Know Your Bible - A Self-Guided Tour through God’s Word Paperback

Know Your

BIBLE ———————————————————————————— A Self-Guided Tour through God’s Word

Know Your

BIBLE ———————————————————————————— A Self-Guided Tour through God’s Word

By

PAUL KENT and ED STRAUSS

A n Impr int of B ar bour P ublishing, Inc.

© 2015 by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Print ISBN 978-1-61626-417-8 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of Barbour Publishing, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “From Know Your Bible: A Self-Guided Tour through God’s Word, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.”

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. niv®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982

by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked kjv are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked nasb are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked amp are taken from the Amplified® Bible, © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Published by Barbour Books, an imprint of Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

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Introduction Welcome to Know Your Bible: A Self-Guided Tour through God’s Word, a book dedicated to the basic facts and principles of the Bible. This reference is ideal for new believers as well as older Christians who want to know their Bible better, and its goal is to lead you into a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Word of God. The Bible is the source of all wisdom and life, and “whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through. . .the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4 nasb).

So we do well to know the Bible better.

Know Your Bible is based on a small volume of the same title, with sales of well over two million copies. This expanded, illustrated edition contains four separate courses you can follow: • • •

•

a one-month course containing “Basic Surveys” of the Bible’s sixtysix books a three-month course including the sixty-six Basic Surveys and twenty-four “Heart of the Book” entries—for a total of ninety readings a six-month course featuring the Basic Surveys and Heart of the Book entries, along with an additional ninety “Closer Look” readings, and a twelve-month course of all of the above plus 185 “Hidden Treasure” readings.

The one-month course will give you a quick overview of God’s Word; the three-month course will go into more detail; and the six-month and oneyear courses each give increasing amounts of information.

At the end of each day’s study are two or three chapters of scripture we suggest you read. We pray that you will be blessed as you meditate on God’s words directly from the Bible. (cont. next page)

How to Benefit from This Book ONE-MONTH COURSE—If you choose this course, read the Basic Surveys of two Bible books per day. For example, start by reading the Basic Surveys for Genesis and Exodus. In thirty-three days you will have read these basic introductions to all sixty-six books of the Bible.

THREE-MONTH COURSE—If you select this course, for ninety days you will alternate between reading (1) the Basic Survey pages and (2) the Heart of the Book pages.

SIX-MONTH COURSE—If you follow this course, for 180 days you will alternate between reading (1) Basic Survey pages, (2) Heart of the Book pages, and (3) Closer Look readings.

TWELVE-MONTH COURSE—If you take the complete course, for 365 days you will read every page in the book, alternating between (1) Basic Survey pages, (2) Heart of the Book pages, (3) Closer Look pages, and (4) Hidden Treasure readings.

To help you follow the reading course of your choice, each of the four features (Basic Survey, Heart of the Book, etc.) appears in a distinct color, to help it stand out from the other features.

In addition, after you finish each reading, you’ll see a note directing you to the page that your next reading can be found on. (For example: “OneMonth Course: your next reading is on page 14.”) There are no such directions at the bottom of the Hidden Treasure pages, because if you’re reading them, you’ve chosen the twelve-month course and are reading every page in the book, one after the other.

Note: The Hidden Treasure readings are shorter than the others, taking up only half a page each. Nevertheless, you should only read one of these per day, and save the second reading on the page for the following day.

May God reward you richly and open the eyes of your understanding as you devote yourself to knowing and understanding His Word better.

Paul Kent and Ed Strauss

KNOW YOUR BIBLE

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BASIC SURVEY

GENESIS AUTHOR: Not stated, but traditionally attributed to Moses.

DATE: Moses lived around the 1400s BC, but the events of Genesis date to the very

beginning of time.

IN TEN WORDS OR LESS

God creates the world and chooses a special people.

DETAILS, PLEASE

The Bible’s first book never explains God; it simply assumes His existence: “In the beginning God. . .” (1:1 kjv). Chapters 1 and 2 describe how God created the universe and everything in it, simply by speaking: “God said. . . and it was so” (1:6–7, 9, 11, 14–15 kjv). Humans, however, received special handling, as “God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life” (2:7 kjv), and woman was crafted from the man’s rib. Those first two people, Adam and Eve, live in perfection, but ruin paradise by disobeying God at the urging of a “subtil” (crafty, 3:1) serpent. Sin throws humans into a moral freefall, as the world’s first child— Cain—murders his brother Abel. People become so bad that God decides to flood the entire planet, saving only the righteous Noah, his family, and an ark (boat) full of animals. After the earth repopulates, God chooses a man named Abram as patriarch of a specially blessed people, later called “Israel” after an alternative name of Abram’s grandson Jacob. Genesis ends with Jacob’s son Joseph, by a miraculous chain of events, ruling in Egypt—setting up the events of the following book of Exodus.

QUOTABLE

>> And God said, Let there be light: and there was light (1:3 kjv). >> Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (4:9 nkjv). >> But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (6:8 kjv). >> Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness (15:6 niv).

UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL

Genesis quickly introduces the concept of one God in multiple persons, a

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concept later called the Trinity: “God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (1:26 kjv, emphasis added). Also early on, God gives a hint of Jesus’ future suffering and victory, when He curses the serpent for deceiving Eve: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (3:15 niv).

SO WHAT?

Genesis answers the great question of “where did I come from?” Knowing that can give us meaning in a world that’s otherwise hard to figure out.

READ GENESIS 1–2.

● One-Month Course: your next reading is on page 14.

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● Three-Month Course: your next reading is on page 9.

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● Six-Month Course: your next reading is on page 9.

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HEART OF THE BOOK

Abraham—Father of a Multitude Abraham was a Hebrew, born in Ur in southern Babylonia. His father, Terah, led their family north to Haran, and after he died, God told Abraham to head to Canaan. There Abraham spent the next one hundred years as a shepherd, but God promised that his descendants would inherit the entire land of Canaan (Genesis 17:8)—and they later did.

Abraham had great faith. He believed that God could give him and Sarah a son in their old age (Genesis 15:1–5). The scripture says, “He believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis who is seen here in Abraham’s Journey from Ur to Canaan 15:6 nkjv). Sure enough, Sarah be- Abraham,

by József Molnár (1821–1899), was told by God that he would be the came pregnant and gave birth to a son father of many nations. called Isaac. When Isaac was a lad, God tested Abraham by telling him to sacrifice his son (Genesis 22). Abraham passed the test, and Isaac, fortunately, was spared.

Abraham was originally named Abram (“high father”), but when he was ninety-nine, the Lord renamed him Abraham (“father of a multitude”). God said, “Your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations” (Genesis 17:5 nkjv).

God promised: “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 22:18 nkjv). Paul explains, “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached. . . , ‘All the nations will be blessed in you.’ ” So “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants” (Galatians 3:8, 29 nasb).

Abraham is listed as a great hero in the Hall of Faith (see Hebrews 11:8– 12, 17–19).

READ GENESIS 15 AND 22:1–19.

● Three-Month Course: your next reading is on page 14.

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● Six-Month Course: your next reading is on page 10.

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CLOSER LOOK

Jacob and the Birthright In ancient times, the firstborn son was the chief heir of his father and ruled the family. This right was called the “birthright.” Godly fathers also conferred a blessing upon this son.

Isaac married Rebekah, and before their twin sons were born, God told her, “The older will serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23 niv). The first son to be born was called Esau (“hairy”) because he was covered with reddish hair. The second son came out holding Esau’s heel, so he was called Jacob (“he grabs the heel”).

Esau was the firstborn, but he grew up into a self-centered, carnal man, caring little for God. He also didn’t take his role as firstborn seriously. So Jacob deceived his father in order to gain Isaac’s blessing, as shown in the painting one day when he came home Isaac Blessing Jacob by Gerrit Willemsz Horst (c.1612–1652). famished from a long, exhausting hunt, he thoughtlessly promised his birthright to Jacob in exchange for a bowl of red lentil stew.

Years later when their blind father, Isaac, thought he was dying, he told Esau to go hunting and cook some of the venison for him. Then Isaac would give his blessing. Rebekah heard, quickly cooked two goats, and told Jacob to go to his father, pretending to be Esau. Jacob did, and Isaac pronounced the blessing of the firstborn over him.

Jacob inherited the birthright and blessing because he passionately desired them. The Bible warns, “Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal” (Hebrews 12:16 nlt).

READ GENESIS 25:19–34 AND 27.

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CLOSER LOOK

Building a Nation After Jacob deceptively gained Esau’s blessing, Esau was furious and wanted to kill him, so Rebekah talked Isaac into sending Jacob far north to Haran to “find a wife” from her own Hebrew relatives. When he arrived there, Jacob fell in love with Laban’s youngest daughter, Rachel, and arranged to work seven years in exchange for marrying her. But on Jacob’s wedding night, Laban slipped his older daughter, Leah, into the dark bridal chamber, and Jacob lay with her.

When Jacob realized the deception, it was too late, so he was forced to work another seven years for Rachel. He now had two wives. But though Jacob loved Rachel more, she bore no children. Leah, meanwhile, gave birth to several sons. In desperation, Rachel followed an ancient custom and gave her handmaid to Jacob as a wife, to bear children for her. It worked, and soon her handmaid was pregnant.

She found that two could play that game, however, when Leah also gave her handmaid to Jacob as a wife. Within thirteen years, Jacob had four wives, twelve sons, and an unknown number of daughters. By the time Jacob entered Egypt, many years later, he had a whole tribe of descendants. Then “the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them” (Exodus 1:7 nkjv). After 430 years in Egypt, the Hebrews were a nation about two million people strong.

READ GENESIS 29:1–30:24.

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Hidden Treasure

Isaac—the Miracle Child When God told Abraham that ninety-year-old Sarah would become pregnant, Abraham fell to the ground laughing at the idea (Genesis 17:17). He likely staggered with mirth before he actually fell over. Despite this reaction, however, he “staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God” (Romans 4:20 kjv). Later, when the Lord visited Abraham’s camp disguised as a passing stranger and announced that Sarah would give birth, Sarah laughed, too. But God had the last laugh, because Sarah did indeed become pregnant and give birth.

She said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6 niv). This is why Abraham Abraham was told by strangers that Sarah was expect- named his son Isaac (“laughter”). ing a child. The scene is depicted in the painting Abraham and the Angels by Aert de Gelder (1645–1727).

READ GENESIS 17:15–21; 18:1–15; 21:1–7.

Hidden Treasure

Jacob Wrestles an Angel After twenty years away from home, Jacob was returning to Canaan. When he heard that Esau was riding to meet him with four hundred armed men, Jacob became sick with fear.

Sending his flocks and family ahead, he stayed behind to pray. That night, a stranger attacked This image by Gustave Doré (1832–1883) is titled him. Jacob began fighting with him, and their Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, and it illustrates the struggle lasted till dawn. Eventually, Jacob re- pivotal moment in Jacob’s role in Israel’s future. alized the stranger was an angel, so even after he threw Jacob’s hip out of joint, Jacob refused to let go until he blessed him. For this reason the angel said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel [Prince with God]; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed” (Genesis 32:28 nkjv).

READ GENESIS 32–33.

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Hidden Treasure

Joseph’s Pride Jacob had a son by his favorite wife, Rachel, and named him Joseph. Jacob showed preferential treatment to Joseph and gave him “a coat of many colours” (Genesis 37:3 kjv). This aroused his older brothers’ jealousy. To make matters worse, Joseph brought bad reports about his brothers’ shepherding to their father. Finally, Joseph began having vivid prophetic dreams about his brothers bowing down before him. Unfortunately, because of his pride, he couldn’t resist telling them his dreams. So one day they ripped his cloak from him, threw him into a pit, then sold him as a slave to some Midianite merchants going down to Egypt. There God blessed Joseph then humbled him by allowing him to be falsely accused and thrown into prison.

READ GENESIS 37 AND 39.

Hidden Treasure

God Exalts Joseph One night, Pharaoh had disturbing dreams. In one, seven starved cows rose out of the Nile and devoured seven well-fed cows. In the other, seven shriveled heads of wheat ate up seven full heads of wheat. None of Pharaoh’s wise men could explain the dreams. Then his cupbearer (who had been in prison with Joseph) Joseph gained power in Egypt when he interpreted for Pharaoh, which is illustrated in the painttold him that Joseph could interpret them, so dreams ing Joseph Interpreting Pharaoh’s Dream by Peter von Joseph was rushed from prison. He informed Cornelius (1783–1867).

Pharaoh that God was warning that there would be seven prosperous years followed by seven years of famine. Pharaoh therefore made Joseph vizier to prepare Egypt. Overnight, Joseph became the second most powerful man in the land. Later, his brothers came to Egypt to buy grain and did indeed bow down to him (Genesis 42:6–9).

READ GENESIS 41–42.

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BASIC SURVEY

EXODUS AUTHOR: Not stated, but traditionally attributed to Moses. In Exodus 34:27 (nasb),

God told Moses, “Write down these words,” and Jesus, in Mark 12:26, quoted from Exodus as “the book of Moses.”

DATE: Approximately mid-1400s BC.

IN TEN WORDS OR LESS

God delivers His people, the Israelites, from slavery in Egypt.

DETAILS, PLEASE

The Israelites prosper in Egypt, having settled there at the invitation of Abraham’s great-grandson Joseph, who entered the country as a slave and rose to second-in-command. When Joseph dies, a new pharaoh sees the burgeoning family as a threat—and makes the people his slaves. God hears the Israelites’ groaning, remembering “his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob” (2:24 kjv), and raises up Moses as deliverer. God speaks through a burning bush, and Moses reluctantly agrees to demand the Israelites’ release from Pharaoh. To break Pharaoh’s will, God sends ten plagues on Egypt, ending with the death of every firstborn child—except those of the Israelites. They put sacrificial blood on their doorposts, causing the Lord to “pass over” (12:13) their homes. Pharaoh finally allows the Israelites to leave the country (the “Exodus”), and God parts the Red Sea for the people, who are being pursued by Egyptian chariots. At Mount Sinai, God delivers the Ten Commandments, rules for worship, and laws to change the family into a nation. When Moses delays on the mountain, the people begin worshipping a golden calf, bringing a plague on themselves. Moses returns to restore order, and Exodus ends with the people continuing their journey to the “promised land” of Canaan, following God’s “pillar of cloud” by day and “pillar of fire” by night.

QUOTABLE

>> And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you’ ” (3:14 nkjv). >> Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go (8:1 kjv). >> When I see the blood, I will pass over you (12:13 kjv).

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>> "You shall have no other gods before Me" (20:3 nasb).

UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL

God told the Israelites to celebrate the “Passover” with a special meal of bread made without yeast (12:14–15). Three thousand years later, Jewish people still commemorate the event.

SO WHAT?

The story of redemption is on clear display in Exodus, as God rescues His people from their slavery in Egypt. In the same way, Jesus breaks our bonds of sin (2:15).

READ EXODUS 1 AND 34.

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HEART OF THE BOOK

Moses the Deliverer Pharaoh commanded the Hebrews to cast all their newborn boys into the Nile, but Moses’ mother set him in the river in a basket among the papyrus instead. Pharaoh’s daughter saw him and adopted him, and Moses was raised in the royal palace as a prince of Egypt.

When Moses grew up, he became convinced that he was called to deliver his people (Acts 7:25), so when he saw an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave, he killed the overseer. This became known, and Moses was forced to flee. He took refuge in the land of Midian, where he worked as a shepherd for forty years.

One day God appeared in a burning was chosen by God to lead His people out of Egypt and into the bush on Mount Sinai and told Moses, Moses land He had promised them. Moses is shown here in Moses with the “I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring Tables of the Law by Guido Reni (1575–1642). my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10 niv). Back in Egypt, Moses performed miracles and called down devastating plagues. After the death of all the firstborn Egyptian sons, stubborn Pharaoh finally yielded and let the Israelites go free. Later, when Pharaoh’s charioteers chased them, Moses raised his staff and God parted the Red Sea. The Israelites escaped, but the sea came crashing back down and drowned the pursuing chariots.

On Mount Sinai, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and the books of the Law. Moses led the Israelites forty years in the wilderness, all the way to Canaan. God promised Moses, “I will raise up for them a Prophet like you” (Deuteronomy 18:18 nkjv), and Jesus is that Prophet and Deliverer (Acts 3:22–23; 7:37).

READ EXODUS 2–3.

● Three-Month Course: your next reading is on page 21.

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CLOSER LOOK

The Passover Even though the first nine plagues had devastated the land of Egypt, Pharaoh still hardened his heart and refused to let the Israelites leave Egypt. So Moses warned that the Lord would send one final plague. He commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a one-year-old lamb at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. They were then to roast it and eat it after sundown.

He also instructed them to smear some of its blood on the doorframes of their homes (Exodus 12:7). Moses warned that they must then stay indoors all that night. “For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home” (Exodus 12:23 nlt). This is how the Feast of Passover got its name.

Just as God had warned, at midnight the Angel of the Lord passed throughout Egypt.

He passed over the houses of This painting, The Sacrificial Lamb by Josefa de Ayala (1630–1684), shows the importance of the Passover Feast, which is in honor of God’s grace and the deliverance the Israelites and didn’t harm of the Israelites. them, but killed all the firstborn males of both people and animals. After this, Pharaoh finally set the Israelites free.

For the next nearly fifteen hundred years, the Jews celebrated Passover.

Then in AD 30, Jesus was crucified during the Passover Feast. He was the ultimate Passover lamb. As Paul wrote, “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7 nkjv). And John the Baptist declared, “Behold!

The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29 nkjv).

READ EXODUS 11–12.

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CLOSER LOOK

God Parts the Red Sea When the Israelites left Egypt, God didn’t instruct them to head west through the desert, by the northern road. Instead, He directed them to take a southern route that brought them to the shores of the Red Sea. It seemed to be a mistake. Worse yet, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his chariot army after them. And there the Israelites were, trapped! But God had a plan.

God astonished them by miraculously parting the waters before them.

“The floods stood upright like a heap; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea” (Exodus 15:8 nkjv). Since congealed means “hardened,” it appears that God performed an outright miracle, causing the normal laws of nature to bend to His omnipotent power.

He could also have divinely amplified natural means. Exodus 14:21 (kjv) specifies, “The Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night. . .and the waters were divided.” Even today, a phenomenon called “wind setdown” (sustained east-west winds) at the Bitter Lakes, north of the Red Sea, pushes the waters aside, exposing the lakes’ bottom. After all the Israelites had crossed the sea, God may then have stopped the wind abruptly, causing massive walls of water to rush back with punishing force, drowning Pharaoh’s charioteers.

However God did the God delivered the Israelites from Pharaoh’s army by parting the Red Sea so that His people could cross miracle, He did it. The to safety. This deliverance is illustrated in Passage of the Jews through the Red Sea by Ivan Aivazovsky Israelites escaped slav- (1817–1900). ery, and Egypt’s chariot army was destroyed. And for centuries, this miracle was referred to as the greatest of God’s wonders of old—a pivotal event in their history.

READ EXODUS 13:17–22 AND 14.

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Hidden Treasure

God Sends Manna Soon after the Israelites headed into the desert, they ran out of food. So God said, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you” (Exodus 16:4 niv). The next morning thin flakes like frost covered the ground. The Israelites asked, “Manna?” which is Hebrew for “What is it?” Then “the people. . .boiled it in a pot and made it into flat cakes. These cakes tasted like pastries baked with olive oil” (Numbers 11:8 nlt). The Bible calls manna “the bread of heaven” (Psalm 78:24 nkjv), and God supplied it for forty years. Some Jews told Jesus that God gave their ancestors bread from heaven and asked what miracle He would do. Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life” (John 6:35 nkjv).

READ EXODUS 16 AND JOHN 6:22–69.

Hidden Treasure

The Ten Commandments “Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire. . . and the whole mountain quaked violently” (Exodus 19:18 nasb). Then the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain and for the next forty days gave him laws to govern His people. “And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two. . .tablets of stone, written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18 nkjv). These tablets contained the Ten Commandments. While all the many ceremonial laws of Moses were fulfilled in Christ and are now passed away, these ten This statue, showing Moses holding the tablets, is found in St. commands remain in effect. Paul said that Martini Church in Braunschweig, Germany. “the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself ’ ” (Galatians 5:14 niv).

READ EXODUS 19–20.

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Hidden Treasure

The Golden Calf When Moses had been many days on the mountain, the people told Aaron, “Come on. . . make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses” (Exodus 32:1 nlt). Aaron was in charge while Moses was absent, but he yielded to the presGolden Calf as in Exodus 32:4 by James Tissot sure and made a golden idol of a calf. Then the The (1836–1902) illustrates how the Israelites disobeyed people announced, “This is your god, O Israel, God while Moses was away. that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4 nkjv). They then began partying. When Moses came down, he “saw that the people were running wild. . .out of control” (Exodus 32:25 niv). God was prepared to wipe out everyone, but Moses pleaded with God, so He spared them. Nevertheless, three thousand of the worst offenders died.

READ EXODUS 32–33.

Hidden Treasure

The Ark of the Covenant The ark of the covenant was a small chest made of acacia wood and covered with gold inside and outside. A golden lid called the “atonement cover” was on top, with two golden cherubim with outspread wings sitting on that. The two stone tablets of the Law, a gold jar of manna, and Aaron’s rod were stored inside (Hebrews 9:4). When the Israelites This relief appears in the Auch Cathedral were in the wilderness, the ark was kept in the tent in France and portrays the Israelites transof meeting. When Solomon built a temple of stone, it porting the ark of the covenant. was in a special room called the holy of holies. God sometimes appeared and spoke from between the two cherubim (Exodus 25:22). That’s why the Israelites considered the ark to be a symbol of the presence of God. READ EXODUS 25 AND 37.

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BASIC SURVEY

LEVITICUS AUTHOR: Not stated, but traditionally attributed to Moses.

DATE: Approximately mid-1400s BC.

IN TEN WORDS OR LESS

A holy God explains how to worship Him. DETAILS, PLEASE

Leviticus, meaning “about the Levites,” describes how that family line should lead the Israelites in worship. The book provides ceremonial laws as opposed to the moral laws of Exodus, describing offerings to God, dietary restrictions, and purification rites. Special holy days—including the Sabbath, Passover, and Day of Atonement (“Yom Kippur”)—are commanded.

The family of Aaron, Moses’ brother, is ordained as Israel’s formal priesthood. Leviticus lists several blessings for obedience, and many more punishments for disobedience.

QUOTABLE

>> “You shall be holy; for I [God] am holy” (11:44 nkjv). >> “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls” (17:11 nasb).

UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL

Leviticus’s blood sacrifices are contrasted with Jesus’ death on the cross by the writer of Hebrews: “He does not need to offer sacrifices every day. . . .

Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins” (Hebrews 7:27 nlt).

SO WHAT?

Though we don’t live under the rules of Leviticus, we still serve a holy God—and should treat Him as such.

READ LEVITICUS 4–5.

● One-Month Course: your next reading is on page 25.

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● Six-Month Course: your next reading is on page 22.

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CLOSER LOOK

Many Ceremonial Laws Many Christians avoid reading Leviticus because it’s full of ceremonial laws, detailed descriptions of animal sacrifices, and lengthy admonitions on ritual purity. But God emphasized purity to teach His people to revere Him and to cause them to dedicate themselves to Him. He said, “You shall be holy; for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44 nkjv).

Also, the many details about animal sacrifices were to convince them that they were sinners, unable to approach a holy God—in constant need of repentance and forgiveness. The Israelites had many ceremonial laws to follow, It also taught the necessity of blood sacrifice including the offering of burnt sacrifices as shown in this illustration. to cover sin (Leviticus 17:11)—of which Jesus Himself was the ultimate fulfillment. Many Jews, however, focused on following the tiny details of the Law and missed its core message. Jesus rebuked them for thinking they were righteous by tithing the tiniest spice while they “omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith” (Matthew 23:23 kjv).

But even when the Law of Moses was in effect, those who truly loved and knew God lived by faith. “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4 nkjv). “For by it [faith] the men of old gained approval” (Hebrews 11:2 nasb).

Jesus died for our sins, fulfilling all the laws concerning purity and forgiveness, and established a new covenant in His blood (Luke 22:20). “By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13 niv). And it did disappear in AD 70 when the temple was destroyed.

READ LEVITICUS 20 AND HEBREWS 10.

● Six-Month Course: your next reading is on page 25.

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Hidden Treasure

Clean and Unclean Foods In Leviticus 11, God detailed which foods were kosher (clean and acceptable) and which were unclean, and faithful Jews scrupulously followed this list.

In particular, they avoided pork. There were commonsense reasons for God’s prohibitions: in the days before modern feeding regulations, pigs devoured all kinds of unclean food, including dung—and their meat had to be well cooked to avoid passing on the parasite Trichinella spiralis. Crabs and shellfish are still the garbagemen of the oceans; oysters and clams often contain pathogenic bacteria. Many Christians believe that these dietary prohibitions were done away with in Acts 10; other believers insist that these dietary laws are still in effect— and that Acts 10 refers to the spiritual cleansing of the Gentiles, not of unclean foods.

The Israelites did not eat pigs, which were deemed unclean.

READ LEVITICUS 11 AND ACTS 10.

Hidden Treasure

Blood Makes Atonement In Leviticus 17:11 (nasb), God said, “The life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls.” The word atonement (at-one-ment) was invented by English Bible translators in the 1500s to describe a restoration of the relationship between God and man. The Hebrew word used here is kaphar, which means “to cover.” The picture is of blood flowing out from the sacrificial animal and covering the sin; God then sees the blood, not the sin, and forgives the sinner. By dying on the cross, Jesus made us “at one” with God. “In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:7 nkjv). (See also 1 John 1:7.)

READ LEVITICUS 17 AND HEBREWS 9.

The Israelites made the sacrifices on horned altars similar to this one, which was reconstructed according to the remnants of the original altar.

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Hidden Treasure

Love Your Neighbor Jesus said that the two greatest commands in the Bible were “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself ” (Matthew 22:37, 39 niv). The command to love others is only briefly mentioned in the book of Leviticus, where God’s instruction to not bear grudges ends with, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself ” (Leviticus 19:18 nkjv). One rule sums up all the commandments: Love your neighbor as While this powerful directive isn’t listed yourself. in the Ten Commandments, it’s certainly implied there. Paul tells us, “The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘You shall not covet’. . .are all summed up in this saying, namely, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself ’ ” (Romans 13:9 nkjv).

READ LEVITICUS 19 AND PROVERBS 28.

Hidden Treasure

An Eye for an Eye Leviticus 24:20 (nasb) states, “Fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; just as he has injured a man, so it shall be inflicted on him.” God directed Moses to set up a civil code to deter crime, but over the centuries, many Jews used this law to avenge themselves. So Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also” (Matthew 5:38–39 nasb). We can avail ourselves of the legal system, as Paul did repeatedly (Acts 16:35–39; 22:24–29; 25:11–12), but we’re not to seek vengeance.

READ EXODUS 21 AND MATTHEW 5.

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BASIC SURVEY

NUMBERS AUTHOR: Not stated, but traditionally attributed to Moses.

DATE: Approximately 1400 BC.

IN TEN WORDS OR LESS

Faithless Israelites wander forty years in the wilderness of Sinai.

DETAILS, PLEASE

Numbers begins with a census—hence, the book’s name. Fourteen months after the Israelites escape Egypt, they number 603,550 men, not including the Levites. This mass of people, the newly formed nation of Israel, begins a march of approximately two hundred miles to the “promised land” of Canaan—a journey that will take decades to complete. The delay is God’s punishment for the people, who complain about food and water, rebel against Moses, and hesitate to enter Canaan because of powerful people already living there. God decrees that this entire generation will die in the wilderness, leaving the promised land to a new generation of more obedient Israelites.

QUOTABLE

>> The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression (Numbers 14:18 kjv).

UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL

Even Moses misses out on the promised land, punishment for disobeying God by striking, rather than speaking to, a rock from which water would miraculously appear (20:1–13).

SO WHAT?

God hates sin and punishes it. We can be thankful that Jesus took that punishment for us.

READ NUMBERS 1 AND 6.

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