Knowing and Growing

AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS

THEME: Discipline and Wisdom
AUTHORS:
Solomon (1:1-9:18; 10:1-22:16; 25:1-29:27)
Wise Men (22:17-24:34)
Agur (Proverbs 30)
Lemuel (31:1-9)
Unknown (31:10-31)

KEY VERSE: Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs shows that wisdom must dominate a man’s whole life, not just his devotion, but his attitude toward his wife, his children, his work, his business methods, even his table manners.

KEY WORDS:
Wisdom – used 48 times
Wise – used 61 times
Understanding – used 48 times
Knowledge – used 41 times
Fool – used 57 times
Fear of the Lord – used 17 times

OTHER KEY VERSES IN THE BOOK:
Proverbs 3:5-6 – trusting in God
Proverbs 3:9 – giving to God
Proverbs 3:11-12 – discipline in life
Proverbs 5:21 – God watches over us
Proverbs 6:16-17 – seven things God hates
Proverbs 8:10-11 – preciousness of wisdom
Proverbs 8:35-36 – blessings of wisdom
Proverbs 11:30 – actions of wisdom
Proverbs 22:6 – training of children
Proverbs 27:1 – we do not know about the future

AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES

THEME: Vanity of life apart from God
AUTHOR: Solomon
KEY VERSE: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

KEY WORDS OF THE BOOK:
Vanity – used 37 times
Under the sun – used 29 times

OTHER KEY VERSES IN THE BOOK:
Ecclesiastes 3:14 – everything God does remains
Ecclesiastes 6:12 – we do not know what is good for our own lives
Ecclesiastes 7:29 – God made us upright but man is inclined to sin

AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE BOOK OF SONG OF SOLOMON

THEME: Purity of love
AUTHOR: Solomon (this is one of Solomon’s best songs; he wrote 1005 of them – First
Kings 4:32)
KEY VERSES: Song of Solomon 6:3 and Song of Solomon 8:7

KEY WORDS OF THE BOOK:
Beloved – used of the groom
Love – used of the bride

KEY INTERPRETATIONS:
1. Depicts love between a husband and a wife
2. Depicts love between God and Israel
3. Depicts love between Christ and the Church
4. Depicts love between Christ and the believer

 THEME:  Man’s inability to rule himself without God

AUTHOR:  Unknown, but the book was written while the first temple was still standing

                        (see 1 Kings 8:8).  Jeremiah is the traditional writer.

KEY VERSE: 1 Kings 11:4 (the downfall of Solomon)

DIVIDED BY SECTIONS:

I.  THE REIGN OF SOLOMON – chapters 1-11

A.  Key People

1.  Solomon – the wise king of the United Kingdom

2.  Queen of Sheba – came to hear Solomon’s wisdom

B.  Key Events

1.  Death of David

2.  Solomon asks for wisdom (at Gibeon)

3.  Building of the temple (takes 7 years)

4.  Dedication of the temple (22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep for

                            the peace offerings)

5.  Sins of Solomon

C.  Key Places  – Jerusalem, the capital of Judah

II.  THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM – chapters 12-16

A.  Key People:

1.  Rehoboam (17 years)               1.  Jeroboam (22 years)

2.  Abijam (3 years)                      1b. Nadab (2 years)

3.  Asa (41 years)                          2.  Baasha (24 years)

2b.  Elah (2 years)

3.  Zimri (7 days)

B.  Key Places

1.  Jerusalem

2.  Samaria – the capital of Israel

III.  THE REIGN OF AHAB – chapters 17-22

A.  Key People

4.  Jehoshaphat (25 years)             4.  Omri (12 years)

4b.  Ahab (21 years)

4c.  Jezebel

Prophets:  Elijah and Micaiah

B.  Key Places

1.  Samaria

2.  Mount Carmel – the place of victory over Baal

3.  Ramoth-gilead – the place of defeat for Ahab

C.  Key Events

1.  Drought and famine

2.  Elijah at the widow’s house

3.  Victory at Mount Carmel

4.  Elijah’s depression at Mount Horeb

5.  Elisha anointed by Elijah

6.  Death of Ahab

Some of the prominent features of 1 Kings include the following:

1.  Practically all rulers were evil

2.  God’s patience in dealing with them

3.  Names of the mothers are given of both good and bad kings

4.  God’s grace in sending revival when the king, with the people turned to

Him

5.  Prominence of the prophet and insignificance of the priest

6.  God’s long delay before the captivity of both Israel and Judah

7.  Man’s total inability to rule for God

8.  Wicked kings who had godly sons; good kings who had wicked sons

OTHER KEY VERSES IN THE BOOK:

1 Kings 1:6 – results of the failure to discipline children

1 Kings 3:1 – downfall of Solomon

1 Kings 3:7-9 – a great prayer request

1 Kings 3:28 – wisdom of Solomon

1 Kings 8:27 – where God lives

In 1 Chronicles 17:10 & 11, is God promising David a home in heaven? And than also look at verse 25. If so, would this be the first mention of it in Scripture? (Doug S)

This passage and its parallel in 2 Samuel 7 contains what we know as the Davidic Covenant – an agreement God made with David. There are two great features of this covenant.

First, God indicates that Solomon, David’s son, will build a house for God there in Jerusalem. You might remember that David had desired to build it himself, but God denied him that privilege, but indicated that his son would do it. Thus, part of the Covenant is the building of the Temple. This is the “house” that God speaks of in this passage.

But seocnd, God promises David that his kingdom would be established forever. We know that there will be a final fulfillment of this promise when Jesus Christ, the son of David, will sit upon the throne during the Millennial kingdom there in Jerusalem. What a great day that will be! What an awesome kingdom that will be!

So, no God is not speaking of David being in heaven in this text, but is telling David of His fantastic promises of being the foundation upon which an eternal kingdom will be built.

Why does the counting of the soldiers bring guilt on Israel? Why does God get so angry? 1 Samuel 24:1-9. (Bobbie)

The passage in 2 Samuel 24 has a parallel in 1 Chronicles 21. There are some differences between these two accounts, but the end product is still the same. God punishes the nation for the bad choice that its king, David, had made.

Why was God so angry? At least twice before God had ordained that a census be taken of the men of Israel to ascertain those of military age. But those occassions occurred during the 40 years in the wilderness (see Numbers 1 and Numbers 326). If God was not angry then, why is He now?

Most Bible scholars believe that the reason why David ordered Joab to take the census was one of pride. David was getting older, nearing the end of his life and reign. He had accomplished much, depending upon the resources that God had given to him for the victories that he had experienced. But now this act of a military census stemmed from his pride. It was no longer about God but about David and his army. He needed to know how many men he had ready for the engagements to come. It was almost as if David was saying, “I have enough men now in my army to take care of any situation that develops. I don’t need to completely trust in God any longer.” So, what did God do? He removed through a plague 70,000 men of military age. David’s army was not as great as he had thought.

Pride is a sin that we all must guard against. It has led to the ruination of so many. May we learn to humble ourselves before God and trust solely in Him.

THEME: Praise and Prayer
AUTHOR: Most were written by David, but a few by Solomon, Asaph, Moses, Ethan,
Heman, and the sons of Korah
KEY PSALMS:
Psalm 1 – the blessed man and the wicked man
Psalm 150 – blessed man as he praises God

DIVISION OF THE PSALMS:
1. Book One – Psalms 1-41 – Davidic Compilation – Intensely Personal
2. Book Two – Psalm 42-72 – Solomonic Compilation – Nationalistic
3. Book Three – Psalms 73-89 – Exilic Compilation – Nationalistic
4. Book Four – Psalm 90-106 – David Compilation – Liturgical
5. Book Five – Psalms 107-150 – Post-exilic Compilation – Liturgical

THE BOOKS OF 1 AND 2 CHRONICLES

THEME: History of Israel as seen by God
AUTHOR: Unknown, but tradition states that it was written by Ezra
KEY VERSE: No key verses

DIVIDED BY SECTION:
I. GENEALOGIES – chapters 1-9 of 1 Chronicles
II. REIGN OF DAVID – chapters 10-29 of 1 Chronicles
III. REIGN OF SOLOMON – chapters 1-9 of 2 Chronicles
IV. FALL OF JUDAH – chapters 10-36 of 2 Chronicles

Last night I was reading in Deuteronomy 19 about an avenger of blood and I am wondering who that is. I also remember reading in Numbers 35 about such a person. (Lauren)

Deuteronomy 19 and Numbers 35 are the primary texts where this person is described. Both passages deal with the concept of a City of Refuge.

Murder has never been accepted by God. In fact, one of the first things God instructed Noah concerning after the flood was the one who sheds innocent blood should forfeit his own life (Genesis 9:6). And this matter of taking vengeance on behalf of someone who was wrongfully slain usually was given to an immediate family member. (It is very interesting to note that the Hebrew word used for this avenger of blood – “go’el” – is the same Hebrew word that means “redeemer.” It is the term used in Ruth to describe Boaz).

But, to insure that only a person who was truly guilty of murder was put to death by a member of the victim’s family, God ordained that there be six cities within the borders of Israel, called Cities of Refuge, to which a person who had killed another could go. There that person stood before the elders of that community and his case was judged on its merits. If he was innocent of murder, then he was welcomed into that city where he would remain safe from the actions of the avenger of blood. He was to remain in thatr city until the death of the high priest, at which time, he was then free to return to his own home. The safe-guards mentioned in Deuteronomy 19 pretty much eliminated the avenger of blood from being an individual to being the judgment of the community.

To my knowledge, there are no specific references in the Scriptures to this process being used, although that would not mean that it was not in practice during the days of the Old Testament.

THEME: The Reign of David
AUTHOR: Nathan and Gad
KEY VERSES: 2 Samuel 22:31-32

DIVIDED BY SECTIONS:
I. DAVID’S REIGN OVER ISRAEL – chapters 1-14
A. Key People:
1. David
2. Abner – Saul’s general who defected to David
3. Joab – David’s general who murdered Abner
4. Mephisbosheth – Jonathan’s son befriended by David
5. Bathsheba – the seduced wife
6. Absalom – the rebellious son
7. Nathan – the prophet of God
B. Key Events:
1. David crowned at Hebron
2. Assassinations
3. Defeat of the Philistines
4. David’s covenant with God
5. David’s kindnesses and victories
6. David’s family and their problems

II. DAVID’S LAST YEARS - chapters 15-24
A. Key People:
1. David
2. Absalom
3. Gad – another prophet of God
4. Solomon – the respected son
B. Key Events:
1. Revolt of Absalom
2. David’s victories
3. A census taken that results in trouble
4. David’s farewell

“The two books of Samuel were considered as one book in the Hebrew Old Testament and there was no clear division between the two. Therefore, the material that was given as to the authorship of the later part of 1 Samuel (Nathan and Gad) relates to 2 Samuel as well.”

OTHER KEY VERSES IN THE BOOK:
2 Samuel 5:10 – the strength of David
2 Samuel 7:12-16 – the Davidic covenant
2 Samuel 12:23 – comfort over the loss of a child
2 Samuel 22:2-3 – God is our Rock
2 Samuel 22:47 – God is alive

What evil spirit is the writer talking about (1 Samuel 16:14)? Does God send evil spirits to torment men? (Steve)

This text is one that confuses many of us. It seems contradictory to what we know about God. Does God actually send evil spirits to torment us? If that is true, then how does God relate to the whole subject of sin?

The text in 1 Samuel 16:14 states, “Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.” The word translated “tormented” literally means “terrified, terrorized.” When the Spirit of the LORD left Saul to reside in David (verse 13), it seems that Saul began to have bouts of great depression and melancholy.

Was God the author of these mental difficulties for Saul? Did God in fact send an evil spirit upon Saul? The answers to both questions has to be a strong “no!” because we know that God is not the author of evil because He is a holy God. Nevertheless, God permitted this evil spirit and these mental difficulties to come upon Saul as a consequence of his open rebellion against God. The Bible is filled withe references where God used something evil in order to accomplish His purposes. He sent the Assyrians and the Babylonians to destroy and capture the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. He allowed Satan to touch the life of Job. We know that nothing can happen to us without the permission of God. And often the influence of evil in our lives comes as a direct consequence of our rebellion against God.

Will we see Saul in heaven? Was he a true follower of God? I believe that he was – the early portraits of his life seem to attest to this. But he surrendered his life ot one of jealousy that results in rebellion against God. His life is certainly not one that we would encourage anyone to model.

THEME: Establishment of the Monarchy
AUTHOR: The prophet Samuel (up to 1 Samuel 25). After this Nathan and Gad
(compare 1 Chronicles 29:29).
KEY VERSE: 1 Samuel 10:25

DIVIDED BY SECTIONS:
I. THE LIFE OF SAMUEL – chapters 1-7
A. Key People
1. Hannah – the mother of Samuel
2. Eli – the high priest whose sons disgraced him and God
3. Samuel – the last judge of Israel
B. Key Events
1. Birth of Samuel
2. Call of Samuel
3. Defeat by the Philistines, capture of the Ark
4. Victory over the Philistines at Ebenezer

II. THE LIFE OF SAUL – chapters 8-15
A. Key People
1. Saul – the first anointed king of Israel
2. Jonathan – Saul’s son who greatly loved David
B. Key Events
1. Anointing of Saul as king
2. Victory over the Philistines again
3. Saul’s disobedience and rejection by God as king

III. THE STORY OF SAUL AND DAVID – chapters 16-31
A. Key People
1. David – the shepherd king
2. Goliath – the giant
3. Saul
4. Jonathan
B. Key Events
1. Anointing of David as king
2. Victory over Goliath
3. David pursued by Saul
4. David befriended by Jonathan
5. Death of Saul on Mount Gilboa

OTHER KEY VERSES IN THE BOOK:
1 Samuel 2:12 – defines a worthless man
1 Samuel 2:26 – defines perfect growth
1 Samuel 3:7 – failure of Eli is described
1 Samuel 3:19 – another definition of perfect growth
1 Samuel 9:2 – a man with a good beginning
1 Samuel 12:20 – comfort for the believer when he sins
1 Samuel 12:24 – our attitude toward God
1 Samuel 14:45 – do we work with God?
1 Samuel 15:22 – God demands only obedience
1 Samuel 16:18 – qualities of David
1 Samuel 18:1 – true friendship defined
1 Samuel 23:14 – God never delivers the believer into trouble