Book 03 - Rays of Hope (Old

1. The Rays of Hope
An Introduction to the Old Testament
Rev. Dn. K.A. George
(Book 3)

2. Purpose
• To become familiar with the :
– Content
– Historical Background
– Worship
Of Hebrew Bible

3. UNIT I -
Introduction

4. Lesson 1 – General Introduction
• What is the Hebrew Bible
– God’s relationship with creation – humanity
– The Covenantal relationship
• Why should we study the Hebrew Bible
– God who revealed himself in the Hebrew Bible is the
God of the New Testament
– Fulfillment of prophecy (Isaiah 7) and expectation (cf.
Fullness of Time)
– Our Lord’s Scripture
– Throws light on new Testament concepts (Redeemer,
Sacrificial lamb, new Adam)
– God’s self revelation in History
– “The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament.”
- Augustine

5. Lesson 2 – Division of Old
Testament
• Tanakh (TNK):
• Torah (Torah)
• Nebi’im (Prophets)
• Kethubim (Writings)
– Note : The books are not arranged in this exact order.
• See St. Luke 24
• 44He said to them, "This is what I told you while
I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled
that is written about me in the Law of Moses,
the Prophets and the Psalms."

6. Lesson 2 – Division (Continued)
• Torah – (Law) is known as Pentateuch
• Genesis – Pre history and early history
• Exodus – Trials in Egypt and Escape by
God’s providence, Covenant and
sustenance by God
• Leviticus –Sacrifices and regulations of
conduct
• Numbers – Narration of the Journey to
Canaan
• Deuteronomy – set as series of sermons
delivered by Moses

7. Lesson 2 – Division Continued
• Nebi’im (21)
– Former Prophets – Joshua – 2 Kings (6)
– Latter Prophets
• 3 Major Prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekial(3)
• 12 Minor Prophets – Hosea to Malachi

8. Lesson 2 – Division Continued
• Kethubim (13)
– Psalms
– Proverbs
– Job
– Song of Songs
– Ruth
– Lamentations
– Ecclesiastes
– Esther
– Daniel
– Ezra-Nehemiah
– Chronicles (I & II)

9. Lesson 3 – Old Testament Canon
• Canon – measuring rod; accepted collection
of books.
• No official list in the early history; no closed
canon by the time of Christ
• A.D. 90 Council of Jamnia – 39 list of books
in Protestant Bible

10. Lesson 3 – Old Testament Canon
• Septaugint – LXX (seventy)
• Greek Translation done in 3rd century B.C.
• Ex. Isaiah 7:14 (cf. St. Matt. 1:23)
• St. Simeon
• New Testament writers quote from the
Septaugint. The authoritative O.T of early
church.
• There are a few books in the Septaugint that
are not in the list approved by Jewish Council
in Jamnia.
• These books are considered part of the
Orthodox Canon. They are called apocryphal or
Deutero-canonical books

11. Lesson 4 – Text and Translations
• Hebrew Language
• Masoretic Text – authoritative Hebrew
Text recognized as the official version of
Tanakh
• Septaugint
• Peshitta (simple/ordinary)– Syriac
• Vulgate – Latin by Jerome

13. Lesson 5 – Geography of Palestine

14. • Unit II –
– Pentateuch and Israelite History

15. Lesson 1 - Pentateuch
• Pentateuch has been subject to a similar
Critical study as the Gospels.

16. Israelite History
• The Israelite History presented in the Old
Testament is the history of Redemption.
• What is chosen is not history of human
beings but how God acted in history
• “Now the rest of the acts of Jehu, all that
he did, and all his power, are they not
written in the Book of the Annals of the
Kings of Israel?” – 2 Kings 10:34

17. Israelite History
• 2 Critical Events
• Exodus out of Egypt (Pentateuch – Kings)
• Babylonian Captivity ( All the Latter
Prophets, Daniel, Esther, Ezra-Nehmiah,
Writings, Wisdom)

18. Israelite History
• Patriarchal Era – (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob)
• Hagar
– You are El-roi (God who sees) (Gen. 16:13)

19. Israelite History
• Exodus and the period of the Judges
(1290-1050 BC)
• Miriam - I brought you up out of Egypt and
redeemed you from the land of slavery. I
sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and
Miriam. Micah 6:4
• Deborah – Judges 4 & 5
• Period of Judges – Tribal confederacy
– Repeated pattern – Apostasy, Subjection,
Repentance, Deliverance

20. Israelite History
• Early Israelite Monarchy (1050-750 BC)
– Samuel
– Saul (1029-1000)
– David (1000-961)
– Solomon (961-922)
• Abigail wife of Nabal (1 Sam 25:3 The woman was clever
and beautiful.)
• Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10)

21. Israelite History
• Divided Kingdom – 930 B.C. (1 Kings 12)
• After Solomon the United monarchy is split
as two.
– 10 Tribes in the North – Israel rejected
Rehoboam and Jeroboam becomes King.
– 2 Tribes (Judah and Benjamin)
• Early Prophets Elijah and Elisha
• Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17)
• 1 Kings 17:21 Elijah Stretched himself
over the widow’s son - Cross

22. Israelite History
• End of Northern Kingdom –
• 722 B.C. Assyrians destroyed Israel
• Micah 1:1 – (Samaria and Jerusalem,
capitals)
• Prophesies the coming destruction of
Samaria – Micah 1:6
• Promise of a deliverer from Bethlehem
– Micah 5:2 – But you O Bethlehem of
Ephrathah…

23. Israelite History
• End of the Southern Kingdom
• Babylonian Captivity – 586 B.C (Temple
Destroyed) by Nebuchadnezzar
• Captivity, Return to Israel, Rebuilding of
the Temple.
• Susanna – end of Book of Daniel in the
Apocrypha

24. Israelite History
• Persian Period and Return from Exile
– King Cyrus (538 B.C)
– Esther

25. Israelite History
• Second Temple Period
• Persian and Greek
• Greeks attacked the Temple
• Marth Shmuni - 2 Maccabees 7 – seven
sons