The Old Testament Preview

Note.—The Chronology used throughout is based on
"The Dated Events of the Old Testament,"
by Willis Judson Beecher.

1. Two Great Divisions.—In biblical history here are two great divisions, that of the Old Testament and that of the New Testament. It is well to have clear outlines in our minds with regard to the great outstanding characteristics of these periods. In making these divisions into the periods that follow we have no "Thus saith the Lord" for our guidance, but use the best common sense that we have. Others might make a different division, but we give that below as at the least suggestive.

2. Prelude.—The great prelude of creation. Here we are told that all things find their origin in God. This teaching is in contradistinction to the claim that matter is eternal. It also denies the doctrine that the world was made by chance. It places the beginning of all things seen in the power of One who is from eternity to eternity. This satisfies the cravings of the human heart as no other teaching does.

3. First Period.—Adam to Noah. Here we have the first stage in the drama of human history. In it we find the beginnings of the human race, of sin, and of redemption. Three most important beginnings. It is covered by Genesis 2 to 5 inclusive. It is marked by total failure on the part of man. "Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Man proved himself recreant to God's holy law.

4. Second Period.—Noah to Abraham. Chapters 6 to 12. God makes a new beginning with the family of Noah. But, as before, man proves himself disobedient and faithless to his God. We find a great civilization, but little godliness. For the second time man proves a failure, so far as obedience to God's law is concerned. Man in his pride says, "Come, let us build," while God on his part says, "Come, let us confound" (Gen. 11:4 and 7).

But little space is given in the Bible to these two periods, for they are in reality preliminary to the third, which is of vastly more importance than the two put together.

5. Third Period.—Abraham to Kings. Genesis 12 through to 1 Samuel 9. This is a most important period. Here God changes his method of treating man. From henceforth he will chiefly communicate truth to mankind through a chosen family and nation. Not that no man outside of this circle can know God's will, but that especially through Abraham and his seed God chooses to make his will known, until, in the fulness of time, Jesus, the son of Abraham according to the flesh, shall come and reveal clearly God's love and redemption to men.

In this section we have the story of the patriarchal family, first coming out of Ur of the Chaldees, and living for a while in Canaan. Then they go down to Egypt, and at last are oppressed. After being welded together in the furnace of affliction they are brought out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and in the wilderness they receive the law of God through their great leader, Moses. Here too they learn the way of acceptable worship, and are prepared for entry into the Land of Promise. Then follows the conquest of the land under Moses' successor, Joshua. Now comes the period of the Judges, when God rules his people directly through these divinely called men. This is easily seen to be a most important period. All this time Israel only is monotheistic (believing in one God), but all the other nations of the earth are grossly idolatrous. During this period we see that so long as God's chosen people obey him they prosper, while as soon as they disobey disasters begin to multiply.

In this period, too, was given that legislation which has been the foundation of all the legislation of civilized nations from that time to this. Here also we have the foundations of that system of types that culminated in Jesus, great David's greater Son. Sacrifice, high priest, tabernacle, here have their origin or their development. In all the history of the world up to that time there was no period so fraught with blessings for mankind as was this period.

6. Fourth Period.—Kings to captivity. 1 Samuel 9 to 2 Kings 25. This may be divided into two parts:

(1) The united monarchy. This lasted one hundred and twenty years, and had three kings, Saul, David, Solomon. Saul brought something of order out of national chaos. David carried this still farther and made Israel truly a great nation. Solomon, however, through too much luxury and many political alliances, sowed the seeds of national decay.

(2) Now comes the division of the monarchy, brought on by the folly of Rehoboam, Solomon's son. Because of his refusal to lighten the heavy taxes, ten tribes revolted and established a kingdom under Jeroboam. Ever after this they were known as Israel, also called by us the Northern Kingdom. The Kingdom of Judah is also known as the Southern Kingdom.

Israel, or the Northern Kingdom went from the worship of the golden calves to that of Baal, and continued on the downward course until they went into captivity. They had only one good king, named Jehu, and he was none too good.

Judah, or the Southern Kingdom fared somewhat better, though even here there was much idolatry. At last Judah too went into captivity, on account of its sin. It is most suggestive to compare the triumphant entry of Israel into the land, and its shameful exit in chains and tears. It was all brought about through abandoning the God of Abraham. There are some in modern days who claim that Israel had naturally a monotheistic tendency, and on that account slowly worked its way out of polytheism into monotheism. The writer does not so read the history, but finds that Israel had an inveterate tendency to polytheism, and that God only cured it of this sin through the sorrows of the captivity.

7. Fifth Period.—Captivity and return. Read Ezra and Nehemiah. This is not a period of great glory, like that of Solomon's reign. But it is a period most remarkable on account of the fact that Judah was now strictly monotheistic, and from that day to this, over two thousand years, it has remained so. In the furnace fires of captivity God cured his people once and forever of their besetting sin, idolatry. This is a most remarkable fact, for the nations into which they went as captives were themselves totally idolatrous.

In this period comes the building of the second temple, the reform under Ezra, and the building of the walls of Jerusalem, under Nehemiah.

8. Now the story closes for four centuries and does not open until the New Testament times (with which we shall deal later on) begin.