536 Read the Bible for Yourself 5: How to Read OT History

This is part 5 of the Read the Bible For Yourself.

Now we begin the second main part of this class on reading the Bible for yourself. We’ll be breaking the Bible into major sections so I can explain how each works. To start we’ll consider the first 17 books of the Bible–the books of Old Testament historical narrative. You’ll learn what to look for while reading, the major events covered, the various cultural backgrounds of those periods, God’s personal name, and why reading OT history is extremely valuable.

Listen to this episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts

—— Links ——

• See other episodes in Read the Bible For Yourself
• Other classes are available here, including How We Got the Bible, which explores the manuscript transmission and translation of the Bible
• Get the transcript of this episode
• Support Restitutio by donating here
• Join our Restitutio Facebook Group and follow Sean Finnegan on Twitter @RestitutioSF
• Leave a voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play them out on the air
• Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.
• Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here

—— Notes ——

Old Testament history includes the following books:

1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy
6. Joshua
7. Judges
8. Ruth
9. 1 Samuel
10. 2 Samuel
11. 1 Kings
12. 2 Kings
13. 1 Chronicles
14. 2 Chronicles
15. Ezra
16. Nehemiah
17. Esther

Chronology of major OT events:

1. Creation and Eden
2. Rebellions and Consequences
3. Abraham & Sarah & Descendants
4. Sojourning in Egypt
5. 10 Plagues and Exodus
6. Receiving Torah at Mount Sinai
7. 40 Years of Wandering
8. Entering the Promised Land
9. Judges
10. Samuel (Hinge of History)
11. Kings of the United Kingdom
12. Succession of the Northern Tribes
13. Assyrian Deportation of Israel
14. Babylonian Deportation of Judah
15.  70 Year Exile
16.  Return from Exile

Cultural backgrounds:

• Pre-flood
• Patriarchs
• Egypt
• Tribes (Judges 17:6)
• Monarchy
• Empires

Their History vs. Our History:

• Real Events
• Ancient Historiography
• Biased but Honest
• Genealogies
• Etiologies

The Name of God:

• God’s Name is יְהוָה
• Hebrew Letters: yod hey vav hey (YHVH)
• Pronounced “Yahweh”
• Typically translated “the LORD”
• God’s proper name (Ex 20:2-3)
• “Lord GOD” = “Lord Yahweh” (Ezek 3:11)

Parallels

• Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5
• Chronicles and Kings
• Prophets sometimes rehearse historical overview (Daniel 9:4-19; Ezra 9:5-15; Nehemiah 9:6-37)
• Assyrian threat to Jerusalem triply attested (2 Kings 18-19; 2 Chron 32; Is 36-37)

Value of reading OT history

• Sacred history
• Your history
• Hones moral intuitions
• Necessary background

Review:

• Read OT history asking the question, “What does this tell me about God?”
• OT history serves as the backbone of the entire OT. Getting your bearings amid the chronology of major events will help you understand the rest.
• When you encounter “the LORD” or “GOD”, substitute in “Yahweh”, God’s personal name.
• Since the OT covers thousands of years, it’s helpful to determine the cultural background for the time period you’re reading.
• It’s fine to skim or even skip genealogies, though they do have value in establishing legitimacy in their culture.
• OT history is not objective or as concerned with precision as our modern history books.
• Names of individuals and places bespeak the parents’ faith in God, a historical event, or a play on words.
• Reading OT history influences your moral intuitions as you encounter positive and negative examples.