The Writings in the Old Testament PDF

The Writings in the Old Testament Review  CAPSOUL OF THE DAY Click to edit Master title style 3 3 ACTIVITY:  ACTIVITY: Complete the Word! 30 pts The Writings in the Old Testament Click to edit Mast...

The Writings in the Old Testament Review  CAPSOUL OF THE DAY Click to edit Master title style 3 3 ACTIVITY:  ACTIVITY: Complete the Word! 30 pts The Writings in the Old Testament Click to edit Master title style Learning Targets: At the end of the session, the learners can: 1. identify correctly the different writing books of the Bible through oral recitation; 2. explain the message of each writing book through an interactive discussion; and 3. ask earnestly God’s wisdom to understand the important message of the writing books through a prayer. 7 Click to edit Master title style THE WRITINGS (Wisdom and Poetry Books) After the Law and the Prophets, the third major division of the Old Testament is called The Writings. It is translated from the Hebrew word Ketuvim, from katab, meaning “to write.” In the Greek the name is Hagiographa, which means “Holy Writings”. (David Ewert, From Ancient Tablets to Modern Translations,1983, p. 32). 8 Click to edit Master title style Three Parts of The Writings: Poetic Books Five Festival Scrolls (Megilloth) Historical Books 9 ClickFestival to edit Master Scrolls title style As the name implies, the Festival Scrolls have a connection with festivals outlined in the book of Leviticus and elsewhere in the Bible. List of the seven feasts of the Bible Leviticus 23 lists seven festivals of God: - Passover - Unleavened Bread - Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) - Trumpets - Atonement - Tabernacles - Eighth Day 10 Click to edit Master title style Job Third in the Hebrew arrangement is Job. Halley’s Bible Handbook quotes what famous people have to say about Job: Victor Hugo: “The Book of Job is perhaps the Greatest Masterpiece of the Human Mind.” Philip Schaff: “The Book of Job rises like a pyramid in the history of literature, without a predecessor and without a rival.” 11 ClickJob to edit Master title style Job was an extremely influential and wealthy man of his time. He is spoken of as “the greatest of all the people of the East” (Job 1:3), possibly even a king or a prince. In the New Testament Job is portrayed as a historical figure (James 5:11) and not, as some suppose, a fictional individual. The main theme of Job is about why God allows good and upright people, like Job, to suffer afflictions and hardships. Through his severe trial, Job came to understand more deeply the greatness of God and the reasons for human suffering (42:1-6, 12). His sufferings caused him to undergo a positive, life-changing experience. 12 Click to edit Master title style Psalms The book of Psalms is a collection of sacred poems that were intended to be sung. The author of many of the psalms is King David of Israel who was well-suited to produce these great works of song, prayer and poetry. He was described as a “skillful player on the harp” (1 Samuel 16:16), and referred to as “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1). 13 Click to edit Master title style Psalms “Again and again, the psalmists tell us that man’s ultimate calling is to use the resources of human language to celebrate God’s greatness and to express gratitude for His beneficent acts.” ROBERT ALTER, THE HEBREW BIBLE: A TRANSLATION WITH COMMENTARY 14 Click Psalms to edit Master title style Sung as praise to God, read for inspiration by many in times of discouragement and crisis, and studied for instruction in godly principles, the book of Psalms has its own unique value as a summation of biblical truths. 15 Click Psalms to edit Master title style One of the longest books of the Bible, Psalms is located in the middle of the Scriptures and has been described as “a little Bible”; it points back over the history of ancient Israel to Creation, and forward to the New Testament and the end of this present age. The Yahweh, or LORD, of old- covenant Israel is Jesus Christ of the new covenant. Israelites of ancient times sang psalms in the temples on Mount Zion, as did the earliest followers of Christ in their assemblies. 16 Click to edit Master title style Book of Proverbs Second in the Hebrew arrangement of the Writings section is the book of “wisdom literature” of Scripture, Proverbs. The book offers wise principles and suggestions that govern an orderly society and gives unchanging principles that have to do with successful everyday living. It covers virtually every aspect of human endeavor and offers advice that, if heeded, will lead to a more fulfilling and productive life. 17 Click to edit Master title style Book of Proverbs “At its foundation, Proverbs describes wisdom as a relationship; it begins with the ‘fear of the LORD’ (Proverbs 1:7).” TREMPER LONGMAN III AND PETER ENNS (EDITORS), DICTIONARY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT: WISDOM, POETRY AND WRITINGS 18 Click to edit Master title style Book of Proverbs “For the most part, the concern of the book [of Proverbs] is to convey the fundamentals of morality, the virtues of integrity, discipline, justice, common sense, and the like, and to show by way of contrast the failure in life that awaits the fool.” WALTER A. ELWELL (EDITOR), “WISDOM, WISDOM LITERATURE” IN BAKER ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE BIBLE 19 Click to edit Master title style Ecclesiastes Read at the Feast of Tabernacles. David’s son (1:1), Solomon, was the author. During the time of Solomon, Israel was at peace and was likely the most prosperous nation of the time. The period has been referred to as Israel’s Golden Age. 20 ClickEcclesiastes to edit Master title style Despite all the physical abundance, affluence and plenty, mankind without God and His ways is all vanity. Solomon was in an excellent position to understand and explain this principle, since he personally experienced the emptiness (2:9-11, 17). The words vanity or vanities occur 37 times in the King James Version of the book and come from a 21 Hebrew word that means “breath” or “vapor.” Click to edit Master title style Song of Solomon (Song of Songs) It was read during the Passover season. Passover occurs in the spring in the northern hemisphere, and the book has a springtime setting (2:11-13). The love drama illustrates the beauty of the marital relationship, which the New Testament uses as a picture of the relationship of the Church with Christ (Revelation 19:7-9; Ephesians 22 Click to edit Master title style Wisdom of Solomon Solomon urges them to love righteousness. Wisdom is found by those who do not put it to the test, and shows herself to those who do not mistrust her. He says that perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his power is tested it convicts the foolish. Wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul. 23 Click to edit Master title style Sirach Sirach addresses many issues related to human life including money, relationships, worship, business and even table manners. Its focus is to help the reader know how to live within the covenant, how to be faithful to God even in the small things. 24 Click to edit Master title style What are the Writing Books of the Bible? 25 Click to edit Master title style Any questions? 26 Click to edit Master title style Reminder: Prepare for a quiz next meeting.  27 Click to edit Master title style 28 Click to edit Master title style SESSION 2 29 The Writings in the Old Testament Click to edit Master title style Learning Targets: At the end of the session, the learners can: 1. cite concrete ways on how to live out the divine message of the writing books through oral recitation; and 2. identify correctly the different writing books and the message of each book through a quiz. 31  Sharing Click to edit Master title style Choose one book or divine message you love the most. Cite concrete ways how you live out the relevant message of your chosen book or message. 32 Click to edit Master title style QUIZ True or False and Enumeration 15 Items (30 pts) 33 Click to edit Master title style 34