Spirit Empowered Preaching
Sproul Holiness and Justice Part 1
Watch R. C. Sproul illustrate Aaron’s response to the justice of God.
Leviticus 10:1Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized[a] fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them. 2And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD has said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'” And Aaron held his peace.
Forgive Me
Akin to the preaching of the gospel, we have another help to our faith in the sacraments in regard to which, it greatly concerns us that some sure doctrine should be delivered, informing us both of the end for which they were instituted, and of their present use.
The reason why the ancients used the term in this sense is not obscure. The old interpreter, whenever he wished to render the Greek term “musterion” into Latin, especially when it was used with reference to divine things, used the word sacramentum. Thus in Ephesians, “Having made known unto us the mystery (sacramentum) of his will;” and again, “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you-wards, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery” (sacramentum,) (Eph. 1: 9; 3: 2.) In the Colossians, “Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest to his saints, to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery,” (sacramentum,) (Col. 1: 26.) Also in the First Epistle to Timothy, “Without controversy, great is the mystery (sacramentum) of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,” (1 Tim. 3: 16.) He was unwilling to use the word arcanum, (secret,) lest the word should seem beneath the magnitude of the thing meant. When the thing, therefore, was sacred and secret, he used the term sacramentum. In this sense it frequently occurs in ecclesiastical writers. And it is well known, that what the Latins call sacramental the Greeks call “musteria” (mysteries.) The sameness of meaning removes all dispute. Hence it is that the term was applied to those signs which gave an august representation of things spiritual and sublime. This is also observed by Augustine, “It were tedious to discourse of the variety of signs; those which relate to divine things are called sacraments,” (August. Ep. 5. ad Marcell.)
Recipe for a Sacrament: Just Add Bread, Wine and A Cross
The “flesh and blood” references in Christ’s words to the people in John chapter 6 are controversial in that many take the liberty of applying the principles in this passage to their theology of the Lord’s Supper. How might this be true? I took a look at the verses in question and attempted to distill the principles that may have some bearing on the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper and how it may or may not be a “means of grace.” The following thought process may be a bit tedious reading, but I think you’ll see how I find that there is indeed room to legitimately connect the theology referenced in the passage to the doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. And I believe it is part of what helps us conclude that the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace which confirms the promise of God in the gospel to believers while rendering condemnation to unbelievers who partake.
One thing I noticed about this passage is that, while it affirms that those who believe in Christ do feed on his flesh which he gives for the life of the world, no mention is made of how he is to give his flesh for the life of the world. That would be in his death on the cross. Furthermore, there is no explicit reference to engaging in a ritual in which believers actually eat literal bread and drink literal wine. But, of course, Jesus has yet to institute the Lord’s Supper, so why go into that kind of detail here? He discusses the theology of how grace is conveyed to sinners through the means of his body and blood (broken and shed for sinners on the cross), to which he will later add the further means of grace — the preaching of this good news of justification in his death and resurrection, which invisible saving grace is signified by the outward elements of bread and wine which seal the benefits of Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection in glory. I hope this helps you see the chain of means which convey God’s grace to believing sinners.
John 6:27-35 “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”
Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. . .”
John 6:47-51 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.
I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
John 6:52-58 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on my flesh, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
Propositions extracted from the above passages:
Don’t only seek physical sustenance from Christ for this temporary life alone. Seek spiritual sustenance which will provide eternal life. (vs. 25-27)
Eternal life comes to those who believe in him whom God has sent (v. 29).
The Old Testament type of God’s giving Israel bread from heaven to eat is fulfilled by the antitype of the Lord Jesus Christ who came down from heaven and gives life to the world (vs. 30-34).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the bread of life (v. 35a).
Whoever comes to Christ in faith will never hunger or thirst (v. 35b).
Whoever believes has eternal life (v. 47).
The true bread comes from heaven so that one may eat of it and not die, but live forever (vs. 48-50).
The bread that the Lord Jesus Christ will give for the life of the world is his flesh (v. 51c).
Whoever does not eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of Man has no life in him (v. 53).
Whoever eats Christ’s flesh and drinks Christ’s blood will have eternal life and is given hope of resurrection to life at Christ’s return (v. 54).
Christ’s flesh is true food, and Christ’s blood is true drink (v. 55).
Whoever eats Christ’s flesh and drinks his blood abides in Christ, and Christ abides in him (v. 56).
God the Father is the source of Christ’s physical life; whoever feeds on Christ’s flesh will live because of Christ’s life (v. 57).
This boils down to the fact that Christ’s body was broken and his blood was shed and he gave his life and took it again in his resurrection so that dead sinners may receive the free gift of eternal life through faith and the hope of resurrection on the day of Christ’s return. What relevance does this have to the Lord’s Supper? Keith Mathison cites Calvin’s explanation on p. 221 of Given For You: Reclaiming Calvin’s Doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. Mathison writes: “Calvin argues that John 6 is not ‘about’ the Lord’s Supper, but he adds, ‘I acknowledge that there is nothing said here that is not figuratively represented, and actually bestowed on believers, in the Lord’s Supper; and Christ even intended that the holy Supper should be, as it were, a seal and confirmation of this sermon.” (Calvin’s Commentary on John 6:54).
God is the ultimate source of life.
God gave life to the flesh and blood of his Son.
God sent his Son to give his flesh and blood for the life of dead sinners.
God’s Son gave his flesh and blood for the life of dead sinners in his crucifixion.
Whoever believes in God’s Son receives eternal life through means of Christ’s broken body and shed blood in his death. This is what Christ means by eating his flesh and drinking his blood.
Christ announced the New Covenant in the broken bread which is his body broken for sinners, and fruit of the vine poured out which is his blood shed for sinners, commanding that this meal be administered in remembrance of the death of the testator (Hebrews 9:16) that those who partake of the broken bread and poured out wine in faith may participate in his sacrifice for their sin (1 Cor. 10:16), and experience fellowship with all those who have life in him (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Christ sent the apostles to preach the good news that Christ died for sin and rose the third day that whoever believes may receive eternal life. Those who believed their message devoted themselves to participating in Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:42).
Therefore . . .
- the body and blood of Christ on the cross is God’s means of grace (the free gift of eternal life received by faith—Romans 3:24-25; 6:23);
- The preaching of the gospel of the death and resurrection of Christ is a means of grace;
- Remembrance of Christ’s broken body and shed blood for our sins by eating bread and wine in conjunction with fellowship, preaching and prayer is a means of grace.
Keeping the Feast as Often as Prescribed
30:1 Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month— 3 for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem— 4 and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. 6 So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, “O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the Lord God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8 Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”
Let Us Break Bread Together
For the past several days, I’ve been engaged in a discussion about the frequency of the Lord’s Supper over at Post Tenebras Lux (Why Weekly Communion Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). If you’d like to interact with our conversation, you are cordially invited. The homework I’ve been doing in preparation for my comments over there has been very enlightening. I’ve learned that the “proof texts” which I continually use to support the notion that Christian churches should always celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Sunday following the sermon do not miss the mark when considered in the light of postapostolic practice and the Reformation’s purification of the corruptions which crept in during the medieval era of the church.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42).
“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread . . . ” (Acts 20:7).
It seems to be difficult for many to see that the church is to engage each time they gather in all of the items listed in the first verses cited above, and have a hard time accepting that one statement like the one in the second verse above actually reflects the weekly practice, rather than merely recording a one-time event with little to no prescriptive significance for the life of the church today. But the more I read from Calvin and others about how the church has historically interpreted verses like these and a few others from 1 Corinthians 10 and 11, the more convinced I am that we do an injustice to our worship of the Lord by our setting the Supper aside so often to focus on other things, fearing some Roman Catholic spirit of ritualism to overcome us, dared we to partake too frequently.
Consider the following passages from Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion (Battles translation, pages 1422, 1424):
44. The Lord’s Supper should be celebrated frequently
What we have so far said of the Sacrament abundantly shows that it was not ordained to be received only once a year –and that, too, perfunctorily, as now is the usual custom. Rather, it was ordained to be frequently used among all Christians in order that they might frequently return in memory to Christ’s Passion, by such remembrance to sustain and strengthen their faith, and urge themselves to sing thanksgiving to God and to proclaim his goodness; finally, by it to nourish mutual love, and among themselves give witness to this love, and discern its bond in the unity of Christ’s body. For as often as we partake of the symbol of the Lord’s body, as a token given and received, we reciprocally bind ourselves to all the duties of love in order that none of us may permit anything that can harm our brother, or overlook anything that can help him, where necessity demands and ability suffices.
Luke relates in The Acts that this was the practice of the apostolic church, when he says that believers ” . . . continued in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Thus it became the unvarying rule that no meeting of the church should take place without the Word, prayers, partaking of the Supper, and almsgiving. That this was the established order among the Corinthians also, we can safely infer from Paul (cf. 1 Cor. 11:20). And it remained in use for many centuries after.
46. Communicating only once a year condemned
Plainly this custom which enjoins us to take communion once a year is a veritable invention of the devil, whoever was instrumental in introducing it. They say that Zephyrinus was the author of this decree, although it is not believable that it was in the form in which we now have it. For perhaps by his ordinance he did not provide too badly for the church, as times were then. For there is not the least doubt that the Sacred Supper was in that era set before the believers every time they met together; and there is no doubt that a majority of them took communion; but since all scarcely ever happened to take communion at once, and since it was necessary for those who were mingled with profane and idolatrous men to attest their faith by some outward sign–the holy man, for the sake of order and polity, appointed that day on which all Christian people should, by partaking of the Lord’s Supper, make a confession of faith. Posterity wickedly distorted Zephyrinus’ otherwise good ordinance, when a definite law was made to have communion once a year. (Fourth Lateran Council, canon 21). By this it has come about that almost all, when they have taken communion once, as though they have beautifully done their duty for the rest of the year, go about unconcerned. It should have been done far differently: the Lord’s Table should have been spread at least once a week for the assembly of Christians, and the promises declared in it should feed us spiritually. None is indeed to be forcibly compelled, but all are to be urged and aroused; also the inertia of indolent people is to be rebuked. All, like hungry men, should flock to such a bounteous repast. Not unjustly, then, did I complain at the outset that this custom was thrust in by the devil’s artifice, which, in prescribing one day a year, renders men slothful all the rest of the year. Indeed, we see that already in Chrysostom’s day this degrading abuse had crept in; but we can see at the same time how much it displeased him. For in the passage which I just quoted he sadly complains of great inequality in this matter; at some times of the year they often did not come even when they were clean, but came at Easter, even when they were unclean. Then he exclaims: “O custom, O presumption! In vain, therefore, is a daily offering made; in vain we stand before the altar; there is no one who will partake along with us.” So far is Chrysostom from having approved this by lending it his authority!
It appears to me that the work of Reformation is not done. Begin a conversation with your pastor about this topic, and encourage him to examine the Scriptures in the light of the history of the issue of the frequency of the Supper and see what the Lord may work in the life of your church!
The Next Study Bible To Join My Collection
Case in point, Leland Ryken. Dr. Ryken is the father of Dr. Phillip Ryken, the successor to James Montgomery Boice at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who is the late successor to the even more late Donald Gray Barnhouse. Read about Tenth’s august roll of influential pastors since its early years. Dr. Leland Ryken’s credentials include a Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and he is professor of English at Wheaton College in Illinois, where he has twice received the “teacher of the year” award. He served as Literary 
Chairman on the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version of the Bible, and authored a wonderful book entitled, The Word of God in English, in which he explains the thinking behind what the ESV crowd has begun calling “essentially literal” translation, as opposed to “literal” (formal equivalence) and “thought-for-thought” (dynamic equivalence). As you may perceive, it sounds like a happy medium, and I think it is definitely a worthwhile achievement.
Leland Ryken also contributed to a good book by a group of evangelical scholars on the Origin of the Bible. But there are yet many others of his books around to which I’ve yet to get. But coming this September, his study Bible will be released. The Literary Study Bible!
from the ESV Blog’s post on the Literary Study Bible:
About The Literary Study Bible
A literary study Bible—what a great idea! Who better to conceive of such a Bible and to provide the notes than Dr. Leland Ryken, author and editor of numerous books explaining the literary forms manifest in the Bible and encouraging us to pay special attention to these forms. The Literary Study Bible represents the culmination of his efforts to aid all who read, study, preach, and teach the Bible. Find your understanding of Scripture improved and your appreciation for its literary beauty heightened.
“Any piece of writing needs to be assimilated and interpreted in terms of the kind of writing that it is,” write the coeditors. “The Bible is a literary book in which theology and history are usually embodied in literary forms. Those forms include genres, the expression of human experience in concrete form, stylistic and rhetorical techniques, and artistry. . . . [The use of these forms] has been inspired by God and [they] need to be granted an importance in keeping with that inspiration.”
I believe a resource such as this will help the evangelical church regain much ground lost since the fundamentalist-modernist controversy, when Dispensational hermeneutics misinformed the last several generations of evangelicals that “literal” interpretation should mean something more akin to “anti-figurative interpretation.” J. Ligon Duncan writes, “Secondly, Dispensationalists speak in terms of a literal interpretation of the Bible. This is a major rhetorical thing that you hear in discussion with Dispensationalist friends. ‘We interpret the Bible literally.’ Of course, the implication being that you don’t. We interpret the Bible literally, you don’t. You do something else to it. Whereas Covenant Theologians would argue, ‘We interpret the Bible literally, but, we believe that the New Testament interprets the Old Testament.’ We believe that the New Testament is the hermeneutical manual for the Old Testament. And Dispensationalists are suspicious of that. When you say that the New Testament must interpret the Old Testament, Dispensationalists get a little bit edgy, because they feel you are about to spiritualize something that the Old Testament has said for them very clearly. So that is a fundamental difference. The Covenant Theologian believes the New Testament has the final word as the meaning of that passage, whereas the Dispensationalist tends to want to interpret the Old Testament and then go to the New Testament and attempt to harmonize the particular teaching of the New Testament with their previous interpretation of that Old Testament passage, rather than allowing the New Testament fundamental hermaneutical control.”
Historically, literal interpretation meant “literary.” In other words, interpret the Bible according to the common rules which apply to whichever kind of literature you are reading. If we can get this understanding corrected on a grassroots level, the Light of the Gospel would shine all the brighter.
Misadventures in Anti-Catholicism
P&W Music
Theological & Doxological Meditations #36
Pet Peeves and Political Preachers
Tolle Lege! Sign Up and Read! (or something like that)
Hanegraaff’s Handy Headknowledge Helpers
Introduction
Resurrection of Antichrist
Racial Discrimination
Real Estate
Exegetical Eschatology (e2): Method vs. Model
Literal Principle
Illumination Principle
Grammatical Principle
Historical Principle
Typology Principle
Scriptural Synergy
Literal Principle: Reading the Bible as Literature
Form
Figurative Language
Fantasy Imagery
Illumination Principle: Faithful Illumination vs. Fertile Imagination
Two Distinct People
Two Distinct Plans
Two Distinct Phases
Grammatical Principle: “It depends on the meaning of the word is”
This Generation
The Pronoun You
The Adverb Soon
Historical Principle: Historical Realities vs. Historical Revisionism
Location
Essence
Genre
Author
Context
Years
Typology Principle: The Golden Key
The Holy Land
The Holy City
The Holy Temple
Scriptural Synergy: The Code Breaker
Supreme Rule
Substance or Shadow
Sacrificing Traditions
Riplinger, the author of such enduring KJV-Only classics as New Age Bible Versions and In Awe of Thy Word: Understanding the King James Bible/Its Mystery & History Letter By Letter, making a case for the greater mnemonic benefit derived from translating in the inspired King’s English, generally attempts to emulate the KJV’s memorability by resorting not only to alliteration, but also to clever turns of phrase and at times resorts to rhymes (sorry, just couldn’t help myself). Here’s a sample from New Age Bible Versions . . .
Now compare this with the way Hanegraaff almost alliterates an entire paragraph on page 53 of The Apocalypse Code:
“As God had promised Abraham real estate, he had also promised him a royal seed. Joshua led the children of Israel into the regions of Palestine; Jesus will one day lead his children into the restoration of Paradise. There they will forever experience rest. From Adam’s rebellion to Abraham’s Royal Seed, the Scriptures chronicle God’s one unfolding plan for the redemption of humanity. Far from a postponement in God’s plans because the Jews crucified Jesus, Scripture reveals the fulfillment of God’s plans in the crucifixion. For only through faith in Christ’s death and his subsequent resurrection can God’s one covenant community find rest from their wanderings (Hebrews 4:1-11). In Christ—“the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45)—God’s promises find ultimate fulfillment. As Paul so elegantly put it, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29). [emphasis mine]
Now, I agree that it is indeed helpful to receive a memorable outline, and alliteration can help the reader associate parallel concepts. For this I do not fault Hanegraaff. It was simply the rate of such devices, especially in chapter three (so far) that got me giggling about his how his writing was reminiscent of Riplinger (there I go again!).
The Apocalypse Code, overall, is a very good book, but it seems to desperately try to tick off Dispensationalists, especially by associating Dispensationalism, Darby’s quaint nineteenth century theory from the British isles, with evolution, Darwin’s quaint nineteenth century theory from the British isles which lead to the fallacious science of eugenics and culminated in the twentieth century holocaust. Hanegraaff likewise charges that Dispensationalism may create its own self-fulfillment of their literal interpretation of the Battle of Armageddon, resulting in a future holocaust of the Jews they so mean to bless (Gen. 12:3). While the two seem to parallel effectively, Hanegraaff may deserve whatever charges of sensationalism he may receive.
Buy the book and read it. It will aid in communicating the heterodoxy of Dispensationalism to its victims, and will help lead many of them toward more orthodox eschatology. And enjoy the entertainment value eminently evidenced in Hank’s exposition of “exegetical eschatology.”
The Old Testament Reveals Jesus
God is moving the history of his fallen creation toward redemption. This means, what God created good became bad, and God is working to make it good again. God’s fallen creation cannot make itself good again. It cannot redeem itself. God himself must do it.
The first two phases of the history of the world took place before anyone was ever born. Adam and Eve were the only two people God created as fully grown people; the rest of us were born as babies and grow to fully grown people. Adam and Eve were created good, but fell into sin; the rest of us are born in sin, in Adam.
After the fall of Adam and Eve into sin, God promised to send a Redeemer to save a chosen people from the consequences of sin (Genesis 3:15). All of this takes place in the first three chapters of the Bible. The rest of the Bible is the history of how God works in the world to save a chosen from the consequences of sin. God will choose one person and promise to give him one chosen nation from which will come One Chosen Person to redeem a chosen people out of every nation in the world. The “One Chosen Person” at the center of this plan of redemption is the Lord Jesus Christ. The story of the Old Testament is the story of how God, step by step, revealed, or uncovered, Jesus the Redeemer, first to the chosen nation of Israel and through Israel to all the nations of the world.
There are two verses from the New Testament in which Jesus shows us that the Old Testament is the history of the redemption of sinners. These verses are John 5:39 and Luke 24:27.
John 5:39 — “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” The religious leaders thought, and many people today, think that just learning the words and facts from the Bible is what makes us good. Jesus said they are no more than the spoon that we use to feed ourselves the “food of eternal life.” The Bible reveals Jesus to us, and he is the one who saves us.
Luke 24:27 — “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Jesus taught through the entire Old Testament and showed how it reveals the truth about his person and work to redeem sinners.The Old Testament reveals three things about the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
The Old Testament reveals
1) the perfection of Jesus,
2) preparation for Jesus, and
3) prophecy about Jesus.
The Old Testament consists of four sections which reveal all three of these things about Jesus in many different ways. These sections are . . .
Law
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are actually a combination of history and law. The history is told to explain the laws. But the point of these first five books of the Bible is God’s covenant with the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), his deliverance of their descendants from Egypt, and their obligation to keep the laws of God given to them at the mountain called Sinai.
God’s purpose in bringing Israel out of Egypt is that they would worship him, and become a holy nation for him. Through them, his blessing would reach all the nations of the world. According to the New Testament, this gracious promise announced to Abraham is the same gospel preached by Jesus Christ and realized through his death and resurrection.
So you see, the Law books reveals the perfection of Jesus in the Law, and prophesies and prepares the way for the coming of Jesus in the historical accounts of the first five books of the Bible.
Historical Books
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther record the history of Israel from the conquest of the Promised Land under Joshua, through many ups and downs being ruled first by judges, then by kings. Judges show the perfection of Jesus in a military way, by reflecting his great power to deliver sinners from the consequences of sin; the kings prophesy and prepare the way for the coming of Jesus by reflecting his Lordship over his chosen people and also by identifying the family line from which Jesus will one day come into the world.
The overall theme of the entire history of Israel is how God blesses the obedient, curses the sinful, and saves those who confess and turn from their sin, trusting the forgiving God they have offended. This is also shown in how God sent the disobedient nation of Israel into captivity to the Assyrians and Babylonians and then returned the repentant nation to their homeland many years later. When they failed to reestablish the kingdom of the family of king David, they read these books, looking forward to the day when the great Son of David would come to rule over them and save them once and for all!
Wisdom Literature
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon specialize in revealing the perfect wisdom of Jesus. The New Testament says that in the Lord Jesus Christ are hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossian 2:2-3). In these books, much of the wisdom and knowledge of Jesus is revealed through this unique collection of books. There are also many prophecies contained in these writings which foretell the coming of Jesus, our Redeemer.
The Major and Minor Prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were among the many prophets that the LORD sent to disobedient Israel to call them to repent, lest they suffer the consequences of their sin. But the prophets didn’t stop with messages of judgment against the sins of the people, but looked forward to the day when at long last the Son of David would arrive to take his throne over his chosen nation and redeem Israel from her enemies once and for all. Little did they know exactly how Jesus would come and do that through his sinless life, sacrificial crucifixion, glorious resurrection and ascension to the right hand of his Father in heaven, from which he now rules over a spiritual kingdom calling the true Israel from every nation of the world until he returns to judge the world, banish sin, Satan and his followers and dwell among his redeemed, worshiping people forever!
One of the Masters Called to His Master
The Misadventures of Captain Headknowledge 