An Introduction of the Old Testament

  1. General Introduction.
  2. Why is the Old Testament still important to modern Christians?
  3. Introduction of the Old Testament.
  4. The Scripture is the inspiration of God.
  5. How was the Scripture inspired?
  6. The textual transmission error in Bible is insignificant.
  7. Manuscripts of the Bible.
  8. Earlier versions of the Bible.
  9. How do we know the Bible is a Cannon?
  10. What are the Apocrypha and the Pseudepigrapha?
  11. Special Introduction.
  12. Torah.
  13. Genesis
  14. Exodus
  15. Leviticus
  16. Numbers
  17. Deuteronomy
  18. History.
  19. Joshua
  20. Judges
  21. Ruth.
  22. Samuel.
  23. King & Chronicles
  24. After captured.

a)Ezra,

b)Nehemiah

c)Esther

  1. Prophets.
  2. Major Prophets.

a)Isaiah.

b)Jeremiah.

c)Ezekiel

  1. 12 Minor Prophets.
  1. Wisdom.
  2. Job.
  3. Psalms.
  4. Proverbs.
  5. Ecclesiastes
  6. Songs of Solomon
  1. Why is the Old Testament still important to modern Christians?
  1. Since the Old Testament is a religious book of Judaism, do we as Christians need to study the Old Testament? Yes, we do. Because the New Testament is based on the Old Testament.
  1. Without the Old Testament, we cannot understand many deeds that Jesus has done for us. The Old Testament is like a teacher which guides us to know Jesus better. (Galatians )
  1. Without the concept of blood and redemption of sin in the Old Testament, we would not be able to understand why Jesus needs to shed blood after his death.
  1. Without the concept of sin entering into this world through one man; Adam, we cannot understand why Jesus needs to be born from a virgin.
  1. Without the concept of offering of the unblemished sheep, we cannot comprehend why Jesus needs to go through examinations by the Sanhedrin and the Roman government, to be proven sinless.
  1. We need the Old Testament to prove that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.
  2. His birth through a virgin.
  3. The place of his birth.
  4. How he dies on the cross.
  5. The place of his burial.
  6. There are more than 300 prophecies concerning Jesus in the Old Testament.
  1. God uses the Old Testament to teach many people in the history. God’s word is set up in heaven and will never be changed through time. (Ps 119). The teaching of the OT also can be applied to the believers throughout all generations to come.
  1. We learn about the characteristics of God from OT.

a)He is a holy God who cannot tolerate evil.

b)He is a righteous God who will reward the good and punish the evil.

c)He is a merciful God who will save His people from their sins.

  1. We learn how to lead a life on earth.

a)The Bible describes the failures and success of the saints so that we can learn from their good points and shun away from their bad points.

b)Through the Mosaic Law, we learn what to eat, how to worship God, and the hygiene Law.

  1. We learn about the will of God from the Old Testament.
  1. Introduction of the Old Testament.
  1. The OT has 39 books. The primary language is written in Hebrew with some Aramaic. It consists of about 30 authors. Their professions include prophets, kings, farmers, scribes, Politicians, priests and etc. From the 1st book to the last book of the OT, it spans for about 1000 years.
  1. The first book was written about 3400 years ago and the last book, Malachi, about 400 BC. There are some proofs also show that book of Job is as old as book of Gen.
  1. The OT includes Torah which is the history of Israel, book of wisdom, and the Prophets’ writings. The Old Testament was later became known as the Hebrew Bible or the Masoretic text. Now the Jews called it “Tanakh” which is the combined words and is recorded in Luke 24. Tanahk comprised of Torah which is known as the Laws or the Pentateuch, Neviim which is known as the prophets and Khtuvim which is known as the writings. These are the early versions of manuscripts.
  1. The Old Testament of the Bible is translated from the Masoretic text. This is a Hebrew text preserved by the Masoretic scribes. They were responsible for adding vowels to help with pronunciation - so that the correct vocalization was not lost.

  1. The arrange order of Hebrew Bible is as following.

Law (torah) / Prophets (Neviim) / Writing. (Kethubhim)
1. Genesis /

A. former prophets

/ A. Psalm
2. Exodus / 6. Joshua / 14. Psalm
3. Leviticus / 7. Judge. / 15. Proverb
4. Numbers / 8. Samuel / 16. Job
5. Deuteronomy / 9. King (Including I & II) / B. Magilloth. (5 scrolls)
B. Latter prophets / 17. Song of songs.
1o. Isaiah. / 18. Ruth.
11. Jeremiah / 19. Lamentation of Jeremiah
12. Ezekiel. / 20. EEC
21. Esther
Historical books.
22. Daniel.
23. Ezra, Nehemiah
24. Chronicles.
  1. The arrange order of modern Bible is as following.

Law (Torah) / History / Wisdom book / Prophets(major) / Prophet (Minor)
1. Genesis / 6. Joshua / 18. Job / 23. Isaiah / 28. Hosea
2. Exodus / 7. Judges / 19. Psalms / 24. Jeremiah / 29.Joel
3. Leviticus / 8. Ruth / 20. Proverbs / 25. Lamentation / 30. Amos
4. Numbers / 9. 1st Samuel / 21. Ecclesiastes / 26. Ezekiel / 31. Obadiah
5. Deuteronomy / 10. 2nd Samuel / 22. Song of Solomon / 27. Daniel / 32. Jonah
11. 1st Kings / 33. Micah
12. 2nd Kings / 34. Nahum
13. 1st Chronicles. / 35. Habakkuk
14. 2nd Chronicles / 36. Zephaniah
15. Ezra / 37. Haggai
16. Nehemiah / 38. Zechariah
17. Esther / 39. Malachi
  1. The Scripture is the inspiration of God.
  2. The influence of the Bible.
  1. The Bible is the best selling book every year. World sales of the Bible are more than 100 million copies every year. It has been translated to more than 2125 languages.
  1. It influences the world.

a)About one quarter of the population in the world believe in the Bible. Hitler tried to use force to overcome the whole world and he failed. Jesus used his love to overcome millions in the world to follow him.

b)Science comes from a world that believes in the Bible. For the Bible teaches us that man are to be in charge of the birds in the air, beasts on land, and fish in the ocean.

  1. It influences our society.

a)The status of woman was elevated due to the Bible.

b)The status of children was elevated due to the Bible.

c)The abortion rate has been reduced due to the Bible.

d)People of different race can enjoy equal right due to the influence of the Bible.

  1. It influences many great people.

a)“It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” –George Washington

b)“I enter a most earnest plea that in our hurried and rather bustling life of today we do not lose the hold that our forefathers had on the Bible. I wish to see the Bible study as much as matter of course in the secular colleges as in the seminary. No educated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible, and no uneducated man can afford to be ignorant of the Bible.” –Theodore Roosevelt

c)“I have always said, I always say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.” - Thomas Jefferson

d)“The Bible is a Book in comparison with which all others in my eyes are of minor importance; and in all my perplexities and distress has never failed to give me light and strength.” - Robert E. Lee

e)“Must everything in our age be predigested? Does the Bible have to be reduced to pabulum? I refuse to believe that modern man, who split the atom and is exploring space, is unable to cope with the grandeur and glory of the King James Version.” - Winston Churchill

f)“No sciences are better attested than the religion of the Bible.” -Sir Isaac Newton

  1. Prove that the Scripture is the inspiration.
  2. From the simple logic view of the Bible.

a)If the Bible is the words of God, the author would have proclaimed it. The phrase “God says” has been mentioned in the Bible for more than 2000 times. In the book of Exodus alone, this phrase has been cited for more than 160 times. There are another two books in the world proclaim that God is the author, namely the Koran and the Mormon.

b)If the Bible is the words of God, it shall contain the highest moral standard. Indeed, the Bible not only teaches that one should love others like himself, but to love others to the point of sacrificing himself.

c)If the Bible is the words of God, it shall not have any modifications like other books that said the author is God. Even though the Bible has many translations, we do not find amendments in the Bible.

d)If the Bible is the words of God, it shall tell us the origin of heaven and earth. What is the purpose of this life? Where are we going after we die. Truly, the Bible answers all the questions in a person’s life.

e)If the Bible is the words of God, it shall reach many people for God would love to reveal His will to them. Truly, the Bible is the most translated book in the world.

  1. From the coherent view of the Bible.

a)Even though the Bible is comprised of 66 books. Their theme was identical. The OT is talking about the coming of the Messiah; the NT is talking about the fulfillment of it.

b)Someone tried to compare the famous authors in the past 200 years and found that their thoughts were so different.

c)It only proved to us that God is the author who used different pens in different generation to write down His thoughts and reveal them to the people.

  1. From the scientific view of the Bible.

a)The Bible is not a science book, but the words of God. However, the Bible contains so many truths that man can only discover after thousands years. Just to give some examples.

(1)The earth is round. (Is 40:22)

(2)The earth is hanging on nothing. (Job26:7)

(3)Flesh of man has the same element as the soil. (Gen 2:7)

(4)Middle East is the beginning of human activities. (Gen 2:1ff)

(5)The earth is revolving about the sun. (Job 38:12-14)

(6)There are paths in the ocean. (Ps 8:6-8)

(7)The cycle of water. (Eccl 1:7)

(8)There is life in the blood. (Lev 17:11)

(9)The best time for children to have operation is on the 8th day after its birth. (Gen )

(10)The electricity is able to bring you message. (email) (Job38:35)

  1. From the prophecies of the Bible.

a)It would be very easy to disprove the Bible if the prophesies in it were false. However, many prophecies in the Bible have been fulfilled.

b)There are very few religious books that prophesized because prophesies can be easily proven wrong.

c)God declared the things to come beforehand. (Is46:9ff) (Is48:5ff). Our God even challenged the idols to do likewise, to distinguish who can predict the future. (Is41:21ff)

d)Prophecies need to have the following qualities.

(1)To be declared beforehand.

(2)Beyond the understanding of an ordinary man.

(3)To be described in details.

(4)Cannot be fulfilled by human power.

(5)Fulfillments of prophesies.

e)Someone once said that there are 1013 prophecies in the Bible. Only three of them cannot be proven true or false due to the lack of information in the past. The rest of them have all fulfilled.

f)Some examples of the prophecies fulfilled.

(1)The more than 300 prophecies concerning Jesus.

(2)The destruction and restoration of Israel.

(3)The covenant between Abraham and God.

  1. From experiencing the words of the Bible. (Jn1:1ff)

  1. How was the Bible inspired by God?
  1. The theory of God using man to pen down the Bible.
  1. Dictation Theory: The authors are meticulous and write down whatever God says. They do not write down their own ideas in the Bible. The authors are the pens. God is writing through 40 pens.
  1. Intuition Theory: God moves and inspires the authors. The authors use their human intuition (originality from birth) to write the Bible. This is their gifts.
  1. Illumination Theory: God gives the authors special revelations and enlightenments to write down the Bible.
  1. Verbal Theory: God tells the authors word by word and the authors use their intelligences and understandings to write down the Bible.
  1. Dynamical Theory: God’s Spirit moves the author and the words of God are made known to the author.
  1. Fundamentalists will emphasize on dictation theory only. Many think that only one theory is true.
  1. 1 Corinthians 7:25-27 “Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. 26 I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress — that it is good for a man to remain as he is”

a)This is not God’s command but this is just what the author “thinks.”

  1. 1 Corinthians 7:40 “But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment — and I think I also have the Spirit of God.”

a)This is his opinion. This is not God’s dictation. Dynamical Theory is more suitable for this particular part.

  1. Bible Principle
  2. The whole Bible is true and it’s the word of God. However, not every single word in the Bible is the Truth. There are some words spoken by Satan, animals, enemies, etc and thus not everything in the Bible is holy (e.g. the fall of man, Achan, Judas, David’s son raping his daughter, etc.).

a)Words spoken by animal: Num 22:30 (Donkey talking to Balaam)

b)Words spoken by Satan: Mat 4:3 (Jesus’ Temptation)

c)Words spoken by enemy: I Sam 17:8-10 (Goliath)

d)Words spoken by the Israelites: I Sam 17:28 (David’s brother rebuking David)

  1. Inspirational Theory. This is our view.
  2. 2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”
  1. Peter 1:21 “for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved (carried along) by the Holy Spirit.”
  1. The word “Inspiration” recorded in 2 Tim 3:16 is a compound word. It comprised of Deo (God) and Penumato (Breathe), which means God breathe (Gen 2:7). God breathed his words into man and through man, the scriptures are written. We are an object and the H.S. come into us and inspired us to write.
  1. The word “Moved” in 2 Peter 1:21 means carried. People are carried by the Holy Spirit; through them the words of God (prophecies) are proclaimed. It’s like to put people into a sock (H.S.), then the words come out of them. Revelations is written in this way; John was carried by the Holy Spirit (Rev 1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). What he said was not of his own opinion but rather he was like a pen (penman’s theory).
  1. The word “God breathe” in Gen 2:7 can be likened to the word “wind” in John 3:8. We are born by the Holy Spirit and it’s beyond human measure. If the wind blows from this side, we know where it comes from. The wind in Ezekiel comes from inside (Ezekiel 2:2) God breathed into Ezekiel and he wrote the scripture. In Heb 1:1, God spoke to us at various times in various ways through the prophets.

Sometimes God gives us His word through

  • Dictation (e.g. Ten Commandments, creation)
  • Verbal – carried by the H.S.
  • Intuition, illumination, and dynamical – God breathe.

This concept will help us to study the Bible in the future. We can use various ways to study the Bible, through literature, analysis, meditation, structural, patterns and symbolism. There are so some passages that are directly from God. We can only accept it and have no arguments (e.g. “I’m the only God.”) We cannot analyze that. Other examples are God used His fingers to write the Ten Commandments and the writing on the wall during Belshazzar’s time (169 feet long x 55 feet tall). We cannot refute that. God’s fingers recorded in Ezekiel is can be interpreted as God’s power in Luke; the writings on the ground; the writings of the 10 commandments; the ending history of the kingdom of Babylon.

  1. The Bible is a complete book, through the inspiration and movement of the Holy Spirit and God. The function of the Holy Spirit is:
  1. 2 Tim 3:16-17 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
  1. The Bible records history and not just history alone. The Bible is also a literature book though not entirely. The Bible is the word of God, but not every word is from the mouth of God. The Bible is partly Man’s words and their thoughts and reflections. Thus we can conclude that the Bible comprises of history, literature, words of God and Man’s words. It is written under the control of God. Therefore, the Bible is the words of God and it is true but not all the words in the Bible are Truth.

  1. The textual transmission errors in the Bible are insignificant.
  1. All the preserved books or fragments of the books in the Bible are copied from the original book. We have to admit that some copies would have errors.
  1. The most common errors that we have seen are the following.
  2. Singular entry of letter which should have been written twice.
  3. Writing twice what should have been written once.
  4. Transposing of letters or words.
  5. Combining of all or part of two words into a single word.
  6. Division of a single word into two words.
  1. However, all the textual transmission error would not influence the original revelations of God. Comparing with the other old books, the copy errors are insignificant.
  1. The Bible has more copies than any other old writings. There are hundreds of witnesses to the text of the Old Testament and over 20,000 witnesses to the text of the New Testament. One can also compare the different copies of writings to find out the original meaning. See other non-Biblical copies of old writings. (Appendix a)
  1. The textual transmission errors are relatively few comparing to other old Greek and Hebrew writings. For example, the two copies of Isaiah discovered in Qumran Cave 1 near the Dead Sea were a thousand years earlier than the oldest dated manuscript previously know. They proved to be 95% identical to our current standard Hebrew Bible. The remaining 5% of variation consisted mainly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling. (P29 of The inspiration of the Old Testament)
  1. Manuscripts of the Bible.
  2. The oldest Hebrew Manuscript we can find so far is the Qumran Scrolls (Dead Sea Scroll). The Dead Sea scrolls consist of roughly 900 documents or fragments, including some of the books in the Old Testament. It was originally discovered by a shepherd. After that, they found out many manuscripts and other fragments in eleven caves at the Wadi Qumran. These scrolls were written in about 300 BC.