Lessons

Old Testament Study – Part 13. The lesson on June 4, 2006 continues the Old Testament Series with Part 13. The Word of God is a book of human history that has more veracity in it than any other book today. Yet, it has come under attack by man as to it authenticity and has been labeled a book of myth, fables, and legends. God’s Word is more important to the life of a Christian than eating bread and drinking water. We are to be built up in our faith, and to avoid the Old Testament because we don’t know of the history, or it’s too confusing. 3000 prophetic statements in the Old Testament have come true and this shows the power and wisdom of God. The motive to study the Old Testament is to reveal the wisdom of God. There are 16 prophets in scripture (Major and Minor). The Majors have more content and the Minor prophets have smaller content. 10 of the Prophets wrote before the exile, and 6 during the exile of the Nation of Israel. The exile occurred when Babylon came in and took over Jerusalem along with the Southern tribes in 496 BC. The Northern Kingdom (the remaining two tribes) were wiped out by the Assyrians in approximately 596 BC. The prophets began before 500 BC. A handout was provided from the Companion Bible, appendix 77 which details the chronological order of the prophets. The Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit. The Bible is how His Spirit makes spiritual “eye contact” with our spirit and we learn and grow. This is the way God leads us along. The lesson also reviewed the King Josiah and how he behaved wonderfully for the Lord. In II Kings 23:25 (KJV) it said “And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.” After his death, Josiah’s son was made King and did much evil in the sight of the Lord. It covers Babylon being destroyed by the Medo-Persian empire. There are 100 different prophesies about Babylon that have been fulfilled.