Preservation of the Old Testament
Sunday School
Notes by Pastor Nick Bibile
January 17, 2010
Chronological Order
- Read
Deut 31:22-26 The Book of the Law
was preserved and kept in the ark of the covenant. Joshua read the Book of the law to the
people. (Joshua 8:35)
- God’s
instructions for all kings who come into power, to make of copy of the law
of Moses. (Deut 17:14-19) The kings of Israel were to study and obey the
law, then write their own personal copies.
- The
kingdom was divided into two after Solomon, the northern kingdom Israel
and the southern kingdom Judah. All the kings of the northern kingdom were
bad, (prophets during this time were Ahijah, Micaiah, Elijah, Elisha,
Jonah, Hosea and Amos) Northern kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians in
722 B.C
- Southern
kingdom still continued.
- During
the reign of Manasseh and Amon, there was idolatry, wickedness, during
this dark period, the scriptures seems to have been displaced.
- Manasseh,
king of Judah (680 B.C to 664) was the son of godly king Hezekiah. Manasseh was 12 years old when he
became king. He persecuted the true prophets of God, Isaiah was murdered,
reconstructed temples of idol worship, embraced witchcraft of the
heathens, lawlessness heavy spiritual damage. Assyrian army captured
Manasseh, taken captive to Babylon, he was tortured severely, Manasseh
repented sincerely, sent back to Jerusalem, he tried to restore the faith
back, but the damage was too much.
(2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chronicles 33:1-20)
Amon the son of Manasseh brought the land into deeper
darkness.
- King Josiah became king when he was 8 years old, his
father was Amon and grandfather Manasseh. He was the last good king who
ruled in the southern kingdom, four other kings ruled after him, then
Jerusalem/Judah was destroyed.
Josiah found a copy of the Scriptures probably after 80 years of
darkness(2 Kings 22:1-2;8) Josiah also destroyed high places where Solomon
built temples to foreign gods. He brought reformation and the celebration
of the Passover. (2 Kings 23:21) The King was moved with a holy
fear and dread overwhelmed him. He did not dispute the sin (2 Ki 22:13).
The Law from Deuteronomy was re-read to the national assembly (cf 2 Chron
34:24; Dt 28-29). It a book long lost but at once recognized as the
standard of authority for the nation (2 Kings 22:13b).
- There
were very few good kings in the southern kingdom in Judah and others were
bad. (Prophets were Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Zephaniah Habakkuk) Southern kingdom Jerusalem was
destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Even though the first temple was
destroyed and the Jews were taken to Babylon, the Scriptures were
preserved. In the Babylonian captivity, a group of Levites who became
known as the Scribes painstakingly copied and disseminated the Scriptures
to other Jews.
- In 541
B.C after the 70 years (Daniel 9, Haggai 2:18-19) of exile
small numbers of Jews return to rebuild the city and walls.
- In 539
B.C Persian ruler Cyrus the Great
conquers Babylonian Empire. God prophesied before Cyrus was even
born building Jerusalem and the temple (Isaiah 44:28)
- 520-515
B.C. Second temple was built in Jerusalem. There
was the reformation led by Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra was a scribe, he
probably wrote the book of Chronicles. Ezra was well versed in the law of
Moses. (Ezra 7:6;10) When the second temple was built, another
master copy was put in the Holy Place. Read also Nehemiah 8:1-8)
- After
Ezra, Nehemiah again darkness crept into the land. Persian King Ahasuerus,
traditionally identified as Artaxerxes II came
into power in the Persian empire. Haman tried to convince the king to kill
all the Jews of the land. (Read the book of Esther) The plot was foiled by
Queen Esther.
- In 333 B.C Alexander the Great conquers the
Land of Israel and Persia. (Grecian Empire)
- 250 B.C "Septuagint" translation of
the Book of the Law into Greek.
- 400
years of silence until Jesus was born.
- Jesus
said, “Do not think that I came to
destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away,
one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is
fulfilled. (Mat 5:17-18)
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