Overview of the 1

Running head: OVERVIEW OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

Overview of the Old Testament

Julie C. Moon

Grand Canyon University

 Overview of the Old Testament

I. In the Beginning

A. The beginning of creation is undated. (Life Application Study Bible)

B. God creates the heaven and earth. (Genesis 1:1)

C. “At this ancient time God made himself known indiscriminately to individuals

and nations alike.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 45)

D. God created everything in the universe in six days and then rested on the

seventh day and “declared all he had made to be very good.” (Gen 1 )

E. Adam and Eve were created by God without sin. But they became sinful when

they disobeyed God and ate fruit from a forbidden tree. (Gen 2-3)

F. Cain kills Abel. (Gen 4:8)

G. Noah builds an ark to safe his family & two of each animal on Earth from the

coming flood. (Gen 6-11)

H. God’s covenant with Noah to “never again destroy the earth by a flood.”

(Merrill, 1991, p. 66), (Gen 9)

I. Repopulating the Earth.

J. Man built the tower of Babel in an attempt to see God. (Gen 11:1-9 )

II. The Founding Fathers

A. The dates of this era were 2166 BC - 1876 BC (Adkins, 2001).

B. Genesis is the book of the Bible that you will find these events reported.

(Merrill, 1991, chap. 3)

C. Abraham was born in 2166 BC.

 D. In 2091 BC, Abraham and Sarai move to Canaan after being called upon by

God. “God made a covenant with Abraham, an agreement I which he

promised to bless the patriarch immeasurably and to make him and his

descendants a blessing to all the world (Gen 12:1-3).” (Merrill, 1991, p. 77)

E. In 2100, “the earliest discovered drug, ethyl alcohol, was used to alleviate

pain.” (Chronology of Events, pg. xiv)

F. Abraham fathers two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. (Gen 15-18) After Isaac’s

birth, God tested Abraham’s faith by demanding that he sacrifice Isaac as a

burnt offering. God then spared Isaac because of Abraham’s faithfulness and

obedience. (Gen 22)

G. Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed because their unrighteous ways. (Gen 18-19)

H. Isaac fathers two sons, Essau and Jacob. (Gen 24-26)

I. In 1991, Abraham dies. (Gen 25)

J. Jacob bore 12 sons, each of whom became the father of one of the 12 tribes of

Israel. (Gen 27-35)

K. Joseph, one of Jacob’s 12 sons, was sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt,

because their father loved him more. (Gen 37:1-4 ) Joseph becomes a great

leader in Egypt. (Gen 37-50)

L. In 2000, “Stonehedge, England, a center for religious worship is erected.”

(Chronology of Events pg. xv)

M. In 1900, “spoked wheel invented in the ancient Near East.” (Chronology of

Events pg. xv)

III. Creation of a Nation

 A. The dates of this era were 1876 BC – 1050 BC (Adkins, 2001).

B. These events are recorded in the Bible books Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,

and Deuteronomy. (Merrill, 1991, chap. 4)

C. After Joseph’s death in 1805, The Israelites were enslaved. (Exodus 1)

D. God chooses Moses to lead the Israelites from Egypt back to the promise land.

(Merrill, 1991, p. 111), (Exodus 2-12)

E. God parts the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to free to safety. (Exodus 14-15)

F. God commands Mosses to Mount Sanai and there delivers the Law which is to

govern the people as they become a nation. This included the Ten

Commandments. (Exodus 19-20)

G. God gave specific guidelines for worshiping God and for living a holy life.

(Leviticus)

H. Moses’ leadership is challenged and the Israelites rebel against God. Israelites

wander for 40 years as the consequence of rebelling against God. (Numbers

10-36)

I. Moses death on Mount Nebo. (Deuteronomy 34)

J. In 1500, Sundials used in Egypt. (Chronology of Events, pg. xv)

K. In 1400, First period of Chinese literature & intricate clock used in Egypt.

(Chronology of Events, pg. xvi)

L. In 1200, first Chinese dictionary. (Chronology of Events, pg. xvi)

IV. Conquest and Conflict

A. The dates of this era were 1406 BC – 1066 BC (Adkins, 2001).

 B. These events are recorded in the Bible books Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and 1

Samuel. (Merrill, 1991, chap. 6)

C. After Mosses’ death, God chooses Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan.

God parted the waters of the Jordan River for them to enter. (Joshua 1-5)

D. God instructs Joshua how to defeat Jericho and make the walls fall. (Joshua

5-6)

E. Joshua divides and conquers the land of Canaan, although this takes about 7

years. (Joshua 7-12)

F. Various leaders (called ‘Judges’) are appointed by God to govern the people

for 400 rebellious years. The judges are political-military leaders of Israel.

The judges were Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair,

Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Sampson. (Merrill, 1991, chap. 6)

G. The moral failure of Israel. (Judges 17-21)

H. The rule of the judges comes to an end and the monarchy is established.

(Merrill, 1991, p. 179)

I. Samuel is born and grows up in the tabernacle as a priest-in-training and as a

young child hears the voice of God in the night. (1 Samuel 1-3)

J. 1400 BC First period of Chinese Literature. (Chronology of Events, pg. xvi)

K. 1400 BC Intricate clock used in Egypt. (Chronology of Events, pg. xvi)

L. 1358 BC Egyptian King Tutankhamen dies and is buried inside an immense

treasure-laden tomb. (Chronology of Events, pg. xvi)

V. An Age of Greatness

A. The dates of this era were 1066 BC – 945 BC (Adkins, 2001).

B. These events are recorded in the Bible books 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2

Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Job, Psalms, Proverbs,

Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

C. The Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant then returned them when God

strikes them with terrible disease. (1 Samuel 4-6)

D. The people demand a king. Through visions from God, Samuel announced

Saul king. Samuel anoints Saul as Israel’s first king. (1 Samuel 8-10)

E. Saul rejected the word of the Lord, so God had rejected him as king. (Merrill,

1991, p. 193), (1 Samuel 15)

F. “With the utter rejection of Saul, the Lord spoke to Samuel about the

appointment of a successor.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 194) Samuel, through visions

form God, choice David as future king and anointed him. (1 Samuel 16)

G. David slays the giant Goliath. (1 Samuel 17)

H. The Israelites were soundly defeated. Mortally stricken, Saul took his own

sword and fell on it, quickly joining his son ,Jonathan, and Samuel in death.

(Merrill, 1991, p. 201)

I. David becomes king over Judah and Israel. (2 Samuel 1-5)

J. David moves the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, his political center.

(Merrill, 1991, p. 205), (1st Chronicles 13)

K. God’s covenant with David. God promised to continue the house of David

forever. (2 Samuel 7:12-16 ) Jesus Christ, a direct descendant of David, was

the ultimate fulfillment of this promise. (Acts 2:22-36 )

L. David had an adulterous affair with Bath-sheba then tried to conceal his sin by

having her husband killed. (2 Samuel 11)

M. Solomon becomes king. (Merrill, 1991, p. 211)

N. Solomon builds the temple for the Lord in accordance with the Davidic

covenant. (Merrill, 1991, p. 214), (1 Kings 5-8), (2nd Chronicles 2-4)

O. Solomon’s immoral love of many wives from many nations ultimately

resulted in the kingdom being taken from him. Only the tribe of Judah was

retained by the Davidic line. (Merrill, 1991, p. 216-217), (1 Kings 11)

P. Satan was permitted by God to test Job to the greatest loss and punishment

imaginable, except for taking his life. (Merrill, 1991, p. 219), (Job 1-2)

Q. “Through all of this, Job clings to his hope in God, but he eventually begins to

question God.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 219-220), (Job)

R. Some of the themes that appear in Psalms are praise, repentance, sorrow for

sin, and regal splendor of the coming King. (Merrill, 1991, p. 220-222),

(Psalms)

S. “The main purpose of the book of Proverbs is to disclose human wisdom or

observation in the light of that from God.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 222), (Proverbs)

T. Ecclesiastes main theme is vanity. The Preacher then talks of the emptiness of

life lived without God. (Merrill, 1991, p. 224), (Ecclesiastes)

U. The Song of Solomon is a bold description of the glorification of true love and

of God’s intention for man to have one wife. (Merrill, 1991, p. 224-225) Song

of Songs is a wedding song honoring marriage. (Song of Songs)

 V. 1000 BC Greek mythology fully developed; Chinese mathematics utilizes

root multiplication, geometry, proportions, and theory of motion.

(Chronology of Events, pg. xvii)

W. 950 BC Gold vessels and jewelry popular in northern Europe. (Chronology

of Events, pg. xvii)

VI. A House Divided

A. The dates of this era were 945 BC – 721 BC (Adkins, 2001).

B. These events are recorded in the Bible books 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1st Chronicles,

2nd Chronicles, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Obadiah, Joel, Jonah, Amos, and Hosea.

C. Israel divides into Northern and Southern kingdoms. (1st Kings 12-16) There

was constant hostility between Israel and Judah during this time. (Merrill,

1991, p. 233)

D. “After Solomon’s death, the throne fell to his son Rehoboam, who continued

to reign in Jerusalem, having been anointed previously at Shechem.” (Merrill,

1991, p. 230)

E. Elijah’s ministry and his efforts against the prophets of the pagan god, Baal.

(2 Kings)

F. The Collapse of Israel due to the people’s refusal to obey the Law and

covenants. The Lord pleaded with them over and over to repent but to no

avail. (2 Kings 15-17)

G. The main theme of Obadiah was that God judges those who harm His people.

(Merrill, 1991, p. 250), (Obadiah)

 H. The theme of Joel was to warn Judah of the Day of the Lord and also the

blessings of repentance. (Merrill, 1991, p. 251), (Joel)

I. The theme of Jonah is “God asked him if true repentance did not deserve

divine mercy.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 252), (Jonah)

J. Amos pronounces God’s judgment in denouncing sin because of Israel’s

selfish, materialistic ways. (Amos), (Merrill, 1991, p. 252-254)

K. Hosea’s theme is an illustration of God’s love for His sinful people. (Hosea)

Hosea was “sent to Israel with the message of divine love in an effort to turn

the nation once again to God, but the nation would not respond.” (Merrill,

1991, p. 254)

L. 900 BC Assyrians invent inflatable skins for soldiers to cross rivers.

(Chronology of Events, pg. xvii)

M. 800 BC Babylonian and Chinese astronomers understand planetary

movements. (Chronology of Events, pg. xvii)

N. 776 BC First known date of Olympic games. (Chronology of Events, pg. xvii)

O. 753 BC Founding of the city of Rome. (Chronology of Events, pg. xviii)

P. 750 BC Earliest music notation written in ancient Greece. (Chronology of

Events, pg. xviii)

VII. Catharsis Before Calamity

A. The dates of this era were 721 BC – 586 BC (Adkins, 2001).

B. These events are recorded in the Bible books 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Isaiah,

Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, and Lamentations.

C. Hezekiah becomes king of Judah in 715 BC. He immediately started to rid

the kingdom of everything that had led to Israel’s downfall. This resulted in

religious reformation. (Merrill, 1991, p. 258-259), (2 Kings 18-20)

D. Isaiah’s purpose was to call the nation of Judah back to God and to tell of

God’s salvation through the Messiah. (Isaiah)

E. The last 27 chapters of Isaiah brings a message of forgiveness, comfort, and

hope. (Isaiah), (Merrill, 1991, p. 264)

F. Micah warned God’s people that judgment is coming and offered pardon to all

who repent. God is God to all people and nations. (Micah)

G. Micah told of the next king in David’s line and that he would be the Messiah

from Bethlehem, who would establish a kingdom that would never end.

(Micah)

H. While Josiah was repairing the temple in Judah, he found a scroll. “On

examination, he found it to be a copy of The Law of Moses.” (Merrill, 1991,

p. 267)

I. Nahum’s prophecy told of God’s coming judgment on Nineveh.

J. Zephaniah warned the people of Judah that if they refused to repent, the entire

nation would be lost. (Zephaniah)

K. Habakkuk’s main theme was the mysteries of divine intervention. He showed

that God is still in control of the world despite the apparent triumph of evil.

L. Jeremiah was told by God that “God had selected him, even before he had

been born, to be the prophet of Judah.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 273) Jeremiah

confronted the people with their sin, prophesied their captivity, and their
 eventual return from exile. He urged them to turn from their sins and back to

God. (Judah 1-45)

M. In Lamentations, Jerusalem was destroyed because of the sins of the people.

(Lamentations 1:1-22)

N. Lamentations was used to teach people that to disobey God is to invite

disaster, and to show that God suffers when his people suffer. (Lamentations)

O. 660 BC Japan established as a nation. (Chronology of Events, pg. xviii)

P. 600 BC Temple of Artemis built in Ephesus- one of the seven wonders of the

ancient world. (Chronology of Events, pg. xviii)

IX. Return and Renewal

A. The dates of this era were 586 BC – 450 BC (Adkins, 2001).

B. These events are recorded in the Bible books Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezra,

Haggai, Zechariah, Esther, Nehemiah, and Malachi.

C. Ezekiel prophesied to the exiles in Babylon that punishment was certain

because of their sins and that God was purifying His people. (Ezekiel1-3)

D. The fall of Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 33:21)

E. Ezekiel saw a vision that revealed God’s moral perfection and foretold the

eventual salvation of God’s people. To do this, God would “sprinkle water

upon them” and they would be given a “new heart” in which to abide by the

Spirit if God. (Ezekiel 36:25-38)

F. Daniel and his three friends, refuse to eat the king’s food, nor bow down to

the king’s image. He continued to pray and be faithful to God even though

he might be noticed and sentenced to death. (Daniel 1-6)

G. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are saved by divine intervention when

thrown into a fiery furnance. (Daniel 3)

H. For punishment of continuing to pray and worship the Lord, Daniel was

“thrown into a den of lions, but he was protected by from the beast by the

presence of the Lord.” (Merrill, 1991, p. 287), (Daniel 6)

I. Daniel had many visions and prophecies about God’s hand in history.

J. In Ezra, after 70 years in exile, the captives from Judah were allowed to return

to their homeland. The temple at Jerusalem is rebuilt and the Jews resume

making sacrifices to God. (Ezra 1-6)

K. Haggai becomes a prophet and calls for the people to complete the rebuilding

of the temple. (Haggai)

L. Zechariah becomes a prophet and has a vision of “rebuilding not only the

physical Jerusalem but also a spiritual city wherein salvation could be found

for all mankind.” (Zechariah 2:11-12)

M. Zechariah revealed God’s future deliverance through the Messiah.

N. The book of Esther is an example of God’s divine guidance and care over our

lives.

O. Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. (Nehemiah 1-6)

P. Malachi rebuked the people for neglecting the worship of God and failing to

live according to His will. “Malachi stated in no uncertain terms that the Day

of the Lord was still coming, a day when the Lord would appear among them

to purify and judge. (Malachi 3:1-3)” (Merrill, 1991, p. 302)

Q. “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
R. 563 BC Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, born in India.

(Chronology of Events, pg. xix)

S. 560 BC Aesop writes his fables. (Chronology of Events, pg. xix)

T. 551 BC Confucius, famous Chinese scholar born. (Chronology of Events, pg.

xix)

U. 550 BC King Cyrus founds the Persian Empire. (Chronology of Events, pg.

xix)

V. 520 BC Public libraries open in Athens, Greece. (Chronology of Events, pg.

xix)

W. 509 BC Rome becomes a republic. (Chronology of Events, pg. xix)

X. 469 BC Socrates, philosopher of the ancient world born. (Chronology of

Events, pg. xx)

 References

Adkins, S. (2001). Old Testament History Overview [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from

http://www.internetdynamics.com/personal/spadkins/god/book/outline/ot_history.htm

Merrill, E. H. (1991). An historical survey of the Old Testament (2nd ed.). Grand Rapides, MI:

Baker Academic.