Psalms: Praise, Prayers, and Wisdom from David – Bible Overview

Psalms

A Psalms is a poem which is typically set to music. In fact, some of the psalms give instructions for the musicians (ie. Psalm 4:1, “To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.).

There are 150 psalms in the book of Psalms. Several of them are labeled as psalms of David (73), the “…sweet psalmist of Israel…” (2 Samuel 23:1). Others are associated with Asaph (12), the sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), and Ethan (1). The other 50 psalms do not have names linked to them.

Continue reading “Psalms: Praise, Prayers, and Wisdom from David – Bible Overview”

Job: Exploring The Question Of Suffering And Faith – Bible Overview

Question of Suffering

The Book of Job looks at the question of suffering. We know very little about Job. Unlike many books in the Bible, we do not know who authored the book nor do we know when it was written. There is insufficient information to know when Job lived, but we can have confidence he was a real man (Ezekiel 14:14; James 5:11) who lived in Uz (Job 1:1) which is southeast of Palestine (the region associated with Edom). There is an absence of genealogical data which would lead us to believe Job was a Gentile who served as the spiritual leader for his family (Job 1:1-2, 5) perhaps during the patriarchal age.

Continue reading “Job: Exploring The Question Of Suffering And Faith – Bible Overview”

Queen Esther: Saviour of the Jewish People – Bible Overview

Queen Esther

The book of Esther is a historical record falling in the period of the return from the Babylonian captivity. There were three phases to the return: the first under Zerubbabel (536 BC) who oversaw the rebuilding of the temple; the second under Ezra (458 BC) who re-established worship; and the third under Nehemiah (444 BC) who led the people in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. The events which include Queen Esther fall between the time of Zerubbabel and Ezra.

Continue reading “Queen Esther: Saviour of the Jewish People – Bible Overview”

Ezra And Nehemiah: Return From Exile & Rebuilding Jerusalem – Bible Overview

return from exile

The books of Ezra & Nehemiah pick up where 2 Chronicles left off (compare 2 Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-4). They record the return from exile in Babylon and the restoration of Jerusalem.

The return to Judah happened in three phases. The first was led by Zerubbabel, the second by Ezra and the third by Nehemiah. There is a pattern which can be seen throughout the books with each of these men.

Continue reading “Ezra And Nehemiah: Return From Exile & Rebuilding Jerusalem – Bible Overview”

Israel’s History in Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles – Bible Overview

Israel's History

Our Bibles list six books (1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles), but originally each pair was a single book. These books record just over 500 years of Israel’s history beginning with the birth of Samuel (the final judge in Israel) and culminating with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile.

Continue reading “Israel’s History in Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles – Bible Overview”

Ruth: A Journey Of Faith, Loyalty, And Redemption – Bible Overview

Ruth

The book of Ruth is the third history books in the Old Testament. It is a beautiful account of a young Moabite woman who came to faith in God. We do not know who wrote the book, but it appears to have been written during or after the time of David (4:17-22). It is set in the period of the Judges, which was a dark time in Israel’s history. This book shines as a light in the darkness.

Continue reading “Ruth: A Journey Of Faith, Loyalty, And Redemption – Bible Overview”

Judges: The Ongoing Cycle of Sin and Restoration – Bible Overview

Judges

The book of Judges is the second of the history books in the Old Testament. The name of the book comes from 2:18,“…the LORD raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them.” The word judge is from the Hebrew jps {shaphat}, which refers to “…a magistrate or ruler, rather than one who judges in the sense of trying a case.”1 The judges served Israel to deliver them from their enemies.

Continue reading “Judges: The Ongoing Cycle of Sin and Restoration – Bible Overview”

Deuteronomy: The Second Giving of the Law – Bible Overview

Deuteronomy

The fifth book of the Torah or Pentateuch is Deuteronomy. The name means “second law” or “copy of the law” and comes from the Greek  δευτερονόμιον, which appears in Deuteronomy 17:18 of the LXX. That said, this text doesn’t appear to be the source of naming the book. The book retells the Law for the new generation ready to enter the promised land. The book is called mydbr, in Hebrew, meaning, “These are the words” (1:1).

Continue reading “Deuteronomy: The Second Giving of the Law – Bible Overview”

Numbers: Israel Wandering in the Wilderness – Bible Overview

Numbers

The fourth book of the Torah or Pentateuch is Numbers. The name is descriptive, for in the book the children of Israel are numbered twice. The first census is the exodus generation (1:2-3), the second census is of their children (26:2-4). The Hebrew name for the book is rbdm, “in the wilderness,” coming from Numbers 1:1, “Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting…”

Continue reading “Numbers: Israel Wandering in the Wilderness – Bible Overview”
Verified by MonsterInsights