know very well while studying in
England. He knew much about Christianity and even Lutheranism. And he
said something to Dr. Kleinig that really struck home one day. He said, there
is one thing that I envy greatly that you have as a pastor that I dont have as
a rabbi and that is absolution. He said, I cant give absolution or receive
absolution, but you can. And he said, that almost persuades me to be a
Christian. But he never could believe that Jesus was the Messiah. He
understood the Christian faith and the NT better than most Christian
theologians.
Another question: Should the land of Israel hold any significance to us now?
No. It only has historical significance. The gift of the land to Israel was a
foretaste of the gift of the new land, the new heaven and earth, to all of
Gods people. With the coming of Jesus, he leads us to enter the eternal
promised land. We now have access to heaven here on earth. All of the
inheritance language of the NT ties back to the promised land of the OT.
Discussion about synagogues. The desirable thing was to build synagogues
facing Jerusalem, so that when they prayed they faced the temple. And they
also tried to have the synagogue services at the same time as the morning
and evening sacrifices and the peoples sacrifice at midday. The synagogues
were to be an extension of the temple. [Their prayers were placed on top of
the sacrifices, so to speak. And as the smoke rose up to heaven, so did their
prayers.])

[Ezra/Nehemiah (Bible 2, 7b), 43:30]
Ezra and Nehemiah tell one continuous story about the rebuilding of the temple,
community, and city of Jerusalem.
The Structure of Ezra/Nehemiah
1. (Ezra 1:1-4) It begins with Cyruss decree to rebuild the Lords house. This
decree includes the temple, the community, and the city. Lets read Ezra 1:14 closely. This is the key to the whole book. There are three references in this
passage to the house of God. Unwisely, the NIV only recognizes the house of
God in one sense, as the temple. This decree fits in with Persian policy. One of
the wise things that the Persians did was that they did not tamper with
peoples religions. They not only allowed freedom of religion, they
encouraged it. And they were particularly hospitable towards the Jews
because they were monotheists.
The Persian king gave the decree to rebuild Gods house. That is to be
understood in three ways. And when you see this, you can see how this helps
to structure the book. (1) First, they are to rebuild Gods house, which is the
temple, the residence of God. That is the way that the NIV translates it. (2)
The citizens of Jerusalem are also Gods house. They are his family. Israel is
the house of the Lord. So they are to rebuild the community around the
temple. (3) Thirdly, house refers to the city of Jerusalem as Gods
household or homestead. The picture here is a farm. There is the house
itself, but there is also the homestead around the house. House in this sense
includes the house and all of the possessions. So the city of Jerusalem is
Gods house, in terms of his household. The walls of Jerusalem then are the
walls around Gods house. So Gods house refers to the temple, the
community, and the city. Knowing this helps you understand the structure of
Ezra and Nehemiah.
2. (Ezra 1:5 Neh. 7:3) The rebuilding of the Lords house.
(... 2a Ezra 1:5 6:22) The first stage of rebuilding is the rebuilding of the
temple.
(Ezra 1:6 2:70) The return of the exiles under Sheshbazzar.

What is significant about Sheshbazzar is that he is a descendant of
David. He couldnt be king because the Persians wouldnt allow it. But
if Israel could have had a king, it would have been Sheshbazzar.
(Ezra 3:1-7) They then first of all rebuild the altar and restore the
divine service.
The temple site was cleared; the altar was rebuilt; and then every
morning and evening they performed the morning and evening

sacrifices.
(Ezra 3:8 6:22) The rebuilding of the temple and the celebration of
the Passover.
They laid the foundation of the temple but then the building stopped.
Then two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, received the Word of the
Lord to rebuild the temple. So the temple was rebuilt and dedicated.
And then for the first time since before the exile, they celebrated the
Passover.
(... 2b Ezra 7:1 10:44) The second stage of rebuilding is the rebuilding of the
community.
(Ezra 7:1 8:36) The return of the exiles under Ezra.
(Ezra 9:1 10:44) The problem of mixed marriages.

When Ezra returned, he was worried about the community because it
looked like it was disintegrating. The basic problem was mixed
marriages. The Jews were intermarrying with pagan people. This led
them into mixing religions and following other gods. It led to apostasy.
This threatened the community from the inside. So Ezra had to deal
with the problem of mixed marriages.
(... 2c Neh. 1:1 7:3) The third stage of rebuilding is the rebuilding of the city.
(Neh. 1:1 2:10) The commission of Nehemiah as governor and his
return.
(Neh. 2:11 7:3) Reconstruction of the city walls despite opposition.

The people and nations that were around Jerusalem opposed its
rebuilding because it threatened them politically. But in spite of the
opposition, Nehemiah supervised the rebuilding of the city walls.
3. (Neh. 7:4 13:31) The consolidation of the Lords house (the temple, the
community, and the city) as the Lords household.
(... 3a Neh. 7:4 73) Membership of the congregation a list of families that
returned from exile.
(... 3b Neh. 8:1 10:40) The promulgation (official adoption) of the
Pentateuch as the religious constitution of Israel.
The Pentateuch was accepted not just for the worship of Israel but for the life
of Israel. (This is the first step in the canonization of scripture. The Law was
the first to be adopted. Then came the Prophets. And then in 70 AD came the
Writings. Finally the NT was officially adopted as scripture at the Council of
Nicaea.) So this was a momentous event. From this point forward, the Law
assumed a new significance. The Law became foundational for the life and
worship of Israel.
The Law was established as the constitution in three steps.
(Neh. 8:1 -12) The first reading of the law to the whole congregation:
the celebration of the new year.
(Neh. 8:13-18) The second reading of the law: the celebration of

tabernacles.
(Neh. 9:1-37) The third reading of the law: a day of fasting and prayer
where they asked for Gods mercy on them as his community.
Why was the law read to the whole community? So that they knew
what the law was and so they knew what they were committing
themselves to. They agreed to put themselves under the law, to be
governed by it.
(Neh. 9:38 10:40) This culminates in a pledge by the whole

community to support the temple. There is no king to support and
supply the temple, so the whole community takes responsibility for the
stewardship of the temple and everything associated with it.
4. (Neh. 11:1 12:26) The repopulation of the holy city. The walls had been
rebuilt so now people would feel safe inside the city.
5. (Neh. 12:27-43) The dedication of the city with its new walls.
6. (Neh. 12:44 13:31) The steps Nehemiah took to organize the community as
a religious community.
[Some questions and answers were asked about canonization, the name of God,
consecration of Jerusalem as a holy city, the spiritual riches that all Christians have
because of Christ.]
The Themes of Ezra and Nehemiah
1. First of all, the people who did return from exile came back to reestablish
the divine service and rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Lets read about the
rebuilding of the altar in Ezra 3:1-5. Notice that all of these sacrifices were
made according to the Law of Moses. Now lets look at the rebuilding of the
temple in Ezra 6:15-22. This passage covers the dedication of the rebuilt
temple. Note that all of those animals were not completely burnt on the altar.
They provided meat for a great feast.
2. The second theme introduces something new. The Persian king not only told
them to rebuild the temple but he also financed it. And then in return, they
are to pray for and make intercession for the king. Lets read about it in Ezra
6:6-12. In the first temple the king provided the sacrifices and prayers were
made for the king every day. Now there is no longer a Jewish king. The
Persian king finances the temple so that the priests will make offerings and
prayers on behalf of the king and his family. This is new, praying for a pagan
king. This continued as long as the Persian Empire lasted. Later when the
Romans took over, they made a special provision for the Jewish people. They
didnt have to worship the Roman gods or the Roman emperor. Instead they
were required to pray for Caesar. That lasted until 67 AD when one day the
priests stopped offering the sacrifice for Caesar and that began the rebellion
against Rome. Remember what Paul says. He says that when Christians
assemble they are to pray for everyone, but especially for kings and those
who are in authority. That is a continuation of what began back with the
Persians.
3. The third theme weve already went over with some detail. The third theme is
the promulgation of the Pentateuch as the constitution for Israel as a
liturgical community. Lets read first Neh. 8:1-8. Ezra read the Law in Hebrew
and then the Levites translated it into Aramaic. The translated it because by
this time most people no longer spoke Hebrew as their first language. In
Persia the common language would have been Aramaic. Out of this period
then comes an Aramaic paraphrase of the OT. Notice that the whole law was
read and that it was read to men, women, and children. And in reverence
they stood when Gods Word was read. We do the same thing today when the
Gospel is read. Now lets go to Neh. 10:28-31. The Law had been read and
the people had agreed to follow the Law. This is their covenant. This is what
they commit themselves to do. They swear they will do what God tells them
to do in the Law of Moses. They will worship God as he has directed.
4. They then spell out in concrete detail what they are committed to do. The
heart of it is given in Neh. 10:32-39. Read it. The people take responsibility
for the divine service. It wasnt a king that rebuilt the temple and city. It was
the people who did it. The congregation takes responsibility for implementing
the Law of Moses. The congregation takes responsibility for providing all that
is needed for worship and for the maintenance of the temple. This is
important because it is the beginning of something that is absolutely vital for
the church today. This is the beginning of what we call today Christian
stewardship. Out of this comes the offerings that we bring every Sunday.
These offerings provide what is needed for the Divine Service, to keep the
Church going. We use the offerings to provide for a pastor and everything
that is necessary so that the Divine Service can be held regularly and those
gathered can receive Gods blessings. So the fourth theme is the
congregations involvement in the restoration of Jerusalem and in taking
responsibility for the divine service.
The Purpose of Ezra and Nehemiah
1. One purpose is to show how a holy remnant of those in exile fulfilled the
Lord's command to restore the temple and its services.
2. Another purpose is to demonstrate the theological basis of post-exilic Judaism

as a liturgical community in the Persian Empire.
Whats important here is three things: the temple with its services, the community,
and the Law of God. One might expect that the accent might fall upon the priests.
But the accent doesnt fall on the priests, rather it falls on the community. So in
Israels history we see the shift from priests, to kings, to community. Israel becomes
a liturgical community. Thats fundamental to the NT church where everything has
to do with the ecclesia, the church in the service of God.
The Books of 1 & 2 Chronicles

[1 & 2 Chronicles (Bible 2, 8a), 43:38]
There are two great histories of Israel. The first is the deuteronomic history (Joshua,
Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings). And the second is 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, and
Nehemiah. The second is sometimes known as the Chroniclers history. Whats
unique about the Chroniclers history is his emphasis on the temple. 1 & 2
Chronicles presents history from the beginning of the world through to the postexilic period from the angle of the temple. It comes from the point of view that all of
Gods dealings with humankind culminate in the divine service. The Chronicler
wrote this history down in the post-exilic period. It was written somewhere between
500 BC and 350 BC. And remember what we talked about in Ezra and Nehemiah.
Israel changed from a political community to a liturgical community. The Chronicler
then looks backwards and sees how this came to pass.
The Structure of 1 & 2 Chronicles
1. (1 Chron. 1:1 9:34) The Roll of Israel.
If youve ever tried to read Chronicles straight through, you run up against a
problem right away. The first nine chapters consist of genealogies. You have
the ancestors of Israel (1 Chron. 1:1-35), then the genealogies of those who
came from the ancestors (1 Chron. 2:1 9:1), and finally the inhabitants of
Jerusalem in post-exilic Israel (1 Chron. 9:2-34). Most people tend to skip this
section because genealogies are of no significance to them. The only
genealogies that are of importance for most of us are our own genealogies,
our own family tree. But for Israel, this is most important. In the post-exilic
period, how did one determine if one was an Israelite or not? It was through
your family line. The determining factor was not if you lived in the nation of
Israel because Israel had been defeated and the people of Israel had been
scattered all over the place. The answer to the question of: Who are you?
Depended on your family tree and your confession of faith.
(A question was asked about the difference between Kings and Chronicles.
Kings explains why Israel lost the land, the temple, and the kingship.
Chronicles answers the question of why God didnt restore kingship and
political independence. It basically says that kingship and politics and land
are not the most important things in determining the identity of Israel. What
gives them their identity as a people is their liturgical worship. As Christians
we can see how important this is. As Christians who are scattered all over the
world, we dont have a common political system or social system. We dont
have a common language. What is it that unites Christians all over the world?
The fact that we all worship the same God, the Triune God. It is our liturgical
life that unites us. That gives us our common identity. You can see this if you
travel and worship with Christians in other countries. Worshipping with them,
you have much in common even though humanly speaking you have nothing
in common. One can worship in a foreign country where one doesnt
understand a word and yet feel quite at home. Back to the original question.
Yes, the same history is repeated in Kings and Chronicles, but its told from a
different perspective and with a different agenda.)
So we have the genealogy of Israel and notice that it culminates in the roll
call of those who lived in Jerusalem in the post-exilic period after Nehemiah
rebuilt the city (around 430 BC).
2. (1 Chron. 9:35 2 Chron. 9:31) The establishment of Israel as a liturgical
community.
The foundation of the liturgical community was the Law of Moses. But that
was not fully implemented until David and Solomon. Before that time, Israel
worshipped God in many different places. David and Solomon implemented
the Law of Moses by having one temple and one divine service with one
priesthood at one place. In the rest of 1 Chronicles, David is presented as the
founder of temple worship (1 Chron. 9:35 29:20). Moses instituted the
divine service, but David implemented what Moses had commanded. For the
first time in Israels history, what Moses commanded was fulfilled by David.
Then Solomon is presented as the great builder of the temple (2 Chron. 1
9). When worship was scattered about at different shrines, they always had
the problem of syncretism. When it became centralized in one place, the king
had the power to supervise the services and make sure that the people
worshipped according to the Law of Moses.
3. (2 Chron. 10 35) An assessment of the Judean kings as temple patrons.
The history after Solomon is given from a liturgical point of view. It is not
concerned with the northern kingdom. The focus is on the assessment of all
of the kings of Judah as stewards of the temple. It pays little attention to the
political dealings of the kings. It focuses on their liturgical role.
4. (2 Chron. 36:1-21) The destruction of the polluted temple by the Babylonians.
God decided to destroy the temple because it had become polluted. So he
raised up the Babylonians to destroy it.
5. (2 Chron. 36:22-23) The Lords command to rebuild the temple.
It ends on a strange note. God commands that the temple be rebuilt, but not
by a successor of David or a high priest or even a Jewish figure, but by Cyrus
the Persian king whom God had raised up.
The Main Themes of 1 & 2 Chronicles
There is a focus on two main things in Chronicles: the divine service at the temple
and the liturgical role of kingship in Israel. So in one way or another everything in
Chronicles focuses on the temple.
First we look at themes related to the divine service at the temple.

1.
God chose Jerusalem as the place for the temple and its services. God had
never appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at Jerusalem. So why was it
that he chose Jerusalem as the place for his temple? Why not Bethel or some
other place? Lets go to 1 Chron. 21. Read verses 18 and 19. This is the story
of God telling David through the prophet Gad to build an altar to the Lord at
the threshing floor of Ornan. The important part comes next in 21:26 22:1.
What was implicit in 2 Samuel is made explicit here. David said in 22:1, This
is the place where the house of the Lord is to be. At this time the tabernacle
and the altar for burnt offering were at Gibeon. When the temple was built by
Solomon, the Holy of Holies along with the Ark of the Covenant were brought
into the temple here at this place. God told David to build an altar on the
threshing floor of Ornan. It was a big flat rock. (Today that rock still stands.
The Dome of the Rock is built on top of it.) So the place where the temple was
to be built and the place where David built the altar was determined by God
and communicated through the prophet Gad.
2.
Access to Gods presence through the daily burnt offering at the temple.
Lets turn now to 2 Chron. 7:12-16. Here we have a summary of the theology
and function of worship. Solomon built the temple around the altar that David
built. This is where the daily divine service will take place. What was its
purpose? The temple is a house of sacrifice. God is in heaven. Israel is on
earth. The temple was to be the place where Israel offered sacrifices to God.
The sacrifices functioned like a bridge between heaven and earth. At this
place where sacrifices are offered, the Israelites also offer their prayers to
God. And at this same place, God answers their prayers. So the sacrifices are
like a two way bridge on which their prayers go up to God and Gods answer
to their prayers comes down to them. What is significant about this is how it
differs from pagan temples. A pagan temple would not have sacrifices as the
bridge. It would have an idol to bridge the gap between the gods and earth.
There is no idol in the temple. Instead God says he will place his name in the
temple. Through the sacrifices and prayers, Israel has access to Gods eyes
and ears, so that he sees and hears them. Instead of an idol, God places his
heart in the temple. Through the divine service they have access to the heart
of God. Now if we go to the NT, what gives us access to God? Jesus takes the
place of the sacrifices. He bridges heaven and earth. We have access to God
through Jesus. We approach God through the name of Jesus. That summarizes
the theology of worship in Chronicles.
3.
Davids institution of choral music for the proclamation of God's presence

during the public burnt offering. What is interesting about Chronicles is that
it explains the origin of something that Moses had not instituted. And that is
the singing of psalms, the performance of praise as part of the daily service.
Lets read about that. Lets read three passages. First read 1 Chron. 6:31-32.
David chose temple musicians. They were from the tribe of Levi. They
performed music in the house of the Lord in the way that was prescribed for
them. Secondly, lets read 1 Chron. 23:30-31. This tells us when the
musicians performed their music. They performed every morning and
evening when the sacrifices were made. The Levitical choir stood in front of
the altar facing the congregation. As the burnt offering was presented on the
altar and the smoke from it went up, the musicians sang the song of praise.
So two things happened together, sacrifice and praise.
(A student made the point that if you were to put a wall up behind the altar,
the layout would resemble that of a church, consisting of the altar up front
and the nave where the congregation sits. This is where we get our
architecture from. One difference between the OT and the NT is that in the OT
only the priests had access to the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. But now
that Jesus came, he bridges the gap between God in the heavenly Holy of
Holies and us here on earth. [In the Divine Service heaven comes down to
earth as God is present with us. We can safely stand in Gods presence
because Jesus has made us clean. He justified us through his blood.] The
origin of our church architecture lies here. The origin of our Divine Service
comes from the OT divine service.)
Back to Chronicles. The question then arises, why did David do this? Did
David come up with the idea himself? Did he say, I enjoy music. Lets add
music to the divine service? The third passage answers the question of why
David did it. Read 2 Chron. 29:25-30. The reason why is given during the time
of Hezekiahs reforms. God told David to establish the Levitical choir through
the prophets Gad and Nathan. The singers stood in front of the altar. As soon
as the priest presented the offering on the altar, two priests standing by the
choir blew their trumpets. Normally a trumpet was blown to announce the
presence of a king. In the ancient world, if a king was coming, he would be
preceded by someone blowing a trumpet. The blowing of the trumpet
announced his presence beforehand. So the priests blew their trumpets to
announce that God the King was present there at the altar to meet with his
people. After the trumpets were blown came the song of praise. Notice that
three things occurred together at the same time: the presentation of the
burnt offering, the singing of praise, and then at the end of each verse the
trumpet was blown and the people prostrated themselves before the Lord. So
the burnt offering, singing of praise, and prostration all occurred together.
Notice that they were to sing the psalms of David. This is the origin of the
book of Psalms. The first collection of psalms came as a result of this order by
king Hezekiah (somewhere around 700 BC).
In many churches today they ring a bell before church begins. This bell, like
the blowing of the trumpets, signals the presence of God and calls people to
worship. Also there is a little carryover of this in the Catholic mass. A bell is
rung when the pastor says the words of institution, when he says this is my
body and this is my blood. The ringing of the bell audibly indicates that
Jesus is present to give his gifts to his people.
Davids institution of the singing of psalms of praise is new. The collection of
the psalms of David has been called the OT hymnbook. That then sparked the
idea of the NT hymnbook. But what has happened in modern times is people
have taken something that was a one part of worship (praise singing) and
they have made it practically the whole of worship. It has been taken out of
context and elevated above everything else.
4.
Responsibility of the priests for the sacrificial ritual with the Levites as their
assistants. All of Chronicles emphasizes that it is the priests that are
responsible for the carrying out of the sacrificial ritual. There are many
references to the Levites in Chronicles. The Levites were assistants to the
priests and they had various duties. Some were responsible for the music. We
dont have time to read those passages. You can look them up for yourself
(priests-1 Chron. 6:49; 23:13; Levites-1 Chron. 23:2-5; 24; 29-31).
5.
Role of the prophets in calling the kings back to the right worship of God.
Lets read 2 Chron. 24:17-20. This is just one case that shows the role of the
prophets. When the people abandoned the Lord, the Lord raised up prophets
to call them to return to him.
6.
Israel's prosperity from orthodoxy in worship according to the law of Moses.

The prosperity of Israel depends on right worship. As long as the people of
God worship God at the right place and in the right way then they receive
Gods blessings. If they turned away from God, they cut themselves off from
the Source of blessing. We will quickly look at two passages that touch on
this. First read 1 Chron. 22:11-13. This is David speaking to Solomon. Make a
note that the terms, the law of the Lord, observe the statutes and rules
have to do with worship. David is saying if you keep the law of God and
worship him in the right way, then you will prosper. So then it is only logical
that the reverse is true. If you dont keep Gods law by not worshipping God
as he commanded, then you will not prosper. The second passage is 1 Chron.
28:8. Here David was addressing all of Israel, saying that if they observe
Gods commandments about worship then they will possess the land leave it
to their children as an inheritance.
7.
Unity of Israel from common worship at the temple. The unity of Israel
does not come about from a common political system but it comes through
the worship of a common God. That is fairly obvious. You can read about it in
2 Chron. 11:13-16.
8.
Temples destruction because of its pollution. If the temple is the place

where people access God, if the temple is where God is present and is
therefore holy, what is the worst thing that Israel can do? Desecrate the
temple. Why did God exile the people from the land? Why did God send the
Babylonians to destroy his holy temple? It is all summed up in one verse in 2
Chron. 36:14. They desecrated the temple. They contaminated the temple.
They became more and more unfaithful. The term unfaithful means
sacrilegious. As time went on, they desecrated the temple that God had
made holy more and more. Therefore God handed the temple over to
destruction.

[1 & 2 Chronicles (Bible 2, 8b), 50:39]
The Liturgical Role of Kingship in Israel in 1 & 2 Chronicles
1.
Confirmation of God's perpetual covenant with David and his successors by

Solomons obedience in building the temple and implementing the divinely
instituted service. God confirmed his covenant with David and his
successors because of Solomons obedience in building the temple and
implementing the divine service as God had said. God had promised that if
Davids son was faithful to him, then Davids house would be established.
Letss take a look at two passages. First look at 1 Chron. 28:6-7. This says if
Solomon is faithful to God then God will establish his kingship. His
descendants will always be Gods kings. Now read 2 Chron. 21:7. Gods
promise was that Davids line would continue forever.
2.
The Status of Solomon and his successors as God's adopted son. Solomon
and all of his successors were adopted sons of God. So God was the father
who lived in the house. The status of Solomon and his successors was that of
the firstborn son of God. That is very important for NT theology. Jesus is the
Son of God the Father. As the Son of God the Father, he is in charge of Gods
house. You can see that in 1 Chron. 22:10.
3.
God's delegates his kingship over Israel to Solomon and his successors.
Read 1 Chron. 28:5. Solomon is to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the
Lord. The throne belongs to God and Solomon sits on the throne together
with God. In the ancient world they could have a very large throne. The king
sat on the throne and sitting next to him on his right hand side was heir, his
son. They sit on the same throne. (By the way, this is where that phrase in
the creed comes from Jesus sits on the right hand of God the Father
Almighty. The picture is one of God the Father sitting on his throne reigning
over all things and Jesus sitting on his right side, reigning with him.) So God
calls Solomon as king so that he can sit on the throne together with God and
reign with him. This was also true of Solomons successors. They were to
each reign with God but most of the kings tried to rule without God.
Eventually a greater Solomon came (Jesus) who would sit at Gods right side
and rule over all things with God. He would do what they failed to do. The
next passage on this topic is found in 2 Chron. 13:8. Gods kingdom is in the
hands of David and his successors. They rule with God. They rule as Gods
regents.
4.
What the liturgical responsibility of the kings is. The responsibilities of the
king are not primarily political or economic, but religious. The responsibilities
of the king were:
(... 4.1) the endowment of public sacrifices. Who was is that paid for all the
animals and other things that were needed to keep the services going? The
king. (See 2 Chron. 8:12-14; 31:3.)
(... 4.2) the organization of the priesthood. The king was not a priest, but he
had general oversight over the priests to make sure they did their work
properly. (See 2 Chron. 8:14.)
(... 4.3) the maintenance of the temple. If the temple needed to be repaired
the king took care of it. (See 2 Chron. 34:8-13)

(... 4.4) the abolition of idolatrous worship. If there was worship of other gods
or if there was wrong worship of God, the king was responsible for rooting out
idolatry and wrong worship. (See 2 Chron 15:8.)
(... 4.5) the reformation of unorthodox worship. If the Israelites went the
wrong way and did not worship God as they were supposed to, it was the
responsibility of the king to reform worship. Remember the great reforming
kings? There was Josiah and Hezekiah and then there were others too in 2
Chronicles.
Question: Once there was no longer a king, who took over these things? The
high priest took responsibility for the sacrifices and the priesthood. The
people took responsibility for the maintenance of the temple and maintaining
right worship. This carries over to Christianity. It is through the offerings of
the people that pastors are paid, churches are maintained, and all other
expenses are paid.
5.
Davids performance of the Lord's song on behalf of Israel and the nations
through the Levitical choir. The kings were not priests, but they had a very
special liturgical responsibility. The king was the head of the congregation. As
the head, he led the congregation in prayer and praise. Lets try and picture
the temple complex. There was the courtyard. Then there were 15 steps that
led up to the altar for burnt offering and the temple proper. The temple choir
stood before the altar for burnt offering and faced the congregation. At the
right hand side on the top of the steps was a small platform big enough for
only 1 person. That was where the king stood. So the king was on the right
hand side of God; and by his position next to the choir, he was associated
with the choir; and he stood at the head of the assembly. It was the Levitical
choir that sang. But they sang for the king. The king established the choir in
order to sing his praises. And the praises of the king are on behalf of the
people. And the people do it on behalf of the nations. So the choir represents
or stands in for David, the king who established the choir.
Lets take a look at two passages were we see this. First look at 1 Chron.
16:7-9. The term there translated as first also means head. The term can
mean first but it most likely means that David as the head of the
congregation and nation gives this psalm of praise to the Levitical singers. So
on behalf of the congregation David gave the choir one of his psalms to sing.
Now look at 2 Chron. 7:6. Here we have something very unexpected. David is
no longer alive. So even after David is dead, how does David offer praises to
God? Through the Levitical choir. They use his instruments; they use his
psalms to praise God. So even when David is dead, he continues to praise
God. So even to this day when we sing psalms in our services, David
continues to praise God. Since the whole OT points forward to Christ, Davids
praise of God points forward to Christ who also praises God. Jesus leads us in
our services in our praises of God. As the kings led Israel in prayer and praise,
so Jesus does the same for us.
The Purpose of 1 & 2 Chronicles

1. To legitimize the musical performance of praise as part of the divine service
at the Second Temple in the post-exilic period. This praise which began with
David became more and more important until it became very important at
the time of Jesus. The importance of praise grew during the post-exilic period.
2. To show how the prosperity of Israel depended on the orthodoxy of her
worship according to the Law of Moses. Israels prosperity does not depend
having a king or having the land or a political system or a good economic
system. Israel prospers when they worship God in the way that he determines
in the Law of Moses.
3. To define the nature and identity of Israel as a liturgical community instituted
by the Lord through Moses and established by David and Solomon. In the
post-exilic period what counted was the temple and its services.
[The lectures on the OT ends at session 8b, 26:00.]

Introduction To The Ot - Kleinig

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Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

[Introduction to the OT (Bible 1, 2a), 37:02 min.]

Introduction to the Old Testament

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Pentateuch

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Book of Genesis

Genealogies and the Structure of Genesis

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

look at the genealogies in Genesis.

The Overall Structure of Genesis

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Gen. 2:4-25 - The Human Family

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Gen. 3 - 11 How the World Got Messed Up

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

There is a pattern in these chapters.

In the second story the family order is disrupted.

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

[Pentateuch - Genesis (Bible 1, 5a), 68:25 min.]

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

We see the pattern again in the next story.

Patriarchal History (Gen. 12 50)

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Main Themes of Genesis

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

The Purpose of the Book of Genesis

Framework for the Pentateuch

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

The Book of Exodus

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

The Structure of Exodus

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

The first is Gods theophany. Theophany is the appearance or making known

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

There was the peak of the mountain where God is.

The Themes of Exodus

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Theme 3 The Deliverance of Israel by God

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

are seven important theophanies in Exodus and Leviticus.

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig

Introduction to the Bible Lectures by John Kleinig