Hymns 584
Scripture Reading:
Heb. 1:1 God, having spoken of old in many portions and in many ways to the fathers in the prophets.
THE OLD TESTAMENT
The Bible, God’s speaking, was divided into two parts: the first part—the Old Testament—God spoke in the prophets; the second part—the New Testament—He speaks in the Son, in the person of the Son.
The Five Books of Moses (the Pentateuch)—
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
The five books of Moses (the Pentateuch): In the progress of the divine revelation there is the advancement of the divine revelation. In Genesis, we have God and His creation. In the book of Exodus we have God’s salvation and the building of His habitation. In Leviticus we have the redeemed’s worship and living. In Numbers we see God’s redeemed people being formed into His army and their journey in fighting for God. The book of Deuteronomy is a respeaking of the divine law. Deuteronomy is not only a conclusion of the Pentateuch; it is also a concluding word of the law. (Life-study of Numbers, msg. 1; Life-study of Deuteronomy, msg. 1)
The Books of History—
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings,
1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther
The Books of History: The intrinsic revelation of the history according to the record from Joshua to Esther is to unveil to us how the eternal economy of God was carried out by His elect on the earth. First, the book of Joshua shows us how to gain, to take possession of, and to keep the good land. Then the books of Judges, Ruth, and 1 and 2 Samuel give us pictures of certain persons, showing us how they remained in the good land and enjoyed the good land after they took possession of it. The record of quite a few judges in the book of Judges, of Ruth and Boaz in the book of Ruth, and of Eli, Samuel, Saul, Jonathan, and David in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel presents us vivid pictures of how those persons remained in and enjoyed the good land. Even though those pictures were painted in detail, there is still the need of 1 and 2 Kings to give us pictures of more persons showing us how they remained in and enjoyed the good land. The book of Ezra is concerned with the return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, and the book of Nehemiah is concerned with the repair, the rebuilding, of the city. The book of Esther shows us how the omnipresent and omnipotent God became the hiding God in protecting His captured elect, who were scattered in their captivity. (Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, msg.1; Life-study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, msg. 14)
The Books of Poetry—
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs
The Books of Poetry: Job stresses that God wants man to seek and gain God solely without any other blessings and prosperity, and that God wants man to seek Him for his perfection and not for his integrity. Psalms stresses man’s seeking and contacting of God through his praises, prayers, and singing with exultation. Proverbs stresses wisdom that man receives of God through his contacting of God and that teaches man how to behave in his human life. Ecclesiastes stresses the vanity of vanities of all the things under the sun, which is realized by man through the wisdom received from God. Song of Songs stresses that Christ is the song of songs, the satisfaction of satisfactions to human life. (Life-study of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, msg. 1)
The Books of the Major Prophets—
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel
The Books of the Prophets (the Major Prophets and the Minor Prophets): In the Bible, to prophesy is mainly to speak for God and to speak forth God. The content of Isaiah is this: God’s dealing in love with His beloved Israel and His righteous judgment upon the nations bring in Christ, the Savior. The subject of the book of Jeremiah is Christ being made the righteousness of Jehovah to God’s elect as their center and circumference in God’s dealings with Israel and the nations. Both books (Ezekiel and Revelation) speak of God being life to man, of the Spirit of life, of the flow of the water of life, and of God’s people, who have His glorious likeness, becoming His dwelling place. Both books end with a vision of Jerusalem. The central thought of Daniel is that the ruling of the heavens (4:26) by the God of the heavens (2:37, 44) over all the human government on earth matches God’s eternal economy for Christ to terminate the old creation for the germination of the new creation and to smash and crush the aggregate of human government and establish the eternal kingdom of God. (Life-study of Isaiah, msg. 1; Life-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 1; Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 1; Life-study of Daniel, msg. 1)
The Books of the Minor Prophets—
Hosea, Obadiah, Amos, Joel, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi
The books of the Minor Prophets emphasize four main points: God’s loving chastisement of Israel and His governmental dealing with Israel, His judgment upon the nations, and the restoration of all things. The Minor Prophets are minor, but the revelation they bring in is major. The central point of the divine revelation in the Minor Prophets is the same as that in the Major Prophets. (Life-study of the Minor Prophets, msg. 1)
Further Reading: Life-study of Numbers, msg. 1; Life-study of Deuteronomy, msg. 1; Life-study of 1 & 2 Kings, msg.1; Life-study of 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, msg. 14; Life-study of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, msg. 1; Life-study of Isaiah, msg. 1; Life-study of Jeremiah and Lamentations, msg. 1; Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 1; Life-study of Daniel, msg. 1; Life-study of the Minor Prophets, msg. 1
