God's Plan of Salvation

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Baptism

Two Parts of Salvation

The Bible is Genuine and Authoritative

The Bible Confirmed by Archaeology

Help In Understanding the Bible

This question is important because it has to do with eternity. It has to do with the soul and it's relationship to God. The Jailor recognized that he was lost and asked Paul and Silas, his prisoners, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

The first step in coming into a state of salvation is to recognize that one is lost and is in need of a savior. The Jailor had come to this point in his life. Paul and Silas began to answer the man's question by saying, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized"(Acts. 16:31-33).

1. Salvation is personal. He asked "What must I do to be saved?" He didn't ask about some deceased ancestor who perhaps had never heard of Jesus. He recognized that he was in need of salvation.

2. Salvation requires obedience. The Jailor knew there was something required of him. Many religious leaders deny that man has any responsibility in his salvation. To many the word"obey" is a "four letter word" to be avoided. The Bible is clear that there is something about the gospel one must obey. (See Matthew 7:21; Acts 6:7; Romans 6:16-18).The Jailor knew there was something to do. Later,when he learned the truth of the gospel from Paul and Silas, he complied with its demands (see Acts 16:33).

3. Salvation is from above. Salvation does not come from man but from God. Men have devised their own systems of salvation rather than submitting to God's plan for redeeming man (see Romans 1:18-32; 10:1-3). The ancient prophet Jeremiah exclaimed, "O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps."(Jeremiah 10:23).

4. Salvation requires both belief and baptism. In answer to the question, "What must I do to be saved?", Paul and Silas told the Jailor, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." The Jailor took the two prisoners, cleaned their wounds and listened to their answer to his question regarding his salvation. Following this study session, "immediately he and all his family were baptized." A meal followed the baptism as they rejoiced in the salvation of this fine family (Acts 16: 34). Notice, "having believed in God with all his household." It is clear that the comprehensive expression "having believed in God" includes repentance as well as baptism and faith. Frequently in the New Testament believing and obedience are used to represent the same idea (see John 3:36; Hebrews 3:18-19; 4:3-6 and compare John 3:16 with Hebrews 5:9).

1. The Jews at the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2).

2. The Samaritans (Acts 8:5-13).

5. Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (Acts 10:34-48; 11:1-18)

6. Lydia (Acts 16:13-15)

3. One must confess the name of Christ. Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven." Confession, therefore, is not a confession of sins, or some kind of a testimonial. Biblical confession is exemplified by the Ethiopian convert as he asked "What hinders me from being baptized?" Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the the Son of God.'"Evidently the young preacher Timothy, upon his conversion, had made the same confession. The apostle Paul reminded him of this when wrote, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:12).

4. One must be baptized into Christ. Jesus said, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved..."(Mark 16:16). Many who heard the apostle Peter preach the first gospel sermon, "...were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?' Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."Ananias told Saul to "Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).

Those who thus "obeyed the gospel" (cf. Acts 6:7) were added to the Lord's church (Acts 2:47). Having experienced the "new birth" (John 3:3-5, compare Romans 6:3-6) they became "new creatures" (2 Corinthians 5:17). When people today do what they did, they can become what they became --"Christians" (Acts 11:26), members of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

If you have any questions concerning this most important of all questions, "What must I do to be saved," please let us know. If we may assist you in your obedience to Christ, we would be happy to do so.

• 1. If --
When Baptized, YOU:
• Put on Christ --Galatians 3:27
• Wash Away Sins -- Acts 22:16
• Are Saved -- 1 Peter 3:21
• Have Remission of Sins -- Acts 2:38
• Are made Free from Sin -- Romans 6:17-18
• Benefit by Jesus' Death -- Romans 6:3-6
• Enter the Body of Christ -- 1 Corinthians 12:13
• Become a New Creature -- 2 Corinthians 2:17


• 2. Then -- What is Your Condition Without Baptism?

THE BIBLE IS GENUINE AND AUTHORITATIVE

by Dan Flournoy

Is the Bible reliable?  Can we rely on its statement of fact?  Must we bow to its claims of authority?  What evidence is there to demonstrate that the Bible is genuine?  That is, how can we be sure that men like Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Peter and Paul actually wrote the books ascribed to them?

Briefly, let us observe that the Scriptures were authoritative from the time of writing.  As Moses wrote the Pentateuch, the Israelites accepted his writing as being from God.  They observed the numerous signs which demonstrated that God was with him.  Even the magicians of Egypt said, "This is the finger of God."  (Exodus 8:19).  Thus, as each Old Testament book was written, is was accepted, copied, preserved and placed in the collection of books that eventually became the 39 books of the Hebrew Bible.

Likewise, the apostles and prophets of the New Testament wrote and confirmed their word by signs and wonders (Hebrews 2:4; Mark 16:17).  Paul said “truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you” ( 2 Corinthians 12:12).  Early Christians kept, copied, collected and preserved the New Testament document with such care that we can say that the New Testament is the best attested document in all of ancient literature!

There are about 1,000  Hebrew manuscripts (copies) of the Old Testament in existence.   Over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament are available today.  In addition to these, there are thousands of early translations of the Bible.  For example, the New Testament was translated into Syriac, Egyptian, and Latin between the end of the first century and  end of the fourth century AD.    Furthermore, early Christians often quoted from the New Testament letters as they wrote to one another.  By taking the quotations of New Testament books in the writings of Christians up through about 325 AD, scholars have been able to reproduce the entire New Testament with the exception of fewer than a dozen verses.

In comparing the documents which support the genuineness of the Bible with those that support other ancient literary works, one can be certain of the Bible’s authenticity.  F.F. Bruce, professor of biblical criticism and exegesis in the University of Manchester, has said:

The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no one dreams of questioning.  And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt. (The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, p. 15).

We stand amazed at the abundance of evidence for the genuineness and authenticity of the Bible.  God in His providence has preserved the sacred text.  We need have no doubt as to its reliability.  The Bible indeed is from God, its authority is unquestionable and its statements are infallible.  Therefore, we must obey its commands and may derive hope from its promises.

• Consider who is writing or speaking.
• It is important to know to whom the author is writing.
• Study to know the purpose of the writer.
• Have a regular time for study each day.
• Do not be satisfied with merely reading but strive to understand.
• Take notes and look up difficult words.
• Make use of helpful books such as a Bible dictionary or handbook.

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HELP IN UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE
2 Timothy 2:15 "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (NKJV)
How the Bible is Divided
• Two Major Divisions

Old Testament
New Testament

• Old Testament Divisions


• Law -- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy
• History -- Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
• Poetry -- Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Solomon
• Major Prophets -- Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
• Minor Prophets -- Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi


• New Testament Divisions


• Biography -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
• History -- Acts
• Letters -- Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1,2,3 John, Jude
• Prophecy -- Revelation

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A Synopsis of the Books of the Old Testament
By Dan Flournoy

I. Introduction: The 39 books of the Old Testament are logically divided into four major sections:

A. Law – five books (Gen. -Deut.) Called the Pentateuch (five-fold book) containing the Law of Moses and about 2500 years of history from creation to the death of Moses.

B. History- 12 books (Joshua -Esther) giving the history of the Israelites from the death of Moses to the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity.

C. Poetry – five books (Job -Song of Solomon) that are primarily books of devotion and exhortation. These books are sometimes called "wisdom books" or “wisdom literature.”

D. Prophecy- 17 books (Isaiah -Malachi) which contains much of the history before, during and after the captivity as well as predictions concerning God's impending judgment and the coming Messiah. This section is usually divided into the Major Prophets (Isaiah-Daniel ) and the Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi). This division is based upon the length of the books.

II. The Pentateuch: Moses is the human author (John 7:19). The word Pentateuch is derived from two Greek words, pente (five) and teuchos (volume), thus a five-volume book. These five books are referred to as the "Book of the Law of Moses" (Neh. 8:1) , and "the Book of the Law of Jehovah" (Neh. 9:3).

A.     Genesis: 50 chapters.  The name Genesis means "origin," "source," or "beginning." Genesis deals with history from the creation to the death of Joseph.

B.     Exodus: 40chapters.  The name Exodus means "going out" or a "going forth." This book continues the history at the point that Genesis left off. It starts with Israel in bondage in Egypt and ends with the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness.

C.     Leviticus: 27 chapters.  The name Leviticus is actually an adjective, meaning the "Levitical" (book) .It is taken from the name Levi, the priestly tribe. Thus, the book contains mostly ceremonial laws for priests and the people. Some brief historical sections are included. It was written while Israel was at Mt. Sinai apparently during the month between the completion of the tabernacle (Ex. 40:17) and the departure from Mt. Sinai (Num. 1:1; 10:11). This was in 1445 B.C.

D.     Numbers: 36 chapters.  The book gets its name from the fact that it records the two censuses or numberings of Israel. It gives an account of Israel's wilderness wanderings from Sinai to Moab. Numbers takes up where Exodus leaves off. The book covers a time span of about 39 years (cf. Num. 1:1; 33:38; and Deut. 1:3).  This would be about 1445-1407 B.C.

E.      Deuteronomy: 34 chapters.  The name Deuteronomy means "Second Law" (or "The Law Repeated"). The book consists of three extended addresses by Moses (chapter 1-30), followed by certain closing words and events (chapters 31-34). Many of the laws were of a social, civil, and political nature such as Israel would need when they entered the “promised land.”  It contains the closing message of Moses to his people.

III. History: This section, from Joshua to Esther is the "heart of Hebrew History." It shows the building of a great nation, its downfall through sin, and finally the return and restoration of the Jews from captivity.

A.     Joshua: 24 chapters.  This book gets it name from its principle character, Joshua. It begins with the events after the death of Moses, tells of the invasion and conquest of Canaan, the division of the land and ends with the death of Joshua. It is evident that Joshua himself is the author.

B.     Judges: 21 chapters.  This book is the account of 15 judges who ruled in Israel over a period of about 300 years. It begins with the history after the death of Joshua and ends with the death of Samson. The events in the last few chapters (17-21) occurred long before most of the events recorded previously in the book. This book tells of repeated cycles of history in Israel.  The cycles are as follows: (1) Israel goes into idolatry; (2) Servitude to foreign nations; (3) Sorrow and supplications; and finally, (4) God sends a judge (deliverer) to save them.  Judges 21:25 most aptly characterizes the entire book of Judges; "In those days there was no King of Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes."  Samuel is thought to be the human author.

C.     Ruth: four chapters).  A lovely story of one family in the time of Judges. Ruth, the Moabite became the great-grandmother of King David.  Besides showing God's marvelous grace in accepting gentiles into the chosen nation of Israel, the book is important in that it traces the chosen line of Abraham's descendants down from Judah's son Perez through David the king. (Ruth 4:18-20)  The author is unknown but it was probably written in the time of David.

D.     I and II Samuel: 1 Sam. 13 chapters; II Sam. 24 chapters.  These two books were originally one book but were divided into two books when the O.T. was translated into Greek (about 270 B.C.)  I Samuel begins with the birth of Samuel and ends with the death of King Saul.  II Samuel tells of the reign of King David.  The books get their name from Samuel the prophet, who is the principal character in the first book and who anointed Saul and David.

E.      I and II Kings: I Kings 22 chapters; II Kings 25chapters.  Originally these two books, like I and II Samuel, were considered one. They contain a record of the careers of the kings of Israel and Judah from the time of Solomon to the downfall of the Jewish monarchy before the armies of Nebuchadnezzar in 587 B.C.  I Kings begins with the account of David's old age, and ends shortly after the death of King Ahab.  II Kings begins with Ahab's son Ahaziah and ends with the Babylonian captivity of Judah.  Thus, II Kings brings us almost down to the end of O.T. history. The purpose of these two books is to demonstrate, on the basis of Israel's history, that the welfare of the nation ultimately depended upon the faithfulness of the people in regard to the covenant with Jehovah. Furthermore, this record was to set forth those events which were important from the stand point of God and His scheme of redemption.  I Kings chapter 11 marks the division of Bible history between the United Kingdom and the Divided Kingdom period. Jeremiah has been suggested as the main author and compiler of these two books.  The prophets Elijah and Elisha occupy most of I Kings 17-21 and II Kings 1-8.

F.      I and II Chronicles: I Chron. 29 chapters; II Chron.: 36 chapters.  Originally, I and II Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah were one series of works. Jewish tradition assigns the authorship to Ezra. The date of writing is placed between 450-425 B.C.  While Kings tells about the Northern and Southern kingdoms; Chronicles deals mainly with the Southern Kingdom of Judah.  Another important difference is that Kings has a prophetic emphasis while Chronicles has a priestly emphasis.  Thus, Chronicles tells much of the worship, temple activities and the genealogies.  Also, Chronicles covers a longer time span than do the books of Samuel and Kings.  Beginning with Adam the history is carried down to the decree of the Persian king Cyrus permitting the Jews to return from Babylonian Captivity.  The genealogies of the book tell of several generations of people who lived after the Babylonian Captivity. (See I Chr. 3:19-24).  Chronicles therefore, brings us down to about 420 B.C. to the time of the writing of the last Old Testament book.

G.     Ezra and Nehemiah: Ezra – 10 chapters; Neh. – 13 chapters.  These two books were treated as one by the Hebrew scribes. They record the return and reconstruction of the nation of Israel during the time when the Persian Empire ruled the world.  They cover about 100 years of history from 536 to 432 B.C. The last three prophets of Judah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi lived and wrote during this period. In 536 B.C. Zerubbabel returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.  In 457 B.C. Ezra returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. In 444 B.C. Nehemiah as governor, went to continue to rebuild and fortify Jerusalem.  While most of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, portions of the book of Ezra are written in Aramaic.  Between Ezra chapter 6 and 7 there is a gap of about seventy years. Esther: 10 chapters.  The name Esther is apparently derived from the Persian word for star.  In Hebrew her name is Myrtle.  This book is an illustration of the overruling providence of the sovereign God who delivers and preserves His people from those who would plot their destruction. While the name of God is not mentioned, the book of Esther does refer to fasting (4:16), to prayer (9:31); and to providence (4:14).  King Ahasurerus in the book of Esther is the same person as Xerxes I, the king famous for his wars with Greece.  The events in the book pertaining to Esther took place in Xerxe's seventh year (4:16) after he returned from his defeat at Salamis. 

V. Poetry: This section (Job -Song of Solomon) is largely Hebrew poetry.  While there is poetry in other sections, especially the prophets, these books are almost entirely poetry. Hebrew poetry is characterized by the unusual form in which it expresses its ideas. There are several different types of Hebrew poetry: Parallelism, Lyrical Poetry, Didatic, Impracatory and Dramatic.

A.     Job: 42 chapters.  The book of Job finds its setting in the land of Uz (Northern Arabia) during the Patriarchal period of Jewish history. The book is a Philosophic discussion, in highly poetic language, of the problem of human suffering.  While various explanations are set forth by Job's "friends", the ultimate answer is child-like faith in God and His righteousness.

E.      Psalms: 150 chapters.  Called in Hebrew the "Book of Praises", the book of Psalms is a collection of 150 poems to be set to music for worship. David is the principle writer with at least 73 Psalms ascribed to him. Other authors include Moses (90); Asaph (50,73-83); the descendant of Korah (42,44-49, 84,87-88); Solomon (72?, 127); Heman the Ezrahite (88); and Ethon the Ezrahite (89). The subject of the Psalms are sometimes classified as follows: Historical (78); Penitential (32,51); Imprecatory (35); Alphabetic (9, 119), and Messianic (2).

F.      Proverbs: 31 chapters. The book of Proverbs is a collection of pointed moral maxim, Solomon, who uttered 3,000 proverbs (1 Kings 3:32; Eccl. 12:9) is the chief author. The book addresses itself to those of every age who would seek wisdom and instruction. By means of comparison it deals with the great spiritual themes of wisdom, righteousness, fear of God, trust in God, self-control, judgment, idleness, contentment, training children and common sense.

G.     Ecclesiastes: 12 chapters.  The Hebrew title is derived from a root word meaning "to address an assembly" and later became a term for the preacher himself. Hence, the title of the book is "the Preacher". This book of Wisdom, written by Solomon, shows the vanity of life apart from service to God.  Written from the standpoint of Solomon's own experience in tasting every form of pleasure, the Royal Preacher comes back to this simple conclusion: "fear God and keep His commandments..." (12:13).

H.     Song of Solomon: eight chapters.  In the original Hebrew the title is "the Song of Songs" which is intended to be a superlative like holy of Holies and king of Kings. Thus, it is the best of all songs. Its author is Solomon and is therefore his song. It depicts a young married couple whose love is transfigured to a holy level. This couple stands in a typical relation- ship reflecting God's love for His people and foreshadowing the mutual affection of Christ and His church.

V.     Prophecy: The prophet was a spokesman for God (Deut. 18:9, Jer. 1:17; Isa. 58:1).  He was also called a "seer" (I Sam. 9:9; II Sam. 24:11). God has always made provision for testing those who claimed to be prophets (Deut. 13:1-5, cf. II Thess. 2:9-11; I John 4:1; Matt. 24:24). The prophet of God was characterize by a deep sense of unworthiness (Isa. 6:5; Jer. 10:23) and a recognition of a need for God's help.  They were men who traveled the mountain tops of joy but also knew the valley of despair (Isa. 35:10; Jer. 29:28).  Their message was plain and simple (Jer. 2:24; Isa. 1:6; Ez. 23 & 24).  Their plea was primarily for a return to Jehovah. (Jer. 6:16). Some of the great themes found in the prophets are insincere worship, care for the needy, just treatment of others, avoid foreign alliances, repentance and devotion to God.

A.     Isaiah: 66 chapters.  Isaiah was born in Jerusalem about 760 B.C. and began his forty year ministry about 740 B.C. He was married and had two sons. The prophecies of the book deal primarily with the judgement of God upon the nations of the world and Judah. Isaiah is known as "The Messianic Prophet" because his book contains the most complete unfolding of God's Scheme of Redemption to be found in the Old Testament.  His portrayal of Christ is truly remarkable.  Specific mention is made of His birth (7:14), His family origin (11:1), His anointing with the Holy Spirit (11:2; 42:1; 61:1), His ministry (42:7; 49:6; 61:1-3), His rejection by the Jews (53:3), His silence in the presence of His accusers (53:7), His atoning death (53:8), His burial in a rich man's tomb (53:9) and His eventual victory over death (53:10-12).  Isaiah lived and taught during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.  Contemporary with him: Hosea was prophesying in Israel and Micah in Judah.

B.     Jeremiah: 52capters.  This book shows God's final effort to save Jerusalem from Babylon. The ministry of Jeremiah extended over a forty year period from the thirteenth year of Josiah to the eleventh year of Zedekiah.  He was called to the prophetic office in 626 B.C. In 606 Jerusalem was partly destroyed and further devastated in 597.  It was finally burned and desolated in 586.  Jeremiah lived through these forty years as a lonely messenger of God in the midst of the rebellious opposition of his own people. Contemporary with him: (1) Ezekial in Babylon preaching among the captives the same things Jeremiah was preaching in Jerusalem; (2) Daniel in the palace of Nebuchadnezzar; (3) Habakkuk and Zepheniah also in Jerusalem; (4) Nahum predicting the fall of Nineveh and (5) Obadiah predicting the ruin of Edom.  The message of Jeremiah consist largely in a stern warning to Judah to turn from idolatry and sin to avoid the impending exile. Because Judah refused to repent the Babylonian Captivity was inevitable. Therefore he urged the people to submit to the yoke of chastisement for their unfaithfulness to God. Because of this his enemies accused him of being a traitor and was severely persecuted.

C.     Lamentations: five chapters.  Written by Jeremiah in his sorrow over the woes that have befallen sinful Judah and the pitiable destruction visited upon Jerusalem. It is interesting to note that the first four chapters are written in the acrostic form; Chapters 1, 2 and 4 are therefore 22 verses long, each verse beginning with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Chapter 3, however, contains 66 verses, since three successive verses are allotted to each letter of the alphabet. (cf. Lam. 4:10- Deut. 28; 55; II Kings 6:29- Jer. 19:9).

D.     Ezekiel: 48 chapters.  Daniel had been in Babylon nine years when Ezekiel arrived to settle among the captives in the country side (597 B.C.).  Ezekiel's mission seems to have been to explain and justify the action of God in bringing judgment upon His people. He also comforts them with the prophecy that God will restore a repentant remnant of His chastened people and establish them once again in the land of Palestine.

E.      Daniel: 12 chapters.  While yet a mere youth, Daniel was carried to Babylon where-he rose to positions of power in the kingdoms of Babylon and Media-Persia. The basic theme of this book is the overruling sovereignty of the one true God, who condemns and destroys the rebellious world powers and faithfully delivers His covenant people according to their steadfast faith in Him. (cf.4:17).  The first half of the book is occupied with historic matter giving us a picture of the time and conditions in which he lived. The second half of the book deals with visions and their interpretations.  Daniel, like Joseph, was a statesman in a heathen court.  His prophecies provided a framework for Jewish and Gentile history from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to the coming of Christ and related events.  The book was written by Daniel, being completed about 530 B.C.

F.      Hosea: 14 chapters.  Hosea was a prophet of the Northern Kingdom about 746 B.C., (II K. 14) slightly after the time of Amos.  His life is made a "living lesson" of the message he had to preach.  He is commanded by the Lord to marry a woman of harlotry and beget children of harlotry.  He marries Gomer, daughter of Deblaim (1:23).  In Gomer we have the pictures of the prodigal wife and a parallel to Israel who, while "married" to Jehovah committed spiritual adultery by worshipping false gods.  Not only was Hosea's marriage an illustration of the thing he was preaching, (i.e. be faithful to God), but even the names of his children were designed to teach a lesson. “Jezreel,” (1:4,5) meaning “God scatters,” became a walking reminder of God's judgment for it was at Jezreel that judgment was brought upon the house of Ahab by Jehu (11 Kings 9:16). “Lo-ruhamah,” (1:6) means “no more mercy,” or “not pitied.”  This was a warning that God's mercy would one day be withheld.  The third child is a son called, “Lo-Ammi,” “not my people.” (cf.1:10).  This of course is a threat that the relationship between God and Israel would be broken.

G.     Joel: three chapters.  The name Joel means "Jehovah is God".  The book was probably written about 830 B.C. in Judah.  The theme of this prophet was a solemn warning of divine judgment to be visited upon Israel in the day of Jehovah.  This day of judgment is typified by the devastating locust plague which inflicts a great economic loss upon the nation. (cf. Amos 7:1,2)  It is in the face of this great calamity that Joel calls upon the nation to repent. Presupposing the repentance of the people, the Lord promises a removal of the locusts (2:20); a restoration of oil and wine (2:19); and ample rain in its seasons (2:23).  There will be an outpouring of the Spirit with significant happenings in heaven and on earth with salvation for those who call on the name of the Lord (cf. 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21; Rom. 10:13; Rev. 6:12; Matt. 24:29).

H.     Amos:  nine chapters.  A herdsman from the little town of Tekoa, which is twelve miles south of Jerusalem, Amos was called to preach against the wickedness of Samaria and Bethel in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (see 7:14-17; 3:8).  Amos dates his work as being during trhe reigns of Uzzia, king of Judah (783-742 B.C.), and Jeroboam II, king of Israel (786-746), two years before the earthquake.  The prophecy of Amos is an example of the goodness of God to an unworthy nation.  The book is divided into five sections: (1)  Judgement upon the heathen nations, 1:3 – 2:3; (2) Wrath upon Judah and Israel for neglecting God’s word, 2:4-16; (3) The offenses of Israel and the warning of God, 3:1-6:14; (4) Five visions of Israel’s fate, 7:1—9:10; and (5) Oracles of hope – the promise of restoration, 9:11—15.

I.        Obadiah: one chapter.  This is the shortest book in the Old Testament, having only twenty-one verses.  The message and purpose of the book may be summed up in a couple of phrases:  the destruction of Edom (rss. 1-16).  And the restoration of Israel (vss. 17:21).  The prophet directed his words, however, not so much as a warning to Edom as a message of comfort to Israel.  The Edomites were descendants of Esau and were bitter enemies of the Jews.  They joined with Babylon in the siege of Jerusalem (587 B.C. cf. Ps. 137:7) and for this God promised vengeance (vss. 10-11).  The capitol of Edom was Sela (Petra), built high in a perpendicular cliff, far back in the mountain canyons south of the Dead Sea.  Even this impregnable stronghold could not protect them from God’s wrath (vs. 3).

J.       Jonah: four chapters.  In II Kings 14:25 the prophet Jonah is mentioned as having predicted the wide extent of the conquests of Jeroboam II (793-753).  Thus, his prophetic ministry would seem to have begun shortly before the reign of Jeroboam, or at least before the outstanding military triumphs which he attained.  Jonah’s mission was to preach repentance to the Gentile city of Nineveh, capital of the enemy nation of Assyria.  Thus, the purpose of the book is to show that God’s mercy and compassion extend eve to the heathen nations on condition of their repentance.  Prophetically, Jonah’s entombment for three days in the belly of the fish serves as a type of burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 12:40; Lk. 11:29-30).  It should be observed that the Hebrew text actually speaks of a “great fish,” rather than a “whale.”

K.    Micah: seven chapters.  Micah prophesied in the reigns of Jotham (749-734 B.C.), Ahaz (741-726), and Hezekiah (726-697), kings of Judah.  The basic theme of the book, addressed to Samaria and Jerusalem, is summed up in these words, “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (6:8).  In this book God denounces the corrupt priests, the false princes, and the money-grabbing prophets of his time.  In the light of Jeremiah 26:18, which asserts that Micah uttered the words of 3:12 during the reign of Hezekiah, it may be inferred tat Micah was a younger contemporary of Isaiah.  Micha was born at Moresheth near Gath, about twenty miles west of Jerusalem and therefore worked in the country while Isaiah preached in Jerusalem.  He proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting,” as the foundation of all hope for the future as he describes, and specifies Bethlehem in Judah as the place where He should be born of woman (5:2,3; cf. Matt. 2:5).

L.      Nahum: three chapters.  The message of the book is directed to the city of Nineveh about 150 years after the preaching of Jonah.  This time, however, the city is doomed to destruction because of impenitence.  Having served God’s purpose, Assyria would be destroyed (Isa. 10:5).  The theme of Nahum is “the wrath of God,” an aspect of God’s character we have always tended to shrink away from.  “Jehovah is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means clear the guilty: Jehovah hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm and the clouds are the dust of his feet" (1:3). Where there is love there will always be righteous indignation against sin.

M.   Habbakkuk: three chapters.  This prophecy belongs to the early part of Jehoiakim’s reign and was probably written about 607 B.C.  The first chapter begins with dialogue between the prophet and God.  The prophet inquires as to why the wicked Chaldeans are allowed to prosper at the expense of Judah, who although wicked, are more righteous. The answer is that the Chaldean power, drunk with the blood of nations, shall in her turn, be destroyed but “the righteous shall live by faith” (2:4, cf. Rom. 1:17).  All wickedness shall be judged and punished.  Although divine wrath may seem to tarry, yet at the appointed time it will come. Chapter two is therefore a series of woes pronounced upon the Chaldeans, while chapter three is a song of praise expressing confidence in God who will deliver His people.

N.    Zephaniah: three chapters.  A descendant of the good King Hezekiah, Zephaniah was of royal blood and prophesied in the days of another good king, Josiah (639-608 B.C.)  The religious and moral condition of Judah was very low and Zephaniah helped Josiah institute a reformation (11 Chron. 34) and preached of the coming of a great day of judgment for Judah and Jerusalem (1:14-16, 18). He also prophesied against the heathen nations of Ethiopia, Assyria, Moab, Ammon and four cities of the Philistines.  Combined with the pronouncements of impending doom is the promise of restoration of a righteous remnant (3:9-20).

O.    Haggai: two chapters.  The theme of the prophet's preaching is that if God's people will put God's work first, His house and His worship, then their present poverty and failure will give way to a blessed prosperity. Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city of Jerusalem in the year 586. In 536 B.C., Zerubbabel led about 50,000 Jews back from captivity to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem (Ezra 1, 2:2). There was a delay in starting the work but finally the foundation was completed. It was at this point that the enemies of Israel put forth efforts and stopped the work (Ezra 3-4:24; 5:16). After a period of some fifteen years delay, God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah (520 B.C.) to stir up the people to complete the work which had stopped (Ezra 5:1,2). Under their preaching the work prospered and was finally completed (Ezra 6:15).

P.      Zechariah: 14 chapters.  Within two months after Haggai began to preach to the people concerning the rebuilding of the Temple, the prophet Zechariah began his ministry about 520 B.C..  The book can be divided into three sections: First section, (1-6) is a series of visions designed to encourage the builders in their task. The second section (7, 8) is a discourse on fasting in answer to the question of the men of Bethel whether the day of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple should still be kept as a day of fasting.  The answer is that the Lord delights in obedience rather than in fasting.  The people had forgotten the reason for the destruction of their Temple, i.e. the sin of idolatry.  The third section (9-14) is a colorful unveiling of the future of Israel and the coming Messiah (12:10, 13:1).