Old Testament Saga

Israel's next judge, Samuel, is born to Hannah, a previously barren woman. Hannah gives Samuel to Israel's chief priest, Eli, to be raised as a Nazirite. The priesthood in Israel is in a general state of decline, and Eli's sons are disobeying God's laws. God declares that he will choose a new priest for Israel from outside Eli's family and begins delivering messages to Samuel as a young man. Samuel becomes a recognized prophet throughout Israel, delivering God's messages to the people.

Upon learning of Saul's defeat by the Philistines, David sings a song lamenting the deaths of Saul and his friend, Jonathan. David goes to Hebron, where his followers and the southern tribe of Judah anoint him as king. Meanwhile, Saul's chief commander, Abner, garners the support of the northern tribes and instates Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth, as king of Israel. A war ensues between the conflicting regimes, played out in a series of small hand-to-hand contests between Abner's men and the army of Joab, David's general.

The books of Chronicles were originally one book, as in the case of Samuel and Kings. The Hebrew title is translated the "words of the days", yet the word Chronicles is mainly adopted by a theologian named Jerome who thought that they ought to bear the title from the Greek word for time which is "Chronos". This title created a distraction from the true meaning and purpose of this wonderful book.

The book of Zechariah is Narrative History, Prophetic and Apocalyptic in genre. It is a post-exilic book, meaning it was written after (post) the return from captivity (exile) in Babylon. The prophet Zechariah wrote chapters 1-8 approximately 520-518 B.C. (Before the temple completed), and then wrote chapters 9-14 approximately 480 B.C. (After the temple is completed). Zechariah is among the most precisely dated books in the Bible. Key personalities are Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Joshua.

The small book of Zephaniah is Narrative History and Prophetic Oracle. Zephaniah wrote it circa 630 B.C. very soon before the fall of Judah in the Southern Kingdom. The purpose of this book was to show that God raised up his prophet Zephaniah to proclaim a warning of coming judgment and to encourage repentance. The Southern Kingdom was complacent in their wicked lives. They not only suffered under wicked kings they also would suffer under the holy judgment of God.

"Malachi" is the last book of the Old Testament and is a book of Prophetic Oracle. It is a post-exilic book, meaning it was written after the return from captivity in Babylon. The prophet Malachi wrote it approximately 430 B.C. Key personalities include Malachi and the priests. The purpose of this book is that Malachi wrote to ensure that the hearts of the Jews were right and that they were keeping God first in their lives.

The genre of Joel is Narrative and Prophetic Oracle. The prophet Joel wrote it around 841-835 B.C. sometime before the fall and exiles of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Key personalities are Joel and the people of Judah. Its purpose was to call the Southern Kingdom to repentance or prepare for the coming judgment. Joel describes the locust that inflicts severe damage to everything in their paths, and warns that it is only the beginning of what is to come.

The book of Hosea is a Narrative History and Prophetic Oracle. Hosea is the first book in the sections of Minor Prophets. They are called Minor Prophets not because their material is less important or insignificant, but because of the size of the book they wrote was shorter in length. The prophet Hosea wrote it at approximately 715 B.C. It records the events from 753-715 B.C. including the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722. The key personalities are Hosea, Gomer, and their children.

Human history traced from our once-upon-a-time origins, through the great disaster that nearly wiped the human race from the planet. From an insignificant family of displaced nomads, kings and poets arise who will shape human destiny. The spinal cord of the world's oldest and most influential book - the story line of the Old Testament reduced to a gripping tale, told with warmth and wit. The essence of the Bible - true to the text, true to the spirit, eminently understandable.

The Scripture is an endless source of inspiration. Quotes from the Bible give a glimpse of our ancestor's lives and habits, and they are food for thought in our modern lives as they provide answers to our innermost questions. They are also precious occasions to reflect deeper on what it means to have faith, be Christian, or simply human.