The Bible Book by Book Part 6

3. Jacob's deception, Ch. 27.

4. Jacob's flight into Haran, Ch. 28.

5. Jacob's marriage and prosperity, Chs. 20-30.

6. Jacob's return to Canaan. Chs, 31-35.

7. Generations of Esau, Ch. 36.

VII. Jacob, including Joseph, Chs. 37-50.

1. Jacob and Joseph, Chs. 37-45.

2. Sojourn in Egypt, Chs. 46-48.

3. Death of Jacob and Joseph, Chs. 49-50.

For Study and Discussion. (1) All that we may learn from this book concerning the nature and work of G.o.d. (2) The different things the origin of which this book tells: (a) Inanimate things, (b) Plant life, (c) Animal life, (d) Human life, (e) Devices for comfort and safety, (f) Sin and its varied effects, (g) Various trades and manners of life, (h) Redemption, (i) Condemnation. (3) Wors.h.i.+p as it appears in Genesis, its form and development. (4) The princ.i.p.al men of the book and the elements of weakness and strength in the character of each.

The teacher may make a list and a.s.sign them for study to different pupils. (5) List the disappointments, family troubles and sorrows of Jacob, and study them in the light of his early deception and fraud.

(6) The over-ruling divine providence seen in the career of Joseph, with the present day lessons from the incidents of his life. (7) The fundamental value of faith in the life and destiny of men. (8) The Messianic promises, types and symbols of the entire book. List and cla.s.sify them.

Chapter 2.

Exodus.

Name. The name Exodus means a going out or departure.

Subject The subject and key-word of the book is redemption (3:7, 8; 12:13 etc.), particularly that half of redemption indicated by deliverance from an evil plight. It records the redemption of the chosen people out of Egyptian bondage, which becomes a type of all redemption in that it was accomplished (1) wholly through the power of G.o.d, (2) by a means of a deliverer (3) under the cover of blood.

Purpose. At this point Old Testament history changes from that of the family, given in individual biographies and family records, to that of the nation, chosen for the divine purposes. The divine will is no longer revealed to a few leaders but to the whole people. It begins with the cruel bondage of Israel in Egypt, traces the remarkable events of their delivery and ends with a complete establishment of the dispensation of the Law. The aim seems to be to give an account of the first stage in the fulfillment of the promises made by G.o.d to the Patriarchs with reference to the place and growth of the Israelites.

Contents. Two distinct sections are usually given by students: the historical, included in chapters 1-19 and the legislative, comprising chapters 20-40. The first section records: the need of deliverance; the birth, training and call of the deliverer; the contest with Pharaoh; the deliverance and march through the wilderness to Sinai.

The second gives the consecration of the nation and the covenant upon which it was to become a nation. The laws were such as to cover all the needs of a primitive people, both moral, ceremonial and civic with directions for the establishment of the Priesthood and Sanctuary.

Exodus and Science, Scientific research has gone far toward establis.h.i.+ng the truthfulness of the Exodus record, but has brought to light nothing that in any way discounts it. It has shown who the Pharaoh of the oppression and Exodus was (Rameses. II, the Pharaoh of the oppression and Merenpth II, the Pharaoh of the Exodus.) and has discovered Succoth. It has shown that writing was used long before the Exodus and has discovered doc.u.ments written before that period. It has thus confirmed the condition of things narrated in the Bible.

a.n.a.lysis.

I. Israel in Egypt, 1:1-12:36.

1. The bondage, Ch. 1.

2. The deliverer, Chs. 2-4.

3. The contest with Pharaoh, 5:1-12:38.

II. Israel Journeying to Sinai, 12:37-18: end.

1. The exodus and pa.s.sover, 12:37-13:16.

2. Journeying through Succoth to the Red Sea, 13:17-15:21.

3. From the Red Sea to Sinai, 15:22-18 end.

III. Israel at Sinai, Chs, 10-40.

1. The people prepared, Ch. 19.

2. The moral law, Ch. 20.

3. The civil law, 21:1-23:18.

4. Covenant between Jehovah and Israel, 23:20-24 end.

5. Directions for building the tabernacle, Chs. 25-31.

6. The covenant broken and renewed, Chs. 32-34.

7. The erection and dedication of the Tabernacle, 35-40.

For Study and Discussion. (1) The preparation of Israel and Moses for the deliverance. (2) The conception of G.o.d found in Exodus: (a) As to his relation to nature, (b) As to his relation to his enemies, (c) As to his relation to his people, (d) As to his nature and purposes. (3) The conception of man found in Exodus. (a) The need and value of wors.h.i.+p to him, (b) His duty to obey G.o.d. (4) The plagues. (5) The divisions of the decalogue: (a) Those touching our relation to G.o.d.

(b) Those touching our relation to men. (6) The different conferences between Jehovah and Moses, including Moses' prayer. (7) The current evils against which the civil laws were enacted and similar conditions of today. (8) The character of the different persons mentioned in the book: (a) Pharaoh, (b) Moses, (c) Aaron, (d) Jethro, (e) Magicians.

(8) Amalek, etc. (9) The Messianic teachings of the book-here study (a) the sacrifices, (b) the material, colors, etc., of the Tabernacle, (c) the smitten rock, (d) Moses and his family.

Chapter III.

Leviticus.

Name. By the rabbis, it was called "The Law of the Priest" and "The Law of Offerings," but from the time of the Vulgate it has been called Leviticus, because it deals with the services of the sanctuary as administered by the Levites.

Connection with Former Books. In Genesis, man is left outside of the Garden and the remedy for his ruin is seen in the promised seed. In Exodus, man is not only outside of Eden, but is in bondage to an evil enemy and his escape from his bondage is shown to be in the blood of the lamb, which is shown to be sufficient to satisfy man's need and G.o.d's justice. In Leviticus there is given the place of sacrifice, as an atonement for sin, and it is shown that G.o.d accepted the sacrifice of the victim instead of the death of the sinner. It is a continuation of Exodus, containing the Sinaitic legislation from the time of the completion of the Tabernacle.

Contents. Except the brief historical sections found in chapters 8-10 and 24:10-14, it contains a system of laws, which may be divided into (1) Civil, (2) Sanitary, (3) Ceremonial, (4) Moral and (5) Religious laws, emphasis being placed on moral and religious duties.

Purpose. (1) To show that G.o.d is holy and man is sinful. (2) To show how G.o.d can maintain his holiness and expose the sinfulness of man.

(3) To show how a sinful people may approach a Holy G.o.d. (4) To provide a manual of law and wors.h.i.+p for Israel. (5) To make Israel a holy nation.

Key-Word. The key-word then is Holiness, which is found 87 times in the book, while in contrast with it, the words sin and uncleanliness (in various forms) occur 194 times, showing the need of cleansing. On the other hand, blood, as a means of cleansing, occurs 89 times. The key verse is, I think, 19:2, though some prefer 10:10 as the best verse.

The Sacrifices, or Offerings. They may be divided in several ways, among which the most instructive is as follows: (1) _National Sacrifices_, which include (a) Serial, such as daily, weekly, and monthly offerings, (b) Festal, as the Pa.s.sover, Cycle of Months, etc., (c) for the service of the Holy Place, as holy oil, precious incense, twelve loaves, etc. (2) _Official Sacrifices_, which include (a) those for the priests, (b) those for princes and rulers, and (c) those for the holy women, Ex. 38:8; 1 Sam. 2:22. (3) _Personal Sacrifices_, including (a) the blood offering-peace offering, sin offering and trespa.s.s offering, (b) the bloodless offerings-the meat, or meal, offering.

Besides this general division, the offerings are divided into two kinds, as follows: (1) _Sweet-savor Offerings_. These are atoning in nature and show that Jesus is acceptable to G.o.d because he not only does no sin, but does all good, upon which the sinner is presented to G.o.d in all the acceptableness of Christ. These offerings are (a) the burnt offering, in which Christ willingly offers himself without spot to G.o.d for our sins, (b) the meal offering, in which Christ's perfect humanity, tested and tried, becomes the bread of His people, (c) the peace offering representing Christ as our peace, giving us communion with G.o.d, and thanks. (2) _Non-Sweet-Savor Offerings_. These are perfect offerings, overlaid with human guilt. They are (a) the sin offering, which is expiatory, subst.i.tutional and efficacious, referring more to sins against G.o.d, with little consideration of injury to man, (b) the trespa.s.s offering, which refers particularly to sins against man, which are also sins against G.o.d.

a.n.a.lysis.