Lesson 1

CHART 1 - “INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT”

Introduction to the Old Testament (Time Periods)

The Old Testament covers many events over thousands of years. We’re going to divide that time into four periods as a way to understand some of the major events better:

Innocence - From creation of man to his sin in the garden of Eden. Length of time is unknown.

Conscience - Conscience spans the time from the Fall of Man (the original sin) to Abraham.

The Patriarchs - The time of the Patriarchs reaches from Abraham to Moses.

Law and the Prophets - The time of the Law and the Prophets extends from Moses to Christ.

Our first lesson is going to cover the evens from Creation to the first judgment.

CHART 2 - “BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT”

Books of the Old Testament

The Bible Is Inspired of God (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16)

2 Peter 1:21 KJV 1900

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Clearly, the Old Testament was inspired of God. And according to this next scripture, all of the Bible is inspired of God…

2 Timothy 3:16 KJV 1900

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Now, in the Greek language in which the New Testament was written, the word inspired means “God-breathed.”

Scripture was not written by the will of men. Men did not just decide to write about God. The Bible is not man’s book about God, but God’s Book to humankind.

A keyword in 2 Peter 1:21 is moved. In the original language, it means to be “carried along,” much like a ship is carried over the surface of the sea by wind blowing its sails.

The Bible Is the Word of God (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Revelation 22:19)

When we study the Bible, it should be done with great reverence, because it is, in fact, the Word of God, not the word of men. Each word is important.

God warned Moses:

Deuteronomy 4:2 KJV 1900

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

There’s a similar command in Proverbs 30:6…

Proverbs 30:6 KJV 1900

Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

And then, just before the close of the Bible, God inspired John to include these words in Revelation:

Revelation 22:19 KJV 1900

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

God’s Word Is to Be Preserved (Psalm 12:6-7; Luke 16:17)

God didn’t just give His Word to humanity; He promised to preserve it forever, so that everyone would have access to it!

Psalm 12:6–7 KJV 1900

The words of the Lord are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

On that same subject of God preserving His Word, Jesus said:

Luke 16:17 KJV 1900

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

A tittle is a very small mark in the Hebrew language.

There’s an easy way to remember the number of books in the Old Testament: the word Old has three letters; the word Testament has nine letters. If we put three and nine together, we have thirty-nine (the number of books in the Old Testament).

The Old Testament was written by about thirty-two men as the Spirit of God moved on them. It spans a period of at least 3,600 years and it required about 1,500 years to complete. We can divide those thirty-nine books into four sections:

Law - 5 books

History - 12 books

Poetry - 5 books

Prophecy - 17 books (with the first five called “Major” Prophets and the last twelve called “Minor” Prophets)

The Bible is a powerful book. It’s so powerful, that a study of it can change the whole perspective of a person’s life.

There’s a story called Mutiny on the Bounty. One of the incidents in the story involves the mutineers sing king their ship and landing with their native women on the lonely island of Pitcairn. There were nine white sailors, six natives, ten women, and a girl of fifteen. One of the sailors knew how to distill alcohol, and the island became filled with drunkenness and sin.

After a while, only one of the sailors was left living, surrounded by native women and their children. The sailor found a Bible in one of the chests taken from the ship and began teaching it to the survivors. As a result, his own life was changed, and finally the life of the whole colony.

In 1808, the United States ship Topaz visited the island and found a thriving, prosperous community without whiskey and without crime. The Bible had totally changed the life of the colony!

And this same sort of change has happened throughout the ages…

Psalm 119:130 KJV 1900

The entrance of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.

CHART 3 - “IN THE BEGINNING GOD…”

Creation Week

The very first verse of the Bible says:

Genesis 1:1 KJV 1900

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The story of Creation reveals that God made all things in six days. And on the seventh day, He rested. We’re going to look at each day…

The First Day (Genesis 1:2-5)

On the first day, God said, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). He then divided the light from the darkness. He called the light Day and the darkness Night (Genesis 1:3-5). At this point, the earth was still “without form, and void” (Genesis 1:2). There existed a mass of waters.

The Second Day (Genesis 1:6-8)

On the second day…

Genesis 1:6 KJV 1900

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

God called the firmament heaven; today we call it the sky. This firmament divided the waters into those under it and those above it (Genesis 1:6-8).

The Third Day (Genesis 1:9-13)

On the third day…

Genesis 1:9 KJV 1900

And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

He called the dry land Earth and the gathered waters Seas. On the same day…

Genesis 1:11 KJV 1900

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

So, the third day saw the appearance of dry land, the gathering of the waters into specific areas, and the creation of grass, herbs, and trees on the land (Genesis 1:9-13).

The Fourth Day (Genesis 1:14-19)

On the fourth day…

Genesis 1:14–15 KJV 1900

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

It was on this day that God made the sun, moon, and stars to divide the light from darkness and to mark days, seasons, and years with their signs (Genesis 1:14-19).

The Fifth Day (Genesis 1:20-23)

On the fifth day…

Genesis 1:20 KJV 1900

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

By His own spoken word, God created the great whales and every living creature that moves in the water, as well as every winged fowl. He then said, “Be fruitful, and multiply… in the earth” (Genesis 1:22). He created all the fish and birds this day.

The Sixth Day (Genesis 1:24-31)

The sixth day saw the creation of animals and humankind.

Genesis 1:24 KJV 1900

And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Then, God said something else important:

Genesis 1:26 KJV 1900

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

And so, He created man in His image, and He made both male and female.

Genesis 1:28–30 KJV 1900

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

It’s important to note that humanity is the only creation of God commanded to have dominion over all creatures and to subdue the earth. Also, we are the only creation that are made in the image of God.

The Seventh Day (Genesis 2:1-3)

On the last day of creation week, God rested (Genesis 2:1-3). Creation was complete, and God’s relationship with humanity was just beginning.

CHART 4 - “POWER OF CHOICE”

Power of Choice

Adam and Eve - Innocence

The second chapter of Genesis goes back over the creation of man and woman, but this time, in more detail.

This chapter also reveals that God planted a garden eastward in Eden, where He placed the man, Adam. The garden was a beautiful place, growing every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food. God put Adam in this paradise, and give him instructions to dress and keep the garden.

The Forbidden Tree (Genesis 2:9, 16-17)

But the Lord had other commandments for Adam, too. This is where it gets interesting!

Genesis 2:16–17 KJV 1900

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Another unusual tree found in the garden was the Tree of Life (Genesis 2:9). Man could eat of this tree, but he was not eat of the tree that would give him the knowledge of good and evil.

Basically, he was in a state of innocence. And eating of the tree would awaken his conscience.

Eve Given to Adam (Genesis 2:18-23)

Then, we are told by God that it was not good for man to be alone.

Genesis 2:18 KJV 1900

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

The words help meet are translated from one Hebrew word that means “aid.”

The Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and He took one of Adam’s ribs, from which He made a woman. God brought the woman to Adam.

Genesis 2:23 KJV 1900

And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.

And we need to remember here, that in their innocence, both Adam and Eve were unashamed, though naked.

Humankind Given Free Will (Revelation 22:17)

Now… some have wondered (as you might) why God placed that forbidden tree in the Garden. Wouldn’t it have been better if God had never given Adam and Eve the opportunity to do wrong?

But that question overlooks God’s purpose in creating man. God didn’t create a puppet or a robot. He created a being with the power of choice, or with with a free will! God’s promises are to “whosoever will” (Revelation 22:17). If we are forced into relationship with God, how can it ever be a real, joyful relationship? There’s no choice in the matter!

So, one of the major differences between humankind and the animal kingdom is the power of choice: to do good or evil. From the start, God has set this choice before us.

The Fall

Chapter three of Genesis outlines the terrible mistake that Adam and Even made and its consequences.

Eve Visits the Forbidden Tree (Romans 13:14; Ephesians 4:27)

One of the first mistakes that Eve made was to visit the site of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Since she knew that it was a forbidden tree, she should have avoided it altogether. She should have stayed away from it.

Romans 13:14 KJV 1900

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Ephesians 4:27 KJV 1900

Neither give place to the devil.

There are a lot of hurtful temptations that could be avoided if people stayed away from sinful environments and compromising situations.

But, Eve - like many since then - made the mistake of knowingly and willingly giving room for temptation.

Satan Pays a Visit Also (Genesis 3:1)

Enter Satan.

Satan, who is very subtle, was just waiting for the right opportunity to inject his deceitful influence into the Garden of Eden. He knew that he had only one possible course of action, and that involved the forbidden tree. It’s important to notice the first words that Satan said to Eve:

Genesis 3:1 KJV 1900

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

His first method of attack is always to question God’s Word. And it’s pretty creative how he did this, because he didn’t actually deny God’s Word, but he still tempts Eve to question the Word of God.

Satan’s Wrong Interpretation (Genesis 2:16-17)

Now let’s look at how he twisted God’s Word…

God said:

Genesis 2:16–17 KJV 1900

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Satan asked if God said: “Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden” (Genesis 3:1).

Now, this change may seem to be just a matter of small detail or a play on words. but when we are talking about the Word of God, every single word is crucial, how it’s phrased is critical, and the perspective is important.

So let’s look at this a little closer… God was speaking from a positive viewpoint; He told Adam that he could freely eat of every tree in the Garden except one.

The serpent’s viewpoint was negative; he focused on the fact that they could not eat of every tree. And in doing this, Satan was attempting to make Eve feel like she was deprived rather than blessed! He wanted her to think about that little bit she couldn’t have rather than all that she could have!

This is how Satan works. He will quote something that sounds so much like the Word of God and is so close to what God actually said that he will fool those who don’t know the Word themselves.

It’s also worth noting that Satan actually questioned whether God had really given such a command or not.

Eve’s Lack of Knowledge of God’s Word (Genesis 3:1-3)

The next mistake in this event is that Eve didn’t really know what God had said. Eve’s statement sounds very close to what god said, but God forbids us to add or take away one word from what He has said.

She added to it…

Genesis 3:2–3 KJV 1900

And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Let’s compare again… God actually said:

Genesis 2:16–17 KJV 1900

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God DID NOT say, “Neither shall ye touch it.” Again, this little addition may not seem important, but we are dealing with the Word of God, here!

And while it might seem that Eve was strengthening God’s command by adding something He didn’t say, we have to realize that we can’t strengthen God’s Word. He doesn’t need us adding our own conditions.

And in misquoting what God had said, Eve revealed to the serpent a major flaw in her ability to resist temptation.

Satan Attacks God’s Motives (Genesis 3:4-5)

The next step in the temptation of Eve was an attack on God’s motives.

Having discovered that she didn’t really know what God said, Satan now directly contradicted God’s Word:

Genesis 3:4–5 KJV 1900

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Basically, Satan caused Eve to think that God was holding back her and Adam from eating the tree because He wanted to keep something good from them.

This is literally another standard tool in the devil’s kit. He tries to convince people that it would be to their advantage to do those things forbidden by God and that God actually doesn’t want the best for them but wants to keep them in ignorance and bondage.

Adam’s Disobedience (1 Timothy 2:14; Romans 5:12-19)

Then, Eve took another bad step: she began to follow her physical desire instead of the Word of God.

She saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a tree to be desired to make one wise. She ate the fruit, and she gave some to Adam, and he ate also. What makes all of this even worse is that, while Eve was deceived, Adam was not. He knew exactly what he was doing…

1 Timothy 2:14 KJV 1900

And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

So, in exploring all of this, we find out the following facts about he fall of man:

“By one man [Adam] sin entered the world” (Romans 5:12).

“Death [came] by sin; and so death passed upon all men” (Romans 5:12).

“Death reigned from Adam to Moses” (Romans 5:14).

“By one man’s [Adam’s] offence death reigned” (Romans 5:17).

“Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation” (Romans 5:18). “For as by one man’s [Adam’s] disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).

And once they ate of this fruit, the eyes of Adam and Eve were opened, they saw that they were naked, and they tried to cover up their shame by sewing fig leaves together and making aprons.

Clearly, their conscience was awakened. The age of innocence was now over.

God Comes Walking in the Garden

God Looks for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9-11)

When Adam and Eve heard the voice of God walking in the garden, in their shame and guilt, they hid from His presence in the trees. Sin had broken their relationship with God.

But that didn’t stop Him.

Genesis 3:9 KJV 1900

9 And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?

And Adam responded:

Genesis 3:10 KJV 1900

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

God asked:

Genesis 3:11 KJV 1900

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Adam and Eve Blame Someone Else (Genesis 3:12-13)

And it was right here, at this point, that something happened that has become common of all humanity from that time to ours: Adam blamed his sin on someone else.

Genesis 3:12 KJV 1900

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Our nature (our fallen nature) does not want to take responsibility for sin. And this is why repentance is such a major step, and the reason it is absolutely necessary!

We see the same thing in Eve:

Genesis 3:13 KJV 1900

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

CHART 5 - “THE FIRST JUDGMENT”

The First Judgment

So, there were immediate, earthshaking effects as a result of man’s choice to disobey rather than obey God. What we’re about to look at now is the first judgment on sin. It came in the form of four curses, along with God sending Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden.

The Curse on the Devil (Genesis 3:14-15)

This first curse was on the serpent (the devil).

Genesis 3:14 KJV 1900

14 And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

The Effect of the Curse on the Woman (Genesis 3:16)

The curse would be painful for Eve.

Genesis 3:16 KJV 1900

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

As a result of Eve’s sin, she brought upon the female population an increased sorrow. Even the wonderful, blessed, and exciting event of childbirth is colored by pain and travail.

In addition to this, God said that the man would rule over the woman.

The Curse on the Land (Genesis 3:17)

The third curse was upon the land.

Genesis 3:17–18 KJV 1900

17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Now, we have to carefully plant and raise the food we want to grow. But thorns, thistles, and other weeds will grow without our helping them along.

THINK ABOUT THIS: Every time we struggle to grow a beautiful flower… each time we weed our garden… or work to free our lawn from those ridiculous dandelions, we have a reminder of human sinfulness and of our need of God.

The Effect of the Curse on the Man (Genesis 3:19)

But the curse affected Adam, too.

Genesis 3:19 KJV 1900

19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

From this point forward, man would find life a struggle. He would live only by exertion, by effort, and would finally go back to the dust from which he was made.

The First Promise of the Redeemer (Genesis 3:15, 21)

But, in the midst of these curses… there was a promise. And this is our key verse of study today! God said to the devil:

Genesis 3:15 KJV 1900

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This was a prediction of the victory of Jesus Christ over Satan. A prophecy!

From the very beginning, the devil’s fate has been sealed. He’s never even been within striking distance of victory. From the start, he’s been defeated!

The innocence that Adam and Eve once had was over… but it ended with a promise of the coming Christ.

God also did something powerful that day…

Genesis 3:21 KJV 1900

21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

By the shedding of blood, He was covering their sins, as Jesus would!

Adam and Eve Driven from the Garden (Genesis 3:22-24)

And lastly, as a direct result of their sin, God put Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden. In order to prevent them from eating of the Tree of Life, God sent them out oof the Garden to till the ground.

Scripture says that at the east of the Garden, He placed cherubims (angelic creatures) with a flaming sword that turned in all directions to protect access to the Tree.

What’s important to understand is, when they sinned, Adam and Eve were spiritually dead - separated from the presence of God. They also faced physical death now. And after that, eternal death, which could only be avoided by the saving grace of God.

And since that time, every human being has been born in a sinful state - spiritually dead! And facing eternal death. But… it’s through Jesus that we can have salvation and eternal life.