OT Final Exam: Book Themes and Classifications
Pentateuch
-Genesis -Exodus -Leviticus -Numbers -Deuteronomy
Minor Prophets
-Hosea -Joel -Amos -Obadiah -Jonah -Micah -Nahum -Habakkuk -Zephaniah -Haggai -Zechariah -Malachi
Major Prophets
-Isaiah -Jeremiah -Lamentations -Ezekiel -Daniel
Wisdom
-Job -Psalm -Proverbers -Ecclesiastes -Song of Solomon
History
-Joshua -Judges -Ruth -1&2 Samuel -1&2 Kings -1&2 Chronicles -Ezra -Nehemiah -Esther
Deuteronomy
Covenant Renewal: Contains the three speeches of Moses to the second generation that was about to enter the promised land. Moses transfers the leadership to Joshua. The Shemah.
Joel
Day of the Lord: included a locust plague and a calling to repent for the nation of Israel and prophesies the future judgement of the nations.
Habakkuk
Destruction of Babylon: prophesied that the Lord would send the Babylonians to punish his people. Was a contemporary of Jeremiah and Zephaniah as well as Daniel and Ezekiel. The prophet prays and waits for the Lord's response as a watchtower.
Nahum
Destruction of Nineveh: gave a message of the coming judgement on Nineveh gave hope and encouragement to the people of Judah who were living under Assyrians oppression
Zephaniah
Disaster in imminent: prophesied the judgement of Judah and of the nations.
Micah
Divine Lawsuit: a contemporary of the prophet Isaiah, this prophecy concerned both the northern and southern kingdoms at the height of Assyrian criticism. Had a belief that the Lord would restore Zion as the central kingdom.
Obadiah
Doom of Edom: This prophet announced that God would judge Edom because of its participation with Judah's enemies in plundering Jerusalem.
Isaiah
God is with us: includes prophecies about Immanuel and the suffering servant. It is set in the days of Assyrian and Babylonian threats to Judah.
Amos
God's ultimate justice: economic prosperity had brought spiritual apathy and moral decline of the northern kingdom. Wealth, pleasure and possessions took priority over their relationship with God. There were eight oracles of judgement, three sermons of coming judgement, five visions of it, and five promises of restoration
Jonah
God's universal concern: God called a prophet to go to Nineveh but he initially disobeyed and went in the opposite direction. He was redirected to carry out the purpose God intended for him but he did not meet it with joy, but rather bitterness towards the city who repented.
Hosea
God's unquenchable love: this message focusses on the coming judgement of Israel, a warning about the future exile of Judah.
Lamentations
Jerusalem is burning: A series of laments over the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586. It is not only an outpouring of the deep hurt and emotion experiences by Israelites but also an expression of hope for renewed faith in God.
1-2 Samuel
Kings and prophets: form the transition from the era of judges to the era of kings. shows a series of contrasts between good and evil judges and kings and their interactions with the prophets of God.
1-2 Kings
Kings of Israel and Judah: tell the story of the kings of Israel in the northern kingdom and Judah in the southern kingdom from the time of David until Babylonian captivity 400-ish years later.
Ecclesiastes
Meaning of life: a sobering message of the meaninglessness of life without God and providing a wise resolution to the question of life's purpose.
1-2 Chronicles
Priestly perspective: Tells the story of Israel's history in a parallel account of Samuel and Kings. This specifically includes items of interest to the priestly community with a focus on the temple, worship, and religious services.
Job
Questions of suffering: The story of a man that had suffered more than anyone could imagine, yet through his frustration and pain did not curse God.
Ruth
Ray of hope: a romantic drama about a young woman and a man named Boaz. She is an ancestor of King David and plays an important role in showing God's love for Hebrews and Gentiles like herself. It is the Lynchpin of the Covenant.
Haggai
Rebuild the temple: challenged the post-exilic community to resume the work of rebuilding the temple and delivered four different messages. He rebuked them for misplaced priorities, and recharged them to be strong, rejoice, and remember his presence.
Ezra
Rebuilding the temple: describes the resettlement of the Hebrew people after the exile in Babylon. The book is named for the priest who led a second group of jews back to the promised land.
Nehemiah
Rebuilding the wall: describes the historical return of the jews after exile to repopulate the land, re-establish temple worship, and rebuild the walls around Jerusalem
Malachi
Repent of sin: God's love was announced, God's people denounced.
Esther
Rescuing the people: God is not mentioned at all throughout this book however, there is a reliance on divine intervention. A female jew is put in a position of high influence and has the power to save her people from evil plotting of anti-semitic forces.
Zechariah
Restore the king: the post-exilic prophet who foretold the coming of Israel's true and final king. He reminded the people of Jerusalem that God would remember them and come to their rescue. The book outlines the future prophetic program for Israel.
Song of Songs
Songs of love: a love song of Solomon that is similar to many others of the ancient world. it teaches people how to make wise choices for earthly living in the realm of romantic love. Love is a gift from God and should be enjoyed as such. it affirms the strength of true love that is essential to every marriage.
Psalms
Songs of praise: the prayer book of Israel, some expressions of personal devotion. Contain spiritual death and honest portrayals of the life of faith. The reflect the passion of the true worshipper and express the full range of human emotions.
Jeremiah
The Babylonians are coming: the prophet warned Israel multiple time of the coming judgement of Babylon who eventually destroyed Jerusalem. His ministry coincided with that of Zephaniah and Habakkuk under King Josiah in 622.
Daniel
The Messiah will come: the book combines the personal histories and prophecies of Daniel during the Babylonian captivity and the first few years of the Persian era and includes details of what happened to the jews under gentile rule.
Genesis
The book of beginnings , tells of God's creation of the world and man. Man sinned but God began the redemptive process in the flood and the Abrahamic covenant.
Ezekiel
The glory will return: The Lord appears to his prophet and gives him three visions. The first was a calling to be a prophet, the second of the Lord's presence departing from Jerusalem, and the third of the Lord's presence returning to Jerusalem.
Exodus
The story of God's faithfulness to his people. He frees them from oppression in Egypt and proves his faithfulness by providing for and guiding them in the wilderness, giving them laws to follow.
Joshua
The story of the conquest and settlement of the promised land under the leadership of Moses' successor. The conquest was the fulfillment of God's prophecy to Abraham that his descendants would inhabit Canaan one day.
Judges
The struggles of Israel: Israel struggles to maintain control of the promised land from the death of Joshua to the rise of the kings. God raises up individuals to lead and guide Israel in the way of the Lord and Israel goes through multiple cycles of rebellion, being handed over to their enemies, crying out to God in repentance, God providing a judge, the judge dying/failing, and the people returning to rebellion.
Leviticus
Way of holiness: Necessary for holiness and purification of the nation of Israel. God provides laws for priests and laymen on approaching God with cleanliness.
Numbers
Wilderness Journey: A travel diary of the nations of Israel. It shows the importance of obedience and what happens if you are unfaithful as the first generation was. The second generation was obedient and God prepared them for entrance into the promised land.
Proverbs
Words of wisdom: provided insight on how to live wisely and make good and godly decisions.
2 Samuel
narrative shifts to the reign of David
